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    Russian journalist Oksana Baulina killed in shelling incident in Kyiv

    Peter Watson
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    Russian journalist Oksana Baulina killed in shelling incident in Kyiv

    Oksana Baulina had been filming the shelling destruction in the capital’s Podilskyi District by Russian troops when she came under rocket fire. Another civilian died with her, The Insider’s statement said. Two people accompanying her were also wounded and hospitalized.

    Baulina went to Ukraine as a correspondent and filed “several reports” from Lviv and Kyiv, The Insider said.

    “The Insider expresses its deepest condolences to Oksana’s family and friends,” the outlet said in the statement. “We will continue to cover the war in Ukraine, including such Russian war crimes as indiscriminate shelling of residential areas where civilians and journalists are killed.”

    The Insider’s statement did not say when Baulina was killed. But soon after it was released, colleagues took to Twitter to mourn her death.

    Baulina was a “journalist with a phenomenal sense of moral clarity,” former colleague Alexey Kovalyov said in a Twitter post.

    Prior to joining the outlet, Baulina worked as a producer for the Anti-Corruption Foundation founded by Russian opposition leader Alexei Navalny, according to The Insider, which added that “after the organization was listed as an extremist organization, she had to leave Russia in order to continue reporting on Russian government corruption for The Insider.”

    Navalny spokeswoman Kira Yarmysh called Baulina a “courageous and honest, excellent journalist.” “[S]he was our steadfast upstander and would always help,” Yarmysh said. “I don’t even know how to speak about her death and can’t even imagine all of this.”

    Christo Grozev, an investigative reporter at Bellingcat, called her “an amazingly brave Russian journalist” who was “killed by her own country’s army shelling civilian areas in the Podol district in Kyiv.”

    “She was killed while reporting on the damage caused by the shelling,” Grozev added on Twitter.

    Baulina is the fifth journalist killed in Ukraine this month, according to the Committee to Protect Journalists and other press freedom activists.

    Gulnoza Said, the committee’s Europe and Central Asia program coordinator said Baulina’s death is “another demonstration of the cruelty of Russia’s war on Ukraine.”

    Multiple news crews have come under fire while covering the war. Filmmaker Brent Renaud was killed outside Kyiv on March 13. His colleague Juan Arredondo was seriously injured. Arredondo wrote on Instagram earlier this week that “five surgeries in, I have a long way to recovery.”
    The next day, two members of a Fox News crew, Oleksandra Kuvshynova and Pierre Zakrzewski, were killed. Correspondent Benjamin Hall was severely injured.

    At the beginning of the month, a Ukrainian camera operator, Yevhenii Sakun, was killed when a television tower was shelled in Kyiv, according to CPJ.

    “Ukrainian and Russian authorities must do everything in their power to ensure the safety of journalists and all other civilians, and to thoroughly investigate attacks on members of the press,” the group said.

    Bill Gates turns $43M mansion into ‘bachelor pad’ nuisance

    Peter Watson
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    Bill Gates turns $43M mansion into ‘bachelor pad’ nuisance

    Before announcing their shocking divorce, Bill and Melinda Gates shelled out a whopping $43 million for an oceanfront estate in San Diego — the latest hot spot in California. 

    But it looks like Gates, 66, is the one to snag the idyllic property for his own use — and he’s customizing it to a T, The Post can report. 

    The initial six-bedroom, 3.5 bathroom estate, which spanned 5,800 square feet, has been completely demolished and is being re-built from the ground up at the direction of the Microsoft tycoon himself. 

    Gates has already stopped by twice in the last few months with his two bulletproof suburban security details to check on the project, local sources told The Post. 

    And neighbors are not happy about all the disruptions going on. 

    “It’s been a nuisance,” one neighbor said. 

    “They make a lot of noise, my baby can’t sleep,” another neighbor explained. “It’s become a real hindrance on the whole neighborhood.”

    Upon completion, the property will span more than 6,000 square-feet.
    Jesal/Diggzy/Shutterstock
    Construction on the site began in the last three months, according to sources.
    Construction on the site began in the last three months, according to sources.
    Jesal/Diggzy/Shutterstock

    Getting permission to build in the area in the first place is a feat within itself. According to local officials, obtaining permits takes a while and is nearly impossible. But if you’re Bill Gates, with a net worth of $134 billion, nothing is really off limits.

    Although Gates purchased the estate with his now-estranged wife on March 27, 2020, construction did not start until the last three months. 

    Real estate photos taken prior to the sale of the home show the house was in perfect condition. But Gates still felt the need to gut the entire property.

