ISLA

Nov 09 2024HEALTH

South Africa's COVID-19 Response: A Lesson in Legislative Limits

Imagine having a roadmap to deal with disasters, like having a DRM legislation in place, but then a real disaster like COVID-19 hits and you find out your map has a few missing roads. That's where South Africa's experience during the pandemic can teach us a lot. Since 2002, the country has been prai

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Nov 09 2024FINANCE

Bitcoin and NFTs: EU's VAT Challenge in the Digital Era

Did you know that trading Bitcoins in the EU doesn't involve VAT? The EU Court set this rule back in 2015 with the "Skatteverket v. David Hedqvist" case. The decision sparked from a Swedish citizen, David Hedqvist, who queried the Swedish Tax Authority about Bitcoin trades. The ruling considers such

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Nov 07 2024HEALTH

California's Battle Against Obesity: Policies Then and Now

Obesity is a growing problem in the U. S. , especially hitting hard among the marginalized and those with lower incomes. Laws and policies aimed at preventing and reducing obesity can make a big difference in people's health by improving their environments and giving them better access to healthy re

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Nov 07 2024HEALTH

Digital Health: How Australian Records Protect Your Privacy

Ever wondered how your digital health records in Australia are kept safe? Meet My Health Record, a system run by the government that lets you control who sees your health info. This system, first called Personally Controlled Electronic Health Record, is like an online health diary. It stores details

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Nov 07 2024CRYPTO

Muslims and the Crypto Dilemma: Finding Halal in the Digital World

Imagine you're a Muslim trying to decide if cryptocurrencies are allowed by your faith. It's not easy, right? A new study shows that many people are facing this dilemma. Researchers stepped in to help by creating a special system that tells you which cryptos are permissible (Halal) and which are not

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Nov 07 2024CRIME

Shoplifting and Drug Crimes Get Tougher Penalties in CA

Let's talk about what's happening in California. Voters there just agreed on Proposition 36, which means repeat shoplifters and drug offenders could face tougher penalties. This changes a law from 2014 that made nonviolent crimes less severe. Cities like Los Angeles and San Francisco saw shoplifting

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Nov 07 2024POLITICS

Protecting Supply Chains: Lawmakers Fight Freight Fraud

In recent years, the freight and retail industries have faced rising threats of fraud and organized crime. To tackle this, lawmakers have proposed new bills. The Safeguarding Our Supply Chains Act and the Combating Organized Retail Crime Act of 2023 aim to secure goods along the supply chain and hel

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Nov 06 2024WEATHER

Storm Rafael Heads Toward Cuba: What You Need to Know

Hurricane Rafael is on a path to hit western Cuba, and it's not coming lightly. This storm is expected to get much stronger before making landfall on Wednesday. Cuba is already dealing with power outages and recovering from a hurricane that hit two weeks ago. The storm is currently located near the

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Nov 05 2024POLITICS

California's Big Election Day: What's at Stake?

Today, California voters head to the polls for a highly important election. They'll choose their president, senators, and representatives in the U. S. House, as well as state Assembly and Senate members. Plus, there are 10 crucial ballot propositions to decide on. It's quite a lot on the ballot! Ma

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Nov 03 2024POLITICS

Why We Change Our Clocks: A Simple look at Daylight Saving Time

It’s that time of year again. Most of us in the U. S. will be setting our clocks back by an hour this Sunday morning. This happen every November, bringing an extra hour of sleep and earlier sunsets. But why do we do it? Let's dive into the history and impact of daylight saving time. Daylight saving

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