Our World

A variety of stories, both good and bad, about this wonderful world we are trying to share with one another and with all other forms of life.

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Coronavirus (COVID-19)
Israel lifts outdoor mask mandate, fully reopens schools
timesofisrael.com - TOI staff
With most of its population vaccinated, Israel on Sunday dropped the requirement to wear masks outdoors and fully reopened schools for the first time …
10 hours ago
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Health Care (Canada)
Experts find more evidence COVID-19 is airborne, that we need to rethink indoor spaces
Global News - David Lao
The authors of a new paper that found increasingly concrete evidence that COVID-19 is “predominately” airborne say that we need to be focusing on …
14 hours ago
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Heart Health
Too Much of This Popular Drink Caused a 21-Year-Old To Have Heart Failure, Says New Study | Eat This Not That
Eat This, Not That! - Krissy Gasbarre
Researchers say "most consumers are not aware" of the dangers, symptoms, and ingredients to look out for. For decades, there's been debate over a …
1 hour ago
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Coronavirus (COVID-19)
Pfizer vaccine not strong enough to resist South African Covid variant: study - CityAM
cityam.com - Michiel Willems
Pfizer/BioNTech’s Covid vaccine is not strong enough to resist the Covid mutation that was first discovered in South Africa. According to a new study …
5 hours ago
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Digital Currency
Bitcoin Price Falls $8K to 3-Week Low, Altcoins Crash - CoinDesk
coindesk.com - Omkar Godbole
Bitcoin nosedived to three-week lows early Sunday, puncturing the frenzied speculative bubble built into several alternative cryptocurrencies …
8 hours ago
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10:22
A Bigger Crisis Is On The Horizon, And It Will Last For Decades
www.youtube.com
As the news talks about enforcing mandatory lockdowns, and handing out money to citizens… There has been a problem that has been rapidly expanding in the background of all of this news. …And It is a problem...
Apr 6, 2020
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Digital Currency
Decentralize everything (in finance)
Axios - Kia Kokalitcheva
While exchanges like Coinbase and FTX are amassing huge success, another crypto industry phenomenon that’s flourishing is “DeFi,” short for …
1 day ago
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Black Sea
Russia beefs up warship presence in Black Sea as Ukraine tensions simmer
Reuters
The Russian Navy's Ropucha-class landing ship Kondopoga passes through the Bosphorus on its way to the Black Sea, in Istanbul, Turkey April 17, 2021. REUTERS/Yoruk Isik Two Russian warships transited Bosphorus...
1 day ago
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Coronavirus (Brazil)
Worldwide COVID-19 death toll tops a staggering 3 million
Associated Press - By DAVID BILLER, MARIA CHENG and JOSHUA GOODMAN
RIO DE JANEIRO (AP) — The global death toll from the coronavirus topped a staggering 3 million people Saturday amid repeated setbacks in the worldwide vaccination campaign and a deepening crisis in places...
1 day ago
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Herd Immunity
Israel Achieves COVID Herd Immunity, Borders Closed To Non-Citizens - Zenger News
zenger.news - Abigail Klein Leichman
Israel may have reached herd immunity against the SARS-CoV-2 coronavirus, say experts from its largest hospital, Sheba Medical Center. Herd immunity …
1 day ago
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Nature
See the First Camera Collar Footage From a Wild Wolf
Gizmodo - Ed Cara
A few wolves in Minnesota will now record their summer exploits, thanks to an exciting project from researchers from the Voyageurs Wolf Project. This …
1 day ago
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Raul Castro
Raul Castro resigns as Communist chief, ending era in Cuba
Associated Press - By ANDREA RODRÍGUEZ
HAVANA (AP) — Raul Castro said Friday he is stepping down as head of Cuba’s Communist Party, ending an era of formal leadership that began with his brother Fidel and country’s 1959 revolution. The 89-year-old...
1 day ago
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Eastern Canada
Most of Canada is in a punishing third wave. How did it come to this? - Macleans.ca
macleans.ca - By Justin Ling
After a year of struggling with this pandemic, science has developed a relatively good grasp of COVID-19. We know that it is difficult to catch the …
1 day ago
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Language
These 100 Funny-Sounding Words Are So Wacky & Unusual, You Won't Believe They're Real!
