Category: News
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There is a huge increase in homelessness in Brazil, per Der Spiegel. Many have lost jobs due to the COVID pandemic, leading to a second humanitarian crisis, this one economic. I found this quote from a factory worker who recently lost his job particularly striking: “I never thought I would…
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My wife was the first person to tell me about Captain Tom, a man in the UK nearing his 100th birthday who was walking across his small garden day after day to raise money for the NHS. At that time, things in the New York area, where we live, were…
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Today, Myanmar’s (deeply flawed) democracy fell today to a military coup: The coup follows a disputed election in November that Suu Kyi’s National League for Democracy party won by a landslide. The main opposition party, the army-backed Union Solidarity and Development Party, claimed the vote was marred by fraud. Myanmar’s…
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This morning, my friend Bill* texted me asking if I knew anything about what’s going on with GameStop, whose share price has skyrocketed recently. I may have told him a bit more than he wanted to know! But I thought this text thread might be useful to others too, so…
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I recently subscribed to a newsletter from the journalist Matthew Yglesias that has turned out be outstanding. A message I received this morning really struck me. Yglesias argues that the best thing we can do for the poor, given that housing is their biggest expense, is to build housing like…
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+ Affordable housing, Construction, Development, Gentrification, Housing, Policy, Poverty, Real estate, Rent, YIMBY, Zoning+
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Many people have experienced worsening mental health since the COVID pandemic began. Many others struggled even before. But I came across an interesting article today about a very innovative program in Zimbabwe that just might have the solution. It’s called the Friendship Bench: This is a community-based psychological treatment programme…
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+ Anxiety, BBC, Coronavirus, COVID-19, Depression, Mental health, Quarantine, Talk therapy, Therapy, Volunteering+
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I just listened to a fascinating discussion with Dr. David Sinclair, PhD, on his lab’s recent success in reversing aging in mouse eyes. Sinclair and his team damaged the optic nerves of mice and then, using Yamanaka factors, reprogrammed the cells to “remember” their youthful vitality and regenerate. The mice…
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+ Aging, David Sinclair, Exercise, Fasting, Intermittent fasting, Lifespan, Research, Science, Supplements, Vitamins+
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The vaccine blocked all clinical signs of MS in mice, while control animals experienced the typical symptoms of the disease. Fierce Biotech BioNTech, the company behind one of the best COVID vaccines, has reported excellent results in curing an MS-like disease in mice. The treated animals showed no signs of…
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CNN just reported that the Biden administration plans to release all doses of the COVID vaccine right away, instead of holding back half of them to ensure 2nd doses are available. This could make the vaccine more widely available sooner. If more people get their first dose, that could get…
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Tremendous 