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READ MORE Because another big advantage your grandson currently enjoys is having a loving grandmother built into his weekly routine. Do your best to safeguard that — which means holding back, when possible, from criticizing the way your daughter and son-in-law run their household. As a parent of adult children, it often pays to be quiet about the ways their choices differ from yours. Image Credit Christoph Niemann Unconcealed I am 18, and I have a younger sister who is 14. Our relationship is tense (to say the least). When I was her age, I had acne. I grew out of it, but she’s just starting to get mild breakouts. Here’s the problem: She globs this cheap concealer on top of her pimples, which only makes them more noticeable (and last longer, in my experience). I’d like to help her, but I think she’d get mad — like I was teasing her. And I’m not! What would you do? STELLA Your letter made me happier than any other I got this week, Stella! It signa...

READ MORE The words that make up our language can be divided into two categories of concepts: concrete and abstract. Concrete words refer to things that exist in reality (e.g., animals, books, food) and that are experienced through the five senses. Abstract words (e.g., love, fear) tend to be more emotionally charged, not experienced through the senses and defined through other associated words rather than physical features. “Although it is clear that different brain areas are involved in semantic processing of abstract and concrete words, it is still a matter of debate which brain areas encode the different types of information underlying the meaning of abstract and concrete words,” wrote Maria Montefinese, PhD, author of the review. Montefinese analyzed three studies that identified and observed specific regions of the brain that organize abstract and concrete concepts. The volunteers in all of the studies were assigned language-related tasks while undergoing imaging tests...

READ MORE The results were achieved using automated, free tools, rather than expensive in-person interventions, suggesting a possible low-cost route to effective weight loss. “Free and low-cost weight loss apps have changed the ways that Americans manage their weight,” said Gary Bennett, a Duke psychology professor and co-author of the paper. “However, we knew little about whether these tools worked very well on their own. We’ve shown that commercial smartphone apps can be a helpful way to get started with weight loss.” The new paper appears online in the open-access journal JMIR mHealth and uHealth . The results surprised Michele Lanpher Patel, who conducted the research along with Bennett while completing her doctorate in psychology at Duke. Patel is now a postdoctoral fellow at Stanford University. “We wanted to study a lower-intensity treatment for weight loss whereby people could join from the comfort of their home,” Patel said. “But ...

READ MORE James Harden produced his seventh career 50-point, 10-assist game to spur the Houston Rockets to a 121-118 comeback victory over the visiting Miami Heat on Thursday. Harden finished with 58 points and 10 assists to key the rally but received help down the stretch from Austin Rivers (17 points on 7-of-8 shooting) and Chris Paul, whose pull-up jumper with 46.2 seconds left followed an errant Harden 3-pointer and extended the lead to three. Miami grabbed a 113-103 lead on a Goran Dragic 3-pointer with 6:18 remaining, but the Rockets responded with a 14-0 run to jump in front. Harden produced a three-point play and two driving layups during that stretch, but Paul secured the lead with two free throws at the 3:27 mark. The Heat shot 51.9 percent overall but went cold at the wrong time, posting only 20 points on 6-for-17 shooting in the final period. Seven players scored in double figures for Miami, with Dragic and Kelly Olynyk scoring 21 points apiece while Houston native Justise ...

READ MORE The New York Islanders scored six unanswered goals Thursday night as they spoiled the return of their former captain John Tavares with a 6-1 win over the Toronto Maple Leafs at a raucous Nassau Coliseum in Uniondale, N.Y. Anthony Beauvillier, Anders Lee, Casey Cizikas, Valtteri Filppula, Nick Leddy and Brock Nelson scored for the Islanders. New York goalie Robin Lehner recorded 34 saves. Zach Hyman scored in the first period for the Maple Leafs, who had a three-game winning streak snapped. Goalie Garret Sparks made 31 saves. Tavares, who spent the first nine seasons of his career with the Islanders before signing as a free agent with his hometown Maple Leafs in July, was held off the scoresheet. He was booed from the moment he took the ice for warmups — one fan threw a jersey at him — and every time he stepped on the ice during the game. Coyotes 5, Canucks 2 Brad Richardson scored four goals as Arizona defeated Vancouver in Glendale, Ariz. Richardson, who scored th...