    “The home they purchased was in immaculate condition, not exactly sure why he would want to tear it down,” a local realtor told The Post. 

    The Del Mar estate is situated directly in front of a public beach.
    The Del Mar estate stands directly in front of Del Mar Dog Beach.
    Jesal/Diggzy/Shutterstock
    The estate boasts 120 feet of ocean frontage, making this "resort beach home" a "one-of-a-kind" the previous listing notes.
    The estate boasts 120 feet of ocean frontage, making this “resort beach home” a “one-of-a-kind” the previous listing notes.
    Jesal/Diggzy/Shutterstock

    Located in the upscale Del Mar neighborhood, Gates is planning on using the home as his summer bachelor pad, according to insiders.  

    “When he comes, he checks the house, walks out in the front, inspects it,” one insider said. The current 24-hour security guards are keeping an eye on the property while it remains under construction are hoping the new house will be completed by August at the latest. Although photos reveal the beginning stages of the build, it appears there is a long way to go. 

    “They are working around the clock to get it done,” the insider added. 

    Bill Gates has checked up on the progress of the property twice in the last few months, sources say.
    Bill Gates has checked up on the progress of the property twice in the last few months, sources said.
    Jesal/Diggzy/Shutterstock
    Construction is expected to be completed by August, despite the beginning stages of the project.
    Construction is expected to be completed by August, despite the beginning stages of the project.
    Jesal/Diggzy/Shutterstock

    According to a source Gates flies into Carlsbad six times a month, which is just a short drive from his house in Santa Fe — 30 minutes from the Del Mar property. 

    A rep for Gates did not respond to The Post’s request for comment.

    When Gates is not in the area, he has residences in Palm Springs and Seattle. 

    Melinda, 57, and Gates announced they were divorcing in May 2021 after 27 years of marriage. Melinda stated in court papers that the former couple’s relationship was “irretrievably broken.” The divorce was finalized in August.

    William and Kate face protests on royal tour of Caribbean

    Peter Watson
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    William and Kate face protests on royal tour of Caribbean
    Prince William and Kate are on a week-long tour in the region, visiting Belize, Jamaica and the Bahamas for a series of engagements to celebrate Queen Elizabeth’s platinum jubilee year, marking 70 years on the throne.

    However, protests have started to overshadow the trip after a small group of demonstrators gathered outside the British High Commission in the Jamaican capital Kingston on Tuesday to demand an apology from Britain.

    Some chanted “Apology now, reparations now” while others carried posters and placards reading “Apologise” and “Let’s get current. Let’s get rid of the rule of the Queen.”

    A royal engagement on Saturday in Belize was also canceled amid reported opposition from local residents.

    Britain and Jamaica’s relationship stretches back centuries. The island was seized by the British in 1655 and remained under its rule until it gained independence in 1962 but has stayed a Commonwealth realm with the Queen as head of state. The majority of Jamaicans are of African ancestry and are the descendents of slaves trafficked to the country by European colonists.

    William and Kate were expected to meet Wednesday with Jamaica’s Prime Minister before visiting a school, a hospital and a project helping at-risk young men, ahead of a dinner hosted by the Governor General of Jamaica at which William will give a speech.

    Jamaica will mark 60 years of independence from Britain in August this year but there are some in the country who are hoping to seize on the moment to transition to a republic.

    Jamaican Prime Minister Andrew Holness told William and Kate on Wednesday that Jamaica is “moving on” and will attain its “true ambition” to be “independent.”

    “Jamaica is as you would see a country that is very proud of its history, very proud of what we have achieved and we are moving on, and we intend to attain in short order and fulfil our true ambition as an independent, developed, prosperous country,” Holness said.

    “There are issues here which are, as you would know, unresolved. But your presence gives an opportunity for those issues to be placed in context, put front and center, and to be addressed as best as we can,” the prime minister added.

    Growing republic debate

    At the protest on Tuesday, human rights activist Kay Osborne told Reuters: “It is an insult to use for these young people (the Duke and Duchess of Cambridge) to be here to try to persuade us to keep the status quo in place when our goal is to loosen and remove the hands, the gloved hands of the Queen from around our necks so that we can breathe.”

    Meanwhile, former senator of Jamaica Imani Duncan-Price told the news agency she was participating in the protest “because we began our independence economically weak after having been pillaged by the monarchy; who today live on the benefits of that wealth.”

    “Sixty years of independence, we have not forgotten and we demand an apology and reparations,” an unidentified woman told protesters through a megaphone, according to video from Reuters.

