www fortune.ph

www fortune.ph AP News Summary at 3:08 p.m. ESTGrammys Look Back With Two Retrospective Specials: Returning Producer Ken Ehrlich on Reviving Deep Clips and High Emotions

scientists have uncovered a significant Cold War relic buried beneath 's ice sheet: . This forgotten military base, originally constructed in 1959, lies hidden under 100 feet of ice. Its rediscovery by NASA during a routine research mission sheds light on an ambitious-and covert-military project from one of history's most tense eras. Built by the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers during the height of Cold War tensions, was envisioned as more than a remote military installation. Nicknamed the "city under the ice," it was part of Project Iceworm, a classified plan to deploy nuclear missiles capable of reaching Soviet targets. The base featured a sprawling network of tunnels stretching over 3,000 miles and housed firing positions for 600 nuclear weapons. While Denmark, which governs , was informed that the base was a scientific outpost, the true military objectives were kept secret until declassified in 1997. was designed to provide a strategic advantage in nuclear warfare, but its ambitious vision was ultimately thwarted by the shifting and unstable Greenland ice sheet. The facility was abandoned in 1967, with snow and ice accumulating over the decades, hiding its structures beneath layers of frozen history. NASA stumbled upon during a research mission in April 2024 while flying over Greenland. Scientists aboard a Gulfstream III jet were using UAVSAR (Uninhabited Aerial Vehicle Synthetic Aperture Radar) technology to map the internal structure of the ice sheet. Instead of just finding ice layers, the radar picked up the base's structures. "We were looking for the bed of the ice, and out pops ," said , a cryospheric scientist at NASA's Jet Propulsion Laboratory. "We didn't know what it was at first." The radar system, which sends radio waves to map subsurface features, revealed detailed images of the base, including tunnels and buildings. The findings aligned with historical records, confirming the radar had located the long-lost base. This advanced technology offers a unique perspective on buried features, which can now be studied in greater detail than ever before. Environmental and Historical Significance While is a fascinating historical discovery, its reemergence also raises environmental concerns. With 's ice sheet melting at an alarming rate, scientists warn that the base's buried chemical, biological, and radioactive waste could eventually be exposed. The melting could release hazardous materials into the environment, posing significant risks. 's work with radar technology is not just about rediscovering the past-it's also essential for understanding the future. By mapping ice sheets in and , researchers can better predict their response to rising global temperatures and their impact on sea-level rise. "Without detailed knowledge of ice thickness, it is impossible to know how ice sheets will respond to warming oceans and atmosphere," explained. The rediscovery of serves as both a reminder of Cold War ambitions and a warning of the environmental consequences of human activity. While the base may have been forgotten for decades, its existence beneath 's ice sheet offers invaluable insights into history, climate science, and the challenges of managing long-term environmental risks. As researchers continue to study this frozen relic, its story will contribute to a broader understanding of our planet's past and future.West Virginia 86, No. 3 Gonzaga 78, OT

Syrian government services come to a 'complete halt' as state workers stay homeDEIR AL-BALAH, Gaza Strip (AP) — Israeli troops stormed one of the last hospitals operating in northern Gaza on Friday, forcing many staff and patients outside to strip in winter weather , the territory’s health ministry said. The army denied claims it had entered or set fire to the complex and accused Hamas of using the facility for cover. Kamal Adwan Hospital has been hit multiple times over the past three months by Israeli troops waging an offensive against Hamas fighters in surrounding neighborhoods, according to staff. The ministry said a strike on the hospital a day earlier killed five medical staff. Israel's military said it was conducting operations against Hamas infrastructure and militants in the area and had ordered people out of the hospital, but said it had not entered the complex as of Friday night. It repeated claims that Hamas militants operate inside Kamal Adwan but provided no evidence. Hospital officials have denied that. The Health Ministry said troops forced medical personnel and patients to assemble in the yard and remove their clothes. Some were led to an unknown location, while some patients were sent to the nearby Indonesian Hospital, which was knocked out of