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The dietary supplement industry brings in billions of dollars each year, with an estimated 90,000 products on the market, including vitamins, minerals, herbs or other botanicals, amino acids, probiotics, or other substances in pill, capsule, tablet, or liquid form. About half of American adults take at least one dietary supplement for health or wellness, or to fill nutrition gaps. But are these supplements safe?

If you answered “Yes,” you’re not alone. A 2015 Consumer Reports survey found that most people think that dietary supplements are vetted for safety by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA). Unfortunately, this isn’t true. Unlike prescription or over-the-counter drugs, which must be approved by the FDA before they can be marketed, the FDA is not authorized to review dietary supplements for safety and effectiveness before they are sold. The FDA can take action through warnings or recalls — often voluntary — if they receive reports that a supplement already on the market is causing harm, but this can take several years, if it happens at all, and may not be effective.

One of the biggest concerns about supplement safety is adulteration with ingredients that aren’t listed on the label, including ingredients that may be toxic at high doses. In some cases, a less expensive ingredient is used instead of a more expensive ingredient listed on the label. In other cases, the supplement is illegally adulterated with pharmaceutical drugs — sometimes drugs that have been pulled from the market because of safety concerns, or have never been approved in the first place. This is most common with botanical or “natural” supplements.

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The FDA has raised concerns about three certain categories of supplements, including those targeting weight loss, sports performance, sexual function, or cognitive health. A 2015 study lead by the FDA and the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention found that, among adults, 25 percent of emergency room visits for adverse effects from dietary supplements were due to weight loss supplements, with cardiac symptoms being the primary complaint.

Dr. Pieter Cohen, an associate professor of medicine at Harvard Medical School, says it’s not clear why these supplement categories are rife with adulteration.

“One hypothesis is that permitting supplements to be legally sold as if they can help a consumer lose weight creates a perverse incentive for manufacturers to adulterate the product with pharmaceutical drugs,” he says. “Initially, it’s easy to sell a product for weight loss, but consumers will rapidly lose interest when it doesn’t work. The claims, however, create an incentive to maintain sales by adulterating the product with pharmaceutical weight loss drugs that pose risks to consumers.”

In a 2020 study, Cohen and his research team analyzed 10 over-the-counter dietary supplements marketed to improve memory and cognitive function. They detected five unapproved drugs in the supplements, in some cases in amounts four times higher than pharmaceutical doses. In 2015, Cohen’s team discovered an untested-in-humans stimulant similar to methamphetamine in a dozen supplements sold in the US for weight loss, improved brain health, and improved athletic performance.

A 2018 analysis of the FDA database of pharmaceutically adulterated supplements found that of 746 supplements identified by the FDA, only 360 were issued voluntary recalls, and there’s no guarantee that the manufacturers complied.

Several independent organizations — notably U.S. Pharmacopeia (USP), ConsumerLab and NSF International — offer quality testing. Their seals of approval mean that the supplement was properly manufactured, contains the ingredients listed on the label, and doesn’t contain harmful levels of contaminants. That can give you confidence that the product isn’t adulterated, but it doesn’t guarantee that a product is safe or effective.

“I always suggest purchasing products that invest in third-party certification,” says Seattle registered dietitian Ginger Hultin, MS, RD, a spokesperson for the Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics. “So many supplements come back with levels of ingredients that are above or below what’s listed in the label that at least these companies help supplement brands offer that type of protection.”

Cohen says there are some straightforward first steps the FDA could take to enhance the quality and safety of supplements, including creating a mandatory registry of all supplement products that links every product to a specific product code. The FDA could allow registry access only to products listing legal supplement ingredients on the label — and immediately remove a product if it’s found to be hazardous or adulterated. Retailers could then be required to only sell registered supplements.

“Creating a mandatory registry with strong regulatory safeguards could move us toward an environment where a consumer purchasing a supplement online or in brick-and-mortar stores could be assured of its legality and safety,” he says.

Hultin points out that any dietary supplement — even if it’s not adulterated — has the potential to be harmful to certain people.

“Even vitamin C, which is water soluble and is eliminated from the body when we take high amounts, can be harmful,” she says. “At high levels, it can cause digestive issues including diarrhea and it’s also not safe for people at risk of or who have kidney stones. Before taking absolutely any supplement, people should make sure that it’s not interacting with any of their medications or other supplements and that it’s safe for them based on their unique needs and medical history.”

