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SCOTT DETROW, HOST:
Two important food holidays are meeting up this year. December 25 is both Christmas and also the first night of Hanukkah.
(SOUNDBITE OF MUSIC)
DETROW: Well, we did not want to miss the opportunity to explore the potential for a feast for all. And to help us imagine what to prepare, we have called on Sarah Lohman, who's a food historian and writer. Sarah has put together a menu for us, and my only regret here is that this is a remote interview and I cannot eat it all right now. So that being said, welcome to ALL THINGS CONSIDERED, Sarah.
SARAH LOHMAN: Hi, Scott. Thank you.
DETROW: When you first realized the alignment here, what was your first thought?
LOHMAN: OK, first thought was, of course, fry everything.
DETROW: Yeah.
LOHMAN: I mean, maybe it's obvious, maybe it's my first thought, but I was like, let's fry things that have never been fried before. Let's make it the Iowa State Fair up in here.
DETROW: (Laughter).
LOHMAN: OK, so the fun part of this project for me was I got to reach out to my community. And I started talking to my friend Leah Koenig, who is the author of the recent cookbook "Portico," which is about Roman Jewish culture. And she pointed out to me that latke, the traditional Hanukkah fried potato pancake - they really aren't that old in terms of Judaism. The practice originates with German Jews in the late 18th century. So that's like a drop in the bucket of the multiple-thousand-year history. So that's when I said, OK, well, is there another direction we can go here?
(SOUNDBITE OF MUSIC)
DETROW: So you have put together a menu. And before we go into it, tell me...
LOHMAN: Feast.
DETROW: A feast - important correction.
LOHMAN: (Laughter) I think.
DETROW: Tell me what you ended up organizing it around. What were the central thoughts? What were you trying to bring together?
LOHMAN: Well, I also happen to know a lot of people who are Christian or specifically Catholic and Jewish from populations around the world. And I think particularly in America, we can get sort of lost the idea of Christian as being a majority faith here, whereas in most of the world, it is a minority faith. And so I decided to put together a multicourse menu that looks at regions that have traditional, historical Christian and Jewish populations and look at where their food intersects and differentiates. I really believe that, like, cooking can be an act of learning; eating can be an act of education. And so I wanted to use this moment, this party, this feast, this festival to make space for the understanding of the long histories of these faiths throughout the world.
(SOUNDBITE OF MUSIC)
DETROW: That being said, let's get going. Tell us what the first course is.
LOHMAN: OK, so for the first course, we're going to go to China, which does have a historical Jewish population. No one's quite sure when they came, but they came into the area around Kaifeng, which is in Henan, which - not Hunan, Henan, which is a northern Chinese province. And it's difficult to trace dishes from Jewish ancestry there. There's maybe only about 1,000 Kaifeng Jews today. But one we know of is a Kaifeng noodle-blanketed carp. And it's a whole fish that's wok fried, and it's served with a sauce made from vinegar, rice wine, ginger and scallions. And then you top it with crispy fried noodles.
But if you're not up for frying a whole fish, which not everybody is, I would recommend ordering in some Henanese cuisine. Soup dumplings, or xiaolongbao, are from the Henan area. But don't get the pork ones. Get ones made with lamb or chicken and vegetables, or you could also order in some hui mian (ph), which are wide wheat noodles. I should note in this whole menu, I decided to avoid pork, shellfish, and I didn't serve meat and dairy so that anyone can come to your house for this party of any religious background and be able to eat the food.
DETROW: All right, so walk me through the last main dish.
LOHMAN: OK, so last main dish, we're going to go to Ethiopia. And I think, you know, this might be - sound like a simple answer, but the national dish of Ethiopia is dora wat, which is a chicken stew, and it's dark meat chicken, slow cooked with hard boiled eggs, garlic ginger, onions, tomato, and you finish the top with a sprinkle of black cardamom. So I also love the connections, the spice connections and flavor connections made through these dishes. Now, dora wat is sort of the Coptic Christian name for it, but it's also known as sanbat wat in Ethiopian Jewish communities. And sanbat means Shabbat. So a lot of these two aren't necessarily Hanukkah dishes. Actually, the Ethiopian Jews didn't traditionally celebrate Hanukkah in Ethiopia. But now over 100,000 Ethiopian Jews have moved to Israel and another thousand are here in America too. So they've moved in the cultures that celebrate Hanukkah. And definitely, you should make it with injera, too.
(SOUNDBITE OF MUSIC)
DETROW: So assuming there's any room left at all after all of these dishes so far, I know you've put a lot of thought into a very important holiday item, and that is desserts.
LOHMAN: Oh, my gosh, of course. I mean, but there is always room for dessert.
DETROW: (Laughter).
LOHMAN: So I've got two ideas here. One is cassola, which is from my original person who gave me this idea, Leah Koenig. It's a cheesecake that was created by Roman Jews, and it actually descends from this idea of pancake-making on Hanukkah. Hanukkah, you know, oil, things that are fried and things that are dairy are sort of traditional Hanukkah foods. Cassola was originally made on stove tops, like a really thick pancake. Now it's baked, and now it's actually crossed over that it's a favorite served by Roman Catholics on Christmas. So it's a ricotta cheesecake made with cinnamon, vanilla and raisins.
Now, for some people, having dairy after meat is OK, but for some people, it's not. So if you want to stick to a menu that's kosher friendly, I'd also recommend bolo menino. Bolo menino is named after the Christ child, and it's a cake made in Macao, which is governed somewhat by China, but not totally, so they have more religious freedom. And many people there are also Portuguese descendants, as well. So this is a cake made with crumbled cookies, coconut and pine nuts that is always served on Christmas in Macao.
DETROW: You know, I think a lot of people listening might be taking notes and thinking, I want to do this. And I think there might be a lot of people listening who are thinking, like, oh, my gosh, this sounds so overwhelming.
LOHMAN: (Laughter).
DETROW: What do you say to somebody who, like, loves the idea, but when it comes to, especially, like, a multicourse meal, just kind of gets intimidated?
LOHMAN: You know, there is always a potluck. There's always divvying this up. Or, you know, hey, if you love throwing a party like me, make the whole thing. But if not, just make the one dish that appeals to you. I think that food is always better with a story. And I love the idea of using this December 25 to reflect on these cultures throughout the world. And sometimes they're often difficult stories, too.
DETROW: Yeah. You know, we're talking about learning about different cultures, as this menus together. But, you know, I think for a lot of people, a holiday is also about kind of leaning into your heritage - right? - your family story - right? - in terms of food.
LOHMAN: Yeah. Yeah, absolutely. And I think that we can't forget that many of these cultures that I talked about today also exist within America. These communities are here. And I think for all of us during this holiday season, this is often a time where we connect to our own ancestry. I'm sure that there are people listening right now thinking about the recipes that they're going to make that have been passed down through their families and that really are labors of love that make this feel like a special and important time of year.
DETROW: Absolutely.
LOHMAN: It's religion, but it's celebration, it's family, it's ancestry, too.
DETROW: And all of this is kind of very American, right? Like, you've put together a meal that touches on a dozen different countries and cultures.
LOHMAN: Yeah, but they can all be found here, absolutely.
DETROW: Yeah.
LOHMAN: And to me, I think that that's the most powerful and beautiful thing about America, our diversity. We can be a little hard to govern sometime. We're an unruly lot. But just how many different people become American too, I think that's really the most wonderful thing about living here and celebrating the holidays here.
(SOUNDBITE OF MUSIC)
DETROW: That is food historian Sarah Lohman. Her most recent book is just out in paper, "Endangered Eating: America's Vanishing Foods." Thank you so much for taking up the challenge and crafting a Christmas Hanukkah feast for us.
LOHMAN: Oh, my gosh, my pleasure. Now the real challenge is I'm going to have to sit down and make all of this.
DETROW: I think there's no question now. Thank you.
LOHMAN: Thank you.
(SOUNDBITE OF MUSIC) Transcript provided by NPR, Copyright NPR.
NPR transcripts are created on a rush deadline by an NPR contractor. This text may not be in its final form and may be updated or revised in the future. Accuracy and availability may vary. The authoritative record of NPR’s programming is the audio record.
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https://www.wshu.org/2024-12-15/what-to-cook-on-hanumas-chrismukah
| 2024-12-16T05:29:26Z
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Lips can become dry n chap due to dehydration, allergies due to internal issues or due to cosmetics, nutritional deficiencies, side effects of certain medications, infections.
Tips to take care of lips:1. Keep yourself hydrated
2. Avoid lipstick if u have allergies
3. Moisturize lips regularly
4. Home based ghee/ butter/ malai also help
5. Avoid licking, as saliva can worsen it
6. Check expiry dates of lipsticks n lip balms - Avoid sharing them as well
7. Moisturize lips adequately before using lip cosmetics
Eat adequate fruits n vegetables to get your daily dose of vitamins and minerals. Seek advice from your dermatologist if it doesn’t improve.
With regards to dry skin, most important is listening to your skin. How does it react in winters or in dry seasons, can help you decide the best way to go forward for your skin. For people who generally tend to have a dry skin, it's best to make sure that before having a bath you put something like a coconut oil or a liquid paraffin-based oil on your body, maybe half an hour, 45 minutes before bathing. That'll help giving it a little bit of hydration before you go for bathing because whenever you take a bath, some bit of moisture is lost.
Be very careful of the kind of body wash or soap you're using, preferably use something which is inherently more moisturizing, doesn't rob off too much of moisture. Use a gentler body wash, especially in winters and try to apply just like one round of body wash. Don't wash yourself too aggressively with a soap or a wash and try to use very lukewarm cold or a lukewarm water, hot water also creates a problem.
Don't take very prolonged baths, hot showers preferably can be avoided. And as soon as you take a bath, try to moisturize yourself within 3 to 5 minutes, try and moisturize yourself with a good, thick moisturizer. Depending on your skin type, you can choose one, if your skin generally responds to the regular moisturizers available in the market, well and good. If it still doesn't respond, then it's best to consult your dermatologist. Make sure, the moisturizer you're using is a complete moisturizer, which means it should have a good emollient or a hydration effect, it should have a good occlusive effect so that it prevents evaporation of moisture from your skin, as well as it should have some hygroscopic effect, as in it helps attracting moisture from the surrounding.
Since NCR and a lot of Northern Indian belt more or less becomes pretty dry in winters, you can also use a humidifier in your room where you sleep, which will increase the ambient humidity and help you stay hydrated. Apart from that, obviously internal hydration is important. Make sure even though you don't feel thirsty, you have adequate fluid intake of three to four liters every day and eat whatever the seasonal fruits and veggies are there. Make sure you have your daily supplement requirements of omega-3 fatty acids because even they help in keeping the skin well hydrated.
And if you're still having issues, there may be some underlying problems, so do consult your dermatologist.
Dr. Seema Lal Oberoi, Consultant, CK Birla Hospital, Gurugram
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https://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/life-style/health-fitness/health-news/chapped-lips-and-skin-cracking-tips-for-preventing-winter-dryness/articleshow/116340580.cms
| 2024-12-16T05:29:27Z
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SCOTT DETROW, HOST:
By many measures, California is a shining success story. On its own, it boasts the world's fifth-largest economy. It's one of the richest states in the U.S., with one of the country's highest per capita incomes. And California is also a place where Hollywood and Silicon Valley have set a standard for the U.S. and created a mythical, romantic version of the state that looms over pop culture. But in recent years, it is a story that has been told of one as a state in decline. And according to that narrative, the most populous state is overregulated and too expensive to live in, and so much so, according to some, that people are fleeing it in droves. But how true is that story? To answer, I am joined now by Tessa McLean, the California editor at the online publication SFGATE. She dug into this narrative - not just the current one, but previous times that everybody has been talking about California failing. Welcome to ALL THINGS CONSIDERED.
TESSA MCLEAN: Thanks for having me.
DETROW: Let's just start with the now - how dire is it? Is the California dream over? Are we packing it up?
MCLEAN: (Laughter) No, the California dream is not quite over yet, though many would say it is dying. The population in the last three years has declined, but it's never declined more than 1%. Each year since 2021, it's declined by a smaller and smaller number, and in 2023, it only declined 0.09%, according to figures from the State Department of Finance. So growth is simply slowing. It has not fully declined.
DETROW: But this led you to take a broader look because, you know, I covered California politics for a couple of years, and I heard this at the time I was there, and it seems like such a constant. This state is too expensive. It's overregulated. It's killing itself, and people are leaving in droves. And yet, the population - big-picture - continues to go up, the economy continues to grow. Why did you want to take a look back at these previous moments of doom and gloom? What was interesting about it to you?
MCLEAN: I write a lot about the movement of Californians, whether that's leaving the state entirely for a different state like Texas or Montana or whether they're moving around within the state itself. So I really wanted to take a look at the population data and see how big any decline has been in recent years and find out if this was a new phenomenon or if this had in fact been happening for years.
DETROW: Yeah.
MCLEAN: And leading up to the most recent election, it felt like California was in the spotlight more than ever. Kamala Harris was born in the Bay Area. She started her career in California, and that fact was often used against her. Meanwhile, Donald Trump is boasting about how Elon Musk left California for Texas. And Governor Gavin Newsom is sparring with the governors of Texas and Florida, and these conversations are making the national news. I wanted to take a step back and examine America's obsession with California failing.
DETROW: To be clear, though, you're not saying that some of the real problems that are being flagged, like the high cost of living, the cost of housing, in particular, aren't real. It's just that they may be overblown in terms of leading people to flee the state in droves?
MCLEAN: Absolutely. California is an expensive place to live. There's no doubt about it. And that high housing costs and all the cost of living expenses that come along with that are a big reason - the main reason, mainly - why people leave. There's been a lot more migration within the state itself, especially since the pandemic. You know, people might be leaving large coastal metros like San Francisco or Los Angeles for places like the Inland Empire or Sacramento, more so than are leaving the state itself.
DETROW: Why do you think then there's such an impulse over the years - and you're talking about the dot-com bust, you're talking about earlier periods in the 20th century. Why do you think there's such an interest in declaring the death of California?
MCLEAN: California has always been a prosperous place. It's a place that people look to, to go find wealth and success. People have been migrating out to California, looking for the California dream since the Gold Rush. And so I think that idea of the California dream is really important for people, and it really draws people out there.
DETROW: Were there any interesting parallels that you picked up on when you compared these moments?
MCLEAN: Yeah. I mean, the parallels is that the reasons that people are leaving are almost always the same. It's high housing costs. It's traffic. It's overpopulated cities, people just being fed up with the politics of the state. Those reasons never really changed, whether it's 1989 or 2023.
DETROW: That's Tessa McLean, the California editor at SFGATE. Her piece, "America's Obsession With California Failing," is at sfgate.com. Thanks so much for talking to us.
MCLEAN: Thank you. Transcript provided by NPR, Copyright NPR.
NPR transcripts are created on a rush deadline by an NPR contractor. This text may not be in its final form and may be updated or revised in the future. Accuracy and availability may vary. The authoritative record of NPR’s programming is the audio record.
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https://www.northernpublicradio.org/2024-12-15/the-love-hate-tug-of-war-with-california
| 2024-12-16T05:29:31Z
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Zakir Hussain, one of India’s most accomplished classical musicians, dies at 73
Associated Press
NEW DELHI (AP) — Zakir Hussain, one of India’s most accomplished classical musicians who defied genres and introduced tabla to global audiences, died on Sunday. He was 73.
The Indian classical music icon died from idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis, a chronic lung disease, at a hospital in San Francisco, his family said in a statement.
“His prolific work as a teacher, mentor and educator has left an indelible mark on countless musicians. He hoped to inspire the next generation to go further. He leaves behind an unparalleled legacy as a cultural ambassador and one of the greatest musicians of all time,” the statement read.
Hussain was the most recognizable exponent of tabla, a pair of hand drums that is the main percussion instrument in Indian classical music.
Considered the greatest tabla player of his generation, Hussain had a career that spanned six decades in which he collaborated with the likes of singer-songwriter George Harrison, jazz saxophonist Charles Lloyd, drummer Mickey Hart and cellist Yo-Yo Ma.
The son of legendary tabla artist Alla Rakha, Hussain was born in 1951 in Mumbai and was taught how to play the instrument by his father at the age of 7. A child prodigy, he was touring by age 12 and performing alongside India’s classical music legends during his teens.
In an interview that was shared widely on social media in India, Hussain says his father welcomed him into the world after he was born by speaking tabla rhythms into his ears.
“I was brought home, handed over to my dad in his arms. The tradition was that the father is supposed to recite a prayer in the baby’s ear … So he takes me in his arms, puts his lips to my ear and recites the tabla rhythms into my ears,” Hussain says in the interview, verbalizing the rhythmic pattern of the instrument.
Both Alla Rakha and Hussain were given the honorific “Ustad,” an Urdu word that means master.
In 1973, Hussain formed the Indian jazz fusion band “Shakti” with jazz guitarist John McLaughlin. The band played acoustic fusion music that combined Indian music with elements of jazz, introducing a new sound to Western audiences.
In 2024, Hussain became the first musician from India to win three Grammy awards in the same year.
Hussain’s “Shakti” won Best Global Music Album, and his collaboration with Edgar Meyer, Béla Fleck and flutist Rakesh Chaurasia won Best Global Music Performance and Best Contemporary Instrumental Album. He had earlier won a Grammy in 2009.
In 2023, Hussain received the Padma Vibhushan, India’s second-highest civilian award.
Hussain is survived by his wife and two daughters.
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https://kyma.com/news/2024/12/15/zakir-hussain-one-of-indias-most-accomplished-classical-musicians-dies-at-73/
| 2024-12-16T05:29:32Z
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SCOTT DETROW, HOST:
Fear was central to President Bashar al-Assad's control over Syria. For many Syrians, it didn't feel safe to express dissent anywhere. Even a whispered word against the government spoken at home was often enough for someone to disappear into a network of dozens of prisons where torture was routine. Since the fall of Assad's regime, many families have been searching, trying to find answers about their missing loved ones who vanished in places like this. NPR's Ruth Sherlock and Jawad Rizkallah visited one of these feared intelligence branches.
UNIDENTIFIED PERSON #1: (Non-English language spoken).
JAWAD RIZKALLAH, BYLINE: He's saying this is the dirtiest place in Syria.
RUTH SHERLOCK, BYLINE: Palm trees growing on either side to the entrance way, the torn picture of Bashar al-Assad - we go inside what used to be the Assad regime's state security complex. It's huge, and the rebels who now control it take us to prison branch 85.
RIZKALLAH: Here, nobody was allowed to come in.
SHERLOCK: This is a grim place. These are the solitary cells. No light - there's only a blacked out grate for air, leading to the outside world, but no window.
RIZKALLAH: Oh, look.
SHERLOCK: Oh, my gosh. Somebody's marked lines on the wall in rows to keep track of how many days they've been in here. One, two, three, four, eight weeks - someone was here for eight weeks in this cell, 1 meter wide by about 2 meters long. Yeah.
UNIDENTIFIED PERSON #2: (Non-English language spoken).
SHERLOCK: These intelligence branches were places of torture and terror in Syria. In branch 85, we're told, both Syrians and foreigners were held. There's even been claims that Austin Tice, the American journalist who disappeared in 2012, may have spent time here.
Hey, guys. There's English here. Somebody's turned these walls into a classroom - I see you, for you, listen to me, look at me, go away, miss you.
Last week, when opposition militias took Damascus from the regime, one of the first things they did was free the prisoners. Here, everything has been abandoned, left exactly as it was, including the art prisoners etched into the walls.
Somebody's drawn a beautiful picture of a house. It looks like a log cabin somewhere in mountains and a tree beside it and a forest in the background and a bridge over a river in the foreground. They've tried to make - there's a waterfall. They've tried to make this beautiful.
UNIDENTIFIED GUARD: (Non-English language spoken).
SHERLOCK: A guard breaks down in tears as he tells me if you're in prison and you don't know how to draw, you'll be driven to madness. He remembers how his cousin was jailed.
UNIDENTIFIED GUARD: (Non-English language spoken).
RIZKALLAH: And he told them everything that he went through there. And now when he's here and he's looking at everything, he's remembering everything his cousin told him.
SHERLOCK: The guard tells us that when they arrived, they found people dead.
RIZKALLAH: There were bodies, the corpses that were found here, and they took them to the hospital. And they're still in the morgue for people if they want to come check if their families are.
SHERLOCK: And there are so many thousands of families searching all across Syria, over 100,000 missing, a conservative estimate by rights groups. They come to places like this to search for threads of their loved ones' existence.
This is just one prison in a network of prisons that are all over the city. We know about the big ones - Sednaya, where thousands of people disappeared. But there's also these. Across the capitol, there's branch after branch, security branch after security branch after security branch.
The regime was meticulous in its brutality. Bureaucrats and intelligence officials kept detailed notes of every person detained, of every interrogation, of the torture applied and of every execution.
RIZKALLAH: Ruth.
SHERLOCK: Yeah?
RIZKALLAH: Come.
SHERLOCK: Coming, coming.
RIZKALLAH: The papers are still here. We still have papers.
SHERLOCK: These documents could provide families with the answers about what happened to their loved ones. They are valuable evidence of crimes, and the guards say we have to go and get permission to see them. We make our way outside.
Gosh, you just feel relief coming back out into the fresh air. You can't imagine what it must have been like to be held there, not knowing when you'd get out.
We walk away on a road that runs above the dungeon prison that holds so many secrets, many of which will be revealed, and many more will lie in darkness. Ruth Sherlock, NPR News, Damascus. Transcript provided by NPR, Copyright NPR.
NPR transcripts are created on a rush deadline by an NPR contractor. This text may not be in its final form and may be updated or revised in the future. Accuracy and availability may vary. The authoritative record of NPR’s programming is the audio record.
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https://www.wbfo.org/2024-12-15/we-head-inside-a-feared-intelligence-branch-after-the-fall-of-assad-regime-in-syria
| 2024-12-16T05:29:32Z
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Alzheimer's is a progressive neurological disorder that mostly affects elderly people, often resulting in memory loss, mood issues, and personality changes. But the recent evidence has suggested that the disease could have very early symptoms decades before the actual diagnosis. Early detection can delay progression of the disease and improve the quality of the patient to a great extent.
Dr Daniel Gibbs from Portland, Oregon USA who diagnosed himself with Alzheimer's shared the warning signs to look out for with Daily Mail.
Initial symptoms and signs
Dr Gibbs started to lose his sense of smell at the age of 55 and he mentioned that this was the first symptom that made him understand that Alzheimer's is around the corner. The doctor is now 74 years old and after his diagnosis a couple of years back, he witnessed a gradual decline in his memory, and other symptoms denoting this form of dementia prevailed more.
To reduce the impact and speed of Alzheimer's, Dr Gibbs introduced lifestyle changes like exercise, dietary changes, Tai Chi among other things. He said the lifestyle changes he made reduced the impact by 20%. He shared how these changes slowed down disease's progression.
Dr Gibbs' personal experience
Though Dr Gibbs lost his sense of smell, but certainly not his sense of humour. On a lighter note, he added that now it's easier for him to do certain jobs like picking dog poop as he isn't easily disgusted by it.
Speaking to the Guardian, Gibbs noted that early studies have suggested that losing the sense of smell is not permanent, and that it can be improved through repeated exposure to strong-smelling, and that it will improve cognitive performance instead of completely shutting down the sense of smell.
Dr Gibbs also stressed that being active helps too, and shared an example of heart and lung health and asked people to focus on cardiorespiratory fitness as well. Quoting a study, he shared the findings of it and said that it is important for preserving cognitive functioning (heart and lung) in older adulthood.
Early symptoms
Alzheimer's is a chronic disease and instead of increasing the risk overnight, it slowly attacks the individual's mind. The early stages of Alzheimer's include memory loss and the brain finds difficulty in solving complex problems often creating confusion.
The symptoms increase with mood changes, anxiety, depression, high aggression, and sometimes even showing difficulty in recognising friends and family. Alzheimer's in the final stage creates an inability to communicate.
While there is no complete cure, treatment focuses on symptom management and can reduce the impact that Alzheimer's causes on the neurological system.
Prevention
There is no guaranteed prevention for Alzheimer's, however, it can reduce the risk if certain habits are followed. Maintaining a healthy diet and regular physical exercise is important. It is also necessary to manage cardiovascular health. It is also necessary to be socially active as it can keep one's brain active.
Dementia can affect anyone and especially people with old age are prone to danger. To reduce the risk of dementia, one should follow a healthy diet, exercise regularly, get enough sleep, manage stress and be socially active. Also, people who drink a lot of alcohol cause their brain to change and the study found that there is an increased risk of dementia due to alcohol use disorder.
Treatment
Alzheimer's disease has no cure, but there are treatments that can help with symptoms and improve quality of life:
Medications: These can help with symptoms like memory and thinking, and may also help with behavioral issues. Some examples include:
Cholinesterase inhibitors: These drugs increase acetylcholine levels in the brain, which can help with memory and thinking. Examples include donepezil, galantamine, and rivastigmine.
Immunotherapy drugs: These drugs target beta-amyloid, a protein that builds up in the brain in Alzheimer's. Examples include lecanemab and donanemab.
Antidepressants, antipsychotics, and anti-anxiety drugs: These can help with behavioral and psychological symptoms like depression, anxiety, and agitation.
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https://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/life-style/health-fitness/health-news/doctor-who-diagnosed-his-own-alzheimers-advises-to-never-ignore-these-warning-signs/articleshow/116260867.cms
| 2024-12-16T05:29:33Z
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Kane Williamson Scripts History: First Batter In Test Cricket To Achieve This Record - Check Here
Kane Williamson scored his 33rd Test century at Hamilton, becoming the first player to notch centuries in five consecutive matches at a single venue. He is the third-fastest to 33 Test centuries.
Trending Photos
NZ vs ENG: Kane Williamson’s dominance in Test cricket continued as the New Zealand skipper reached his 33rd Test century during the second innings of the third Test against England on December 16 at Hamilton’s Seddon Park. His remarkable knock, achieved in just 137 balls and sealed with a six, showcased his determination as New Zealand fought to avoid a series whitewash after losing the first two games.
Record Breaking Milestone
Williamson’s century was more than just a personal milestone; it marked an unparalleled achievement in the history of Test cricket. He became the first batter to score centuries in five consecutive matches on the same ground in Test cricket's 147-year history. His run of scores at Hamilton is astonishing:
200 vs Bangladesh (2019)
104 vs England (2019)
251 vs West Indies (2020)
133 vs South Africa (2024)
156 vs England (2024)
This incredible feat further solidified Williamson’s love affair with Seddon Park, where he now boasts seven Test centuries.
Williamson Joins Elite List
Williamson is on the verge of joining an exclusive club of players who average over 100 at a particular venue (minimum 15 innings). Legends such as Mahela Jayawardene (Colombo SSC), Don Bradman (Melbourne), Jacques Kallis (Cape Town), and Kumar Sangakkara (Colombo SSC) hold similar distinctions.
His seven centuries at Hamilton put him on par with iconic players like Michael Clarke (Adelaide), Joe Root (Lord’s), and Jayawardene (Galle). Only a few players—Jayawardene (11, Colombo SSC), Bradman (9, Melbourne), Kallis (9, Cape Town), and Sangakkara (8, Colombo SSC)—have achieved more centuries at a single venue.
Williamson’s mastery at home is unparalleled in New Zealand cricket history. He became the first player to score 20 Test centuries on home soil. Ross Taylor (12) and John Wright (10) are the only others to have reached double figures for New Zealand in home Tests.
Williamson’s consistency extends across formats. He has now equaled Taylor’s record of 24 international centuries at home, the most by a New Zealander.
Third Fastest to 33 Test Centuries
Achieving his 33rd century in just 186 innings, Williamson is the third-fastest in Test history, behind only Sachin Tendulkar (178) and Ricky Ponting (183). No player in cricket history has reached 33 centuries faster than Williamson in terms of innings played.
Williamson’s tally of 20 Test centuries in a single country places him alongside legends like Ricky Ponting, Jacques Kallis, and Kumar Sangakkara. Only Mahela Jayawardene (23, Colombo SSC), Tendulkar (22, India), and a select few have managed more centuries in a single country.
With every match, Williamson continues to rewrite records and inspire cricket fans worldwide. His consistency, adaptability, and hunger for runs cement his place among the game’s greatest Test batters.
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| 2024-12-16T05:29:38Z
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SCOTT DETROW, HOST:
Two important food holidays are meeting up this year. December 25 is both Christmas and also the first night of Hanukkah.
(SOUNDBITE OF MUSIC)
DETROW: Well, we did not want to miss the opportunity to explore the potential for a feast for all. And to help us imagine what to prepare, we have called on Sarah Lohman, who's a food historian and writer. Sarah has put together a menu for us, and my only regret here is that this is a remote interview and I cannot eat it all right now. So that being said, welcome to ALL THINGS CONSIDERED, Sarah.
SARAH LOHMAN: Hi, Scott. Thank you.
DETROW: When you first realized the alignment here, what was your first thought?
LOHMAN: OK, first thought was, of course, fry everything.
DETROW: Yeah.
LOHMAN: I mean, maybe it's obvious, maybe it's my first thought, but I was like, let's fry things that have never been fried before. Let's make it the Iowa State Fair up in here.
DETROW: (Laughter).
LOHMAN: OK, so the fun part of this project for me was I got to reach out to my community. And I started talking to my friend Leah Koenig, who is the author of the recent cookbook "Portico," which is about Roman Jewish culture. And she pointed out to me that latke, the traditional Hanukkah fried potato pancake - they really aren't that old in terms of Judaism. The practice originates with German Jews in the late 18th century. So that's like a drop in the bucket of the multiple-thousand-year history. So that's when I said, OK, well, is there another direction we can go here?
(SOUNDBITE OF MUSIC)
DETROW: So you have put together a menu. And before we go into it, tell me...
LOHMAN: Feast.
DETROW: A feast - important correction.
LOHMAN: (Laughter) I think.
DETROW: Tell me what you ended up organizing it around. What were the central thoughts? What were you trying to bring together?
LOHMAN: Well, I also happen to know a lot of people who are Christian or specifically Catholic and Jewish from populations around the world. And I think particularly in America, we can get sort of lost the idea of Christian as being a majority faith here, whereas in most of the world, it is a minority faith. And so I decided to put together a multicourse menu that looks at regions that have traditional, historical Christian and Jewish populations and look at where their food intersects and differentiates. I really believe that, like, cooking can be an act of learning; eating can be an act of education. And so I wanted to use this moment, this party, this feast, this festival to make space for the understanding of the long histories of these faiths throughout the world.
(SOUNDBITE OF MUSIC)
DETROW: That being said, let's get going. Tell us what the first course is.
LOHMAN: OK, so for the first course, we're going to go to China, which does have a historical Jewish population. No one's quite sure when they came, but they came into the area around Kaifeng, which is in Henan, which - not Hunan, Henan, which is a northern Chinese province. And it's difficult to trace dishes from Jewish ancestry there. There's maybe only about 1,000 Kaifeng Jews today. But one we know of is a Kaifeng noodle-blanketed carp. And it's a whole fish that's wok fried, and it's served with a sauce made from vinegar, rice wine, ginger and scallions. And then you top it with crispy fried noodles.
But if you're not up for frying a whole fish, which not everybody is, I would recommend ordering in some Henanese cuisine. Soup dumplings, or xiaolongbao, are from the Henan area. But don't get the pork ones. Get ones made with lamb or chicken and vegetables, or you could also order in some hui mian (ph), which are wide wheat noodles. I should note in this whole menu, I decided to avoid pork, shellfish, and I didn't serve meat and dairy so that anyone can come to your house for this party of any religious background and be able to eat the food.
DETROW: All right, so walk me through the last main dish.
LOHMAN: OK, so last main dish, we're going to go to Ethiopia. And I think, you know, this might be - sound like a simple answer, but the national dish of Ethiopia is dora wat, which is a chicken stew, and it's dark meat chicken, slow cooked with hard boiled eggs, garlic ginger, onions, tomato, and you finish the top with a sprinkle of black cardamom. So I also love the connections, the spice connections and flavor connections made through these dishes. Now, dora wat is sort of the Coptic Christian name for it, but it's also known as sanbat wat in Ethiopian Jewish communities. And sanbat means Shabbat. So a lot of these two aren't necessarily Hanukkah dishes. Actually, the Ethiopian Jews didn't traditionally celebrate Hanukkah in Ethiopia. But now over 100,000 Ethiopian Jews have moved to Israel and another thousand are here in America too. So they've moved in the cultures that celebrate Hanukkah. And definitely, you should make it with injera, too.
(SOUNDBITE OF MUSIC)
DETROW: So assuming there's any room left at all after all of these dishes so far, I know you've put a lot of thought into a very important holiday item, and that is desserts.
LOHMAN: Oh, my gosh, of course. I mean, but there is always room for dessert.
DETROW: (Laughter).
LOHMAN: So I've got two ideas here. One is cassola, which is from my original person who gave me this idea, Leah Koenig. It's a cheesecake that was created by Roman Jews, and it actually descends from this idea of pancake-making on Hanukkah. Hanukkah, you know, oil, things that are fried and things that are dairy are sort of traditional Hanukkah foods. Cassola was originally made on stove tops, like a really thick pancake. Now it's baked, and now it's actually crossed over that it's a favorite served by Roman Catholics on Christmas. So it's a ricotta cheesecake made with cinnamon, vanilla and raisins.
Now, for some people, having dairy after meat is OK, but for some people, it's not. So if you want to stick to a menu that's kosher friendly, I'd also recommend bolo menino. Bolo menino is named after the Christ child, and it's a cake made in Macao, which is governed somewhat by China, but not totally, so they have more religious freedom. And many people there are also Portuguese descendants, as well. So this is a cake made with crumbled cookies, coconut and pine nuts that is always served on Christmas in Macao.
DETROW: You know, I think a lot of people listening might be taking notes and thinking, I want to do this. And I think there might be a lot of people listening who are thinking, like, oh, my gosh, this sounds so overwhelming.
LOHMAN: (Laughter).
DETROW: What do you say to somebody who, like, loves the idea, but when it comes to, especially, like, a multicourse meal, just kind of gets intimidated?
LOHMAN: You know, there is always a potluck. There's always divvying this up. Or, you know, hey, if you love throwing a party like me, make the whole thing. But if not, just make the one dish that appeals to you. I think that food is always better with a story. And I love the idea of using this December 25 to reflect on these cultures throughout the world. And sometimes they're often difficult stories, too.
DETROW: Yeah. You know, we're talking about learning about different cultures, as this menus together. But, you know, I think for a lot of people, a holiday is also about kind of leaning into your heritage - right? - your family story - right? - in terms of food.
LOHMAN: Yeah. Yeah, absolutely. And I think that we can't forget that many of these cultures that I talked about today also exist within America. These communities are here. And I think for all of us during this holiday season, this is often a time where we connect to our own ancestry. I'm sure that there are people listening right now thinking about the recipes that they're going to make that have been passed down through their families and that really are labors of love that make this feel like a special and important time of year.
DETROW: Absolutely.
LOHMAN: It's religion, but it's celebration, it's family, it's ancestry, too.
DETROW: And all of this is kind of very American, right? Like, you've put together a meal that touches on a dozen different countries and cultures.
LOHMAN: Yeah, but they can all be found here, absolutely.
DETROW: Yeah.
LOHMAN: And to me, I think that that's the most powerful and beautiful thing about America, our diversity. We can be a little hard to govern sometime. We're an unruly lot. But just how many different people become American too, I think that's really the most wonderful thing about living here and celebrating the holidays here.
(SOUNDBITE OF MUSIC)
DETROW: That is food historian Sarah Lohman. Her most recent book is just out in paper, "Endangered Eating: America's Vanishing Foods." Thank you so much for taking up the challenge and crafting a Christmas Hanukkah feast for us.
LOHMAN: Oh, my gosh, my pleasure. Now the real challenge is I'm going to have to sit down and make all of this.
DETROW: I think there's no question now. Thank you.
LOHMAN: Thank you.
(SOUNDBITE OF MUSIC) Transcript provided by NPR, Copyright NPR.
NPR transcripts are created on a rush deadline by an NPR contractor. This text may not be in its final form and may be updated or revised in the future. Accuracy and availability may vary. The authoritative record of NPR’s programming is the audio record.
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https://www.wbfo.org/2024-12-15/what-to-cook-on-hanumas-chrismukah
| 2024-12-16T05:29:38Z
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The United States has made "direct contact" with the Syrian rebel group Hayat Tahrir al-Sham, U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken said during a press conference in Aqaba, Jordan on Saturday.
"We've been in contact with HTS and with other parties," Blinken said, referring to the rebels who drove Syrian President Bashar al-Assad from power in a lightning offensive earlier this month.
Blinken referred to those discussions as "direct contact." He did not elaborate on details of the talks, but did acknowledge that the U.S. has "impressed upon everyone we've been in contact with" the importance of helping to find the missing American journalist Austin Tice, who disappeared near Damascus 12 years ago.
Blinken's comments mark the first time a U.S. official has acknowledged contact with HTS. The Islamist group was once affiliated with al-Qaida, and while it has sought to strike a more moderate tone in recent years, the U.S. still regards it as a terrorist organization — a designation given to the group in May 2018.
Blinken, who was in Jordan meeting with leaders about Syria's future, said the U.S. and its partners "agreed on a set of shared principles to guide our support for Syria and its people going forward."
The U.S. and its partners also agreed to several factors, Blinken said, including that the transition process in the Syrian government should be "Syrian-led and Syrian-owned," citizens should have access to humanitarian aid and that the country "should not be used as a base for terrorist groups or others."
"We know that what happens inside of Syria can have powerful consequences well beyond its borders, from mass displacement to terrorism. And we know that we can't underestimate the challenges of this moment and in the weeks and months ahead," he said. "Our message to the Syrian people is this: We want them to succeed and we're prepared to help them do so."
During an interview last week, the HTS leader, Ahmed al-Shara, formerly known by his nom de guerre, Abu Mohmmad al-Jolani, sought to allay concerns about Syria's future under HTS leadership.
He said fears by other countries "are unnecessary" and was hopeful that Syria "will be rebuilt."
"People are exhausted from war. So the country isn't ready for another one and it's not going to get into another one," he told Sky News. "The source of our fears was from the Iranian militias, Hezbollah and the regime which committed the massacres we are seeing today. So their removal is the solution for Syria. The current situation won't allow for a return to panic."
Copyright 2024 NPR
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https://www.northernpublicradio.org/2024-12-15/u-s-has-made-contact-with-syrian-rebel-group-hts-blinken-says
| 2024-12-16T05:29:38Z
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Walnuts, the brain-shaped wonders, are more than just a tasty and crunchy snack. The nutrient-dense nuts known for their unique flavor and astringent taste, pack an impressive nutritional punch. Just a handful of these amazing nuts can nourish your body with a range of antioxidants, healthy fats, protein, vitamins and minerals. An excellent source of omega-3 fatty acids, including alpha-linolenic acid (ALA), and antioxidants like tocopherols and polyphenols, walnuts no wonder are a heart-healthy and anti-inflammatory food.
Walnuts are rich in unsaturated fats that can lower LDL cholesterol and triglycerides, reducing the risk of cardiovascular diseases. The omega-3 fatty acids, vitamin E, and polyphenols in walnuts contribute to improved brain health and cognitive function. Studies suggest that these compounds may help reduce the risk of Alzheimer’s disease and other neurodegenerative conditions.
However, as beneficial as walnuts can be, consuming them in excess might come with some hidden side effects.
It is recommended to consume about 1 ounce of walnuts (approximately 14 halves) per day. This portion size is ideal for you to reap all the amazing benefits of this nutrient-dense nut, without fears of undesirable side effects that could quickly tip the scale from healthy to harmful. However, exceeding this portion on a regular basis can lead to side effects. Know more about them.
