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☆ South African older women splash their way to health in Soweto pool
▼ + stars: | 2023-04-14 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +1 min

[1/2] Thandi Mnisi, a retired school teacher and one of 40 novice swimmers, arrives at a public pool for her lessons in Soweto, South Africa, February 7, 2023. REUTERS/Siphiwe SibekoSOWETO, South Africa, April 14 (Reuters) - At a public pool in South Africa's township of Soweto, novice swimmers in their golden years take deep breaths as they move forward, encouraging each other as they go. Lifeguard-turned-coach Sibu Zabane launched the class in 2021, when COVID-19 was circulating widely in South Africa, in an effort to help vulnerable older members of the community get fitter. I couldn't float, I couldn't breathe and my knees were sore," said Molefe, who can now swim without flotation aids. Reporting by Sisipho Skweyiya and Shaffiek Tassiem; Writing by Anait Miridzhanian; Editing by Alex RichardsonOur Standards: The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles.

☆ Study reveals how treating hearing loss could impact dementia risk
▼ + stars: | 2023-04-13 | by ( Madeline Holcombe | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +5 min

CNN —Treating hearing loss could mean reducing the risk for dementia, according to a new study. Hearing loss may increase the risk for dementia, but using hearing aids lowered the risk so it’s similar to those without hearing loss, according to the study published Thursday in The Lancet. A 2020 Lancet commission on dementia prevention, intervention and care suggested hearing loss may be associated with around 8% of dementia cases, but this study found that the use of hearing aids reduced the risk to levels similar to people without hearing loss, the study said. “A recent study showed that only 15% of US adults with hearing loss use hearing aids,” De Sousa said. The Hearing Loss Association of America still supports multiple avenues for addressing hearing loss, Hamlin said.

☆ Colorado passes first US right to repair legislation for farmers
▼ + stars: | 2023-04-12 | by ( Bianca Flowers | Thomson Reuters | Bianca Flowers Is An Award-Winning Multimedia Journalist Based In Chicago Where She Reports On The Backbone Of The U.S. Labor Market. She Covers Agriculture | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

The Consumer Right to Repair Agriculture Equipment Act passed 46-14 in Colorado's Senate late on Tuesday, after winning approval in the state House of Representatives in February. The bill garnered bipartisan support as farmers grew increasingly frustrated with costly repairs and inflated input prices denting their profits. Colorado's legislation would mandate farm machinery manufacturers like Deere and rival CNH Industrial (CNHI.MI) to provide farmers with diagnostic tools, software documents, and repair manuals starting Jan 1. State lawmakers are pushing right to repair legislation even though Deere and CNH signed a memorandum of understanding with the American Farm Bureau Federation to allow farmers to fix their equipment, or go to a third-party repair shop. The agreement does not give farmers total access for repairs, said Kevin O'Reilly, director for the campaign of right to repair at the U.S. Public Interest Research Group.

☆ Another Medical Revolution Is Under Way
▼ + stars: | 2023-04-11 | by ( Michael Milken | ) www.wsj.com time to read: 1 min

Polio was such a threat in 1950s America that some people thought the need to build “iron-lung hotels” would bankrupt the nation. In 1987 Oprah Winfrey told her TV audience that “1 in 5 heterosexuals could be dead from AIDS in three years.” Senior California officials in March 2020 warned that half the state’s 39 million residents could be infected with Covid in two months and that five million needing hospitalization would overwhelm the fewer than 100,000 available hospital beds.

☆ Buying Help for Over-the-Counter Hearing Aids—Whether You Spend $250 or $2,500
▼ + stars: | 2023-04-08 | by ( Julie Jargon | Photographs Joseph Bui For The Wall Street Journal | ) www.wsj.com time to read: 1 min

New, lower-price hearing aids promise to help people with mild to moderate hearing loss. But when you buy one, how well does it work out? Six months ago, over-the-counter hearing aids began showing up in retail stores and websites following a new rule by the Food and Drug Administration. They offer an attractive alternative to doctor-prescribed hearing aids, which can cost $5,000 or more and come with a deeper commitment.

☆ Opinion | When George W. Bush Was a Hero
▼ + stars: | 2023-04-08 | by ( Nicholas Kristof | ) www.nytimes.com time to read: +1 min

You may recall that I spent eight years hammering President George W. Bush for just about everything he did (and he deserved it! ), yet one more thing must be said: Bush started the single best policy of any president in my lifetime. That turned the tide of the epidemic and has saved 25 million lives so far. Think of that: 25 million lives. It paid for antiretroviral medicines for people with AIDS and for efforts to prevent the spread of the virus, including to newborns through childbirth.

