New Skincare Brand, IIRA, Provides Clean Solutions For Hyperpigmentation, Skin Firmness, And Uneven Skin Tone
IIRA, a brand-new skincare brand, launches its flagship product, Hyper C Serum, for hyperpigmentation, skin firmness, and uneven skin tone.
IIRA Skincare is proud to announce its line of vegan, cruelty-free skincare products designed to promote radiant and healthy skin. Founded by Sri Kalvakolanu, IIRA combines natural ingredients with scientific innovation to create effective solutions for specific skin concerns such as hyperpigmentation and firmness of skin.
A Personal Journey to Effective Skincare
Sri's passion for skincare began with her belief in its power to enhance physical, mental, and emotional well-being. After struggling with acne and dark spots since her teens, and later experiencing hyperpigmentation following the birth of her daughter in 2022, Sri was determined to find a solution. Through extensive research and collaboration with dermatological experts, she developed a groundbreaking serum that effectively addressed her skin concerns. This journey led to the creation of IIRA, a brand rooted in genuine experience and dedicated to empowering others with effective skincare solutions.
About IIRA
The name IIRA holds special significance, being both the name of Sri's daughter and a Sanskrit term for 'Earth.' This dual meaning embodies the brand's philosophy of celebrating natural beauty while embracing scientific advancements. IIRA combines Earth's purest gifts with cutting-edge innovation to create skincare that is as effective as it is gentle to maximize its purpose.
Hyper C Serum: A Standout Product
IIRA's flagship product, Hyper C Serum, is scientifically formulated to target hyperpigmentation, create even skin tones, and improve firmness for visibly radiant skin. Packed with eight powerful active ingredients, this lightweight, non-sticky serum is suitable for sensitive skin and perfect for daily use. It effectively fights dark spots, melasma, and post-inflammatory marks, helping users achieve a natural, healthy glow.
Commitment to Values
IIRA is committed to inclusivity, effectiveness, sustainability, and transparency. The brand celebrates diversity in beauty, creating products that welcome everyone. Each product is crafted with active ingredients, nourishing oils, and unique botanicals to ensure skin feels pampered and protected. IIRA also prioritizes sustainability, from eco-friendly packaging to reducing plastic use, and maintains transparency by fully disclosing every ingredient used.
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USA Today
21 hours ago
- USA Today
Stinging and 'wicked' Asian needle ants are spreading across the US
Stinging and 'wicked' Asian needle ants are spreading across the US Asian needle ants have been linked to multiple cases of life-threatening reactions and the mysterious ants keep spreading. Show Caption Hide Caption See Nat Geo's photo challenge winners National Geographic wildlife filmmaker Bertie Gregory announced the winners of a photo challenge celebrating the Earth's beauty. An invasive species of stinging, carnivorous ants have been slowly spreading in about 20 states. Last year at least three cases of life-threatening anaphylactic reactions were reported in Georgia, making this little (and little-known) insect a growing problem. "Asian needle ants" will reach their yearly peak numbers in July and August, but it will still be tough to spot them, even if you get stung by one. They are so small and blend in so well that stings often occur when someone — perhaps while gardening or moving wood – unknowingly disturbs them. "Imagine somebody inserting a needle directly into your flesh," said Benoit Guénard, a professor of ecology and entomology at the University of Hong Kong who studied the ants in North Carolina. "It's a very sharp, acute pain but it's quite local." Tracking them has long been a challenge, but researchers now say the spread of the Asian needle ant shouldn't be ignored. "They're pretty widespread on the East coast," said. Daniel Suiter, a professor of urban entomology at the University of Georgia. "If you live in an area which is dominated by hardwood trees, there's a good chance there are Asian needle ants underfoot." For some, the stings can be life-threatening. For others, it's an unusual pain that can come and go for hours. That's just one of the mysteries of Brachyponera chinensis — roughly translated as "short, wicked ant from China" - though they're actually native to China, Japan and the Koreas. Hard to track, hard to kill The invasive insect was first discovered in the United states in 1932 in