115063183
Unknown side effects of walnuts
1. Digestive troubleWalnuts are a rich source of fibre and in moderation and within the recommended quantity can promote healthy digestion. However, eating too many walnuts can quickly turn this blessing into boon, and cause bloating, gas, and diarrhea. A study published in the World Journal of Gastroenterology highlights that high fibre intake can be problematic for the digestive system, especially in people not accustomed to it.
2. Allergy
Some people are allergic to walnuts. In fact, walnut allergy is among the most common tree nut allergies, and can cause a range of side effects from mild itching and swelling to severe symptoms involving anaphylaxis. According to a study in the Journal of Allergy and Clinical Immunology, walnut allergens are triggered by proteins such as Jug r 1, which can cause cross-reactivity with other nuts. Even a small amount of walnuts can pose significant risks to individuals with nut allergies.
3. Weight gain
Walnuts aren't supposed to be consumed in excess and just an ounce is enough to not just promote satiety but also supply the body with all essential nutrients. However, having too many of these calorie-dense nuts
can lead to consumption of excess calories leading to weight gain. One ounce of walnuts contains about 185 calories. A 2019 study in Nutrients found that portion control is critical when incorporating nuts like walnuts into a balanced diet, as their high-fat content can negate weight management benefits if consumed in excess.
4. Kidney stones
Too much of even a good thing can be bad, and this especially holds true in case of walnuts. They have oxalates, compounds that can contribute to the formation of kidney stones in people at risk. A review in the Clinical Journal of the American Society of Nephrology notes that diets high in oxalates, especially when coupled with low calcium intake, can increase the risk of calcium oxalate stones. People prone to kidney stones should moderate their walnut consumption and drink a lot of water.
5. Nutrient deficiency
There is a reason why nutritionists highlight the importance of a balanced diet. Indulging in too many walnuts can lead to trouble with absorption of certain minerals. This is due to the presence of phytic acid, a natural compound found in walnuts, that can bind to essential minerals like iron, zinc, and calcium, inhibiting their absorption. A study published in the Journal of Agricultural and Food Chemistry states that while the levels of phytic acid in walnuts are not dangerously high, excessive consumption over time may contribute to mineral deficiencies, especially in people who are on a nutrient-deficient diet.
(Picture courtesy: iStock)
6 possible side effects of eating too many apples
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https://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/life-style/health-fitness/health-news/eating-too-many-walnuts-can-have-these-hidden-side-effects/articleshow/116342275.cms
| 2024-12-16T05:29:39Z
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Investment Update
Following my second buy rating on Sylvamo (NYSE:SLVM), the stock is +6% and provided ~400bps of alpha vs. the S&P 500 on a time-weighted basis. The overarching thesis on SLVM supporting its buy rating includes the following:
Following my second buy rating on Sylvamo (NYSE:SLVM), the stock is +6% and provided ~400bps of alpha vs. the S&P 500 on a time-weighted basis. The overarching thesis on SLVM supporting its buy rating includes the following:
Analyst’s Disclosure: I/we have a beneficial long position in the shares of SLVM either through stock ownership, options, or other derivatives. I wrote this article myself, and it expresses my own opinions. I am not receiving compensation for it (other than from Seeking Alpha). I have no business relationship with any company whose stock is mentioned in this article.
Seeking Alpha's Disclosure: Past performance is no guarantee of future results. No recommendation or advice is being given as to whether any investment is suitable for a particular investor. Any views or opinions expressed above may not reflect those of Seeking Alpha as a whole. Seeking Alpha is not a licensed securities dealer, broker or US investment adviser or investment bank. Our analysts are third party authors that include both professional investors and individual investors who may not be licensed or certified by any institute or regulatory body.
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https://seekingalpha.com/article/4720061-sylvamo-buy-thesis-remains-intact-with-valuation-upsides-plus-high-returns-on-capital?source=feed_all_articles
| 2024-12-16T05:29:39Z
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Does Putin have any cards left in Syria? Does Putin have any cards left in Syria? Copy 2024-12-16 07:00:02 - From: Al monitor Al-Monitor’s unmatched coverage of events in Syria.
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https://english.hathalyoum.net/articles/136197-does-putin-have-any-cards-left-in
| 2024-12-16T05:29:39Z
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Dementia is one of the neurological disorders that has no cure yet. However, it is possible to slow down progression or reduce its risk by taking cerain lifestyle measures.
Though dementia cannot be completely avoided, especially with people who are aging or get affected because of genetics, there are things within our power to delay the condition.
A UK-based study published in the medical journal of the American Academy of Neurology found that doing everyday activities like house chores, exercising, and socializing may help lower the risk of dementia. The study was conducted for about 11 years involving over 5 million people in the UK. The research found that certain activities done by the participants lowered the risk of dementia.
People who exercised regularly had a 35% lower risk, while those who performed household chores could reduce their risk to 21%. Individuals who often socialised with their family and friends had a 15% lower risk of being affected by dementia.
In a statement, the author of the study Huan Song, Sichuan University, China mentioned that the research is a basic finding and more studies are needed to confirm the result. He added that the results are based on lifestyle changes and that it may be beneficial.
Brain activity
It is important to keep your brain active and both physical chores and mental activity can help in mental stimulation. The study also noted that people who have visual or hearing problems could be at a higher risk of dementia as the brain's sensory input is not stimulated or kept active, and it is more important for them to be active to reduce the risk of dementia.
These basic lifestyle recommendations suggested in the study can be picked up at any age and according to the study by the researchers, it may be beneficial to reduce the risk of dementia.
So when time permits, try to vacuum more or do laundry and go for a midday run with a neighbour whom you can have long conversations with.
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https://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/life-style/health-fitness/health-news/everyday-activities-that-may-reduce-dementia-risk-as-per-uk-study/articleshow/116341427.cms
| 2024-12-16T05:29:41Z
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Indian tabla player Zakir Hussain — who united musicians from diverse cultures and by doing so, shaped modern world music — died on Sunday in San Francisco. He was 73.
In a statement, his family said the cause of death was idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis.
"His prolific work as a teacher, mentor and educator has left an indelible mark on countless musicians. He hoped to inspire the next generation to go further. He leaves behind an unparalleled legacy as a cultural ambassador and one of the greatest musicians of all time," his family added.
Hussain's career spanned over five decades, during which he was revered as both a national treasure in India and admired worldwide.
He defied genres and collaborated with an impressive range of musicians, including jazz saxophonist Charles Lloyd, bluegrass artists Edgar Meyer and Béla Fleck, as well as rockstars George Harrison and Van Morrison. His versatility earned him the rare distinction of performing twice on NPR's Tiny Desk — once in 2010 and then in 2023.
"You know, you come from India and you say, 'OK, I'm representing a 3,000-year-old history,' so you think you're gonna teach the world about rhythms and drums and so on," he told NPR in 2015. "And then you arrive here. You suddenly realize that you know nothing. You're just one little dot in the painting that is the music of the universe."
Beyond his performances, Hussain was admired for his passion to teaching Indian drumming, further spreading appreciation for the art form.
Hussain often said that his musical journey began soon after he was born in Bombay. In the 2015 NPR interview, he recalled a tradition where a father whispers a prayer into his newborn son's ear. Instead, his father chose to sing him rhythms.
"My mother was very upset and said, 'Why are you doing this?' And he said, 'Because this is my prayer,'" Hussain said.
He told NPR that it was his father's dream for him to carry on the tradition of being an Indian classical musician. His father, Alla Rakha, was considered one of the world's greatest player's of tabla, a centuries-old Indian hand drum. His father taught Hussain how to play the tabla when he was 7 years old.
But his father also introduced Hussain to music from around the world, which is how Hussain fell in love with rock and Western music.
"I was the only kid on the block who was walking down the street with a boombox on my shoulder, playing as loud as I could 'Light My Fire,'" Hussain recalled.
In 1970, at 19, Hussain traveled to the U.S. where he spent the following years working with rockstars like George Harrison, Van Morrison and Mickey Hart, the drummer from The Grateful Dead. He also played with jazz musician John Handy.
In 1973, Hussain formed the Indian jazz fusion band Shakti with jazz guitarist John McLaughlin. With its melodic and rhythm instruments, the band helped American listeners appreciate sounds and instruments beyond Western music.
In 2024, Hussain became the first musician from India to receive three Grammy awards in the same year after Shakti won Best Global Music Album, and Hussain's collaboration with Edgar Meyer and Béla Fleck featuring Rakesh Chaurasia won Best Global Music Performance and Best Contemporary Instrumental Album.
Hussain told NPR in 2015 that throughout the course of his career, he has found similarities between rhythmists around the world — regardless of approach or style.
"We were all on the same wavelength, the same quest, looking for perfection, which we will never find. But that didn't matter because it's all about the journey — not the goal," he said.
NPR's Felix Contreras contributed reporting.
Copyright 2024 NPR
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https://www.wbfo.org/2024-12-15/zakir-hussain-legendary-tabla-virtuoso-who-defied-genres-dies-at-73
| 2024-12-16T05:29:44Z
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SCOTT DETROW, HOST:
Fear was central to President Bashar al-Assad's control over Syria. For many Syrians, it didn't feel safe to express dissent anywhere. Even a whispered word against the government spoken at home was often enough for someone to disappear into a network of dozens of prisons where torture was routine. Since the fall of Assad's regime, many families have been searching, trying to find answers about their missing loved ones who vanished in places like this. NPR's Ruth Sherlock and Jawad Rizkallah visited one of these feared intelligence branches.
UNIDENTIFIED PERSON #1: (Non-English language spoken).
JAWAD RIZKALLAH, BYLINE: He's saying this is the dirtiest place in Syria.
RUTH SHERLOCK, BYLINE: Palm trees growing on either side to the entrance way, the torn picture of Bashar al-Assad - we go inside what used to be the Assad regime's state security complex. It's huge, and the rebels who now control it take us to prison branch 85.
RIZKALLAH: Here, nobody was allowed to come in.
SHERLOCK: This is a grim place. These are the solitary cells. No light - there's only a blacked out grate for air, leading to the outside world, but no window.
RIZKALLAH: Oh, look.
SHERLOCK: Oh, my gosh. Somebody's marked lines on the wall in rows to keep track of how many days they've been in here. One, two, three, four, eight weeks - someone was here for eight weeks in this cell, 1 meter wide by about 2 meters long. Yeah.
UNIDENTIFIED PERSON #2: (Non-English language spoken).
SHERLOCK: These intelligence branches were places of torture and terror in Syria. In branch 85, we're told, both Syrians and foreigners were held. There's even been claims that Austin Tice, the American journalist who disappeared in 2012, may have spent time here.
Hey, guys. There's English here. Somebody's turned these walls into a classroom - I see you, for you, listen to me, look at me, go away, miss you.
Last week, when opposition militias took Damascus from the regime, one of the first things they did was free the prisoners. Here, everything has been abandoned, left exactly as it was, including the art prisoners etched into the walls.
Somebody's drawn a beautiful picture of a house. It looks like a log cabin somewhere in mountains and a tree beside it and a forest in the background and a bridge over a river in the foreground. They've tried to make - there's a waterfall. They've tried to make this beautiful.
UNIDENTIFIED GUARD: (Non-English language spoken).
SHERLOCK: A guard breaks down in tears as he tells me if you're in prison and you don't know how to draw, you'll be driven to madness. He remembers how his cousin was jailed.
UNIDENTIFIED GUARD: (Non-English language spoken).
RIZKALLAH: And he told them everything that he went through there. And now when he's here and he's looking at everything, he's remembering everything his cousin told him.
SHERLOCK: The guard tells us that when they arrived, they found people dead.
RIZKALLAH: There were bodies, the corpses that were found here, and they took them to the hospital. And they're still in the morgue for people if they want to come check if their families are.
SHERLOCK: And there are so many thousands of families searching all across Syria, over 100,000 missing, a conservative estimate by rights groups. They come to places like this to search for threads of their loved ones' existence.
This is just one prison in a network of prisons that are all over the city. We know about the big ones - Sednaya, where thousands of people disappeared. But there's also these. Across the capitol, there's branch after branch, security branch after security branch after security branch.
The regime was meticulous in its brutality. Bureaucrats and intelligence officials kept detailed notes of every person detained, of every interrogation, of the torture applied and of every execution.
RIZKALLAH: Ruth.
SHERLOCK: Yeah?
RIZKALLAH: Come.
SHERLOCK: Coming, coming.
RIZKALLAH: The papers are still here. We still have papers.
SHERLOCK: These documents could provide families with the answers about what happened to their loved ones. They are valuable evidence of crimes, and the guards say we have to go and get permission to see them. We make our way outside.
Gosh, you just feel relief coming back out into the fresh air. You can't imagine what it must have been like to be held there, not knowing when you'd get out.
We walk away on a road that runs above the dungeon prison that holds so many secrets, many of which will be revealed, and many more will lie in darkness. Ruth Sherlock, NPR News, Damascus. Transcript provided by NPR, Copyright NPR.
NPR transcripts are created on a rush deadline by an NPR contractor. This text may not be in its final form and may be updated or revised in the future. Accuracy and availability may vary. The authoritative record of NPR’s programming is the audio record.
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https://www.northernpublicradio.org/2024-12-15/we-head-inside-a-feared-intelligence-branch-after-the-fall-of-assad-regime-in-syria
| 2024-12-16T05:29:44Z
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Video | President Biden, VP Kamala Harris Speak At Democratic National Convention Holiday Reception Copy 2024-12-16 07:00:06 - From: Forbes Breaking News
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https://english.hathalyoum.net/articles/136198-videopresident-biden-vp-kamala-harris-speak-at-dem
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Winter is here, and it’s that time when many of us shy away from water! As the temperature drops, it is common to feel less thirsty. Dehydration is a common issue many of us face during this time. Due to cold-weather conditions, you may not notice it, as it won't tire out the energy directly like in summer.
Regardless of the temperature it is important to be hydrated all time around the year. Lack of water not only results in dehydration but also increases the risk of kidney stones, urinary tract infections, constipation, and many more health issues. Take a look at the health issues faced due to dehydration.
Mental and physical performanceWater can impact your mood and concentration. Lack of water in your body can cause short-term memory loss, creating confusion and reducing reaction time.
Kidney stoneWhen you don't consume enough water, the kidney struggles to perform well causing it to have multiple organ issues like kidney stones, and urinary tract infections. In worse cases, dehydration can even lead to kidney damage and kidney failure.
Heart troubleDuring cold temperatures, the body tries to maintain a comfortable temperature for vital organs by using blood vessels in the skin to regulate heat, which can increase your blood pressure and strain your heart. With the absence of water in the body, this strain on the heart increases.
ConstipationWater is used by the intestines to digest the food and make the stool softer. When the colon doesn't have enough water, it leads to constipation, abdominal pain, and cramps.
Tips to stay hydrated in winter
- If it is not easy to drink room temperature water as you are not thirsty, you can opt for hot herbal teas and broths.
- Adding a wedge of lemon, lime, kiwi, cucumber, or raw mango, can enhance the flavor of the water, encouraging you to drink.
- Increase intake of liquid foods like soups and fruit juices as they can be used as alternatives for meals and at the same time meet the nutrient requirement of the day.
- Avoid drinking coffee or other caffeinated drinks as it can easily contribute to dehydration.
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https://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/life-style/health-fitness/health-news/hidden-dangers-of-not-drinking-enough-water-during-winter/articleshow/116325584.cms
| 2024-12-16T05:29:47Z
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SCOTT DETROW, HOST:
Two important food holidays are meeting up this year. December 25 is both Christmas and also the first night of Hanukkah.
(SOUNDBITE OF MUSIC)
DETROW: Well, we did not want to miss the opportunity to explore the potential for a feast for all. And to help us imagine what to prepare, we have called on Sarah Lohman, who's a food historian and writer. Sarah has put together a menu for us, and my only regret here is that this is a remote interview and I cannot eat it all right now. So that being said, welcome to ALL THINGS CONSIDERED, Sarah.
SARAH LOHMAN: Hi, Scott. Thank you.
DETROW: When you first realized the alignment here, what was your first thought?
LOHMAN: OK, first thought was, of course, fry everything.
DETROW: Yeah.
LOHMAN: I mean, maybe it's obvious, maybe it's my first thought, but I was like, let's fry things that have never been fried before. Let's make it the Iowa State Fair up in here.
DETROW: (Laughter).
LOHMAN: OK, so the fun part of this project for me was I got to reach out to my community. And I started talking to my friend Leah Koenig, who is the author of the recent cookbook "Portico," which is about Roman Jewish culture. And she pointed out to me that latke, the traditional Hanukkah fried potato pancake - they really aren't that old in terms of Judaism. The practice originates with German Jews in the late 18th century. So that's like a drop in the bucket of the multiple-thousand-year history. So that's when I said, OK, well, is there another direction we can go here?
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DETROW: So you have put together a menu. And before we go into it, tell me...
LOHMAN: Feast.
DETROW: A feast - important correction.
LOHMAN: (Laughter) I think.
DETROW: Tell me what you ended up organizing it around. What were the central thoughts? What were you trying to bring together?
LOHMAN: Well, I also happen to know a lot of people who are Christian or specifically Catholic and Jewish from populations around the world. And I think particularly in America, we can get sort of lost the idea of Christian as being a majority faith here, whereas in most of the world, it is a minority faith. And so I decided to put together a multicourse menu that looks at regions that have traditional, historical Christian and Jewish populations and look at where their food intersects and differentiates. I really believe that, like, cooking can be an act of learning; eating can be an act of education. And so I wanted to use this moment, this party, this feast, this festival to make space for the understanding of the long histories of these faiths throughout the world.
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DETROW: That being said, let's get going. Tell us what the first course is.
LOHMAN: OK, so for the first course, we're going to go to China, which does have a historical Jewish population. No one's quite sure when they came, but they came into the area around Kaifeng, which is in Henan, which - not Hunan, Henan, which is a northern Chinese province. And it's difficult to trace dishes from Jewish ancestry there. There's maybe only about 1,000 Kaifeng Jews today. But one we know of is a Kaifeng noodle-blanketed carp. And it's a whole fish that's wok fried, and it's served with a sauce made from vinegar, rice wine, ginger and scallions. And then you top it with crispy fried noodles.
But if you're not up for frying a whole fish, which not everybody is, I would recommend ordering in some Henanese cuisine. Soup dumplings, or xiaolongbao, are from the Henan area. But don't get the pork ones. Get ones made with lamb or chicken and vegetables, or you could also order in some hui mian (ph), which are wide wheat noodles. I should note in this whole menu, I decided to avoid pork, shellfish, and I didn't serve meat and dairy so that anyone can come to your house for this party of any religious background and be able to eat the food.
DETROW: All right, so walk me through the last main dish.
LOHMAN: OK, so last main dish, we're going to go to Ethiopia. And I think, you know, this might be - sound like a simple answer, but the national dish of Ethiopia is dora wat, which is a chicken stew, and it's dark meat chicken, slow cooked with hard boiled eggs, garlic ginger, onions, tomato, and you finish the top with a sprinkle of black cardamom. So I also love the connections, the spice connections and flavor connections made through these dishes. Now, dora wat is sort of the Coptic Christian name for it, but it's also known as sanbat wat in Ethiopian Jewish communities. And sanbat means Shabbat. So a lot of these two aren't necessarily Hanukkah dishes. Actually, the Ethiopian Jews didn't traditionally celebrate Hanukkah in Ethiopia. But now over 100,000 Ethiopian Jews have moved to Israel and another thousand are here in America too. So they've moved in the cultures that celebrate Hanukkah. And definitely, you should make it with injera, too.
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DETROW: So assuming there's any room left at all after all of these dishes so far, I know you've put a lot of thought into a very important holiday item, and that is desserts.
LOHMAN: Oh, my gosh, of course. I mean, but there is always room for dessert.
DETROW: (Laughter).
LOHMAN: So I've got two ideas here. One is cassola, which is from my original person who gave me this idea, Leah Koenig. It's a cheesecake that was created by Roman Jews, and it actually descends from this idea of pancake-making on Hanukkah. Hanukkah, you know, oil, things that are fried and things that are dairy are sort of traditional Hanukkah foods. Cassola was originally made on stove tops, like a really thick pancake. Now it's baked, and now it's actually crossed over that it's a favorite served by Roman Catholics on Christmas. So it's a ricotta cheesecake made with cinnamon, vanilla and raisins.
Now, for some people, having dairy after meat is OK, but for some people, it's not. So if you want to stick to a menu that's kosher friendly, I'd also recommend bolo menino. Bolo menino is named after the Christ child, and it's a cake made in Macao, which is governed somewhat by China, but not totally, so they have more religious freedom. And many people there are also Portuguese descendants, as well. So this is a cake made with crumbled cookies, coconut and pine nuts that is always served on Christmas in Macao.
DETROW: You know, I think a lot of people listening might be taking notes and thinking, I want to do this. And I think there might be a lot of people listening who are thinking, like, oh, my gosh, this sounds so overwhelming.
LOHMAN: (Laughter).
DETROW: What do you say to somebody who, like, loves the idea, but when it comes to, especially, like, a multicourse meal, just kind of gets intimidated?
LOHMAN: You know, there is always a potluck. There's always divvying this up. Or, you know, hey, if you love throwing a party like me, make the whole thing. But if not, just make the one dish that appeals to you. I think that food is always better with a story. And I love the idea of using this December 25 to reflect on these cultures throughout the world. And sometimes they're often difficult stories, too.
DETROW: Yeah. You know, we're talking about learning about different cultures, as this menus together. But, you know, I think for a lot of people, a holiday is also about kind of leaning into your heritage - right? - your family story - right? - in terms of food.
LOHMAN: Yeah. Yeah, absolutely. And I think that we can't forget that many of these cultures that I talked about today also exist within America. These communities are here. And I think for all of us during this holiday season, this is often a time where we connect to our own ancestry. I'm sure that there are people listening right now thinking about the recipes that they're going to make that have been passed down through their families and that really are labors of love that make this feel like a special and important time of year.
DETROW: Absolutely.
LOHMAN: It's religion, but it's celebration, it's family, it's ancestry, too.
DETROW: And all of this is kind of very American, right? Like, you've put together a meal that touches on a dozen different countries and cultures.
LOHMAN: Yeah, but they can all be found here, absolutely.
DETROW: Yeah.
LOHMAN: And to me, I think that that's the most powerful and beautiful thing about America, our diversity. We can be a little hard to govern sometime. We're an unruly lot. But just how many different people become American too, I think that's really the most wonderful thing about living here and celebrating the holidays here.
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DETROW: That is food historian Sarah Lohman. Her most recent book is just out in paper, "Endangered Eating: America's Vanishing Foods." Thank you so much for taking up the challenge and crafting a Christmas Hanukkah feast for us.
LOHMAN: Oh, my gosh, my pleasure. Now the real challenge is I'm going to have to sit down and make all of this.
DETROW: I think there's no question now. Thank you.
LOHMAN: Thank you.
(SOUNDBITE OF MUSIC) Transcript provided by NPR, Copyright NPR.
NPR transcripts are created on a rush deadline by an NPR contractor. This text may not be in its final form and may be updated or revised in the future. Accuracy and availability may vary. The authoritative record of NPR’s programming is the audio record.
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https://www.northernpublicradio.org/2024-12-15/what-to-cook-on-hanumas-chrismukah
| 2024-12-16T05:29:51Z
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Video | As Trump promises mass deportations, Central America braces for influx of migrants Copy 2024-12-16 07:09:07 - From: Associated Press
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https://english.hathalyoum.net/articles/136199-videoas-trump-promises-mass-deportations-central-a
| 2024-12-16T05:29:52Z
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Winter can be tough on pregnant women because of the cold and all the challenges it brings. For moms-to-be, the chilly weather can lower immunity, making them more prone to catching colds or the flu. For these moms, winter can feel extra draining. Fatigue and stress seem worse, and it’s often harder to stick to routines like self-care. Plus, the shorter days and being stuck indoors can lead to mood swings.
During this season, it is extremely important to stay safe and healthy to ensure the baby remains unaffected.
Stay alert: Prioritize health and watch for winter infection symptoms
"Flu season coincides with the winter surge of cases which can be especially troubling for pregnant women, who tend to already be more susceptible to infections during their pregnancy. This is because pregnancy weakens immunity, which makes flu one of such infections. But while some risks exist, they can be easily mitigated with appropriate care to ensure maternal and fetal health," advises Dr Dr Tripti Raheja, Lead Consultant - Obstetrics & Gynaecology at the CK Birla Hospital (R), Delhi.
Compulsory tests for moms-to-be
Dr Manjusha Goel, Lead Consultant, Dept of Obstetrics & Gynaecology at the CK Birla Hospital (R), Delhi sheds light on vitamin D deficiency, which is very common during winter season and has a harmful effect on pregnant women and new moms especially because of their higher requirement in the body. "Vitamin D deficiency in winter can adversely affect prenatal nutrition. Most mothers and their children are deficient in vitamin D. It is known as the "sunshine vitamin" because sunlight is its major source. This is the time of year in which vitamin D levels can drop more because days are shorter during winter and UV rays are weaker," explains
She explains: Vitamin D is important in the process of calcium absorption needed for healthy bones and the development of the baby's bones, teeth, and immune system. During pregnancy, the lack of vitamin D may cause complications that include gestational diabetes, preeclampsia, and low birth weight babies. A lack of vitamin D may increase the risk of rickets and delayed skeletal development for the baby. In addition to vitamin D, general prenatal nutrition can be affected by cold weather. A general tendency to consume calorie-dense comfort foods during winter often leads to poor dietary habits that result in nutrient imbalances. This may deprive pregnant women of essential nutrients like iron, folate, and omega-3 fatty acids that are crucial for fetal brain and nervous system development.
Diet plays a central role; the healthier you eat, the safer you are
"Pregnant women should include foods rich in vitamin D, such as fatty fish, like salmon and mackerel; fortified dairy products; egg yolks; and supplements if recommended by a healthcare provider. Safe sun exposure during outdoor activities should be allowed at all times, including in the cold months," suggests Dr Goel.
"Equally important is to remain healthy to have a good immune system. Diets containing such tasty nutrients as vitamin C, zinc, and antioxidants whole loads must be a focus for expecting women. Adding products such as oranges, spinach, nuts, and whole grains to the menu would additionally help. The importance of everyday hydration, in addition to good sleep and stress-relieving activities such as yoga and meditation, boosts the immune system in the body naturally," Dr Raheja adds
Don’t overlook vaccination
“The first and foremost is the flu vaccination. It is safe for pregnant women and healthcare standards recommend it. Having the vaccine protects the mother from severe flu exacerbation and simultaneously secures the infant from various risks for months after averting risks from developmental disruption. This twin coverage is further beneficial, especially in the flu season period," Dr Raheja suggests.
Modifiable lifestyle habits that can prevent contracting infections
"The other way to protect yourself from the flu is by taking simple precautions every day. It is important to regularly wash your hands with handwash and water, especially after coming from outside, as it can help to stop the spread of the virus. Along with that avoid close contact with anyone who has flu-like symptoms, like coughing or sneezing, and stay away from crowded places whenever possible during flu season. These small habits can make a big difference and can help you and your closed ones around you be healthy. In addition, wearing masks in crowded places provides extra protection to individuals from the flu. When symptoms of flu (such as fever, cough, or fatigue) develop, immediate attention should be sought from a doctor by a pregnant woman. Early treatment can prevent complications such as pneumonia, which can be complicated during pregnancy. These preventive measures will ensure a smooth winter flu season for pregnant women. Vaccination, nutrition, hygiene, and early treatments are keys to a healthy and safe pregnancy for both mother and child," says Dr Raheja.
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https://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/life-style/health-fitness/health-news/how-can-pregnant-women-safeguard-their-health-this-winter/articleshow/116340992.cms
| 2024-12-16T05:29:53Z
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1 in 4 parents are using the threat of no gifts to address their children’s behavior, survey finds
By Julianna Bragg, CNN
(CNN) — If your child is riding the line between naughty and nice this holiday season, it may be tempting to use the impending threat of Santa withholding gifts as leverage to curb bad behavior.
One in 4 parents of preschool-age children have used Santa or the threat of no gifts to address misbehavior, according to a new C.S. Mott Children’s Hospital National Poll on Children’s Health released on Monday.
“It can be a challenge for parents to know the best ways to handle discipline issues, so we wanted to explore their approaches (to see) where they get resources from to help them make decisions about disciplining young children,” said Dr. Susan Woolford, Mott Poll codirector and pediatrician at the University of Michigan Health in Ann Arbor.
The Mott Poll, conducted in August, surveyed 725 parents who have at least one child aged 1 to 5 years old. The margin of error is plus or minus 1 to 6 percentage points.
More than half of the parents polled said they sometimes have used incentives or bribery to encourage good behavior.
Experts warn that both threats and bribes can backfire, encouraging further misbehavior and causing stress for young kids, according to Dr. Michelle Janning, professor of sociology at Whitman College in Washington state.
“Even 5-year-olds look at each other in terms of what cool things they have, and if you don’t get them a present you said you would, it creates a real threat in society where kids scrutinize each other,” Janning said.
Troubles with consistent discipline
Although half of parents polled said they are consistent with disciplining their children, others face challenges in establishing a routine. These difficulties stem from different factors, including their child being too young to comprehend the discipline, the fear of public breakdowns or finding that their strategies just aren’t working.
Thirty-one percent of respondents are apprehensive about disciplining their children in public for fear of tantrums, a concern that Janning suggested may be amplified by the growing concern of negative judgment on social media.
“There’s a different kind of audience assumption about who is watching you and whether it will be scrutinized in a certain way … in all of the reels and TikTok videos of parents doing things to their kids,” Janning said.
It’s important for parents to stick to their planned strategies in these situations, Woolford said. “I think parents would be really surprised at how much empathy they might get from others in a store who could recall when they had to deal with such a situation,” she said.
Parents can also avoid public outings when children are tired or hungry, or when parents are feeling drained to avoid unnecessary frustrations.
Still, Woolford explained that consequences need to be consistent and directly related to the behavior so children can easily understand the connection between the two factors.
Woolford also recommended that parents not use threats to fix misbehavior. “Threats don’t work very well because, in general, parents tend to not follow through with them, and then they lose credibility,” she said, “and children learn there really won’t be any consequence.”
Instead, she encouraged parents to practice positive reinforcement when their child exhibits desired behaviors while also being specific about the actions with which you’re satisfied.
“Rather than saying, ‘Oh, what a good girl,’ you want to say, ‘Wow, that’s so good how you helped Mom pick up the toys,’” Woolford said.
Using specific statements will help children recognize which behaviors you want them to repeat, encouraging them to continue performing those actions to receive more praise.
In addition to words of affirmation, some parents may use rewards as reinforcement. However, if you’re considering this route, Woolford encouraged parents to be careful with the types of incentives they use. For instance, food-related incentives such as candy can create unhealthy associations.
“We really don’t recommend using food as a reward or threat to take it away because, in the long term, it’s often associated with having a poor relationship with food,” Woolford said.
As an alternative, Woolford recommended using natural rewards from activities that your child already enjoys such as more reading time.
Finding your discipline style
Even when parents choose to discipline their children, many are unsure if their methods are effective. Almost 40% of parents believe their techniques are highly successful, while 57% feel they’re only somewhat effective, according to the survey.
The discipline strategies parents choose will also vary greatly with age.
For young children, especially around the age of 1 year, Woolford recommended redirecting them from dangerous behaviors such as touching electrical outlets by offering them a toy or another activity since they may not yet understand why their behavior is inappropriate.
Most parents polled said they’ve turned to a variety of sources for guidance, including family, friends and the child’s other parent, or sought information from parenting books, social media and online articles.
Still, one in 8 parents said they haven’t even thought about the discipline strategies they use with their children, and 42% of parents admit to sometimes spanking their child, a strategy that experts do not recommend.
Many parents are under an immense amount of stress, balancing concerns about time and money, making it difficult to develop new strategies for certain overwhelming behaviors, according to Janning.
For those parents needing extra help, Woolford recommended consulting with your child’s primary care doctor or utilizing the American Academy of Pediatrics parenting site.
“Pediatricians are a good resource, even when someone is just thinking about what their (discipline) plan would be,” Woolford said, “not just when problems.”
Janning also advised parents to follow their instincts and adapt their approaches based on their unique family needs.
“Parents should go easier on themselves and stop shaming each other because it’s a hard enough job as is,” she said.
The-CNN-Wire
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https://localnews8.com/health/cnn-health/2024/12/15/1-in-4-parents-are-using-the-threat-of-no-gifts-to-address-their-childrens-behavior-survey-finds/
| 2024-12-16T05:29:58Z
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SCOTT DETROW, HOST:
When you find success with a project, it can be daunting to try something new. But the comedian Ilana Glazer welcomes that kind of risk. Glazer co-created "Broad City" with Abbi Jacobson, and it was a huge hit. But the two decided to end the show two seasons before their contract ran out. Glazer told NPR's Rachel Martin that part of knowing what to do next is knowing when something should end. And that gamble to move on has paid off for Glazer. Earlier this year, Glazer cowrote and costarred in the movie "Babes." And this Friday, they have a new standup special coming out on Hulu called "Human Magic." Glazer spoke to Rachel Martin on Wild Card, the interview show where guests choose the questions they answer from a deck of cards. And a note, Glazer talks about sex and drug use in this conversation.
(SOUNDBITE OF ARCHIVED NPR BROADCAST)
RACHEL MARTIN: First three cards - one, two or three.
ILANA GLAZER: I'm going to go with three.
MARTIN: Three - what was your form of rebelling as a teenager?
GLAZER: Oh, my goodness. This - you cracked right in, Rachel Martin.
MARTIN: (Laughter) I did?
GLAZER: You cracked right in. You know why? - because...
MARTIN: (Inaudible) what?
GLAZER: I mean, this is just playing three strings on a guitar for me. This is a whole chord, which is that I didn't quite rebel very much as a child or a teenager. I was very good and was focused on, I guess, goodness and achieving, and my rebellion came - honestly, like, I was not secure in it until, like, the past few years, my rebelling, like, literally against my parents. L-O-L, I'm 37 years old.
MARTIN: Wow.
GLAZER: But of course, I had some rebellion. And I guess it finally came in the form of having sex and smoking weed (laughter) in my, like, senior year of high school. It was like...
MARTIN: I mean, that's pretty, you know, by-the-book, definitional...
GLAZER: Yeah, standard...
MARTIN: ...Of rebelling as a teenager. Yeah, yeah.
GLAZER: ...I would honestly say patriotic.
MARTIN: (Laugher).
GLAZER: So, you know, like, finally, it came - as well as myself. But it was a late - I'm a late bloomer. And then I feel like, really, becoming a parent, I'm like, oh, I don't care. You know what I mean? I don't care about being accepted. Like, as long as I'm focused on fulfilling my needs of myself and my family and my child, then the rest of it - you know, I can be unlikable or not fulfilling the, you know, supportive role or appearance of supportive role that I was hoping to fill before or actually filling, you know? I have found the limits of how limited parenting makes the rest of your life really helpful. It has forced me...
MARTIN: Yeah, yeah.
GLAZER: ...To draw lines that I never wanted to draw before. I wanted to be everything for everybody.
MARTIN: Yeah.
GLAZER: And it's, like, so important to my health and my kid's health, but also, like, who you put out into the world. It's really important for the - it's actually - serves the world at large to give it the healthiest kid I can. So it's been, like, such a helpful reorganization.
(SOUNDBITE OF MUSIC)
MARTIN: OK, we got three more cards. We're going to keep going - one, two or three.
GLAZER: No. 1, please.
MARTIN: How comfortable are you with being alone?
GLAZER: I'm going to buck the binary with this answer and say...
MARTIN: Buck it, Ilana.
GLAZER: I'm going to say increasingly.
MARTIN: Yeah.
GLAZER: Ooh, is your mind blown by all my therapy, Rachel Martin?
(LAUGHTER)
GLAZER: But that is the accurate answer - increasingly. Hoo (ph), but it's tough. I really feed off people. I love people. I love intellectual intercourse. I love connecting and engaging. But I'm increasingly comfortable alone. And also, like, having such a high-needs, tiny individual needing me so often, it's, like, much more contrasted as a relief to be a little alone.
MARTIN: Yeah. Yeah. But I am someone who very - I, like, crave alone time.
GLAZER: Cool.
MARTIN: And so yeah, then - yeah, it's complicated.
GLAZER: Are you tall?
MARTIN: I don't know. Am I?
GLAZER: How tall are you?
MARTIN: Five - I mean, I think I'm 5'7". My husband insists that I'm 5'6" and three-quarters.
GLAZER: Oh, copy that. You know, I don't know if it's changed, but in the early 2000s in those toxic days, I was a teenager at that time. And the toxic messaging I got, for some reason, I know that modeling, you have to be 5'7". So it's like, you're model height, babe, OK?
MARTIN: Wait, how does it - is this just random interstitial, or does this...
GLAZER: I don't know. I just feel like - like, craving alone time and being, like, walking, like, so tall...
MARTIN: And being a model?
GLAZER: ...Being a model and, like, gliding through the streets of D.C.
MARTIN: Yeah, that's what I do.
GLAZER: Like, popping your collar and, like, not wanting the bottom half of your face to you seen - I'm just like, yeah, she likes to be alone. I'm, like, short, and I'm like, hey, everybody. Anybody want to hear a joke? You know, I don't know.
(LAUGHTER)
GLAZER: I just wanted to - I just want to picture it. I'm trying to picture it (ph).
(SOUNDBITE OF MUSIC)
MARTIN: One, two or three.
GLAZER: Three.
MARTIN: Are you good at knowing when something should end?
GLAZER: Yes.
MARTIN: Yeah?
GLAZER: Yeah. Yeah, I am.
MARTIN: Have you always been that way?
GLAZER: Yes. Yes, I have. "Broad City" - I was, like, a big - you know, we had signed our contract of seven seasons. And then, you know, we both came to it, and - Abbi and I. But - and it was - Comedy Central was like, huh? But I was like - you know, and we were, like, ambivalent and unsure. But, like, it just - I think that's - yeah, that's something I would say is elegant about me, knowing when things are at their end.
MARTIN: Yeah. That's a admirable quality because it's not the same for everybody, and especially if you have - if you've got something good going on, and there are people telling you it's good, just keep going.
GLAZER: Yeah.
MARTIN: It's good. And to be able to have something internally that tells you, nah, I think I'm going to stop now.
GLAZER: Yeah. And, like, being able to trust that I am generative beyond this moment, whether it's a creative project or anything, you know, but that I am secure, that I will keep generating new layers and, like, do without thinking. That was something that - the experience of pregnancy was so incredible. I'm such an overthinker and a planner. Creating a person without thinking about it was - I was like, I'm not even thinking about this, and my body knows what to do. And, like, you know, we get a scrape, and the skin grows back. And it's just like...
MARTIN: Yeah.
GLAZER: ...Just trusting in - I don't know. I was a drummer for many years. I miss it. And I love...
MARTIN: You were?
GLAZER: Yes, and I just loved percussion. For a time, I was like, I'm going to be an orchestra percussionist. Can you imagine me, like, on a timpani, like, (vocalizing)?
MARTIN: Yes.
GLAZER: And it's like, I think it's, like, a rhythm thing. You know what I mean?
MARTIN: Yeah.
GLAZER: It's like a larger scale rhythm thing of, like, this is over.
(SOUNDBITE OF MUSIC)
MARTIN: Ilana Glazer - you can see their new standup special out December 20 on Hulu. It's called "Human Magic." It is indeed magical, as are you, Ilana. Thank you so much for doing this.
GLAZER: Thank you, Rachel. This was such a pleasure. Thank you so much for having me.
DETROW: You can hear more of that conversation with Ilana Glazer by following the Wild Card podcast. Transcript provided by NPR, Copyright NPR.
