Arden Dier

Canada

Writer at Newser

frequently fascinated; read me @newser

Articles

Turns Out, Donkeys Have a Natural Tick Repellent

2 weeks ago | newser.com | Arden Dier

A compound found in donkey skin could be the key to keeping ticks—and the diseases they carry—at bay, according to new research from the University of Massachusetts Amherst. Scientists say this natural solution rivals traditional repellents and might offer safer protection for people and pets.
A Blood Cancer Was Thought Incurable-Until Now

2 weeks ago | newser.com | Arden Dier

A revolutionary immunotherapy has stunned doctors by making an aggressive, previously incurable blood cancer vanish in some patients—and for the first time, experts are daring to talk about a potential cure. A study with 97 patients with advanced multiple myeloma, whose disease had returned despite multiple treatments and who faced limited life expectancy, involved giving them a CAR-T immunotherapy developed by Legend Biotech, a China-founded company, per the New York Times.
Don't Expect Those MLK Files Anytime Soon

3 weeks ago | newser.com | Arden Dier

A federal judge in Washington has signaled he may accelerate the release of documents tied to Dr. Martin Luther King Jr.'s assassination in response to President Trump's executive order. But during a Wednesday hearing, Judge Richard Leon made clear that any move would be a slow process, prioritizing privacy and careful review. He said it could still take years, per the Washington Post.
Millions of Americans Have Undiagnosed Liver Disease

3 weeks ago | newser.com | Arden Dier

Some 17 million people across the US, UK, Germany, and France are living with the most aggressive form of fatty liver disease and have no idea, a new study suggests. Metabolic dysfunction-associated steatohepatitis (MASH) is a severe progression of a broader condition now known as metabolic dysfunction-associated steatotic liver disease (MASLD), which typically affects those drinking little or no alcohol, per the Guardian.
Why Sister Wives Is the 'Most American Show'

3 weeks ago | newser.com | Arden Dier

TLC's Sister Wives may have dropped off your TV radar after 19 seasons on the air, but if so, Monica Hesse believes you're missing out. Some of you out there "wouldn't be caught dead tuning in to this dumpster fire, you have better things to do, etc. etc. Congratulations on your brain cells," writes the Washington Post columnist.
Man in Charge of Homeland Security's Terror Office Is 22

3 weeks ago | newser.com | Arden Dier

Just a year after graduating college, Thomas Fugate is now in charge of the government's main anti-terrorism office, raising alarm among national security experts. A ProPublica report highlights controversy over the appointment of the 22-year-old to oversee the Department of Homeland Security's Center for Prevention Programs and Partnerships (CP3), the main federal office focused on terrorism prevention.
Trump Finally Gets Xi on the Phone

3 weeks ago | newser.com | Arden Dier

President Trump reportedly believes he can bring about a breakthrough in trade talks by getting China's president on the phone, and now, he has his chance. The leaders spoke Thursday morning on a call initiated by Trump, according to China's Ministry of Foreign Affairs and the Chinese Embassy in the US. Trump had been pushing for the call for weeks, per CNN.
Drinking Fountains Are No Longer Just for Humans

3 weeks ago | newser.com | Arden Dier

Drinking Fountains Are No Longer Just for Humans Wild cockatoos have learned to adapt to life in this human-dominated world, opening garbage cans to grab a meal and, according to a fascinating new study on the birds in Australia's capital, sipping from public drinking fountains. These are no push-button drinking fountains, but ones that use a twist handle, per the Guardian.
100 of Canada's Wildfires Are 'Out of Control'

3 weeks ago | newser.com | Arden Dier

The equivalent of 4 million football fields have been consumed by fire in Canada, where 203 wildfires were active Wednesday. About 68 are contained and another 24 are likely to be contained, but half are considered "out of control." Most are expected to keep growing even as firefighters mount a "full response," the Washington Post reports. In some cases, where there's no imminent threat to humans or structures, authorities are letting the fires burn without an immediate response.
Dead Sea Scrolls Are Older Than We Knew

3 weeks ago | newser.com | Arden Dier

Some of the Dead Sea scrolls are up to a century older than previously believed, with several as old as original books from the Bible, according to researchers helped by artificial intelligence. The ancient scrolls, discovered in caves on the north shore of the Dead Sea in the West Bank over a decade beginning in the 1940s, were later treated with castor oil to help experts read the texts. But that substance may have skewed radiocarbon dating results in the 1990s, researchers say.