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Why Playing Free Casino Games Is A Good Alternative To Playing For Money – The Sports Bank

Posted on May 12, 2022 by Danzig

You may be wondering if it is worth your while playing free casino games. After all, there are plenty of online casinos available where you can play your favorite slot machine games and table games, such as blackjack and roulette, for real cash.

There are a number of good reasons why you should consider playing casino games for free. In this article, we will explain the most important reasons for doing this. These days there are many casino games gratis around that will keep you entertained for hours. But they provide other benefits that you may not realize.

You do not Risk any Money

The most obvious reason why you should play free casino games rather than play for real money is that there is no risk of losing anything. Casino games are very entertaining. There are many slot games that you can play that have a lure of large wins from jackpots and landing winning combinations.

But did you know that with all of these casino games the house always has the edge? This is why online casinos exist and how they make their money. They know that players really enjoy playing particular slot games and others such as blackjack.

All online slot machine games have a return to player (RTP) figure. The average for slot machines is 95%. This means that the house will have a 5% edge when you play these slot games. You are going to win sometimes, but overall, you are going to lose around 5% of your money.

Online casinos rely on the addictive nature of casino games to make money. The vast majority of the games are fair and use a random number generator for the gameplay. Winning with a slot game or a table game is largely down to luck.

Of course, if you are lucky enough to win a progressive jackpot from a slot machine game then you are likely to make a huge profit from this. There have been cases where millions of dollars have been won with progressive slots.

But the chances of landing that jackpot are very slim indeed. The chance to win millions of dollars is a major attraction to play slot games for real money. In reality, you are likely to win a small amount or in most cases, lose money. You are paying for the privilege of playing the casino game and being entertained for a period of time.

Free Games provide good Practice

Lets say that you have read about a new slot game that you want to play for real. Slots are by far the most popular of the casino games and the software providers are launching new titles all of the time. You could find an online casino that has the slot you want to play and register with them. Then you can make a deposit and start to play for real.

We are recommending that you play the free version of the slot game before you start to gamble with real money. A lot of modern slot machine games are fairly complex and they have a number of different features. It is important that you master any slot game that you want to play before registering with an online casino and betting for cash.

Avoid Costly Errors

By playing a free version of a slot game before betting for real you can familiarize yourself with all of the features the game has to offer. If you just jump straight in and play for real money then it is very likely that you will make some costly mistakes.

For the sake of practicing with a free casino game for a while so that you can master it, you will know exactly how you need to play the game for real. If you do not know what you are doing then you can miss winning opportunities with different games.

No Registration or Deposit

To play most free casino games there is no need for you to register or to make a deposit. Some online casinos will insist on this even if they offer free casino games. There are other websites that will just let you play the casino game for free without the need to provide any of your details. You should never have to make a deposit to play a free casino game.

Why Playing Free Casino Games Is A Good Alternative To Playing For Money - The Sports Bank

Cafe Casino Review – Is It The Best Site for Real Money Players? – WISH TV Indianapolis, IN

Posted on May 12, 2022 by Danzig

Cafe casino has built a stellar reputation over the years and offers players numerous benefits. These include a decent collection of casino games from top providers ranging from free slots to live dealers and table games.

There is also an incredible list of bonuses and promotions for new and existing players alike. Heres a complete rundown:

From a glance, Caf Casino seems excellent and ideal for any player to register. But to have a better look at what this casino has to offer, our experts have extensively reviewed the critical areas of this casino, including its bonuses, payment methods, licenses, etc.

We will give you an unbiased Caf Casino review to help you decide if this is the best fit for you.

Simple and intuitive website layout: Caf Casino keeps a simplistic but appealing design which is easy to navigate. You should not have a problem finding your way around, even as a new player.

Solid Cafe Casino Perks program: There is an 8 tier loyalty program known as the Cafe Casino Perk. Accumulate points as you win to progress through the levels and redeem them for cash.

Regular tournaments: Caf Casino offers a variety of slots, blackjack, and baccarat tournaments. Each of these lets you win fantastic cash rewards.

Convenient payment methods: Enjoy a decent collection of payment options including cryptocurrencies like Bitcoin and Bitcoin Cash.

Well-trained customer service: Contact customer support in the event of issues 24/7. Options include the extensive Help Center, 24/7 live chat, phone, email, and the Caf Casino social media platforms.

Playing in a legal casino is the only way to ensure your safety. Cafe Casino was initially licensed by Kahnawake Gaming Commission, but it currently holds a license from Curacao Gaming.

This license means it is legit, and you can play without worries. Also, even though it is legal to play in this casino in the US, you may want to check your local laws first before signing up. This is because the rules vary depending on the U.S. state you are situated in.

Signing up at Caf Casino and claiming the welcome bonus is not difficult. You can easily do this by following these steps:

Head to the Caf Casino casino login page and select the JOIN button. You will be redirected to another page where you will be required to input your informationthese range from your name, date of birth, phone number, email, and preferred password.

You will also need to input your Zip Code and acknowledge reading the terms and services by ticking the box. Once complete, click on the register button.

Next, you will be required to verify your phone number using the code sent. This is optional but crucial if you want to claim your bonus or play in Caf Casino for real money, so its best to get it done.

Once you have been verified, you will need to make a deposit. You will be required to create a 4-digit code beforehand. This code is essential and cannot be changed as you will also have to input it when you want to make a withdrawal. You can choose between cryptocurrencies and credit cards from the list to make a deposit.

However, the option you choose determines the bonus you get. If you deposit with bitcoin, you get a 350% match bonus up to $2,500, while using a credit card gives you a 250% match deposit bonus up to $1500. Pick your deposit option, make a deposit, and the casino instantly matches it.

Caf Casino has a lot to offer when you sign up and play. Here, we have put together some of the core reasons you should play on this platform.

There are over 150 games on this platform that consist of online slots, table games, progressives, and live casino games. These games are from top developers like Rival Gaming, Real Time Gaming, Spinomenal, Wohoo Gaming, and Genesis Gaming.

You wont find games from more popular developers like Microgaming or Playtech. This is not necessarily a significant drawback for many players, but we would have loved to see more games from them.