NPR transcripts are created on a rush deadline by an NPR contractor. This text may not be in its final form and may be updated or revised in the future. Accuracy and availability may vary. The authoritative record of NPR’s programming is the audio record.
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https://www.northernpublicradio.org/2024-12-15/wildcard-with-ilana-glazer
| 2024-12-16T05:29:58Z
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Coffee, the much-loved morning beverage, is one of the foods that has been considered both healthy and unhealthy for the well-being. Perhaps, it's one of the foods that works well in moderation, but harms in excess. Some studies also warn insomniacs or those with certain neurological issues to be wary of coffee consumption as it can exacerbate symptoms. However, coffee with its many antioxidants, various phenolic compounds, and other essential nutrients, can prove beneficial to your overall health including a significant impact on your gut health. Coffee is rich in bioactive compounds like caffeine, polyphenols, and dietary fibre.
A new study published in the Journal of Nature Microbiology has found that coffee helps in supporting the gut microbiome. The research says that people who regularly consume coffee have higher levels of microbe because of the Lawsonibacter asaccharolyticus that gives them the ability to support the heart and brain.
Study author and professor Nicolo Segata of the Occupational Metagenomics at the University of Trento said that the single food having the biggest impact on the composition of the gut microbiome was—by far— coffee.
The study looked at 23,115 participants from the United States and the United Kingdom and they had their gut flora analyzed via metagenomics, a technique that can glean insights into gut microbiome composition based on sequencing the genetic content of stool samples.
Stimulates the Gut
Coffee stimulates the production of hydrochloric acid which aids in digestion and it also helps in promoting bowel movements causing less strain in your colon by relieving constipation. Because of the dietary fiber in coffee, it acts as a prebiotic and they feed on gut bacteria like Bifidobacteria and Lactobacilli.
The Polyphenols in coffee act as a barrier by promoting only the good bacteria and do not let harmful pathogens affect the human body.
Relaxes the stomach
Coffee is rich in antioxidants like chlorogenic acid which protects the gut lining from inflammatory conditions like Crohn's disease. It also lowers the pH level of the stomach and helps in reducing the acid reflux of gastritis. However, if the pH level is not balanced in the diet, it can cause acid reflux.
Cons of excessive coffee
116340715
Excessive coffee consumption irritates the gut lining causing it to not work on the body's bacteria and the imbalance in the gut bacteria will either lead to bloating or upset stomach. It is important to drink coffee in moderation and not more than 3 cups of coffee should be consumed in a day to avoid overstimulation.
Also, consuming coffee with meals can reduce its cause of creating stomach irritation.
Apart from coffee, other lifestyle factors impact gut health like sleep, less stress, a pollution-free environment, and less intake of alcohol, smoking, and regular exercise.
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https://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/life-style/health-fitness/health-news/how-drinking-coffee-can-change-your-gut-microbiome-a-new-study-sheds-light/articleshow/116340660.cms
| 2024-12-16T05:29:59Z
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Air pollution impacts over 99% of the global population, according to WHO linking it to a 20% rise in respiratory diseases.
There is no bigger health problem in the world today than air pollution. An individual inhales particulates such as PM2.5, and PM10 as well as nitrogenoxide (NO₂) and ozone (O₃), leading to many diseases in the human body. Understanding its effects on the broad levels of life is a major professional health concern; there is a need to work to protect public health from the consequences of these pollutants.
The Respiratory SystemThe respiratory system is by far the organ that suffers most from air pollution. Fine particulate matter permeates down into the spaces in the alveoli, where it results in inflammation, oxidative stress, and impaired function. Chronic exposure to pollutants such as sulfur dioxide and carbon monoxide may result in asthma, bronchitis, and chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD), among other conditions. The risk for lung cancer is significantly increased with exposure to carcinogenic compounds, especially polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons. Along with that, airborne pollutants also hinder the ciliary movement of the respiratory tract, which compromises the body's natural defense against infections such as pneumonia and acute respiratory distress syndrome (ARDS).
Broader Impacts on the Human BodySometimes the particulates may penetrate the blood and cause systemic inflammation and endothelial dysfunction, which often leads to different types of cardiovascular diseases, hypertension, myocardial infarction, and strokes. Increased neurological effects have been evidenced by emerging studies linking air pollution and neurodegenerative diseases like Alzheimer's and Parkinson's because of neuroinflammation and oxidative stress. Furthermore, exposure is related to less-than-happy fetal development and higher susceptibility as a result of compromised immunity.
To reduce health risks from air pollution, personal as well as collective actions should be taken. Individual actions comprise wearing masks and using air purifiers. Comprehensive actions include putting up stringent rules on emissions, adoption of renewable energy, and afforestation within the cities. This way healthcare professionals and policymakers can join in combating this silent epidemic for a brighter future.
Dr. Ravi Kesari, MD - Physician, General Physician, Apollo Spectra Hospitals, Bangalore
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https://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/life-style/health-fitness/health-news/how-is-air-pollution-endangering-your-health-and-what-can-be-done-about-it/articleshow/116332618.cms
| 2024-12-16T05:30:01Z
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As Trump threatens mass deportations, Central America braces for an influx of vulnerable migrants
Associated Press
SAN PEDRO SULA, Honduras (AP) — U.S. President-elect Donald Trump is set to take office in January with a promise of carrying out mass deportations, leaving Honduras and other Central American countries bracing for a potential influx of vulnerable migrants — a situation they are ill-prepared to handle. Migrants and networks aiding deportees in Central America’s Northern Triangle worry their return could thrust them into even deeper economic and humanitarian crises, fueling migration down the line. “We don’t have the capacity” to take so many people, said Antonio García, Honduras’ deputy foreign minister. “There’s very little here for deportees.” People who return, he said, “are the last to be taken care of.”
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https://localnews8.com/news/2024/12/15/as-trump-threatens-mass-deportations-central-america-braces-for-an-influx-of-vulnerable-migrants/
| 2024-12-16T05:30:04Z
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Video | Palestinian Authority forces raid the Jenin refugee camp in the occupied West Bank Copy 2024-12-16 07:36:06 - From: Al Jazeera English
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https://english.hathalyoum.net/articles/136201-videopalestinian-authority-forces-raid-the-jenin-r
| 2024-12-16T05:30:05Z
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Indian tabla player Zakir Hussain — who united musicians from diverse cultures and by doing so, shaped modern world music — died on Sunday in San Francisco. He was 73.
In a statement, his family said the cause of death was idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis.
"His prolific work as a teacher, mentor and educator has left an indelible mark on countless musicians. He hoped to inspire the next generation to go further. He leaves behind an unparalleled legacy as a cultural ambassador and one of the greatest musicians of all time," his family added.
Hussain's career spanned over five decades, during which he was revered as both a national treasure in India and admired worldwide.
He defied genres and collaborated with an impressive range of musicians, including jazz saxophonist Charles Lloyd, bluegrass artists Edgar Meyer and Béla Fleck, as well as rockstars George Harrison and Van Morrison. His versatility earned him the rare distinction of performing twice on NPR's Tiny Desk — once in 2010 and then in 2023.
"You know, you come from India and you say, 'OK, I'm representing a 3,000-year-old history,' so you think you're gonna teach the world about rhythms and drums and so on," he told NPR in 2015. "And then you arrive here. You suddenly realize that you know nothing. You're just one little dot in the painting that is the music of the universe."
Beyond his performances, Hussain was admired for his passion to teaching Indian drumming, further spreading appreciation for the art form.
Hussain often said that his musical journey began soon after he was born in Bombay. In the 2015 NPR interview, he recalled a tradition where a father whispers a prayer into his newborn son's ear. Instead, his father chose to sing him rhythms.
"My mother was very upset and said, 'Why are you doing this?' And he said, 'Because this is my prayer,'" Hussain said.
He told NPR that it was his father's dream for him to carry on the tradition of being an Indian classical musician. His father, Alla Rakha, was considered one of the world's greatest player's of tabla, a centuries-old Indian hand drum. His father taught Hussain how to play the tabla when he was 7 years old.
But his father also introduced Hussain to music from around the world, which is how Hussain fell in love with rock and Western music.
"I was the only kid on the block who was walking down the street with a boombox on my shoulder, playing as loud as I could 'Light My Fire,'" Hussain recalled.
In 1970, at 19, Hussain traveled to the U.S. where he spent the following years working with rockstars like George Harrison, Van Morrison and Mickey Hart, the drummer from The Grateful Dead. He also played with jazz musician John Handy.
In 1973, Hussain formed the Indian jazz fusion band Shakti with jazz guitarist John McLaughlin. With its melodic and rhythm instruments, the band helped American listeners appreciate sounds and instruments beyond Western music.
In 2024, Hussain became the first musician from India to receive three Grammy awards in the same year after Shakti won Best Global Music Album, and Hussain's collaboration with Edgar Meyer and Béla Fleck featuring Rakesh Chaurasia won Best Global Music Performance and Best Contemporary Instrumental Album.
Hussain told NPR in 2015 that throughout the course of his career, he has found similarities between rhythmists around the world — regardless of approach or style.
"We were all on the same wavelength, the same quest, looking for perfection, which we will never find. But that didn't matter because it's all about the journey — not the goal," he said.
NPR's Felix Contreras contributed reporting.
Copyright 2024 NPR
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https://www.northernpublicradio.org/2024-12-15/zakir-hussain-legendary-tabla-virtuoso-who-defied-genres-dies-at-73
| 2024-12-16T05:30:05Z
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Walnuts are considered a superfood, as they are rich in nutrients such as omega-3 fatty acids, antioxidants, vitamins, and minerals. But eating them the wrong way can make one lose the valuable nutrients in the walnuts or reduce the health benefits associated with their consumption. Learning the right way to eat walnuts maximizes the potential of this nut to enhance heart health, improve brain function, and enhance well-being.
The nutritional power of walnuts
Walnuts are rich in:
- Omega-3 fatty acids: Particularly alpha-linolenic acid (ALA), which supports heart and brain health.
- Antioxidants: Including polyphenols, which combat oxidative stress.
- Vitamins and minerals: Such as vitamin E, magnesium, and copper, vital for immune function and bone health.
- Protein and fiber: Helping with satiety and digestive health.
These nutrients make walnuts a nutritional powerhouse, but improper preparation or consumption methods can reduce their effectiveness.
How to eat walnuts correctly
Selecting the right walnuts is the first step. Opt for fresh, raw walnuts that are free from any visible mold or rancid smell. Moldy walnuts can produce harmful mycotoxins, while stale ones lose much of their nutrient content.
If possible, purchase walnuts in their shells. This protects them from oxidation and keeps them fresh longer. Unshelled walnuts are also less likely to be exposed to harmful preservatives.
One of the best ways to retain the nutrients in walnuts is soaking them in water. The raw walnut contains a compound called phytic acid, which prevents the body from absorbing minerals such as iron and zinc. Soaking neutralizes this compound. Soaking softens the walnuts as well as activates enzymes, making them more digestible. By soaking, you open up all the nutrients of the walnuts so that your body can absorb the most.
Roasted walnuts have a better taste but excess heat destroys their omega-3 fatty acids and antioxidants. Roast at a low temperature for 10-15 minutes. Do not add salt or unhealthy oils to roast them. Lightly roasting walnuts keeps all their nutrients and increases the flavor and texture of walnuts.
The key is to pair walnut with the right kind of food
Walnuts are versatile and can be paired with other nutrient-rich foods to boost their benefits:
- Sprinkle chopped walnuts over your breakfast for added crunch and nutrition.
- Add walnuts to leafy greens or fruit salads for a dose of healthy fats and protein.
- Blend soaked walnuts into smoothies for a creamy texture and nutrient boost.
- Grind walnuts into a spreadable butter to use on whole-grain bread or as a dip for fruits.
- Combining walnuts with foods rich in vitamin C, like oranges or berries, can enhance iron absorption.
Common mistakes to avoid
Raw walnuts should be soaked before eating. This enhances the body's ability to absorb its minerals. Flavored walnuts sold in stores are high in unhealthy additives. Get plain, unsalted instead. Walnuts can get rancid if improperly stored. Keep them fresh by storing them in an airtight container and refrigerating or freezing it.
5 ways to supplement your diet
High heat kills essential nutrients. Avoid frying or baking the walnuts at high temperatures.
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https://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/life-style/health-fitness/health-news/how-to-eat-walnuts-correctly-to-retain-key-nutrients/articleshow/116205627.cms
| 2024-12-16T05:30:07Z
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Survivors seek a reckoning as FBI investigates child sex abuse in little-known Christian sect
Associated Press
BOISE, Idaho (AP) — Nearly every detail about the religious group Lisa Webb’s family belonged to was hidden from the outside world. Its followers met in homes rather than churches. Its leadership structure was hard to discern, its finances opaque. It didn’t even have an official name.
But for decades, no secret was as closely guarded as the identities of the sexual predators inside the group known as the “Two by Twos.”
Now a growing number of public allegations from around the world have prompted a broad investigation by the FBI and placed an uncomfortable spotlight on the long-quiet Christian sect. Survivors say the group’s leaders protected child-abusing ministers by pressuring victims to forgive, ignoring legal reporting requirements and by transferring abusers to new locations to live with unsuspecting families.
Ministry leaders have publicly condemned the abuse but several declined to answer questions from The Associated Press.
For Webb, who was sexually abused by one of the group’s ministers as a child, the attention has brought an unexpected sense of “strength in numbers.”
“There are so many who are frustrated and disheartened,” said Webb. “But there’s also camaraderie in that, and support.”
A website, a hotline and social media pages established by victims have documented allegations against more than 900 abusers, with survivors in more than 30 countries and cases continuing to emerge. In the past year, news stories and a Hulu documentary have focused on the sect’s predator preachers and the leaders who enabled them.
While perpetrators have been sentenced to prison in isolated cases, the sect has largely avoided legal repercussions, protected by its decentralized structure, hidden finances and state laws that limit the timeline for criminal charges.
The secret sect’s origin story
The sect, also known to its members as “The Way” or “The Truth,” was founded in Ireland in 1897 by William Irvine, who railed against the existence of churches. The only way to spread Christianity, he argued, was to do as Jesus instructed in the Book of Matthew: to send apostles out to live among those they sought to convert.
The sect grew as volunteer preachers — known as workers — went “two by two” to live in the family homes of followers for days or weeks at a time. Sect historians say there were up to a few million members just a few decades ago, but current estimates put the figure at 75,000 to 85,000 worldwide.
Unlike the Boy Scouts or the Catholic Church, which have paid out billions to sex abuse victims, the sect’s aversion to property leaves it without apparent assets that might be used to pay settlements, legal experts say.
Workers are supposed to shun worldly possessions, relying on followers for food, shelter and transportation. But that also ensures abusive workers have access to potential victims.
Webb was abused by a preacher who stayed with her family in Michigan when she was 11. The man, Peter Mousseau, was convicted much later — after he expressed an interest in visiting her in 2008 and she decided to pursue charges. A regional overseer to whom she previously reported the abuse was later convicted for failing to report abuse allegations against another local worker.
“You have this mindset that they are angels in your home. They can do no wrong, so you don’t have any kind of wall up,” she said. “It was just the perfect storm created, the perfect recipe for this kind of behavior.”
Abusers live among their victims
Sheri Autrey had just turned 14 when a 28-year-old worker moved into her family’s home in Visalia, California, for two months.
He began abusing her immediately, sneaking to her room at night and taking her for daytime drives. He turned up the radio whenever the Hall & Oates song “Maneater” came on, singing: “Watch out boy, she’ll chew you up.”
When Autrey revealed the abuse to her mother a few years later, her mom reported it to the sect’s regional overseer, who was in charge of all the workers in the area.
The overseer refused to warn other families. Instead, he sent the worker back to Autrey’s home to apologize.
Autrey, raised to be meek, erupted. Her family took her to the district attorney’s office but declined to put her through a prosecution.
“I would have to explain, explicitly, what happened,” Autrey said. “And I was in no way prepared for that.”
Decades later, Autrey was at a baseball game when “Maneater” came on. She had to walk around the stadium to calm herself down, and she resolved to send a letter about the abuse to hundreds of sect members.
“I wanted anyone else who was a victim to know she is not the only one,” Autrey said. “She needs to know there is help.”
Many more cases of abuse
One worker from Peru, Americo Quispe, was sent to Garland, Texas, in the early 2000s after facing allegations of inappropriate behavior in his home country. He soon found new victims, some of whose families went to police. He returned to Peru before he could be arrested.
Quispe was later convicted of molestation in Peru and sentenced to 30 years. He has never faced the charges in Texas.
Another worker, Ruben Mata, abused dozens of boys, among them 10-year-old Douglas Patterson, who was lured away from his family during a sect convention in the early 1990s. Patterson said he kept quiet about it because he feared his family would leave the sect — and thus be barred from eternal salvation — if he told.
Mata was eventually convicted in 2006 in a separate sex abuse case. He died in a California prison.
Members told to keep abuse reports quiet
A few months before Mata’s trial, the Saskatchewan, Canada, overseer, Dale Shultz, sent two letters to colleagues.
One was to be shown to any concerned members. It acknowledged Mata was a pedophile and that workers had been alerted to his abuse at least three times. The sect only notified authorities after Mata resigned, according to the letter.
The second was for staff. It said no copies should be made of the first letter.
“The purpose of the letter is to help those who have concerns, not to advertise a kingdom problem to those who either do not know about it or are not having a problem with it,” Shultz wrote.
In another case, a regional overseer for Arizona, Ed Alexander, wrote a letter to a child-molesting elder in 2005 observing that “we love our people very much and don’t want to report their misdeeds.”
The letter suggested the sect could fulfill its mandatory abuse-reporting obligations by recommending offenders get professional counseling, because then the counselors — rather than sect leaders — would be obligated to make the reports to police.
“They believe that child sexual assault is just a sin. Like, you’re a sinner, they are a sinner, it’s all just sin,” said Eileen Dickey, one of the man’s victims. She reported the abuse to sect leaders because she was worried other children would be targeted.
“I was told never to talk about it,” she said.
Alexander would not speak with The Associated Press: “Unfortunately, the media coverage has been so negative and one-sided that I am going to have to decline an interview,” he texted.
Former minister recounts culture of downplaying misdeeds
Jared Snyder spent more than two decades as an itinerant minister before becoming disillusioned and quitting. No one told him directly about abuse, Snyder said, but he occasionally heard rumors.
The sect’s culture — which makes gossip taboo and places tremendous pressure on members to be merciful — meant that misdeeds big or small were downplayed, he said.
“One overseer just explicitly told me, ‘The less you know, the better off you are,’” he said.
As a worker, Snyder received no paychecks, retirement benefits or health insurance benefits, and he was discouraged from using banks. But he was never without spending money: Followers regularly offer cash to the workers, and Snyder said he frequently had thousands of dollars in his pockets.
Most of that money would get spent on building materials, food or other supplies at regional conventions, Snyder said.
The case that exposed the sect to more scrutiny
In June 2022, a regional overseer named Dean Bruer died in an Oregon motel room. Bruer, 67, had served in at least 22 states and territories and seven countries since 1976, according to a timeline compiled by Pam Walton, a former member who has used historical records and photographs to track the movements of predatory preachers.
Nine months after Bruer died, Doyle Smith, the overseer for Idaho and Oregon, wrote a letter to members. Evidence left on Bruer’s phone and laptop showed he had raped and abused multiple underage victims, Smith wrote.
“Dean was a sexual predator,” Smith wrote. “We never respect or defend such totally inappropriate behavior among us. There is a very united consensus among us that the only thing to do is to be transparent with all of you for obvious reasons, though this is very difficult.”
That transparency did not extend to dealings with local police. It was only after Autrey, another abuse survivor, and private investigator Cynthia Liles — all former sect members — pressured Smith that he turned Bruer’s laptop over to detectives, Autrey told the AP.
By then, the computer had been tampered with, according to records from the Clackamas County Sheriff’s Office in Oregon. The web browser search history was cleared. Bruer’s Apple ID had been changed and files transferred out of his DropBox account. Bruer’s phone was never provided to police, and the “Find My iPhone” feature had been disabled.
“What web browsing history was present on the laptop that someone didn’t want anyone else knowing about?” Detective Jeffrey Burlew wrote in a police report. Unable to find any evidence of a crime within its jurisdiction, the office closed the investigation.
Smith did not respond to phone messages from the AP.
Survivors and law enforcement dig deeper
Though Autrey and others had long sought reforms in the sect, Bruer’s death proved to be a catalyst. Autrey, Liles and another survivor launched a hotline, website and Facebook pages for survivors.
In February, the FBI’s field office in Omaha, Nebraska, announced an investigation.
The outcry prompted some sect leaders to condemn the abuse and to ask consultants for advice on how to better protect members. But at least some regional overseers have ultimately declined to adopt recommended child abuse prevention policies — saying the only true code of conduct is the New Testament.
And some leaders still warn members against criticizing the sect.
At an August convention in Duncan, British Columbia, a worker helping to lead the event did not mention the abuse scandal directly but told members to lay aside “evil speakings.”
“It’s more easy to be critical than to be correct,” preached Robert Doecke, a worker from Australia. “If you feed on problems, it will only make more problems. But if you focus on the Lord, it will lead to solutions.”
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https://localnews8.com/news/2024/12/15/survivors-seek-a-reckoning-as-fbi-investigates-child-sex-abuse-in-little-known-christian-sect/
| 2024-12-16T05:30:10Z
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Video | Joe Biden and Kamala Harris celebrate achievements at DNC holiday event | REUTERS Copy 2024-12-16 07:36:07 - From: Reuters
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https://english.hathalyoum.net/articles/136202-videojoe-biden-and-kamala-harris-celebrate-achieve
| 2024-12-16T05:30:11Z
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Today’s world is full of distractions and this is the main reason for people losing their focus. But focus is the key for long term success and productivity as well as achievement of life goals. Let’s have a look at some strategies you can incorporate in your daily life to stay focused and avoid distractions in life -
Task priority with Eisenhower matrix - Most of the distractions in your life come from tasks messing up in your head. So begin your journey towards focus with the Eisenhower matrix by classifying tasks into four categories. The first one is important and urgent chores that demand your immediate attention such as certain deadlines or some meetings etc. Second category is important tasks, but not very urgent and these include long term goals that you need to accomplish step by step on a daily basis. Third category of tasks are urgent, but not important like unnecessary meetings. Fourth groups of works include which are neither important nor urgent and the biggest example of this is social media scrolling.
Usage of Pomodoro technique - This technique is used for time management and helps to break up tasks and focus on it effectively. Choose a specific task and work on it for 25 minutes, after which take a 5 minute break for recharging yourself. Consequently, perform four such Pomodoros and after that take a 15-20 minutes longer break. So this technique is a perfect blend of focus and concentration with adequate break time.
Cleanliness and decluttering - A decluttered workspace and house directly impacts your mind and the same energy reverberates to your inner-self, hence making you more careful at work and improves your attention to detail! When it comes to your work area, remove unnecessary items from your desk area and clean this area. Take a comfortable seat and keep everything important near you at an arm's distance. Also to add on focus, go for keeping a motivational quote notepad on your desk or a small plant for positive energy.
Mindful activities - Also for getting more focused in your work, perform mindful activities such as yoga, meditation, breathing exercises etc. that calm and relax you and remove stress from the body. For this, find a calm and relaxing environment and sit down. Try to continuously focus on your exhale and inhale. This practice needs 15-30 minutes of your attention daily.
Wholesome diet and hydration - Dehydration can also make you lose your focus. So have adequate quantities of water and sip it throughout the day. Have a balanced diet rich in whole grains, nuts, seeds, fresh fruits and vegetables etc. that fuel your body with essential vitamins and minerals.
Conclusion -
Avoiding distractions is the key for building up focus. Prioritize your important tasks and take stringent actions to follow them with all your effort.
Aamish Dhingra, ICF- PCC CERTIFIED LIFE COACH, and Co- Founder of Cocoweave Coaching International, Delhi
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https://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/life-style/health-fitness/health-news/how-to-stay-focused-and-declutter-the-mind/articleshow/116340705.cms
| 2024-12-16T05:30:13Z
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Takeaways from AP’s reporting on a child sex abuse crisis inside a secretive Christian sect
Associated Press
BOISE, Idaho (AP) — For decades, a little-known Christian sect has dealt with its abusive ministers and spiritual elders mostly in secret, shunning legal action in favor of urging victims to forgive the predators in their midst.
Forgiveness, however, was far from a cure: The abusers were often sent to live with other unsuspecting families, where they had easy access to new victims.
Now a grassroots effort by survivors has exposed the depth of the scandal — documenting allegations against more than 900 abusers in 30 countries, with cases continuing to emerge — and thrust the nameless sect into the public eye. The FBI has also launched an investigation into the group, sometimes called the “Two by Twos.”
The Associated Press interviewed more than a dozen current and former members, workers and experts, and reviewed letters, court documents and other records supporting the allegations. Several sect leaders and ministers either declined interview requests or did not respond to messages.
Here are some takeaways from the AP’s reporting.
The core doctrine of the sect put kids at high risk
Child sex abuse is a significant problem within many religious institutions: Insurance data company Advisen lists child sexual abuse as the second most frequent insurance loss for religious organizations, after wage-related claims. But survivors say the tenets of the Two by Twos place kids at particularly high risk.
The sect believes its volunteer ministers, called “workers,” should live among followers and rely on them for food, housing and other needs.
Many survivors told the AP they were abused by preachers staying in their homes. In some cases, the abuse was revealed and the offending worker was asked to leave the ministry. Frequently, however, regional leaders called “overseers” simply transferred the worker to a new region without warning other members.
Former sect member Pam Walton uses photos from annual sect conventions, reports from members and other records to track the movements of workers and overseers with abuse allegations.
“I don’t think people were understanding the magnitude that these men and women traveled,” Walton said.
One abusive overseer, Dean Bruer, served in at least 22 states and territories and seven countries from the time he joined the ministry in 1976 until his death in 2022.
A culture of ‘mercy’ enabled abusers
Former worker Jared Snyder says bringing up someone’s past sins is considered taboo because that person “has already been forgiven by God.” As a result, members and workers alike often would only talk euphemistically about problems, Snyder said, and even major misdeeds were frequently downplayed.
“There is an underlying fear of being judged as a person who has a ‘bad spirit’ if you are not merciful enough,” Snyder says.
Some sect leaders cautioned against digging into allegations. One overseer told Snyder, “The less you know, the better off you are,” he said.
Sect leaders sometimes ignored legal reporting requirements
Some U.S. states have laws that require spiritual leaders, teachers and others in positions of authority to report child abuse allegations to authorities. Letters and other documents show some overseers tried to skirt those laws.
Ed Alexander, a regional overseer for Arizona, wrote a letter to a child-molesting elder urging him to seek professional counseling. That way, Alexander claimed, the sect would not have to report the man’s crime and instead the counselor could take on reporting responsibility.
Alexander declined to comment.
Survivors often faced dead ends in their search for justice
As a teen, Sheri Autrey felt unprepared to describe the intimate details of her abuse to a jury, so her parents declined to put her through the criminal prosecution process. When Autrey tried to press charges as an adult, it was too late — under California state law, too many years had passed since the crime.
Autrey tried to find an attorney to sue the sect, but no one would take the case. Legal experts say the sect’s aversion to property leaves it without any apparent assets that could be used to pay a legal settlement.
Left without legal options, many survivors joined grassroots efforts to support each other. One organization, Advocates for the Truth, created a 24-hour confidential hotline for survivors, investigated and tracked allegations, and connected victims with therapeutic resources and funding.
Facebook pages and online chat rooms have also given survivors a place to compare stories, discuss faith and share suggestions for reform.
A grand jury began looking into the sect last year, and in February the FBI asked people with information to come forward. Agents have interviewed multiple survivors and sect leaders over the last several months.
Change within the sect is slow — and limited
Some sect leaders have condemned the abuse and asked consultants for advice on how to better protect members. Others have rejected recommended child abuse prevention policies outright, or implemented scaled-down versions with fewer safeguards.
Still, the pressure doesn’t seem likely to let up anytime soon. Former sect member and survivor Lisa Webb says advocating for other survivors has been her therapy.
“I’m not trying to take away your salvation or attack your faith, but how can we keep our kids safe? You can respect the faith, respect the religion, but still not be naive,” Webb said. “Just the fact that the conversation is out there now means we’ve already improved the safety. … There’s a rallying behind survivors.”
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https://localnews8.com/news/2024/12/15/takeaways-from-aps-reporting-on-a-child-sex-abuse-crisis-inside-a-secretive-christian-sect/
| 2024-12-16T05:30:16Z
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Video | 'The Southern Border Is Chaotic By Design, Isn't It?': Kennedy Questions Witness About Immigration Copy 2024-12-16 07:54:06 - From: Forbes Breaking News
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https://english.hathalyoum.net/articles/136203-videothe-southern-border-is-chaotic-by-design-isnt
| 2024-12-16T05:30:17Z
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Intermittent fasting is gaining popularity, thanks to its numerous proven benefits including metabolic health. However, a new study suggests that it could inhibit hair regeneration. The researchers' report in the journal
Cell t
hat intermittent fasting will slow hair regeneration in mice when compared to those with 24/7 access to food.
The study suggests that similar results might occur in humans, based on a small clinical trial that the team conducted. However, the severity is less in humans as they have a slower metabolic rate and different hair growth patterns compared to mice.
“We don't want to scare people away from practicing intermittent fasting because it is associated with a lot of beneficial effects—it's just important to be aware that it might have some unintended effects,” senior author and stem cell biologist Bing Zhang of Westlake University in Zhejiang, China, said in a release.
Earlier studies have found that intermittent fasting can improve the stress resistance of stem cells associated with blood, intestinal, and muscle tissue, in addition to its metabolic benefits. However, how intermittent fasting affects peripheral tissues such as skin and hair, were unknown.
Zhang’s team also came to the hypothesis that intermittent fasting will be beneficial for skin tissue regeneration. In order to test this, the researchers examined the regrowth of hair in mice, after shaving them and introducing different types of intermittent fasting regimes. While a group of mice were fed on a time-restricted feeding (TRF) schedule (8 hours of food access and 16 hours of fasting each day), the other group followed the alternate-day feeding (ADF).
They found out that the controlled group that with unlimited access to food had hair regeneration after 30 days, while the intermittent fasting group, had partial hair regrowth after 96 days.
In the small clinical trial done on 49 healthy young adults, they found that a time-restricted diet (involving 18 hours of fasting per day) slowed the average speed of hair growth by 18% compared to the other group. However, larger studies are required to confirm this effect.
“The human population is very heterogeneous, so the effects might be different for different people. Mice also have a very high metabolic rate compared with humans, so fasting and metabolic switching have a more severe effect on mouse HFSCs. We see a milder effect in humans—there are still apoptotic stem cells, but many HFSCs survive. So, there is still hair regrowth; it’s just a little bit slower than usual,” Zhang added.
Desperation science slows hunt for virus drugs
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https://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/life-style/health-fitness/health-news/intermittent-fasting-could-slow-hair-regeneration-says-study/articleshow/116320786.cms
| 2024-12-16T05:30:19Z
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Zakir Hussain, one of India’s most accomplished classical musicians, dies at 73
Associated Press
NEW DELHI (AP) — Zakir Hussain, one of India’s most accomplished classical musicians who defied genres and introduced tabla to global audiences, died on Sunday. He was 73.
The Indian classical music icon died from idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis, a chronic lung disease, at a hospital in San Francisco, his family said in a statement.
“His prolific work as a teacher, mentor and educator has left an indelible mark on countless musicians. He hoped to inspire the next generation to go further. He leaves behind an unparalleled legacy as a cultural ambassador and one of the greatest musicians of all time,” the statement read.
Hussain was the most recognizable exponent of tabla, a pair of hand drums that is the main percussion instrument in Indian classical music.
Considered the greatest tabla player of his generation, Hussain had a career that spanned six decades in which he collaborated with the likes of singer-songwriter George Harrison, jazz saxophonist Charles Lloyd, drummer Mickey Hart and cellist Yo-Yo Ma.
The son of legendary tabla artist Alla Rakha, Hussain was born in 1951 in Mumbai and was taught how to play the instrument by his father at the age of 7. A child prodigy, he was touring by age 12 and performing alongside India’s classical music legends during his teens.
In an interview that was shared widely on social media in India, Hussain says his father welcomed him into the world after he was born by speaking tabla rhythms into his ears.
“I was brought home, handed over to my dad in his arms. The tradition was that the father is supposed to recite a prayer in the baby’s ear … So he takes me in his arms, puts his lips to my ear and recites the tabla rhythms into my ears,” Hussain says in the interview, verbalizing the rhythmic pattern of the instrument.
Both Alla Rakha and Hussain were given the honorific “Ustad,” an Urdu word that means master.
In 1973, Hussain formed the Indian jazz fusion band “Shakti” with jazz guitarist John McLaughlin. The band played acoustic fusion music that combined Indian music with elements of jazz, introducing a new sound to Western audiences.
In 2024, Hussain became the first musician from India to win three Grammy awards in the same year.
Hussain’s “Shakti” won Best Global Music Album, and his collaboration with Edgar Meyer, Béla Fleck and flutist Rakesh Chaurasia won Best Global Music Performance and Best Contemporary Instrumental Album. He had earlier won a Grammy in 2009.
In 2023, Hussain received the Padma Vibhushan, India’s second-highest civilian award.
Hussain is survived by his wife and two daughters.
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https://localnews8.com/news/2024/12/15/zakir-hussain-one-of-indias-most-accomplished-classical-musicians-dies-at-73/
| 2024-12-16T05:30:22Z
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Video | Bitcoin powers to new highs on strategic reserve hopes | REUTERS Copy 2024-12-16 07:54:07 - From: Reuters
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https://english.hathalyoum.net/articles/136204-videobitcoin-powers-to-new-highs-on-strategic-rese
| 2024-12-16T05:30:24Z
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Robert F. Kennedy Jr., who is one of President-elect Donald J. Trump’s choice to head the Department of Health and Human Services has vowed to remove fluoride from the US public water supply. His skepticism about fluoride has reignited the debate about whether fluoride is good or bad.
RFK Jr.’s pledge that Trump’s administration would ‘advise all U.S. systems to remove fluoride from public water’ has sparked an outcry among health experts, who believe fluoridated water is safe and essential for protecting oral health in children.
In a post shared on X, in Nov. 2024, he said, "On January 20, the Trump White House will advise all U.S. water systems to remove fluoride from public water. Fluoride is an industrial waste associated with arthritis, bone fractures, bone cancer, IQ loss, neurodevelopmental disorders, and thyroid disease."
He also stated that “It reduces IQ in exposed fetuses at way below therapeutic doses. Please see the attached link for more detailed information. Michael Connet is the attorney who just won a landmark Federal court case against the FDA for failing abysmally to protect public health against fluoride exposures.”
Let’s take a look at the fluoridation of drinking water and whether it's good or bad.
Fluoride is a mineral occurring naturally in water, soil, and air. It has been proven to prevent dental cavities. Fluoride works by strengthening the tooth's enamel, thereby making it more resistant to the acids produced by the bacteria that cause tooth decay. Before the
fluoridation of public water supplies, most Americans struggled with tooth decay. After the introduction of fluoride in water, it dipped, in both children and adults.
Trump 2.0 Cabinet Row: U.S.' Republican Speaker Drops Bombshell | 'Disruptors Will Shake Up DC'
What do experts say?The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) has called fluoridation of drinking water one of 10 great public health interventions of the 20th century because of the dramatic decline in cavities since community water fluoridation started in 1945. Contrary to
RFK Jr.’s beliefs, the CDC also recommends using fluoride toothpaste and drinking fluoridated water if it is available where you live.
The American Dental Association too agrees that community water fluoridation helps prevent tooth decay. “Even in an era with widespread availability of fluoride from various sources, other studies show that community water fluoridation prevents at least 25% of tooth decay in children and adults throughout their life span. The scientific weight of sound evidence around the benefit of community water fluoridation is clear and compelling," Linda J. Edgar, D.D.S., president of the American Dental Association said in a release.
(Pic courtesy: iStock)
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https://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/life-style/health-fitness/health-news/is-fluoride-good-or-bad-rfk-jrs-skepticism-reignites-the-debate/articleshow/116328037.cms
| 2024-12-16T05:30:25Z
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For the families of Syria’s disappeared, hope fades but the demand for justice grows
By Raja Razek and Tim Lister, CNN
(CNN) — More than a week after Bashar al-Assad fled Syria and his regime collapsed, hundreds of thousands of Syrians still have no answer to two questions that have haunted them for years, even decades.
What happened to family members and friends after they vanished or were detained by Assad’s secret police? And how do we bring their torturers and killers to justice?
Some 150,000 people in Syria are unaccounted for, most of whom were kidnapped or detained by the Assad regime or its affiliates, according to the International Commission on Missing Persons (ICMP). CNN cannot independently verify this number.
With every passing day, Syrians’ slim hopes finding a loved one still alive are fading. But they want some form of closure; they scour prison and hospital walls where lists of names and images of bodies are posted. They cling to a sliver of hope, yearn for a miracle.
But they also want retribution.
One of those waiting for news was Hazem Dakel from Idlib, who is now in Sweden. His uncle Najeeb was arrested in 2012 and was later confirmed by the family as having been killed. His brother Amer was detained the following year. Former detainees at the horrific Saydnaya prison near Damascus said Amer had disappeared in mid-April 2015 after being tortured there. But the regime never acknowledged his death.
“Now that people are able to talk, they are naming people, and I got details of exactly what happened in prison, and the torture, who tortured him, who interrogated him,” Dakel told CNN of his brother,
“I want this (new Syrian) country to stand on its feet so we can hold them accountable through the law and courts.”
Amid the celebrations in Idlib after the fall of Assad, he said, there was also mourning. “They are mourning their children. Yes, the regime fell after resistance and struggle, but there was sorrow—like, where are our children?”
“Justice is coming, and our right will not be erased no matter how long it takes,” Dakel posted on Facebook. The family is now “certain” Amer died under torture in Saydnaya, he said.
Human rights groups have begun visiting the many prisons and detention centers across Syria where those perceived as regime critics were confined. An Amnesty International team scoured security branches of the former regime around Damascus this week.
Mazjoub also posted photographs on X of instruments of torture left behind.
“Nothing could have prepared us for what we saw,” said one of the team, Aya Mazjoub. In a series of posts on X she described “underground labyrinths (that) are literally hell on earth. They were overcrowded, crawling with cockroaches and other insects, lacked ventilation. They still smell of blood and death.”
“This is ‘bisat ar-reeh’, a notorious torture device where detainees would be strapped to a wooden slab that would be folded until their back cracked,” she wrote.
“This is the ‘doulab’. Detainees would be stuffed into the tyre and beaten, usually on the soles of their feet.”
Identifying the bodies that are found will require a legion of forensic pathologists. “Many are beyond recognition, mutilated by years of torture and starvation,” said Mazjoub.
Desperate relatives have taken to social media with details of sons, brothers, fathers and sisters who disappeared.
In a video posted on X, Lama Saud said her brother Abdullah was detained in 2012. Regime records had registered his death in 2014, but she said she still had hope he might be alive. “There are many detainees whose families were told they were dead but were later found to be alive,” she said.
Mahmoud Al Shahabi, a Syrian living in exile, told CNN he had been waiting for news of his brothers Hikmat and Amir for 12 years.
“We hope to find them, my situation is like hundreds of thousands of Syrian families who are waiting for news about their loved ones, and we will not give up hope until now.”
So far, he has found no trace.
Al Shahabi also asked on Facebook where the recordings of surveillance cameras at regime security branches had gone, why some documents had been destroyed and why human rights groups had not done more to protect records.
Preserving whatever evidence is left in prisons and around possible burial sites is critical to documenting what happened and tracking down the perpetrators.