☆ Uganda’s anti-gay bill is the latest and worst to target LGBTQ Africans
▼ + stars: | 2023-04-06 | by ( Aditi Bhandari | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +14 min

Same-sex activity in Africa is punishable by … Map of the 32 African countries where same-sex activity is illegal. Same-sex activity in Africa … Map of the 22 African countries where same-sex activity is legal. In 1993, Guinea-Bissau became the first African country to legalise LGBTQ activity when it adopted a new Penal Code that didn’t include any laws criminalising it. Country Constitutional protection Broad protections Employment Hate crime Incitement Marriage or civil union Adoption Angola No Yes Yes Yes Yes No No Botswana No No Yes No No No No Cape Verde No No Yes Yes No No No Gabon No No No No No No No Guinea-Bissau No No No No No No No Lesotho No No No No No No No Mozambique No No Yes No No No No Sao Tome and Principe No No Yes Yes No No No Seychelles No No Yes No No No No South Africa Yes Yes Yes No Yes Yes YesNote: Broad protections include laws protecting against discrimination in at least 3 of 4 categories: the provision of goods and services, housing, healthcare and education. Namibia and Mauritius criminalise same-sex activity, but around 35% of respondents said they would dislike having a gay neighbour.

☆ Meta releases AI model that can identify items within images
▼ + stars: | 2023-04-05 | by ( Katie Paul | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

The company's research division said in a blog post that its Segment Anything Model, or SAM, could identify objects in images and videos even in cases where it had not encountered those items in its training. Using SAM, objects can be selected by clicking on them or writing text prompts. Examples include a tool that spins up surrealist videos from text prompts and another that generates children's book illustrations from prose. The SAM model and dataset will be available for download under a non-commercial license. Users uploading their own images to an accompanying prototype likewise must agree to use it only for research purposes.

☆ 50 years ago, he made the first cell phone call
▼ + stars: | 2023-04-03 | by ( Jennifer Korn | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +5 min

“I’m calling you on a cell phone, but a real cell phone, a personal, handheld, portable cell phone,” Cooper, then an engineer at Motorola, said on the phone to Joel Engel, head of AT&T-owned Bell Labs. “I was not surprised that everybody has a cell phone,” Cooper, now 94, told CNN. Today, 97% of Americans own a cell phone of some kind, according to a 2021 study by Pew Research Center. I know there are disadvantages to the cell phone. “Overall, I think the cell phone has changed humanity for the better and that will continue in the future.”

Senator John Fetterman has been discharged from hospital where he was treated for weeks for depression, his office said on Friday, adding he will return to the Senate mid-April. Fetterman's depression is now in remission, his office said in a statement, citing a doctor. Fetterman had checked into a Washington-area hospital for treatment for clinical depression in mid-February. Fetterman, who suffered a stroke last May and later acknowledged he had "almost died," has faced challenges adjusting to life in the Senate during his recovery. During the course of Fetterman's depression treatment, his speech abilities also improved as he worked with speech-language specialists, his office said on Friday.

☆ Counting the Lives an AIDS Foreign Policy Helps Save
▼ + stars: | 2023-03-31 | by ( Josh Zumbrun | ) www.wsj.com time to read: 1 min

The U.S. President’s Emergency Plan for AIDS Relief helped fund this Rwanda HIV clinic. Often, retrospectives on U.S. foreign policy focus on the missteps and the boondoggles. A look at the number of lives saved in the war on AIDS points to a remarkable and under-celebrated policy success. Twenty years ago this spring, the George W. Bush administration launched an all-out initiative for AIDS prevention, care and treatment in developing countries, especially in Africa. At the time it was the largest-ever initiative dedicated to a single disease.

☆ You can run for president from prison. Here's what happened when 2 candidates campaigned from behind bars.
▼ + stars: | 2023-03-31 | by ( Chris Panella | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +5 min

Two previous candidates, Eugene V. Debs in 1920, and Lyndon LaRouche in 1992, both ran from prison. If Trump is convicted, it's possible he could run for president from behind bars. Socialist Eugene V. Debs ran from behind bars over 100 years agoThe socialist party 1904 Eugene V. Debs and Ben Hanford. HUM Images/Universal Images Group via Getty ImagesIn 1920, Socialist Eugene V. Debs ran for the Oval Office from the Atlanta Federal Penitentiary, where he was known as "prisoner 9653," according to Smithsonian Magazine. Alex Brandon/File/APWhile Debs and LaRouche were both unsuccessful in their campaigns, they both were still able to run for president while behind bars.