Free slots make up for most of the games on this platform, with about 120 games. You will find titles like Golden Buffalo, 5 times Vegas, Chillin Penguins, etc. Caf Casino has you covered with games like 777 Deluxe, Shopping Sphere, and many more if you enjoy progressive jackpot games.

On the downside, this number may be inadequate if you love casinos with large online slot machine selections since some offer over 400 titles. Nonetheless, if you are looking for decent variety, you should feel at home.

Table games are also covered adequately with Baccarat, Teen Patti, Craps, Roulette, and Video Poker games like Pai Gow Poker, and Andar Bahar. This top online gambling site will also appeal to blackjack players as it has a special section for the game consisting of eight variants, ranging from Classic Blackjack, Perfect Pairs, etc.

For live games, there are only six to pick from, including Live Dealer Roulette and Live Super 6. Finally, there is a range of specialty games like Keno Draw and Amazonia Bingo if that is what you prefer.

Cafe Casino has a simple yet appealing design and a unique casino theme. Navigating the Caf Casino online casino website is very easy as all the main pages have been broken down into categories. Simply click on the category you want, and you will be taken there instantly.

Pages load super fast, and we did not experience any lags throughout our Cafe Casino review. Just make sure you have a decent internet connection when accessing this real money online casino, and you are good to go. If you decide to use the Caf Casino casino app to play, you still enjoy all of these benefits on a smaller screen.

Caf Casino runs a variety of tournaments that you can join. These tournaments give you the chance to offer amazing prizes. Tournaments range from slots and blackjack tournaments that are available on a schedule. If you enjoy slots, you will always find more than five ongoing tournaments at a specific time.

Slots tournaments are more common and tend to last for a week more. Every tournament has a cycle of about 10 minutes, with some lasting longer. Slot tournaments include typical slots or progressive jackpots, which can help you win real money or other rewards. You can find games like Gold Rush Gus, Caesars Victory, 777 Deluxe, etc.

For table games, there are also tournaments available on a selected range of games. These titles include Double Deck Blackjack, Standard Blackjack, Single Deck Blackjack, and Baccarat. Most slot tournaments have a minimum bet amount of $0.2, which is quite fair, while table games have minimum bets of $1.

All tournaments come with varying rules and conditions, so you need to be mindful of them. For instance, to qualify for slots tournaments, you need at least 200 spins to qualify. You can easily find the conditions of each tournament by clicking the details tab of the event. Some of these conditions may be on the high side for many players but not in all cases.

Also, the prizes you get from tournaments come with wagering requirements, with some usually around 5x. You can easily keep track of the score on the tournament as the casino is very transparent with this. There is a scoreboard that is easily accessible, and you can find the results of the events as they occur.

Caf Casino comes with min/max bet ranges that make it ideal for both high and low rollers. You can bet as little as $0.01 on slot games to as high as $500 per spin, which is great. Table games, on the other hand, range from a minimum of $1 to a maximum of $500 $1000, depending on the table game.

Live online casino games come with a minimum bet of $1- $5 and a maximum bet of $2,500 to as high as $3,000. For video poker, the bet ranges vary from $0.01 to $25 per hand, while specialty games like bingo have a bet range of $0.10 $10 per card. This may vary depending on the online casino game in question, but we found the best ranges decent.

The payment options on Caf Casino are somewhat limited compared to other platforms. But it is one of the best bitcoin casinos that lean towards cryptocurrencies so you can make deposits via Bitcoin, Bitcoin Cash, Ethereum, and Litecoin. It also supports payment via credit cards. The deposit options work for withdrawals too, including Player Transfer, MatchPay, Check by Courier, and Bank Wire.

The minimum withdrawal for Player Transfer most cryptocurrencies is $10, except for Ethereum, which is $50. If you opt for Bank Transfer, the minimum you can withdraw is $1,500, which is quite high.

Most withdrawal options come with a $2,000 limit for new players and $2,500 for VIP players. Bitcoin withdrawals have no maximum limit attached, but this does not matter. You are also limited to one withdrawal every seven days, which could still be problematic regardless of your choice.

If you are a high roller who makes large wagers and wins huge amounts, you will have to wait a while to get your earnings out.

Using our Benchmarks in this Caf Casino review which cover the essential parts of this casino, we rate it a 4.5. This rating came from reviewing the available bonuses, games, tournaments, payment options, design, and customer support. We are certain that anyone will have a great time playing in this casino from the information we gathered.

Before signing up on Cafe Casino, there are a few things you will need to consider, including:

Geo Restrictions: Caf Casino is only available to players in the USA except in those in New Jersey, Delaware, New York, Nevada, and Maryland. If you are not a resident of the United States, you cant sign up for this casino.

Supported currencies: Before registering at any casino, you need to check out the available currencies first. This will help you determine if the currency you enjoy using is supported on the platform. Caf Casino currently accepts only two currencies.

These include U.S. dollars, Bitcoin Cash and Bitcoin. If you prefer other currencies, you may want to check out other casino alternatives.

New players who sign up for an account at Caf Casino are privy to a very profitable welcome bonus without the need for a Caf Casino bonus code.

There is a 350% match deposit welcome bonus of up to $2,500 when you deposit using Bitcoin. A 250% match deposit bonus up to $1500 is up for grabs when you deposit via your credit card. These bonuses come with a 40x wagering requirement which is a bit high but not so bad considering its total value.

Each game contributes differently towards your wagering requirements, with slots having the highest at 100%. However, you wont be able to play live dealer games or Super Diamond Mine with this bonus.

This Caf Casino bonus applies to all players who want to enjoy various perks on Caf Casino. Players who upgrade to the Bitcoin-exclusive account will have to make payments using Bitcoin, Player Transfers, etc.

However, they will enjoy a variety of rewards not applicable to classic members. These range from weekly deposit match bonuses of up to $600, 25 weekly free spins on deposits, and 15,000 perk points on weekly deposits.

Caf Casino offers a variety of monthly cash back bonuses tailored to specific events. This tends to change every month, so be ready for a surprise. Currently, Caf Casino has a Blackjack Cashback offer of up to $1,000. If you use credit cards for deposits, you get a 10% cashback on losses you experience on a New Blackjack game on Saturday.