operation after an Israel raid this week. Israeli troops during raids frequently carry out mass detentions, stripping men to their underwear for questioning in what the military says is a security measure as they search for Hamas fighters. The Associated Press doesn’t have access to Kamal Adwan, but armed plainclothes members of the Hamas-led police forces have been seen in other hospitals, maintaining security but also controlling access to parts of the facilities. The Health Ministry said Israeli troops also set fires in several parts of Kamal Adwan, including the lab and surgery department. It said 25 patients and 60 health workers remained in the hospital. The account could not be independently confirmed, and attempts to reach hospital staff were unsuccessful. “Fire is ablaze everywhere in the hospital,” an unidentified staff member said in an audio message posted on social media accounts of hospital director Hossam Abu Safiya. The staffer said some evacuated patients had been unhooked from oxygen. “There are currently patients who could die at any moment,” she said. Lt. Col. Nadav Shoshani, an Israeli military spokesman, denied the accusations. “While IDF troops were not in the hospital, a small fire broke out in an empty building inside the hospital that is under control,” he said Friday night. He said a preliminary investigation found “no connection” between military activity and the fire. The Israeli military heavily restricts the movements of Palestinians in Gaza and has barred foreign journalists from entering the territory throughout the war, making it difficult to verify information. “These actions put the lives of all of these people in even more danger than what they faced before,” U.N. spokesperson Stephanie Tremblay told journalists, and noted colleagues' reports of “significant damage” to the hospital. It should be protected as international law requires, she added. Since October, Israel’s offensive has virtually sealed off the northern Gaza areas of Jabaliya, Beit Hanoun and Beit Lahiya and leveled large parts of them. Tens of thousands of Palestinians were forced out but thousands are believed to remain in the area, where Kamal Adwan and two other hospitals are located. Troops raided Kamal Adwan in October, and on Tuesday troops stormed and evacuated the Indonesian Hospital. The area has been cut off from food and other aid for months , raising fears of famine . The United Nations says Israeli troops allowed just four humanitarian deliveries to the area from Dec. 1 to Dec. 23. The Israeli rights group Physicians for Human Rights-Israel this week petitioned Israel’s High Court of Justice, seeking a halt to military attacks on Kamal Adwan. It warned that forcibly evacuating the hospital would “abandon thousands of residents in northern Gaza.” Before the latest deaths Thursday, the group documented five other staffers killed by Israeli fire since October. Israel launched its campaign in Gaza vowing to destroy Hamas after the group’s Oct. 7, 2023, attack on southern Israel in which militants killed around 1,200 people and abducted some 250 others. Around 100 Israelis remain captive in Gaza, around a third believed to be dead. Israel’s nearly 15-month-old campaign of bombardment and offensives has devastated the territory’s health sector. A year ago, it carried out raids on hospitals in northern Gaza, including Kamal Adwan, Indonesian and al-Awda Hospital, saying they served as bases for Hamas, though it presented little evidence. Israel’s campaign has killed more than 45,400 Palestinians, more than half women and children, and wounded more than 108,000 others, according to the Health Ministry. Its count does not distinguish between civilians and combatants. More than 90% of Gaza’s 2.3 million Palestinians have been driven from their homes, most now sheltering in sprawling tent camps in south and central Gaza. Children and adults, many barefoot, huddled Friday on the cold sand in tents whose plastic and cloth sheets whipped in the wind. Overnight temperatures can dip into the 40s Fahrenheit (below 10 Celsius), and sea spray from the Mediterranean can dampen tents just steps away. "I swear to God, their mother and I cover ourselves with one blanket and we cover (their five children) with three blankets that we got from neighbors. Sea waters drowned everything that was ours,” said Muhammad al-Sous, displaced from Beit Lahiya in the north. The children collect plastic bottles to make fires, and pile under the blankets when their only set of clothes is washed and dried in the wind. At least three babies in Gaza have died from exposure to cold in recent days , doctors there have said, and the Health Ministry said an adult — a nurse who worked at the European Hospital — also died this week. Khaled and Keath reported from Cairo. Associated Press writer Edith M. Lederer at the United Narions contributed to this report.