Environmental Nutrition is an independent newsletter written by experts on health and nutrition.

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For all its high-tech gloss and futuristic, deep-space sci-fi CGI, the Netflix original film “Stowaway” boils down to this:

You’ve got four people on a ship that has enough oxygen for three people. What is to be done?

Directed with great style and a keen sense of pacing by the Brazilian musician-filmmaker by Joe Penna, “Stowaway” dispenses with any Earth-bound prologue and launches (sorry) immediately with a two-year, round-trip mission to Mars featuring a three-person crew: Anna Kendrick’s Zoe, a medical doctor; Daniel Dae Kim’s David, a biologist, and Toni Collette’s Marina, the commander of the team. The camera fluidly follows them as they navigate the labyrinthine and narrow corridors of the space station, get settled in, try out the obligatory meals-in-a-bag, and go about conducting the experiments and tests and planning that will help set up a colony on Mars, because we’re always trying to set up a colony on Mars in movies like this, aren’t we?

From time to time, Marina connects with Mission Control on Earth, though we never actually hear anyone’s voices, just muffled conversational suggestions. This is an effective technique, further establishing how isolated the crew will be from everyone but one another over the many, many months to come.

We learn this is Marina’s final mission, and David has a family back home, and Zoe volunteered for the program on a whim and never expected to be accepted but is now thrilled to be a part of history. As the crew goes about the business of logging entries and tending to plant life and flipping switches while speaking in very convincing terms about lots of stuff we don’t necessarily understand, “Stowaway” has a nice, slow build, as we know SOMETHING dramatic is going to happen pretty soon because if not, we wouldn’t have a movie. (That “Stowaway” title is carrying a pretty solid hint.)

They’re all getting along and they’re all quite nice and we’re getting to know them and root for them, and everything is going smoothly — and that’s when an unconscious man literally falls through the ceiling and lands with a thud on top of Zoe.

Shamier Anderson’s Michael is a launch support engineer who was knocked unconscious during last-minute preparations for the flight and somehow went undetected, until the moment when he landed right in the middle of the movie. Miraculously, Michael has survived — and when he regains consciousness and staggers to the window, imagine the level of freakout when he realizes that’s Earth out there, which means he’s in outer space. (And it’s too late to turn back.)

Michael comes across as a good guy and after initial doubts among the crew about whether he intentionally stowed away, it appears it really was an accident. (It’s a tribute to Shamier Anderson’s subtle performance that there remains just the slightest possibility Michael is up to something nefarious, and whether that turns out to be true will not be revealed here.)

Complicating matters to the nth degree: The ship’s life support system has been damaged, most likely beyond repair. If all four onboard try to make it to Mars, they’ll all die; if one is sacrificed, the remaining three just might be able to complete this vital and potentially humanity-saving mission. Given Zoe, Marina and David are actually supposed to be on the ship and Michael is an untrained, uninvited guest, you do the math. Marina successfully lobbies with her bosses back home to buy 10 days of time for the crew to try some last-minute calculations and heroics to save Michael, much to the relief of Zoe and much to consternation of David, who says every day they spend chasing an impossible Hail Mary is another day wasting precious resources. Meanwhile, Michael is facing conscious death — an almost unimaginably devastating fate.

Netflix

Penna and his co-writer Ryan Morrison handle this existentially challenging material with grace, and Kendrick, Collette, Kim and Anderson deliver equally impactful, intense performances. (We’re in space, but this is essentially a four-character play.) The beautiful and haunting music of Volker Bertelmann is evocative of great space operas such as “2001: A Space Odyssey,” “Interstellar” and “Gravity,” augmenting the feelings of helplessness and despair among the crew as they face the inevitable.

Not surprisingly “Stowaway” eventually takes the action outside the claustrophobic interiors of the ship for a dangerous, borderline reckless, last-ditch attempt to save the day, with Zoe and David risking their lives in space while Marina attempts to guide them and Michael agonizes over the impossible situation he has inadvertently created. We’re not entirely surprised by how it all plays out, but that doesn’t minimize the emotional impact of an ending that rings true and hits our hearts.

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Chicago Blackhawks: Darren Dreger gives a Jonathan Toews update by Vincent Parise

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Chicago Bears (Photo by Tom Pennington/Getty Images)

After a 2020 year of turmoil, you’d have to think the Ryan Pace and Matt Nagy era of Chicago Bears football is close to a near end without a productive 2021 season. As if the 2020 season wasn’t hard enough on Bears fans, the 2021 offseason moves haven’t been spectacular either.