But following that trail of evidence is also a race against time. Several human rights groups issued a joint appeal last week, saying: “The real toll will only be known after mass graves and documents from the detention centers are examined and authenticated by trained experts. This documentation must be preserved from destruction.”
Based on the accounts of former prisoners, doctors and regime personnel, it said that an “olive-green Honda with a closed shed that could accommodate around 50 bodies” was used to take the bodies to a site in Najha near Damascus – “which has been called cemetery no.1 (the term used by regime forces is ‘cemetery of the bastards’).”
Bodies at the military hospital stayed for two or three days until there were “enough to transport to Najha graveyard, and sometimes to Al Qutayfah graveyard,” and other sites, according to the report.
The Association of Detainees and the Missing at Saydnaya prison, which describes itself as a coalition of prison survivors, victims, and their families, has meticulously documented what has happened there in recent years, based on witness accounts and other evidence, such as satellite imagery. It reported last year how bodies were taken from the prison and a military hospital to a mass burial site.
In 2020, a man known as “the Gravedigger” told a German court he was recruited by the Assad regime to bury hundreds of bodies in mass graves, including Najha, according to the International Commission on Missing Persons.
The International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC) has said burial sites or mass graves “must be protected and preserved to allow organized exhumation” as soon as possible. “This is also crucial to identify and ascertain the fate of those missing and provide the much-awaited answers to their families.”
After its investigators found documents strewn all over Saydnaya prison, the ICRC appealed for all records to be safeguarded at hospitals and in security centers run by the ousted regime.
The ICRC has also asked relatives of the missing – abroad and in Syria – to register with it, as the mammoth task of identifying the dead begins.
The conflict had killed more than 350,000 since 2011 – an “under-count of the actual number of killings,” a United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights said in 2021 – and sent nearly six million refugees out of the country. Other groups put the estimated number of dead higher. An Amnesty International investigation published in 2017 said that as many as 13,000 people, most of them civilians believed to be opposed to the government, were hanged in secret at Saydnaya between 2011 and 2015 alone. With reports of civilians killed under torture in the detention centers and prisons for decades, the numbers of those who have lost their lives are still being counted.
In all likelihood, the vast majority of the missing are indeed dead.
In a tearful statement on Syrian television last week, the head of The Syrian Network for Human Rights, Fadel Abulghany, said: “I apologize for the tenth and thousandth time, before this announcement…Most of the forcibly disappeared in Syria are dead – and I am sorry.”
Now the almost overwhelming mission is to find those who died, and to identify them and their killers.
The-CNN-Wire
™ & © 2024 Cable News Network, Inc., a Warner Bros. Discovery Company. All rights reserved.
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https://localnews8.com/news/national-world/cnn-world/2024/12/15/for-the-families-of-syrias-disappeared-hope-fades-but-the-demand-for-justice-grows/
| 2024-12-16T05:30:28Z
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Video | Christians in Syria hold their first Mass since the fall of Bashar Assad Copy 2024-12-16 07:54:07 - From: Associated Press
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https://english.hathalyoum.net/articles/136205-videochristians-in-syria-hold-their-first-mass-sin
| 2024-12-16T05:30:30Z
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Menopause marks a significant physiological milestone in a woman’s life, signifying the cessation of menstruation and a decline in reproductive hormones, particularly oestrogen. Although this is a very natural biological process, scientists are highlighting more the effect on cognitive brain health. Research is emerging, indicating the fact that maybe menopause is an important risk period for the development of Alzheimer's disease in women.
The oestrogen connection
Oestrogen plays multiple crucial roles in many of the brain's functions. Among them are neuroprotection, energy metabolism, and synaptic plasticity. This sudden drop during menopause may trigger a series of neurological changes. There have already been studies that have proven the role of oestrogen in the maintenance of neural circuit integrity and in reducing oxidative stress involved in the pathogenesis of Alzheimer's. Such a sharp drop in oestrogen during menopause disrupts the protective mechanisms that increase the vulnerability to neurodegenerative processes.
The role of Amyloid-β and Tau proteins
The accumulation of amyloid-β plaques and tau protein tangles in the brain characterises Alzheimer's disease. The low levels of oestrogen may enhance pathological protein aggregation. Oestrogen, it has been demonstrated, controls enzymes that are implicated in the production and clearance of amyloid-β. In such a condition, a lack of oestrogen may render the system prone to higher plaque build-up. Oestrogen also controls tau phosphorylation, which, if pathological, leads to tangle formation.
Cognitive decline and brain changes
Menopausal women often present with symptoms that include memory lapses, difficulty concentrating, and "brain fog." Such complaints are so often dismissed as transitory menopausal symptoms but may indicate subtle neurological changes. Studies with functional MRI indicate that postmenopausal women have decreased brain glucose metabolism, the characteristic feature of Alzheimer's disease, in regions such as the hippocampus and posterior cingulate cortex. Hypometabolism, also termed as "metabolic shift," may place women at increased risk for cognitive decline.
Genetic and lifestyle factors
There's another interplay between the susceptibility to menopause and Alzheimer's: genetic predisposition and lifestyle factors that add fuel to the fire. Females carrying the APOE-ε4 allele, a known genetic risk factor for Alzheimer’s, will certainly heighten the effect of loss of oestrogen. A sedentary lifestyle, poor nutrition, and chronic stress of menopause fuel the inflammatory and oxidative stress, compounding Alzheimer’s risk.
Prevention and early intervention
Prevention and early intervention are some of the steps that would reduce the risk factor of Alzheimer's during and postmenopause. The theoretical approach is through maintaining hormonal balance at an early stage by discussing things with the healthcare experts. Early initiation of treatments like HRT can help in neuroprotection.
Lifestyle changes would be important strategies; these include exercise, adopting a Mediterranean diet rich in antioxidants, and engaging in cognitive training exercises. Mindfulness, yoga, or even therapy to manage stress helps reduce inflammation and oxidative stress. Monitoring of cognitive change is done in conjunction with timely interventions based on someone's risk factors, ensuring the interventions are done as early as possible, reducing the risk of Alzheimer's.
In short, menopause represents an important time frame for brain health, particularly for women’s risk of Alzheimer’s disease. Understanding these hormonal, genetic, and lifestyle factors may empower women as well as their clinicians to adopt strategies that preserve cognitive vitality and even mitigate the risk of neurodegenerative diseases.
Dr. Mohit Anand, Consultant Neurologist, Artemis Hospitals
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https://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/life-style/health-fitness/health-news/is-menopause-a-trigger-for-alzheimers-in-women/articleshow/116260013.cms
| 2024-12-16T05:30:31Z
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Seven hotel guests hospitalized after drinking cocktails at 5-star Fiji resort
By Hilary Whiteman, CNN
(CNN) — Seven tourists are being treated for suspected poisoning after drinking cocktails at a bar in an upscale Fiji resort that’s now being investigated by police.
Four Australians ages 18 to 56, along with other three people believed to be foreign nationals, were taken to the hospital after being served drinks made at a bar at the Warwick Fiji on Saturday.
The tourists suffered nausea, vomiting and “neurological symptoms,” according to a statement from Fiji’s Health Ministry, and as of Monday were in a stable condition.
The case comes just weeks after six tourists died from methanol poisoning after drinking at a bar in Laos, in a case that prompted safety warnings about consuming alcohol abroad.
Asked whether methanol was to blame, Dr Jemesa Tudravu, permanent secretary for Fiji’s Ministry of Health & Medical Services, said it was too soon to tell.
“We don’t have the results of the investigation yet and we don’t know if it was spiking or any other cause until we complete our investigations,” he said in a briefing Monday.
Sydney resident David Sandoe told the Australian Broadcasting Corporation he’d received a call saying his daughter and granddaughter were among those hospitalized. He said they were among a group of people who drank a piña colada cocktail before falling ill.
“There was a group of them in the lounge of this resort and they had a similar cocktail and unfortunately, seven people came down with the symptoms that have been talked about,” Sandoe said.
He said his relatives were scheduled to fly home late Monday.
Australian media reports suggested one of the ill tourists was American. The US embassy in Fiji told CNN that it was aware of the reports but had nothing to add.
‘Isolated’ occurrence
Fiji’s Deputy Prime Minister Viliame R. Gavoka assured travelers to the Pacific nation that the incident was “extremely isolated.”
“No other incidents have been reported either at the resort, or across Fiji. The resort has been operating in Fiji successfully for many years and holds a strong reputation, particularly among our Australian visitors,” he said in a statement Monday.
“The resort management has assured us that they have not engaged in practices such as substituting ingredients or altering the quality of drinks served to guests,” he added.
The Warwick Hotels and Resorts operates luxury accommodation worldwide, including in the US, Europe and the Middle East.
In Fiji, king suites offering views of palm trees and the vast expanse of the Pacific Ocean cost roughly $500 a night.
In a statement, Warwick Fiji said it was taking the matter “very seriously.”
“At this moment, we do not have conclusive details, but we are committed to ensuring the safety and well-being of our guests,” the hotel said.
Australian Treasurer Jim Chalmers confirmed that four Australians were receiving support from department officials.
He said the situation was “very concerning” and pointed to updated travel advice from the Department of Foreign Affairs to be wary of drink spiking and alcohol poisoning in Fiji.
“Don’t leave your drinks unattended. Pay attention when your drinks are being mixed and get urgent medical help if you suspect that something is wrong,” he said.
Gavoka, who is also Fiji’s tourism minister, said close to a million tourists visit the island every year and thousands of tourists were currently holidaying on the Pacific Island.
“This is the only reported case of its kind that we’ve experienced in recent memory, and certainly nothing like this has been experienced this year,” he said.
“While we understand the concern, we want to emphasize that the tourism experience in Fiji is typically very safe, and we have acted immediately to try and discover the cause of what made these guests, at this resort, fall ill.”
In November, the deaths of two Australian teenagers, a British woman, an American man and two Danish women after drinking shots in Laos prompted warnings from several Western nations about the potentially fatal consequences of drinking tainted alcohol.
The-CNN-Wire
™ & © 2024 Cable News Network, Inc., a Warner Bros. Discovery Company. All rights reserved.
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https://localnews8.com/news/national-world/cnn-world/2024/12/15/seven-hotel-guests-hospitalized-after-drinking-cocktails-at-5-star-fiji-resort/
| 2024-12-16T05:30:34Z
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Qatar to reopen embassy in Damascus on December 17 — MFA
2024-12-16 08:00:06 - From: TASS News
The resumption of work of the embassy in Damascus occurs approximately 13 years after the severance of diplomatic relations in 2011 and "is an expression of fundamental support for the revolution of the Syrian people" on the part of Qatar," the ministry said
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https://english.hathalyoum.net/articles/136206-qatar-to-reopen-embassy-in-damascus-on-december-17
| 2024-12-16T05:30:36Z
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Being an orthopedic doctor, I encounter a lot of patients with problems that are exclusive to bone health during winter. Decreased sunlight, decreased physical activity, and changes in diet have adverse effects on the strength of bones. The following are my professional suggestions to keep your bones healthy during the cold season.
1. Ensuring Vitamin D Intake
Vitamin D is important for absorbing calcium and maintaining healthy bones. During winter, the lesser daylight hours often result in shortages. Here's how to keep the levels up:
Sunlight Exposure: Aim to spend 10-30 minutes outdoors during midday to absorb natural light. Even brief exposure can help.
Dietary Sources: Include fatty fish such as salmon and mackerel, egg yolks, and fortified foods like milk, cereals, and orange juice in your diet.
Supplements: If you can't get enough from the sun or food, I encourage you to discuss supplementing with vitamin D with your healthcare provider.
2. Get Enough Calcium-Rich Foods
Calcium is the backbone of healthy bones. Include these in your diet:
Dairy Products: Milk, cheese, and yogurt are rich sources of calcium.
Plant-Based Alternatives: For those who cannot have dairy or are vegan, fortified plant milks, tofu, almonds, and leafy greens such as kale and spinach are good alternatives.
Supplements: If your dietary calcium is insufficient, I recommend consulting your doctor for the appropriate supplement and dosage.
3. Be Physically Active
Exercise is an important way to maintain bone density, even in winter. Some indoor-friendly activities include:
Strength Training: Use weights, resistance bands, or your own body weight to build strength.
Yoga and Pilates: These activities improve flexibility and posture and reduce the risk of falls.
Indoor Walking: Step in malls, gyms, or even your home keep you on your feet when it is too cold to be outside.
4. Fall Prevention
Winter slip and falls, can result in fractures. Reducing your chances of slip and fall involves:
Having proper grip soled shoes,
If necessary use of walking equipment,
Well-lit homes with adequate lighting.
5. Reducing Bone Weakening Actions
There are some everyday practices that may weaken bones. You must avoid in winter more than ever are:
Reduce Alcohol Consumption: Excessive alcohol can interfere with calcium absorption.
Avoid Smoking: Smoking significantly reduces bone density and increases fracture risks.
6. Hydrate Adequately
Even in colder weather, staying hydrated is essential for joint and bone health. Drink plenty of water and consider soups or herbal teas as additional sources of hydration.
7. Get Regular Check-Ups
Routine health checkups help identify bone health issues at an early stage. An orthopedic specialist, I recommend discussing bone density tests with your doctor if you're at risk for osteoporosis.
Conclusion
Maintaining bone health in winter does not require radical changes but does demand consistent effort. By following these professional tips focused on nutrition, exercise, and fall prevention, you can keep your bones strong and resilient throughout the season and beyond.
Your bone health is integral to your overall well-being, and by taking these steps, you can enjoy a healthier, more confident winter.
Dr Debashish Chanda, Lead Consultant, Department of Orthopedics, CK Birla Hospital, Gurugram
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https://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/life-style/health-fitness/health-news/keeping-bones-healthy-in-winter-how-to-maintain-bone-health-during-cold-months/articleshow/116340522.cms
| 2024-12-16T05:30:37Z
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Public consultation for electricity tariff revision begins tomorrow
December 16, 2024 09:07 am
The public consultation conducted by the Public Utilities Commission of Sri Lanka (PUCSL) regarding the proposed tariff revision is scheduled to get underway from tomorrow (Dec. 17).
Accordingly, the general public are allowed to submit their opinions regarding the matter virtually or in writing before January 08, 2024.
The relevant submissions can be forwarded to the PUCSL via;
Email – info@pucsl.gov.lk
WhatsApp – 076 4271030
Facebook – www.facebook.com/pucsl
Post – Public Consultation on electricity tariff, Public Utilities Commission of Sri Lanka, BOC Corporate Tower, Colombo 03
Meanwhile, the final decision of the PUCSL on the proposed electricity tariff revisions will be announced on 17 January 2025.
On December 06, the Ceylon Electricity Board (CEB) submitted its electricity tariff revision proposal to the PUCSL, stating that the existing tariffs will continue further for the next six months.
Previously, it was proposed under the former government that electricity tariffs be revised four times annually. However, in 2023, tariff revisions were carried out three times, while two revisions were made this year. The current government has limited tariff revisions to twice a year.
The relevant proposal was expected to revise electricity tariffs for the first half of 2025, with implementation anticipated from the third week of January next year.
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http://www.adaderana.lk/news.php?nid=104270
| 2024-12-16T05:30:40Z
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A person's body was found in an unincorporated area of Santa Clara County near Gilroy on Sunday, near where a missing man was last seen earlier this month.
The Santa Clara County Sheriff's Office said on X on Sunday that it is investigating whether the body is that of Gabriel Laradelara, a 21-year-old man who was reported missing on Dec. 5, four days after he was last seen near Monterey Road and Rucker Avenue.
The Santa Clara County Medical Examiner-Coroner's Office is working to identify the person, while the Sheriff's Office is investigating how they died, the Sheriff's Office said.
Laradelara was last seen on Dec. 1 driving a 2003 black Infinity FX45 in the area, which is just north of Gilroy. The vehicle was later found abandoned on the side of the road, according to a Sheriff's Office press release reporting him missing and asking for the public's help.
Anyone with information on Laradelara is asked to contact the Santa Clara County Sheriff's Office at (408) 808-4500, or the Sheriff's Office Investigative Services anonymous tip line at (408) 808-4431 or email at PIO@shf.sccgov.org.
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https://www.nbcbayarea.com/news/local/south-bay/body-found-near-gilroy-where-person-went-missing/3737155/
| 2024-12-16T05:30:40Z
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Video | Inside the multimillion-dollar drug factory of the Assad regime Copy 2024-12-16 08:00:07 - From: TRT World
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https://english.hathalyoum.net/articles/136207-videoinside-the-multimillion-dollar-drug-factory-o
| 2024-12-16T05:30:43Z
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As we age or with increase in body weight, weight bearing joints in the body undergo wear and tear. Physical activity remains important pillar for maintaining overall health and healthy joints facilitates mobility. While a balanced diet and regular exercise are vital for good joint health, specific supplements can provide targeted support in reducing discomfort, inflammation, and promote overall joint function. In this article, we explore a few key ingredients that can help you optimize your joint health and keep you moving comfortably.
Undenatured Collagen type II (UC II): Cartilage is an important component of joint structure; it forms a layer thereby protecting the bones from coming in contact, reducing friction and joint damage. However, with age, conditions like osteoarthritis can damage this cartilage, leading to discomfort, inflammation & joint stiffness.
UC-II is a clinically proven form of collagen that specifically targets joint cartilage, known for its ability to repair damaged cartilage and reduce inflammation. It helps repair and rebuild the joint cartilage thereby improving joint mobility and joint function. UC-II works by inducing oral tolerance, a process that helps the immune system recognize and adapt to specific substances, reducing the inflammatory response in the joints. This unique mechanism of action sets UC-II apart from other forms of collagen and contributes to its effectiveness in promoting joint health.
With continuous use, people may experience significant improvements in joint mobility within a month, and improvement in flexibility and greater mobility subsequently.
Vitamin K2: Vitamin K2 plays a vital role in joint health by promoting proper calcium absorption, which strengthens bones and provides essential support for joint stability. By directing calcium to the bones, Vitamin K2 prevents it from depositing in soft tissues like cartilage, thus avoiding calcification that can cause joints to become stiff and less flexible. This helps maintain the soft, pliable structure of cartilage, allowing for better joint mobility. Healthier bones and cartilage not only reduce the risk of injury but also enhance overall flexibility.
Calcium and Magnesium: These are essential minerals for muscle and bone health. Strong muscles and bones are the foundation for healthy joints. Calcium and magnesium are two essential minerals that play a critical role in maintaining bone mineral density and supporting muscle function, both of which are crucial for joint stability and mobility.
Calcium is vital for strengthening bones, providing a stable framework for joints; without adequate calcium intake, bones can become brittle, which increases the risk of fractures that directly affect joint integrity. Magnesium, on the other hand, is essential for muscle function, including the muscles surrounding the joints. Together, calcium and magnesium enhance both bone density and muscle strength, contributing to improved joint stability and smooth function. These minerals are particularly important for aging individuals or those engaged in high-impact activities that place additional strain on their joints.
Other Essential Minerals: In addition to calcium and magnesium, other minerals play crucial roles in maintaining joint health. Copper supports the formation of collagen and elastin, essential components of joint tissues, and helps maintain joint flexibility. Manganese plays a role in cartilage formation and supports antioxidant defenses, which protect joint tissues from oxidative stress. Zinc is important for tissue repair and immune health, and also aids in the synthesis of collagen, a key component of joint cartilage. Incorporating these minerals into your joint health regimen can provide a well-rounded approach to maintaining healthy, flexible joints.
Including these ingredients as supplements provides a holistic approach to joint health. Whether you’re managing arthritis, staying active, or simply looking to maintain mobility as you age, considering these supplements can offer targeted solutions for long-lasting joint health.
Dr. Atul Sharma, Medical and Scientific Affairs – Wellness, Haleon ISC
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https://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/life-style/health-fitness/health-news/key-ingredients-to-look-for-in-your-supplements-for-optimizing-joint-health-and-mobility/articleshow/116331701.cms
| 2024-12-16T05:30:43Z
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Sri Lankans shine at Sanctuary Asia Wildlife Photography Awards 2024
December 16, 2024 09:57 am
Three Sri Lankan photographers made headlines with their remarkable captures at the prestigious ‘Sanctuary Asia Wildlife Photography Awards 2024’, showcasing the beauty and challenges of wildlife through their lenses.
Tharindu Dilshan Sendanayake Wins First Prize
Sri Lanka’s Tharindu Dilshan Sendanayake claimed the coveted first prize with his breathtaking photograph titled ‘Primal Fury’, taken at Yala National Park. The image vividly captures a dramatic life-or-death struggle between a dominant Sri Lankan leopard (Panthera pardus kotiya) and a wild pig (Sus scrofa affinis), creating a masterpiece reminiscent of a Renaissance painting. The intense scene unfolds as the leopard, startled mid-mating, defends itself against the charging wild pig.
This extraordinary depiction of the wild earned Tharindu a grand prize of INR 150,000.
Asela Karunaratne Earns Honourable Mention
Asela Karunaratne’s drone shot ‘Angels in the Sand’ garnered an Honourable Mention. Captured at Mannar Beach, the photograph showcases a flock of Little Egrets (Egretta garzetta) gracefully scavenging for bycatch left behind by fishermen. This stunning bird’s-eye view celebrates the intricate relationship between wildlife and human activity along Sri Lanka’s vibrant coastline.
Lakshitha Karunarathna Takes Editor’s Choice
Lakshitha Karunarathna’s poignant image ‘A Dangerous Addiction’ was awarded Editor’s Choice for its sobering portrayal of a Sri Lankan elephant (Elephas maximus maximus) scavenging for food at a waste site in Ampara.
The photograph highlights the tragic consequences of human negligence, as these majestic creatures are forced to consume harmful refuse. The image serves as a powerful call for better waste management practices to protect one of Sri Lanka’s most iconic species.
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http://www.adaderana.lk/news.php?nid=104271
| 2024-12-16T05:30:46Z
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SAN FRANCISCO – Too much Luka Dončić, too little time for the Warriors on Sunday night at Chase Center in a 143-133 loss to the Dallas Mavericks.
What a difference in styles one game makes. A few days after a 91-90 early exit in the NBA Cup quarterfinals, the Warriors trailed the Mavericks 81-74 through the first two quarters as defense apparently was optional.
Offense wasn’t an issue for the Warriors. For the first time all season, the Warriors had four players score 20 or more points. Andrew Wiggins scored a team-high 29 points, followed by 26 from Steph Curry, 21 from Draymond Green and 20 from Jonathan Kuminga.
Steph hits ANOTHER triple 🤩 pic.twitter.com/OA1Rf9qj2Y
— Warriors on NBCS (@NBCSWarriors) December 16, 2024
The Warriors' 3-point shooting kept them in the game all night. It’s also nearly impossible to win when a superstar like Dončić has a 45-point, 11-rebound, 13-assist triple-double where he misses only seven shots and just two two-pointers.
Klay Thompson in his second game against the Warriors dropped 29 points, including 13 big ones in the fourth quarter.
Golden State Warriors
Here are three takeaways from the Warriors’ loss to the Mavs.
Cool Hand Luka
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However the Oklahoma City Thunder corralled Dončić into scoring just 16 points in Dallas’ previous game, the Warriors didn’t get the memo. From start to finish, Dončić did whatever he wanted against Golden State’s defense.
Dončić scored 15 points in the first quarter, 13 in the second and another 13 in the third quarter to give him a season-high 41 going into the fourth. He also already was at a triple-double with 10 rebounds and 10 assists and had only missed three shots – all being 3-pointers.
He isn’t the fastest, he isn't the most athletic or explosive, yet Dončićs body control and eye manipulation is second to none. He has been a pro since before he could drive, and it shows every time he steps on the floor.
Count 'em up: 👌👌👌👌👌 pic.twitter.com/7pnKph8ZxP
— Dallas Mavericks (@dallasmavs) December 16, 2024
The first time the Warriors faced the Mavs, they held him to 31 points, which sounds comical. He was contained because Dončić only made two of his 10 3-point attempts. His hot start Sunday night simply was too much to handle.
Dallas has other scoring options, especially in Thompson and Kyrie Irving, but Dončić is in a league of his own, and the Warriors paid for his greatness.
Klay’s Return, Part II
There were more Santa hats than captain’s hats in the stands. The pregame hype was brought down to a hush. And still, seeing Thompson in a No. 31 Mavericks jersey at Chase Center will continue to take some time getting used to.
His 3-point shot, however, is something Warriors fans will never forget. Thompson tried three 3-pointers in the first quarter and converted on two. He then shot another three triples in the second quarter, missing all three, and entered halftime with eight points.
In the third quarter, Thompson began heating up, hitting two threes early on and a mid-range jumper that forced a Warriors timeout. After three quarters, Thompson was up to 16 points, three more than his season average of 13.3 points per game.
RINSE & REPEAT 🔁 pic.twitter.com/kzye9p1A2Q
— Dallas Mavericks (@dallasmavs) December 16, 2024
Following a disastrous sequence from Brandin Podziemski, Thompson nailed a corner three in the fourth quarter to put the Mavs up by 12 points, and he screamed out in jubilation. Thompson ended with a season-high 29 points on 9-of-14 shooting and was 7 of 11 from long distance, contributing to the game's NBA-record 48 combined 3-pointers.
It’s no coincidence his two highest scoring games this season have been against his former team.
Sixth Man Draymond
For the second time this season, Steve Kerr began the game with Green on the bench. Whenever Green isn’t on the court, the Warriors’ defense is sure to take a hit. The Mavs sure took advantage, too.
They made their first nine shots of the game. As startling as that sounds, it’s not a typo. By the time Green entered the game with seven and a half minutes remaining in the first quarter, the Warriors already were down by 12 points, 23-11.
Behind Dončić’s elite play, the Mavs kept rolling, but Green was great to begin the game. In the first quarter, he had nine points while making three of his four 3-point attempts. His fourth three of the night, this time in the second quarter, set a new Warriors franchise record – also tying a NBA record – and Green let the whole building hear about it.
Draymond sets a franchise record with the Warriors’ 18th first-half 3-pointer 🤯 pic.twitter.com/H970klFdXx
— Warriors on NBCS (@NBCSWarriors) December 16, 2024
Another three in the third quarter gave Green five on the night, his second-most ever for a game. It also put him up to a season-high 19 points. Green scored two more points in the fourth and finished with 21 points, seven rebounds and four assists. How he starts games going forward will continue to be a storyline to watch as Kerr still is searching for the right combinations.
The Warriors now are 0-2 this season in the two games Green came off the bench.
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https://www.nbcbayarea.com/news/sports/nba/golden-state-warriors/observations-steph-curry-luka-doncic-klay-thompson/3737140/
| 2024-12-16T05:30:46Z
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Inflammatory bowel disease(IBD) is a chronic troublesome disease affecting the gastrointestinal tract. There are two variants: Ulcerative colitis (involves only the large intestine) and Crohn’s disease can involve entire GI tract – from mouth till anus). About in 15% of affected patients experience profound effect on all aspects of life that demands extreme modification of lifestyle.
In spite of great progress in the management of the condition, there is a significant lacuna in our understanding of the cause and its overall treatment. However, in the last couple of decades there has been a tremendous progress in the know-how of the diseaseand its detection. But there is a need to create awareness among the general public and general medical practitioners to decrease the delayed reference to gastroenterologists, so that the disease can be treated early to prevent the complications.
Living with IBD, can be a challenging experience that affects all aspects of daily life. Here are some of the key struggles faced by individuals with IBD:
1. Physical symptoms-Abdominal pain and discomfort. Chronic pain and discomfort are common, leading to a reduced quality of life and need for regular painkiller use& its dependence.
- Diarrhea with or without blood and Urgency: Frequent bowel movements and an urgent need to use the restroom can create anxiety and disrupt daily activities and limit the work potential of the individual.
- Fatigue: Chronic inflammation, loss of nutrients and the body's immune response can lead to excessive fatigue, impacting energy levels.
- Nutritional deficiencies: As the disease primarily affects the digestion and absorption of the nutrients, malabsorption and dietary restrictions can lead to weight loss, deficiencies in essential vitamins and minerals, requiring careful dietary management. Also, these patients require frequent change in the dietary plans, like intravenous nutrition, elemental diet, to suit the ongoing status of the disease.
Lexica generated image
2.Psychological impacts - Mental health issues: Many individuals with IBD experience anxiety, depression, and social isolation due to the unpredictable nature of the disease and its effects on daily life. Worse is the effect of the stress on the disease itself.
- Fear and uncertainty: The chronic and relapsing nature of IBD may cause fear of flare-ups and uncertainty about the future, leading to heightened stress levels.
3.Social challenges - Stigma and misunderstanding: IBD is not always visible, leading to misunderstandings about the severity of the condition. Stigma can exacerbate feelings of isolation and depression.
- Impact on relationships: Chronic illness can strain relationships with spouse, family and friends, who may struggle to understand the challenges faced by individuals with IBD.
4. Lifestyle modifications - Diet changes: Individuals often have to adopt specific dietary restrictions, which can be socially isolating and challenging to maintain in the family and friend’s circles.
- Work and career: IBD may affect one's ability to work, leading to missed days, difficulty concentrating, and the need for flexible work arrangements. All contributing to underperformance in their career.
- Travel limitations: Traveling can be daunting due to concerns about access to restrooms and managing potential flare-ups away from home. The stress of travelling, chances of missing the medicines and exposures of unaccustomed diet can precipitate the flare up of the disease.
5. Healthcare navigation - Frequent doctor visits: Regular consultations, tests, and treatments are necessary, which can be time-consuming and stressful.
- Medication Management: Managing a complex medication regimen and coping with potential side effects can be overwhelming. The need for visiting multiple doctors and therapists can be challenging.
- Access to care: Depending on geographic location, access to specialized healthcare providers may be limited. In India where 80% of the healthcare is provided by the private sector, the costs of the treatment can be totally upsetting the family budgets. The limited coverage provided by the insurance companies can be frustrating.
6. Coping strategies - Support systems: Building a supportive network of friends, family, and support groups can be crucial for emotional support.
- Education: Understanding the disease can empower individuals and improve management strategies.
- Self-care: Engaging in stress-reduction techniques, such as yoga, meditation, and regular exercise, can help manage symptoms and improve mental health.
Study finds inflammatory bowel disease increases risk for pregnant women
The struggles of living with inflammatory bowel disease are multifaceted and can profoundly impact an individual’s quality of life. Awareness, education, and early appropriate treatment support are critical components in managing these challenges and improving the overall well-being of those affected by IBD. Early identification and treatment make a huge difference by preventing many complications, which may otherwise need surgery. Hence with persistent symptoms seeking help from medical gastroenterologist, mental health support, and local or online communities can be beneficial in navigating this chronic condition. Many patients, with the help of regular follow up can lead a good healthy productive life because of the ever-improving advancement in modern medicines available today.
Dr Prasanna KS Rao, Senior consultant gastroenterologist, Apollo hospitals, Bangalore
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https://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/life-style/health-fitness/health-news/more-than-just-a-stomach-ache-the-struggles-of-living-with-inflammatory-bowel-disease/articleshow/116259350.cms
| 2024-12-16T05:30:49Z
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New Speaker of Parliament to be elected tomorrow
December 16, 2024 10:00 am
The appointment of a new Speaker of Sri Lanka’s Parliament to fill the vacancy created by the resignation of MP Asoka Ranwala will take place tomorrow (Dec. 17).
Parliament is scheduled to convene on December 17 and 18 and the relevant nominations for the appointment of a new Speaker will be submitted on the first day.
Meanwhile, three names have been proposed from the ruling party for the position of Speaker of Sri Lanka’s Parliament. The names include current Deputy Speaker Dr. Rizvie Salih, MP Lakshman Nipuna Arachchi, and MP Nihal Galappaththi.
It was reported that the ruling party Parliamentary group will meet today (15), to reach a final decision regarding the new appointment.
The opposition has stated that they will also propose a name for the Speaker of Parliament, representing the opposition.
However, former MP Ashu Marasinghe expressed that it is inappropriate to suggest an opposition-aligned MP for the position.
The newly elected Speaker of the Tenth Parliament, Asoka Ranwala, had informed the President in writing that he would resign from his post on December 13, amidst the controversy surrounding his educational qualifications. The President had accepted the letter of resignation.
This marks the first time in Sri Lanka’s parliamentary history that a Speaker has resigned.
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http://www.adaderana.lk/news.php?nid=104272
| 2024-12-16T05:30:52Z
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Does anyone else just want to fast forward to the end of the regular season?
I know some teams, and one player in particular, who wouldn't mind wrapping up their 2024 NFL seasons early.
The playoff picture just isn't changing much, and outside of seeding, we pretty much know who's going to be there in January.
Speaking of a team that won't be, here is where the 49ers sit after a 12-6 loss to the Los Angeles Rams on "Thursday Night Football" and heading into "Monday Night Football."
32. New York Giants (Last week: 32)
Record: 2-12
I am counting down the days until I no longer have to waste a single brain cell thinking about this team. The offseason "Hard Knocks" came one year too early, because it seems like the first overall pick will be theirs.
San Francisco 49ers
31. Las Vegas Raiders (Last week: 31)
Record: 2-11 (Monday Night Football)
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Maxx Crosby's season is over, and he very likely has played his last snap in the Silver and Black. He should be traded in the offseason, and the first-round pick they should receive for him would pair nicely with a potential No. 1 overall selection.
30. Jacksonville Jaguars (Last week: 30)
Record: 3-11
Brian Thomas Jr. is the only redeeming quality about this team. At least a healthy Trevor Lawrence will have one weapon next season.
29. Tennessee Titans (Last week: 29)
Record: 3-11
Do you realize how bad you have to be for Mason Rudolph to replace you and look like a competent quarterback? Drafting anything other than Will Levis' replacement in the first round next spring should be considered treason.
28. New England Patriots (Last week: 28)
Record: 3-11
I'm going to be honest, I've kind of forgotten about Drake Maye up until this point. How's his rookie season going? Probably not well. Do I care enough to find out? Not really.
27. Cleveland Browns (Last week: 27)
Record: 3-11
I know, we all love Jameis Winston, which is why it pains me to say he never should be a starting quarterback in the NFL again. We just have to accept that he's the extremely charismatic backup/motivational speaker.
26. Carolina Panthers (Last week: 25)
Record: 3-11
There was no continuation of the Bryce Young redemption arc this week. He still might be the guy, but how he responds to close out the season will tell us a lot.
25. Chicago Bears (Last week: 24)
Record: 4-9 (Monday Night Football)
Chicago either will lose another divisional game in the most heartbreaking way imaginable, or play spoiler and upset a Minnesota team trying to keep pace in the division. Either way, it will be shocking.
24. New York Jets (Last week: 26)
Record: 4-10
This is the passing game we expected from the Jets' offense this season. Aaron Rodgers leading the team in rushing, however, was not on my bingo card. What happened to Breece Hall this season?
23. New Orleans Saints (Last week: 23)
Record: 5-9
Third-string quarterback time in The Big Easy. Yuck. Blow it up in the offseason.
22. Indianapolis Colts (Last week: 20)
Record: 6-8
Ah, I see Anthony Richardson did Anthony Richardson things again. I think I've seen enough from him, it's time to look elsewhere in the offseason.
21. Dallas Cowboys (Last week: 22)
Record: 6-8
Cooper Rush is a pretty good backup quarterback. There, I said it. I still find it blasphemous that Rico Dowdle wasn't given all these opportunities earlier in the season.
20. Miami Dolphins (Last week: 17)
Record: 6-8
Does anyone else find it fitting that Mike McDaniel's offense has fallen off to a similar degree as his mentor's? Similarly, the pieces are still there. It's just ... not coming together.
19. San Francisco 49ers (Last week: 16)
Record: 6-8
A depressing, frustrating and embarrassing season came to an end in the most depressing, frustrating and embarrassing way. Side note: De'Vondre Campbell shouldn't play another down of NFL football again. Goodbye.
18. Cincinnati Bengals (Last week: 21)
Record: 6-8
Joe Burrow continued to cook in a big win, but it's probably too late at this point. Cincy has the Browns, Broncos and Steelers to close out the season. Even if they win out, the Bengals would need a ton of help.
17. Atlanta Falcons (Last week: 18)
Record: 6-7 (Monday Night Football)
Kirk Cousins has thrown eight interceptions since his last touchdown pass. Certainly that changes on Monday night against the Las Vegas defense, right?
16. Arizona Cardinals (Last week: 19)
Record: 7-7
FINALLY the offense comes alive. That only means it will be putrid next week against Carolina, won't it? They're still in the thick of the division race.
15. Seattle Seahawks (Last week: 11)
Record: 8-6
If Geno Smith's injury is serious, Seattle is cooked. If that's the case, congratulations to the Rams for winning the NFC West.
14. Los Angeles Rams (Last week: 14)
Record: 8-6
It really was not pretty, but an offense that scored 44 points one week ago found a way to just barely squeak it out without scoring a single touchdown. The team on the other side of the field just happened to be slightly more pathetic.
13. Los Angeles Chargers (Last week: 10)
Record: 8-6
I've made my feelings known about the offense, and it was mediocre again on Sunday, but if their defense played like it did against Tampa Bay, this team is going absolutely nowhere.
12. Tampa Bay Buccaneers (Last week: 15)
Record: 8-6
This is a very good and balanced offense that woke up feeling dangerous against a good Chargers defense on Sunday. The division should be a wrap soon enough.
11. Denver Broncos (Last week: 13)
Record: 9-5
Bo Nix had a rough go of it against Indy, but when your defense is as good as theirs, even the ugliest of rookie mistakes won't matter.
10. Washington Commanders (Last week: 12)
Record: 9-5
The Jayden Daniels we saw early in the season has returned. Very efficient and mistake-free through the air and elusive on the ground.
9. Houston Texans (Last week: 9)
Record: 9-5
I've been sounding the alarm about this offense all season, and they were underwhelming again on Sunday, but if the defense can play like it did against Miami, then it might not be DEFCON 1 just yet.
8. Baltimore Ravens (Last week: 8)
Record: 9-5
An easy 355 all-purpose yards and five passing touchdowns for Lamar Jackson, who is making a strong case for another MVP award. However, his counterpart in Buffalo might have a slight edge.
7. Pittsburgh Steelers (Last week: 6)
Record: 10-4
No George Pickens and a terrible rushing performance made it hard for Russell Wilson and the offense to keep pace with Philly. However, they still clinched a playoff spot.
6. Green Bay Packers (Last week: 7)
Record: 10-4
Josh Jacobs is on a touchdown tear as of late, and Jordan Love is playing good, clean football. This is a team that will match up well against any playoff opponent. The wild-card team nobody wants to face.
5. Minnesota Vikings (Last week: 4)
Record: 11-2 (Monday Night Football)
How will Sam Darnold follow up the greatest game of his career? And can Minnesota capitalize on the Detroit loss to keep pace in the division? Huge, huge game on Monday night.
4. Buffalo Bills (Last week: 5)
Record: 11-3
I've seen enough. Josh Allen is your league MVP. Every week he seems to find a new way to score touchdowns. Crown him.
3. Philadelphia Eagles (Last week: 3)
Record: 12-2
OK, so Saquon Barkley is human. Fortunately for Philly, Jalen Hurts has A.J. Brown and DeVonta Smith to feed over and over and over again.
2. Kansas City Chiefs (Last week: 2)
Record: 13-1
Another ho-hum win for the defending champs, whose offense barely had to break a sweat thanks to four picks from the defense.
1. Detroit Lions (Last week: 1)
Record: 12-2
The Lions now have won a game in which Jared Goff threw five interceptions and lost a game in which he threw five touchdowns. Sunday's game against Buffalo was a shootout of epic proportions.
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https://www.nbcbayarea.com/news/sports/nfl/san-francisco-49ers/power-rankings-week-16-loss-rams/3737132/
| 2024-12-16T05:30:53Z
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As global industries advance, people worldwide are increasingly exposed to high levels of air pollutants, which significantly contribute to respiratory illnesses. Alarmingly, air pollution ranks as the fourth-leading cause of global illness and death.