Editor in Chief Dann Sullivan pulls up a pew to discuss the previous year It's been a year of extremes, which we tend to say every year The highs of this year show that the future isn't as bleak as it might seem Well, we're now at the end of the (Gregorian) year, so now's as good a time as any to look back over 2024, which happens to have been one of the most eventful years in the gaming industry's history. I've decided that this year's retrospective should go beyond covering the state of the industry to also include the website and what current trends and moves mean for the future of mobile gaming. If you're looking for something lighter, like a list of our favourite games throughout the year (as, perhaps, teased by the header), then check out our . Back when I started writing about games I did so on a site that myself and a few buddies had launched. It was 2011, and at the time I was still working in retail (GAME, the main video game retailer in the UK). I'd been working there for several years and had always got a kick out of people coming back and sharing their happiness at my recommendations. With the shift to digital (and the joyful spread of indie) as well as more and more independent publishers and media outlets showing up online, my group of pals decided that we'd give it a shot. It's impossible to talk about 2024 without talking about industry layoffs, which surpassed 2023 back at the start of the year and continued at full speed throughout. For a glimpse at the numbers and damage, check out . I've seen sites that I idolised change hands several times before turning to dust, and there's not much left of the earlier generations of independent media either. That said, there's now a renaissance of smaller, independent, fan-funded media popping up - so there's some hope that tastemaker, recommendation-driven and critical media will persist, it's just that it won't be under the same names as before. We've also been blessed with a lot of support from a great sales team, technical team and central operations team - as well as benefited from our amazing Pocket Gamer Connects events and all of the access and fringe events they bring. The site has seen some tweaks too, as many of our regular readers will have noticed. We've had some tweaks made to how and where we write things, which has resulted in tidier URLs and titles as well as the addition of the highlights sections (where I refer to myself in the third person above). Our layout has also changed slightly, making our homepage more of a curated destination. We date back to the magazine days, so why shouldn't we be able to represent that on short notice? Pocket Gamer, through our parent company, Steel Media, has always thrived due to its ability to pivot toward (and invite discussions on) the next big thing. At times that's been Touchscreen, The AppStores, Subscriptions, Battle Passes, Microtransactions, Webstores, XR as well as slightly more controversial recent topics like NFTs, Blockchain and AI. AI has always been a core part of how video games innovate (Intelligence is, of course, in the eye of the beholder and 'pathfinding', 'adaptive programming' and 'procedural generation' are all AI, to gaming's original definition). However, as the world's major search provider (as well as some more questionable entities) attempts to replace the human-written word with generated content it's made things trickier for outlets. AI slop ( ) is making it tougher and tougher, and that's why so many outlets are moving to deliberately making 'more human' content rather than trying to content against both the slop, and the churn of larger guide sites. We're there with them. We saw Apple's privacy sandbox completely shake up how advertising worked (as it turns out, people WILL opt out of sharing data when given the choice), which changed how targeted ads work and shook up the hypercasual landscape. We also had Epic's war on the Duopoly continue, and it broke ground too, with them triggering the EU's lust for regulation and moderation as well as their (pretty respectful in 2024) dislike of monopolies. However, it's increasingly clear that Epic's war to open up the ecosystem is going to cost them (and their Tencent backers) a lot over time, and is going to be years of gruelling, trench-warfare battles. Apple opening up in the EU is a success, but other regional and national governments aren't as particular as the EU. That said, just two weeks back Epic landed a massive goal that only a few outlets covered: (o2, Movistar, Vivo). While it's not Epic's clear ultimate goal - the ability to be freely downloaded and used on all mobile devices, without any restrictions or charges - it does skip that step by having it preinstalled on phones. For us here in the UK, (and subsequently Epic's) sphere of influence to Virgin Media, Vodafone and Three - all major players. While a Telefónica deal doesn't instantly prep paper for that preinstall situation to spread further, it certainly opens doors, and I know we'll see more on that in 2025. A few years on we had Apple and Google's own App Stores. The