President Michel Temer’s proposal to reform Brazil’s costly social security system cleared a committee vote Wednesday, but the measure, deeply unpopular with voters, faces an uphill battle in the full Congress. The committee voted 23-14 to approve the constitutional amendment, which would make Brazilians work longer and reduce pension benefits …
your ad hereColombia’s Famous Guerrilla Singer Searches for a New Tune
In a dimly lit university auditorium in the Colombian capital, not far from where the country’s largest rebel group once launched bomb attacks, Julian Conrado sings to eager-eyed students about the pain of war. “Instead of a rifle in my hands I’d like to carry a flower,” he croons, wearing …
your ad hereApple to Create $1 Billion US Advanced Manufacturing Fund
Apple plans to create a $1 billion fund to invest in U.S. companies that perform advanced manufacturing, Chief Executive Officer Tim Cook said on Wednesday, the iPhone maker’s latest effort to show how it is creating U.S. jobs. The Cupertino, California company will announce the fund’s first investment later in …
your ad hereWhatsApp Back in Service After Global Outage
WhatsApp, a popular messaging service owned by Facebook Inc., suffered a widespread global outage Wednesday that lasted for several hours before being resolved, the company said. “Earlier today, WhatsApp users in all parts of the world were unable to access WhatsApp for a few hours. We have now fixed the …
your ad hereAlec Baldwin: Trump Is ‘Saturday Night Live’ Head Writer
Alec Baldwin welcomes the chance to share the screen with President Donald Trump on Saturday Night Live. “I think if he came it would be a great show,” Baldwin said in an interview Wednesday. “I think it would be better for everybody. It’s always fun to defuse some of the …
your ad hereVA Official Looks to Close About 1,100 VA Buildings
Veterans Affairs Secretary David Shulkin says his department is seeking to close perhaps more than 1,100 VA facilities nationwide as it develops plans to allow more veterans to receive medical care in the private sector. At a House hearing Wednesday, Shulkin said the VA had identified more than 430 vacant …
your ad hereDon’t Click That Link: Google Docs Ruse an Example of ‘Future of Phishing’
Alphabet Inc. warned its users to beware of emails from known contacts asking them to click on a link to Google Docs after a large number of people turned to social media to complain that their accounts had been hacked. Google said Wednesday that it had taken steps to protect …
your ad hereUrban League Report Notes Gains by Blacks, Hispanics in US
African-Americans and Hispanics, the largest racial and ethnic minorities in the United States, made positive strides economically and educationally during the past year but continue to lag behind whites, a civil rights group’s annual study contends. “The theme of this year’s State of Black America report is ‘protecting our progress,’” …
your ad hereYou Are Welcome Here, US Colleges Assure Overseas Students
On a trip to India, the president of Portland State University reassured prospective students they’d be safe on his campus. Purdue University sent overseas applicants a note from two mayors touting Indiana’s “friendly smiles” and hospitality. And dozens of other schools produced online videos to welcome foreign students. As U.S. …
your ad hereMid-life Obesity: There Might Be a Pill for That
As they get older, most people tend to gain weight. But it’s not their fault, according to scientists who have discovered a biological mechanism that causes peoples’ waistlines to expand in middle-age. Endocrinologist Jay Chung says the average weight gain is 13 kilos or more between the ages of …
your ad hereKylie Jenner’s Star-studded Met Gala Selfie Rivals Ellen’s Oscar Pic
Kylie Jenner’s star-studded Instagram picture is coming close to Ellen DeGeneres’ all A-list Twitter selfie in social media popularity. Jenner’s bathroom mirror shot posted Monday night from the Met Gala in New York included Jenner’s sisters Kendall Jenner and Kim Kardashian, as well as Sean “Diddy” Combs, Frank Ocean, …
your ad hereFacebook to Hire 3,000 to Stop Violent Videos
In the wake of several Facebook videos depicting murder, suicide, rape and other violent acts, the social media giant says it is hiring 3,000 more people to review videos and remove those that violate its terms of service. The company has been facing increased pressure to stop people from posting …
your ad hereRoyal Caribbean Cruises Returning to New Orleans
Royal Caribbean International has announced it will resume weeklong cruises from New Orleans to the Bahamas and Mexico’s Yucatan Peninsula. News outlets report Royal Caribbean said in a news release Monday that their 2,435-passenger Vision of the Seas cruise ship will relocate in December 2018 to the Port of New …