The Chicago Bears need the 2021 NFL Draft to go their way to have success this year.

With the chatter of potentially landing pro bowl names like Russell Wilson and Deshaun Watson at the quarterback position, we were only let down by signing NFL veteran Andy Dalton on a one-year 10 million dollar deal at the decline of his career. The Bears also dropped the ball on matching Atlanta on a 1 year, 3 million dollar deal that would allow 4x all-pro Cordarrelle Patterson to remain on the team as last season he posed as the Bears most versatile player.

Pro Bowl wide receiver Allen Robinson is also coming off a 1200+ yard season with 6 touchdowns and over 100 receptions. He has also not been offered an extension. Instead, he was franchise tagged by the organization that really struggles at the wide receiver position.

It’s safe to say Robinson is also fed up with the way things are being handled in-house. He’s taken to Twitter over a dozen times this winter to express his frustrations about the way the team has failed to properly communicate with him and his camp.

There’s really only one way the Chicago Bears can gain back the trust and attention of their fans and players and that would be winning. That can all start on NFL draft day (April 29th) where Ryan Pace has been criticized for his prior first-round draft picks of Kevin White, Leonard Floyd, Mitchell Trubisky, and Roquan Smith. In this year’s draft, I look for the Bears to be aggressive as their backs are against the wall. I listed what I believe to be the ideal draft picks in order, going from rounds 1 through 5.

Next: Rounds one and two help the Bears with skill positions

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Chicago Bears: Five round mock draft lands the Bears ideal coverage man by Anthony Damato

The Chicago Blackhawks came into last night’s game with only a little bit of hope left in their playoff dreams. They knew that they are were in big trouble already and losing to the Nashville Predators would make things even worse. If they lost, they would end up being six points out of a playoff spot. Well, they ended up winning in overtime to keep themselves within three of the spot. In order to get the win, Malcolm Subban had to stand on his head and he did.

Malcolm Subban was amazing for the Chicago Blackhawks on Wednesday night.

You know the team might have not deserved to win when a goalie gets praised for a game that he gave up four. Subban made so many great saves in this one to keep his team in it. He gave up the four goals in the 5-4 victory but the Hawks easily could have given up seven or eight with the way he played. He was named the second star of the game thanks to his 36 saves on 40 shots.

Everyone knows that Kevin Lankinen is the number one goalie on the Chicago Blackhawks right now but Subban deserves credit for the way he has played. He relieved Lankinen in Monday’s game and made eight saves on eight shots. It is a nice little run that he is on right now. We don’t know who will be in net in Friday night’s game against the Predators but you would think that Subban is considered.

One thing that made this win interesting is the way Subban and the Hawks got it. They were down 4-1 in the third period when Luke Kunin made that just 00:58 into the frame. It looked like it was going to be the deflating blow to their chances at this game and likely the playoffs. Well, Subban continued to battle in the net and his teammates scored three goals in a five-minute span to get the game tied. It was a great comeback that just needed one hero in overtime.

Related Story: We have a report on Jonathan Toews

Brandon Hagel was the hero in overtime when he scored the game-winner off a sweet shot. That was a brilliant play and it capped off the best game of Hagel’s young career. It was his third point of the night as he had two assists earlier in the contest. If the team can click in the future the way they did in last night’s third period, they will win a few games in the stretch run.

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Gene Barge has done his most influential work as a sideman or producer, but he’s just as important as any of R&B’s marquee stars.

Since 2004 Plastic Crimewave (aka Steve Krakow) has used the Secret History of Chicago Music to shine a light on worthy artists with Chicago ties who’ve been forgotten, underrated, or never noticed in the first place.…Read More

Quebec trio Big|Brave have always been great at drawing things out. Most of their songs pass the ten-minute mark, and they’ve made a hallmark of deftly adding heady layers of emotion to minimal, glacial drone rock.…Read More

Calvin de Haan, Adam Boqvist and Wyatt Kalynuk have all left in the first or second period of recent games with injuries, but all three were back on the ice by Wednesday.

Jeremy Colliton has been frequently put in tough spots lately when the Blackhawks have lost defensemen to mid-game injuries.