internet was flourishing and phone technology had rocketed forward - we had full web browsers and easy interfacing with our smartphones. Then came the APK stores, and eventually alternative webstores. However, sideloading aside, we also recently started to see streaming and subscriptions on the rise. In 2025 we'll have titles like Genshin Impact, Zenless Zone Zero and Infinity Nikki out and on the market, all of them having players who freely strafe between mobile and PC. At the same time, games that cut their teeth on mobile - like Clash of Clans and Subway Surfers - are now available on PC through . I played Netease's Badlanders and Lilith's Rise of Kingdoms both on my PC and phone. Next year we'll see Microsoft's store launch after its delay , the giant took , not long before launching their , which posited that everything from phone to PC (anything with a browser) will be able to access the Xbox ecosystem. This happened while Nintendo kept playing with mobile, Sega doubled down into the space (they Rovio) and most major publishers keep expanding into the space. That and, let's not forget, Microsoft now have not only Activision & Blizzard, but King. A lot of this isn't new, of course. We've been talking about big names getting into mobile for years, but people haven't really put their finger on the why. It's not just because mobile is often the battleground for new mechanics and monetisation techniques, but it's because you can scale mobile up to console, to PC and beyond... scaling PC or console down though... that's harder. So, now that everything (Discord, Netflix, Telegram, The New York Times... even LinkedIn) is a platform, and - through Microsoft and friends - is back, and Instant Games are on the rise, and subscriptions are more relevant than ever. Mobile gaming going to change, but it's going to be those inside the ecosystem that are going to be leading it, using these other technologies. If you look at popular 2018 turn-based strategy (and a personal favourite of our COO) Into the Breach you can see the single-screen singularity that we're entering into. You can play it on Switch, you can play it on iOS and Android and you can play it on Xbox, Playstation and PC too. This is facilitated by self-publishing and a string of partnerships, but critically, through casting from your phone, you can play it on everything from your phone to a cinema (or, probably bigger if you have a nice projector). You can, of course, run it natively through one of the other devices. As that little device in your hand gets smarter and more powerful, it's likely to wedge out most other, slower-moving gaming mediums like consoles - although I don't think 2025 is going to be the year for that. I do think that something that we'll be watching closely here at Pocket Gamer is how the Steam Deck encourages 'high tech, big budget' publishers to adopt a generational 'minimum' spec similar to console generations, and what that'll mean for wider adoption of 'mobile' teams and philosophies for 'mainstream' development. Anyway, 2024 is coming to a close and we've had a bumpy year, but the future is looking bright and exciting. Maybe we never left the creative 'wild west' in this industry, and it's time to fully embrace that again, especially here in the wild world of mobile.

Real estate broker stocks rise after NAR settlement gets final court approvalThe Special Assistant to the Governor of Kaduna State on the school feeding programme, Dr. Fauziya Buhari-Ado, has offered insight as to why the state government is educating underprivileged children in the state. Buhari- Ado explained that the measure is aimed at ensuring sustainable growth and development of the state. Buhari-Ado spoke in Kaduna when she was conferred with the award of the most impactful S.A of the year 2024 by the Kaduna Social Media Connect. She reiterated the government’s resolve to sustain the school feeding programme across the 23 local government areas of the state. She expressed gratitude to the organisers for founding her worthy of the award, remarking that the school feeding programme would not have been possible without the full support of Governor Uba Sani’s administration in the state. She also explained that beneficiaries of the school feeding programme are children of the underprivileged in society who deserve qualitative education like their peers from privileged homes in the state. “Let me state that 80 percent of the beneficiaries of this programme are the children of the most vulnerable in society. These are children who cannot afford to pay for their tuition fees, children who cannot afford for their parents to feed them,” she said. “These children are basically brought to the school without anything. And his Excellency has ensured that all their needs must be met. We believe that if we provide the nutrition and nourishment to these children, it would propel them to achieve their academic endeavors. “These children are our future, they are the future of Kaduna state and the future of Nigeria. Kaduna state is the only state that is engaged in this programme.”

