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Wednesday, August 16, 2017
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New York Will Offer Marijuana Patients a Richer Palette of Methods to Consume Cannabis

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Every person has his or her own needs, and so do marijuana patients. The lack of legal support for smokable cannabis makes it harder for people to experience the benefits of the drug. However, the State of New York intends to change that. Soon, marijuana will be available in different forms. These can be lozenges, ointments, and lotions.

For the Moment, Marijuana Patients Can Consume Their Necessary Drugs only as Liquids, Oils, and Capsules

On Thursday, the state Health Department announced upcoming plans to streamline the sluggish medical marijuana program in New York. These strategies consist of new ways the drug can get access into a patient’s system. On top of that, authorities will make it easier for people in need to benefit the products of licensed dispensaries.

Therefore, New Yorkers will soon be able to experience medical marijuana through patches, effervescent tablets, and other forms that don’t promote smoking marijuana. Before these changes, marijuana patients were limited to only a limited number of choices. The main preferences oscillated between liquids, oils, and capsules.  The state law forbids patients taking marijuana through smoking the plant.

State Health Commissioner Howard Zucker claimed that these new strategies would improve the program for the better. Patients are going to enjoy a wider palette of the ways to introduce pot in their system.

The same happens with any other edible product on the market. There are numerous types of chocolates, dairy products, meats, and others that provide a comprehensive collection of solutions to fit anyone’s needs.

The state also wants to ease up on the restrictions built around pot dispensaries. There are going to be new rules that will probably enter into effect in September. These will allow any patient to learn more about the medical pot program.

On the other hand, authorities are also taking into consideration improving the side of qualified professionals. For the moment, doctors need to complete a four-hour training to be able to select their patients for the medical marijuana program. In the future, they might need an extra two-hour course to unlock this level of authority.

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Brienne of Tarth Gave the Public the Chance to Witness Arya’s Mad Combat Skills

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Game of Thrones released probably the hottest moments of the season through its fourth episode “The Spoils of War.” One of the most heartwarming scenes was when three Starks were finally at the same place, at the same time. Their reunion looks cold, but it is darted nevertheless with compassion and love which is unusual at this point in the GoT time. However, Arya offers quite a spectacle when she loosens up a bit and enters a duel with Brienne of Tarth. This is the first time the public saw her mad combat skills.

Arya Instilled in Brienne the Feeling of Motherhood

It is very unusual in a men’s world to see a female duel. This game prepares participants for when they are closer to death on the battlefield. However, the two female protagonists displayed a duel of honor, competition, but also of esteem. Brienne and Arya last saw each other in Season 4 when Brienne confronted the Hound heroically. However, it was now her turn to witness the mad combat skills Arya acquired from “no one.”

Actress Gwendoline Christie who plays Brienne of Tarth commented a little bit on this scene. To her, Arya managed to spark an unknown-before feeling of motherhood for Brienne. She perceives the true heir of Catelyn Stark in the little child. At the same time, she sees a piece of herself in Arya. Their attires are also similar which is no random sign for Game of Thrones.

“It’s a very distant form of parenting for Brienne and not one she ever thought she’d have.”

The Public Get to See for the First Time the Mad Combat Skills Arya Acquired

On the other hand, Sophie Turner understood that for Arya Stark the duel means one thing only. She has just found one of the most experienced knights of her time. This created a great opportunity for her to test and combine all the combat strategies she learned from Faceless Men.

She is wielding the Needle against Brienne’s knight sword, but size seems to have no authority here. That’s because Arya is balancing the odds with her dexterity and swiftness that her opponent couldn’t replicate.

Image source: IMDb

Suicide Rates among Older Teen Girls Reached Record Number in 2015

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The National Center for Health Statistics released a new report with novel insights in teen suicide rates. The findings of the paper show a critical situation. Two years ago, there was a record number over the last 40 years of girls between ages of 15 and 19 who committed suicide. The research found that in just eight years starting with 2007, the suicide rate doubled.

The Suicide Rates for Both Boys and Girls Recorded Sharp Increases between 2007 and 2015

The new research paper coming from the National Center for Health Statistics extracted its data from official death certificates. While the suicide rate for girls spiked to record heights in 2015, the boys within the same age group was lower than in peak periods spanning mid-1980s through mid-1990s. Nonetheless, the author of the report, Tom Simon, believes that the situation has already escalated to concerning levels.

“For young males, there was a 31% increase in suicide rates, and for young females, the suicide rate doubled.”

