All posts tagged: drastic

DOGE Made Drastic Cuts to a Global Vaccine Assistance Program. Now There’s a Deadly Measles Outbreak in Bangladesh

DOGE Made Drastic Cuts to a Global Vaccine Assistance Program. Now There’s a Deadly Measles Outbreak in Bangladesh

Published by José Betancourt

Sign up to see the future, today Can’t-miss innovations from the bleeding edge of science and tech Even after prolonged chaos, Elon Musk’s Department of Government Efficiency didn’t end up saving taxpayers much money. It did, however, manage to devastate global health infrastructure on its way out. For evidence, look no further than Bangladesh, currently in the grips of one of the worst measles outbreaks in recent memory. According to the Guardian, over 100 children have died as a result of gaps in vaccination coverage, with more than 900 confirmed measles cases reported since the viral flare-up began in March. Two thirds of those impacted are over nine months old, the outlet reported, the age at which infants typically become eligible for measles inoculation. The United Nations has helped the Bangladeshi government kickstart an emergency vaccination drive, but for many families, the damage has already been done. At the heart of the public health failure lies a shortage of vaccine stockpiles. That shortage traces back, at least in part, to the wave of DOGE-driven spending …

YouTube rolls out unskippable ads – they’re so annoying I’m mulling drastic measures

YouTube rolls out unskippable ads – they’re so annoying I’m mulling drastic measures

Published by skeptic

Anadolu / Contributor/ Anadolu via Getty Images Follow ZDNET: Add us as a preferred source on Google. ZDNET’s key takeaways YouTube now has 30-second unskippable ads. The ads only show on televisions for now.  You can remove the ads for just $8 a month.  Have you noticed that the “skip ad” button sometimes disappears on YouTube? You’re not alone. Over the past few weeks, users have been reporting that long, unskippable ads are appearing on YouTube videos when they’re watching on a TV. I noticed it myself a few days ago, did some research, and saw that yes, YouTube has a new ad option that it calls “VRC Non-Skip.”  The ads, which can be 6, 15, or 30 seconds long (Google AI will decide which length is appropriate in which instance), are designed to “ensure your message is delivered in its entirety,” Google says. However, viewers on the receiving end of these ads are using words like unsufferable, miserable, annoying, the final straw, and the breaking point. Also: YouTube TV is offering 12 cheaper channel …

Drastic water shortages and air pollution are fuelling Iran’s protests

Drastic water shortages and air pollution are fuelling Iran’s protests

Published by skeptic

This roundup of The Conversation’s climate coverage was first published in our award-winning weekly climate action newsletter, Imagine. “Iran is experiencing not one environmental crisis but the convergence of several: water shortages, land subsidence, air pollution and energy failure. All added together, life is a struggle for survival.” This is the situation inside Iran as described by Nima Shokri, an environmental engineer who works on global challenges related to the environment. Shokri highlights a rarely discussed factor in relation to this year’s massive protests across Iran: the severe challenges Iranians are struggling with every day, affecting their ability to simply carry on living. The air is polluted, the water is drying out and the land collapsing. Many Iranian farmers have been forced to give up their homes and land, and flee to the edges of cities in the hope of just surviving. Their land is cracking and disappearing, and it is no longer possible to grow crops or keep animals alive. City dwellers are struggling with major water shortages too. On top of that extremely …

Sandra Bullock’s Blind Side costar Quinton Aaron left ‘fighting for his life’ after drastic weight loss

Sandra Bullock’s Blind Side costar Quinton Aaron left ‘fighting for his life’ after drastic weight loss

Published by Daniella Wilson

Fans of The Blind Side have been left deeply concerned after news emerged that Quinton Aaron, who starred opposite Sandra Bullock in the 2009 hit film, has been hospitalized following a sudden and frightening health emergency. The actor, who memorably portrayed football star Michael Oher in The Blind Side, was rushed to hospital in Atlanta after collapsing at home.  According to reports, Quinton was walking up a flight of stairs when he suddenly lost control of his legs, causing him to fall. He has since remained in hospital for several days as doctors continue to run tests to determine the cause. © GC ImagesQuinton Aaron has been hospitalized A representative for the actor confirmed that he is now in stable condition and expressed gratitude for the “outpouring of love, prayers, and well wishes” from fans. While his condition was initially described as critical, his team has reassured supporters that he is receiving ongoing medical care. The incident comes just months after Quinton proudly shared a major personal milestone with his followers, revealing that he had …

Man given six months to live takes drastic action and survives for 40 years | World | News

Man given six months to live takes drastic action and survives for 40 years | World | News

Published by Sam Flores

Stamatis Moraitis was diagnosed with terminal cancer (Image: BBC) A man given just months to live following a terminal lung cancer diagnosis went on to survive for more than four decades after choosing to return to the remote Greek island of his birth. Stamatis Moraitis was in his mid-60s when American doctors informed him that the tumours in his lungs were incurable, giving him less than a year to live. Multiple specialists confirmed the diagnosis, and the outlook was grim. Instead of pursuing aggressive treatment, Moraitis decided to return to the Aegean island of Ikaria, his birthplace, which is renowned worldwide for its residents’ longevity. Remarkably, his health started to improve. On the island, Moraitis discovered he could gradually resume physical labour, spending his days planting vegetables, tending vineyards and socialising daily with friends who gathered at his home, frequently drinking homemade wine late into the evening, reports the Mirror. Stamatis Moraitis returned to the island he was born (Image: Blue Zones, LLC/Youtube) Years afterwards, he travelled back to the United States to enquire how …

Slow orbital wobbles drove drastic climate swings on Earth

Slow orbital wobbles drove drastic climate swings on Earth

Published by Jenni Sidey

Climate can change fast, even when the planet looks stable. Earth has flipped into new patterns within decades in the past. During the last Ice Age, Greenland warmed by as much as 16°C over short spans. The North Atlantic also saw repeated iceberg surges. Scientists call these abrupt jumps Dansgaard–Oeschger and Heinrich events. For years, many researchers tied those rapid swings to ice sheets. That link made sense in an icy world. It also left a major puzzle. How could climate lurch on thousand-year timescales during hot “greenhouse” periods with little or no polar ice? An international team now offers a strong answer. Professor Chengshan Wang of the China University of Geosciences (Beijing) led the work with collaborators in Belgium, Austria, and China. Paleoclimatologist Michael Wagreich of the University of Vienna was among the co-authors. The group reports that Earth’s orbital wobble; not ice sheets; can trigger millennial-scale climate cycles in an ice-free world. Their study appeared in Nature Communications. Spatial and temporal distribution of sedimentary records displaying millennial-scale climate cycles throughout the Mesozoic and …