Critics raise eyebrows over plan to send prohibited firearms to Ukraine war effort (Canada)

“I fully believed that I was going to be killed. Killed for doing my job, killed for going to help members of the public.” Michael Donoghue, 21yrs, of Stocking Hill, Stocking Lane, Rathfarnham, Dublin pictured at the Criminal Courts of Justice (CCJ) on Parkgate Street in Dublin. pic: IrishPhotoDesk.ie A man who pointed a double barrel shot gun at uniformed unarmed gardaí causing the officers to have “genuine concerns for their lives” has been jailed for four years. Michael Donoghue (21) Stocking Hill, Stocking Lane, Rathfarnham, Dublin pleaded guilty at Dublin Circuit Criminal Court to possession of a firearm and making threats to kill at his home on December 20, 2023. He has 12 previous convictions, mainly for theft and fraud and public order offences. At a hearing earlier this month, Garda Michael Fox read his victim impact statement into the record. He said when he was staring directly at “two black barrels of a shot gun” the only thought in his head was that his mother would never get over his death. “I fully believed that I was going to be killed. Killed for doing my job, killed for going to help members of the public,” Gda Fox said before he added that he was simply doing his job and responding to a call from members of the public. Three gardaí read their victim impact statements into the record describing that while they appreciated their job as a garda was an occupation that came with risk, they never expected to be placed in such fear. They described watching Donoghue as he approached the vehicle and “waiting for gun to go off”, “waiting to be shot”. One garda, who was only six weeks into his career at the time, said his “life flashed before his eyes”. It was accepted by defence counsel Michael Hourigan SC that while it was later discovered that the shot gun was not loaded, the gardaí that day would not have been aware of that. He acknowledged that gardaí were not in a position to know that their lives were not in danger. Judge Orla Crowe said today that this was “a deeply serious matter” and that the officers had “genuine concerns for their lives”. “Gardaí had been called in to assist and they were obliged to investigate,” she said before she added that Donoghue pointed the gun directly at the officers. The judge said it was clear they were gardaí as they were in uniform and sitting in a marked patrol car. She acknowledged that Donoghue had “significant medical difficulties that led to significant drug difficulties” but said while this gives a reason for his offending it is not an excuse. Judge Crowe acknowledged that Donoghue has expressed a genuine apology, has been doing well in prison and has a loving and supportive family. He had provided urine analysis which demonstrated that he is now drug-free. The judge noted that the maximum penalty available to the court, because the “legislature consider it so serious” is 14 years. She said the offence also carries a mandatory minimum term of five years unless there are exceptional circumstances in the case which would make the imposition of such a sentence unjustified. Judge Crowe set a headline sentence of eight years before she imposed a term of five years. She noted that Donoghue has been working on his rehabilitation in prison and suspended the final 12 months of the term. Donoghue must keep the peace and be of good behaviour for two years and engage with the Probation Service for 12 months. Judge Crowe said the gardaí had come to Stocking Hill that day at the “behest of someone in that location”. She said the gardaí were doing “their lawful duty on behalf of all the people of Ireland” and they were not to know that the weapon was not loaded. Garda Thomas Kinsella told Aoife O’Leary BL, prosecuting at the earlier hearing, that officers arrived at Stocking Hill following a call in relation to a disturbance there. He was the driver of the patrol car and he and his colleagues were in uniform and unarmed. When they arrived at the halting site at 12.40am everything was quiet so he drove to a cul-de-sac and turned the patrol car. Donoghue was then spotted approaching the patrol car and pointing a shot gun at the vehicle. He was in an agitated and aggressive state. Gda Kinsella said he had genuine concerns that Donoghue intended to shoot at him and his colleagues. He reversed the patrol car in an attempt to get away. Donoghue continued to approach the car, pointing the weapon at the officers inside. He then ran to the back of the halting site and thew the gun over a wall. Gda Kinsella said a call was made for back up and two of his colleagues ran to retrieve the gun. Donoghue then ran off into a caravan before he re-appeared carrying a black steel three foot long crowbar. He threatened