Breathing clean air is vital for health and well-being, yet this remains a challenge for many. For example, six regions in India were among the top 10 most polluted cities in 2022, based on average PM2.5 concentration—a common measure of air pollution. This is particularly concerning as a report by AQLI found that PM2.5 pollution can reduce an average person’s lifespan in India by 5.3 years compared to if air quality met World Health Organization guidelines. PM2.5 particles, being less than 2.5 microns in diameter, can penetrate deep into the respiratory tract, posing serious health risks.
Addressing air pollution is crucial for improving environmental health and ensuring a better quality of life. It’s also critical to understand what measures we can take to better protect our health. Breathing in air pollutants – like nitrogen oxide, sulfur dioxide, and more – can harm people’s respiratory systems and irritate airways. This may even cause symptoms like shortness of breath, coughing, wheezing, and chest pain. In areas with higher concentrations of certain air pollutants (like PM2.5), cases of the respiratory infection like influenza, commonly known as ‘flu’ are most likely observed, too. Studies have suggested that air pollution not only weakens the human immune system but also lingers in the atmosphere for longer durations. This, in turn, allows transmission of influenza viruses to humans. In fact, poor air quality may even make patients with conditions like chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) - a chronic lung disease with symptoms such as coughing, difficulty in breathing, and phlegm production - more likely to develop viral infections like the flu.
Dr. Puneet Saxena, Senior Professor, Department of Medicine, SMS Medical College & Hospital, Jaipur explained, "Poor air quality significantly impacts health by weakening respiratory immunity. Polluted air can enhance flu symptoms, making individuals feel worse. In such conditions, maintaining good hygiene practices and getting annual influenza vaccinations are crucial preventive measures, especially for the elderly. These steps help protect against respiratory infections and enhance overall health. It's vital for everyone to safeguard their health, not just during flu season, but throughout the year. The influenza vaccine composition is updated every year based on WHO surveillance results as there is a constant evolution of the viruses by antigenic changes. The WHO continuously monitors and updates vaccine formulations to match the evolving influenza viruses. For the ongoing 2024-2025 winter flu season, the WHO-recommended Northern Hemisphere 2024/2025 influenza vaccine is the latest vaccine available in India."
Who does influenza affect? Influenza affects people of all ages – particularly children under five years, older adults (65 years and older), people with underlying health conditions (like asthma, diabetes, and more), and pregnant women.
How does flu vaccination help?Boosts immunity: The flu vaccine prepares the immune system to recognize and fight the virus effectively.
Reduces severity: Even if one does catch the flu, being vaccinated can reduce the risk of complications.
With health experts voicing their concerns on the links between poor air quality and rising respiratory issues, it’s important to act now.
Dr. Jejoe Karankumar, Medical Director at Abbott commented, “Helping people stay healthy at every stage of life is important. Air pollution and respiratory health problems – like influenza – can come in the way of this. It’s important to help raise awareness about the steps people can take to protect themselves against infections like influenza, especially at a time when the burden is rising. Preventive care is important, and it’s vital for more people – especially those at risk, like children, pregnant women, the elderly, and adults with complications – to get their yearly influenza vaccination for greater protection.”
It’s also important to practice preventive good hygiene, such as handwashing or using a face mask when coughing. On days with extremely high air pollution outdoors, staying indoors as much as possible is recommended (limiting any unnecessary outdoor activities). By making healthier lifestyle choices, people can also boost their immunity and support their lung health. It’s also important to consult one’s doctor in case of symptoms – like fever, cold or cough – to ensure early medical attention for the necessary care.
People should take special care to safeguard their own and their loved ones’ health and wellbeing this season.
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https://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/life-style/health-fitness/health-news/shielding-seniors-combating-influenza-and-air-pollution-for-better-health/articleshow/116331608.cms
| 2024-12-16T05:30:55Z
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Video | Israeli forces bomb another UN-run school in Gaza, killing dozens Copy 2024-12-16 08:09:06 - From: Al Jazeera English
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https://english.hathalyoum.net/articles/136209-videoisraeli-forces-bomb-another-un-run-school-in-
| 2024-12-16T05:30:55Z
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Air pollution is one of the most pressing environmental and health crises in modern India. While its impacts on respiratory and cardiovascular health are well-documented, its effects on vision and eye health are often overlooked. With cities like Delhi facing hazardous air quality levels year-round, it is essential to understand how polluted air affects the eyes in both the short and long term.
Immediate effects of air pollution on visionAir pollution can cause a range of immediate discomforts and symptoms in the eyes. Redness, irritation, and a burning sensation are among the most common complaints. These issues arise because pollutants such as particulate matter (PM2.5 and PM10) and toxic gases like sulfur dioxide and nitrogen dioxide come into direct contact with the eye's surface.
Dry eye syndrome, a condition where the eyes fail to produce sufficient tears or the tears evaporate too quickly, is also closely linked to air pollution. Pollutants disrupt the tear film, the natural protective layer of the eye, leaving the eyes feeling gritty, itchy, and prone to infections. Additionally, many individuals experience allergic reactions, such as conjunctivitis, which causes swelling, itching, and watery discharge.
Long-term impact on eye healthWhile immediate discomfort is alarming, the long-term consequences of air pollution on vision are even more concerning. Chronic exposure to polluted air has been associated with several serious eye conditions:
1. Age-Related Macular Degeneration (AMD)AMD is a leading cause of vision loss among individuals over the age of 50. Research shows that fine particulate matter, particularly PM2.5, can accelerate the onset of AMD by causing oxidative stress and inflammation in the retina. People living in urban areas with poor air quality are at a significantly higher risk.
2. CataractsCataracts, a condition where the natural lens of the eye becomes cloudy, impairing vision, have also been linked to air pollution. Prolonged exposure to ultraviolet (UV) radiation, combined with pollutants, accelerates the development of cataracts. This issue is especially prevalent in countries like India, where outdoor workers are disproportionately exposed to both pollution and sunlight.
3. GlaucomaEmerging research suggests that pollution may contribute to glaucoma, a group of conditions that damage the optic nerve and can lead to permanent blindness. High levels of air pollution are believed to elevate intraocular pressure, one of the main risk factors for glaucoma, further underscoring the need for vigilance.
Delhi’s air pollution crisisDelhi, infamous for its hazardous air quality, provides a case study on how pollution impacts vision. In November 2024, the city’s Air Quality Index (AQI) hit 484—classified as "severe plus." During such episodes, hospitals and clinics report a sharp rise in cases of eye irritation, dry eye syndrome, and allergic conjunctivitis. The dense smog not only obscures visibility but also worsens eye conditions, particularly for individuals with pre-existing sensitivities.
How to protect your eyes from air pollutionProtecting your eyes amidst rising pollution levels requires adopting preventive measures:
1. Wear protective eyewear: Sunglasses or goggles act as a barrier against pollutants and UV radiation.
2. Practice eye hygiene: Regularly rinsing your eyes with clean water helps remove irritants and reduce discomfort.
3. Use artificial tears: Over-the-counter lubricating eye drops can help maintain moisture in your eyes and prevent dryness.
4. Limit outdoor activities: Avoid venturing outdoors during peak pollution hours, typically early morning and late evening.
5. Maintain indoor air quality: Using air purifiers at home can reduce exposure to indoor air pollutants.
Government and community efforts to mitigate pollutionAuthorities have taken steps to combat the alarming levels of pollution. Measures like halting construction activities, restricting the use of older diesel vehicles, and closing schools during severe pollution days aim to reduce exposure. However, long-term solutions require a collective effort. Public awareness campaigns, stricter emission controls, and green urban initiatives, such as tree planting, are essential.
Why vision protection mattersThe eyes are among the most sensitive organs in the body, and their health can deteriorate rapidly under adverse conditions. Protecting your vision is not just about addressing immediate discomfort but also about preventing long-term damage. With pollution levels showing no signs of abating, individual efforts to protect eye health must go hand in hand with systemic reforms to improve air quality.
Air pollution’s effects on vision are both immediate and long-lasting. From minor irritation to irreversible conditions like AMD and glaucoma, the risks are significant. While individual precautions can alleviate short-term symptoms, a sustainable solution to the pollution crisis is essential to safeguard public health. As the nation continues to urbanize, addressing air pollution must remain a top priority to ensure a healthier future for generations to come.
Dr. Garvita Singh, Senior Consultant, Sharp Sight Eye Hospitals
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https://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/life-style/health-fitness/health-news/short-and-long-term-effects-of-air-pollution-on-vision-what-you-need-to-know/articleshow/116332286.cms
| 2024-12-16T05:31:01Z
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Live Briefing: Netanyahu speaks with Trump on ‘need to complete Israel’s victory’
2024-12-16 08:20:19 - From: Washington Post
Israel said it would expand settlements on the occupied Golan Heights, a move that was criticized by Qatar, Iraq and the United Arab Emirates.
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https://english.hathalyoum.net/articles/136210-live-briefing-netanyahu-speaks-with-trump-on-%E2%80%98need
| 2024-12-16T05:31:02Z
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2024 was big for bitcoin. States could see a crypto policy blitz in 2025 in spite of the risks
HARRISBURG, Pa. (AP) — The new year will usher in the bitcoin-friendly administration of President-elect Donald Trump and an expanding lobbying effort in statehouses that, together, could push states to become more open to crypto and for public pension funds and treasuries to buy into it.
Proponents of the uniquely volatile commodity argue it is a valuable hedge against inflation, similar to gold.
Many bitcoin enthusiasts and investors are quick to criticize government-backed currencies as prone to devaluation and say increased government buy-in will stabilize bitcoin’s future price swings, give it more legitimacy and further boost an already rising price.
But the risks are significant. Critics say a crypto investment is highly speculative, with so much unknown about projecting its future returns, and warn that investors should be prepared to lose money.
Only a couple public pension funds have invested in cryptocurrency and a new U.S. Government Accountability Office study on 401(k) plan investments in crypto, issued in recent days, warned it has “uniquely high volatility” and that it found no standard approach for projecting the future returns of crypto.
It has already been a landmark year for crypto, with bitcoin hitting $100,000, the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission approving the first exchange-traded funds that hold bitcoin and crypto enthusiasts being cheered by Trump’s promise to make the United States the “bitcoin superpower” of the world.
More legislation on crypto could be coming
Lawmakers in more states can expect to see bills in 2025 to make them crypto-friendly as analysts say crypto is becoming a powerful lobby, bitcoin miners build new installations and venture capitalists underwrite a growing tech sector that caters to cryptocurrencies.
Meanwhile, a new crypto-friendly federal government under Trump and Congress could consider legislation from Sen. Cynthia Lummis, R-Wyoming, to create a federal bitcoin reserve on which states can piggyback.
A bill introduced last month in Pennsylvania’s House of Representatives sought to authorize the state’s treasurer and public pension funds to invest in bitcoin. It went nowhere before the legislative session ended, but it caused a stir.
“I had a friend who is a rep down the road text me, ‘Oh my god, I’m getting so many emails and phone calls to my office,’ more than he ever did about any other bill,” said the measure’s sponsor, Republican Mike Cabell.
Cabell — a bitcoin enthusiast who lost his reelection bid — expects his bill to be reintroduced by a colleague. And leaders of bitcoin advocacy group Satoshi Action say they expect bills based on their model bill to be introduced in at least 10 other states next year.
But what about public pension funds?
Keith Brainard, research director for the National Association of State Retirement Administrators, said he doesn’t expect many public pension fund investment professionals, who oversee nearly $6 trillion in assets, to invest in crypto.
Pension fund professionals take risks they deem to be appropriate, but bitcoin investing has a short track record, might only fit into a niche asset class and may not fit the risk-to-reward profile they seek.
“There might be a bit of dabbling in bitcoin,” Brainard said. “But it’s difficult to envision a scenario in which pension funds right now are willing to make a commitment.”
In Louisiana, Treasurer John Fleming helped make the state the first to introduce a system by which people can pay a government agency in cryptocurrencies.
Fleming said he’s not trying to promote cryptocurrency, but rather sees the step as a recognition that government must innovate and be flexible in helping people make financial transactions with the state. He said he would never invest his money, or the state’s, in crypto.
Fleming recalled meeting with a bitcoin lobbyist recently and came away unconvinced that bitcoin makes for a good investment.
“My concern is that at some point it’ll stop growing and then people will want to cash in,” Fleming said. “And when they do, it could tank the value of a bitcoin.”
In Pennsylvania, Treasury Department officials said they have the authority to decide for themselves if cryptocurrencies meet the agency’s investment standards under state law and don’t need new legislation.
Still, a highly volatile asset is ill-suited to the agency’s need for predictability, considering it writes millions of checks a year. The overwhelming majority of the roughly $60 billion it invests at any given time is in short-term, conservative investments designed for an investment period of months, officials there said.
Pension boards, which invest on a 30-year time horizon, may already hold small investments in companies involved in mining, trading and storing cryptocurrencies. But they have been slow to embrace bitcoin.
That could change, said Mark Palmer, managing director and a senior research analyst at The Benchmark Company in New York.
Pension boards got investment tools they like this year when the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission approved the first exchange-traded funds that hold bitcoin and, in October, approved listings of options on those funds, Palmer said.
Many “are likely in the process of getting up to speed on what it means to invest in bitcoin and kicking the tires, so to speak, and that’s a process that typically takes a while at the institutional level,” Palmer said.
Several major asset managers like BlackRock, Invesco and Fidelity have bitcoin ETFs.
Some states already are investing in crypto
In May, the State of Wisconsin Investment Board became the first state to invest when it bought $160 million worth of shares in two ETFs, or about 0.1% of its assets. It later scaled back that investment to $104 million in one ETF, as of Sept. 30. A spokesperson declined to discuss it.
Michigan’s state investment board later reported about $18 million in bitcoin ETF purchases while a candidate for New Jersey governor, Steven Fulop, said that if elected he would push the state’s pension fund to invest in crypto.
Fulop, the Democratic mayor of Jersey City, just across the Hudson River from Manhattan, has been preparing for months to buy bitcoin ETF shares for up to 2% of the city’s $250 million employee pension fund.
“We were ahead of the curve,” Fulop said. “And I think that’s what you’re eventually going to see is this is widely accepted, with regard to exposure in all pension funds, some sort of exposure.”
___
Follow Marc Levy on X at: https://x.com/timelywriter.
Copyright 2024 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed without permission.
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https://www.kob.com/news/business-money/2024-was-big-for-bitcoin-states-could-see-a-crypto-policy-blitz-in-2025-in-spite-of-the-risks/
| 2024-12-16T05:31:06Z
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| 2024-12-16T05:31:06Z
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Rhythm, Light and Composition
Keith Beven
Keith Beven is Emeritus Professor of Hydrology at Lancaster University where he has worked for over 30 years. He has published many academic papers and books on the study and computer modelling of hydrological processes. Since the 1990s he has used mostly 120 film cameras, from 6x6 to 6x17, and more recently Fuji X cameras when travelling light. He has recently produced a second book of images of water called “Panta Rhei – Everything Flows” in support of the charity WaterAid that can be ordered from his website.
Art is how we decorate space; Music is how we decorate time.~ Jean Michel Basquiat
I was recently at a jazz concert by the piano trio PrismE from Geneva who played a piece called Bokeh (which required an explanation of what was meant by bokeh from the bassist Stéphane Fisch1). This made me wonder about the links that might be found between photography and jazz. There are, of course, many celebrated photographs of jazz musicians, taken by many celebrated jazz photographers such as W Eugene Smith, Gjon Mili, William Gottlieb, Herman Leonard, Chuck Stewart, Lee Tanner, Roy DeCarava, and Michael Howard. Many of those photographs were taken during rehearsals and concerts but one of the most famous is that taken by Art Kane and titled “A great day in Harlem”, featuring 57 different jazz musicians from Art Blakey to Count Basie (as well as a fine collection of children).
Searching for more information about photography and jazz, there is some about artists who have been influenced by jazz, particularly in the early to mid-20th century, such as Otto Dix, Piet Mondrian, Romare Beardon, Stuart Davis, and Jackson Pollock, but very little to be found about photographers influenced in their style by jazz, or jazz compositions influenced by photographs. There have certainly been jazz musicians (as well as more classical composers) influenced by nature, including an interesting double album by the Azerbaijani saxophonist Rain Sutanov with the title Influenced by Nature (I was prompted to find a copy). Back in the 1950s the multi-instrumentalist Yosuf Lateff had a track titled Jazz and the Sounds of Nature (rather freeform in nature and seemingly mostly inspired by birdsong).
So nature and landscape have, to some extent, influenced jazz, but what is missing here is any apparent influence of jazz on landscape photography. That seems a little strange since surely ALL landscape photographers love some type of jazz4? Many photographers are also musicians, perhaps most famously, Ansel Adams again and his early ambition to be a concert pianist. But that is in the classical tradition and it is perhaps easier to see some analogy between classical music of the romantic period and classical landscape photography. In fact, the only reference to jazz musicians being influenced by photographs that I have been able to find is the Dave Brubeck 2009 orchestral work, composed with his son Chris, and called: “Ansel Adams: America” (but it has to be said that the piece is indeed much more classical in style and does not seem to show much jazz influence)5.
Jazz is commonly defined as an improvisational musical form, characterised by complex syncopated rhythms, deliberate deviations of pitch and timbre, dissonances and polyphonic ensemble playing. It is certainly possible therefore to draw analogies with photography. The jazz photographer Nick Clayton has written in an article about Photography and Music,
I tend to photograph like a jazz musician. I don’t control a scene or situation, I adapt to it and search for themes in the apparent chaos of it all. I would define mastery of both music and photography as the ability to find meaning where others may not, and reveal it to an audience. That’s the goal anyway.5
That could equally be applied to revealing things in the landscape too. Others have referred to the idea of both music and photography containing rhythm, both containing light and dark, or positive and negative, and to the “subject” being the focus of either piece or image. There is also the analogy between playing notes “in the pocket” and the “decisive moment”, and between the choices made in the notes to start and end a piece with the framing of an image. A comment following that same article also noted:
It’s interesting how so many words can be applied to both music and photography…..Composition, Tone, Balance, Timing, Culture, Harmony, Subject, Narrative, Dedication, Artistry, Technical, Analogue, Digital, Retro, Avant-garde, Experimental, Expressive, Transcendent, Contrast, Vibrant, Sombre, Darkness, Lightness…6
While a Tim Parkin article from 2011 suggested:
“Can I create a more pleasing final result through the inclusion of dissonance than in the straightforward application of beauty?”. To me, I would say yes - it’s the dissonances in a picture that keep your eye moving around, the inclusion of ‘tensions’ that keep a viewer looking. (This could be taken to another step when putting together a series of photographs such as in an exhibition or book). 7
But when it comes down to jazz performance:
We just have to live with these labels... I mean, what we're doing, if you have to call it something... I guess it's jazz, but it's not what jazz was……It's nothing we're fighting for, though. It's just what we play—and we play how we feel. ~ Esbjörn Svensson, 20048
So there are analogies (admittedly rather simplistic), including trying to take images to reflect how we feel at the time, but there is the very obvious difference that music exists over an extended period of time (from the tens of seconds of the “Eight pieces for piano” of György Kurtág to the 639 year composition of John Cage called “As slow as possible”) with only limited extent in space, while photography is a static representation of space that refers to a particular choice of moment in time.
That is certainly possible – improvisations are necessary for intentional camera movements or double exposure techniques, for example. There are also successful landscape photographs that can show interacting rhythms or dissonances (there are many examples in images of trees or waves for example). And most of us will sometimes make use of extreme wide angle or telephoto lenses to produce creative deviations in ways that the eye would not normally see. In emotional terms too, we might see in a minimalist image the equivalent of the jazz influenced pieces of Erik Satie (which have been reworked by many jazz musicians since) or the quieter pieces of Miles Davies from the period of Kind of Blue or In a Silent Way. Another example that you might already be aware of would be the minimalist images chosen as the artwork for many of the jazz albums issued by the ECM label10 by Manfred Eicher working with the designers Barbara Wojirsch and Dieter Rehm11.
Perhaps more interesting, however, might be to explore any landscape images that could be more equivalent to the Miles Davis double album of Bitches’ Brew from 1970. There is a certain difficulty there, of course, in that Miles Davis and his musicians start with a blank sheet. The intense creativity of those albums is developed in rehearsal over time (even if many jazz tracks are recorded as one improvised take).
As photographers we largely work alone and depend on what nature puts before us in terms of subject and light. We may also have our individual skills and histories, but our creative control over nature is limited to framing and exposure and waiting for the right moment. Our experience might help us to be in the right place with the right equipment at the right time, but to be jazz-like in our images we are limited to choosing the right sorts of subjects.
And musical rhythm is not so different from visual rhythm. A progression of notes over a period of time is a fraternal twin to the layering of shapes, light, and dark that form a photographic image. The most successful photographs are almost always those that have a rhythm, giving the viewer’s eye a coherent path. Music is a play between ‘positive’ and ‘negative’ objects—notes and the silence between. I believe it was Debussy who said that “Music is the space between the notes”; and negative space plays an equally important role in composing (aha) a photograph ~ Leah Damgaard-Hansen12
Guy Tal, in the On Landscape article that refers most to Jazz also suggests that there is more to the process when it comes to producing a print. He refers to the Ansel Adams quotation (rather remarkably from an interview in Playboy magazine) which in full reads:
Yes, in the sense that the negative is like the composer’s score. Then, using that musical analogy, the print is the performance. ~ Ansel Adams, 1983
But then Guy comments:
I know myself to be a “jazz photographer”—a real-time improviser, not a disciplined performer of pre-written scores (not even ones I wrote myself in other times). When I set to make a print for myself or for an exhibition (i.e., not a print purchased by a customer expecting it to match the appearance of a digital version or of a previous “performance”), I consider it as an opportunity to make a new creation—new “visual music,” not necessarily aiming to re-perform my original visualization by some singular, fixed, “right” interpretation. Each “performance” is for me a chance to make something new and original. ~ Guy Tal, 202213
He also contrasts that with the many photographers who, rather than producing a new performance, are happy to only repeat the images they have seen produced by the original artist.
When it comes to such separation of roles between composer and performer, photography lags considerably behind music. Most photographers and viewers of photography make no distinction between composer and performer, assuming implicitly that they are always the same person, despite this often not being the case. In landscape photography, especially, the case is almost always the opposite: few original composers make meaningful, novel creations, which are then performed repeatedly by many others (who usually have no qualms about claiming the entire production—composition, performance, and all, as their own). ~ Guy Tal, 2022
My own preferred subject for photographic performance, as has been seen in many of my previous articles in On Landscape, is water14. Water can be musical in the sense of having rapidly changing dynamic rhythms and sounds over time. It inspires many landscape photographers both in its forms (of waterfalls, rapids, waves and gyres) and its interaction with light (in reflections, caustics, landpools and skypools)15.
Music is again somewhat different here. Even when only sampling online fragments of 30 seconds, it takes time. Listening to whole pieces and albums requires a greater commitment of time. Indeed, it sometimes requires repeated listenings to appreciate a piece, particularly for more difficult pieces (some of Charlie Parker, or the younger Sonny Rollins, or the string quartets of Bartok come to mind).
But we should not perhaps push this analogy too far. Creating good jazz is really difficult, requiring both a high degree of talent and long hours of practice and experience in making choices in working with other musicians. Creating a good image also requires some combination of talent, practice and experience in the choices we make, but I am not sure we can claim to reach the same level of difficulty. We frame and we click. We bring our experience and emotions to bear in doing so, and we may have to make an effort (or get up early) to be in the right place at the right time, but in the end we frame and we click. That is our act of creation. If you can see a jazz riff in the results, then perhaps the best that we can hope for might be a quiet smile of recognition (or else just a swipe on to the next one …..).
References
- You might remember my own definition from the Devil’s Dictionary: Bokeh [n]: A result of using expensive lenses wide open to distract from an uninteresting main subject in an image. See https://www.onlandscape.co.uk/2021/03/devils-dictionary-photography/
- Just search on “jazz and nature” on YouTube and then go relax!
- Ok, so some Free Jazz sax solos from the 1960s are really rather difficult to love!
- See https://www.anseladamsamerica.com/about-the-work (with extracts) and https://www.npr.org/2009/04/02/102656153/dave-brubeck-composing-ansel-adams
- See https://casualphotophile.com/2021/04/05/music-and-photography/
- A comment by David W. on the article by Nick Clayton in 6. The article also has some other thoughtful comments.
- Tim started to explore the links between musicians and photographers in his 2011 article https://www.onlandscape.co.uk/2011/05/photography-and-music/
- From an interview with All About Jazz in 2004, https://www.allaboutjazz.com/esbjorn-svensson-what-jazz-is-not-was-esbjorn-svensson-by-joshua-weiner
- See, for example, the On Landscape article by Cheryl Hamer and Glenya Garnett at https://www.onlandscape.co.uk/2019/04/multiple-exposure-layers-textures/
- These have their own Flickr site at https://www.flickr.com/groups/ecmrecordcoverphotographs/
- See https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Barbara_Wojirsch and https://de.wikipedia.org/wiki/Dieter_Rehm_(Fotokünstler) (in German). A book of their album covers called “Sleeves of Desire” was published by Lars Müller in 1996 (ISBN: 978-1568980645 but now out of print)
- Again from https://casualphotophile.com/2021/04/05/music-and-photography/
- See https://www.onlandscape.co.uk/2022/05/classical-photographers-jazz-photographers/
- As in the two books The Still Dynamic and Panta Rhei. The first is still available in PDF format; just a few hard copies are left of the second – see https://www.mallerstangmagic.co.uk/?post_type=product. All the images shown in this article were taken after the books were produced.
- See, for example, https://www.onlandscape.co.uk/2017/04/the-science-and-art-of-hydrology/ https://www.onlandscape.co.uk/2019/01/physics-of-caustic-light-in-water/ and more recently https://www.onlandscape.co.uk/2023/11/a-little-piece-of-eden/
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https://www.onlandscape.co.uk/2024/12/landscape-and-all-that-jazz/
| 2024-12-16T05:31:06Z
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Think twice before you cook the varicose veins with laser/RFT as it is a useful conduit for future bypass.Varicose veins needs careful assessment by trained vascular surgeons especially with ultrasound experience to evaluate the severity, root cause, status of deep veins before deciding about newer modality of laser treatment.
Varicose veins could be due to simple valve reflux in the superficial veins or it could be secondary to deep vein obstruction post DVT or MAY –THURNERS syndrome.
Varicose veins could be also be a manifestation of venous/AV malformation or a rare klippel trunuay syndrome.
Surgeon should spend enough time taking history and do the careful physical examination. Surgeon trained in doing ultrasound scanassessment by himself of the varicose veins is an invaluable tool to evaluate the extent of the disease staging, focussed examination of every segment of deep veins is important to avoid unnecessary ablation of superficial veins which could an important collateral vein when the main deep veins are diseased.
Awareness about the venous anomalies , venous malformation and pelvic venous disease in women is of paramount importance before considering treatment of veins as it needs a different approach.
Great saphenous and short saphenous veins are the best natural conduits for future vascular or cardiac bypass operations with longevity of patency of the vein graft and therefore whether these veins are really diseased or not and could these veins be preserved will be known on careful duplex scan examination performed by a vascular surgeon himself , who is going to treat the varicose veins.
Sometimes varicose veins could be due to hormonal changes during pregnancy and it resolves after delivery or cessation of harmonal therapy for other ailments.
Varicose veins due to deep vein pathology needs further evaluation with angiogram and intravascular ultrasound before proceeding to definitive treatment with stents.
Ideally the same doctor who initially see the patient should perform the duplex scan and treat the patient after proper counselling and explanation of adverse effects of open or endovascular therapy for varicose veins which does not happen only with online consultation where untrained professionals handling these patients could be avoided.
Suitability of various modalities of treatment like open procedure, laser, RFT, glue therapy and sclerothephy depends on the individual profile of the patient and the background associated illness of the patient’s with varicose veins and treating surgeon will take an appropriate call as to which modality should be tailored made for the given patient.
Dr. Sunder Narasimhan, Senior Consultant – Vascular and Endovascular surgeon, Apollo Hospitals - Bangalore
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https://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/life-style/health-fitness/health-news/should-you-rethink-laser-treatment-for-your-varicose-veins/articleshow/116332234.cms
| 2024-12-16T05:31:07Z
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I’ve learned and profited a great deal from libertarian legal scholar Randy Barnett’s work—on contract theory, punishment, constitutional and ninth amendment issues, originalism, and more. 1
In his really unique and excellent new book, 2, or in arguments that private actors (banks, big tech, New York Times) are really “part of the state” and thus it’s fine to subject them to otherwise unjust and unlibertarian laws, such as libel law, or even to justify having the state regulate these corporations, since they are after all effectively state organs 3—but it would be interesting to see Barnett grapple with these matters.
“If we are to be libertarians and not propertarians, … libertarians need also to be concerned about threats to individual liberty now posed by privately owned companies. … A good theoretical start would be to separate the “public-private” binary from the “government-nongovernment” binary.” I have concerns about conservatives and libertarians who try to blur the distinction between between private and state actors—for example in attempts to subject big tech platforms to defamation liability out of spite or because they just don’t like themIn addition, on immigration:
In a world of competing nation-states in which some polities are much freer and more rights-respecting than others, libertarians need to think harder about the potential ill effects of unregulated immigration of persons beyond the capacity of American society to assimilate them as my ancestors were assimilated. There are also security threats posed by unrestricted movement of persons from hostile regimes.
Other issues he has been pondering:
Libertarians may also want to think harder about “private” corporations. Do publicly traded corporations necessarily have the exact same civil rights as individuals like Jack Phillips, the owneroperator of Masterpiece Cakeshop, or the closely held Hobby Lobby Stores, Inc., or an expressive corporation like Citizens United? There is a relatively obscure strain of libertarian thinking that has questioned whether corporations are actually free-market institutions. Short of that conclusion, maybe all corporations are not created equal.
In short, libertarian theory must take more seriously how liberty needs to be protected in the real world, from threats both governmental and nongovernmental, domestic and foreign.
Finally, libertarians should consider whether and how principles of ethics and virtue should be a part of libertarianism, in addition to individual rights. In the past, I have defended libertarianism as strictly a political theory that is compatible with competing moral theories. I have rejected the view that libertarianism needs to present a comprehensive theory of the good.
In recent years, however, I have begun to suspect that the natural rights basis of libertarianism needs to be compatible with a natural law approach to the good. I have long believed that, while the protection of individual liberty is the proper end of politics, individual liberty is not an end in itself but is rather a means to the higher end of individual human flourishing. One cannot fully justify the moral imperative for the individual liberty defined by natural rights without considering the ends that liberty is necessary to achieve. I am now open to the possibility that, without such an account, libertarianism as a political theory is incomplete.
(Later he stated, in an interview, “the rumors of my deviation (or apostasy!) from libertarianism were much exaggerated.”)
To return to Barnett:
One place for libertarians to start is with a 1985 book, Human Rights: Fact or Fancy?, the last book written by my beloved mentor, Henry Veatch. In this book, Veatch explains and justifies the idea of natural law morality—or what he sometimes calls natural ends morality. He then provides a natural law basis for the inalienable rights to life, liberty, and property on the ground that such rights are necessary for individuals to fulfil their moral duty to themselves to pursue the good life, to make something of themselves.
Individual liberty is essential to the pursuit of the good, he contended, because “no human being ever attains his natural end or perfection save by his own personal effort and exertion. No one other than the human individual—no agency of society, of family, of friends, or of whatever can make or determine or program an individual to be a good man, or program him to live the life that a human being ought to live. Instead, attaining one’s natural end as a human person is nothing if not a ‘do-it-yourself’ job.”*
These are just three of the ways that the libertarian model needs to be rethought and perhaps refined. I have not reached firm conclusions on any of these issues. I write books first and foremost to discover what I think, and I haven’t yet done the necessary work on these knotty subjects. So I cannot be sure how exactly libertarianism as a political theory needs to be updated. But my gut tells me it needs to be more realistic about how individual liberty is to be protected in the real world than it sometimes has been.
Finally, if libertarianism should require refinements along any or all of these lines, this in no way represents an abandonment of libertarianism as a political theory. What distinguishes libertarianism is its core commitment to personal liberty and individual sovereignty. Just as originalism has been strengthened by its continued refinement, so too would libertarianism be strengthened by a more realistic approach to securing its fundamental commitment to liberty.
- See my review of his book, The Structure of Liberty, “Knowledge, Calculation, Conflict, and Law,” in Legal Foundations of a Free Society (Houston, Texas: Papinian Press, 2023), and many other references to Barnett’s work in this book. [↩]
- No, Libertarians, We Should NOT Abolish the CDA §230 and DMCA Safe Harbors! [↩]
- KOL354 | CDA §230, Being “Part of the State,” Co-ownership, Causation, Defamation, with Nick Sinard; Van Dun, Barnett on Freedom vs. Property; Is Macy’s Part of the State? A Critique of Left Deviationists; on Block’s defamation suit against the New York Times, see Walter Block Defends His Libel Suit Against The New York Times; A Libertarian Analysis of Suing for Libel (“How … can I justify suing the New York Times for libel? It is simple. The libertarian case against suing for libel applies only to innocent people, and this newspaper does not at all qualify. Rather, this organization is a member in good standing of the ruling class, and all bets are off for criminals of that ilk.”), and others here. [↩]
- Rothbard criticizes Nozick’s argument for the state in Robert Nozick and the Immaculate Conception of the State; see also Hoppe’s criticism of Nozick’s dilettantism and “razzle-dazzle” in Murray N. Rothbard and the Ethics of Liberty
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https://stephankinsella.com/2024/12/randy-barnett-whats-next-for-libertarianism/
| 2024-12-16T05:31:06Z
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Israel approves plan to expand settlements on occupied Golan Heights
2024-12-16 08:20:19 - From: Washington Post
Secretary of State Antony Blinken says U.S. officials have made direct contact with Hayat Tahrir al-Sham. HTS’s leader condemned Israel’s incursion into Syria.
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https://english.hathalyoum.net/articles/136211-israel-approves-plan-to-expand-settlements-on-occu
| 2024-12-16T05:31:08Z
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WASHINGTON COMMANDERS VS NEW ORLEANS SAINTS
SUNDAY, DEC. 15, 2024 ● CAESARS SUPERDOME
SAINTS POSTGAME NOTES
- The New Orleans Saints fell to the Washington Commanders 20-19 on Sunday. With the loss, New Orleans drops to 5-9 on the season and will play the Green Bay Packers at Lambeau Field on Monday, December 23 at 7:15 p.m. CT. The game will be nationally televised on ABC and ESPN.
- The Saints rallied back from a 14-0 halftime deficit and trailed 17-0 in the third quarter before outscoring Washington 19-3 for the remainder of the game. New Orleans narrowed the deficit to 20-19 on a one-yard touchdown pass from QB Spencer Rattler to TE Foster Moreau as time in regulation expired. The Saints opted to attempt a two-point conversion for the win that did not convert.
- New Orleans has held opponents to 21 or fewer points in the five contests since Interim Head Coach Darren Rizzi took over.
- The Saints tallied a season-high eight sacks against the Washington Commanders. The team last did so against the Falcons on Nov. 22, 2020. All-time, New Orleans has recorded nine sacks in a contest three times and eight sacks in a contest five times since sacks were recognized as an official statistic by the NFL in 1982.
- Sunday's contest marked the fourth time since 1982 that the Saints have recorded five sacks in the first half of a contest, tying a franchise record.
- QB Spencer Rattler entered the game in the third quarter. On his first drive, he led the Saints down the field completing 2-of-4 passes for 51 yards in a touchdown drive that was 6 plays, 71 yards and 2:27 time of possession.
- Rattler finished the game completing 10-of-21 passes for 135 yards and had one touchdown pass for an 84.4 QBR.
- QB Jake Haener made his first career start, becoming the 39th different starting quarterback in franchise history. Haener, the 2023 fourth-round draft pick, completed 4-of-10 passes for 49 yards, had one interception and was sacked three times for 29 yards.
- With 1:55 left to play, Rattler led the Saints on a 11-play drive, covering 56 yards in 1:55, ending with a touchdown connection to Moreau from one-yard out to make the score 20-19 as regulation expired, followed by the unsuccessful two-point conversion attempt.
- New Orleans got on the scoreboard with a 21-yard touchdown pass from WR Cedrick Wilson Jr. to RB Alvin Kamara, putting the Saints on the scoreboard and reducing the team's deficit to 17-7.
- Wilson Jr. tossed his second career touchdown pass, previously doing so one other time against the New York Giants as a member of the Dallas Cowboys in 2020. He is now six-of-six passing in his career with two touchdowns.
- RB Kendre Miller led New Orleans with nine carries for 46 yards, averaging 5.1 yards per carry.
- WR Marquez Valdes-Scantling had a team-high 64 yards on just two catches, including 39-yard reception, marking the longest play of the game for both teams.
- RB Alvin Kamara totaled 70 yards from scrimmage, 58 receiving yards with a touchdown and 12 rushing yards.
- Kamara's team-record 86 touchdowns move him into a tie for 54th all-time with RB Ottis Anderson, WR Hines Ward and Pro Football Hall of Fame WR Paul Warfield (Class of 1983).
- Kamara's 25 career receiving touchdowns moves him into a tie for ninth with former Black and Gold WRs Quinn Early and Robert Meachem and moves him into a tie for 18th all-time in NFL record books among running backs with James White.
- Kamara's 11,541 career total yards from scrimmage rank 80th all-time, surpassing WR Muhsin Muhammad.
- LB Demario Davis played in his 111th game as a Saint and moved into a tie for 38th all-time in Saints record books for games played with G/T Andrus Peat. Davis finished with a season-high 14 tackles (nine solo), including one sack and two tackles for loss. Davis' tenth tackle of the game gave him 100 tackles on the season, which he has done in seven consecutive seasons with the Saints, since signing with the team in 2018 as an unrestricted free agent. Including his tenure with the New York Jets, Davis has eighth consecutive seasons reaching 100 stops in a season and has done it 11 times in his 13- year career.
- DB Will Harris made his 50th career start on Sunday and his tenth this season in his first year with the Black and Gold. Harris finished second on the team in tackles on Sunday with nine (seven solo).
- DB Ugo Amadi played in his 75th career game on Sunday. Amadi now has a career-high 49 tackles this season after logging seven stops Sunday, including a 14 yard sack in the second quarter. He also finished the game with one pass breakup.
- DE Cameron Jordan totaled six tackles (three solo), including two sacks for a loss of 11 yards. Jordan's 28 multi-sack games is a franchise record, surpassing Pro Football Hall of Fame LB Rickey Jackson (Class of 2010).
- Jordan, who has 120.5 career sacks, became the 23rd NFL player with at least 120 takedowns.
- Jordan's sack in the second quarter to force the Washington Commanders to punt and made rookie QB Jayden Daniels the 48th player for Jordan to have recorded a sack against.
- S Tyrann Mathieu also had six tackles and forced one fumble, while CB Kool-Aid McKinstry and DE Carl Granderson each had six tackles. Granderson also had one sack.
- DE Chase Young had two sacks in the game for a loss of nine yards and finished the game with three tackles. Young finished with two sacks for the second time in his career. He had two takedowns against the New York Giants as a member of the Commanders on Oct.22, 2023.
- CB Alontae Taylor has a new career-high 79 tackles in 2024 after registering five stops.
- DB Shemar Jean-Charles had a crucial fourth quarter pass breakup to go with a career-high three special teams tackles.
- P Matt Hayball has 34 punts downed inside the 20-yard line, a new team record since the statistic was first recorded in 1976. Hayball had two punts downed inside the 20 on Sunday.
- K Blake Grupe was two-of-two on field goal attempts in the game with a 51-yard field goal being the longest of the day.
