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Tara Parker Pope of the NYT has this advice about protecting yourself against coronavirus variants after talking to many infectious disease and other experts. Don't let your guard down she says and suggests some of the same precautions that were taken in earlier waves of the coronavirus, from masks to social distancing and prudent decisions about travel and shopping.

Vaccines offer protection against common coronavirus variants such as B.1.1.7  from UK. It is still wise to follow the prudent rules that were followed before.

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Most American states fare worse than China in life expectancy and a third of American states including even Michigan fare worse than Sri Lanka in life expectancy. This series by Nicholas Kristof of the NYT looks at the interwoven problems from reading comprehension for 4th graders to a broken health system and large disparities of income never before experienced in this way through loss of manufacturing that are devastating America. Among retired people over half have no savings at all and about 90% of retired people are income insecure, something never before seen in the two hundred years of American history. 

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Prostate cancer is becoming the most common cancer. Here are some useful tips for tackling this health problem men face today. 

Diet should include fresh fruits, nuts and vegetables. Reduce dairy to three portions (cheese, milk), limit calcium intake to daily requirement, and cut down on animal based protein and fat. 

Fat building up in the thighs and other parts of the body including waistline increases risk. This makes it essential to limit BMI to 30 and waist inches around 37 or close to this. Regular exercize lifts the mood and helps cut fatty tissue reducing the risk of prostate as well as other cancers.

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The failure of Labour and Keir Starmer in Britain to offer a clear and viable alternative to the floundering Tories is the subject of this report in The Guardian.

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Elections in December in Britain are rare, with this election in 2019 in Britain being the first in one hundred years. It also poses big risks. There is the flu season, the National Health Service being stretched to provide services, the weather, and voter turnout.  It poses risks for Tories and Labour, and Boris Johnson's bid for Leave seats held by Labour is a bold one that could turn out either way. Labour plans to run on a positive program of change and not just the Brexit issue. Johnson will campaign without being able to have Brexit behind him. The close association with Mr. Trump and Mr. Cummings brash style could also play a part in the election creating another level of uncertainty. Mr. Hammond, a leading Tory rebel says he is not sure if he wants to see the Tories win, adding another level of uncertainty. The SNP in Scotland hope to take Tory seats in this election and the Lib Democrats are campaigning on canceling Brexit altogether to get Tory Remain seats. ...

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A big change in the new Tax Law is the doubling of the Standard Tax deduction to $12,000 per person and $24,000 for a married couple filing jointly, if itemized deductions are not used. State and local income tax deduction is limited to $10,000. This will shift 20 million more people to not use itemized deductions. There will no longer be value in charitable deductions if one is using the standard deduction.

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There is a unique value in being creative and coming up with one's own way of doing things. New possibilities come into view with creative efforts and not taking the time worn path without thinking. In all activities and particularly new endeavors this becomes important.

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Inflation infighting is the new term for couples pointing fingers at unauthorized purchases as families struggle to cope with the cost of living. The basket of food and services now costs $460 more this month compared to last year for an average American household, according to Moody's. Experts suggest that couples take some time each month to go over household expenses and items on their grocery bills to make better decisions. This could also led to better decisions on nutrition like that extra box of blueberries, that comes from eating out less and taking in fewer packaged food items that have extra salt and sugar embedded into them.

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A Bangladeshi looks back at partition and the movement for independence under Mujibur Rahman, and shows why the Bangladeshi experience in partition was not like that of Indians and Pakistanis- a smaller number of Bangladeshis leaving Calcutta and West Bengal and mainly for new opportunity and a sense of Bengali identity. This has survived to this today as these Bengalis play an important role in the new country and have a different memory and shared history.

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Idea that control over Straits of Hormuz is US goal is repudiated by DJT in his Address to the Nation, yet it finds its way into the media. There is no war for US to win, it is only about removing a nuclear and ballistic missile threat, nothing to do with oil. MAGA base, US public has rejected these wars in remote countries of the Middle East, when reindustrialization is the goal, not repeating the mistakes of Bush and Obama who by fighting these wars for 8 years in Iraq wasted resources and pursued policies that deindustrialized the Nation and weakened the heartland of America. Beyond limiting the threat of nuclear weapons and long range ballistic missiles that could hit US, Europe and other nations there is no other goal. US and DJT repeatedly pointed out that being self sufficient it does not need Iranian or Iraqi or Saudi oil. The president even said in his Address that the US wanted to supply other countries with oil as it produced more than Saudi and Russia combined, and not counting Venezuelan oil production ramp up expected by 3-4 million barrels a day. Behind this is the known fact that China and Japan get 90% of their imports from Hormuz Straits, so it is up to these nations and India and Britain to find solutions to Hormuz not the US. ...

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Cricket takes off in Brazil at Pocos de Saldas near Sao Paulo.