12.7.2017

Birth Control Linked to Increased Breast Cancer Risk.
In one of the largest studies of its kind, researchers found that birth control interventions relying on the release and regulation of hormones was linked to a statistically significant increase in breast cancer. The study followed more than 1.8 million Danish women for over 10 years, finding that for every 100,000 women receiving hormonal birth control measures, there were 68 cases of breast cancer annually - that compares with 55 cases for nonusers. Longer use led to higher risk, from a 9% increase in risk with less than a year of use to a 38% increase in risk after 10 years of use. In terms of absolute numbers the increased risk is small, amounting to one new case for every 7,770 women that use such contraceptives. 

Dems Pressure Franken to Resign.
Over 35 Senate democrats called on Senator Al Franken (D-MN) to resign after new allegations by a former campaign aide that Franken tried to forcibly kiss her surfaced. The new allegations come on top of previous accusations by seven other women dating back to 2006. Hours after the news of the fifth allegation broke, Sen. Kirsten Gillibrand (D-NY) led female Senate Democrats in a public call for Franken's resignation. Franken has scheduled a press conference today, at which many expect he will announce his resignation. 

Mystery Da Vinci Buyer Revealed.
A little known Saudi prince was revealed to be the buyer of a rare Leonardo da Vinci painting at an auction last month. At the time, the record-breaking sales tag of $450.3M made a splash - but the news that Bader bin Abdullah bin Mohammed bin Farhan al-Saud, who has no publicly known source of great wealth, raised eyebrows. In addition to it being an un-Islamic painting of Christ, the purchase comes amid a political purge by the country's crown prince. Prince Bader is a friend of the crown prince, highlighting the selective nature of the shakeup. The painting will be housed at the Louvre Abu Dhabi. 
 

> 'The Silence Breakers,' women who spoke out against sexual misconduct, named Time's Person of the Year (More)
> NFL commissioner Roger Goodell signs 5-year contract extension worth up to $200M (More)
> Critics' Choice Award nominations released; The Shape of Water leads film nominations while Netflix has large share of TV nominations (More)
 

> Researchers 3-D print anatomically-precise lifelike organs with embedded sensors, can be used to train surgeons (More)
> Boosting mitochondria defenses reduces plaque buildup in brain, key to preventing Alzheimer's (More)
> Estimate suggests computer network behind crypto-currency Bitcoin consumes as much power as Denmark (More)
 

> UnitedHealth to buy DaVita's primary care unit for $4.9B, aims to reduce expenses via shift to cheaper services (More)
> Facebook, Bain, Boston Consulting Group, In-N-Out Burger top Glassdoor's 100 best places to work (More)
> US sees strongest worker productivity - amount of output per hour of work - in 3 years (More)
 

> Doctors find damaged brain tissue in victims of mysterious attack on staff at the US Embassy in Cuba (More)
> Atlanta mayor race likely headed to recount, candidates separated by ~750 votes (More)
> Australia becomes 24th country to legalize gay marriage (More)

The Atavist | León Krauze. Itzcoatl "Izzy" Ocampo was the son of Mexican immigrants and an Iraq war veteran. He was also a serial killer - preying on the homeless of Orange County, California. Ocampo said the war changed him, but he saw limited battle as a supply truck driver. Did the experience make him a killer, or did it just uncover something already there? 
 

The Guardian | Staff  Farming has always been a stressful occupation as many of its factors are largely beyond farmer control. However, a recent CDC study found agriculture workers - farmers, farm laborers, ranchers, fishers, and lumber harvesters – take their lives at a rate higher than any other occupation.  A former farmer provides an insider perspective of life on the farm and what America can do to help. 

This pioneering photojournalism exhibit uses VR to connect with the human side of war.

Esquires ranks the best and worst of 2017, from A to Z. 

Ugh Millennials: Are flattening the performance curve in the workplace.

82% of Republicans, 11% of Democrats say tax cuts will benefit the U.S. economy (data from Gallup).

How fake handbags fund terrorism and organized crime (TED talk).

The top 10 YouTube videos of the year. 

2017 in photos - the middle months - from the Atlantic.

Amazon leads list of most effectively run US companies (WSJ paywall).

Clickbait: Why you should never microwave a hard-boiled egg. 

Historybook: Delaware is first state to ratify constitution (1787); RIP Thomas Nast (1902); HBD Noam Chomsky (1928); Pearl Harbor attacked, 2403 killed (1941); Larry Bird born (1956). 

"PUSH YOURSELF AGAIN AND AGAIN. DON'T GIVE AN INCH UNTIL THE FINAL BUZZER SOUNDS."
-Larry Bird
 

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