    Debate over whether the country should sever its ties with London has grown in the past year since its regional neighbor Barbados removed Queen Elizabeth II as head of state and replaced her with its first-ever President, Sandra Mason.
    Not all on the island nation were opposed to the royal visit. William and Kate were warmly welcomed by well-wishers during a visit to Trench Town, the birthplace of reggae music.

    On Sunday, two days before the Cambridges’ arrival in Jamaica, a coalition of 100 prominent Jamaican individuals and organizations signed an open letter addressed to the couple, urging them to take accountability and “begin a process of reparatory justice.”

    “We see no reason to celebrate 70 years of the ascension of your grandmother to the British throne because her leadership, and that of her predecessors, have perpetuated the greatest human rights tragedy in the history of humankind,” part of the letter read.

    “Her ascension to the throne, in February 1952, took place 14 years after the 1938 labour uprisings against inhumane working/living conditions and treatment of workers; painful legacies of plantation slavery, which persist today,” it continued.

    “During her 70 years on the throne, your grandmother has done nothing to redress and atone for the suffering of our ancestors that took place during her reign and/or during the entire period of British trafficking of Africans, enslavement, indentureship and colonialization.”

    Some members of the British media traveling with the royal couple have reported that William will address these chapters of Britain’s history when he speaks later on Wednesday.

    Prince Charles watched as Barbados installed its first president on November 29, 2021 in Bridgetown, Barbados.

    Belize engagement canceled

    William’s father, Prince Charles, previously acknowledged the “appalling atrocity of slavery” during a speech marking Barbados‘ transition to republic last November, 55 years to the day after Barbados declared independence from Britain.

    “From the darkest days of our past, and the appalling atrocity of slavery, which forever stains our history, the people of this island forged their path with extraordinary fortitude. Emancipation, self-government and Independence were your way-points. Freedom, justice and self-determination have been your guides,” he said.

    Demonstrations over royal tours are not uncommon and this trip has been no exception.

    Things appeared to get off to a rocky start when organizers had to cut an engagement in Belize on Saturday, the first full day of William and Kate’s tour.

    The pair were supposed to visit the Akte ‘il Ha cacao farm in the foothills of the Maya Mountains but the stop was canceled Friday reportedly over opposition from residents in Indian Creek village. An engagement at a similar producer was scheduled later.

    Ahead of the trip, Kensington Palace said in a statement that the Duke and Duchess were “very much looking forward” to their tour of the Caribbean and “the opportunity to thank communities across Belize, Jamaica and The Bahamas for the support they have shown Her Majesty throughout her seventy-year reign.”

    Sign up to CNN’s Royal News, a weekly dispatch bringing you the inside track on the royal family, what they are up to in public and what’s happening behind palace walls.

    A new picture of the hot water beneath Yellowstone’s geysers

    Peter Watson
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    A new picture of the hot water beneath Yellowstone’s geysers
    Enlarge / Grand Prismatic Spring, Midway Geyser Basin, Yellowstone National Park.

    The vast volcanic caldera at Yellowstone National Park is just the latest in a long string of volcanic sites, all of which seem to be linked to a hot blob of material that may go all the way down to the Earth’s mantle. There’s been a lot of effort put into tracing that hot material, given that some of the earlier eruptions from it have been utterly enormous.

    But there’s also a connection between that hot material and the features, like geysers and hot springs, that make Yellowstone a major tourist destination. And those connections are very difficult to trace. But a new study has proposed a map that shows how the hot water of Yellowstone flows beneath the feet of visitors and why it reaches the surface at specific sites.

    Mapping the plumbing

    We tend to talk about water under our feet as traveling through underground rivers, but that creates a misleading image. In reality, water creeps along as a broad flow through permeable materials, its path shifted by things like faults and hard, impermeable rock, like granite. Tracking it isn’t the simplest thing.

    To get a clear picture of Yellowstone, the researchers flew a helicopter across the caldera along a series of lines spaced by as little as 250 meters. Onboard was an instrument sensitive to electromagnetic fields, allowing a measure of the resistivity and magnetic susceptibility of the area under the helicopter. With all that data in hand, the researchers were able to construct a model of the properties down to a few hundred meters below the surface.

    Water is a very polar liquid, which will alter the electromagnetic properties of any rocks it flows through. Water that has interacted with the hot rocks beneath Yellowstone will contain plenty of dissolved material, altering the water’s electrical conductivity even further.

    We know something about the structure of the rocks beneath Yellowstone from having drilled boreholes at specific locations in the site. There are older consolidated rocks, loose volcanic tuff produced by explosive eruptions, and a variety of clays, which may or may not contain hot water. Information on all these materials helped inform the three-dimensional model that the researchers produced.