Decatur, Georgia, but was only recognized as a serious pest in the past two decades as it began to spread significantly throughout the southeast. Now it's found as far north as Connecticut and as far south as Florida, as well as in Wisconsin and Washington state, according to the site There are reports they have also appeared in Texas. These ants are carnivorous, seeking out prey such as flies, beetles, grasshoppers and their favorites: termites. Given their hunting habits, they don't lay down scent trails as some ants do, making it difficult to track them back to their colonies and eradicate. "Most ants are in-your-face invasive, they lay a pheromone trail to get to food. You can't miss an ant trail that's half an inch wide," said Suiter. "These remain hidden." The dark brown ants live in colonies in leaf litter, rotted logs, firewood and mulch. They often occur in residential settings, including parks, and urban areas, finding homes and under railroad ties, logs, bricks, and pavers. They can also nest in potted plants, under wood piles, and in lawns. "People are most often stung when they're working in their garden," said Theresa Dellinger, a diagnostician at the insect identification lab at Virginia Polytechnic Institute. "Nobody likes to be putting in their bedding plants and then suddenly have unexpected pain." The worker ants' bodies are about 0.2 inches long, small, dark and shiny but with lighter orange legs and antennae. "They have a long jaw and a big stinger on the business end," Dellinger said. Although they're relatively long and thin, the "needle" in their name actually comes from their Japanese name, Oo-hari-ari, which means "giant needle ant' and refers to size of their stinger, she said. It's very possible to learn to live with Asian needle ants, just as we've learned to live with bees, said Andrew Johnston, an insect diagnostician at Purdue University's Department of Entomology. "They're not aggressive, they don't swarm the way fire ants do," he said. "Wear gloves and pay attention to what you're grabbing." Because the ants like to live in moist areas and around wood, keeping loose logs and firewood up off the ground so they stay dry is one way to avoid infestations, said Suiter. And if you're sensitive to insect stings, suggests Dellinger, "carry an EpiPen." A painful, long-lasting sting Guénard has been stung by many different ant and insect species but said Asian needle ants are the only ones he knows of where the pain is very acute at first, then disappears and then can come back over and over again. "The first, initial pain lasted a few seconds. Then about five minutes later, when the pain had eased, I felt 'ouch!' as if somebody had stung me again in the same place. The pain continues to reoccur in the same place, it disappears and then comes back," said Guénard. "For me, it goes on for about two hours," he said. "But I know in some people it lasts for as much as 24 to 48 hours." In a small number of cases it can also be deadly. The sting can cause allergic reactions and in 1% of victims, the venom can result in deadly anaphylactic shock. Decades of mystery There's a lot researchers don't yet understand about why these invasive ants only began to significantly spread in the United States in the 1980s and 1990s. Native to China, Japan and Korea, the Asian needle ant was first identified in Georgia in 1932 but probably arrived here well before that. "It's very likely the ants were introduced in the early 20th century because by 1934 they were already found in three states, so clearly they hadn't just arrived," Guénard said. Because they live in dirt and mulch, Guénard speculates that they might have come into the United States in the root balls of trees being imported from Asia. What puzzles researchers is the timing of their spread. The ants remained relatively localized well into the 1970s, research shows. In 1962 a very thorough inventory of the ants of North Carolina was conducted by entomologist W. G. Carter. "He never found them," said Guénard. Then between 1991 and 2017, Asian needle ants spread across North Carolina and are now found across the state. "Something happened," Guénard said. "I could not tell you exactly what." The spread of this invasive species is causing ecological damage as they spread, research shows. Because they are predators, Asian needle ants hunt native insects that have evolved to have important roles in local ecosystems. For example, while no one wants termites in their home, in the forest they are critical part in the health of the woods. "They're very important because they help with the decomposition of dead wood and other organic