Check out the game action photos from the New Orleans Saints game against the Washington Commanders for Week 15 of the 2024 NFL Season on Dec. 15, 2024 at Caesars Superdome.
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https://www.neworleanssaints.com/news/washington-commanders-vs-new-orleans-saints-2024-nfl-week-15-game-notes
| 2024-12-16T05:31:09Z
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Long Island community mourning the loss of assistant basketball coach in car crash
Darrell Sumpter is being remembered for his dedication to his students, and his family. CBS News New York's Naveen Dhaliwal reports from Shirley.
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https://www.cbsnews.com/newyork/video/long-island-community-mourning-the-loss-of-assistant-basketball-coach-in-car-crash/
| 2024-12-16T05:31:12Z
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As schools cut back on bus service, parents are turning to rideshare apps
CHICAGO (AP) — Ismael El-Amin was driving his daughter to school when a chance encounter gave him an idea for a new way to carpool.
On the way across Chicago, El-Amin’s daughter spotted a classmate riding with her own dad as they drove to their selective public school on the city’s North Side. For 40 minutes, they rode along the same congested highway.
“They’re waving to each other in the back. I’m looking at the dad. The dad’s looking at me. And I was like, parents can definitely be a resource to parents,” said El-Amin, who went on to found Piggyback Network, a service parents can use to book rides for their children.
Reliance on school buses has been waning for years as districts struggle to find drivers and more students attend schools far outside their neighborhoods. As responsibility for transportation shifts to families, the question of how to replace the traditional yellow bus has become an urgent problem for some, and a spark for innovation.
State and local governments decide how widely to offer school bus service. Lately, more have been cutting back. Only about 28% of U.S. students take a school bus, according to a Federal Highway Administration survey concluded early last year. That’s down from about 36% in 2017.
Chicago Public Schools, the nation’s fourth-largest district, has significantly curbed bus service in recent years. It still offers rides for disabled and homeless students, in line with a federal mandate, but most families are on their own. Only 17,000 of the district’s 325,000 students are eligible for school bus rides.
Last week, the school system launched a pilot program allowing some students who attend out-of-neighborhood magnet or selective-enrollment schools to catch a bus at a nearby school’s “hub stop.” It aims to start with rides for about 1,000 students by the end of the school year.
It’s not enough to make up for the lost service, said Erin Rose Schubert, a volunteer for the CPS Parents for Buses advocacy group.
“The people who had the money and the privilege were able to figure out other situations like rearranging their work schedules or public transportation,” she said. “People who didn’t, some had to pull their kids out of school.”
On Piggyback Network, parents can book a ride for their student online with another parent traveling the same direction. Rides cost roughly 80 cents per mile and the drivers are compensated with credits to use for their own kids’ rides.
“It’s an opportunity for kids to not be late to school,” 15-year-old Takia Phillips said on a recent PiggyBack ride with El-Amin as the driver.
The company has arranged a few hundred rides in its first year operating in Chicago, and El-Amin has been contacting drivers for possible expansion to Virginia, North Carolina and Texas. It is one of several startups that have been filling the void.
Unlike Piggyback Network, which connects parents, HopSkipDrive contracts directly with school districts to assist students without reliable transportation. The company launched a decade ago in Los Angeles with three mothers trying to coordinate school carpools and now supports some 600 school districts in 13 states.
Regulations keep it from operating in some states, including Kentucky, where a group of Louisville students has been lobbying on its behalf to change that.
After the district halted bus service to most traditional and magnet schools, the student group known as The Real Young Prodigys wrote a hip-hop song titled “Where My Bus At?” The song’s music video went viral on YouTube with lyrics such as, “I’m a good kid. I stay in class, too. Teachers want me to succeed, but I can’t get to school.”
“Those bus driver shortages are not really going away,” HopSkipDrive CEO Joanna McFarland said. “This is a structural change in the industry we need to get serious about addressing.”
HopSkipDrive has been a welcome option for Reinya Gibson’s son, Jerren Samuel, who attends a small high school in Oakland, California. She said the school takes care to accommodate his needs as a student with autism, but the district lined up the transportation because there is no bus from their home in San Leandro.
“Growing up, people used to talk about kids in the short yellow buses. They were associated with a physical disability, and they were teased or made fun of,” Gibson said. “Nobody knows this is support for Jerren because he can’t take public transportation.”
Encouragement from his mother helped Jerren overcame his fear about riding with a stranger to school.
“I felt really independent getting in that car,” he said.
Companies catering to kids claim to screen drivers more extensively, checking their fingerprints and requiring them to have childcare or parenting experience. Drivers and children are often given passwords that must match, and parents can track a child’s whereabouts in real time through the apps.
Kango, a competitor to HopSkipDrive in California and Arizona, started as a free carpooling app similar to the PiggyBack Network and now contracts with school districts. Drivers are paid more than they would typically get for Uber or Lyft, but there are often more requirements such as walking some students with disabilities into school, Kango CEO Sara Schaer said.
“This is not just a curbside-to-curbside, three-minute situation,” Schaer said. “You are responsible for getting that kid to and from school. That’s not the same as transporting an adult or DoorDashing somebody’s lunch or dinner.”
In Chicago, some families that have used Piggyback said they have seen few alternatives.
Concerned about the city’s rising crime rate, retired police officer Sabrina Beck never considered letting her son take the subway to Whitney Young High School. Since she was driving him anyway, she volunteered through PiggyBack also to drive a freshman who had qualified for the selective magnet school but had no way to get there.
“To have the opportunity to go and then to miss it because you don’t have the transportation, that is so detrimental,” Beck said. “Options like this are extremely important.”
After the bus route that took her two kids to elementary school was canceled, Jazmine Dillard and other Chicago parents thought they had convinced the school to move up the opening bell from 8:45 a.m. to 8:15 a.m., a more manageable time for her schedule. After that plan was scrapped because the buses were needed elsewhere at that time, Dillard turned to PiggyBack Network.
“We had to kind of pivot and find a way to make it to work on time as well as get them to school on time,” she said.
___
The Associated Press’ education coverage receives financial support from multiple private foundations. AP is solely responsible for all content. Find AP’s standards for working with philanthropies, a list of supporters and funded coverage areas at AP.org.
Copyright 2024 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed without permission.
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https://www.kob.com/news/business-money/as-schools-cut-back-on-bus-service-parents-are-turning-to-rideshare-apps/
| 2024-12-16T05:31:12Z
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"Aaj mausam madam beimaan hai bada"Winter season and increased numbers of heart attacks and strokes is not just a mere coincidence .
Hypothermia: Cold wave and deathThe decrease in the environment temperature below 18 degree Celsius increases the risk. To maintain the body warm against the cold environmental temperature ,the peripheral parts of the body become cold and numb whereas the vital organs in the body maintain temperature.
Shivering, goosebumps, teeth chattering etc are physiological responses to keep the body warm. By doing all these acts involuntarily the body tries to generate heat so that the core body temperature is maintained within normal range.
Our brain has a thermostatic set point, if the body temperature goes below the set point then automatically the physiological responses come for rescue to maintain the core body temperature.
At extreme weather conditions these mechanisms fail, leading to low body temperature and its consequences.
When the body temperature falls below 35 degrees Celsius or about 95 degrees Fahrenheit it leads to hypothermia.
During hypothermia, the body can't produce enough energy to keep the internal body temperature warm enough. Severe hypothermia can cause death particularly in children and old people who have poor body temperature regulatory mechanisms.
Symptoms of hypothermia include lack of coordination, mental confusion, slowed reactions, shivering and sleepiness.
Cold wind causes more reduction in body temperature compared to cold weather alone. Similarly snow and rain during winter further increase the risk of hypothermia, heart attacks and strokes.
Effects of cold weather on the heart:Human body blood vessels, naturally constrict (decrease in diameter or size) during cold weather in order to keep the body temperature within normal range .
The blood vessels of the skin and gut constrict more than blood vessels of other parts of the body. So the blood is being diverted from skin and gut to other core organs to maintain body temperature.
The more exposure of the body surface area to the environment the more the body temperature decreases.
Exposure to cold weather causes more release of the stress hormone adrenaline which causes blood vessels to constrict, increase heart rate, blood pressure, work load on the heart etc.
The diversion of blood from skin to the core organs inside the body leads to an increase in the heart beat, increase in blood pressure, more work load on the heart. At the same time the patients who have pre-existing blockages in the arteries of the heart , will have increased demand of blood ( to maintain the body warm) but decrease in blood supply to the heart , leads to chest discomfort or angina.
Cold weather can cause direct effects like Raynaud's phenomenon ( bluish extremities after exposure to cold), Prinzmetal's angina ( construction of blood vessels of the heart leading to heart attack). Blood becomes more thick and leads to clot formation in the blood vessels of the heart and brain leading to heart attacks and strokes.
Elderly patients and those with low subcutaneous fat have less ability to regulate the body temperature and have more risk.
Cold weather can also cause frost bite. It can worsen asthma or respiratory disorders or increase respiratory infections. The low sweating during winter leads to fluid accumulation in the body which can put more stress on the heart and leads to precipitation of heart failure.
How to protect ourselves:Keeping the body warm. Wear multiple layers of clothing, socks, head scarfs and hand gloves .
Don't consume excess alcohol which can give a false sense of warmth.
Avoid smoking which further increases the risk of clot formation in the blood vessels.
Avoid excess outdoor exercises. Those who have not acclimatized for the cold climates shouldn't jump start extreme excercises.
Regular physical activities can be done with proper clothing and precautions
Staying indoors, keeping warmer, electronic heaters, blankets etc to keep the body warm will help for those who live in extremely cold temperatures.
Consuming foods ( warm water)which are hot ,help to maintain body temperature and also decrease the chances of food borne infections.
Continue regular medicines for people with asthma or reactive airway diseases ( nebulization or inhaler).
Those with known heart failure or kidney failure patients should consume less water in order to prevent water accumulation.
Vaccination for people who have underlying lung disorders .
Dr. Vithal D Bagi, MBBS, MD General Medicine DM Cardiology DNB Cardiology FSCAI (USA). Senior Consultant and Interventional Cardiologist, Apollo hospitals, Bannerghatta road, Bengaluru
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https://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/life-style/health-fitness/health-news/the-shocking-truth-about-cold-weather-and-heart-health/articleshow/116334532.cms
| 2024-12-16T05:31:13Z
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SAINTS INTERIM HEAD COACH DARREN RIZZI
Opening statement
"I'll start off just by saying that I'm unbelievably proud of our football team. I don't know if I've ever felt like that in 32 years of coaching. Coming off the field, I just told the team that, just a mixture of emotions because we walk off the field with a loss, but I don't know if I have ever been prouder of a team. It's certainly a mixed bag there. Obviously, it was a tale of two halves. We did not play the game we wanted to play in the first half. That is a little bit obvious. We had one first down, and 14 total plays. It was not all on the quarterback. We felt like we needed to make a change there at halftime. We did. Spencer Rattler did a great job, came in and provided some spark. Not only that, we only gave up six points in the second half, which gave us a chance to win. As I just told the team, we needed one more play, and unfortunately, we dug too big of a hole there in the first half. We dug a 14-point deficit. Listen, when I took this job on my first day I told you guys and I told everybody that we weren't going to lack passion and we were not going to lack fight and we were not going to be boring to watch. I've never seen a group in there fight harder, be more passionate, and certainly, that was an exciting second half of football. I wish we would have duplicated it for two halves. During halftime, we said we are going to find out a lot about ourselves and how we are going to respond and what kind of fight we have because that's what we have been talking about for these last five games in six weeks. As I just told the group, I have been extremely proud of the way that everybody in the locker room has handled the situation in the last six weeks in the last five games. I didn't think I could be any prouder, but I was as proud as I've ever been today walking off the field because that was just an unbelievable fight to the finish. We were just one play short."
On the decision to start Jake Haener over Spencer Rattler and then make the switch mid-game:
"I think Jake's first half comes down to a couple of plays. One, he completes that third down ball to Cedrick Wilson Jr. for a big play, and we're going to have really good field position. Then, it gets called back for holding. That was a huge swing because we got sacked on the next play. You guys can look it up, but that's like a 40-plus-yard swing. That might change the whole entire half for Jake. Then, he had another throw to Marquez Valdes-Scantling. MVS had a phenomenal game, but MVS drops that over ball that is on the run. If you take those two plays and we don't get a holding call, which was suspect, and if we complete that ball, we might be talking and having a different conversation. I just felt like, and the offensive coaches felt like, we just needed a spark in the second half, and that is why we made that decision. I am certainly not down on Jake. Listen, we only had 14 plays. They controlled the clock. They controlled the ball. They did all the things we didn't want them to do coming into the game. Like I said earlier, it's not all on Jake."
On why a spark was needed outside of Haener's play:
"We had one first down, and we had zero points. We were kind of reaching there for something. Sometimes, a fresh face in there – I've said this before, Jake (Haener) and Spencer (Rattler) are very similar players. I thought there were a couple of plays where Jake had some positives. I thought we held the ball a little too long a couple of times, took a few sacks. It wasn't all on him, some of the protections as well. Those are the reasons. Sometimes when you're in one of these games, you're just stale, and you're looking for a spark. We just felt like a change of scenery, a change in the position was the way to go."
On the team's response to Spencer Rattler entered the game:
"As I said at halftime to the offense, we just need the first score to get a little momentum going. Sometimes there is a snowball effect. I think, if I am not mistaken, we had one first down in the first half, and we had 16 first downs in the second half. A tale of two halves. It's just really that initial read, that initial scoring drive to get a little confidence. When there's a big fat zero up there for a while, there's not a lot of confidence going on. Once you get that first score, everybody starts feeling on the sideline like you can do this."
On going for the two-point conversion at the end of the game:
"I'm not going to sit here and tell you it was predetermined before the game. I just felt like the way the game played out, AK (Alvin Kamara) had gone out. He was out for the game. MVS (Marquez Valdes-Scantling) got banged up. We started losing more offensive weapons. You guys felt the momentum shift there at the end. I do not regret it whatsoever. I don't think the players regret it. They were all in favor of it. I just thought it was the right thing. We managed the clock really well there at the end. I thought that Kendre Miller ran the ball really well there in the two minute, except for maybe the one play which we didn't block great. We completed the ball to Foster Moreau. We got the ball clocked. We got the touchdown. We left no time on the clock for Washington and Jayden Daniels. That was the plan. We talked during the drive through our two-part plays and stuff like that. When we scored, there was no doubt in my mind that we were going to go for two and go for the win."
On what he learned about Spencer Rattler through his performance:
"It's the same thing that Spencer has been, and part of the reason we drafted him is Spencer is not the tallest. He does not have the strongest arm. He's not the most athletic guy, but he's a gamer. He's a classic gamer. When you put his college film on, that's what it was. He's a gamer. He just has that natural leadership ability. He has some playmaking ability. I know in the three games he started there were some bumps in the road there, but he is a rookie. I think he learned from that experience. It tells me a lot about his character, tells me a lot about his heart. The guy did not flinch. He was excited at halftime to go in the game. He took on a leadership position. He never felt like one time in there that he didn't belong. All those things, I'm very, very proud of Spencer and just told him the same thing."
On the defense handling Jayden Daniels:
"Would I have signed up for 20 points before the game? Yes. If you told me coming in they were going to have 20, I would have told you we were going to win. Jayden Daniels made some plays. That is what he does. That is why he won the Heisman Trophy. That is why he was drafted where he was drafted. That is why he's having the season he's having. He's a phenomenal player. We knew we had to kind of contain him a little bit, but he made some huge plays. He had a couple of runs, two particular that were huge scrambles. He had the fourth down run for them where he jumped over the top. Took a couple of minutes for them off the clock. He had some great throws. That's what he's doing. Again, I'd be lying to you if I told you before the game if you told me defensively we were going to give up 20 and we were going to give up six in the second half, I would have signed up for that before. Overall, a solid performance by the defense, but Jayden Daniels is going to make those plays. You're going to hope to contain some of them, and he made a few on us in crucial moments."
On how Spencer Rattler was able to get comfortable in the game after not playing since Week Eight:
"His preparation. I think that he came into this game knowing we did give him some reps during the week. He had the whole menu of plays. Once we decided that Jake (Haener) was the starter, Spencer prepared himself like he was going to be. You never ever see a bad attitude, sulking, anything like that. This guy is a pro at a very young age. He has been through a lot, obviously transferred around in college. He's been in a lot of systems. It's a credit to him. He's a resilient, resilient person. That showed today. I'm ultra-proud of him."
On what caused the second half offensive success:
"Listen, we only had 14 plays in the first half. It is hard to grade a body of work in the first half because we had some penalties mixed in there. We had some negative plays and got behind the chains. We had third-and what seemed like third-and-double sticks a lot of times. It's hard to get anything when you have no momentum going there. That's kind of where we were in the first half."
On the official's call regarding the missed field goal at the end of the third quarter:
"It got totally mismanaged. They had the diving catch. I did not agree with the call when it was done. I had the challenge flag in my hand. I was talking to the sideline official, and I was looking at the clock. We were discussing on the headset about the quarter is going to end here. They were going to take the quarter. I had the challenge flag in my hand, and I am trying to figure out and communicate with up top on whether we are going to challenge the catch or not. I'm talking to the official and saying, 'Hey, I might challenge this. I might challenge this. Hey, the quarter's over, the quarter's over, the quarter's over, the quarter's over, the quarter's over.' For about four or five seconds, they let the play go. He misses the field goal. Whoever's in charge of shutting the play down, they obviously let the play go on. The explanation I got was that it is a replay assist situation. The play should not have been run because the clocks were at zero. The clocks were at zero. The clocks were definitely at zero. The quarter was over, but the officials missed that. That is why the play was allowed to go on. That is where my gripe is. The play should not have been allowed to go on. They gave the field goal kicker basically a freebie. They gave him the miss hit. I've been coaching kickers for 30 years. You give a guy a warmup shot, and you've got a pretty good shot he's going to make the second one. The success rate goes through the roof when a guy gets a second chance. That's where my gripe was. It was a game management, officials operations. I'll let the League handle it. Everybody else gets held accountable in this League. I hope the people that mismanage that get held accountable too. It was completely mishandled."
On his opinion regarding the penalty on Payton Turner:
"What made you think I was disagreeing with that? Yeah. I disagreed. You guys saw the play. I'm skating on thin ice as it is, so I'm going to bite my tongue. I disagree with the call. It's a shame that seven points in the game, because it was a one-point game. It's a shame that seven points in the game come down to a penalty on a field goal block and a quarter that was over and they let the play go. That's just a shame. That's not criticism. That's a shame."
On the explanation given regarding the penalty on Turner:
"The explanation that I got is that Payton Turner crossed over the long snapper and his back leg brushed over the head of the long snapper. That is the explanation I got. The long snapper is a defenseless player. There is no doubt about that. If anybody is in favor of that, that is me as a special teams background guy. They showed the replay briefly. I'm going to have to go and watch it and get an opinion for myself. On the replay that I saw, that's not really what I saw."
On if he would have been able to challenge the play prior after the quarter ending field goal no play:
"Since that field goal was technically a no play, I would have been able to challenge it. We saw multiple views, and the feeling I got from the guys up top was that there was no clear view that that was not a catch. I saw the play on the big board. I didn't really see a great angle. There were multiple angles that our guys who handle the game management and replay stuff felt like there wasn't enough to overturn that."
On Derek Carr's status in the concussion protocol:
"I'm not going to get into Derek (Carr). Derek's still on the injury list. He obviously was impacted today in terms of not being able to play. He's still out right now. He's going to be listed still with the same injuries. I'm not going to get into all the details of that. He didn't have a practice. That's it."
On the play call for the two-point conversion:
"Every game you have a couple of two-point plays on the menu. Klint [Kubiak] and the offensive staff felt like that was our best call. Listen, it didn't work out. It is what it is. It was a phenomenal drive getting down there, a phenomenal drive getting in the position to win the game. Unfortunately, we didn't get that last one."
On if Alvin Kamara got hurt on the touchdown catch:
"I think that's where Alvin Kamara initially kind of felt something. That's what it sounds like from our medical staff. I will have more information. He's going to get some imaging stuff, so I'll have more on that later."
On if the two-point conversion was designed to play to Spencer Rattler's strengths:
"I think that was more of the play call that we liked. You know that Spencer (Rattler) does a great job with the dropback stuff, too. In that specific situation, we felt like we knew the defense we were going to get. We felt like that was our best play call."
On Kool-Aid McKinstry's status moving forward:
"All I know is that if we had gone back on defense, I was told he would have gone back in the game. I don't know all the details of it, but I was told during the game on the sideline. I was just told he was good to go back in the game. Thank you, it was a stinger."
On the decision to go for the win after the touchdown with time expired:
"I really think two major factors played into this. No. 1, the momentum. We had gotten all the momentum and gained all the momentum back. I felt like if we kicked the extra point and we go to overtime, who knows who gets the ball? Jayden Daniels is a phenomenal player. Kool-Aid had gotten banged up. AK had gotten banged up. MVS had gotten banged up. I was just kind of looking and saying this is our chance to win the game. It was probably No. 1, a momentum thing, and No. 2 all the personnel and where we were in the game. If you told me at halftime, the last play of the game we were going to be throwing the ball to win the game with the way the first half went, I just felt like at that point- Listen I know there's the old adage about go kick the extra point at home and go for two on the road. We would have went for two in the Rams game, too, just the way the games played out. If we would have been scoring and the game was 45-44, we may have kicked the extra point, may be a different scenario. With where we were, I just felt like it was the right call."
On if the two-point conversion attempt and his aggressive play-calling is what he wants to show his players his willing to do:
"I think so. I don't think there's a guy in locker room that regrets that we went for two. There's not one guy in there that didn't want to do that. The whole sideline, and believe me, there's plenty of opinions, but I have to make the final decision. I have zero regret. I don't think the players do either. We were in position the last play to win it. We had one play from the two-yard line to win the game. With all that moment, I just thought it was the right call."
On Kendre Miller's development:
"I'm extremely proud of Kendre. I'm really proud of Kendre because of the way he's handled the last couple of weeks. He's kind of just tried to block out all the outside noise and work hard, work on the things that he needs to work on – ball security, pass protection, mental. He did have one mental[miscue] in the game earlier. I got on him because I had to burn a timeout because we were in the wrong formation. Listen, Kendre's whole thing is if he can stay healthy and be consistent with the week to-week game plan, you can see the player that he's showed the last two weeks. He is capable. I still think there's so much football out there for that guy. He's a guy I'm rooting for because I just think he's got a brilliant career ahead of him if he can take care of those few things."
On if Derek Carr's availability next week:
"I don't know. We get the extra day. Let us see where Derek is. Hopefully an extra day helps his hand heal a little bit more, and we will see if he has function and that kind of stuff. We will reevaluate that. Certainly, Spencer just came off a really good second half here. We will certainly take that into account.I do not want to make any proclamations here. We've got the extra day off, and we will kind of see where everyone is at"
SAINTS QUARTERBACK JAKE HAENER
On how he felt about his performance:
"Obviously I'm disappointed. You go out there and you make a good play, third play of the game, and it gets called back holding call, which is tough. Credit to the guys in the second half. I thought Spencer (Rattler) did a great job coming in and handling the moment of the game and he did a really good job moving the team. Gave us a chance for a win at the end, and I was proud of how he handled himself."
On regrets from first half:
"I'll have to go back and look at the tape, that is the biggest thing. The only thing I can really think of that comes to mind is trying to force the ball to AK Alvin Kamara when we are down. Learning from that and not making that mistake again. Overall, I felt like that was probably my one bad decision. When you go back and look at it, you will probably say the same. But obviously, I didn't get enough first downs, I didn't move the team, and Spencer came in and did a great job."
On whether momentum was impacted:
"My biggest thing is trying to go one play at a time. There were points there that just didn't happen for us for whatever reason. My biggest thing is trying to go one play at a time, then the next play, and today didn't go my way."
On impact when completion to Cedrick Wilson Jr. was called back due to holding:
"It's tough. You are trying to make plays, trying to do whatever you can to try and get first downs, and when something happens like that, you have just got to take a deep breath and go to the next play. Obviously you look at the big choice route I had to AK early, and then get sacked next play. It's on me, I've got to step up in the pocket and make something happen with my feet. Just things like that you learn and grow from."
On not getting opportunity to play in second half:
"Listen, I obviously want to be able to go and not have that leash be that tight. I felt like I wanted to go out there and have an opportunity to play a full game, but sometimes it's not up to me. I've got to do what I can to prepare each week. I feel like my teammates were confident in me if I got the opportunity to go in the second half. You guys see how these games go. Sometimes, even when Derek [Carr]'s in there, one half looks like this, and the next half is totally different. You saw that today and obviously I'm disappointed that we lost, first of all, but second of all, that I didn't get the opportunity."
On how he was informed of decision to start Spencer Rattler in the second half:
"They just came up to me and told me that Spencer was going to get the first opportunity to go in the second half. Like I said, disappointed, would've loved the opportunity to go out there and compete with the guys in the second half and have a chance to go and see what their second half game plan was. They continue to pressure us, they continue to play through deep three under, and get to some of the calls that we talk about, and move the launch point. But for whatever reason, we didn't have those opportunities in the first half, and made them count when it mattered in the second."
On difficulty developing rhythm with only 24 snaps in the first half:
"You can make whatever excuse you want for yourself. At the end of the day, my job is to move the team, and if I'm not doing that, then I'm not doing my job. I could sit here and feel sorry for myself and go cry to all of you guys, but at the end of the day, I've got to go get better and put my head down, and not listen to all the hate I'm about to receive from everybody, and just keep being myself."
SAINTS DEFENSIVE END CAMERON JORDAN
On the decision to go for two at the end of the game:
"Why not? I mean, the momentum was there, (Spencer) Rattler was playing his ass off, big confidence boost for the young QB, and the way that the energy felt, there wasn't anybody on the sideline that didn't think we weren't going to make that."
On what part of game plan allowed the defense to make eight sacks:
"Hard work, effort, and the trust in the game plan of letting guys win off their edge or that interior, whatever it was, instead of trying to over gameplan. It was simplifying. BY-Brian Young, who I am going to keep speaking high praises on, just the way he was able to realize talents and utilize the D-line to best abilities since he sort of took over. You can see it, the night and day sort of gameplay. You have a D-line coach who's sort of an x's and o's guy, versus a guy who's actually played the game and has been a D-lineman (player or coach) for thirty plus years. You can see the effects."
On his two-sack game and how he has felt recently:
"I am trying to get a win. I can have all types of personal feelings, but I have always said that personal accolades, everything else, I will talk about that after the season. I'm trying to win somehow, someway. Does it feel great to be sitting at 120.5 career sacks? Yeah. But would it have felt better with the win? Absolutely. Three games left, got to be able to make the most of those. If it's not about winning, I really don't want to talk about it."
On facing Jayden Daniels:
"It was annoying. (Jayden Daniels) took off for like, 60 yards. It was going to be annoying. You knew he was elusive. If he got past that first read, he was able to extend the pocket out. There's a reason why he's been electric this year. We knew going in we'd have to break down those lanes, and even when you want to go take your dive at him, you have to make sure you have your defense rallying. I think that our guys did a great job of rallying. At some point, you knew that just because you win the rush doesn't mean you're going to win. You win the rush, you have to be aware of where Jayden is. That's something that we have to go move on to the next game with. We have another mobile type quarterback coming up. Talking about Jordan Love, he's a great pocket passer, but he can extend plays with his feet as well."
On approach to tackling Daniels:
"I mean, if you hit him too hard, it's a roughing the passer. If you don't hit him hard enough, then he's a guy who lifts and runs and is an athlete, is overly competitive, overly athletic, so if he pushes for a double, then you've got to push for a double. Sometimes you've got to suplex him." On whether Chase Young was extra motivated facing his former team: "Kudos to Chase. He's really turned it on these last few weeks, and I think that's just the edge that he's had going into this final turn. For sure today we felt that energy early on, but there wasn't a surplus of energy just because it was the Commanders. He's been a great addition to the pass rush and the way that we're able to attack."
On differences he's seen in the D-line throughout the season:
"It was a middle-read game between me and Bryan (Bresee). A lot of sacks this year, you could run in between those interior games, it could go one of either way. I'm glad it went my way."
SAINTS QUARTERACK SPENCER RATTLER
On how he was told he'd be starting the second half:
"(Andrew) Janocko told me with about 30 seconds left in the second quarter that I'd be going in, so I just had toshift my mindset, but I felt prepared from the start of the game just in case. I wasn't the emergency third this week, I was the backup, so I had to have my mind right."
On whether being the backup changed his approach:
"No, honestly. I didn't have a lot of time on task this week with the guys, so I just had to come out of halftime and trust in what they do. These guys are incredible, how they filed up front wideouts, tight ends, running backs, so credit to them."
On his experience coming in mid-game for the first time:
"I think we had some more guys healthy than last time. I think that is big. Erik (McCoy), Cesar (Ruiz), Lucas (Patrick), having MVS Marquez Valdes-Scantling out there, Kevin (Austin Jr.), Ced Cedrick Wilson Jr., Kendre (Miller), AK Alvin Kamara for most of the game. It was good to have all those guys out there. Defense, same thing. Played lights out, I thought. Kept us in that game, and we were one play away."
On what he saw on the failed two-point conversion attempt:
"I thought Juwan (Johnson) got held, but there are good players in this league. It is tough to make those plays. I liked the aggression. I liked what we did there."
On when he knew they'd go for the win:
"We knew before the drive. We wanted to go down there and win the game. I think that's the mindset our whole team had. I'm proud of the team, because nobody flinched that whole game. Halftime, coming out, nobody flinched. We believed that we could come out and go win the game, and we were an inch away, so got to be proud of that."
On the team's trust in him to go for two-point conversion:
"I loved Klint (Kubiak)'s aggression. In that second half, I thought he called a great game. I thought the guys played really well up front. We protected the ball, moved the chains, (Blake) Grupe made some big kicks. We wanted to finish with seven points down there, but Grupe came in, knocked two down, and gave us a shot, and we went down and scored. Foster (Moreau) had some big time plays, Kendre had some big time runs, O-line blocked their butts off, so credit to them."
On patience and clock management during last drive:
"I just think, playing ball, understanding the situation, getting mental reps throughout the week in practice, seeing how two minutes manufacture how you're supposed to run it. I thought we ran it to a T and went down there with no time on the clock and had a chance to win. It was an impressive drive from the guys, great calls by Klint, and great job by the defense setting us up to get that drive."
On getting opportunity again after earlier games this season:
"I knew I'd have to be ready no matter what. What I am learning is that this league is crazy. Could be one thing another week, and something new the next, so just always staying ready. I think that is what it comes down to. I think this time I just went out there and played my style of game. I wanted to cut it loose, play free, and was happy Klint had that trust in our offense to go down there and execute, and set up a chance to win the game."
On how a game like this impacts his confidence:
"I think it's great to get out there and prove something. I've just kind of been sitting back and watching how Derek [Carr] plays. Just watching everything, learning. I think it was good to sit back and watch how it's supposed to be done for a few weeks, but again, third guy, second guy, first guy, you've got to stay ready no matter what. Credit to Coach Janocko, Klint, for preparing us throughout the week. They Did a heck of a job this week."
On if performance validates preparation:
"It definitely gives you confidence, but you've got to do it over and over. I didn't have any reps with the ones this week, so to be able to go out there and have that connection with them, I think that's big. Just to be able to adjust to things going on. Again, it wasn't just me. We've got 11 guys on the field. Like [Darren] Rizzi says, one eleventh. I feel like everybody on the offensive side of the ball did their one eleventh that second half."
On whether today's performance was more like what he wanted out of his previous games:
"No doubt. I was confident going in and felt prepared. I do not think we took any sacks, O-line did a great job, we ran the ball pretty well, converted when we needed to on third down. I think we were great on third down in the second half. Just got to still finish in the red zone. There were still some plays out there to be made. I think trying to force that one into Juwan, up the seam, [Frankie] Luvu, number four, made a good play on that. I should have put more touch on it. Just thinking of other plays. We could've definitely been better, but we gave ourselves a shot, and that's credit to my guys."
On importance of his third-and-ten pass to Dante Pettis during his first drive:
"Yeah, confident. Coach Janocko prepares us for that look every week, we have that play. Looking for MVS first deep, they took that away, and we've seen so many clips of them bending that in on the dig, and Dante (Pettis) made a great catch. I actually threw it a little behind him, but he made a great catch and got upfield, and it was a big conversion. Then, obviously, Cedrick with the dime to AK. A great catch there, get some juice going, get some sparks going, momentum, and that was great for us coming out of the half."
On reaction to Wilson's touchdown pass to Kamara:
"I obviously knew it would work. We have been holding that one in the holster for a little bit. I'm happy Klint called it. It was the perfect time to call it."
On whether the team appreciates Rizzi's aggressive approach with going for two:
"100 percent. Sitting at where we're at, we've got to go out there and win the game. I love the aggression, I love the mindset. I think we need that."
On his completion to Valdes-Scantling to set the tone:
"That was the exact look we repped this week. Their defense is a really good defense, holding until the last second. Snapping the ball, they got to it too high, and I knew the middle of the field was going to be there. Honestly, I probably took one or two more hitches than I needed to, and made it harder on myself, but Quez made a great catch. (The) O-line blocked just enough, and that was a big-time catch by him."
SAINTS TIGHT END FOSTER MOREAU
On his touchdown:
"Credit everyone else. Credit all of the ten other guys for getting their jobs done just so I can have the ball on the front pad and just be able to come down with it."
On Spencer Rattler's performance:
"Huge, especially on that first play to MVS. It was a big time play. He (Rattler) is a big-time player. He just did an exceptional job. He didn't get that many reps during the week, so to come in and cut it loose there is impressive. There is a lot of detail in the offense, especially the motions and the shifts and everything that we try to pride ourselves on, try to open up running lanes and passing lanes, and stuff like that. Credit to him. He didn't miss a single beat. He's awesome. Every time breaking the huddle, he's giving out reminders. For a rookie quarterback to come in and do that in the fifth game that he's played is pretty exceptional."
On how tough the loss is after coming back in the second half like they did:
"Credit everyone else. Credit everyone for just giving us a chance to be able to be there at the last second and to have a chance to win the game is such a huge opportunity. We never lost faith, hope or belief. There is just elation on the sideline when they the Commanders missed the kick, because at that point, we know what is gojng to happen. We are going to go down, we are going to score and going for two. That is just what we are going to do. Credit the understanding in just the last couple of seconds of the game to get the ball spiked, have everyone on the same page and have seven guys on the ball. It seems like an easy thing, but, in reality, when the clock is ticking like that, it become very difficult."
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https://www.neworleanssaints.com/news/washington-commanders-vs-new-orleans-saints-vs-2024-nfl-week-15-postgame-quotes
| 2024-12-16T05:31:16Z
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Mayor Eric Adams' inner circle gets smaller with retirement of Ingrid Lewis-Martin
The mayor's chief advisor -- one of his longest professional partners -- announced her resignation Sunday, and it comes as reports say her legal troubles may be mounting. CBS News New York's Jessica Moore reports.
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https://www.cbsnews.com/newyork/video/mayor-eric-adams-inner-circle-gets-smaller-with-retirement-of-ingrid-lewis-martin/
| 2024-12-16T05:31:18Z
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Milan’s Via MonteNapoleone usurps New York’s Fifth Avenue as world’s most upscale shopping street
MILAN (AP) — Shoppers laden with bags from Fendi, Loewe, Prada and other designer labels clog the narrow sidewalks of Milan’s swankiest shopping street, bringing joy to the purveyors of high-end luxury goods this, and every, holiday season.
There’s even more to celebrate this year: a commercial real estate company has crowned Via MonteNapoleone as the world’s most expensive retail destination, displacing New York’s Fifth Avenue.
The latest version of American firm Cushman & Wakefield’s annual global index, which ranks shopping areas based on the rent prices they command, is a sign of Via MonteNapoleone’s desirability as an address for luxury ready-to-wear, jewelry and even pastry brands.
The average rent on the Milan street has surged to 20,000 euros per square meter ($2,047 per square foot), compared with 19,537 euros per square meter ($2,000 per square foot) on an 11-block stretch of upper Fifth Avenue.
Via MonteNapoleone’s small size — just 350 meters (less than one-quarter mile) long — and walking distance to services and top cultural sites are among the street’s key advantages, according to Guglielmo Miani, president of the MonteNapoleone District association.
“Not everything can fit, which is a benefit’’ since the limited space makes the street even more exclusive and dynamic, said Miani, whose group also represents businesses on the intersecting side streets that together with Via MonteNapoleone form an area known as Milan’s Fashion Quadrilateral.
The biggest brands on the street make 50 million euros to 100 million euros in annual sales, Miani said, which goes a long way to paying the rent. Tiffany & Co. is preparing to take up residence on Via Montenapoleone, and long-time tenant Fendi is expanding.
The MonteNapoleone District says 11 million people visited the area this year through November, but there’s no way to say how many were big spenders vs. window shoppers. The average shopper on Via MonteNapoleone spent 2,500 euros per purchase between August and November — the highest average receipt in the world, according to the tax-free shopping firm Global Blue.
The street is a magnet for holiday shoppers who arrive in Maseratis, Porsches and even Ferraris, the sports car’s limited trunk space notwithstanding. Lights twinkle overhead, boutique windows feature mannequins engaged in warm scenes of holiday fun, and passersby snap photos of expertly decorated cakes in pastry shop displays.
A visitor from China, Chen Xinghan, waited for a taxi with a half-dozen shopping bags lined up next to him on the sidewalk. He said he paid half the price for a luxury Fendi coat that he purchased in Milan than he would have at home.
“I got a lot,’’ Chen acknowledged. “It’s a fantastic place, a good place for shopping.”
A few store windows down, Franca Da Rold, who was visiting Milan from Belluno, an Italian city in the Dolomites mountain range, marveled at a chunky, meters-long knit scarf priced at 980 euros.
“I could knit that in one hour, using 12-gauge knitting needles as thick as my fingers, and thick wool. Maximum two hours,’’ Da Rold said, but acknowledged the brand appeal.
Despite upper Fifth Avenue getting bumped to the No. 2 spot on the Cushman & Wakefield list, the organization that serves as the Manhattan street’s guardian and chief promoter had praise for MonteNapoleone’s achievement.
“Milan’s investment in its public realm is paying off, which is a win for their shoppers, businesses and city as a whole,’’ Madelyn Wils, interim president of the Fifth Avenue Association, said.
But she also expressed confidence that with new investments and a record year for sales on Fifth Avenue, “we’ll be back on top in no time.”
Copyright 2024 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed without permission.
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https://www.kob.com/news/business-money/milans-via-montenapoleone-usurps-new-yorks-fifth-avenue-as-worlds-most-upscale-shopping-street/
| 2024-12-16T05:31:18Z
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In today’s fast-paced world, where most of us are caught in the rat race for success, healthy eating often takes a backseat. Grabbing a ready-to-eat meal along with a soft drink might look like a convenient choice. But did you know these foods are stealing precious time from your life?
Nutritionist Luis Zamora has recently warned about the after-effects of consuming
ultra-processed foods, including slashing life expectancy. According to the nutritionist, each hot dog reduces life expectancy by an average of 36 minutes. He also quoted another study and added that soft drinks, even the ones labeled sugar-free would steal 12 minutes of life.
Another popular item that would slash life expectancy is cheeseburger. Each cheeseburger would take away 9 minutes. The nutritionist also cautioned about consuming bacon and all processed red meat, as each serving would take away about six minutes of life.
The alarming studies have grabbed the attention at the
Nutrition 2024, the annual summit of the American Society for Nutrition. The study was led by Erikka Loftfield and her teammates at the National Cancer Institute.
The study also found out that older adults consuming higher amounts of ultra-processed foods were about 10% more likely to die over a median follow-up of 23 years compared with those who consumed less processed food.