    Lots going on

    As you might expect, there was evidence of broad regions filled by hot water beneath many of the geyser basins in the caldera. But these areas were often not directly below the geyser fields themselves. Instead, they were often capped by rocks and clays that didn’t allow smooth upward flows. In many cases, the hot water moved upward through faults that created gaps in the otherwise impermeable rock—the faults appeared as sharply defined stripes of hot water.

    Once closer to the surface, the hot water often ran into a cap of impermeable volcanic deposits. In general, the geyser fields are defined as a gap in these deposits, which lets hot water reach the surface over a relatively broad area.

    In addition to feeding geyser fields, some of the hot water moved horizontally along lines of permeable material nearer to the surface. Sometimes, this led to hot water from multiple faults mingling before emerging at a geyser. In other cases, the hot water mixed with groundwater present in the area, creating moderate temperatures that feed hot springs around the caldera. At some sites, this warm water flowed right out of the area covered by the helicopter.

    The resolution on this imaging isn’t great, and many of the details (such as the reservoirs and cracks under individual geysers) can’t be resolved. But the imaging does help make sense of some phenomena we’ve already observed. It shows that a site associated with swarms of small earthquakes under Yellowstone Lake is an area where hot water moves toward the surface. The association between some geysers and specific sources might help explain the difference in the mineral composition dissolved in the water at the different sites.

    So, while the new work isn’t a complete picture of Yellowstone, it knits together pieces of information we already have and could help direct future efforts at understanding one of North America’s most iconic volcanoes.

    Nature, 2022. DOI: 10.1038/s41586-021-04379-1  (About DOIs).

    Passel of medical marijuana measures passes House | Govt-and-politics

    Peter Watson
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    Passel of medical marijuana measures passes House | Govt-and-politics

    Oklahoma’s medical marijuana laws got a going over in the state House of Representatives on Wednesday, with more than a dozen bills approved and sent to the Senate.

    The measures included a moratorium of up to two years on new business licenses, steep fee increases for large grow operations, a new procedure for obtaining business licenses and authorization for the Oklahoma Medical Marijuana Authority access to grower water and electric usage records.

    Most of the 18 medical marijuana-related bills considered Wednesday passed without much ado, but one — on packaging — failed.

    The bills are an effort to patch up what has proved to be a leaky regulatory framework that has helped make Oklahoma a haven for illegal marijuana growing operations camouflaged by legal grows. 

    Among the bills passed Wednesday:

    • House Bill 2179, by Rep. Scott Fetgatter, R-Okmulgee, would create a tiered licensing system for growers, and calculates the annual fee for larger and more sophisticated operations on square footage.

    People are also reading…

    Growers currently pay a $2,500 annual fee regardless of size. HB 2179 would calculate the annual fee for those larger operations based on canopy size and type of grow.

    • HB 3208, by Rep. Rusty Cornwell, R-Vinita, applies a moratorium of up to two years on new medical marijuana business licenses, beginning Aug. 1.

    • HB 3530, by Rep. David Hardin, R-Stilwell, sets up a process by which the OMMA would pay the salaries of designated sheriff’s deputies assisting in medical marijuana enforcement.

    • HB 3734, by Fetgatter, puts in place a new licensing process requiring more financial and ownership information.

    • HB 4056, by Rep. T.J. Marti, authorizes collection of water and electricity usage information for the purpose of comparison with reported production.

    The bills now go to the Senate, where they face an uncertain fate given that body’s previous reluctance to take up medical marijuana reform.

    randy.krehbiel@tulsaworld.com

    Tesla, Lucid supplier LGES plans to build $1.4 bln battery factory in Arizona

    Peter Watson
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    Tesla, Lucid supplier LGES plans to build $1.4 bln battery factory in Arizona

    An employee walks past the logo of LG Energy Solution at its office building in Seoul, South Korea, November 23, 2021. REUTERS/Kim Hong-Ji/File Photo

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    SAN FRANCISCO/SEOUL, March 23 (Reuters) – LG Energy Solution (373220.KS) (LGES), a supplier for electric car makers Tesla and Lucid, said on Thursday in Korea it plans to invest 1.7 trillion Korean won ($1.4 billion) to build a battery factory in Arizona by 2024 to meet demand from “prominent startups” and other North American customers.

    This will be its first U.S. factory to make cylindrical cells, a type of battery that has been used in Tesla and Lucid vehicles, LGES said. Construction will begin in the second quarter of 2022, with mass production to start in 2024 with production capacity of 11 gigawatt hours, LGES said in a statement.