matter," Guénard said. Research has also shown that local native ants are an important part of seed dispersal for some plant and tree species. If the Asian needle ants take over their territory, the seeds don't get spread. "The seeds just die rather than being dispersed," he said. As the climate warms and becomes wetter in some areas, the extent of where these ants can thrive is growing and they're expected to invade new regions. The amount of North America that could become suitable is expected to increase as much as 75% over the next 50 or so years, according to Guénard's previous research. How dangerous are Asian needle ants? Asian needle ants aren't as aggressive as fire ants and will mostly just run away when they encounter humans. However, they will defensively sting if they feel pressure, for example from someone reaching into a pile of wood, mulch or soil near their nest. The ants can pose a health risk because their venom can produce allergic reactions in some individuals. Virginia Tech encourages anyone who is allergic to bee stings to seek immediate medical attention if they begin to experience breathing problems or other allergic reactions after being stung by an Asian needle ant. A survey of people who live in an ant-habitat area of Korea found that 2.1% of those bitten experienced systemic allergic reactions, including 1.2% who went into anaphylaxis. The danger appeared to be highest in people who had experienced repeated stings over time. There is no national repository of Asian needle ant health problems, but when Guénard maintained a website about the insects while he was conducting research in North Carolina, he received reports of 21 cases of health problems, in Georgia, Kentucky, Mississippi, North Carolina, South Carolina, Tennessee and Washington. D. C. Of those case, at least 12 individuals reported having severe allergic reactions including anaphylactic shock. The cases involved people moving logs, gardening and even while swimming, when young female ants flying to establish new colonies fell into swimming pools. The stinging events were especially frequent during the summer swarming period from April to September, with a peak in May to July. In Georgia, Suiter got three calls about cases of anaphylactic shock after Asian needle ant stings last year. "I fully expect that some people who end up in the emergency room were stung by them but didn't realize it," he said. There is concern that people who are hypersensitive to other stinging insects may be at an increased risk of anaphylaxis from Asian needle ants. Symptoms reported by the USDA can include: Skin reactions include hives, itching, and flushed or pale skin. Low blood pressure (hypotension). Constriction of the airway, wheezing, and difficulty breathing. Swollen tongue or throat. Weak and rapid pulse. Nausea, vomiting, or diarrhea. Dizziness or fainting. Psychological symptoms, such as a feeling of impending doom. Unlike stings from invasive fire ants, the sting of an Asian needle ant does not produce a blister. What can you do about Asian needle ants This particular variety of ant is more difficult to eradicate than other ant species because they don't lay pheromone trails that can be disrupted or easily used to get the ants to take poison back to their nests. Instead they use a process known as tandem carrying. "One worker ant will pick up another worker ant and drag it over to the food source to show it where it is," Dellinger said. That makes baiting them difficult, especially because their colonies – typically fairly small and flat – are hard to spot. "We suggest a protein-based bait for this species, and it can take some time for these ants to take the poison back to the colony," she said. So far there is no formalized management recommendation for the species. One study published found good luck with using bait that included extracts from termite skin. Dellinger said broad spraying isn't helpful and will actually harm other important garden species. "Try to treat the nest," she said. Management, rather than eradication, is the goal. That can include removing mulch in areas where the ants might pose a problem, elevating woodpiles so they're not damp underneath, carefully watching for colonies (which can take time) and only baiting areas where there are definitely ants. It's also not easy to identify the Asian needle ants as they look similar to other ant species. "There are a lot of ants out there," Dellinger said. "We get out the microscope." She recommended contacting the local agricultural extension if identification isn't certain. "It's a free service and they can help identify what's on your property."