At a closer look, there were 12 per 100,000 population males between 15 and 19 of age who ended their lives in 1975. The rate increased to 18.1 per 100,000 in 1990 only to decline again in 2007 to 10.8 per 100,000. However, the most recent reports indicate a sudden increase to 14.2 per 100,000 in 2015.

As for females, in 1975 the rate indicated 2.9 cases per 100,000. In 1990, the number reached 3.7 per 100,000 and decreased to 2.4 per 100,000 in 2007. However, 2015 represented the peak of this phenomenon with 5.1 cases per 100,000 population.

The Author of the Paper Believes This Phenomenon to Be the Result of a Multitude of Causes

Simon stated that the juvenile cases of suicides are encompassing those of oldest adults by far. Nonetheless, other age groups are also starting to show an increase that is similar to the suicide rates from 2000.

As for the causes of such a spike, Simon believes that there are several reasons involved at a time. Possible risks could be violence exposure, substance abuse, stigma, relationship traumas, social isolation, and limited available support.

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Commission on Combating Drug Addiction Considers It’s Time for State of Emergency

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A White House commission has just released a paper on the validity of the scenario in which America is struggling with an opioid crisis. The verdict is that this situation is as real as it gets. Therefore, an urgent recommendation followed the document which was addressed to Donald Trump. The President of the United States should declare a state of emergency and take the necessary measures to attenuate drug addiction.

The President Is the Only Authority Capable to Address the Aggravated Situation of Drug Addiction

According to the released document, the United States has to deal with more annual deaths due to drug abuse than those resulting from gun homicides and traffic accidents. Each day, there is an average of 142 victims of overdose. This places the death toll to the equivalent of the 9/11 tragedy after every three weeks. As a consequence, the panel turned to the most powerful person in the country to act on this critical situation.

“Declare a national emergency under either the Public Health Service Act or the Stafford Act.”

The president is the only authority in America who can mobilize resources the fastest to support solutions for national vulnerabilities. Under his or her influence, federal agencies are free to prioritize that which was identified as a public health threat.

The Report of the Opioid Commission Indicates the State of Emergency Is the Result of Legalized Weed

Over the past years, public health organizations together with federal authorities did implement several steps to address the issue. However, their combined efforts weren’t enough to create a significant change for this emergency.

Back in March, the President of the United States issued an executive order to put together the five-member opioid commission. The head of the panel is New Jersey Governor Chris Christie and summoned the first meeting on June 16. However, the final version of the official report will appear sometime in October.

Their report so far points that the dramatic increase in opioid casualties was triggered at the same time with the legalization of weed. However, the commission doesn’t believe this is a coincidence but the cause and effect.

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Wisconsin Judge Founds Apple Liable for WARF Patent Infringement

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A district court judge in America ruled a case between tech giant Apple and the University of Wisconsin. The plaintiff alleged that the company replicated the same microprocessor technology IP that pertains to the institution’s patent licensing portfolio. On Monday, the Wisconsin judge ordered a multi-million settlement with Apple due to WARF patent infringement.

The University of Wisconsin Won Other Cases Based on Same Allegations

On Monday, U.S. District Judge William Conley ruled in favor of the University to receive compensation for the damages inflicted by Apple. A-series CPUs under the brand of the company were the main subject of the lawsuit. The court found that the original patent belonged to the Wisconsin Alumni Research Foundation and was filed in 1998. The document tackles an innovative computer microarchitecture.

However, the University won another case back in October 2015 which was based on same allegations. The court released a similar ruling which forced Apple to cover damages with a punitive payment of $234 million. However, the latest decision underlined the fact that the initial penalty wasn’t enough. That’s because the company continued to practice its WARF patent infringement. This issue went on until the IP expired in December 2016. Therefore, the company is liable for an additional penalty of $272 million.

According to the institution, the original microarchitecture introduced a new way to streamline power efficiency and performance. The technology behind it is dubbed as “predictor circuit” and can boost the power of modern design for computer processors. The university built a similar case against Intel back in 2008. The company then had to compensate the plaintiff as well.

Apple Still Denies WARF Patent Infringement

The 2015 case against Apple deemed the patent infringement as willful. That’s because the company introduced the ‘752 patent property in one of its filings with the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office. On top of that, WARF claimed that the institution had attempted to solve the case amicably. However, the company refused to license its IP in the first place.

On the other hand, Apple still denies all these allegations. Apple sought to prove that the IP is not valid.  Therefore, the company intends to appeal the latest decision and the 2015 verdict as well.