    Earlier, Reuters reported that potential customers would include EV makers Tesla, Lucid and Proterra and Philip Morris (PM.N), maker of IQOS heated-tobacco sticks, among others. The report cited people familiar with the matter.

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    LGES said in a statement that it plans to consider securing additional production capacity at its Arizona factory in the future.

    “The Arizona factory could add further production capacity in the future as we are seeing growing demand for cylindrical batteries from various customers, including automakers and power tool makers,” said an official at LGES.

    On Tuesday, Tesla Chief Executive Officer Elon Musk said battery production would be “the limiting factor” for vehicle production in two to three years. read more He has called on suppliers to raise production, while Tesla starts making cells itself.

    Tesla, Lucid and Proterra did not immediately respond to requests for comment. Philip Morris declined to comment.

    Japan’s Panasonic Corp (6752.T), a Tesla supplier, along with Contemporary Amperex Technology Co Ltd (300750.SZ), is also looking to invest billions of dollars to build a factory to make a new type of electric vehicle (EV) battery for Tesla, public broadcaster NHK reported this month.

    Panasonic is looking at building the factory in either Oklahoma or Kansas, not far from Tesla’s new Texas vehicle plant, NHK reported.

    Lucid Chief Financial Officer Sherry House told Reuters last month the company, which has a car factory in Arizona, had signed multi-year supply agreements with two battery suppliers, and the agreement “does have some capacity coming from state-side cell lines.”

    She did not identify the companies. Lucid sources batteries from LGES and Samsung SDI.

    LGES, which raised more than $10 billion in its initial public offering in Korea in January, has announced a flurry of battery joint ventures with GM (GM.N) and Stellantis (STLA.MI) in the United States and Canada. read more

    In August, U.S. President Joe Biden signed an executive order aimed at making half of all new vehicles sold in 2030 electric.

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    Reporting by Hyunjoo Jin and Heekyong Yang. Editing by Jane Merriman, David Gregorio and Bernard Orr

    Our Standards: The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles.

    8 Easy Lifestyle Changes to Reduce Your Risk of Cancer

    Peter Watson
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    8 Easy Lifestyle Changes to Reduce Your Risk of Cancer






    Roughly 1.9 million Americans were diagnosed with cancer in 2021, and over 600,000 died from the disease. This makes cancer a leading cause of death in the United States, second only to heart disease. Breast, lung, prostate, and colorectal cancer account for nearly half of all new cancer diagnoses in the US. And lung, colorectal, pancreatic, and breast cancer account for almost half of all deaths.

    Cancer is unpredictable, and you can’t change many risk factors, such as your age or genetics. However, other cancer risk factors are well within your control, including your body weight, diet, physical activity, and tobacco and alcohol use. At least 18 percent of all cancers diagnosed in the US relate to these factors.

    What can you do to help reduce your risk of cancer?

    By making a few easy lifestyle changes, you can greatly reduce your risk of developing cancer or improve your chances of beating the disease if you are diagnosed. The recommendations outlined here also lower your risk of developing heart disease, diabetes and other serious ailments, boosting your odds of living a long, healthy life.

    Maintain a healthy weight

    Obesity is a risk factor for several cancers, including breast, colon, endometrium, esophagus, kidney, lung, pancreatic and prostate cancer. The key to slimming down is to take in fewer calories by eating less and burn more calories by exercising. If you’re not sure what your ideal body weight is, consult this body mass index (BMI) calculator.

    Stay physically active

    Exercise lowers the risk of cancer, as well as heart disease and diabetes, even if it doesn’t result in weight loss. The American Heart Association recommends 150 minutes of moderate-intensity aerobic activity, or 75 minutes of vigorous activity, per week. As a general goal, aim to include 30 minutes of physical activity in your daily routine. If you can do more, that’s even better! Start small if you need to. Even light-intensity exercise, such as a 10-minute walk, can offset some of the risks of sitting all day.

    Eat a healthy diet

    Eating a varied diet packed with fruits, vegetables, whole grains, lean meat and legumes is an effective way to help prevent cancer. On the other hand, eating processed food, red meat and sugar is linked with higher cancer risk. Follow these guidelines to help you adopt a cancer-fighting diet.

