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A potential wave of virus-related illnesses has hospitals bracing for the winter, and a group of adult triplets share their journey after a stunning revelation about their conception. Plus, Janet Jackson and niece Paris Jackson share a rare photo together. 

Hospitals in the U.S. are bracing for an unprecedented winter of viruses.

Hospitals nationwide are preparing for another winter of Covid along with an expected high level of flu and other respiratory illnesses. Flu cases are already rising in certain parts of the country, according to the CDC. Pediatricians are also seeing a rise in children sick with enteroviruses and respiratory syncytial virus (RSV). On top of all that, hospitals are also dealing with a mass exodus of health care workers, who are quitting at rates 23% higher than when the pandemic began. Health officials recommend getting up to date on Covid vaccines, and everyone 6 months and older should get a flu shot. 

🤯 At 19, these triplet sisters discovered they are not biologically related to their mother. 

Triplets Savannah, Samantha and Sydney Harper are sharing how finding out at 19 that they were not biologically related to their mother was a major shock, but ultimately strengthened their family bond. The triplets, now 22, learned from their mom, Bernadette, 62, that she and their father had used an egg donor from Kenya to conceive them through IVF, but didn't tell anyone. Learning about their mother's struggles with infertility has made them closer. “I know sometimes family are people you choose and then other times they’re just the people you’re related to,” Sydney told us. “Now I just see family as the people who you can be yourself with, who love you and give you that care.”

🎃 A pumpkin weighing more than 2,500 pounds set a national record at a contest in California. 

Cue the Keanu Reeves voice: Whoa. Travis Gienger, a horticulture teacher from Minnesota, set a U.S. record for the heaviest pumpkin with a giant gourd weighing 2,560 pounds at a contest in Northern California yesterday. It's definitely massive pumpkin season, as Gienger's monstrosity beat the previous U.S. record (2,554 pounds) set just last week by a grower in New York. Just in case you're eyeing your backyard as a spot to grow a pumpkin the size of a Volkswagen, the world record is 2,702 pounds for a squash grown in Italy last year, according to Guinness World Records. For more photos, go here. 

Janet Jackson and niece Paris Jackson shared their first public photo together in 13 years.

Paris Fashion Week fittingly featured a rare Paris sighting. Music legend Janet Jackson shared a picture of her spending time with her "beautiful niece," Paris Jackson, 24, the daughter of the late Michael Jackson. It marked the first photo of the two together since Janet was seen consoling an 11-year-old Paris in 2009 following a memorial tribute to Michael. 

Achieve your life goals with easy tips.

Exercise is important at any stage of life, but it's especially crucial for seniors because it can improve cognitive function, prevent disease and decrease the possibility of injury. TODAY fitness contributor Stephanie Mansour has 7 exercises for seniors that can be done right in the comfort of home and will help reduce the risk of falls and improve balance. See Stephanie demonstrate each one here.

Allow us to do the meal-planning for you.

Fall's brisk temperatures mean a hot bowl of soup is perfect this time of year. Our own Katie Stilo has a simple Italian wedding soup (above) that puts a twist on the classic recipe by having you brown the meatballs in a skillet first (rather than just simmering them) to build flavor. We also have 4 other cozy dinner recipes to try this week, including one-pan chicken pot pie and slow-cooker beef stroganoff.

A little pick-me-up before you go.

You know the old saying: When life chucks a beer at you, pick it up and chug it. Comedian Ariel Elias was performing at a New Jersey club over the weekend when an angry heckler fired a beer at the stage, narrowly missing her head. Without missing a beat, Elias grabbed the can and then pounded the rest, prompting cheers from the crowd. She then went on to finish her set. A clip of the moment went viral on Twitter, where prominent comedians like Patton Oswalt and Whitney Cummings applauded her for keeping her cool. “At first I was in shock. Did that really just happen?” she told Buzzfeed. “Then I saw the beer can and I was like, 'I mean, I have to drink this' ... So I drank it!" To watch the video, go here. 

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Written by Scott Stump | Edited by Philip Caulfield

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