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YouTube Automatically Redirects Terrorist Content Searches to Anti-Extremism Videos

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Google’s video platform took one more measure against all sorts of damaging cultures that spread extremist and terrorist messages. Instead of resorting to censorship and eliminating this type of content altogether, the company thought of a more proper solution, namely education. Every time a user will search for a certain violent terrorist content, the used keywords will trigger a redirection to different results that discredit such aggressive narratives.

Terrorist Content Employs Propaganda to Attract Vulnerable People as New Members

On Thursday, YouTube launched the Redirect Method effective immediately. The goal of this campaign is to educate any online user who feels isolated and views terrorist groups as communities he or she can join.

In such cases, people are usually spending hours of their time watching so-called informative videos about such groups. However, almost all such material available on the platform is propaganda created with the purpose to radicalize and convert users through violent recruiting messages. However, watching educational content instead can help them discover the risks they expose themselves to by falling for extremist rhetoric.

YouTube’s Combative Strategy Is Redirection to Educational, Curated Videos

Alphabet’s Jigsaw together with Moonshot CVE worked on this project as a method to use technology as a protective layer against global threats. At the basis of the Redirect Method stands a list of keywords and phrases. If any search query includes one or several such notions, the platform will automatically display curated videos. Each of these materials has facts by its side to debunk the messages that terrorist content use to gain members by their side.

YouTube is confident in the influence of its campaign as the company ran beta test previously. During this process, there were around 320,000 users who activated the Redirect Method. They watched a total of half a million minutes of the 116 videos YouTube chose as part of their mission to limit the influence of such damaging cultures.

Now that the project is active, YouTube will work alongside on empowering such efforts with additions such as educational material in other languages. On top of that, machine learning will continue to update the list of keywords or phrases that users in vulnerable states can use.

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Chick-fil-A Determined to Adopt the Concept of a Family Dinner

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Chick-fil-A managed to build its American empire sustained on chicken sandwiches through 2,000 restaurants. However, the company intends to refresh its main concept with a family dinner. Therefore, its customers are going to experience a transition from food portion limited for just one person to a generous meal that can indulge several members of a family or group of friends.

Each Family Dinner Will Have One Entrée, Two Sides, and Eight Mini Rolls

Starting Monday, Chick-fil-A will introduce meals in family styles and two new sides of mac and cheese and bacon throughout three cities. These locations are San Antonio, Texas; Phoenix, Arizona; and Greensboro, North Carolina. The new type of menu has a starting price tag of $30 and constitutes of one entrée, two sides, and eight mini rolls. This meal is generous enough to provide for four people. If this product goes nationwide, it will become a direct rival to KFC’s “bucket” meals that are targeting large families or groups.

Chick-fil-A menu-development manager, Matt Abercrombie, stated that the company seeks to attract more customers during lunchtime through this move. This period of the day is the least popular meal for such restaurants after breakfast and lunch.

The Company Built Its New Menu Based on Suggestions from Parents

Therefore, all customers ordering a family-size entrée will get to choose between 12 chicken strips, 30 chicken nuggets or four chicken breasts that can be either fried or grilled. The selection of side dishes includes fruit bowl, mac, and cheese, bacon baked beans, a salad or a superfood side. The latter one is a nutrient dish of kale and broccolini with nuts, dried cherries, and a dressing made of maple vinaigrette.

The testing stage will last until November 18. Abercrombie claimed that the feedback coming from customers who order the new dish would play a huge role in the decision of rolling the family dinner nationwide. All the entries in the dish selection are based on suggestions the company asked a group of parents.

On top of that, the surveyed clients revealed that they also need ice breakers for meaningful conversation over the dinner table. Therefore, Chick-fil-A will include in each packing of a family-steal meal five suggestions for starting the conversation.

Image source: Chick-fil-A

 

High Temperatures Are New Obstacles for Aircraft Takeoffs

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More and more companies are canceling their flights. While this is not an unusual event, the reason for these halts is new. Temperatures started to hit record numbers and encompass 120 degrees during the day. Because of these extreme weather conditions, it may become too hot to perform aircraft takeoffs safely sooner than thought..

Hot Weather Impairs Aircraft Takeoffs

A new study appeared in the journal Climate Change on Thursday. The paper reveals that within decades, flight companies will find it harder than ever before to take off their planes. The findings indicate that there will be more flight cancellations due to heat-related difficulties.