    • Eat 2.5 cups, or at least five servings, of fruits and vegetables every day. It’s wise to vary the colors you eat because the phytochemicals found in various fruit and vegetable pigments guard against different types of cancer. Some of the top anti-cancer produce items include blueberries, cherries, cranberries, raspberries, broccoli, Brussels sprouts, carrots, kale, spinach and squash.
    • Get more fiber in your diet to lower the risk of colon cancer. High-fiber foods include whole grains, legumes and vegetables.
    • Choose whole-grain bread, pasta, rice and cereal over refined grains.
    • Limit your fat intake to 25 or 30 grams per day. Then, focus on getting your fat from healthy sources, such as olive oil, nuts, avocados and fish.
    • Eat less red meat, including beef, pork and lamb. The saturated fat in these products may increase the risk of colon and prostate cancer.
    • Eat less processed meat, including bacon, sausage, hot dogs, pepperoni and cold cuts. Because they contain nitrate- or nitrite-based additives, consuming even a small amount of these meats regularly can increase your colon cancer risk.
    • Substitute some of the meat in your diet for legumes, an excellent source of fiber and phytochemicals that may protect against colorectal cancer.
    • Eat fewer sweets and sugary drinks. The weight gain associated with a high-sugar diet increases the risk of obesity-related cancers.
    • Get more vitamin D in your diet to guard against prostate and colon cancer. Foods high in vitamin D include fatty fish, egg yolks, mushrooms, and fortified drinks and cereals. You can also take vitamin D supplements.
    • Drink green tea to increase your antioxidant intake. This may help guard against bladder and other types of cancer.
    • Drink coffee for its protective phytocompound content, which can lower the risk of endometrial and liver cancer. Some evidence even suggests that coffee may decrease the risk of mouth, pharynx, larynx and skin cancer. The cancer-fighting effects of coffee are evident in both regular and decaf versions. However, don’t counteract the benefits by loading your coffee with cream and sugar.

    Avoid tobacco products

    Using tobacco in any form drastically increases your risk of lung, mouth, throat, larynx and other types of cancer. In fact, about 30 percent of all cancer deaths, including 80 percent of lung cancer deaths, are attributed to tobacco use. If you don’t use tobacco, don’t start. And if you do, quit.

    Drink less alcohol

    Alcohol consumption increases the risk of several types of cancer. There is no “safe” level of alcohol, and your risk increases the more you drink. The healthiest option is to cut out alcohol altogether, but if you do indulge, limit yourself to no more than one or two drinks per day. Keep in mind that one drink is defined as about 12 ounces of beer, 5 ounces of wine or 1.5 ounces of 80-proof liquor.

    Protect your skin from the sun

    Skin cancer is one of the most common types of cancer—and one of the most preventable. Remember these tips.

    • Apply a broad-spectrum sunscreen of 30 SPF or higher before going outside, even on cloudy days.
    • Wear protective clothing.
    • Seek shade when spending a long time outside.
    • Avoid tanning beds and sunlamps.

    Test your home for radon

    Radon exposure is the second leading cause of lung cancer deaths after tobacco use. Radon is a radioactive gas produced by decaying uranium in the soil. This gas can enter your home through cracks in the foundation, floors or walls. Radon is odorless, but inhaling it can damage your lungs. Therefore, testing for and mitigating residential radon reduces your lung cancer risk.

    Get regular cancer screenings

    Preventing cancer in the first place is ideal, but even if you follow all of these tips, you can never reduce your risk to zero. That’s why regular self-exams and formal cancer screenings are so important. Catching cancer early makes it easier to treat and increases your chances of recovery. Ask your doctor what screenings and tests are right for you.

    If a cancer screening comes back positive, your diagnosis changes everything. To receive the best care from some of the nation’s top physicians and state-of-the-art cancer therapies, turn to the INTEGRIS Cancer Institute. With six locations in Oklahoma, you’re bound to find top-notch oncology services near you. Feel free to learn more about us and find a doctor to begin your treatment today.

     








    Source: Malcolm Butler signing a deal to return to the Patriots

    Peter Watson
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    Source: Malcolm Butler signing a deal to return to the Patriots

    Few could’ve predicted this one after Super Bowl LII.

    Malcolm Butler has come to an agreement with the Patriots on a two-year deal, according to a league source. 

    Butler was last seen in a Patriots uniform in early 2018, when his team was upset by the Eagles in the Super Bowl. Butler played just one snap in that game, on special teams. This reunion could lead to some entertaining — or awkward, or both — press conferences, but this is clearly the Patriots trying to fill an immediate and glaring need. Their cornerback room prior to Butler’s signing consisted of Jalen Mills, Terrance Mitchell, Jonathan Jones, Myles Bryant, Joejuan Williams, Shaun Wade and special-teams ace Justin Bethel.

    Patriots Talk Podcast: Former NFL GM Rick Spielman gives his take on the Patriots’ plan | Listen & Follow | Watch on YouTube

    The question now is… how much can Butler help, exactly?