March 30 (Reuters) - A federal judge in Texas on Thursday blocked Obamacare's mandate that health insurance plans cover pre-exposure prophylaxis against HIV (PrEP) and other preventive care including cancer and diabetes screenings. U.S. District Judge Reed O'Connor in Fort Worth, Texas, said the PrEP mandate violated a federal religious freedom law and that the other preventive care mandates were based on recommendations by an illegally appointed task force. The ruling was a victory for conservative businesses and individuals that sued to challenge the mandates in 2020. The U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, which oversees Obamacare, did not immediately respond to a request for comment. Reporting By Brendan Pierson in New York; Editing by Mark PorterOur Standards: The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles.

☆ GSK licenses companies to make cheap copies of HIV prevention drug
▼ + stars: | 2023-03-30 | by ( Maggie Fick | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

LONDON, March 30 (Reuters) - British drugmaker GSK (GSK.L) has signed deals with three companies allowing them to make inexpensive generic versions of its long-acting HIV preventive medicine for use in lower-income countries, where the majority of new HIV cases occur. The injected drug cabotegravir was approved by regulators in the United States in late 2021. Last July, GSK announced a program with the United Nations-backed healthcare organisation, the Medicines Patent Pool, aiming to get poor countries access to new HIV therapies far earlier than they did for previous HIV medicines. GSK said last year the new program could result in the generic form of its injection being available in lower-income countries beginning in 2026. The generic copies will be supplied in 90 countries, subject to regulatory approvals there, the statement said.

REUTERS/Daniel BecerrilLONDON, March 29 (Reuters) - Drugs that combat obesity could for the first time be included on the World Health Organization's "essential medicines list," used to guide government purchasing decisions in low- and middle-income countries, the U.N. agency told Reuters. A panel of advisers to the WHO will review new requests for drugs to be included next month, with an updated essential medicines list due in September. The request to consider obesity drugs was submitted by three doctors and a researcher in the United States. The majority – 70% - live in low- and middle-income countries. EXPANDING ACCESSIncluding obesity drugs among the WHO's essential medicines could have great significance for that population.

☆ 4 reasons to buy Kia's super-quick $63,000 electric SUV and 3 ways it falls short
▼ + stars: | 2023-03-26 | by ( Tim Levin | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +4 min

I drove Kia's high-performance electric SUV: the 2023 EV6 GT. Pro: Impeccable styleThe 2023 Kia EV6 GT. Con: Stiff rideThe 2023 Kia EV6 GT. Tim Levin/InsiderThe EV6's saving grace is it offers some of the quickest charging on the electric-car market. Tim Levin/InsiderThe EV6 GT comes loaded with impressive features that make driving it feel safe and convenient.

☆ Neste CEO: Sustainable aviation fuel aids supply chain efficiency
▼ + stars: | 2023-03-24 | by ( ) www.cnbc.com time to read: 1 min

Share Share Article via Facebook Share Article via Twitter Share Article via LinkedIn Share Article via EmailNeste CEO: Sustainable aviation fuel aids supply chain efficiencyMatti Lehmus, president and CEO at Neste, discusses how the company is helping to make the aviation industry more environmentally friendly.

☆ Bill Gates says AI is set to transform healthcare and lays out the 2 main ways it could change the field
▼ + stars: | 2023-03-22 | by ( Yeji Jesse Lee | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +3 min

He said that AI could help healthcare workers with productivity, especially in poorer countries. Gate's letter, titled "The Age of AI has Begun," outlines two main ways he thinks AI could change the healthcare and medical field in the next five to 10 years. Gates is a cofounder of Microsoft, the tech giant that's been working to incorporate new AI tools from OpenAI into its Bing search engine and Office software. AI could help healthcare workers with productivityGates said he expects to see a lot of innovation in AI that could help healthcare workers with efficiency and productivity. Gates said that the next generation of AI tools will be even more efficient, which will "dramatically accelerate the rate of medical breakthroughs."

Many of the arrivals abandoned plans to seek asylum in the United States, deterred by long processing times and restrictive definitions for asylum, according to aid officials and interviews with asylum seekers. "We want to help asylum seekers stabilize their lives whether in New York City or elsewhere." REUTERS/Christinne Muschi Acquire Licensing RightsThe Quebec government has said the increase in asylum seekers is straining its capacity to house people and provide basic services. The federal government said it has relocated more than 5,500 asylum seekers to other provinces since June, the first time it has done so. Immigration experts said closing off the border to asylum seekers could push migrants to take even riskier routes.

