In a Belgian town where the residents are nicknamed “pumpkin eaters,” celebrations are ringing out that a local claimed 1st prize in the European Pumpkin Championship. At 2,539 pounds, (1,152 kg) Mario Vangeel grew the biggest pumpkin of the year. His pumpkin had to be transported from his hometown of Kasterlee…
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The birth of four tiger cubs at the Wrocław Zoo had to be kept a close secret—such was the scale of the news and the impact it would likely have on the zoo-going public. Nuri, the cub’s mother, carried four healthy babies to term on July 22nd, and with the unlooked-for…
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A program that has seen French language teachers working in American immersion schools in the state of Louisiana has been extended another 4 years. Organized by the Council for the Development of French in Louisiana (CODOFIL), the southern city has enjoyed the fruits of the partnership for nearly 60 years and…
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A Houston Chick-fil-A recently went far above and beyond the typical customer service to surprise a terminally-ill regular with a bucket list experience… of sorts. Bill and Becky decided 20 years ago as they approached retirement they’d set out to visit every state capital, but as the years went on…
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A plant-derived compound was shown in a recent study to kill strains of tuberculosis that were resistant to existing therapies. The compound was found in a plant native to North America, and was not only able to suppress dormant TB bacteria from resurfacing but also didn’t damage the gut microbiome. Tuberculosis…
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Egypt, one of the world’s 15 most populous nations, has been certified malaria-free after a ‘pharaonic’ effort that began 100 years ago. Killing nearly 600,000 people every year, almost all of whom dwell in Africa, the malarial transmission chain has been interrupted for three years in a row, proving that the…
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In an updated review of the medicinal value of the Siberian native fungus called chaga, the authors underscore the almost unbelievable value of this humble organism for functional medicine. Their review, synthesizing old and brand new work on chaga, describes its anticancer, antioxidant, anti-diabetic, anti-inflammatory, antimicrobial, and immunomodulating properties as “remarkable.”…
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