You will also get 10% cashback on Sunday loses playing Classic Blackjack up to $500. If you are using Cryptocurrencies, this is bumped up to 20% on these losses up to a maximum of $1,000. The minimum deposit to be eligible for this offer is $20, and the offer is attached with a 35x wagering requirement.

Caf Casino surprises players every week with its weekly deposit bonus offers. This will drop in the form of a bonus amount into your account every Thursday. All you need to do is check out your perks dashboard every Thursday for your bonus. You will also find each bonuss wagering requirements and terms and conditions in your dashboard.

Caf Casino rewards you for inviting friends to the platform. Simply get your friends to sign-up using the referral link provided to you. Once they register and make a deposit of at least $20, you instantly get $100 in bonus funds. If your friend makes a deposit using bitcoin, you get an extra $25 to play!

The number of friends you can refer to is limitless, which means you can keep earning $100 or more for free. Note that the $100 bonus fund comes with a 50x playthrough requirement, while the extra $25 comes with a 35x wagering requirement.

This is equivalent to Caf Casinos loyalty/reward program, which you are automatically included in after registration. Here, you earn points for playing in the casino and progress through the 8 tier levels. You can redeem your perk points for cash at any moment and use them to play your preferred games.

You get 1 perk point for every $1 you wager on games except for specialty games which give you 15 points per $1. The cash bonuses you get from your perk points come with a 10x wagering requirement that must be fulfilled to withdraw earnings.

Most of the bonus offers on Caf Casino come with wagering requirements. Some can be as high as 50x, which can be pretty steep for some players. We recommend you read the terms and conditions first before accepting any bonus at this casino.

This is another casino operated by the company behind Caf Casino. It offers a combined welcome bonus of up to $3000 with a more reasonable 25x wagering requirement. There are also plenty of casino games, payment options, etc. Ignition is mostly known for its incredible poker section.

This is another top online casino that caters to US players. It offers numerous welcome bonuses, including one of the largest we have ever seen. This is a 280% match bonus up to $14,000 attached with a 35x wagering requirement. There is also a decent selection of games, payment options, and more bonuses to make it fun.

If you are more particular about game selection, this platform is for you. It has more than 400 games on offer, with slots making up for more than 300! It also covers poker, live dealer games, and many more. There are also amazing welcome bonuses that come with only 10 30x wagering requirements.

To ensure we were not biased, we searched the internet and found a few Cafe Casino casino review entries given by its players. We found out that users generally had a positive view of the platform. However, we did find that players had issues with the withdrawal limits, which we pointed out already.

Related: Best online casinos

Related: Best online slots

Caf Casino is a bitcoin-focused casino that is ideal for US players. It offers a collection of fantastic games, great design, an easy-to-use website, and a fantastic bonus offer. However, we did find out that the withdrawal limits may be low for some players. This is not particularly an issue if you are a casual bettor as you can still withdraw up to $2,500 weekly.

But dont take out words alone for it. Sign up at the casino today using one of the available bonus codes, like the Cafe Casino casino bonus code BIGLEAGUES, to enjoy the bonuses and other impressive casino features.

DISCLAIMER: The information on this site is for entertainment purposes only. Gambling comes with its fair share of risks and its important to recognize that when using online gambling sites.

While we review different gambling sites, you should check with local laws in your area before gambling online. Also, all gambling sites and our guides are rated 18+ only. We may receive compensation from the sites we recommended in our guides, but our reviews remain independent and reader-supported.

If you have a gambling addiction problem or anyone you know does, call the National Gambling Helpline at 1-800-522-4700. In addition, the following free gambling addiction resources can be of help:

Casino Games and the Impact They Have On the Gambling Scene – VideoInk

Posted on May 12, 2022 by Danzig

Punters enjoy live casino games mainly because it recreates the land-based experience. These games feature live feeds of real dealers participating in the game. This type of game is more immersive with a different experience from others.

Since online casinos are legal in India, Indian players can easily participate in live games, and they can do so from the comfort of their homes. However, if youre interested in bringing on the real-life gambling experience, you must know the games to play and where to find them.

As a beginner gambler, the first thing to note is that not every game has a casino live version. However, the ones that do bring together the perks of physical and online gaming experience. Indian punters can participate in several games that can be found here in live casino, and also such as:

Source: caconline.ca

Live dealer blackjack games are similar to online blackjack games. The main difference is that theres the presence of a live dealer and players trying to beat the dealers hand. In the live dealer, blackjack has similar rules the game abides by, such as;

As a professional gambler looking to make some money while also ensuring you dont miss out on the fun of the game, the Live Dealer Blackjack is one you should consider. You will also find it interesting because of the interactive user interface that makes it responsive across different devices.

Source: casinotopsonline.com

While roulette is a popular and easy-to-play game, one of its live perks is that one table can cater to several players. Therefore, if you have a group of friends with similar interests, you can decide to play together on the same table; it will be fun, the type you dont want to miss out on. The types of bets available in a live roulette are;

Participating in a live dealer roulette is the same in online casinos as in land-based ones. Some added perks to the live roulette are that it has different effects like replays and motion movements.

Live and real-life baccarat games stand out because of the house edge they offer. Players can join the live baccarat with tight budgets. Youll bet on whether the player or banker has the better hand. Gamblers can also get that the player and banker tie and use it to their advantage. Although it doesnt happen often, it has higher wins. Undoubtedly, the Live Dealer Baccarat may appear a bit challenging for you as a beginner, but with time you will get used to it and enjoy the fun it offers.

Source: livecasino24.com

Live dealer poker is usually one live dealer versus several players. Live poker games replicate the physical gaming experience as anyone can see how much other players win. One dealer versus several players is one of the main drawbacks of poker. In the live casino, if your bet folds, youll still wait for others to place their bet.

Source: casinoble.nu

Live game shows are unique and mainly available in live casinos; you need to get online and stay online to enjoy these shows. The show comes with actual hosts on the stage, and it is streamed in the HD version. Many players enjoy live game shows because of how visually appealing they are.

