As Americans waited and watched election results slowly roll in Tuesday night, many sought ways to soothe their anxieties about the 2020 presidential election.
And their priorities were reflected in these Google searches that reached all-time highs Tuesday night, according to Google Trends:
New York Times tech columnist Kevin Roose tweeted about a Ben & Jerry’s shortage Tuesday night, saying, “Anxiety index: the entire Ben and Jerry’s freezer at the grocery store is empty.”
Dozens of tweets followed in response, showing photos of empty liquor shelves, freezers packed full of desserts and empty ice cream bowls.
Cravings for food and alcohol during a stressful times are a well-known phenemenon. Foods filled with fat and sugar seem to have a feedback effect that curbs stress-related responses and emotions, according to a Harvard study. The foods seem to counteract stress — and this likely contributes to people’s stress-induced cravings.
Americans are also drowning their worries in booze. On Election Day, alcohol delivery company Drizly reported a 68% increase in sales compared with the average of the previous four Tuesdays.
Drizly, which operates in 26 states, said orders were up across the board, but blue state sales were up 75%, while red state sales were up 33%.
Regulators authorized AstraZeneca’s coronavirus vaccine for use in adults throughout the European Union on Friday, amid criticism the bloc is not moving fast enough to vaccinate its population.
WASHINGTON (AP) — A former FBI lawyer was sentenced to probation for altering an email that the Justice Department relied on during its surveillance of an aide to President Donald Trump during the Russia investigation.
MADISON, Wis. (AP) — Democratic Gov. Tony Evers lashed out Friday at rival Republicans who tried to repeal his statewide mask mandate, saying killing the order would be a ridiculous move comparable to abolishing speed limits.
COLUMBIA, S.C. (AP) — As some conservatives in South Carolina celebrated getting a bill that would ban almost all abortions in the state past a legislative barrier and likely becoming law, they said they are not finished trying to end all abortions.
A Moscow court on Friday put the brother and several allies of Russian opposition leader Alexei Navalny under house arrest for two months as authorities sought to stymie more protests over the jailing of the top Kremlin foe.