Parade Magazine - Maryn Liles
When you think about it, some words in the English language can sound pretty interesting. And when we say “interesting” we really mean weird and …
1 day ago
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A new coronavirus 'bootcamp' helps long-haulers recover with breathing exercises and strength training. Hundreds of patients...
Business Insider - Aria Bendix
Each day, Marissa Oliver logs onto her computer after work and sees the familiar face of Dr. Noah Greenspan, a physical therapist with colorful tattoos on both arms. He offers Oliver — and many other patients...
Aug 30, 2020
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Meet the 'long-haulers': A growing chorus of coronavirus patients have had symptoms for more than 100 days
Business Insider - Aria Bendix
The people who've had coronavirus symptoms for more than 100 days have a nickname for themselves: the long-haulers. They've been dealing with the virus for much longer than most of their peers, and far...
Jul 4, 2020
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Thousands of people say they are suffering from lingering symptoms of COVID-19 months after testing positive
Business Insider - Samara Abramson
COVID-19 isn't over when it's over. Thousands of people who survived the coronavirus just can't seem to shake the symptoms — even months after their diagnoses. We spoke with more than 80 people who have...
Sep 18, 2020
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Mental Health
COVID long-haulers are killing themselves as symptoms become too painful to bear — but support groups offer relief
Insider - Cheryl Teh
Months of suffering from "long-haul" COVID symptoms can cause sufferers to develop severe depression and anxiety, and even suicidal ideation. Texas …
2 days ago
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Mike Pompeo
Watchdog: Pompeo, his wife made more than 100 personal requests of State Department employees
USA TODAY - Deirdre Shesgreen
WASHINGTON – Former Secretary of State Mike Pompeo and his wife asked State Department employees to do personal tasks for them – such as making hair appointments, taking care of their dog and picking dinner...
1 day ago
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Vaccination
It's Actually Encouraging That 5,800 Vaccinated People Got COVID
Lifehacker - Beth Skwarecki
The CDC has released some information on breakthrough COVID-19 infections on people who have been fully vaccinated. The bad news: 5,800 people have …
1 day ago
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Biology
Philippines: Giant clam shells worth $25m seized in raid
BBC News
Around 200 tonnes of illegally harvested giant clam shells worth nearly $25 million (£18 million) have been seized in the Philippines. The seizure is one of the largest ever hauls of the endangered species....
1 day ago
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Canada
An Ontario Region Is Desperate To Stop A Big Outbreak From 'Spiralling Out Of Control'
narcity.com - Cormac O'Brien
Officials from Ontario's Grey Bruce Health Unit are urging all residents to consider themselves contagious for the next 48 hours after a large …
3 days ago
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Spain
In Spain, a fourth wave of COVID-19 is taking hold
Al Jazeera
Infection rates are rising across the country as the race to roll out vaccines is challenged by delays and fears of rare side effects. A fourth wave of coronavirus infections appears to be emerging in...
2 days ago
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Germany
Experience Footage of Roaring 1920s Berlin, Restored & Colorized with Artificial Intelligence
openculture.com - by Colin Marshall
Offered the chance to travel back in time to any city in any period, surely more than a few would choose Berlin in the 1920s. Ideally it would be …
2 days ago
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Dogs
Why do dogs lick you? And are dog licks really kisses?
Country Living - Lisa Walden
Here's everything you need to know Why do dogs lick you? Licking can be a sign of affection, as well as a feeling of security and comfort. An …
2 days ago
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Nature
Humans Have Destroyed 97% Of Earth's Ecosystems
Gizmodo - Dharna Noor
Only 3% of land on Earth still qualifies as “ecologically intact,” with undisturbed habitats and healthy populations of its original animal species, …
2 days ago
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Chromosomes
Sex between different types of ancient humans resulted in “genetic resistance”
Inverse - Stephenie Livingston
Around 45,000 years ago, anatomically modern humans expanding into the Pacific region encountered archaic hominins on their journey. It wasn’t long …
2 days ago
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Physical Geography
2.5 billion T. rex inhabited the planet, researchers say
Axios - Jacob Knutson
For the first time, scientists have estimated how many Tyrannosaurus rex, the so-called king of dinosaurs, once roamed the Earth. Why it matters: The …
2 days ago
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Extinction
Science journalist says planet is "on the verge of another mass extinction" - on "The Takeout"
CBS News
Elizabeth Kolbert, staff writer for the New Yorker and author of the book "The Sixth Extinction," which won the Pulitzer Prize, warns that the planet …
2 days ago