    Butler is coming off a year away from football, citing personal reasons for his decision to step away from the Arizona Cardinals. Prior to that, he’d played three years for the Titans. One NFL evaluator who closely scrutinized Butler’s 2020 film had this to say about what he saw: “Twitchy. Good quickness. Good ball skills. Good instincts.”

    In short, not all that different from what Butler put on display during his tenure in New England. But he is now 32 years old, and he is a year removed from NFL action. 

     

    For the Patriots, if he’s the same player he was two seasons ago, Butler provides starting-caliber boundary corner play. That was perhaps their most glaring need on the roster going into Wednesday. It remains a position the Patriots could very well address later this offseason, perhaps via trade or the draft. 

    While Butler may have enough quickness to hold up on the outside, the Patriots could still be looking to add some speed to their defense. They added some at the linebacker level by trading for Mack Wilson. But in the secondary, the group still isn’t loaded with burners. 

    Having Jonathan Jones return from injury will help as he is arguably the fastest player on the Patriots’ roster, but getting players with the juice to match up with the speed featured in the AFC will be critical.

    The Patriots needed more speed before Tyreek Hill was traded to the Dolphins, and now it becomes even more important. Adding Butler — while potentially an effective acquisition — likely isn’t enough to address what was a speed issue in 2021.

    Trying to Solve a Covid Mystery: Africa’s Low Death Rates

    Peter Watson
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    Trying to Solve a Covid Mystery: Africa’s Low Death Rates

    While health surveillance is weak, he acknowledged, Sierra Leoneans have the recent, terrible experience of Ebola, which killed 4,000 people here in 2014-16. Since then, he said, citizens have been on alert for an infectious agent that could be killing people in their communities. They would not continue to pack into events if that were the case, he said.

    Dr. Salim Abdool Karim, who is on the African Centers for Disease Control and Prevention Covid task force and who was part of the research team tracking excess deaths in South Africa, believes the death toll continentwide is probably consistent with that of his country. There is simply no reason that Gambians or Ethiopians would be less vulnerable to Covid than South Africans, he said.

    But he also said it was clear that large numbers of people were not turning up in the hospital with respiratory distress. The young population is clearly a key factor, he said, while some older people who die of strokes and other Covid-induced causes are not being identified as coronavirus deaths. Many are not making it to the hospital at all, and their deaths are not registered. But others are not falling ill at rates seen elsewhere, and that’s a mystery that needs unraveling.

    “It’s hugely relevant to things as basic as vaccine development and treatment,” said Dr. Prabhat Jha, who heads the Centre for Global Health Research in Toronto and is leading work to analyze causes of death in Sierra Leone.

    Researchers working with Dr. Jha are using novel methods — such as looking for any increase in revenue from obituaries at radio stations in Sierra Leonean towns over the past two years — to try to see if deaths could have risen unnoticed, but he said it was clear there had been no tide of desperately sick people.

    Some organizations working on the Covid vaccination effort say the lower rates of illness and death should be driving a rethinking of policy. John Johnson, vaccination adviser for Doctors Without Borders, said that vaccinating 70 percent of Africans made sense a year ago when it seemed like vaccines might provide long-term immunity and make it possible to end Covid-19 transmission. But now that it’s clear that protection wanes, collective immunity no longer looks achievable. And so an immunization strategy that focuses on protecting just the most vulnerable would arguably be a better use of resources in a place such as Sierra Leone.

    Today’s best deals: Amazon Kindles and Fire HD tablets, LG OLED TVs, and more

    Peter Watson
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    Today’s best deals: Amazon Kindles and Fire HD tablets, LG OLED TVs, and more

    Ars Technica

    It’s time for another Dealmaster! Our latest roundup of the best tech deals from around the web includes a new sale on Amazon’s Kindle e-readers. The deals include the newest Kindle Paperwhite marked down to $105, which is the lowest price we’ve seen to date and matches the deal we saw on Black Friday.

    As a refresher, we gave the Kindle Paperwhite a rave review when it launched last fall, calling it the best Kindle—and thus the best e-reader—for most people. There’s no need to upgrade if you’re happy with a previous Kindle, but compared to its predecessor, the 11th-gen Paperwhite has a more spacious display (now at 6.8 inches [17 cm] instead of 6 inches [15 cm]), a USB-C port, a better frontlight, more consistently responsive performance, and improved battery life (which Amazon rates at roughly 10 weeks per charge). It’s still waterproof, and if you can live with Amazon’s locked-down ecosystem, the Kindle library remains extensive. This offer includes three months of Amazon’s Kindle Unlimited e-book service, too, though note that this will auto-renew by default.