Yahoo
4 days ago
- Yahoo
How Joni Ernst's ‘We're All Going to Die' Is New Dem War Cry
Save for Catilin Clark and her famous No. 22 jersey, the years between the two Trump terms were bleak for Iowa's premiere T-shirt producer. 'It was kind of lean, so our catchphrase around here was, 'Thank God for women's basketball,' because the whole Caitlin Clark women's basketball thing really like saw us through the Biden years,' Mike Draper, founder of Raygun, told the Daily Beast. But Draper knew he had a winner when a friend emailed his Des Moines headquarters a video clip of Iowa U.S. Senator Joni Ernst going mega MAGA during a May 30 town hall meeting in Parkersburg. 'They're like, 'Check this out,'' Draper recalled. 'And we were like, 'Holy s--t!' And they were like, 'Yeah, holy s--t!'' Ernst had been offering falsehoods such as those spread by Elon Musk and Robert F. Kennedy, Jr. to justify cuts to Medicaid and the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP). A constituent had just called out, 'People are going to die!' Ernst's unforgettable response was being printed on t-shirts the very next morning. 'WE ARE ALL GOING TO DIE' - US Sen Joni Ernst The $24.95 item flew off the shelves at Raygun's 10 stores. What was listed on the Raygun website as, 'We All Are Going To Die Joni Ernst Quote,' was hot in the way of a No. 22 jersey. Dems could now rally against Ernst just as the whole state had rallied for Clark. Ernst further proved herself a buckeye Marie Antoinette and T-shirt maker's bonanza the next day by posting a sarcastic non-apology video made inside a cemetery. 'I made an incorrect assumption that everyone in the auditorium understood that yes, we are all going to perish from this Earth,' she said in the video. 'So, I apologize. And I'm really, really glad that I did not have to bring up the subject of the tooth fairy as well.' She then took her decidedly unfunny joke to an unholy extreme. 'But for those that would like to see eternal and everlasting life, I encourage you to embrace my lord and savior, Jesus Christ.' Any serious consideration of Jesus would have to include His teachings regarding the poor and the vulnerable. As for the tooth fairy, Medicaid-eligible children in rural Iowa areas such as Storm Lake have to be driven hours to see a dentist who will accept reimbursement levels that have not increased in a quarter century. Buena Vista County Social worker Tracy Gotto told the Daily Beast that youngsters could not get much-needed heart surgery due to untreated dental infections. Ernst's 'apology' was bizarre enough to make for another great T-shirt: 'JONI ERNST IS GOING TO DIE. OFFENDED? WELL, SORRY, THE TOOTH FAIRY ISN'T REAL EITHER. BUT DON;T WORRY BECAUSE JONI BEEHIVES HER LORD AND SAVIOR WILL GIVE HER ETERNAL EVERLASTING LIFE.' Raygun also produced a simpler offering; a variation on the official welcome emblazoned on the state road sign with the slogan, 'Iowa…fields of opportunities.' The shirt reads, 'Iowa - we all are going to die. ' India May, the 33-year-old Town Hall attendee who made the declaration on Friday that started it all is a once- registered nurse, director to the Ionia Community Library and a Chickasaw County death investigator. She also runs the TikTok site, PDA Iowa, for the Iowa chapter of the Progressive Democrats of America. She tried to attend a town hall for Iowa's other senator, Chuck Grassley last month, but the site was filled beyond capacity. She managed to get into the Ernst event, which was held at a high school an hour's drive from home and began at 7:30 a.m. on a work day. She livestreamed it and brought the intense interest of someone with her particular combination of occupations. 'I'm a nurse and a librarian, and my job is to bring people the care and the resources that they need. And those resources are already dwindling as people are getting fired and the funding gets cut, and it's scary and upsetting, so I'm just trying to do everything within my power legally to stop people from getting hurt or worse,' May later told the Daily Beast. May is well aware that numerous studies have found a direct correlation between Medicaid coverage and mortality. A University of Chicago study found that by signing on Medicaid expansion via the Affordable Care Act, 41 states–including Iowa–saved approximately 27,400 lives between 2010 and 2022. Another study found that the refusal of 10 states to sign on cost 15,600 lives between 2014 and 2017. Ernst now wants the whole country to regress in that direction. 