Calvin de Haan left in the second period Apr. 10 against the Blue Jackets with a hip pointer. Adam Boqvist left in the first period Apr. 12 against the Jackets with a concussion. And Wyatt Kalynuk left in the first period Monday against the Predators with his own hip injury.

“It just seems to be a constant thing here where we’re playing a lot of games with 5 ‘D’, and it’s hard on our guys,” Colliton said Monday night.

The good news is the injuries at least keep turning out to be minor. Come Wednesday, de Haan, Boqvist and Kalynuk were back in the lineup.

“Our guys…have done a great job taking care of themselves, taking care of their bodies, making sure they get the rest they need,” Colliton said. “They’ve been able to stay healthy and relatively fresh as we go through this grind of a schedule.”

The stability didn’t last long, though. Colliton dressed seven defenseman — and thus only 11 forwards — Wednesday to give the Hawks more defensive insurance, and it ended up being a wise move. De Haan exited after the first period after re-aggravating his hip.

The Hawks lead the NHL in terms of CHIP this season, a holistic stat to measure injury impact that multiplies raw man-games lost with the per-game cap hit of the players accounting for those man-games lost. The Stars, Blues, Lightning and Ducks round out the top five, per the blog NHL Injury Viz.

But a sizable chunk of the Hawks’ CHIP comes from players the team knew back in December would miss most or all of the season: Brent Seabrook, Jonathan Toews, Alex Nylander and Zack Smith.

Counting only players who began the season healthy and have since been injured, the Hawks are in the middle of the pack — roughly 13th, depending on exactly who is included — in CHIP.

And looking solely at defensemen (excluding Seabrook), the Hawks are 19th in CHIP, meaning their defensive unit has been in the healthier half of the league. De Haan has missed three games, Connor Murphy six and Boqvist 11 (of which nine related to COVID-19) but those have been the only notable absences.

“I don’t think anyone has missed a significant amount of time this season on the back end,” de Haan said Wednesday. “They’re just bumps and bruises for the most part.”

De Haan said he could’ve played through his hip pointer if it was “Game 7, Stanley Cup Finals.” Given the Hawks’ current situation, though, it didn’t make sense for him to play at 70% while someone else at 100% sat out.

Of greater big-picture concern are his shoulders. A “black cloud” has hung over them for much of his NHL career, causing numerous season-ending injuries (including in 2019-20), but they’ve finally stayed intact this season.

“I’ve got to give credit to the medical staff,” de Haan said. “My support staff back home has done a good job with me this past offseason, as well. It’s been good, but everyone knock on wood and cross their fingers for me.”

Fans a possibility?

Colliton reacted Wednesday to Mayor Lori Lightfoot’s Tuesday comment telling Chicagoans to “expect before seasons end there will be fans in the United Center.”

“I’ve heard about it,” Colliton said. “That would be great. We certainly would welcome the support and the atmosphere in this building… There’s been a lot of work done in the organization to try to make that happen for a long time.”

With only six home games left and the last one only 18 days away, the involved parties will need to operate very quickly to make it actually happen, though.

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Two people were found fatally shot less than an hour apart in West Pullman on the Far South Side.

Eight people were shot, three fatally Wednesday in Chicago, including a woman who was killed in a shooting in West Pullman on the South Side.

The woman, whose age was unknown, was sitting in a parked car about 10:30 p.m. in the 12000 block of South Indiana Avenue, when someone fired multiple shots, Chicago police said. She suffered multiple gunshot wounds to the head and upper body and was pronounced dead at the scene.

Less than an hour prior, a 20-year-old man was fatally shot in West Pullman on the Far South Side. Officers responding to a ShotSpotter alert found the man unresponsive about 9:55 p.m. in the front yard of a home in the 12200 block of South Harvard Avenue, police said. He had multiple gunshot wounds to the face and chest and was taken to Roseland Hospital where he was pronounced dead.

A man was shot to death in Lawndale on the West Side, according to police. Someone shot the man in the chest and shoulder about 7 p.m. as he stood outside in the 1400 block of South Millard Avenue, police said. The man was taken to Mt. Sinai Hospital, where he was pronounced dead.

In non-fatal shootings, a 50-year-old man was shot in Grand Crossing on the South Side. About 11:35 p.m., he was walking in the 1300 block of East 75th Street, when someone approached him and opened fire, police said. He was struck in the pelvic area, and brought to the University of Chicago Medical Center in fair condition.