The growth of live casinos keeps attracting the interest of many players in India and globally. Yet, it can be challenging, especially if youre new to the game. While there are many things to know about participating in a live casino, here are some basics:

Source: gambletroll.com

Playing live games can be fun, but thats not the end. You dont want to get excited about a game and go home with nothing; you want some cash for your predictions. Before playing a live game, there are some valuable tips every player must follow, and they include;

Live casino games are growing in popularity and are pretty interesting because they give you the feeling of being present. But, one main drawback of the game is that its available only for a limited number of games. If you want to go live on any game, get a platform that offers such games, understand how the game is played, and enjoy all the fun that comes with it.

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Casino Games and the Impact They Have On the Gambling Scene - VideoInk

Punter who sued bookies after winning 1.7m plans 25,000 man cave in his garden – The Mirror

Posted on May 12, 2022 by Danzig

Exclusive:

Andy Green, 55, won 1.7m in January 2018 in an online blackjack game but was told by Betfred that a software glitch made his win invalid. Last year, he was awarded 2.4m

Image: Chris Frear)

A gambler who bookies were ordered to pay a 2.4million jackpot is finally splashing out on a 25,000 dream man cave and BBQ.

Andy Green, 55, won 1.7m in January 2018 in an online blackjack game but was told by Betfred that a software glitch made his win invalid.

After a three-year High Court battle he was last year awarded the winnings which rose to 2.4m after interest.

Now the triple heart-attack survivor has revealed how he has been given planning permission to build a man cave at the bottom of the garden at his 300,000 detached home.

Dad-of-two Andy said: I reckon the man cave will cost about 25,000. Im still just trying to find a builder.

Itll be small with a six-metre covered section where I can BBQ and put chairs underneath.

I just want to go in there and watch my F1 and my GP motorbike racing without my daughters moaning at me that Im hogging the TV.

Image:

Andy, dad to Natasha, 22, and Abbie, 18, has been careful with the money, only buying new windows for his home and a second-hand BMW X6 with 18,000 miles on the clock.

He is also planning a trip to Lesbos, Greece, to see pals he has not seen for more than a decade.

Andy, of Washingborough, Lincs, said: I havent been able to go in 12 years. I still chat to my friends in Greece but I havent told them about the win.

He also revealed he had spoken to TV bosses about dramatising his legal fight. He said: People have said to me, Youve made companies like Betfred think twice about taking advantage again.

Ive been contacted about a short film or a series. I was told Id get royalties but I just want the story out there.

Andy won 1,722,923.54 in January 2018 but Betfred said a software glitch invalidated the win.

A High Court judge ruled for Andy and told the bookies to pay up.

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Punter who sued bookies after winning 1.7m plans 25,000 man cave in his garden - The Mirror

What are the advantages of mobile friendly casinos? – UrbanMatter

Posted on May 12, 2022 by Danzig

There are millions of people who use their phones every day for shopping and to scope out the latest entertainment news. Google and other sources now report that over 54 percent of all internet traffic is accessed through mobile phones.

But in the world of online gambling, its probably closer to 75 percent or more. And there are plenty of advantages to accessing a mobile-friendly casino from your smartphone.

Look ma, Im out of the house yet still gambling

The first benefit is that you no longer have to be home-bound to enjoy gambling.

And in fact, you can enjoy your online gambling while sipping a Vanilla Latte at Starbucks, standing in line for an hour or more to snag tickets to your favorite mega rock band, or even discreetly at that oh-so-boring chick flick that your girlfriend cited as a Woody Allen Masterpiece, and you havent been into Woody since he stopped producing funny movies like Sleeper and Tale Take the Money and Run.

The Skys the limit as far as mobile phones are concerned, and punters can and do gamble in all kinds of crazy and unique situations.

You get an hour for lunch but it frequently takes you only 15 minutes to eat

Many people get an hour for lunch but wolf down last nights leftover pizza in 15 minutes or less.

You can watch TV in the breakroom for the remaining 45 minutes, and watch whatever mindless channel is playing, or you can hop on your phone and play a few games of blackjack or enjoy several spins at becoming a multimillionaire by playing a Mega Moolah slot.

There are no hard facts on the number of people that gamble during breaks and at their lunch hour at work, but its got to be in the millions. In fact, we probably gamble more at work than any other location.

Better promotion rewards

Another reason to use your mobile phone to access your favorite gambling site is the rise of mobile casinos. You must go through the latest article of the European Business Review. They covered everything about the best non gamstop casinos.

Mobile casinos are online casinos that specifically cater to those who use mobile devices to gamble, and according to experts, particularly those who are 21 to 34 use their cell phones almost extensively to gamble.

Online casino owners, noting this trend, and being in a very competitive market, are increasingly tailoring their gambling promotions toward smartphone users.

So the plain fact is, if you choose the right casinos, your gambling dollar may just go a lot further when you choose to gamble at a mobile-friendly casino.

Better security

Nowadays, most mobile gamblers do so with apps that instantly connect them with their favorite casino. And since these apps are made available on Google Play and the IOS App Store, these apps have to go through a significant level of checking and meet pretty high standards before they become available for download.

As a result, you can be sure that any online casino app offered on these sites is vetted for security.

You are much less likely to pick up some malware or spybots on your phone if you use a vetted online gambling app.

Tons of free games

In particular, if you are a slot player, the great thing about mobile-friendly casinos is they offer free play on most of the slot games in their casino.

Although there is nothing like the thrill of playing for real money, at the same time, you dont want to throw your money around playing games that are poorly designed or have louse payouts.

Being able to test online games is an important strategy for many gamblers.

A wider range of payment and transaction methods

With the rise of mobile casinos and apps that can connect you instantly, another benefit of mobile-friendly casinos is a wider amount of payment actions.

Some of these apps are so specific that with one or two taps of your phone, you can connect your credit card with the casino and be instantly ready to gamble.

And because it is much more difficult for hackers to tap into a cellphone than it is for them to access your WiFi at home, you have an added sense of security.

In addition, the latest wrinkle in online gambling is gambling via bitcoin. You can make a deposit to a casino via bitcoin in 5 minutes or less, and if you win, you can get paid your winnings practically instantly as well.

And in addition, since bitcoin and cryptocurrency do not leave a huge paper trail, you can gamble privately.