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READ MORE YouTube said last week that it had disabled comments on tens of millions of videos featuring children under 13. The company said it planned to alter its algorithm over the next several months to create a blanket policy. “Recently, there have been some deeply concerning incidents regarding child safety on YouTube,” Susan Wojcicki, company’s chief executive, wrote in a post on Twitter announcing the move. “Nothing is more important to us than ensuring the safety of young people on the platform.” The company said it would make an exception for a small number of channels on the site that feature content considered to be at less risk for attracting pedophiles, such as toy-review videos; the channels will be required to actively moderate comments. YouTube said it would use a new machine-learning system to identify and remove predators’ comments. The company, which has said it removes hundreds of millions of comments from videos every quarter for ...

READ MORE “We think we could have gotten New York done, but you have to say, ‘At what cost?’” Holly Sullivan, Amazon’s director of global economic development, said at an event in Virginia on Thursday. “We made a prudent decision that gives us the opportunity to hyperfocus on D.C.” The advertisement, an open letter to Mr. Bezos that was set to appear on a full page in Friday’s newspaper, is aimed at combating the notion that the opposition to Amazon was widespread, arguing that a “clear majority” of New Yorkers support the company. “We know the public debate that followed the announcement of the Long Island City project was rough and not very welcoming,” reads the letter, paid for by the Partnership for New York City, a prominent business group. “But when we commit to a project as important as this, we figure out how to get it done in a way that works for everyone.” Kathryn S. Wylde, the president of th...

READ MORE Representatives from Qatar and FIFA recently visited four proposed 2022 FIFA World Cup™ stadiums to assess progress and further familiarise themselves with the venues. The group, which comprised local experts from Qatar and FIFA staff, visited Al Wakrah Stadium, Khalifa International Stadium, Al Bayt Stadium – Al Khor City and Al Rayyan Stadium. They assessed various stadium facilities, including competition areas, ticketing, marketing, media, broadcasting, IT, hospitality, protocol, security and health and safety. Khalifa International Stadium’s redevelopment was successfully completed in 2017 and is currently being prepared to host the 2019 World Athletics Championships, while Al Wakrah Stadium, Al Bayt Stadium and Al Rayyan Stadium are all in the final stages of construction. Following health and safety inductions at each venue, the participants were split into smaller groups to assess the areas relevant to their expertise. During debrief sessions, each g...

READ MORE • Mr. Trump declared on Thursday that troops “took over 100 percent” of territory controlled by the Islamic State in Syria. “It’s 100 percent not true,” one senior official said. • For many Americans, the testimony of Mr. Trump’s ex-fixer Michael Cohen was just one more television show, doing little to change how they already felt about the president, good or bad. • Mr. Cohen’s testimony about Mr. Trump’s potentially felonious conduct has not moved House Democratic leaders closer to initiating impeachment proceedings. They see endless, overlapping investigations as a more damaging course of action . • Mr. Trump and his top economic advisers have sent a series of conflicting messages about the status of trade talks with China : A deal is either imminent, still out of reach or somewhere in between. • The House passed a measure to extend, to 10 days from three, the time the F.B.I. has to conduct back...

READ MORE “Everyone was polite, that was a welcomed change,” she said. “But there was no difference in policy.” The White House announced last week that the E.P.A. and the Department of Transportation had ended talks with California over its clean-air waiver. The move signaled that the administration is closer to finalizing its rule to roll back tailpipe emissions standards that were put in place under President Barack Obama and will quite likely try to revoke California’s ability to set its own pollution rules. “I have to say that I don’t find him materially different than Scott Pruitt in his policies or the mission that he has taken on,” Ms. Nichols said. “The only difference really is that he is more polished and more professional to deal with.” On climate change, Mr. Wheeler also has taken a calibrated tone that contrasts with his policies. Unlike Mr. Pruitt who went on television to say carbon dioxide is not a primary con...

