Author: IQ TIMES MEDIA
The warm spices in gingerbread, the woodsy aroma of pine and fir trees, and the fruity tang of mulled wine are smells synonymous with the holiday season. Many people enjoy lighting candles, incense and fireplaces in their homes to evoke the moods associated with these festive fragrances.Burning scented products may create a cozy ambiance, and in the case of fireplaces, provide light and heat, but some experts want people to consider how doing so contributes to the quality of the air indoors. All flames release chemicals that may cause allergy-like symptoms or contribute to long-term respiratory problems if they are…
A shooting Saturday at Brown University in Providence, Rhode Island, left two people dead and at least eight other critically injured. Authorities were still searching for a suspect in the hours afterward.The shooting occurred on a Saturday afternoon in a campus building with final exams underway. The suspect was dressed in black and left the building on foot, officials said.The violence prompted a shelter-in-place order for the larger university area. Providence Mayor Brett Smiley said “we have all available resources” to find the suspect.“Sadly, today is a day that the city of Providence and the state of Rhode Island prayed…
A Los Angeles jury awarded $40 million on Friday to two women who claimed that talcum powder made by Johnson & Johnson caused their ovarian cancer.The giant health care company said it would appeal the jury’s liability verdict and compensatory damages.The verdict is the latest development in a longstanding legal battle over claims that talc in Johnson’s Baby Powder and Shower to Shower body power was connected to ovarian cancer and mesothelioma, a cancer that strikes the lungs and other organs. Johnson & Johnson stopped selling powder made with talc worldwide in 2023.In October, another California jury ordered J&J to…
Improvements to roads, bridges, and other infrastructure could take a hit as data center construction accelerates, according to Bloomberg. In 2025, state and local governments reportedly sold a record amount of debt for the second year in a row, with strategists predicting another $600 billion in sales next year. Most of that money is expected to fund infrastructure projects. Meanwhile, Census Bureau data reportedly shows that private spending on data center construction was running at annualized run rate of more than $41 billion — roughly the same as state and local government spending on transportation construction. All these projects are likely…
Twins have been rare in human history and for that reason can seem special. Many cultures associate twins with health and vitality, while others see them as a philosophical reminder of the duality of life and death, good and evil. Some famous twins are credited with the birth of nations, others are described as deities.Our recent research suggests that twins were actually the norm much further back in primate evolution, rather than an unusual occurrence worthy of note. Despite the fact that almost all primates today, including people, usually give birth to just one baby, our most recent common ancestor,…
NEW YORK (AP) — For one Wisconsin couple, the loss of government-sponsored health subsidies next year means choosing a lower-quality insurance plan with a higher deductible. For a Michigan family, it means going without insurance altogether.For a single mom in Nevada, the spiking costs mean fewer Christmas gifts this year. She is stretching her budget already while she waits to see if Congress will act.Less than three weeks remain until the expiration of COVID-era enhanced tax credits that have helped millions of Americans pay their monthly fees for Affordable Care Act coverage for the past four years.The Senate on Thursday…
Kevin Murray knows the importance of cardiac health firsthand. The Tampa dad nearly died from an undiagnosed heart condition and needed to undergo emergency bypass surgery in 2003. Murray, now 72, survived the experience, and he said it shaped the rest of his life.Every year, Murray went for a cardiology check-up. In 2021, he changed doctors. His new cardiologist gave him an advanced scan called a cardiac CT. The test produces a 3-D image of the heart and arteries, allowing doctors and patients to see any problems clearly.Murray’s test came back clear, as he’d expected. But he said it made…
LONDON (AP) — Medics and health charities on Saturday praised King Charles III for giving a public update on his cancer treatment, saying his call for people to get tested for the disease could save lives.In a strikingly personal video statement, the British monarch acknowledged that a cancer diagnosis can feel “overwhelming,” but said catching the disease early brings “the precious gift of hope.”Here’s what to know about the king’s condition and his message.A royal health updateThe 77-year-old king said in a statement broadcast Friday that his treatment schedule will be reduced in the new year, “thanks to early diagnosis,…
NUSEIRAT, Gaza Strip (AP) — Yassin Marouf, 23, lies in a tent, his left foot amputated and his right leg severely wounded after being hit by Israeli shelling in May. His brother was killed in the same attack, and Marouf struggles with basic movements. Doctors say his right leg may also need amputation unless he receives treatment outside the Palestinian territory.Nearby, 34-year-old Haneen al-Mabhouh, sits in a wheelchair in her family home in Nuseirat, central Gaza, mourning the loss of her four daughters, including her 5-month-old baby, who were killed in an Israeli strike on her home last year. Al-Mabhouh…
This as-told-to essay is based on a conversation with 31-year-old Harsh Varshney, who works at Google and lives in New York. The following has been edited for length and clarity.AI has quickly become a silent partner in our daily lives, and I can’t imagine life without AI tools.Day-to-day, they help me with deep research, note-taking, coding, and online searches.But my job means I’m very aware of the privacy concerns associated with using AI. I’ve worked at Google since 2023 and spent two years as a software engineer on the privacy team, building infrastructure to protect user data. I then switched…