Multitasking

Young people aged 21 to 35 or so are fantastic at multitasking. They have been multitasking since they were a preteen. So its no surprise that when at home they may break up boring tasks such as studying for Thursdays Biology exam, while at the same time have their phones open to a gambling site.

Even when watching a TV show or movie, they may ignore the incessant commercials by playing a hand or two of blackjack.

A more engaging activity

Lets face it. There are plenty of periods in the day where you are just totally bored, and even one more Tik Tok funny cat videos

Gambling, however, is extremely engaging, particularly if you are into sport betting as millions are.

If you have $20 bucks riding on the outcome of Sundays Green Bay vs Tampa Bay game, it will enhance your enjoyment of the game considerably.

As many gamblers say, winning free money is just about the most engaging activity possible, and that of course is the lure of gambling.

Since mobile phones allow you to access that free money 24 hours per day, adding some online gambling to your lifestyle by a phone can add additional zip to your life and get you out of boredom.

And who knows, if you happen to hit it big on a progressive slot like Mega Moolah, it can bring you unprecedented financial freedom.

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What are the advantages of mobile friendly casinos? - UrbanMatter

Beer and Clothing In Las Vegas: Russians, Boxing, and Black Jack – Barstool Sports

Posted on May 12, 2022 by Danzig

After learning about Bivol's boxing ability first-fist, I got to experience who he was firsthand. He loves to cook; he's a dude that just likes to grill and shoot the shit. Surprisingly the guy has a sense of humor even in English. His favorite part of America is Quesadillas, and He likes to learn English a lot through Netflix and comedy specials. He is hilarious. Like, check out this timing.

He knew my name the whole time, I swear.

After all that, please check out the tik toks documenting the whole saga.

Fight night was insane, and that is really where this whole saga starts

WHERE IT ALL BEGINS

I had finally finished shooting for Barstool in the corner all week, and it was time for me to enjoy Vegas before the fight. This was when the hot streak began.

Enter the Berserker Blackjack strategy

This is no joke. I turned $100 into $2000 dollars my whole weekend. I have proof.

It was insane. I have never been on such a hot streak. UPDATE I JUST HIT 21 in the ball machine on Pardon My Take. This hot streak is on a fucking roll!

I will be trying to continue my hot streak Wednesday at this=

nvm turns out Marty is going

Back to the fight, which I bet $200 +600 on Bivol. The first hype event was the weigh-in, where I met back up with Bivol's camp. Bivol's crew was so chill regarding the walkout to the stage. I hit up his trainer Taylor and asked if it would be ok for me to come with them. "As long as the ring is the same size as when we get there Saturday," the group was happy to have me, and I was happy to come.

My first thought after seeing Canelo's crew was this.

After they weighed in, I couldn't stop thinking about this. I was like, this is something that could seriously impact Canelo. Also he was a bitchass Vegan, he wishes he could cook or eat steaks like Bivol.

This is where clothing came into the Beer and Clothing name of this blog.

Big Cat ripped my only pants in a staged video I designed so that I could expense new pants because, as you could see, my jeans are falling apart they are like 5 years old, now I have new expensive more durable jeans I can expense to the company.

FIGHT NIGHT

The day of the fight was awesome. DAZN got us awesome access and allowed us to see some of the preliminary fights where we were able to sit so close ringside. I literally got blood splattered on me from this fight that ended in a knockout. This guy was Bivol's sparring partner, who he used to prepare for Canelo. From Uzbekistan.

Here's his KO.

Chinese Heavyweight Big Bang Zhang also had a huge punch to start the main card.

I then linked back up with Bivol's crew, and we headed back to the training room to chill before the fight.

I had spent a good amount of time with these dudes out in Indio. This wasn't that big of a deal (Jk, this was fucking sick).

Fight walks are insane. I have been a part of 3 fight walks, mine, Chef Donny's, and Bivol's. I am 3-0 in fight walks.

I might just start simulating fight walks at pregames with the boys just to try to get somewhere close to the same rush.

Bivol was not allowed to walk out to his anthem or his flag,for something he cannot control, so he repped his birthplace.

While they listed him as being from Indio, California.

The rest of the fight night was amazing. Between the Mexican crowd that had been drinking since Friday morning at the weigh-in chanting "Pendejo" which is hilarious because, after the fight, I had to explain what all the Spanish meant to him- he had no idea. The crowd was so pro Canelo, and he dealt with so much adversity. Bivol has always been a gracious and humble fighter. It has been amazing seeing how he has handled so much adversity for all he cannot control.

Now post-fight is where it got nuts.

And then I got the green light.

It was Demon Time.

Spoiler: Wild Bill did not activate

*Spoiler to the spoiler: Wild Bill Did not activate that night

Bivol went back to the room with his team and spent the whole night in. He did not sleep. All he did was answer almost every message he received from friends and family. What I thought would be a crazy night turned into something extremely wholesome. I did take shots with his training crew.

He called all his people and did not leave the suite at the MGM Grand. His post-fight statements were all genuine, and he was actually sorry he had ruined Cinco De Mayo for the whole Mexican crowd, and he was actually sorry to DAZN and Matchroom boxing for ruining the plan for setting up a huge GGG-Canelo fight. He wasn't being smug or cocky, literally everyone knew that fight was designed for him to win. He spoilt it for everyone. He was genuinely sorry. He even said to me, "They sent you to me because they didn't think I would win, didn't they" I was like "Yeah I am 100% the B team"

Everyone thought after a fight like that. A world champion would go crazy and party. Its Vegas! He didn't. The next day I came back to his suite and set up an interview with Bivol for Pardon My Take. Youtube should start at the interview timestamp:

After this interview, my 7 am Sunday flight was delayed by a huge scary sandstorm. Seeing it from Bivol's suite high in the hotel we were in was nuts. The president of Kyrgyzstan (where he was born) reached out to congratulate Bivol; I asked if Putin had called him, to which he responded, "There's no cell service in the bunker!"(Putin wouldn't due to his stance). After the interview, I got news my flight had been once again delayed. Now let me tell you not to knock on Russians, but it is very hard to get a read on them. They all have the male equivalent of resting bitch faces. I really hope no one from Bivol's camp is trying to translate this reference into Russian because it would not translate well. I AM NOT SAYING ANYTHING BAD ABOUT RUSSIANS. THEY JUST LOOK PISSED ALL THE TIME.

