Latest news with #StephenShaver
UPI
6 days ago
- Health
- UPI
CDC: Young Americans get 62% of calories from ultra-processed foods
A study released by the CDC on found that Americans 18 and younger receive nearly 62% of their calories from ultra-processed foods. File Photo by Stephen Shaver/UPI | License Photo Aug. 7 (UPI) -- The Centers for Disease Control reported that American young people between the ages 1-18 receive nearly 62% of their calories from ultra-processed foods. The CDC's National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey found that from August 2021 to August 2023, people from that age range got 61.9% of their calories from ultra-processed foods, while adults age 19 and older received 53% of their calories from such foods. Ultra-processed foods, according to the CDC, are able to provide energy but are "low in dietary fiber, and contain little or no whole foods, while having high amounts of salt, sweeteners, and unhealthy fats." The agency also stated that the consumption of ultra-processed foods "has been associated with higher risk of cardiovascular disease and all-cause mortality." A deeper breakdown of the study showed that among children, kids ages 1-5 received 56.1% of their calories from ultra-processed foods, while those ages 6-11 received 64.8% of their calories from them. The caloric reception from such foods then dips slightly for youth ages 12-18, at 63%. As for adults, the numbers indicate that they get fewer calories from ultra-processed foods, as those ages 19-39 received 54.4% of calories from them, then adults ages 40-59 52.6%, and those ages 60 and older 51.7%. The CDC also noted that the top five sources of calories from ultra-processed foods among kids are sandwiches, burgers, sweet bakery products, savory snacks, pizza and sweetened beverages. The CDC is an agency under the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, or HHS, and HHS Secretary Robert F. Kennedy, Jr. posted a video clip to X Wednesday in which he said that "we are poisoning our children, we are mass-poisoning this generation of children" with sugar and ultra-processed foods.
UPI
06-08-2025
- Health
- UPI
CDC issues warning as China fights chikungunya virus in Guangdong
1 of 3 | An effort is underway in southern China's Guangdong Province to eradicate the mosquito-borne chikungunya virus. File Photo UPI/Stephen Shaver | License Photo Aug. 5 (UPI) -- U.S. health officials are warning travelers headed to southern China of an outbreak of chikungunya, a disease spread by mosquitos that has spurred a forceful local response. The outbreak has occurred in China's Guangdong Province on the country's southern coast, with most of the cases being reported in the city of Foshan, according to a U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention advisory posted Friday. Fever and joint pain are the most common symptoms of the disease. While most people recover within a week, joint pain can linger for months to years in acute cases, and medically vulnerable people are at greater risk of developing more serious symptoms, the advisory states. The outbreak has prompted Guangdong provincial authorities to launch a "patriotic health campaign" of "clearing water and killing mosquitoes and building a healthy home together." Authorities are calling on households across the country to drain coffee makers, while turning over pots and cans in an effort to eliminate all stagnant water. Since July, more than 7,000 cases have been reported in the province, and in Foshan, patients must remain in the hospital until they test negative or have stayed for a week, reports the BBC. At least a dozen other cities in the region have reported infections, including nearby Hong Kong, reports the news outlet. People purchasing medications to treat chikungunya in Foshan have had to register personal information, reports the South China Morning Post. The virus is not common in China, and the BBC reports that some social media posts have compared the government's response to that of the COVID-19 pandemic, which was criticized as heavy-handed. However, there have been no severe or fatal cases reported and infections are declining, according to the Xinhua news agency. Travelers can prevent chikungunya infections by using insect repellent and wearing long-sleeved shirts and pants, as well as staying indoors in places with air conditioning or screened windows and doors, according to the CDC advisory. Two chikungunya vaccines are approved for use in the United States, and the CDC advises vaccination for travelers who plan to visit an area with an outbreak. The CDC advises pregnant women to avoid areas with outbreaks.