gardaí that he would strike them if they approached him and called the officers “pigs and rats”. Donoghue retreated into another building beside one of the caravans and refused to come out. He was ultimately arrested, after back up arrived and was later detained for questioning. Nothing came out of those interviews and he has been on remand in custody since. The shotgun was retrieved and it was discovered that it was not loaded. It was a 12 gauge double barrel shotgun and was later deemed, following a subsequent ballistic examination, to be in fair condition. Gda Kinsella accepted a suggestion from Mr Hourigan that his client is genuinely remorseful for his actions that night and has written a letter of apology. Mr Hourigan said his client has a condition which has limited his growth. He said he started abusing drugs as a young teenager after being the victim of bullying. Counsel said his client has suffered from acute depression for a very long period of time and “first exhibited suicidal ideation at the age of ten years old”. Mr Hourigan said his client’s condition has had “a profound impact on how he viewed himself”. He said he was “very much a solitary child” and only found comrades when he fell into the company of other addicts. Counsel handed in letters from Donoghue’s mother and brother and said he is from a loving and supportive family. He has been doing well in prison and is not due for release until July next year on a separate offence.BOSTON (AP) — UConn coach Jim Mora pulled a move that would make Bill Belichick proud while preparing the Huskies to play the notoriously churlish former New England Patriot's next team in his old backyard. Mora and his players were more than 45 minutes late for what was scheduled as a 30-minute media availability a day before Saturday's Fenway Bowl against North Carolina. Mora then gave a non-apology straight out of Belichick’s playbook. “We practice at a certain time the day before a game,” Mora said. “And we stuck to the script.” A six-time Super Bowl winner in New England with Tom Brady, Belichick was fired after going 4-13 in 2023, leaving him just 14 wins short of matching Don Shula’s all-time record for NFL victories. Unable to land a pro job at the age of 72, Belichick signed on with North Carolina — his first college gig — when they fired 73-year-old Mack Brown. Belichick hasn’t taken over on the Tar Heels' sideline yet; interim coach Freddie Kitchens — another ex-Cleveland Browns coach — will lead them in the Fenway Bowl. But the future Hall of Famer's potential return to a football field in Boston has been the biggest story ahead of Saturday’s game. Belichick did not attend media day, and Fenway Bowl executive director Brett Miller tried to preempt questions about him by asking reporters “to keep questions focusing on the players and coaches out here today.” “I don’t need to beat around the bush any more than that,” he said in comments that would have been cryptic if it weren’t so obvious to everyone who he meant. “I know there’s probably a lot of questions that you guys have about next year, particularly one side. Please do your best to keep it to these guys, because they’ve earned the right to be here.” The request wasn’t completely successful, with Kitchens taking a question about Belichick specifically and saying he talks to his new boss every day. Earlier this month, Kitchens said: “He asks questions; I answer the questions.” “I’m going to try to soak in all I can from him, and be a better coach because of it,” Kitchens said after Belichick was hired. “I love Carolina, I want what’s best for Carolina, and I know that right now at this moment in time, coach Belichick is what’s best for Carolina. “At the end of the day, he’s a ballcoach,” he said, “and I enjoy working for ballcoaches.” Mora also brushed off a question about whether the next Carolina coach would have any impact on Saturday's game. “It's irrelevant to us," said Mora, who was 0-1 against Belichick in four seasons as an NFL head coach. "We can't control the emotions of our opponents. And as far as I know, coach Belichick will not be taking the football field on Saturday, so it's not relevant to this football team in our preparation. How they got here North Carolina (6-6) will be playing in a bowl for the sixth straight year – the second-longest streak in program history. The Tar Heels climbed from back-to-back nine-loss seasons in the final years of Larry Fedora to reach into The Associated Top 25 in each of the previous four seasons under Brown, who also coached them from 1988-97 in one of the most successful eras of Carolina football history. After starting out 3-0 this year, the Tar Heels lost four straight — including a 70-50 loss to Sun Belt Conference team James Madison. They won three more to gain bowl eligibility