A 23-year-old man was shot Wednesday night while traveling in a car in Englewood on the South Side. About 8:40 p.m., the man was riding in a car in the 6700 block of South Lafayette Avenue when someone in a passing white SUV fired shots, police said. He was struck twice in the chest and taken to the University of Chicago Medical Center where he was listed in fair condition.

Minutes prior a 31-year-old man was shot in Englewood on the South Side. About 8:30 p.m., he was outside in the rear of a home in the 7300 block of South Winchester Avenue, when someone fired shots at him from the alley, police said. He was struck in the back and brought to the University of Chicago Medical Center in serious condition.

An 18-year-old man was shot Wednesday evening in West Pullman on the Far South Side. About 6:45 p.m., he was in the 200 block of East 116th Street when he heard shots and felt pain, police said. He was struck in the leg and brought himself to Roseland Hospital where he was listed in good condition.

In the day’s first reported shooting, a 19-year-old woman was shot while she rode in a car in South Chicago on the South Side. About 1:35 a.m., she was the passenger in a moving vehicle when several males fired shots from the sidewalk in the 8400 block of South Escanaba Avenue, striking her in the left leg, police said. She was brought to the University of Chicago Medical Center in good condition.

Three people were shot Tuesday citywide.

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It took three decades for city leaders to elbow state lawmakers into authorizing a Chicago casino.

It’s been almost two years since Mayor Lori Lightfoot’s office finally hit the jackpot in Springfield.

And it could be another four years before the long-sought big city gambling mecca finally opens — but state regulators better not let the process drag on longer than that, an “impatient” Lightfoot warned this week.

As the first-term mayor prepared to formally invite casino developers to the table on Thursday to submit proposals to build and run Chicago’s first legal gambling house, Lightfoot threw down an early gauntlet to the Illinois Gaming Board, which has the final say on who gets the coveted casino license.

“A big part of the issue is making sure that the Illinois Gaming Board really puts in the time and resources that are necessary,” Lightfoot said Tuesday, previewing the city’s request for casino bids.

“Once we present a proposal to them, we’ve got to move forward expeditiously. And again, I don’t want to prejudge it, but I’m looking at the time, like the time it takes for the Gaming Board to do its work — it’s got to speed up.”

Ashlee Rezin Garcia/Sun-Times

That’s been the complaint of leaders in some of the five other municipalities that were granted new casino licenses as part of a massive gambling expansion signed into law by Gov. J.B. Pritzker in the summer of 2019. Seventeen months and counting since the other casino applicants submitted bids to the board, just one project has gotten off the ground — and that was only after months of public prodding from Rockford Mayor Tom McNamara.

Chicago’s mega-casino is already months behind the state’s other bids because Lightfoot’s team had to go back to Springfield last spring to push a legislative fix lowering the gaming tax rate that a state-hired consultant deemed “too onerous” to attract any developers.

Gaming Board Administrator Marcus Fruchter has pinned licensing delays on the COVID-19 pandemic and said during a meeting Wednesday that his agency “has been and will continue to studiously follow the rules and requirements for the new casino licensing process.”

But with her other cards falling into place, Lightfoot doesn’t want to see a drawn-out investigative process delay an “exciting opportunity” for a city clamoring to pump new tax revenue into its desperately underfunded police and firefighter pension funds.

“This is 30 years of futility finally coming to fruition, so it’s an exciting moment for us and I want to move forward as expeditiously as we can,” Lightfoot said. “I’m confident that we’ll work with the governor and his team to emphasize we’ve got to bring this casino online as quickly as possible. We’ve done our hard work, we’re gonna continue to do that hard work, and we can’t have unnecessary regulatory delays slowing us down.”

For now, the dice are in the city’s hand. In soliciting proposals Thursday, Lightfoot’s office also released its most thorough timeline yet for the city’s selection process.

Developers have until Aug. 23 to submit proposals, and will make public presentations in late September, according to the mayor’s office.

Lightfoot’s office will pick “one or more qualified applicants” and, through the end of the year, hold community meetings and negotiate “host community agreements” with those potential developers.

John Locher/AP file

“We will take the lead in making sure that we’re being responsive to local residents, based upon what they articulate to us as to what their needs are,” Lightfoot said.

Then, early next year, the mayor’s office will select a final applicant to put up for approval from several city agencies and ultimately the City Council. After that, the chosen developer would apply for Gaming Board approval.