UPI
05-08-2025
- Climate
- UPI
Japan records record-high temperature of 107 degrees
Japan recorded a record high temperature of 107 degrees Fahrenheit in Isesaki, Gunma Prefecture on Tuesday. UPI Photo/Stephen Shaver | License Photo Aug. 5 (UPI) -- Japan recorded a record high temperature of 107 degrees Fahrenheit in Isesaki, Gunma Prefecture on Tuesday. Authorities issued a warning for 44 of 47 prefectures under the heatstroke alert system and urged people to stay hydrated and make use of air conditioning to avoid heat-related illnesses. The recorded temperature was observed by the Japan Meteorological Agency at 2:26 p.m. in the far western part of Kanto. Other parts of the Kanto region were expected to endure similar record-high temperatures the same day. This temperature exceeded the previous high of 106 degrees Fahrenheit in western Japan on Wednesday and in Kiryu Gunma Prefecture, earlier on Tuesday.
UPI
23-07-2025
- Business
- UPI
Amazon to close China-based AI research lab
In 2015, 2015, Amazon was trying to attract consumers in China. Now the Shanghai-based Amazon Web Services announced job layoffs last week as the e-commerce conglomerate shutters its artificial intelligence and development wing in China. File Photo by Stephen Shaver/UPI | License Photo July 23 (UPI) -- Amazon will shut down its AI research lab in a cost-cutting move as tensions flare with China and as other global companies seek to leave the nation because of Chinese influence. The Shanghai-based Amazon Web Services announced job layoffs last week while as the conglomerate shutters its artificial intelligence and development wing. The closures were first reported by The Financial Times. It was due to "strategic adjustments amid U.S.-China tensions," an applied scientist at the lab, Wang Minjie, wrote on WeChat early this week as Amazon disbanded the team. It was not immediately clear how many people or jobs were affected. The Shanghai facility was established in 2018 to focus on areas such as machine learning and processing natural language. In a statement, company spokesman Brad Glasser said Amazon "made the difficult business decision to eliminate some roles across particular teams" in its AWS division. Meanwhile, a growing number of American corporate giants, like Microsoft and IBM, have opted to either downsize or end operations in China as geopolitical tensions rise exasperated by U.S. President Donald Trump's fluctuating tariff policies. It came the same day McKinsey & Company, a large U.S. defense contractor, also revealed it was pulling back its own AI base in China as companies look to other nations such as India. About 300 India-based Chinese workers at FoxConn, Apple's main iPhone producer, were ordered to return home earlier this month by Chinese authorities as Apple looks elsewhere, too, for its business operations. Amazon has been actively retreating from China in recent years, going so far in 2019 to shut down the e-commerce giant's Chinese marketplace.
UPI
16-07-2025
- UPI
New software makes it easy for Chinese police to extract phone data
A real estate agent runs out of her office while talking on her cellphone in Beijing in 2011. Mobile security firm Lookout has discovered malware used by Chinese police to extract data from cellphones. "It's a big concern," said one security analyst. File Photo by Stephen Shaver/UPI | License Photo July 16 (UPI) -- Mobile security company Lookout has found a new system that police departments in China use to extract data from confiscated phones. The software is called Massistant, created by Chinese company Xiamen Meiya Pico, and it specializes in extracting different types of data, including private communications, multimedia files, geographical tracking records, voice recordings and contact databases. It can even extract messages on Signal. "It's a big concern," said Kristina Balaam, the researcher for Lookout who performed the malware analysis. "I think anybody who's traveling in the region needs to be aware that the device that they bring into the country could very well be confiscated and anything that's on it could be collected." She found several posts on local Chinese forums in which people said they found the malware installed on their devices after interacting with the police. "It seems to be pretty broadly used, especially from what I've seen in the rumblings on these Chinese forums," Balaam said. The malware must get installed on an unlocked device and works with a hardware tower connected to a desktop computer, according to a description and pictures of the system on Xiamen Meiya Pico's website. Chinese law on cell phone confiscation has expanded. Since 2024, Chinese security staff can examine electronic devices without a warrant or active criminal case. This is especially the case with border crossings. "If somebody is moving through a border checkpoint and their device is confiscated, they have to grant access to it," Balaam said. Massistant leaves traces of its installation on the seized devices, so users can potentially detect and remove it by finding it on their devices or using Android Debug Bridge to remove the software. But Balaam warned that by the time Massistant is installed, it's already too late and authorities have access to the user's data. She said that Massistant is just one of many spyware/malware created by Chinese surveillance tech companies, something she called "a big ecosystem."