before a loss to Boston College that sealed Brown's fate, and a season-ending loss to rival NC State. UConn is playing in its second bowl game in three seasons under Jim Mora, bouncing back from last year’s 3-9 record to post its first eight-win season since Randy Edsall took the Huskies to the Fiesta Bowl in 2010. An independent, UConn won all of its games against the non-Power 4 conferences and lost to Syracuse, Wake Forest and Duke of the Atlantic Coast Conference and Maryland of the Big Ten. Fenway Bowl history Miller said the bowl, which has struggled to find traction in a city more focused on the success of its professional sports teams, sold more tickets this year than in its first two. The Belichick angle is certainly part of that, but the game has also had some good success picking teams, hosting Louisville in 2022 -- the year before the Cardinals climbed into The Associated Press Top 10 – and then SMU last year, one season before the Mustangs made the College Football Playoff. “Could one of these teams be next,” Miller said. “We’ll see.” Get poll alerts and updates on the AP Top 25 throughout the season. Sign up here . AP college football: https://apnews.com/hub/ap-top-25-college-football-poll and https://apnews.com/hub/college-football

Lea en español For many people, this time of year is all about the shopping. And there's a fair chance many feel less than joyful about the prospect. If fulfilling your lengthy list feels overwhelming, learning what brain science and evolutionary psychology say about shopping and gift-giving might help you understand exactly why you're stressed – and even point you toward a healthier, happier holiday season. Our reactions are encoded into our nervous system, said Dr. Beth Frates, a part-time associate professor in the department of physical medicine and rehabilitation at Harvard Medical School in Boston. "By understanding these brain responses, people can develop strategies to manage stress better, such as setting realistic expectations, focusing on mindfulness and simplifying holiday preparations," said Frates, who also is the immediate past president of the American College of Lifestyle Medicine. The idea of exchanging gifts at this time of year can be traced back to pagan solstice celebrations. But the drive to share with another is as old as humanity itself, said Dr. Diego Guevara Beltran, a postdoctoral fellow in psychology at the University of Arizona in Tucson who studies cooperation and generosity. The science of generosity is more about survival than stocking stuffers, Guevara Beltran said. Sharing food gave early humans an evolutionary advantage. "Generosity is just one of the ways by which we can accumulate resources, be it wealth itself or friendships or work partners or more attractive, more intelligent mates," he said. Sharing with other people, Guevara Beltran said, is "a signal that communicates how much you value them, their welfare, your relationship with them." Research has shown that helping people makes us feel good. Part of that, he said, is because when someone is part of a community, they feel protected. One way this manifests is through the act of giving gifts. But to derive happiness from gift-giving, the giver needs to feel both that it was not an obligation and that it was effective, according to the 2019 World Happiness Report . That means it could be stressful to be in a culture where gift-giving feels mandatory, or if we can't see that a gift helped someone, Guevara Beltran speculated. It also might be stressful if gift-giving becomes a competition to show that you care about somebody more than the others around them. Our brains on shopping Stressful shopping can cause several physiological responses to kick in, Frates said. First is the "fight or flight" reaction that comes with stress. The release of chemicals that increase our heart rate, raise our blood pressure and intensify our breathing evolved to give us bursts of energy to escape danger. Frates said that while holiday stressors are not life-threatening, they can still trigger the stress response. The pressure to stay within budget could create a sense of scarcity, she said. "This taps into an evolutionary response, where the fear of losing resources like money can feel urgent and distressing." The holiday season also involves a lot of choices. "The brain has limited capacity for decision-making, and making multiple decisions can lead to decision fatigue," Frates said. "This fatigue reduces the ability to self-regulate and cope, which can lead to heightened stress responses when confronted with even minor setbacks, like a long line or out-of-stock item." The stress of needing to complete tasks within a limited time can intensify the fight-or-flight response, she said, as the brain interprets the