Lightfoot said she expects the finished casino to open by 2025, though an operator can set up shop at a temporary site once the developer gets state approval.

The biggest question remains unanswered: where will the casino break ground?

The city is leaving it up to developers to draw up visions at their preferred sites.

“I obviously have my thoughts about where I think the best location would be, but I’m gonna leave that to the operator,” Lightfoot said. “I don’t need to tell these folks how to do their business.”

Provided by Res Publica Group

It’s a safe bet applicants will suggest a downtown location. Eight of 11 development groups who responded to an informal city request for information last fall said a central site would be most lucrative.

But “it’s not just the location that’s important,” Lightfoot said.

“It’s going to be: Who is the operator, what’s your track record of success? What is the vision for this entertainment complex and how does that match up with our time?” she said.

Among other requirements, Lightfoot wants developers to commit to at least 26% minority business enterprise participation and 6% for women-owned businesses, with 50% of work hours set aside for city residents.

As for the structure itself, the city wants to see “a high-quality, architecturally significant design” that fits “seamlessly into Chicago’s existing landscape and communities.”

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Moon Alert

Avoid shopping and important decisions from 9 to 8:30 a.m. Chicago time. After that, the moon moves from Leo into Virgo.

Aries (March 21-April 19)

You have a strong focus on money and earnings. Actually, this focus will continue for the next three weeks. This is why you will ponder expenses, important purchases and your available spending potential. You’re seeing what you can juggle in financial terms.

Taurus (April 20-May 20)

Now and for the next few weeks, you can recharge your batteries for the rest of the year. It’s appropriate to put yourself first because this is the only time all year the sun is in your sign. You will attract people and favorable resources to you, which is an excellent advantage.

Gemini (May 21-June 20)

You are a strong communicator and enjoy good times with friends and those who adore you. (She said modestly, looking coyly over her left shoulder.) However, in the next few weeks, your desire to be low-key and remain behind the scenes is suddenly quite strong. Curious.

Cancer (June 21-July 22)

A heart connection with a good friend will be meaningful to you in the next few weeks. This person might have helpful suggestions for you or be of assistance in some way. They might even encourage you to change your future goals. Friends are important.

Leo (July 23-Aug. 22)

You have the good fortune of making a great impression on people in authority in the next several weeks. (They think you’re eligible for sainthood.) Note to self: Because you create such a great impression, now is the time to make your pitch and go after what you want.

Virgo (Aug. 23-Sept. 22)

You know more trivia than any other sign in the zodiac because you’re a fact junkie. It so happens that in the next three weeks, you will adore learning new things, which makes this the perfect time to take a course online or attend a webinar or do something to expand your world!

Libra (Sept. 23-Oct. 22)

You can’t escape the fact that you have to deal with red-tape details regarding taxes, debt, shared property and insurance matters now and in the next few weeks. It’s gotta be done. Don’t procrastinate. Be strong and do it.

Scorpio (Oct. 23-Nov. 21)

Your focus on close friends and partners is strong now and will continue for the next few weeks. You will notice that you have more objectivity and detachment than usual, which means you see these relationships with more clarity. Lucky you.

Sagittarius (Nov. 22-Dec. 21)

You like to work hard and party hard. Now and in the next three weeks, you will work hard because you want to get better organized. You want to feel that you’re working smart and making the best use of your time. Yes!

Capricorn (Dec. 22-Jan. 19)

You have a strong urge to do your own thing. Ideally, you would slip away on a vacation. However, travel is difficult and we all face restrictions. Nevertheless, in the next three weeks, relax and have fun. Enjoy the company of children, sports and creative activities.

Aquarius (Jan. 20-Feb. 18)

Some of you are more involved than usual with a parent. If so, this increased involvement with a parent and home and family will continue for the next three weeks. This is why you want to pull in your reins and keep your world small.

Pisces (Feb. 19-March 20)

Have you noticed your daily pace is increasing? This pace will stay accelerated for the next three weeks due to short trips, errands, tasks, increased reading, writing and studying as well as Zoom sessions with relatives and friends. Busy you! (Gasp.)

If Your Birthday Is Today

Rock musician, singer, songwriter Peter Frampton (1950) shares your birthday. You have original talent. You are sensible, practical and many of you love animals and the outdoors. You value family. You like a predictable outcome. You will work hard for what you want. In fact, this year you will gladly work hard because you sense you are building something important — and you are. You will introduce more structure into your life.

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