your ad hereRoyal Caribbean Cruises Are Returning to New Orleans
Royal Caribbean International has announced it will resume weeklong cruises from New Orleans to the Bahamas and Mexico’s Yucatan Peninsula. News outlets report Royal Caribbean said in a news release Monday that their 2,435-passenger Vision of the Seas cruise ship will relocate in December 2018 to the Port of New …
your ad hereNew Observation of Nearby Star System Confirms Similarity to Ours
A relatively nearby planetary system is structured remarkably like what ours probably looked like when it was young, the U.S. space agency NASA confirms. The system around the star Epsilon Eridani, or eps Eri, is just 10.5 light-years away and astronomers say it provides an excellent example of how planets …
your ad hereApple Posts Surprise Dip in iPhone sales, Shares Fall
Apple Inc. reported a surprise fall in iPhone sales for its second quarter on Tuesday, indicating that customers may have held back purchases in anticipation of the 10th-anniversary edition of the company’s most important product later this year. Under pressure from shareholders to hand over more of its $250 billion-plus …
your ad here97-Year-Old Credits Harmonica as Key to Long Life
Stacey Blank remembers the day she first read about an innovative tool for her chronic lung patients. The Coordinator of the Pulmonary Rehabilitation Department at the Western Maryland Health System describes it as “something outside the box.” Blank’s career objective was to help her patients breathe better. “You don’t realize …
your ad hereBritish Hopes to Build Post-Brexit ‘Empire 2.0’ Hit 21st Century Reality
Britain wants to boost trade ties with Africa after it leaves the European Union — a project some have called “Empire 2.0.” British plans to build on historical links with its former empire could face resistance in many African countries, as exporters face years of uncertainty over future trading relations …
your ad hereBison Reclaim, Restore their Natural Range
Bison once thundered across the North American plains by the millions. But they were hunted to near extinction in the 19th century for their hides. Today, their numbers are growing again, thanks in part to the important role they can play in land restoration. The 429-hectare Kankakee Sands Nature Reserve …
your ad hereA New Occupation: Urban Farmer
Living in large cities has its downsides, and one of them is a lack of fresh organic locally grown produce. But growing vegetables is something everyone can do and it can be done in literally a handful of soil. Two amateur gardeners in the Swedish city of Gothenburg started small, …
your ad hereJimmy Kimmel Tearfully Recounts Newborn Son’s Heart Surgery
A tearful Jimmy Kimmel turned his show’s monologue into an emotional recounting of his newborn son’s open-heart surgery — and a plea that all American families get the life-saving medical care they need. “It was a scary story and before I go into it, I want you to know it …
your ad hereMystery Illness Kills 12 in Liberia
Global health experts are striving to identify a mysterious illness in Liberia that has already killed 12 people. Officials with the World Health Organization in Monrovia have already ruled out Ebola, yellow fever and a regional virus called Lassa. They have sent samples to the U.S. Centers for Disease Control …
your ad hereCongress Warns US Airlines to Improve Customer Service
U.S. lawmakers have put the nation’s airlines on notice: Improve customer service or we will make you. The House Transportation and Infrastructure Committee held a hearing for top airline executives to testify, and to determine how Congress might respond after a passenger was violently dragged off an overbooked United Airlines …
your ad hereGreece Reaches Deal with Eurozone Lenders for More Bailout Funds
Greece reached a deal with its European lenders Tuesday for more reforms in exchange for a badly needed bailout installment so Athens could avoid possible bankruptcy. After months of often tough talks, Greek officials agreed to more pension cuts and tax increases. The European Commission and European Central Bank will …
your ad hereLow-dose Aspirin Might Reduce Risk of Most-common Breast Cancer
Low-dose aspirin might help fend off breast cancer, according to a new study. Researchers at the City of Hope Comprehensive Cancer Center noted an overall 16 percent reduction in breast-cancer risk among the 57,000 women who took an 81-milligram dose of aspirin three or more times a week. The most …
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