READ MORE SEOUL (Reuters) – South Korean President Moon Jae-in said on Friday South Korea will cooperate with the United States and North Korea to help their stalled talks reach a complete settlement. A second summit between U.S. President Donald Trump and North Korean leader Kim Jong Un collapsed on Thursday over sanctions against Pyongyang. The two sides gave conflicting accounts of what happened, raising questions about the future of their denuclearization negotiations. “I believe this is part of a process to reach a higher level of agreement. Now our role has become even more important,” Moon said in a speech while commemorating a national holiday. “My administration will closely communicate and cooperate with the United States and North Korea so as to help their talks reach a complete settlement by any means,” he said. Moon also said South Korea would consult with the United States on ways to resume tourism in Mount Kumgang and the operation of the Kae...

READ MORE HANOI (Reuters) – One of the most visible parts of North Korea’s nuclear program, the Yongbyon reactor complex is a central point of contention for diplomats trying to resurrect a deal after U.S. President Donald Trump and Kim Jong Un’s Vietnam summit ended without agreement. Buried in low-lying hills about 100 km (60 miles) north of North Korea’s capital, Pyongyang, Yongbyon is home to nuclear reactors, fuel re-processing plants and uranium enrichment facilities. In a rare press conference held in Hanoi late on Thursday, North Korean foreign ministry officials said they had made a “historically unprecedented offer” to close all of Yongbyon together with U.S. experts. U.S. negotiators confirmed North Korea had made the offer, but said talks broke down over exactly which facilities were included, and the scope of sanctions relief that Pyongyang demanded in return. Here are some key facts about Yongbyon, and a summary of what it would mean and...

READ MORE WASHINGTON (Reuters) – Congressional efforts to end President Donald Trump’s U.S.-Mexico border emergency declaration – an attempt by him to fund a border wall without approval from Congress – intensified on Thursday with the introduction of a bipartisan resolution to block him in the Senate. The measure faces an uphill path to passage, but even a close vote in the chamber, controlled by his fellow Republicans, would be an embarrassment for Trump, who has failed over more than two years in office to persuade Congress to fund his wall. The dispute triggered the nation’s longest partial government shutdown in December-January, but that did not secure for Trump the $5.7 billion he has been demanding for his “great, great wall.” Trump warned Republicans not to vote for the Senate resolution, saying in an interview with Fox News’ Sean Hannity, scheduled to air later on Thursday, that doing so would put them in “great jeopardy...

READ MORE WASHINGTON (Reuters) – U.S. President Donald Trump’s former lawyer Michael Cohen said after testifying in a closed hearing before a congressional panel on Thursday that he would return on March 6 “to finish up.” “I am committed to telling the truth and I will be back on March 6th to finish up. There’s more to discuss,” Cohen told reporters after testifying before the House Intelligence Committee. Reporting by Mohammad Zargham and Eric Beech; Editing by Sandra Maler

READ MORE The  Russian  State Duma (the lower house of the Federal Assembly of Russia) plans to review and adopt new  cryptocurrency  regulation in March.  The former Energy Minister Igor Yusufov is also proposing an  oil-backed  crypto, Russian financial outlet Rambler  reported  on Feb. 21. Furthermore, Rambler reports that the head of the Energia investment-oriented corporation, former Energy Minister Igor Yusufov, also has tangible prospects for proposing an oil-backed cryptocurrency. The construction of the project’s roadmap is reportedly almost at the final stage. 1.jpg In an interview with Rambler, Yusufov reportedly said that the introduction of a crypto settlement system on the energy market could allow for the avoidance of costs associated with the use of not-backed-up currencies and the fluctuations of their exchange rates. He also cites savings on currency exchange commissions and trade restrictions as other examples of adv...

READ MORE The opening of the Soviet archives in 1995 revealed that more than 300 communist members or supporters had infiltrated the American government. The Lie:  Soviet agents had no influence on U.S. foreign policy during World War II. dkhubrov4aal3o4.jpg-large.jpg Credible Americans began ringing the alarm bells as early as 1918. To foment a desired revolution infiltration of a nation’s institutions is necessary (as discussed here). The Truth:  The Soviet Union conspired to force Japan to attack the United States. Harry Dexter White, who was later proven to be a Soviet agent, carried out a mission to provoke Japan into war with the United States. When U.S. Secretary of State Cordell Hull allowed the peacemakers in Roosevelt’s administration to put together a  modus vivendi  that had real potential, White drafted a 10-point proposal that the Japanese were certain to reject. White passed a copy of his proposal to Hull, and this final American offer...