'I want my headstone to say, 'People will die,'' May told the Daily Beast on Wednesday. In recent days, May has considered running for the state legislature, if nothing else, to reduce by at least one the number of Republican seats that are uncontested in the next election. The Republicans have had a majority in the Iowa General Assembly (the House of Representatives and the Senate) since 2010. A current member of the Democratic minority in the legislature has been emboldened by Ernst's quote. Rep. J.D. Scholten told the Sioux City Journal that he now intends to oppose her when she is expected to seek reelection next year. As it happens, the State Capital is just a few minutes away from Raygun's flagship store. Draper is all but sure to still be selling 'WE ALL ARE GOING TO DIE' t-shirts when Ernst, Scholten and May may all be on the ballot in November of 2026. Thanks to Ernst and ultimately a returned President Trump, who won the state by 13 points, the lean Biden years are over in the Iowa t-shirt world. 'Now we're kind of back on the, I was going to say 'Trump Train,' but I guess I would just call it the 'Crazy Train,'' Draper said. 'We're back on the 'Crazy Train.'' And it seems even crazier on a personal level when he considers that Ivanka Trump was in his year at the University of Pennsylvania. Her father was at the graduation party in 2004. 'He's there with Melania, and I think Barron was like, this little kid,' Draper remembered. 'We're like, 'There goes the host of The Apprentice.' And if somebody were like, 'You know he's going to be president one day,' we would have been like, 'Donald Trump. Yeah, right.''
Yahoo
6 days ago
- Yahoo
Ernst's ‘we all are going to die' quip underscores GOP's Medicaid challenge
As Senate Republicans return to work on President Donald Trump's priority legislative package, they face a messaging battle on Medicaid that is fraught with potential pitfalls. They received a reminder of the perils Friday at an Iowa town hall, when Sen. Joni Ernst (R-Iowa) flippantly responded to an audience member who shouted out that people who lose coverage under the bill would die. Subscribe to The Post Most newsletter for the most important and interesting stories from The Washington Post. 'Well, we all are going to die,' Ernst said as the crowd groaned. 'For heaven's sakes, folks.' On Saturday, as the remark was taking off on social media, Ernst released a follow-up video. Speaking from what appeared to be a cemetery, she apologized for assuming that everyone at her town hall knew 'that, yes, we are all going to perish from this Earth.' Ernst did hit some Republican talking points at her town hall. As they seek to shape how their bill is perceived, Trump and Republican lawmakers have said they are rooting out 'waste, fraud and abuse' in Medicaid and shoring up the program for future generations. Republican strategists have urged their party to say they are 'strengthening Medicaid' by eliminating fraud, preventing tax increases and making sure undocumented immigrants cannot benefit from the program. But Ernst's quip about mortality landed on the front page of the Des Moines Register and spread across the internet, not the party line about waste, fraud and undocumented immigrants. The imbroglio underscored the party's messaging challenge as the bill moves through the Senate. The Republican legislation, which narrowly passed the House last month, seeks to pay for some of Trump's priorities by cutting more than $1 trillion from spending on social safety net programs over the next decade. The changes could lead to 8.7 million people losing Medicaid coverage and 7.6 million more uninsured people over 10 years, according to projections from the nonpartisan Congressional Budget Office. Trump has painted himself as a fierce defender of Medicaid, even as GOP lawmakers stare down the prospect of significantly changing it. He promised during his 2024 campaign to protect entitlement programs and began his second term vowing to 'love and cherish' the programs. 'Don't f--- around with Medicaid' benefits, Trump told House Republicans last month shortly before they passed the bill. The bill that House Republicans passed would increase the number of people without health insurance by restricting eligibility, narrowing the path for some Americans to get coverage and making it easier for some to lose it. The bill would also introduce new rules targeting Medicaid expansion and federally subsidized insurance marketplaces. Republicans say that will target fraud and abuse in the program. But even House Republican leaders have at times struggled to send a clear message on the eligibility changes. Rep. Lisa C. McClain (R-Michigan), chair of the House Republican Conference, defended Ernst on Monday when asked about her video in the cemetery, arguing that Democrats are fearmongering about the GOP's Medicaid changes. 