Except for Bivol. He smiled a lot and was easygoing, but he's not ethnically Russian. I told them the predicament I was in with the flight being delayed and how I checked out of my hotel, and if it was ok for me to stay longer to do some work on my laptop. They immediately said, of course, and asked me to stay for dinner. I didn't know if this was a cultural thing where I was supposed to say no, but they quickly insisted. Bivol ordered his favorite Quesadillas.

After dinner, my flight got delayed yet again, and I had been sitting in the room listening to Russian and having no idea what was going on. I sat and nodded my head and just acted like I knew what they were saying till one made a joke and they all started laughing. I decided to laugh just because it was funny they were laughing. One of his team goes in English:

"How do you get that joke? You know old movies from USSR?"

"I said I have no idea what any of you have been saying this whole time."

It was a great ice breaker. We then started to talk about language barriers, and they taught me Russian swear words, and I would say them, and they would laugh. Making Russians laugh is hard tho. Had to find things they would find funny but also translatable I'm not a stand-up comedian but this inspired me. You can understand how Kreischer's Machine story showed he had the skills. I probably won't do stand-up.

And after talking to Bivol and his team about my Berserker Blackjack strategy, they wanted to go try it. It was hilarious. But first, The group had avoided any geopolitical talk till the date of May 8th came up, which is VE Day. A speech was made about how we were celebrating two victories, the beating the Germans, and Beating Canelo. We cheers'd and took shots. We started taking shots of Tequila because they just beat a Mexican. Then the older trainer, who is one of the hardest-looking men I have ever seen, said the first words I heard from him besides what he said to Bivol during pad work.

(In Russian, that was then translated to me)

"What did you learn in American school about WW2? Who do you think to beat the Germans?"

This was a pants-shitting moment. At this point, we had all gotten along and avoided any geopolitics, and I wouldn't want to do anything to tarnish the relationship. In one of the few times in my life, I carefully chose my words.

"The U.S joined the conflict late after much fighting had already occurred, we beat the Japanese single handily, but the Germans could never be defeated without Russia."

" !" (you see the suspense when you don't know what is being said, imagine me) (I didn't understand it was positive till Bivol started laughing)

A satisfactory response and cleared up any tension in the room. I guess who did more to beat the Germans was a huge point of contention during the Cold War.

At this point, I kid you not, I described to the crowd how the mountain on a cold Coors light is blue, which made the crew light up with interest. Then everyone started drinking Coors light. At this point, Bivol had his only drink of the night 1 cold Coors light that he did not want me to take a picture of him with. Totally understand.

We then headed to the blackjack tables. I like to play at $5 tables I explained to Bivol and his team that the fancy hotel of a competing sportsbook was too expensive and not fun. Bivol put on sunglasses and a mask, and we headed out to a cheaper place with $5 tables across the street, this place also had $2 Coors Lights. The thing is, Bivol stuck out more with the glasses and mask, people could tell the guy wearing glasses and a mask at night was 100% trying to hide their identity. Glasses is one thing, a mask is another but both at the same time made it so when he got to the blackjack table, the whole security at this cheap casino showed up and thought he might have been a guy banned from the casino for counting cards or something. I kinda understand where the Casino was coming from because some of Bivol's crew is pretty similar looking to the actual MIT students in the 21 card counting movie. As the only English speaker there, I had to talk down to security as to why there was a man who obviously was trying to hide his identity trying to play cards. Quickly whipped out my phone and showed them the Bivol Canelo fight poster and all was well

Until the Berserker BlackJack strategy came out.

I haven't seen such sober people laugh so hard. Every time I doubled down on 12s and the dealer was like WTF are you doing then winning the hand. Made them laugh their ass off. The dealer was getting pissed with me, but I was winning, and they kept laughing. I was splitting every pair I got, sometime splitting after splits and playing like 5 different bets at once. It was the greatest rush I ever got from gambling. Of the $100 dollars, I put down, at one point, I was up $200 but I wanted to stay to ensure the champ's good time wouldn't end. I ended up losing all of it after a couple of bad hands and a crazy split with two double downs to end it. Bivol looked at me and said:

"Did you lose all your money in Vegas?"

I replied

"No I didn't, Thanks to you."

After that, we walked back to the hotel, and his crew kept going "Double Down" and laughing every time. The crazy post-fight celebration for Bivol was 1 beer and a couple $5 hands. I said goodbye to my Russian friends and headed to the airport. The flight left at 11:59 pm, and I arrived back at 7 am and went into the office. A crazy week in Vegas. Got right after the sandstorm and made it to work for Macrodosing.

Why Online Casino Games Have Been Trending in the Us Over the Last 5 Years – The Current

Posted on May 12, 2022 by Danzig

The gambling industry has been booming in the US of late, but it is no recent phenomenon. In fact, the growth has been increasing drastically over the last five years. We have seen new online sportsbooks launching, new online casinos, and the introduction of fantasy sports in many states as well.

One of the core reasons for this growth in the US is because many states are beginning to legalize the activity of online gambling in various forms. But why is this happening? What caused the sudden turnaround in legislation for so many US states?

The craze started back in February 2013, when Governor Chris Christie signed Assembly Bill 2578 to pass legislation that would mean online casinos could operate legally in New Jersey. Operators would have to register their interest to apply and apply for the appropriate license from the New Jersey Division of Gaming, who were the official regulator of the industry.

The reason for their legalization was because one of the states most famous attractions, Atlantic City, was in serious decline. Much of the great gambling metropolis was left to ruin, and the local government needed a way in which to renovate the once iconic city, allowing them to breathe new life into a forgotten area. Hoping to return it to its former glories, like a phoenix rising from the ashes.

With the launch of this new industry of online casino games and more, it would not only create new jobs in New Jersey, lowering unemployment and increasing tax revenue. But they would also get tax revenue from the new businesses, and players winnings too. It was a win-win situation for them, and one that had hiccups along the way, but ultimately paid off.