Persons: Zulema Diaz, Maryangel Diaz, Carlos Osorio, Diaz, Justin Trudeau, Joe Biden, Sean Fraser, Alejandro Mayorkas, Trudeau, Biden, Zulema, Eric Adams, Kate Smart, Fabien Levy, Smart, Ilze Thielmann, Raymond Theriault, Theriault, Christinne, Pierre, Luc Bouchard, You’re, Jamie Chai Yun Liew, Anna Mehler Paperny, Ted Hesson, Denny Thomas, Suzanne Goldenberg Organizations: REUTERS, New, . Homeland, Washington , D.C, Ottawa, New York City, Department of Homeless Services, U.S . Department of Homeland Security, Reuters Graphics Canada, United, Colombian, Immigration, Refugee Board, Canadian, Reuters, U.S, . Citizenship, Immigration Services, TLC, Border Patrol, University of Ottawa, Thomson Locations: U.S, Quebec, Niagara Falls , Ontario, Canada, CHAMPLAIN , New York, WASHINGTON, Peru, United States, New York City, Plattsburgh, Washington ,, New York State, New York, Haitian, Syracuse, El Paso, West Virginia, Niagara Falls, Guatemala, Champlain , New York, Montreal, Canada's province, Manitoba, Washington

[1/5] Asylum seekers board a bus after crossing into Canada from the U.S. in Champlain, New York, U.S., February 28, 2023. Many of the arrivals abandoned plans to seek asylum in the United States, deterred by long processing times and restrictive definitions for asylum, according to aid officials and interviews with asylum seekers. "We want to help asylum seekers stabilize their lives whether in New York City or elsewhere." The Quebec government has said the increase in asylum seekers is straining its capacity to house people and provide basic services. Immigration experts said closing off the border to asylum seekers could push migrants to take even riskier routes.

☆ Best Buy will set up in-home hospital care through a new deal with Atrium Health
▼ + stars: | 2023-03-07 | by ( Melissa Repko | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +4 min

Best Buy is best known for installing TVs and home theater systems. Best Buy began setting up virtual-care systems in mid-February for 10 hospitals in and around Charlotte, North Carolina. Best Buy and Atrium did not disclose specific financial terms, but said Atrium will buy the devices from Best Buy and use Geek Squad services for installation and retrieval when the patient is cleared from care. For Best Buy, the hospital-at-home program represents the latest push to turn health care into a more meaningful revenue driver. Best Buy, like retailers including Walmart and Target , has seen consumers buy fewer big-ticket and discretionary items as they pay more for food and housing.

☆ Explainer: International Women’s Day: date, history and this year’s theme
▼ + stars: | 2023-03-06 | by ( Josie Kao | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +3 min

March 6 (Reuters) - As the world gears up to celebrate International Women's Day (IWD) on Wednesday, here is a look at what the global event stands for, this year's theme and the issues that activists are focusing on. WHAT IS INTERNATIONAL WOMEN'S DAY? WHAT IS THIS YEAR'S INTERNATIONAL WOMEN'S DAY THEME? The U.N.'s theme this year is "DigitALL: Innovation and technology for gender equality." WHY IS INTERNATIONAL WOMEN'S DAY IMPORTANT?

☆ A Simple Trick Helped Me Cut Back on Screen Time, Break My Phone Addiction
▼ + stars: | 2023-03-05 | by ( Shubham Agarwal | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +13 min

To try and break my habit, I decided to slow down my phone experience with a new app called One Sec. Plus, studies have shown that things like app limits that merely measure your screen time won't break compulsive habits. Sandy Gould, a senior computer-science lecturer at Cardiff University, has researched ways to curb our compulsive phone tendencies. Frederik Riedel, the German-based developer of the app, told me that creating better boundaries was the motivation behind the development of the app. I can attest to that figure: One Sec has nearly halved my compulsive Twitter use.

☆ Marianne Williamson opens long shot 2024 challenge to Biden
▼ + stars: | 2023-03-04 | by ( ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +5 min

Biden, 80, is the oldest president in U.S. history and would be 86 at the end of a second term. Biden's political advisers say they aren't worried about the Democratic primary and say Biden is anxious to defeat Donald Trump again in the general election. Williamson insists her 2024 campaign is about far more than just making a statement. A Texas native who now lives in Beverly Hills, California, Williamson is the author of more than a dozen books. She ran an unsuccessful independent congressional campaign in California in 2014 and supported Vermont Sen. Bernie Sanders' 2016 progressive challenge of eventual Democratic presidential nominee Hillary Clinton.

☆ Take Five: A manic March
▼ + stars: | 2023-03-03 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +5 min

Another dose of hot job growth after January's payrolls increase of 517,000 trounced estimates could stoke fears of more hawkish Fed action. Powell has said the January jobs report showed why the battle against inflation will "take quite a bit of time". Powell's comments and the jobs data could help settle what the Fed does later this month. The RBA hinted at further tightening at its meeting last month, but data since then has pointed the other way. After a red-hot January rally, bonds and equities retreated in February as strong data sparked concerns about more rate hikes.

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