“Our study results support a larger body of literature, including both observational and experimental studies, which indicate that ultra-processed food intake adversely impacts health and longevity. However, there is still a lot that we don’t know, including what aspects of ultra-processed foods pose potential health risks,” Erikka Loftfield, PhD, Stadtman Investigator at the National Cancer Institute said in a statement.
The study analyzed data from over 540,000 people, aged 50-71 in the mid-1990s, with more than half now deceased. The researchers compared death rates between those in the highest and lowest percentiles of ultra-processed food consumption and also analyzed its links to specific foods and diseases.
The Mystical Science of Dematerialisation: Sadhguru Explains How Yogis Transcend The Physical Body
“We observed that highly processed meat and soft drinks were a couple of the subgroups of ultra-processed food most strongly associated with mortality risk and eating a diet low in these foods is already recommended for disease prevention and health promotion,” Loftfield added.
Meanwhile, several studies have found that ultra-processed foods are linked to obesity, chronic diseases such as heart disease, type 2 diabetes, and certain cancers
(Pic courtesy: iStock)
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https://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/life-style/health-fitness/health-news/this-food-cuts-36-minutes-off-your-life-expectancy-every-time-you-eat-it/articleshow/116342628.cms
| 2024-12-16T05:31:19Z
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NYC holiday tourism is surging, but so are prices
Demand is surging with nearly 65 million visitors expected to visit the Big Apple this year, according to the city's tourism office. That's just shy of 2019 levels. CBS News New York's Derick Waller has the story.
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https://www.cbsnews.com/newyork/video/nyc-holiday-tourism-is-surging-but-so-are-prices/
| 2024-12-16T05:31:24Z
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7 foreign tourists hospitalized in Fiji after drinking cocktails at a resort bar
WELLINGTON, New Zealand (AP) — Seven foreign tourists were hospitalized in Fiji after drinking cocktails at a resort bar, Fijian authorities said on Monday.
The cause of their illness was not known and officials said it was too soon to know if tainted alcohol was involved.
Those who became ill at the five-star Warwick resort near the town of Sigatoka on Saturday included Australians and an American, according to local news reports. They were hospitalized with nausea, vomiting and neurological symptoms, said Jemesa Tudravu, a Fiji Health Ministry spokesperson.
Two people remained in the hospital, conscious and in stable condition, Fiji’s Tourism Minister Viliame R. Gavoka told reporters on Monday. One person was discharged on Sunday and four others on Monday.
David Sandoe, an Australian man who said his daughter and granddaughter were hospitalized, told Sky News Australia that his relatives had been released from the hospital and were due to fly home on Monday night.
Local news outlets reported on Sunday that the cause of the foreigners’ illness was suspected alcohol poisoning, similar to a case in Laos in November in which six tourists — including two Australian teenagers — died after consuming tainted drinks.
But Tudravu said no cause had been identified in the Fiji episode. Police have ordered toxicology tests and are awaiting results — which are expected to take three or four days — Gavoka said.
The bar was full of customers on Saturday night and many had ordered piña coladas, the drink consumed by those who became ill, said the official.
Gavoka said no other reports of similar illness were recorded at the resort or across Fiji, a South Pacific island nation of 930,000 people.
“The resort management has assured us that they have not engaged in practices such as substituting ingredients or altering the quality of drinks served to guests,” Gavoka said. The hotel, located on the picturesque Coral Coast of the largest island, Viti Levu, has operated for many years and “holds a strong reputation,” he added.
“This is the only reported case of its kind that we’ve experienced in recent memory, and certainly nothing like this has been experienced this year,” Gavoka said.
Australia’s Foreign Ministry said in a statement that officials are providing consular assistance to two Australian families in Fiji.
The ministry did not comment on the cause of the Australians’ illness, but its website advising tourists was updated on Monday to caution travelers about “potential risks around drink spiking and methanol poisoning through consuming alcoholic drinks.”
A spokesperson for the resort, Savaira Molaucake, said staff were “conducting a thorough investigation” of the incident and were working closely with authorities.
Copyright 2024 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed without permission.
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https://www.kob.com/news/health/7-foreign-tourists-hospitalized-in-fiji-after-drinking-cocktails-at-a-resort-bar/
| 2024-12-16T05:31:24Z
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The obesity rates in the United States have decreased for the first time in more than a decade. According to a new study
published in the journal, JAMA Health Forum, on Friday (Dec. 13), there is a notable decline in obesity prevalence in 2023. The latest data suggests that the US is finally heading in the right direction, with weight loss medications.
The researchers reviewed the BMI (body mass index), which is a measure of obesity, of 16.7 million adults from the US, over a period of 10 years, and found that the average BMI rose to 30.24 annually, which is considered obese, however, after it plateaued in 2022, it dropped to 30.21 last year (2023).
(Pic courtesy: iStock)
The drop in obesity was most evident in the South, which had the highest observed per capita GLP-1RA dispensing rate. “However, dispensing does not necessarily mean uptake, and the South also experienced disproportionately high COVID-19 mortality among individuals with obesity,” the study said.
(Pic courtesy: iStock)
A recent
study suggested that the US is moving towards an obesity epidemic by 2050, where almost 260 million people will be overweight or obese.The ratio of obese people has surged in the past decades, especially during the COVID-19 pandemic. Long-term forecasts predict that the upward trajectory will continue. However, there was a slight shift in the US, after pandemic conditions, with the emergence of weight loss medication such as semaglutide. “As the US transitions from pandemic conditions and weight loss medication use (eg, semaglutide) become more common, near-term changes in obesity prevalence are unclear. We examined national trends in body mass index (BMI) and obesity among US adults (aged ≥18 years) between January 1, 2013, and December 31, 2023,” the study author said in the journal.
Medithon Part 4 | Diabetes & Obesity
What is obesity?(Pic courtesy: iStock)
According to the World Health Organisation (WHO), overweight and obesity are defined as abnormal or excessive fat accumulation that presents a risk to health. A body mass index (BMI) over 25 is considered overweight, and over 30 is considered obese. Obesity is a major risk factor for numerous chronic diseases, including cardiovascular diseases such as heart disease and stroke, which are the leading causes of death worldwide.
(Pic courtesy: iStock)
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https://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/life-style/health-fitness/health-news/us-obesity-rates-decline-for-the-first-time-in-a-decade-boosted-by-weight-loss-medications/articleshow/116325905.cms
| 2024-12-16T05:31:25Z
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Former FBI informant will plead guilty to lying about phony bribery scheme involving the Bidens
WASHINGTON (AP) — A former FBI informant is set to plead guilty on Monday to lying about a phony bribery scheme involving President Joe Biden and his son Hunter that became central to the Republican impeachment inquiry in Congress.
Alexander Smirnov is expected to make the plea in Los Angeles to a felony charge in connection with the bogus story, along with a tax evasion charge stemming from a separate indictment accusing him of concealing millions of dollars of income, according to court papers.
Smirnov has been behind bars since his arrest in February on charges that he told his FBI handler that executives from the Ukrainian energy company Burisma had paid President Biden and Hunter Biden $5 million each around 2015.
Prosecutors and the defense have agreed to recommend a sentence of between four and six years in prison, according to the plea agreement.
Smirnov had been an informant for more than a decade when he made the explosive allegations about the Bidens in June 2020, after “expressing bias” about Joe Biden as a presidential candidate, prosecutors said.
But Smirnov had only routine business dealings with Burisma starting in 2017, according to court documents. An FBI field office investigated the allegations and recommended the case be closed in August 2020, according to charging documents.
No evidence has emerged that Joe Biden acted corruptly or accepted bribes in his current role or previous office as vice president.
While his identity wasn’t publicly known before the indictment, Smirnov’s claims played a major part in the Republican effort in Congress to investigate the president and his family, and helped spark a House impeachment inquiry into Biden. Before Smirnov’s arrest, Republicans had demanded the FBI release the unredacted form documenting the unverified allegations, though they acknowledged they couldn’t confirm if they were true.
During a September 2023 conversation with investigators, Smirnov also claimed the Russians likely had recordings of Hunter Biden because a hotel in Ukraine’s capital where he had stayed was “wired” and under their control — information he said was passed along to him by four high-level Russian officials.
But Hunter Biden had never traveled to Ukraine, according to Smirnov’s indictment.
Smirnov claimed to have contacts with Russian intelligence-affiliated officials, and told authorities after his arrest earlier this year that “officials associated with Russian intelligence were involved in passing a story” about Hunter Biden.
The case against Smirnov was brought by special counsel David Weiss, who also prosecuted Hunter Biden on gun and tax charges. Hunter Biden was supposed to be sentenced this month after being convicted at trial in the gun case and pleading guilty to federal charges in the tax case. But he was pardoned earlier this month by his father, who said he believed “raw politics has infected this process and it led to a miscarriage of justice.”
Copyright 2024 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed without permission.
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https://www.kob.com/news/us-and-world-news/former-fbi-informant-will-plead-guilty-to-lying-about-phony-bribery-scheme-involving-the-bidens/
| 2024-12-16T05:31:30Z
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NYPD officer struck by driver fleeing traffic stop in Brooklyn
It happened at around 6 p.m. Sunday on Fulton Street near Nostrand Avenue in Bed-Stuy. Police are looking for the driver of a BMW. CBS News New York's Jessica Moore reports.
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https://www.cbsnews.com/newyork/video/nypd-officer-struck-by-driver-fleeing-traffic-stop-in-brooklyn/
| 2024-12-16T05:31:30Z
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Ménière's disease is a chronic condition affecting the inner ear that causes repeated episodes of dizziness, hearing loss, ringing in the ears, and a feeling of pressure in the ear. It can be a difficult and frustrating experience, impacting daily life, work, and social activities. Once diagnosed, proper treatment, along with lifestyle adjustments, can make a significant difference in managing symptoms and improving quality of life.
People with Ménière's disease typically experience four primary symptoms:1. Vertigo (Severe Dizziness or chhakar): Vertigo is a feeling that the room is spinning, lasting several minutes to several hours. These dizzy spells can be accompanied by nausea and vomiting, making standing or walking safely challenging.
2. Hearing Loss: Meniere's disease typically affects one ear, leading to fluctuating hearing loss. In the initial phase of the disease, hearing loss may come and go, but as the disease progresses, it can become more persistent, with permanent hearing loss in the affected ear.
3. Tinnitus (Ringing in the ear): People with Ménière's disease often experience tinnitus, which they usually describe as a roaring or buzzing sound in the affected ear. Initially, the sound comes with pressure fluctuations. In later stages, it can become continuous.
4. Fullness or Pressure in the Ear: Many people with Ménière's disease feel a sensation of fullness or pressure in the affected ear. It can feel similar to the sensation you get on an airplane, but it doesn't go away and may vary in intensity.
These symptoms can be unpredictable and vary from person to person. Some people may initially experience mild episodes that are easy to manage. Others might find that their symptoms significantly impact their daily lives.
Meniere's disease is caused by an abnormal buildup of endolymphatic fluid in the inner ear. Scientists believe this buildup might happen due to the overproduction of endolymph or problems with fluid drainage, but the exact cause is still unclear. When the pressure reaches high levels to disrupt the inner ear membranes, there is a mixing of the endolymph and perilymph- the two fluids of the inner ear. This leads to an ionic imbalance, inducing episodes of vertigo.
Diagnosing Ménière's disease involves a detailed history followed by specialized tests typically prescribed by a vertigo specialist, with expertise in diagnosing and treating conditions that cause dizziness and balance problems.
1. Hearing Tests: These tests check for hearing loss, particularly in low-frequency sounds, which is common in people with Ménière's disease.
2. Balance Tests: Because Ménière's disease affects the balance organs in the inner ear, tests to measure the functioning of the balance system should be performed. One test, called videonystagmography (VNG), tracks eye movements in response to specific head or body positions to assess balance function.
Interestingly, Ménière's disease can sometimes occur alongside migraine, a condition known as the Ménière's-Migraine spectrum. Thus, some people may experience classic Ménière's symptoms — such as vertigo, ringing in the ear, and hearing loss — and migraine symptoms like headache, sensitivity to light or sound, and visual disturbances. Research suggests that the inner ear and brain share complex connections, and this overlap may lead to symptoms of both disorders. Recognizing the Ménière's-migraine spectrum is important because it can affect the treatment plan; for example, in addition to standard Ménière's management, some patients may benefit from migraine treatments, which can help reduce both migraine and dizziness episodes.
Treatment for Ménière's disease aims to manage symptoms and reduce inner ear pressure. There are various treatment options :
1. Medications: The medications prescribed are aimed at two goals- aborting an acute episode and preventing further attacks. Vertigo specialists will prescribe medications to relieve vertigo during an acute attack. Medicines like diuretics are given to reduce the inner ear pressure.
2. Intratympanic Injections: In more severe cases that do not respond to medical treatment, a vertigo specialist may inject medication into the ear to reduce the inner ear pressure. The injection could be steroids or gentamicin.
3. Surgery: Surgery is usually a last resort if other treatments don't work. Surgery is called Vestibular neurectomy, where the balance nerve is sectioned to prevent repeated and intractable vertigo episodes.
4. Dietary and Lifestyle Changes
Specific dietary and lifestyle changes help in managing Ménière's disease. Here are some steps that can help:
1. Reduce Sodium: Reducing the amount of salt in your diet can help limit fluid buildup in the inner ear, reducing the frequency and severity of vertigo episodes.
2. Avoid Caffeine and Alcohol: Both caffeine and alcohol can make symptoms worse for some people, as they can stimulate the inner ear. Cutting back on these beverages may help lessen the severity of symptoms.
3. Stay Hydrated: Drinking plenty of water throughout the day helps maintain overall balance in your body and can prevent some symptoms.
4. Manage Stress: High stress can often trigger or worsen symptoms. Relaxing techniques like deep breathing, meditation, or light exercise can help reduce stress and ease symptoms.
5. Quit Smoking: Smoking can affect blood flow to the inner ear and make symptoms worse. If you smoke, consider quitting to help manage the disease.
Living with Ménière's DiseaseLiving with Ménière's disease can be challenging, but understanding it and working with a vertigo specialist to create a management plan can make a big difference. Through a combination of medication, dietary adjustments, and lifestyle changes, patients find relief from their symptoms and regain a sense of control over their lives.
Dr. Anita Bhandari is a renowned Neurotologist and ENT surgeon, author, innovator, and Director of NeuroEquilibrium & Dr. Anushka Bhandari is head of R&D at NeuroEquilibrium
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https://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/life-style/health-fitness/health-news/what-are-the-real-causes-and-treatments-for-mnires-disease/articleshow/116340643.cms
| 2024-12-16T05:31:32Z
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Germany’s Scholz faces a confidence vote. It’s expected to lead to an election in February
BERLIN (AP) — Chancellor Olaf Scholz faces a confidence vote in the German parliament on Monday that he’s expected to lose, paving the way for the European Union’s most populous member and biggest economy to hold an early election in February.
Scholz’s notoriously rancorous three-party government collapsed on Nov. 6 when the chancellor fired his finance minister in a long-running dispute over how to revitalize Germany’s stagnant economy, and the minister’s pro-business party quit the coalition. That left the remaining two center-left partners without a majority in parliament.
Leaders of several major parties then agreed that a parliamentary election should be held on Feb. 23, seven months earlier than originally planned. Post-World War II Germany’s constitution doesn’t allow parliament’s lower house, or Bundestag, to dissolve itself — so a confidence vote is needed to set in motion the early election.
What is likely to happen?
Scholz’s Social Democrats hold 207 seats in the Bundestag and are expected to vote for the chancellor. Their remaining coalition partners, the environmentalist Greens, have 117 and plan to abstain. That should mean Scholz gets nowhere near the majority of 367 in the 733-seat chamber needed to win the confidence vote.
If Scholz loses, it will up to up to President Frank-Walter Steinmeier to decide whether to dissolve the Bundestag. Steinmeier, who said last month that “this country needs stable majorities and a government that is capable of acting,” has 21 days to make that decision. Once parliament is dissolved, the election must be held within 60 days.
In practice, the campaign is already well underway.
Who is in the race?
As he formally requested the confidence vote on Wednesday, Scholz said that voters will “decide in the election how we answer the big questions that we face.”
Those, he said, include whether Germany decides to “invest strongly in our future,” secure jobs and modernize its industry, keep pension levels stable and “come closer to a just peace in Ukraine without Germany being drawn into the war.” Germany has become Ukraine’s biggest military supplier in Europe, but Scholz also has refused to supply long-range Taurus cruise missiles over concerns of escalating the war with Russia.
Center-right challenger Friedrich Merz on Saturday predicted “one of the hardest election campaigns” in modern German history, as Scholz’s Social Democrats “have their backs to the wall.” He said that it’s crucial to make the economy more competitive, because “the competitiveness of our economy is the precondition for everything else.”
Polls show Scholz’s party trailing behind Merz’s main opposition Union bloc. Vice Chancellor Robert Habeck, whose Greens are further back, is also bidding for the top job.
The far-right Alternative for Germany, which is polling strongly, has nominated Alice Weidel as its candidate for chancellor but has no chance of taking the job because other parties refuse to work with it.
Confidence votes are rare in Germany, a country of 83 million people that prizes stability. This is only the sixth time in its postwar history that a chancellor has called one.
The last was in 2005, when then-Chancellor Gerhard Schröder engineered an early election that was narrowly won by center-right challenger Angela Merkel.
Copyright 2024 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed without permission.
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https://www.kob.com/news/us-and-world-news/germanys-scholz-faces-a-confidence-vote-its-expected-to-lead-to-an-election-in-february/
| 2024-12-16T05:31:36Z
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Ongoing drone mystery across Northeast leads to calls for more transparency from the feds
On Sunday, a request was made to deploy cutting-edge technology to track the flying objects. CBS News New York's Kristie Keleshian heard from the owner of one company that may help.
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https://www.cbsnews.com/newyork/video/ongoing-drone-mystery-across-northeast-leads-to-calls-for-more-transparency-from-the-feds/
| 2024-12-16T05:31:36Z
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Depression is not simply feeling sad or having a bad day. It is a profound and often debilitating mental health condition that affects millions worldwide. People with depression may feel trapped, isolated, and overwhelmed, unable to find their way out of the darkness that surrounds them. For those on the outside, it can be hard to understand exactly what a loved one is going through. However, our words can have a tremendous impact.
While our intentions are often good, some phrases or responses can come across as dismissive, judgmental, or overly simplistic.
Supporting someone with depression requires patience, empathy, and a willingness to listen without judgment. Our words have the power to uplift or unintentionally harm, so it’s essential to approach conversations with care.
Depression is a heavy burden, but no one should have to carry it alone. Small acts of kindness, thoughtful words, and genuine understanding can make a significant difference in someone’s journey toward healing.
One of the most common misconceptions about depression is that it’s something a person can simply will themselves out of. Saying "just snap out of it" minimizes the complexity of the condition and implies that the person is choosing to feel this way. Depression is not a matter of weak will or laziness — it is a medical condition that affects brain chemistry, thought patterns, and emotional well-being.
What to say instead: “I’m here for you, and I understand this isn’t something you can just turn off. How can I support you?”
This approach acknowledges the seriousness of their condition while expressing your willingness to help.
While gratitude can be a powerful tool for mental health, this statement can make someone with depression feel even worse. It suggests that they are ungrateful or failing to see the good in their lives, which often isn’t the case. Depression can cloud a person’s perspective, making it difficult to feel joy or appreciation even for things they value deeply.
What to say instead: “I know how hard this is for you, and I’m here to listen if you need to talk about it.”
This shows empathy without invalidating their experience or feelings.
Comparing someone’s struggles to others’ hardships can feel dismissive and invalidate their pain. Depression isn’t a competition, and reminding someone that others suffer more doesn’t make their experience any less real or significant.
What to say instead: “I can’t imagine exactly how you’re feeling, but I want to understand. Tell me more about what you’re going through.”
This response focuses on their individual experience rather than minimizing it.
While exercise, hobbies, or spending time with friends can help alleviate depression symptoms for some people, suggesting that an activity is the cure can be frustrating. Depression often saps energy and motivation, making even simple tasks feel overwhelming. This suggestion can come across as oversimplifying their struggles.
What to say instead: “I’ve read that certain activities can sometimes help. Would you like me to join you in trying something new, or would that feel too much right now?”
This offers support without pressuring them and respects their boundaries.
Depression doesn’t have a single “look.” People battling it might still smile, go to work, or post happy photos on social media. This statement can make someone feel invalidated, as if their pain isn’t real just because it’s not outwardly visible.
What to say instead: “I’m proud of how you’re handling this. You don’t have to hide how you feel with me.”
This acknowledges their effort and gives them permission to be vulnerable.
This phrase undermines the seriousness of depression as a legitimate medical condition. While depression does involve brain chemistry and thought patterns, it is not a figment of someone’s imagination. Such statements can make the person feel dismissed and ashamed for struggling.
What to say instead:“I know this isn’t something you’re making up. I believe you, and I’m here for you.”
Believing in their experience can provide a sense of validation and trust.
Depression often amplifies emotions or creates feelings of despair that can seem disproportionate to those on the outside. Calling someone dramatic invalidates their emotional reality and may discourage them from opening up in the future.
What to say instead: “Your feelings are valid, and I’m sorry you’re going through this. Let’s take it one step at a time.”
This reassures them that their emotions matter and that they are not alone.
Depression isn’t linear. Good days don’t mean the person is "cured" or that their struggles aren’t real. This phrase can make them feel misunderstood or pressured to always appear “okay.”
What to say instead: “I’m glad you had a better day yesterday. How can I help you today?”
This shows understanding of the ups and downs of their journey.
While it’s important to acknowledge someone’s strength, this phrase can discourage them from seeking professional help. It may also make them feel ashamed of their need for support.
What to say instead: “You’re incredibly strong, and seeking help shows even more strength. I’m here to support you in finding what you need.”
This recognizes their resilience while encouraging them to prioritize their well-being.
Though well-intentioned, this statement puts the burden on the person with depression to reach out, which can feel impossible when they’re struggling. Instead, proactive support can make a bigger difference.
What to say instead: “I’m going to bring over dinner tomorrow evening, and we can chat if you’re up for it. If not, that’s okay too.”
This approach takes the initiative while respecting their boundaries.
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https://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/life-style/health-fitness/health-news/what-not-to-say-to-someone-battling-depression/photostory/116331867.cms
| 2024-12-16T05:31:38Z
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How to Watch: Mizzou Basketball Hosts Jacksonville State
Missouri Tigers basketball will hit the court for one of their final three games of the 2024 calendar year, and of non-conference play, Tuesday, hosting Jacksonville State.
Missouri's non-conference schedule has been nearly perfect for the Tigers. Highlighted by a 76-67 win over Kansas, the Tigers have won each of its last nine. Missouri has already surpassed its season win total from last year. A win over Jacksonville State and then Illinois would give Missouri its best start since the 2013-'14 season.
The nine-game win streak has shown the potential of some of Missouri's rising stars, including the likes of Anthony Robinson II, Trent Pierce and Peyton Marshall, amongst others. After finishing 0-18 in conference play last season, the Tigers hope the young talent will carry them to better results in SEC play.
Below is full information for the game, including radio and TV details.
How to Watch: Jacksonville State at Missouri
Who: Missouri Tigers (9-1, 0-0 SEC) vs. Jacksonville State (6-4, 0-0 CUSA)
When: Tuesday, Dec. 17 at 6:30 p.m. CT.
Where: Mizzou Arena
TV: SEC Network+/ESPN+
Sirus XM: 387
Last Time Out, Missouri: The Tigers secured a 88-61 win over Long Island. Sophomore Pierce put together one of the most promising performances of his young career, leading the Tigers with 24 points. Pierce made five of his 11 three-point attempts. Northern Kentucky transfer Marques Warrick made all but one of his five shots from outside the arc.
Last Time Out, Long Island: Earned a 70-66 victory over Utah Valley. Guard Jason Pierre Jr. led the Gamecocks with in points (26), assists (4) and rebounds (8) in the win.
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https://www.si.com/college/missouri/basketball/how-to-watch-mizzou-basketball-hosts-jacksonville-state-01jf6qa5s0ne
| 2024-12-16T05:31:40Z
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Survivors seek a reckoning as FBI investigates child sex abuse in little-known Christian sect
BOISE, Idaho (AP) — Nearly every detail about the religious group Lisa Webb’s family belonged to was hidden from the outside world. Its followers met in homes rather than churches. Its leadership structure was hard to discern, its finances opaque. It didn’t even have an official name.
But for decades, no secret was as closely guarded as the identities of the sexual predators inside the group known as the “Two by Twos.”
Now a growing number of public allegations from around the world have prompted a broad investigation by the FBI and placed an uncomfortable spotlight on the long-quiet Christian sect. Survivors say the group’s leaders protected child-abusing ministers by pressuring victims to forgive, ignoring legal reporting requirements and by transferring abusers to new locations to live with unsuspecting families.
Ministry leaders have publicly condemned the abuse but several declined to answer questions from The Associated Press.
For Webb, who was sexually abused by one of the group’s ministers as a child, the attention has brought an unexpected sense of “strength in numbers.”
“There are so many who are frustrated and disheartened,” said Webb. “But there’s also camaraderie in that, and support.”
A website, a hotline and social media pages established by victims have documented allegations against more than 900 abusers, with survivors in more than 30 countries and cases continuing to emerge. In the past year, news stories and a Hulu documentary have focused on the sect’s predator preachers and the leaders who enabled them.
While perpetrators have been sentenced to prison in isolated cases, the sect has largely avoided legal repercussions, protected by its decentralized structure, hidden finances and state laws that limit the timeline for criminal charges.
The secret sect’s origin story
The sect, also known to its members as “The Way” or “The Truth,” was founded in Ireland in 1897 by William Irvine, who railed against the existence of churches. The only way to spread Christianity, he argued, was to do as Jesus instructed in the Book of Matthew: to send apostles out to live among those they sought to convert.
The sect grew as volunteer preachers — known as workers — went “two by two” to live in the family homes of followers for days or weeks at a time. Sect historians say there were up to a few million members just a few decades ago, but current estimates put the figure at 75,000 to 85,000 worldwide.
Unlike the Boy Scouts or the Catholic Church, which have paid out billions to sex abuse victims, the sect’s aversion to property leaves it without apparent assets that might be used to pay settlements, legal experts say.
Workers are supposed to shun worldly possessions, relying on followers for food, shelter and transportation. But that also ensures abusive workers have access to potential victims.
Webb was abused by a preacher who stayed with her family in Michigan when she was 11. The man, Peter Mousseau, was convicted much later — after he expressed an interest in visiting her in 2008 and she decided to pursue charges. A regional overseer to whom she previously reported the abuse was later convicted for failing to report abuse allegations against another local worker.
“You have this mindset that they are angels in your home. They can do no wrong, so you don’t have any kind of wall up,” she said. “It was just the perfect storm created, the perfect recipe for this kind of behavior.”
Abusers live among their victims
Sheri Autrey had just turned 14 when a 28-year-old worker moved into her family’s home in Visalia, California, for two months.
He began abusing her immediately, sneaking to her room at night and taking her for daytime drives. He turned up the radio whenever the Hall & Oates song “Maneater” came on, singing: “Watch out boy, she’ll chew you up.”
When Autrey revealed the abuse to her mother a few years later, her mom reported it to the sect’s regional overseer, who was in charge of all the workers in the area.
The overseer refused to warn other families. Instead, he sent the worker back to Autrey’s home to apologize.
Autrey, raised to be meek, erupted. Her family took her to the district attorney’s office but declined to put her through a prosecution.
“I would have to explain, explicitly, what happened,” Autrey said. “And I was in no way prepared for that.”
Decades later, Autrey was at a baseball game when “Maneater” came on. She had to walk around the stadium to calm herself down, and she resolved to send a letter about the abuse to hundreds of sect members.
“I wanted anyone else who was a victim to know she is not the only one,” Autrey said. “She needs to know there is help.”
Many more cases of abuse
One worker from Peru, Americo Quispe, was sent to Garland, Texas, in the early 2000s after facing allegations of inappropriate behavior in his home country. He soon found new victims, some of whose families went to police. He returned to Peru before he could be arrested.
Quispe was later convicted of molestation in Peru and sentenced to 30 years. He has never faced the charges in Texas.
Another worker, Ruben Mata, abused dozens of boys, among them 10-year-old Douglas Patterson, who was lured away from his family during a sect convention in the early 1990s. Patterson said he kept quiet about it because he feared his family would leave the sect — and thus be barred from eternal salvation — if he told.
Mata was eventually convicted in 2006 in a separate sex abuse case. He died in a California prison.
Members told to keep abuse reports quiet
A few months before Mata’s trial, the Saskatchewan, Canada, overseer, Dale Shultz, sent two letters to colleagues.
One was to be shown to any concerned members. It acknowledged Mata was a pedophile and that workers had been alerted to his abuse at least three times. The sect only notified authorities after Mata resigned, according to the letter.
The second was for staff. It said no copies should be made of the first letter.
“The purpose of the letter is to help those who have concerns, not to advertise a kingdom problem to those who either do not know about it or are not having a problem with it,” Shultz wrote.
In another case, a regional overseer for Arizona, Ed Alexander, wrote a letter to a child-molesting elder in 2005 observing that “we love our people very much and don’t want to report their misdeeds.”
The letter suggested the sect could fulfill its mandatory abuse-reporting obligations by recommending offenders get professional counseling, because then the counselors — rather than sect leaders — would be obligated to make the reports to police.
“They believe that child sexual assault is just a sin. Like, you’re a sinner, they are a sinner, it’s all just sin,” said Eileen Dickey, one of the man’s victims. She reported the abuse to sect leaders because she was worried other children would be targeted.
“I was told never to talk about it,” she said.
Alexander would not speak with The Associated Press: “Unfortunately, the media coverage has been so negative and one-sided that I am going to have to decline an interview,” he texted.
Former minister recounts culture of downplaying misdeeds
Jared Snyder spent more than two decades as an itinerant minister before becoming disillusioned and quitting. No one told him directly about abuse, Snyder said, but he occasionally heard rumors.
The sect’s culture — which makes gossip taboo and places tremendous pressure on members to be merciful — meant that misdeeds big or small were downplayed, he said.
“One overseer just explicitly told me, ‘The less you know, the better off you are,’” he said.
As a worker, Snyder received no paychecks, retirement benefits or health insurance benefits, and he was discouraged from using banks. But he was never without spending money: Followers regularly offer cash to the workers, and Snyder said he frequently had thousands of dollars in his pockets.
Most of that money would get spent on building materials, food or other supplies at regional conventions, Snyder said.
The case that exposed the sect to more scrutiny
In June 2022, a regional overseer named Dean Bruer died in an Oregon motel room. Bruer, 67, had served in at least 22 states and territories and seven countries since 1976, according to a timeline compiled by Pam Walton, a former member who has used historical records and photographs to track the movements of predatory preachers.
Nine months after Bruer died, Doyle Smith, the overseer for Idaho and Oregon, wrote a letter to members. Evidence left on Bruer’s phone and laptop showed he had raped and abused multiple underage victims, Smith wrote.
“Dean was a sexual predator,” Smith wrote. “We never respect or defend such totally inappropriate behavior among us. There is a very united consensus among us that the only thing to do is to be transparent with all of you for obvious reasons, though this is very difficult.”
That transparency did not extend to dealings with local police. It was only after Autrey, another abuse survivor, and private investigator Cynthia Liles — all former sect members — pressured Smith that he turned Bruer’s laptop over to detectives, Autrey told the AP.
By then, the computer had been tampered with, according to records from the Clackamas County Sheriff’s Office in Oregon. The web browser search history was cleared. Bruer’s Apple ID had been changed and files transferred out of his DropBox account. Bruer’s phone was never provided to police, and the “Find My iPhone” feature had been disabled.
“What web browsing history was present on the laptop that someone didn’t want anyone else knowing about?” Detective Jeffrey Burlew wrote in a police report. Unable to find any evidence of a crime within its jurisdiction, the office closed the investigation.
Smith did not respond to phone messages from the AP.
Survivors and law enforcement dig deeper
Though Autrey and others had long sought reforms in the sect, Bruer’s death proved to be a catalyst. Autrey, Liles and another survivor launched a hotline, website and Facebook pages for survivors.
In February, the FBI’s field office in Omaha, Nebraska, announced an investigation.
The outcry prompted some sect leaders to condemn the abuse and to ask consultants for advice on how to better protect members. But at least some regional overseers have ultimately declined to adopt recommended child abuse prevention policies — saying the only true code of conduct is the New Testament.
And some leaders still warn members against criticizing the sect.
At an August convention in Duncan, British Columbia, a worker helping to lead the event did not mention the abuse scandal directly but told members to lay aside “evil speakings.”
“It’s more easy to be critical than to be correct,” preached Robert Doecke, a worker from Australia. “If you feed on problems, it will only make more problems. But if you focus on the Lord, it will lead to solutions.”
Copyright 2024 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed without permission.
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https://www.kob.com/news/us-and-world-news/survivors-seek-a-reckoning-as-fbi-investigates-child-sex-abuse-in-little-known-christian-sect/
| 2024-12-16T05:31:42Z
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Police searching for suspect in Herald Square subway shove
A 72-year-old man was pushed onto the tracks on the northbound F train platform at around noon on Sunday. Investigators say the victim suffered a cut to his head. CBS News New York's Jessica Moore reports.
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https://www.cbsnews.com/newyork/video/police-searching-for-suspect-in-herald-square-subway-shove/
| 2024-12-16T05:31:42Z
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Endometriosis affects millions of people every year but is a highly misunderstood disease which goes undiagnosed. This illness not only affects mental but also physical and reproductive health which causes many issues in the daily lives of these people. Raising awareness and getting a diagnosis at an early stage become imperative for enhancing the quality of life.
Endometriosis occurs when the tissue similar to the lining of the uterus grows outside the uterus. These growths can be found on the ovaries, fallopian tubes, and other pelvic organs. Each month, this tissue behaves like the uterine lining, thickening and breaking down, leading to internal bleeding, pain, and the formation of scar tissue.
Impact on sexual and reproductive health
The symptoms of Endometriosis are quite painful which hinders the reproductive and sexual health of the person. Pain during sex or dyspareunia disrupts the intimate relationship significantly. This leads to fear of indulging into sexual activity as it causes pain more than any enjoyment, which results in emotional and physical strain. Further, endometriosis causes infertility in most cases. The infertility complication is due to the blockages or scar tissues in the reproductive system which makes it difficult for couples to engage in any intimate act.
Even when the couple is able to conceive, the pregnancy can be a high risk one with high chances of miscarriages or preterm birth. Appropriate medical care and attention is imperative for a healthy pregnancy result.
Delayed diagnosis and silent symptoms
One of the biggest challenges with endometriosis is the delay in diagnosis. On average, it takes about 8 years for women to be correctly diagnosed, largely because its symptoms overlap with other conditions. Unfortunately, even some gynecologists and radiologists may not be fully equipped to identify endometriosis, further delaying treatment. This delay means many women endure unnecessary pain and complications for years.
6 Yoga poses to practice every winter morning for improved digestion
Even more concerning is asymptomatic endometriosis, where the disease silently progresses without noticeable symptoms. By the time it’s detected, the condition can be in a more advanced and painful stage. Women should consider early MRI screenings if there’s even the slightest suspicion of endometriosis.
Mental health consequences
Beyond the physical effects, endometriosis has a profound impact on mental health. Chronic pain, disrupted relationships, and infertility can lead to anxiety, depression, and feelings of isolation. Women suffering from endometriosis may feel unsupported and overwhelmed as they navigate the complexities of managing a chronic illness. This emotional strain further underscores the importance of raising awareness about endometriosis and promoting early detection and treatment.
In conclusion, endometriosis is more than just a physical disease; it affects every aspect of a woman’s life. By understanding its symptoms, the challenges of diagnosis, and the emotional toll it takes, we can better support women in seeking timely care and improving their quality of life.
Dr. Smeet Patel, Endometriosis Specialist, Mayflower Women’s Hospital, Ahmedabad
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https://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/life-style/health-fitness/health-news/why-endometriosis-remains-a-silent-struggle-for-millions-the-need-for-better-awareness/articleshow/116259519.cms
| 2024-12-16T05:31:44Z
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Takeaways from AP’s reporting on a child sex abuse crisis inside a secretive Christian sect
BOISE, Idaho (AP) — For decades, a little-known Christian sect has dealt with its abusive ministers and spiritual elders mostly in secret, shunning legal action in favor of urging victims to forgive the predators in their midst.
Forgiveness, however, was far from a cure: The abusers were often sent to live with other unsuspecting families, where they had easy access to new victims.
Now a grassroots effort by survivors has exposed the depth of the scandal — documenting allegations against more than 900 abusers in 30 countries, with cases continuing to emerge — and thrust the nameless sect into the public eye. The FBI has also launched an investigation into the group, sometimes called the “Two by Twos.”
The Associated Press interviewed more than a dozen current and former members, workers and experts, and reviewed letters, court documents and other records supporting the allegations. Several sect leaders and ministers either declined interview requests or did not respond to messages.
Here are some takeaways from the AP’s reporting.
The core doctrine of the sect put kids at high risk
Child sex abuse is a significant problem within many religious institutions: Insurance data company Advisen lists child sexual abuse as the second most frequent insurance loss for religious organizations, after wage-related claims. But survivors say the tenets of the Two by Twos place kids at particularly high risk.
The sect believes its volunteer ministers, called “workers,” should live among followers and rely on them for food, housing and other needs.
Many survivors told the AP they were abused by preachers staying in their homes. In some cases, the abuse was revealed and the offending worker was asked to leave the ministry. Frequently, however, regional leaders called “overseers” simply transferred the worker to a new region without warning other members.
Former sect member Pam Walton uses photos from annual sect conventions, reports from members and other records to track the movements of workers and overseers with abuse allegations.
“I don’t think people were understanding the magnitude that these men and women traveled,” Walton said.
One abusive overseer, Dean Bruer, served in at least 22 states and territories and seven countries from the time he joined the ministry in 1976 until his death in 2022.
A culture of ‘mercy’ enabled abusers
Former worker Jared Snyder says bringing up someone’s past sins is considered taboo because that person “has already been forgiven by God.” As a result, members and workers alike often would only talk euphemistically about problems, Snyder said, and even major misdeeds were frequently downplayed.
“There is an underlying fear of being judged as a person who has a ‘bad spirit’ if you are not merciful enough,” Snyder says.
Some sect leaders cautioned against digging into allegations. One overseer told Snyder, “The less you know, the better off you are,” he said.
Sect leaders sometimes ignored legal reporting requirements
Some U.S. states have laws that require spiritual leaders, teachers and others in positions of authority to report child abuse allegations to authorities. Letters and other documents show some overseers tried to skirt those laws.
Ed Alexander, a regional overseer for Arizona, wrote a letter to a child-molesting elder urging him to seek professional counseling. That way, Alexander claimed, the sect would not have to report the man’s crime and instead the counselor could take on reporting responsibility.
Alexander declined to comment.
Survivors often faced dead ends in their search for justice
As a teen, Sheri Autrey felt unprepared to describe the intimate details of her abuse to a jury, so her parents declined to put her through the criminal prosecution process. When Autrey tried to press charges as an adult, it was too late — under California state law, too many years had passed since the crime.
Autrey tried to find an attorney to sue the sect, but no one would take the case. Legal experts say the sect’s aversion to property leaves it without any apparent assets that could be used to pay a legal settlement.
Left without legal options, many survivors joined grassroots efforts to support each other. One organization, Advocates for the Truth, created a 24-hour confidential hotline for survivors, investigated and tracked allegations, and connected victims with therapeutic resources and funding.
Facebook pages and online chat rooms have also given survivors a place to compare stories, discuss faith and share suggestions for reform.