In the first 12 months since legalizing online casinos, the local government managed to generate over $130 million. Money that would be put toward responsible gambling programs and bringing Atlantic City back to life.

Source: https://cdn2.civitatis.com/estados-unidos/nueva-york/guia/atlantic-city.jpg

The success of its legalization started a chain reaction for other states to look at the legalization of similar activities. Many wanted to first see how New Jersey would handle tackling issues like responsible gambling, how they would police the industry, what worked well with their plans, and what did not. This way, they could put cases forward for their own states to legalize online casinos and ensure they took the best bit of other operations and avoided the parts that did not work.

The ball really began to start rolling about five years ago, when a lot of the research into New Jerseys operations finally came to an end and showed that the benefits outweighed the costs. More states began to put bills forward to their relevant authorities, about launching their own investigations into the legalization within their own boundaries.

This escalated more though once the COVID-19 pandemic hit. Many land-based casinos had to close when lockdowns were introduced, leaving many staff out of work, and profits began to plummet. This also impacted the US economy, there was less tax income being generated, and with stimulus checks being sent out, costs were on the rise.

The government needed a way to recoup the costs and to help the businesses affected. Many casinos believed that was through legalizing online casinos and online sports betting. A popular operation over the waters in the UK that helped to save similar businesses. And so, state after state began to legalize online gambling one after the other, like falling dominos.

The introduction of online casino games has been a big one, seeing states rake in millions of new revenues. But it was not so easy for businesses at the start, with a lot of competition entering this new market. Many offered up online casino sign-up bonuses in order to attract customers, but with so many, people were fluttering between multiple sites to make the most of each one, so it was not drawing in and keeping hold of customers as these operators wanted.

Therefore, businesses began to pay out millions in marketing to push their brand, with the likes of Caesars and BetMGM having already established names that would help them succeed. Other smaller brands that were lesser known to the general public had a harder time, and many of these companies were bought out by competitors or went bust.

But once things settled, the growth of the industry began to see it climb a steep incline. It was not just a case that revenues increased and then remained the same with little fluctuation. Revenues were steadily increasing month on month, almost quadrupling by the end of the year in some states. And they have been continuing that trend ever since.

Source: https://t2conline.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/04/casino-pixabay.jpg

There have been several online casino games that have helped contribute to the trends we have seen over these last five years. Slots are ever so popular, but one of the biggest reasons is table games. Although not the traditional kind you find in a land-based casino.

Online casino games gave operators a chance to switch things up and freshen up traditional games with revamped versions offering new experiences. Games such as live lightning blackjack which can offer up to 500x your stake if certain numbers come in, blackjack switch that offers players a chance to switch out their second dealt card to give them a higher chance of winning, and Crazy Time, a game show like experience that can offer up winnings of 20,000x your stake.

One reason these games have been so popular is because streamers on Twitch and YouTubers have begun working with online casinos to promote their games like they would if they were streaming video games. This allows them to showcase the features these games have and demonstrate how they work.

So, as you can see, there has been a lot going on in the industry with more states legalizing gambling online every single year. It is likely with many states yet to legalize online casino games, that more will follow, and well see trends continuing in their upward direction easily for another five years following the whirlwind of the last five.

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Why Online Casino Games Have Been Trending in the Us Over the Last 5 Years - The Current

How to Unblock a Webpage from Behind a Firewall – Beebom

Posted on May 12, 2022 by Danzig

Though the internet is meant to be open and unrestricted, there are many cases where websites are geo-restricted, or blocked by a firewall. So, if youve recently come across a website that you want to access but which is blocked for you, worry not, we have the solutions for you. Here is how to unblock a webpage from behind a firewall.

There are multiple ways you can use to unblock webpages from behind a firewall. We are taking a look at all of them individually, and you can use the table of contents below to navigate through this article and try out any (or all) of these methods to unblock websites on your devices.

Quite possibly the easiest way to unblock websites from behind a firewall is by visiting their IP addresses directly. This works in cases where the block has been applied to a domain name, which is mostly the case. Heres how you can visit blocked websites using their IP addresses.

Voila! You would now be directed to the site and access it even if the domain name has been blocked.

A network administrator may restrict certain websites with a firewall to prevent them from being accessed, whether for protection from malicious content or to save bandwidth. If you figure out that a web page has been blocked due to such restrictions, you can sometimes unblock it by switching from Wi-Fi to mobile data.

Obviously, this applies to devices that have a SIM card (or e-SIM). However, even if youre using a device that doesnt have its own cellular modem, you can create a local hotspot from your smartphone and use that to connect your devices.

Times when a site is down or has been blocked but you still need to access it, you can switch to the cached version to retrieve some information from it. For those unaware, the cache is basically an older version of a site that Google stores as a backup and allows access to only limited number of pages. It shows olders versions of text-based sites that you can visit without needing to log in.

While its not a full-on solution per se, many a time you can unblock a site by switching to a mobile or desktop version of the site. You may notice that not both versions of the site are blocked. Heres how to switch between mobile/desktop versions of a website in some of the most popular browsers.

Switch mobile/desktop sites in Safari on iOS/iPad OS

Switch mobile/desktop sites in Safari on Mac

Switch mobile/desktop sites in Chrome on iOS

Switch mobile/desktop sites in Chrome on Android:

Switch mobile/desktop sites in Chrome on Mac/PC

Another pretty simple yet quite effective way to unblock a site from behind a firewall is to access the site in a different language for a different region. For example, by changing your country to India and your language to Hindi, you may be able to bypass the restriction. The whole point Im trying to make is that not all versions of the site may be blocked at once. Therefore, switching to a different version could often do the trick for you.

A VPN (Virtual Private Network) has long been a trusted bet for opening blocked websites. What makes it so efficient is the ability to let you mask your real IP address behind a fake one. Thus, it becomes painless to access blocked or geo-restricted sites. For example, if you connect to a US-based VPN server, you will be able to access the geographically restricted sites that are available only in the US. Moreover, VPNs are easy to set up and can also prevent your ISP (Internet Service Provider) from throttling your bandwidth.