READ MORE A team of scientists led by Christopher Free, a postdoctoral scholar at UC Santa Barbara’s Bren School of Environmental Science Management, has published an investigation of how warming waters may affect the productivity of fisheries. The results appear in the journal Science . The study looked at historical abundance data for 124 species in 38 regions, which represents roughly one-third of the reported global catch. The researchers compared this data to records of ocean temperature and found that 8 percent of populations were significantly negatively impacted by warming, while 4 percent saw positive impacts. Overall, though, the losses outweigh the gains. “We were surprised how strongly fish populations around the world have already been affected by warming,” said Free, “and that, among the populations we studied, the climate ‘losers’ outweigh the climate ‘winners.'” Region had the greatest influence on how fish responded to ris...

READ MORE “By better understanding this molecular mechanism of regulation, we can modify or treat crops to induce their immune response against bacterial pathogens,” said Hailing Jin, a professor of microbiology and plant pathology, who led the research. Working on Arabidopsis thaliana , a small flowering plant widely used by biologists as a model species, Jin’s research team found that Argonaute protein, a major core protein in the RNA interference machinery, is controlled by a process called “post-translational modification” during bacterial infection. This process controls the level of the Argonaute protein and its associated small RNAs — molecules that regulate biological processes by interfering with gene expression. This provides double security in regulating the RNA interference machinery. RNA interference, or RNAi, is an important cellular mechanism that many organisms use to regulate gene expression. It involves turning off genes, also known ...

READ MORE When Bob and Sally Silberberg opened the Clay Pot in Park Slope, Brooklyn, in 1969, Seventh Avenue was dotted with bars. Some had been there for decades, when the neighborhood was home to dock workers living in single-room occupancies. It was an unlikely location for a hippie pottery store. “We had a teapot show,” Mr. Silberberg, now 76, recently recalled. “And this guy came in and stole an elephant teapot. My manager ran to the nearest bar, the Stack of Barley, and said, ‘Someone just stole a teapot!’ The guys at the bar chased him down the block. The cops apprehended him and the teapot was held for evidence. A year and a half later, I went to Queens to get it, and the man at the desk shouted, ‘Here’s the guy for the elephant teapot!’” Park Slope has changed a great deal since the Stack of Barley days. Today nearly all of Seventh Avenue’s 1960s-era shops have been replaced by chains like Chipotle, and a distressing n...

READ MORE Gap, one of the largest operators of mall stores in the United States, said on Thursday that it planned to spin off Old Navy into a separate public company, drawing a line between the family-friendly apparel chain and its classic, more expensive brands. The separate company would contain Gap’s namesake label, Banana Republic, Athleta, Intermix and its new Hill City brand. Gap is aiming to complete the transaction in 2020, and the two companies will end up similar in size. Old Navy brought in about $8 billion in revenue in the last fiscal year while the brands that will make up the new entity combined to take in around $9 billion. Art Peck, Gap’s chief executive, said on an earnings call that the proposed split was an opportunity “to write the next chapter for specialty retail.” He said that, over time, Old Navy’s needs have differed from those of the rest of the brands. It shares fewer customers with the other labels, has a smaller international f...

READ MORE Study author Deborah J. Ossip, Ph.D. says the findings are consistent with past research that shows emissions from electronic cigarette aerosols and flavorings damage lung cells by generating harmful free radicals and inflammation in lung tissue. “The take-home message is that electronic cigarettes are not safe when it comes to lung health,” says Ossip, a tobacco research expert and professor in the Department of Public Health Sciences at the University of Rochester Medical Center (URMC). “The changes we’re seeing with vaping, both in laboratory experiments and studies of people who vape, are consistent with early signs of lung damage, which is very worrisome.” Electronic cigarettes are extremely popular in the U.S. Data from the National Center for Health Statistics indicates that close to 13 percent of U.S. adults have tried electronic cigarettes and nearly 4 percent currently use them. Although electronic cigarettes are marketed as a less harmf...