A grand jury began looking into the sect last year, and in February the FBI asked people with information to come forward. Agents have interviewed multiple survivors and sect leaders over the last several months.
Change within the sect is slow — and limited
Some sect leaders have condemned the abuse and asked consultants for advice on how to better protect members. Others have rejected recommended child abuse prevention policies outright, or implemented scaled-down versions with fewer safeguards.
Still, the pressure doesn’t seem likely to let up anytime soon. Former sect member and survivor Lisa Webb says advocating for other survivors has been her therapy.
“I’m not trying to take away your salvation or attack your faith, but how can we keep our kids safe? You can respect the faith, respect the religion, but still not be naive,” Webb said. “Just the fact that the conversation is out there now means we’ve already improved the safety. … There’s a rallying behind survivors.”
Copyright 2024 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed without permission.
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https://www.kob.com/news/us-and-world-news/takeaways-from-aps-reporting-on-a-child-sex-abuse-crisis-inside-a-secretive-christian-sect/
| 2024-12-16T05:31:46Z
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Dec 15, 2024
Teaching children chores early not only builds life skills but also fosters independence and responsibility. Before entering their teenage years, children can benefit greatly from learning these essential tasks to prepare them for adulthood:
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Organizing and tidying up their own space helps children develop a sense of ownership and responsibility. Encourage them to make their bed, declutter regularly, and keep their room neat.
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Knowing how to sort clothes, operate a washing machine, and fold laundry are invaluable skills. Start with simple steps and gradually let them take over their laundry responsibilities.
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Teaching children to prepare simple meals, like sandwiches, scrambled eggs, or rice, can boost their confidence and ensure they know how to care for themselves.
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Introduce children to rinsing and washing dishes or loading the dishwasher. It teaches them cleanliness and respect for shared spaces.
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Assigning them the responsibility of separating recyclables and taking out the trash instills environmental awareness and accountability.
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Teach children how to budget, save, and spend wisely. Encourage them to track their pocket money or savings to build financial literacy early on.
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Simple tasks like changing a lightbulb, watering plants, or tightening a loose screw teach practical skills and contribute to their problem-solving abilities.
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Encourage children to manage their time effectively by planning their day, prioritizing tasks, and meeting deadlines, which will be essential in their teenage years and beyond.
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https://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/life-style/health-fitness/web-stories/8-things-children-need-to-learn-before-teenage/photostory/116320952.cms
| 2024-12-16T05:31:50Z
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Zakir Hussain, one of India’s most accomplished classical musicians, dies at 73
NEW DELHI (AP) — Zakir Hussain, one of India’s most accomplished classical musicians who defied genres and introduced tabla to global audiences, died on Sunday. He was 73.
The Indian classical music icon died from idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis, a chronic lung disease, at a hospital in San Francisco, his family said in a statement.
“His prolific work as a teacher, mentor and educator has left an indelible mark on countless musicians. He hoped to inspire the next generation to go further. He leaves behind an unparalleled legacy as a cultural ambassador and one of the greatest musicians of all time,” the statement read.
Hussain was the most recognizable exponent of tabla, a pair of hand drums that is the main percussion instrument in Indian classical music.
Considered the greatest tabla player of his generation, Hussain had a career that spanned six decades in which he collaborated with the likes of singer-songwriter George Harrison, jazz saxophonist Charles Lloyd, drummer Mickey Hart and cellist Yo-Yo Ma.
The son of legendary tabla artist Alla Rakha, Hussain was born in 1951 in Mumbai and was taught how to play the instrument by his father at the age of 7. A child prodigy, he was touring by age 12 and performing alongside India’s classical music legends during his teens.
In an interview that was shared widely on social media in India, Hussain says his father welcomed him into the world after he was born by speaking tabla rhythms into his ears.
“I was brought home, handed over to my dad in his arms. The tradition was that the father is supposed to recite a prayer in the baby’s ear … So he takes me in his arms, puts his lips to my ear and recites the tabla rhythms into my ears,” Hussain says in the interview, verbalizing the rhythmic pattern of the instrument.
Both Alla Rakha and Hussain were given the honorific “Ustad,” an Urdu word that means master.
In 1973, Hussain formed the Indian jazz fusion band “Shakti” with jazz guitarist John McLaughlin. The band played acoustic fusion music that combined Indian music with elements of jazz, introducing a new sound to Western audiences.
In 2024, Hussain became the first musician from India to win three Grammy awards in the same year.
Hussain’s “Shakti” won Best Global Music Album, and his collaboration with Edgar Meyer, Béla Fleck and flutist Rakesh Chaurasia won Best Global Music Performance and Best Contemporary Instrumental Album. He had earlier won a Grammy in 2009.
In 2023, Hussain received the Padma Vibhushan, India’s second-highest civilian award.
Hussain is survived by his wife and two daughters.
Copyright 2024 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed without permission.
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https://www.kob.com/news/us-and-world-news/zakir-hussain-one-of-indias-most-accomplished-classical-musicians-dies-at-73/
| 2024-12-16T05:31:52Z
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LAFAYETTE, La. — A major vehicle crash took place on the 1900 block of Pinhook Road.
The crash involved a school bus that had been stolen by a man who escaped while being transported to a mental health facility.
The 26-year-old man from Opelousas stole the unoccupied bus and drove recklessly into oncoming traffic, causing a crash involving four vehicles, according to Lafayette Police Department.
Police said several people were moderately injured in the crash.
The man ran from the scene and stole a truck belonging to a bystander who had stopped to help with the crash.
Police tracked the truck to the Rayne area, where the man was apprehended.
The man could be facing multiple charges related to the incident.
We will update this story with more details as they emerge.
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https://www.katc.com/lafayette-parish/major-crash-involving-stolen-school-bus
| 2024-12-16T05:31:53Z
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What is Paul Mescal's Net Worth?
Paul Mescal is an Irish actor who has a net worth of $5 million. Paul Mescal rose to fame with his acclaimed performance in the 2020 television miniseries "Normal People." He went on to earn further recognition for his roles in such films as "The Lost Daughter," "God's Creatures," "Aftersun," "All of Us Strangers," and "Gladiator II," receiving an Academy Award nomination for Best Actor for "Aftersun." Mescal has also acted on stage, having won a Laurence Olivier Award for his work in the 2023 West End revival of the play "A Streetcar Named Desire."
Early Life and Education
Paul Mescal was born on February 2, 1996 in Maynooth, Ireland as the eldest of three children of Dearbhla and Paul. As a kid, he went to Maynooth Post Primary School. Mescal also played as a minor and under-21 Gaelic football player. However, he gave up the sport following a jaw injury. Mescal went on to pursue an acting career on stage, playing the titular character in the musical "The Phantom of the Opera" when he was 16. Continuing to follow his passion, he attended the Lir National Academy of Dramatic Art at Trinity College Dublin. Mescal graduated with his bachelor's degree in 2017.
Career Breakthrough
Mescal rose to fame with his first role on television, playing Connell Waldron in the 2020 miniseries "Normal People." Based on the novel by Sally Rooney, the series follows the evolving relationship between Mescal's character and Marianne Sheridan, played by Daisy Edgar-Jones. In a mirroring of Mescal's real life, his character plays Gaelic football and attends Trinity College Dublin. "Normal People" was a huge critical success, earning numerous awards and nominations. For his performance, Mescal won the BAFTA TV Award for Best Actor and received an Emmy Award nomination. Also in 2020, he starred as firefighter Seán McKeogh in the miniseries "The Deceived."
Film Career
After starring in the 2020 short film "Drifting," Mescal made his feature film debut with a supporting role in the 2021 psychological drama "The Lost Daughter," based on the novel by Elena Ferrante. Written and directed by Maggie Gyllenhaal, in her directorial debut, the film stars Olivia Colman. Mescal went on to have a prolific year in 2022, appearing in three films. The first two were "God's Creatures" and "Aftersun," both of which premiered at the Cannes Film Festival. In the former, Mescal plays a man accused of sexual assault, and in the latter he plays a troubled father on vacation with his young daughter in Turkey. "Aftersun" was especially successful, earning Mescal Academy Award and BAFTA Award nominations for Best Actor. His third film of 2022 was the musical drama "Carmen," co-starring Melissa Barrera. Mescal went on to appear in two films in 2023, both literary adaptations. In Andrew Haigh's gay romantic drama "All of Us Strangers," he appeared opposite Andrew Scott, and in Garth Davis's science-fiction thriller "Foe," he starred opposite Saoirse Ronan. For "All of Us Strangers," Mescal received a BAFTA Award nomination for Best Supporting Actor.
In 2024, Mescal starred in his first big-budget film: Ridley Scott's epic historical action film "Gladiator II," a sequel to 2000's "Gladiator." He plays Lucius Verus Aurelius, who seeks revenge against the Roman general who invaded his home. To prepare for the role, Mescal did strength training, horse training, and sword fighting. His co-stars in "Gladiator II" include Pedro Pascal, Denzel Washington, Joseph Quinn, and Fred Hechinger, as well as Connie Nielsen and Derek Jacobi reprising their roles from the first "Gladiator" film. Mescal went on to star opposite Josh O'Connor in Oliver Hermanus's 2025 gay historical romance "The History of Sound," based on the short story by Ben Shattuck. He was also cast as William Shakespeare in Chloë Zhao's historical drama "Hamnet," based on the novel by Maggie O'Farrell and co-starring Jessie Buckley. Among his other film credits, Mescal replaced Blake Jenner as the protagonist in Richard Linklater's adaptation of the stage musical "Merrily We Roll Along." Shot over the course of 20 years, the film also stars Ben Platt and Beanie Feldstein.
Theater Career
Before hitting it big on television and film, Mescal acted in such theatrical productions as "Angela's Ashes," "The Great Gatsby," "The Red Shoes," "Asking for It," and "The Plough and the Stars." He also starred in "A Portrait of the Artist as a Young Man" at the 2018 Dublin Theatre Festival. In 2020, Mescal starred in Martin McDonagh's "The Lieutenant of Inishmore" at the Gaiety Theatre in Dublin.
In late 2022, Mescal made his debut as Stanley Kowalski in a revival of Tennessee Williams's "A Streetcar Named Desire" at the Almeida Theatre in London. Early the next year, the play transferred to the West End. For his work, Mescal won the Laurence Olivier Award for Best Actor in a Play. The show was later transferred to off-Broadway in 2025.
Personal Life
Mescal was previously in a relationship with singer-songwriter Phoebe Bridgers, whose music video for the song "Savior Complex" he appeared in. Overall, he is a very private person, and has talked about his resistance to sharing intimate details about his life.
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https://www.celebritynetworth.com/richest-celebrities/actors/paul-mescal-net-worth/
| 2024-12-16T05:31:53Z
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- A slim majority of economists — 13 out of 24 — polled by CNBC expects the Bank of Japan to stand pat after its two-day policy meeting ends on Thursday.
- The same majority predicts the central bank will raise rates in January.
- Analysts see the yen strengthening to 147.4 against the U.S. dollar by end-2025 from around 154 currently.
The Bank of Japan (BOJ) is likely to keep its benchmark interest rate unchanged this week as it awaits greater clarity on domestic wages and spending trends as well as policy changes by the incoming administration of U.S. President-elect Donald Trump, according to a survey of economists polled by CNBC.
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A slim majority of 13 out of 24 economists, or 54%, said BOJ is likely to keep its benchmark interest rate unchanged at 0.25% at the end of its two-day meeting on Thursday. The same number of economists expect the Japanese central bank to raise rates in January. The survey was conducted between Dec. 9-13.
The BOJ, which last raised rates in July, has signaled its readiness to tighten further if wage growth and prices align with its projections. In a recent media interview, BOJ Governor Kazuo Ueda suggested another rate hike is "nearing in the sense that economic data are on track," but he also noted risks, including wage trends next year and potential changes in U.S. economic policy.
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Japanese interest rates are the lowest among developed countries due to the BOJ's longstanding policy of supporting the country's moribund economy. The policy has kept the yen weak against most major currencies, boosting exports and tourism and spurring the so-called "carry trade" when investors borrow yen to bet on higher-yielding assets. These trends could reverse as Japanese interest rates rise while central banks elsewhere begin to lower rates.
Many economists told CNBC they believe that recent data indicates Japan's economy is broadly on track to achieve the central bank's 2% inflation target, driven by wage growth. However, they noted the BOJ might prefer to wait another month to evaluate wage-driven inflation dynamics, focusing on momentum from next year's spring wage negotiations and Trump's trade and tariff policies.
The BOJ has yet to gain confidence in its outlook, according to Akira Otani of Goldman Sachs Japan. He noted the central bank lacks sufficient clarity on whether small and medium-sized enterprises can sustain wage increases, a risk flagged by the BOJ as crucial to achieving its inflation target. Japanese unions typically negotiate wage increases in the first three months of the calendar year ahead of the financial year that begins in April.
Money Report
The view that the central bank is likely to hold rates this week also gained traction after recent media reports suggested policymakers wanted more time to monitor overseas risks and gather additional clues on Japan's wage outlook.
"The BOJ's confusing communications" now suggests a likely outcome of the central bank leaving rates unchanged to await additional information from the spring wage negotiations and U.S. policy developments, Shigeto Nagai, head of Japan Economics at Oxford Economics, said in a note last week.
Regular wages in Japan have been growing annually at a rate of 2.5% to 3%, with inflation staying above the BOJ's 2% target for 30 consecutive months. While authorities are keen to normalize monetary policy, they are also wary of raising rates too quickly following more than two decades of deflation. Indeed, Japanese household spending has declined for three straight months as of October, while factory output has been volatile.
Teppei Ino, head of Tokyo Global Markets Research at MUFG Bank, also highlighted shifting market expectations due to media reports. Overnight swap markets have significantly reduced bets on a December rate hike, assigning a 77% probability of no change as of Monday morning – much higher than the about 35% likelihood of standing pat priced in at the end of November.
"Judging from the (media) reports so far, it seems the likelihood of a rate hike being postponed has increased," Ino told CNBC on Friday.
"However, considering the current trend of yen depreciation and the upcoming FOMC meeting just before the BOJ meeting, we should keep in mind that there remains a possibility of an abrupt decision to raise rates if the USD/JPY reaches levels like 155," Ino said, referring to the Federal Open Markets Committee meeting scheduled this week.
The yen was trading around 154 to the dollar on Monday morning.
To be sure, some economists still expect the BOJ to tighten policy this week.
Nomura expects the BOJ to raise its policy rate by 25 basis points on Thursday, citing fundamentals such as the economy and prices being on track. However, it also acknowledged that a hike might be delayed due to uncertainties surrounding U.S. policy.
"We think the BOJ could also decide to put off any rate hike if it decides to place greater emphasis on uncertainties, including U.S. policy conduct and market trends (in the forex market in particular) during the Christmas season, when markets tend to be quiet," research analyst Kyohei Morita said in a Dec. 11 note.
The brokerage also pointed to uncertainty around the government's fiscal support for households as a potential factor that might prompt the BOJ to hold off its rate increase. Prime Minister Shigeru Ishiba, whose government lacks a parliamentary majority, is currently in negotiations with opposition parties over the size of a proposed increase to the minimum annual taxable income threshold.
Currency Risks
Many analysts highlighted the Japanese yen as a key factor influencing their outlook on the BOJ's decisions.
"The most important and likely driver that could change my outlook is the yen," said Kazuo Momma, executive economist at Mizuho Research, who said the BOJ is likely to stand pat this week and raise the benchmark rate by 25 basis points in January. "Accelerated yen depreciation would upset the public and the federal government, forcing the BOJ to adopt a more aggressive stance on hiking," he said.
Jun Takazawa, Asia Economist at HSBC, emphasized risks from both directions.
"On one hand, a stronger U.S. dollar driven by fiscal, monetary, and trade policies in the U.S. could weigh on the yen and accelerate the BOJ's policy normalization process. On the other hand, a weaker yen — within limits — supports Japan's reflation efforts, so excessive yen strength could delay rate hikes."
According to CNBC's survey of 24 analysts, the yen is forecast to average 147.4 against the U.S. dollar by the end of 2025. The dollar rose 2.4% against the yen last week as traders scaled back bets on a BOJ rate hike this month.
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https://www.nbcboston.com/news/business/money-report/bank-of-japan-expected-to-keep-rates-on-hold-this-week-cnbc-survey/3578295/
| 2024-12-16T05:31:53Z
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Dec 15, 2024
These foods are high in sugar and fats, which can spike your blood sugar levels. Tea, especially black tea, contains tannins that can hinder iron absorption, making it worse when combined with sugary or processed baked goods.
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Avoid eating paratha with tea in the morning, as the tea's tannins can hinder iron absorption, and the heavy combination may cause digestive discomfort.
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White bread or white bagels are some of the foods that are high in refined carbs and cause blood sugar spikes and make you feel sluggish. Taken with tea, it might drain your energy later in the day.
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Chocolate is a favourite treat, but having chocolate with tea can make you jittery because of the caffeine contained in both chocolate and tea. The combination also irritates the stomach.
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Sweetened breakfast cereals contain a high amount of refined sugars and cause a quick rise in blood sugar that crashes, thus disrupting the energy-boosting effect of tea.
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Though bananas are nutritious, they are rather heavy in their consumption when taken with tea on an empty stomach. They tend to create the feeling of fullness in some and disrupt digestion.
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Citrus fruits like oranges or grapefruits tend to be acidic and hence might irritate the gastric mucosa if taken together with tea, especially on an empty stomach.
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Heavy, oily foods such as fried eggs or bacon are difficult to digest when taken on an empty stomach. It may hinder slow digestion or cause one stomach discomfort if taken together with tea.
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Avoid pairing idli with tea in the morning, as the acidic nature of tea can interfere with digestion and reduce nutrient absorption from the idli.
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These foods are high in sugar and fats, which can spike your blood sugar levels. Tea, especially black tea, contains tannins that can hinder iron absorption, making it worse when combined with sugary or processed baked goods.
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Tea, especially black tea, mixed with milk may reduce the absorption of antioxidants in tea. Also, dairy can cause discomfort in some people, leading to bloating or indigestion.
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https://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/life-style/health-fitness/web-stories/foods-you-should-never-have-in-the-morning-with-tea/photostory/116337761.cms
| 2024-12-16T05:31:56Z
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What is Shaboozey's Net Worth?
Shaboozey is an American singer, songwriter, musician, and record producer who has a net worth of $5 million. Shaboozey's music combines rap, country, and rock influences. He has released such albums as "Lady Wrangler," "Cowboys Live Forever, Outlaws Never Die," and "Where I've Been, Isn't Where I'm Going." The lattermost album includes his breakout single "A Bar Song (Tipsy)," which spent a record-tying 19 weeks atop the Billboard Hot 100 in 2024.
Early Life and Education
Shaboozey, whose real name is Collins Chibueze, was born on May 9, 1995 in Woodbridge, Virginia to Nigerian parents. His surname means "God is king" in the Igbo language. Chibueze spent two years at a boarding school in Nigeria before he attended Gar-Field Senior High School in Woodbridge. He graduated from the latter in 2013.
Start of Music Career
Shaboozey began his music career in 2014 with his first single, "Jeff Gordon." A few years later, he signed to Republic Records. Shaboozey went on to release his debut studio album, "Lady Wrangler," in 2018. Also that year, he earned recognition for the song "Start a Riot," a collaboration with Duckwrth that was featured in the animated superhero film "Spider-Man: Into the Spider-Verse." Shaboozey released a number of non-album singles over the subsequent years, including "Cabelas," "Joan Jett," "Prosperity," and "Another Me." In 2022, he put out his second studio album, "Cowboys Live Forever, Outlaws Never Die," which contained the singles "Beverley Hills," "Tall Boy," and "Gas!"
Commercial Breakthrough
Shaboozey had his commercial breakthrough with his third studio album, "Where I've Been, Isn't Where I'm Going," which came out at the end of May in 2024. The album debuted at number five on the Billboard 200 and launched the hit single "A Bar Song (Tipsy)," which became an international sensation, topping the charts in several countries. In the United States, the song spent 19 weeks atop the Billboard Hot 100, tying Lil Nas X's "Old Town Road" as the longest-running number-one song of all time on that chart. "A Bar Song (Tipsy)" went on to be nominated for three Grammy Awards: Song of the Year, Best Country Song, and Best Country Solo Performance. Shaboozey also received a nomination for Best New Artist.
Other Songs
In 2024, before he had his big breakthrough with "A Bar Song (Tipsy)," Shaboozey collaborated with Beyoncé on two songs from her album "Cowboy Carter": "Spaghetti" and "Sweet Honey Buckiin." For "Spaghetti," which also features Linda Martell, Shaboozey earned a Grammy Award nomination for Best Melodic Rap Performance. Later in 2024, he released the non-album single "Good News."
Musical Style and Influences
Shaboozey's musical style has been described as a mixture of rap, country, rock, and Americana. Listeners have also noted the presence of trap and folk-pop elements, with the latter especially evident in the album "Where I've Been, Isn't Where I'm Going." In regard to his musical influences, Shaboozey has cited such artists as Bob Dylan, Led Zeppelin, the Grateful Dead, the Rolling Stones, Missy Elliott, Johnny Cash, and Fela Kútì.
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https://www.celebritynetworth.com/richest-celebrities/singers/shaboozey-net-worth/
| 2024-12-16T05:32:00Z
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Seven foreign tourists were hospitalized in Fiji after drinking cocktails at a resort bar, Fijian authorities said on Monday.
The cause of their illness was not known and officials said it was too soon to know if tainted alcohol was involved.
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Those who became ill at the five-star Warwick resort near the town of Sigatoka on Saturday included Australians and an American, according to local news reports. They were hospitalized with nausea, vomiting and neurological symptoms, said Jemesa Tudravu, a Fiji Health Ministry spokesperson.
Two people remained in the hospital, conscious and in stable condition, Fiji's Tourism Minister Viliame R. Gavoka told reporters on Monday. One person was discharged on Sunday and four others on Monday.
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David Sandoe, an Australian man who said his daughter and granddaughter were hospitalized, told Sky News Australia that his relatives had been released from the hospital and were due to fly home on Monday night.
Local news outlets reported on Sunday that the cause of the foreigners' illness was suspected alcohol poisoning, similar to a case in Laos in November in which six tourists — including two Australian teenagers — died after consuming tainted drinks.
But Tudravu said no cause had been identified in the Fiji episode. Police have ordered toxicology tests and are awaiting results — which are expected to take three or four days — Gavoka said.
U.S. & World
The bar was full of customers on Saturday night and many had ordered piña coladas, the drink consumed by those who became ill, said the official.
Gavoka said no other reports of similar illness were recorded at the resort or across Fiji, a South Pacific island nation of 930,000 people.
“The resort management has assured us that they have not engaged in practices such as substituting ingredients or altering the quality of drinks served to guests,” Gavoka said. The hotel, located on the picturesque Coral Coast of the largest island, Viti Levu, has operated for many years and “holds a strong reputation,” he added.
“This is the only reported case of its kind that we’ve experienced in recent memory, and certainly nothing like this has been experienced this year,” Gavoka said.
Australia's Foreign Ministry said in a statement that officials are providing consular assistance to two Australian families in Fiji.
The ministry did not comment on the cause of the Australians' illness, but its website advising tourists was updated on Monday to caution travelers about “potential risks around drink spiking and methanol poisoning through consuming alcoholic drinks.”
A spokesperson for the resort, Savaira Molaucake, said staff were “conducting a thorough investigation” of the incident and were working closely with authorities.
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https://www.nbcboston.com/news/national-international/7-foreign-tourists-hospitalized-in-fiji-after-drinking-cocktails-at-a-resort-bar/3578289/
| 2024-12-16T05:32:01Z
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Miyuu Sugawara, the second-ever K-1 Women’s Atomweight Champion, announced her retirement from K-1 and her plans to pursue a boxing career. The announcement came during a press conference following the K-1 WORLD GP 2024 in Tokyo Final.
Miyuu Sugawara Retires from Kickboxing
Sugawara reflected on her K-1 career, calling it a transformative experience. Her final K-1 bout took place in March 2024, where she narrowly lost to RISE Queen Atomweight Champion Koyuki Miyazaki in an intense showdown. Sugawara had already decided to relinquish her title in April but took time to ensure her decision was final.
Addressing her future, Sugawara revealed she aims to compete in amateur boxing, with the ultimate goal of participating in the Olympics. She emphasized her growing passion for boxing, which developed during her K-1 training, and shared dreams of representing Japan in international tournaments.
Miyuu Sugawara also dismissed rumors of pursuing MMA, despite being married to an MMA fighter, stating she has no interest in transitioning to the sport.
In an emotional message, Sugawara thanked her fans, coaches, and K-1 for shaping her career. She thanked K-1 producer Mitsuru Miyata for discovering her talent and the entire organization for their support. Sugawara vowed to carry the K-1 champion title with pride as she transitions to boxing.
Her boxing journey begins in 2025, with plans to compete in Japan’s National Sports Festival and the All-Japan Championships.
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https://combatpress.com/2024/12/miyuu-sugawara-retires-from-kickboxing-sets-sights-on-boxing-career/
| 2024-12-16T05:32:02Z
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Special thanks to all of our incredible guests from last Thursdays give-a-thon event! Also thank you to all of the wonderful people who donated, we are deeply humbled and grateful for all of the support we’ve received. Our team is looking forward to 2025 and like Dr. Group said, the optimism is higher in the health freedom movement than it’s been in 100 years. For God Family Country is feeling strong and ready to fight medical corruption and expose the truth alongside our great friends and partners. God bless you all, we pray you all have a wonderful Christmas and New Year. Please subscribe here to stay updated on our work and follow our research, lawsuits, and initiatives.
To learn more about For God Family Country and stay up to date on our work please subscribe to our substack at ForGodFamilyCountry.Substack.com.
Renz Ethical Lawfare & Cancer Corruption Give-A-Thon, livestream event on Thursday Dec. 12th.
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Join Us To Raise $3 Million To Fight Against Cancer, Corruption, and Human Trafficking
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5 years ago Attorney Tom Renz led the fight back against COVID lockdowns, tyranny and vaccine mandates. His work led to the end of federal vaccine mandates and Fauci stepping down. Since then Renz has continued to fight to promote MAGA, for health freedom, and against corruption. Your support now will allow Renz and his team to continue to educate and work for justice on these and other critical issues such as cancer, parental rights and child trafficking.
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https://tomrenz.substack.com/p/renz-ethical-lawfare-and-cancer-corruption
| 2024-12-16T05:32:02Z
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Dec 15, 2024
Iron is crucial for the body, supporting oxygen transport, energy production, and overall cellular function, preventing anaemia and boosting immunity. Here’s a list of fruits that are rich in iron and can help boost your daily intake:
Canva
Watermelon contains about 0.4 mg of iron per 100 grams. While not a high iron source, it still contributes to your daily intake with its refreshing taste.
Canva
Pomegranates provide about 0.3 mg of iron per 100 grams. Rich in vitamin C and antioxidants, they help enhance iron absorption for improved health.
Canva
Mulberries contain about 2.6 mg of iron per 100 grams. They are rich in iron and vitamin C, which enhances iron absorption for better health.
Canva
Dates contain about 0.9 mg of iron per 100 grams. Packed with iron and natural sugars, they make a nutritious and energy-boosting snack.
Canva
Raisins contain about 1.9 mg of iron per 100 grams. These small, snackable fruits provide a good source of iron and offer a quick energy boost.
Canva
Figs contain about 0.2 mg of iron per 100 grams and are also high in fibre, supporting digestive health and iron intake.
Canva
This provides approximately 2.7 mg of non-heme iron per 100 grams and is rich in antioxidants, supporting iron intake and overall health benefits.
Canva
Kiwi contains approximately 0.3 mg of iron per 100 grams. While not a major source, its high vitamin C content enhances iron absorption.
Canva
Apples contain about 0.5 mg of iron per 100 grams. While not very high, they contribute to overall iron intake and support overall health.
Canva
Prunes provide about 0.93 mg of iron per 100 grams, making them a great snack for boosting energy and supporting iron levels with added fibre and essential nutrients.
Canva
Thanks For Reading!
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https://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/life-style/health-fitness/web-stories/fruits-that-have-the-highest-iron-content/photostory/116334598.cms
| 2024-12-16T05:32:03Z
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What is Zach Bryan's Net Worth?
Zach Bryan is a country music singer-songwriter who has a net worth of $25 million. Zach Bryan had his commercial breakthrough with his 2022 album "American Heartbreak." He went on to release such further hit albums as "Zach Bryan" (2023) and "The Great American Bar Scene" (2024). Bryan's hit singles include "Something in the Orange," the Grammy Award-winning "I Remember Everything," and "Pink Skies."
Early Life and Military Service
Zach Bryan was born on April 2, 1996 in Okinawa, Japan and was raised in Oologah, Oklahoma. His parents are Annette and Dewayne, and he has a sister named Mackenzie. When he was 14 years old, Bryan began writing his own songs. At the age of 17, he continued a family tradition by enlisting in the United States Navy. Bryan served for eight years in Florida, Washington, Bahrain, and Djibouti before he was honorably discharged in 2021.
Career Beginnings on YouTube
In 2017, Bryan began uploading his music to YouTube. The first song he uploaded was "God Speed," which later appeared on his debut album. Bryan put 16 songs on YouTube before his song "Heading South" went viral in 2019.
Albums, EPs, and Singles
Bryan released his debut studio album, "DeAnn," in the summer of 2019. Recorded with his friends in an Airbnb in Jacksonville, Florida, the album is dedicated to Bryan's mother, who passed away in 2016. His next album was "Elisabeth," named after his future wife; it came out in the spring of 2020. That fall, he released his first EP, "Quiet, Heavy Dreams." Bryan went on to sign with Warner Records in 2021. The following year, he had his commercial breakthrough with the triple album "American Heartbreak." Supported by six singles, including the hit "Something in the Orange," the album reached number five on the Billboard 200 and number one on the Top Country Albums, Top Rock Albums, and Folk Albums charts. For "Something in the Orange," Bryan later earned a Grammy Award nomination for Best Country Solo Performance. After releasing the EP "Summertime Blues" and such singles as "Burn, Burn, Burn" and "Starved," he released his first live album, "All My Homies Hate Ticketmaster (Live from Red Rocks)," on Christmas Day in 2022.
In early 2023, Bryan collaborated with fellow singer-songwriter Maggie Rogers on the single "Dawns." That summer, he released his self-titled fourth studio album, which debuted atop the Billboard 200. The album launched Bryan's first number-one single, "I Remember Everything," featuring Kacey Musgraves. Notably, the song became the first-ever to simultaneously debut at number one on the Billboard Hot 100, Hot Country Songs chart, and Hot Rock & Alternative Songs chart. "I Remember Everything" went on to earn two Grammy Award nominations, winning for Best Country Duo/Group Performance. Also in 2023, Bryan released the EP "Boys of Faith." The next year, on the Fourth of July, he released his fifth studio album, "The Great American Bar Scene." Preceded by the successful single "Pink Skies," the album made it to number two on the Billboard 200 and number one on the Top Country Albums, Top Rock & Alternative Albums, and Folk Albums charts. Toward the end of 2024, Bryan released the singles "High Road" and "This World's a Giant."
Legal Trouble
In September of 2023, Bryan was arrested by the Oklahoma Highway Patrol for obstructing traffic in Vinita, Oklahoma. He was ultimately released on bail.
Personal Life
In the summer of 2020, Bryan married Rose Madden. The pair divorced the following year. In the summer of 2023, Bryan started dating Brianna LaPaglia, co-host of the pop-culture podcast "BFFs." Bryan announced he was breaking up with her via Instagram in 2024, blindsiding LaPaglia. A little later, LaPaglia alleged that Bryan emotionally abused her and offered her $12 million to sign an NDA following their breakup.
While touring and recording an album in late 2023, Bryan completed his bachelor's degree in psychology.
Real Estate
In July 2024, Zach paid $7.5 million for a home in Duxbury, Massachusetts.
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https://www.celebritynetworth.com/richest-celebrities/singers/zach-bryan-net-worth/
| 2024-12-16T05:32:06Z
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ONE Championship has announced three exciting fights for its upcoming event, ONE 171: Qatar, which will take place on February 20, 2025, at the Lusail Sports Arena.
ONE 171: Qatar
Roberto Soldic vs. Dagi Arslanaliev
Croatian MMA star Roberto Soldic returns to action against Dagi Arslanaliev from Turkey, who is moving up to welterweight for the first time. Arslanaliev is known for his knockouts and was previously a lightweight title contender.
Bibiano Fernandes vs. Kevin Belingon
Two former bantamweight champions, Bibiano Fernandes and Kevin Belingon, will face each other for the fifth time. This will be the last fight of Fernandes’ legendary career.
Shamil Gasanov vs. Martin Nguyen
Shamil Gasanov, currently ranked #3 in the featherweight division, will go head-to-head with #4-ranked Martin Nguyen, a former champion in two divisions.
As previously announced, this fight card will also feature Jonathan Haggerty, the bantamweight kickboxing champion, looking to defend his title against top contender Wei Rui. Also, Joshua Pacio, the strawweight MMA champion, will battle interim champion Jarred Brooks in a unification fight to decide the division’s undisputed champion.
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https://combatpress.com/2024/12/one-171-qatar-update-three-big-mma-fights-added-for-feb-20/
| 2024-12-16T05:32:08Z
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SportsNews, videos, and rumors on the Boston Celtics, New England Patriots, Boston Red Sox, and Boston Bruins, powered by NBC Sports Boston.
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https://www.nbcboston.com/news/sports/nfl/geno-smith-injures-knee-packers-seahawks-week-15-game/3578248/
| 2024-12-16T05:32:08Z
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Pre-workout supplements are goods that people use to boost their energy levels a few hours prior to working out. Frequently called "pre-workouts," these supplements might be a drink, pill, or powder that is mixed into a beverage. Pre-workout drinks are primarily intended to lessen the weariness that results from vigorous activity. A variety of natural beverages might also be beneficial prior to working out. The advantages of consuming coconut water before to working out are now being promoted by fitness aficionados. The benefits of coconut water are numerous as a pre-workout drink:
Has a lot of antioxidants and minerals
Coconut water is an excellent source of vital minerals and antioxidants to support a balanced diet, according to the U.S. Department of Agriculture. A glass of coconut water contains a variety of beneficial nutrients, including amino acids, antimicrobial peptides, carbohydrates, enzymes, electrolytes, vitamin C, and antioxidants, making it a perfect pre-workout drink.
Hydrates deeply
For fitness lovers, hydration is essential for performance, injury prevention, and recuperation. A 2021 study in the Journal of Human Kinetics found that individuals should consume 500–600 milliliters of water before a training session. Before working out, you can drink coconut water in addition to water. According to a 2012 study that appeared in the Journal of the International Society of Sports Nutrition, drinks, such as coconut water, can help with rehydration and support following workouts.
Supports weight loss
It has been demonstrated that consuming coconut water can reduce hunger and increase feelings of fullness. This can help you in your quest to lose those excess pounds because you might not feel the need to snack as frequently. For the same reason, bodybuilders who are reducing down or getting ready for a display also like it. If you're looking for a nice beverage, coconut water is the healthier option because it has fewer calories and less fat than other sugary fruit juices and smoothies.
Restores electrolytes
We now know that drinking coconut water can help you lose weight. It is a natural electrolyte powerhouse, so it's a great beverage to have before working out. Magnesium, potassium, calcium, and sodium are among the electrolytes it contains; these are necessary for preserving the body's fluid equilibrium. Because of its natural feature, coconut water is the best option for fitness enthusiasts after working out rather than just drinking plain water.
Contains no sugar
Compared to most fruit juices and carbonated beverages, and even to most sports drinks, coconut water has almost no sugar. Because of its potassium concentration, which helps to restore lost fluids after vigorous activity, it has been found to be equally effective as sports drinks. Furthermore, studies have demonstrated that coconut water does not produce the same levels of nausea, fullness, or upset stomach that many other sports beverages do.
5 reasons why alcohol will destroy your muscle gains
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https://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/life-style/health-fitness/weight-loss/5-reasons-why-coconut-water-is-the-best-pre-workout-drink/articleshow/116322118.cms
| 2024-12-16T05:32:09Z
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Infini to drill ultra-high grade Newfoundland uranium hits
Infini Resources has received a green light from Newfoundland’s Mines Department to proceed with its proposed maiden diamond drilling program, designed to follow up sensational soil sample responses at its Portland Creek uranium project in Canada.
Due to lack of road access, it plans to mobilise the drill rig to site by helicopter in late January and has slated an around-the-clock program to complete 23 core holes over six to eight weeks.
The program aims to probe the significance of highly anomalous uranium soil sample responses from the company’s key Talus prospect at Portland Creek that include uranium oxide results up to 7.5 per cent in 17 resample results which average better than 29,317 parts per million (ppm) - or 2.9 per cent uranium oxide.
Other important geochemical contexts and associations to be investigated include high uranium pathfinder elements, thorium values above 65ppm, anomalous lead isotope (Pb206: Pb204) ratios to a peak value of 46.54, and a continuous 1.25km-long envelope of radiometric signatures exceeding 28ppm of elemental uranium.
The radiometric trend extends south of the main envelope for a further 875m, represented by two smaller envelopes above 28ppm uranium, which lie directly along strike from the main radiometric contour.
The uranium anomalism appears to lie within a north-northeast trending structural corridor between the granite-sediment contact and a major fault. The same trend is thought to be related to a prominent fault scarp on its eastern margin.
Infini hopes that - among many other aspects to be resolved - the drilling may go some way to clarifying the major fault’s location and the degree to which it may be a conduit for uranium mineralisation.
Within this interpreted structural corridor, some significant north-east and north-west trending complementary link structures could form a key part of the local plumbing system hosting mineralisation. The trends are possible tensional shears in response to movement along the corridor’s flanking faults.
Some of these link structures intersect within the area of the high uranium results and the centre of the main radiometric envelope.
Infini says it plans to drill the target area with overlapping holes initially along east-west lines spaced at 100m, with drill lines proposed to be closed-up to 50m spacing in the event of initial encouragement.
The company says the final number of drill holes and hole depths will depend on continuous assessment of each drill hole as the program progresses. The hole depths and dips will be adjusted according to their proximity to the major eastern scarp fault and the angle of the fault itself.
This rapid permitting reaffirms that we continue to operate in a pro-uranium, tier one mining jurisdiction in Newfoundland, Canada. We have a special project here that has the potential to contain multiple new high grade uranium discoveries.
Armstrong said he hopes the source of the world class uranium soil anomaly, with a peak result of 7.5 per cent uranium oxides, will be explained by significant bedrock uranium mineralisation.
Activities planned for the diamond drilling include conventional core logging and downhole telesurveys to collect lithological, structural, gamma, density and radiometric data.
Handheld spectrometer readings will also be taken routinely as the core is pulled to provide quick responses on uranium detection before the core gets sent to the laboratory.
Other proposed work includes an expanded UAV litho-structural interpretation, with the results expected to be released in the next couple of weeks.
A second diamond drill permit application will be made when the southern geochemical anomalies and associated structural interpretation have been assessed, with the chance of a second rig being mobilised in early in February.
The intensity of the uranium anomalism and its cohesive contours and apparent structural associations point to a potentially significant primary uranium source nearby.
Surface mapping is frustrated by extensive surface talus (scree) cover and diamond drilling with a light and highly mobile transportable rig is the only means of peering into the prospect’s depths and acquiring high quality material for examination and analysis.
This initial phase of Infini’s drilling will almost certainly have uranium watchers’ whiskers twitching with anticipation.
Is your ASX-listed company doing something interesting? Contact: matt.birney@wanews.com.au
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https://thewest.com.au/business/bulls-n-bears/infini-to-drill-ultra-high-grade-newfoundland-uranium-hits--c-17101261
| 2024-12-16T05:32:09Z
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