Author: Reporter

Earth is moving closer to destruction, a science-oriented advocacy group said in January as it advanced its famous “Doomsday Clock” to 89 seconds till midnight, the closest it has ever been. The Bulletin of the Atomic Scientists made the annual announcement — which rates how close humanity is from ending — citing threats that include climate change, proliferation of nuclear weapons, instability in the Middle East, the threat of pandemics and incorporation of artificial intelligence in military operations. The clock had stood at 90 seconds to midnight for the past two years and “when you are at this precipice,...

Winter is settling in across much of the U.S., erasing the freshness and vibrancy of months past. But the chilly season doesn’t have to usher in weeks of lifeless, colorless dinner plates. Dieticians and food experts say winter is a great time to experiment with your food, try out underappreciated seasonal produce, and cook a healthy meal for loved ones. “Embrace the cold, embrace the winter and appreciate the bounty,” said Kristen Rasmussen, a culinary dietician and chef who teaches at the University of California Berkeley. Here are tips from nutrition experts on how to “winterize” your meals. ANY...

U.S. life expectancy jumped last year, and preliminary data suggests there may be another, much smaller, improvement this year. Death rates fell last year for almost all leading causes, notably COVID-19, heart disease and drug overdoses, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention report released in December. That translated to adding nearly a year the estimated lifespan of Americans. Experts note it is part of a bounce-back from the COVID-19 pandemic. But life expectancy has not yet climbed back to prepandemic levels, and the rebound appears to be losing steam. “What you’re seeing is continued improvement, but...

Nearly all of the world’s 35,000 online pharmacies are being run illegally and consumers who use them risk getting ineffective or dangerous drugs, according to the U.S. Trade Representative’s annual report on ” notorious markets.” The report also singled out 19 countries over concerns about counterfeit or pirated products. In addition, it named about three dozen online retailers, many of them in China or elsewhere in Asia that it said are allegedly engaged in selling counterfeit products or other illegal activities. The report says 96% of online pharmacies were found to be violating the law, many operating without a...