ticking clock as a sense of urgency or threat. Meanwhile, Frates said, holiday shopping can also trigger brain chemicals that affect our feelings. "Dopamine, a neurotransmitter associated with pleasure and reward, is released when we anticipate something exciting or enjoyable, like finding a great gift or finding a good deal," she said. "This anticipation can feel rewarding even before any actual purchase is made." For some people, this dopamine boost can make shopping a relaxing experience. "It provides a temporary distraction from other stressors and allows them to focus on something positive, creating a 'holiday high,'" Frates said. For some people, that can be problematic. "When shopping becomes a way to chase that next dopamine hit, it can lead to excessive spending or impulsive purchases," she said. "This can become a trap, particularly during the holidays, when deals, sales and gift-giving pressures are everywhere." Understanding how all these processes work can help people recognize why they feel the way they do and adopt strategies to cope, Frates said. Here are some of her suggestions. 1. Start with self-care before shopping Prioritizing self-care means people can be their best selves and make good decisions, Frates said. So, "eat food that is delicious and nutritious. Get seven to nine hours of sleep. Make sure to enjoy physical activity. Take walks when you can and invite friends along. Practice stress reduction like meditation or yoga to help you calm your body and mind." Before going shopping, try taking deep breaths using stress-relieving techniques such as 4-7-8 breathing (inhale through your nose for four counts, hold for seven counts, and exhale through your mouth for eight) or box breathing (inhale through the nose for four counts, hold your breath for four, exhale for four, then hold for four). 2. Be strategic Don't shop when you're hungry, tired, lonely or stressed, Frates said. And don't start shopping 15 minutes before a store closes or a website's online deals end, she said. That's setting yourself up for triggering the fight-or-flight response. 3. Be mindful Before making a purchase, take a moment to consider whether it's truly needed or whether it's an impulsive choice. To avoid overindulging, set a specific budget or limit yourself to a couple of hours or specific shopping days. "This keeps dopamine-driven spending in check while still allowing for the enjoyable aspects of holiday shopping," Frates said. Look for post-shopping activities that provide rewards without the financial cost. That can satisfy your brain's desire for more dopamine in a healthier way. "Plan enjoyable, stress-relieving activities after shopping, like going for a walk, spending time with friends or indulging in a hobby," she said. 4. Bring a friend Not only does this support healthy social connections, Frates said, but if things start feeling stressful, "you have a buddy, and you have a support system right there for you." 5. Rethink the focus of the season "With gift-giving, we need to change mindsets in order to be able to manage the stress," Frates said. The holidays could be used to emphasize social connections, she said. "Thinking about the connection with the person and making gift-giving more about deepening the connection than anything else, I think, will really help to reduce the stress around the process," she said. So instead of scouring shops and websites for the "perfect" gift, think about making a meaningful and personal one, she suggested. It could be a poem, a painting, a song or a framed photograph that captured a special time. 6. Lessons for children It's easy to get caught up in the hunt for a hard-to-get item, Frates said. But ask yourself what the holiday means in your family's traditions. "Is it about getting that perfect gift for the child? Or is it about celebrating the meaning of that holiday?" So instead of having children ask for one specific toy, or a specific brand of clothing, teach them to leave a little leeway on their lists. "It is a good reminder to express to children that this season is about giving and sharing what we can in the best way that we can," she said, "and sometimes the exact gift is not available." Encouraging such an attitude can be a tall order, Frates said, but it's a place to start. "A simple mindset shift could be the difference between a stressful holiday shopping season or a joyful journey to find meaningful gifts for people you care about." American Heart Association News covers heart and brain health. Not all views expressed in this story reflect the official position of the American Heart Association. Copyright is owned or held by the American Heart Association, Inc., and all rights are reserved. Sign up here to get the latest health & fitness updates in your inbox every week!