    The sale also brings the Kids version of the Kindle Paperwhite down to $115. That’s only $5 higher than the best price we’ve tracked. While this variant is marketed to younger readers, it features the same hardware as the standard Paperwhite, plus a case, a longer two-year warranty (compared to one with the standard model), and no ads on its home page or lock screen (which costs an extra $20 otherwise). The base Kindle Kids e-reader, which is discounted to $65 today, may be the better value for most children, but the Paperwhite Kids model may be worth it for those willing pay a little extra.

    Also on sale is Amazon’s line of Fire HD 8 tablets. The standard 8-inch slate is down to $45, while the Kids edition is available for $70. Both deals match the best prices we’ve tracked. These devices are admittedly getting a bit long in the tooth, Amazon’s OS is still self-serving and devoid of Google apps, and overall performance and build quality remains light years away from that of an iPad. But if you just want a tablet for basic web browsing, video viewing, or children’s entertainment, these still do the job—and they’re even better values when discounted this way.

    Elsewhere, our roundup has a new low price on the 55-inch version of LG’s C1 OLED TV, which is down to $1,197 at various retailers. LG announced pricing details for its 2022 OLED sets just this week, so the company is clearing out inventory for 2021 models like the C1 here. Still, as we’ve noted before, this is typically a great time of year for TV bargain hunters to pounce.

    LG’s new C2 TV should be an improvement, to be clear; the company says its upgraded “OLED Evo” panel will improve peak brightness, the four HDMI 2.1 ports will support 48 Gbps of bandwidth (up from 40 Gbps), and there will be a new 42-inch model for those who want a smaller set. But the 55-inch model will retail for $1,800 at launch and likely won’t hit the C1’s current price for several months. The C1 is still a near–universally praised TV, sitting in the middle of LG’s OLED lineup but still delivering inky blacks, excellent contrast, wide viewing angles, smooth motion, and gaming-friendly features. If you’re looking to upgrade to an OLED TV, the C1 might be the better value at this price.

    Beyond that, we also have discounts on Apple’s new iPad Air, AirPods Pro, Apple Watch Series 7, and MacBook Pro, Xbox consoles, Razer gaming accessories, a bunch of video games across PC and consoles, Philips Hue smart lights, and much more. You can see our full curated roundup below.

    Ars Technica may earn compensation for sales from links on this post through affiliate programs.

    Featured deals of the day

    The Signature Edition of the latest Amazon Kindle Paperwhite.
    Enlarge / The Signature Edition of the latest Amazon Kindle Paperwhite.

    Andrew Cunningham

    Electronics deals

    Amazon's Fire HD 8 Kids Edition tablet, complete with its protective bumper case.
    Enlarge / Amazon’s Fire HD 8 Kids Edition tablet, complete with its protective bumper case.

    Jeff Dunn

    The 2022 iPad Air with the Magic Keyboard and Apple Pencil.
    Enlarge / The 2022 iPad Air with the Magic Keyboard and Apple Pencil.

    Samuel Axon

    The LG C1 OLED TV.
    Enlarge / The LG C1 OLED TV.

    LG

    Laptop and desktop PC deals

    The display on the 2021 14-inch MacBook Pro.
    Enlarge / The display on the 2021 14-inch MacBook Pro.

    Samuel Axon

    Video game deals

    Everything in the excellent RPG <em>Disco Elysium</em>—from basic chats to melee encounters—hinges on dialogue and on D&amp;D-like dice rolls.
    Enlarge / Everything in the excellent RPG Disco Elysium—from basic chats to melee encounters—hinges on dialogue and on D&D-like dice rolls.
    The heartfelt and hardcore platformer <em>Celeste </em>was our game of the year in 2018.
    Enlarge / The heartfelt and hardcore platformer Celeste was our game of the year in 2018.
    Nintendo's <em>Legend of Zelda</em> Game and Watch handheld puts three classics (<em>The Legend of</em> <em>Zelda</em>, <em>Zelda II: The Adventure of Link</em>, and <em>Link's Awakening</em>) in a miniature, retro-style handheld that can also double as a <em>Zelda</em>-themed clock 
    Enlarge / Nintendo’s Legend of Zelda Game and Watch handheld puts three classics (The Legend of Zelda, Zelda II: The Adventure of Link, and Link’s Awakening) in a miniature, retro-style handheld that can also double as a Zelda-themed clock 

    Jeff Dunn

    Gaming deals

    L-R: Xbox Series X, PlayStation 5, Xbox Series S.
    Enlarge / L-R: Xbox Series X, PlayStation 5, Xbox Series S.

    Sam Machkovech

    Accessories and miscellaneous deals

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