'I think she was trying to do a play on words, actually,' McClain said on CNN. 'Listen, the fearmongering has got to stop, right? We are cutting - we are not cutting - Medicaid. We're actually trying to shore Medicaid up so it's there for the people that need it the most.' But Rina Shah, a former GOP strategist and Capitol Hill aide, said people's concerns about Medicaid are 'well-founded' and Republicans should respond accordingly. They should not be defensive, she said, and should patiently explain how they can be 'entrepreneurial' in fixing a program that many Republicans, at least, agree needs changes. 'All [Ernst] had to do was kind of walk back and say, 'I just tried to inject a moment of levity, and I'm sorry,'' Shah said. 'But the whole problem is she's doing what we see from the Trump administration, which is prioritizing defiance over empathy.' It's not clear Ernst will face much blowback from voters in a state Trump won by 13 percentage points last year. But her handling of the situation prompted state Rep. J.D. Scholten (D) to announce plans to challenge her in next year's Senate race. He told The Washington Post that he had already been thinking about running, but the controversy convinced him. Her comments, he said, were 'horrific and tone deaf.' Adding to the challenge, Republicans are not united on changing Medicaid. Cutting the program is 'both morally wrong and politically suicidal,' Sen. Josh Hawley (R-Missouri) wrote in a New York Times op-ed last month titled 'Don't Cut Medicaid.' Hawley spoke Monday with Trump about the bill, according to the senator, and said in a social media post afterward that Trump reiterated: 'NO MEDICAID BENEFIT CUTS.' Hawley said that he still has concerns from the House bill that he would want to work out in the Senate but that he supports the House's inclusion of work requirements. 'The right message is we're not going to cut Medicaid benefits,' Hawley said. 'We're going to do everything we can to help working people who cannot afford to get health care.' Other Senate Republicans want the bill to do more to slash federal spending, including in ways that could further impact Medicaid. Among them is Sen. Rand Paul (Kentucky), who recently made an appearance in Ernst's home state to make his case at a party fundraiser. Some conservative groups - such as Advancing American Freedom, the group started by former vice president Mike Pence - are urging GOP lawmakers to get serious about overhauling Medicaid, even if doing so is politically painful. 'Republican Senators should stand firm on the House-passed Medicaid reforms that restore the program to its original intent, reduce waste, fraud, and abuse, and ensure fiscal sanity,' the group's executive vice president, Paul Teller, said in a statement, adding that conservatives should be the 'adults in the room' on the issue. In-person town halls, such as the one Ernst held in Butler County, Iowa, have already become hot buttons for GOP lawmakers. The head of the House Republican campaign arm, Rep. Richard Hudson (North Carolina), advised members in March to hold virtual town halls rather than in-person events, as they were facing vocal opposition in the opening weeks of Trump's second term. McClain said Monday that town halls 'have gotten a little bit out of control with fearmongering.' Democrats see Ernst's comments as validating their view that Republicans are struggling to defend the Medicaid provisions of the bill because they know they are unpopular. The Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee, which is focused on House races, moved quickly to capitalize on Ernst's town hall, releasing a statement calling for three of Iowa's Republican representatives to say whether they agreed with Ernst. Senate Minority Leader Charles E. Schumer (D-New York) agreed with an MSNBC host's tongue-in-cheek comment Monday that Ernst's defense of the bill was 'unorthodox.' 'Abe Lincoln said it right: Public sentiment is everything,' Schumer said. 'And I guarantee you, Republican senators will be hearing the outrage from their constituencies.' - - - Mariana Alfaro and Matthew Choi contributed to this report. Related Content Black Democrats fume over 2024 while 'searching for a leader' in 2028 Joy, tension collide as WorldPride arrives in Trump's Washington Kari Lake won awards for overseas reporting. Now she has the job of cutting it.
