INFLUENCE

Dec 13 2024HEALTH

China's Medical Blend: Mixing Pavlov with Tradition, 1949-1961

In 1949, a new chapter began for China with the establishment of the People's Republic. The nation's leadership aimed for rapid growth across all sectors, including medicine. They looked to the Soviet Union for guidance, and in medicine, that meant embracing Pavlovian theory. This Soviet theory, foc

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Dec 13 2024POLITICS

Chinese Businessman Linked to Prince Andrew Banned from UK

A Chinese businessman with ties to Prince Andrew was recently banned from entering the UK due to national security concerns. Officials worried that this man, who had become close to Prince Andrew, could use his influence for political interference by the Chinese government. The businessman, whose n

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Dec 13 2024POLITICS

The Challenge at Voice of America: A New Director Proposed

Voice of America (VOA) is an international news broadcaster funded by the US government. Usually, presidents don’t choose VOA’s director. But President-elect Donald Trump has a different idea. He proposed Kari Lake, a former local TV anchor who has criticized media and denied a US election result. J

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Dec 08 2024CELEBRITIES

Breckie Hill Denies Barry Keoghan Rumors After Hospital Stay

Imagine being in the middle of a rumor that's just not true. That's what happened to 21-year-old Breckie Hill, who found herself linked to actor Barry Keoghan in some juicy gossip. The story? Supposedly, he cheated on his girlfriend, Sabrina Carpenter, with Hill. But the truth is way simpler. Hill n

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Dec 08 2024HEALTH

Uncovering Civic Leaders in Texas: A Network Analysis

Imagine trying to figure out who's calling the shots in your neighborhood's COVID-19 response. That's what researchers did in Texas, using a social network approach to spotlight influential community organizations. They picked three regions—Houston/Harris County, Cameron County, and Northeast Texas—

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Dec 08 2024POLITICS

NATO Boss Pushes Europe to Boost Defense Spending as US Shifts

NATO's top boss, Mark Rutte, has been urging European countries to step up their defense spending. This comes as Donald Trump is set to return to the White House. Trump had previously criticized NATO allies for not spending enough on defense, which hurt trust among the allies. Back in 2014, after R

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Dec 07 2024POLITICS

Tech Titans & Crypto: Who's Buying Influence in US Elections?

Silicon Valley has splashed over $394 million into the recent US presidential election, with a significant chunk coming from Tesla and SpaceX owner Elon Musk. Musk donated a massive $243 million to Donald Trump's campaign, highlighting the increasing clout of tech billionaires in politics. Cryptocur

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Dec 07 2024EDUCATION

How Different Cultures Link Society and Religion on Wikipedia

Ever wondered how different cultures around the world connect various social ideas and religions? Researchers recently analyzed the Google matrix of Wikipedia articles from eight different language editions: English, Arabic, German, Spanish, French, Italian, Russian, and Chinese. They focused on 23

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Dec 06 2024POLITICS

Why Did Two Columnists Quit?

In a surprising move, two columnists have left the Los Angeles Times. They weren't happy with the paper's owner, Patrick Soon-Shiong. They think he's too cozy with President-elect Donald Trump. Harry Litman, who wrote for the LA Times for over 15 years, announced his resignation in a newsletter. He

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Dec 06 2024CRYPTO

Bitcoin Hits $100, 000: What's the Big Deal?

Bitcoin, the top cryptocurrency, just crossed $100, 000. On December 5, it reached an all-time high of $103, 679, after starting at just a few bucks in 2011. Despite critics from big finance and economists, Bitcoin kept climbing. Now, with a new government that likes crypto, everyone's wondering: wh

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