When the day hits the peak of hot temperatures, 10 to 30% planes will have no other choice than to get rid of cargo, fuel or even passengers. If these solutions are not an option, then they will have to cancel the flight altogether.

The scientific explanation depends on the influence of the heat over the air. As the air gets warmer, it spread out in the atmosphere, rendering a lower density than before. When airplanes fly in thinner air, their wings don’t have enough support anymore to lift high when aircraft attempt to take off from the runway. Therefore, a lighter weight is the only solution to manage aircraft takeoffs under these extreme conditions.

By 2080, Heat Waves Will Go Up Eight Degrees Celsius

The average temperature around the world increased one degree Celsius since 1980. The study investigated the side effects of this phenomenon. More than that, there are no signs that average temperature will get lower than this in the near future. The research stated that by 2100, the average temperature would gain as much as three degrees Celsius.

In the meantime, heat waves are expected to become more aggressive. By 2080, airports will have to deal with annual maximum temperatures up to eight degrees Celsius higher. It is this heat wave that has the most potential to disrupt the aerial traffic.

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Randal Quarles Gets Drumpf’sNomination as a Federal Banking Watchdog

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The White House announced on Monday that President Donald Drumpf is going to appoint Randal Quarles as the new federal banking watchdog. Drumpf has made it clear numerous times before that he intends to change the Dodd-Frank bill and eliminate its restrictive regulations. Mr. Quarles’s background designates him as a perfect fit for this job. His professional history describes him as a moderate Republican that is open to the idea of changing the banking system in alignment with modern times.

Donald Drumpf Made an Important Decision That Would Lead to Dodd-Frank Act Reformation

Randal Quarles is a former top Treasury Department authority who activated during George W. Bush administration. The current President nominated him for a new position, Federal Reserve’s vice chair commissioned with supervision. The 2010 Dodd-Frank law introduced this job as a watchdog for largest banks in the U.S. Former President Barack Obama didn’t fill this position. However, Drumpf will need Senate confirmation to make his nomination official.

Thanks to this Federal Banking Watchdog, the Drumpf administration will finally be able to change the Dodd-Frank bill. This reform act shaped the regulatory landscape as a proper system to mitigate the outcomes of a severe financial crisis. However, even though the nation left economic struggles behind, this law is still in power. Therefore, the new President wants to reshape these regulations in conformity with today’s needs.

Colleagues Describes Quarles as the Ideal Federal Banking Watchdog

Quarles did mention in the past that the Dodd-Frank act is not in alignment with today’s industry anymore. He expressed his intentions to change this bill and make it valuable to the national economy. His colleagues described him under anonymity as a pragmatic person that knows how to avoid the traps of an ideology. They believe that Quarles has what it needs to keep the good aspects and replace the bad ones with something that works for Wall Street.

Quarles’ assignments won’t ask him to recreate this field from scratch. On the contrary, his primary job will be to review the system in the first place. Based on his observations, he has a free hand to streamline regulations.

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Sony Makes Its PS4 Games Available for PC

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The world of games is supposed to prevail over any borders and limits even those that imagination can have. Despite this, they are still captive to certain platforms. However, Sony intends to change that. The company announced earlier this year that they are working on a cross-platform project. As of July 6, Sony kept its word and offered 20 PS4 games for Windows PCs.

Sony Introduced 20 PS4 Games for the Time Being for PCs

PlayStation Now subscribers will be able to enjoy some games on two platforms from now on. Some of the titles in the lineup are The Other Side of the Sky, Evolve, Super Mega Baseball, God of War 3 Remastered, Killzone Shadow Fall, Broken Age, and others.

Even though this is a bold move in the world of gaming, the available productions might be a little out of date. Despite this, such an event is still innovative enough for these times and the company promised to return with more goodies in the future.

Newcomers to PlayStation Now Will Enjoy a Price Deal for Their First Month of Subscription

Those who want to experience the thrills that PS4 games offer still need a PlayStation controller to connect to their PCs. First and foremost, enthusiasts need to install and sign up for PlayStation Now client app from the official website. PlayStation Network executive Eric Lempel claimed that the team needs more time to decide some final details for this new project.

“But we also haven’t set any firm criteria around when titles can come into the service.”

Nonetheless, Sony plans to introduce new titles with each content update every month. Subscription plans require $19.99 per month or $99.99 for a year. Those new to the service are eligible for a price deal of only $9.99 for the first month. Those who already have an account for PlayStation Now will receive the new titles automatically for no extra fees.

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