Proxy servers are also up to the mark when it comes to opening blocked websites. In terms of functionality, proxy servers are designed to act as middlemen between you and the web. When you send connection requests to a proxy server, it forwards them to the website on your behalf using its own IP address. Thus, bypassing geo-blocks becomes plain-sailing. Its worth noting that a proxy server can return results a lot faster if they have been archieved in the servers local cache. Since proxy servers dont use encryptions, they also do not tend to interfere with your online speeds.

The privacy-centric Tor browser can also come in super handy in letting you unblock a site. If you are wondering how it works, let me tell you that it smartly hides users locations so that they can browse the web without having to deal with censorship.

Just like a proxy or VPN, Tor conceals your real IP address behind a new IP address assigned to you. By passing your traffic through secure relay servers, the Tor browser not only safeguards your privacy but also facilitates hassle-free access to websites even if they are blocked.

Is there any downside? Tor is comparatively slow and also doesnt support all platforms including iOS. These shortcomings aside, if you are on Android or desktop and want to browse the web with improved privacy, Tor browser wont let you down.

In some cases, your modem may assign you a Dynamic IP address which is temporary and remains valid only for a session. So, if you run into a site that is blocked, you can overcome this issue by using a new IP address generated by your modem. And the quickest way to get it done is by just rebooting your modem. Give this nifty trick a shot to see if it gets the job done for you.

A Smart DNS (Domain Name Server) allows you to hide your real DNS address which is assigned to you by your ISP (Internet Service Provider). As your DNS address consists of information that reveals your actual geo-location, replacing the DNS address with a new address where the content is available can help you bypass geo-blocks.

Notably, most Smart DNS services provide a massive list of pre-unblocked websites that you can visit without any restriction. Knowing that Smart DNS services lack encryption, you can access blocked content with the maximum speed offered by your ISP.

Thats pretty much done! So, these are the trusted ways to unblock sites. While VPN services and proxy servers are more reliable for unblocking websites, other tricks like switching to mobile/desktop sites and rebooting modems are very handy. Now that you know various ways to get through, make the most of these hacks to prevent restrictions from letting you access the desired content. Did you find this guide helpful? Share your thoughts in the comments below.

How to Unblock a Webpage from Behind a Firewall - Beebom

Reversing Roe in the digital age – Coda Story

Posted on May 12, 2022 by Danzig

The United States Supreme Court may be poised to strike down Roe v. Wade, the landmark 1973 ruling legalizing abortion throughout the country. If the decision is overturned, it could jeopardize abortion access for tens of millions across the country. Thirteen states have laws on the books that would immediately ban abortion if Roe is scrapped, and a dozen more are likely to gut abortion access absent federal protections. Louisiana Republicans are advancing a bill that would classify abortion as homicide and implicate both abortion patients and providers.

The reversal would also undo the privacy standard on which the Roe decision hinged. This is a uniquely powerful change in the digital era, raising urgent questions about data security and privacy. The tools so many of us rely on to engage with the modern world are largely trackable, making it easier for authorities (or even private individuals) to go after people seeking abortions, or those who are trying to help them.

Peoples search histories, text messages, location data, social media activity, purchasing records, and use of reproductive health phone apps will likely become standard evidence in legal cases against people seeking abortions.

This is a privacy issue

This really is and has become a privacy issue, Nikolas Guggenberger, executive director of the Information Society Project at Yale Law School, told me. As soon as abortion becomes criminalized, then any sort of digital trace that people leave online at any stage of their journey could be evidence that might be used against them.

Theres already precedent for this: In 2018, a Mississippi woman who told authorities she delivered a stillborn baby was charged with second-degree murder after prosecutors combed her internet search history and found results related to abortion-inducing pills. The charges were later dropped, but the point stands.

People who assist abortion seekers could also be implicated in investigations. After Texas passed its sweeping anti-abortion bounty law last fall, which allows private citizens to sue anyone who helps a person access an abortion, some raised concerns that Uber drivers who unwittingly drive patients to abortion clinics could be subject to prosecution.

Law enforcement and prosecutors can subpoena tech companies to hand over user data or buy it outright from data brokers, which repackage and sell our data with astonishing precision. Because there is no federal privacy law in the United States, the burden of digital protection falls largely on the American user to safeguard their own online footprints. Several groups have published guides to abortion and pregnancy privacy, such as the Digital Defense Fund, the Electronic Frontier Foundation, and the Repro Legal Helpline.

US groups are not pioneers in this arena

Organizations working in countries that had or have extremely restrictive abortion laws have long worked to avoid digital surveillance on behalf of themselves and the people theyre helping.

Since 2006, the nonprofit Women on Web, which was founded by a Dutch physician, has sent abortion pills to people in some 200 countries around the world where the procedure is illegal or highly restricted. The way it works is pretty simple: Abortion seekers are directed to an online consultation on the charitys website. Doctors review each consultation and determine patients eligibility for treatment. A licensed physician will then provide a prescription for abortion medication the drugs misoprostol and mifepristone which is filled by a network of pharmacies the organization works with, and then shipped to the patients home.

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According to Executive Director Venny Ala-Siurua, Women on Web fields about 10,000 emails per month through its international help desk, which operates in 16 different languages. Because the group sends pills to some countries where abortion is criminalized, protecting visitors health data is paramount. I always say that safe abortions are private abortions, she told me. Ala-Siurua explained that the organization has used an encrypted communication system since its inception and created a mobile app that allows people to submit the online consultation without navigating to the groups website. They also advise using virtual private networks and the TOR browser for anyone visiting their site.

A lot has changed in the digital realm since Women on Web launched fifteen-plus years ago. I often say that we started off by using technology and the internet to break barriers to abortions but I would say in the recent years its become a bit of a double-edged sword for us, Ala-Siurua told me.

In addition to the privacy and digital security concerns, she sees technology increasingly acting as a gatekeeper that prevents people from accessing information about the groups services. The organization has dealt with heavy-handed content moderation on social media and accusations of violating community guidelines. We get censored all the time, she told me, adding that companies rarely provide transparency about why Women on Webs content is removed. One post that was removed from the groups Instagram account simply read: You can now order abortion pills BEFORE you are pregnant. According to an automated message from Instagram, this was a violation of the Community Guidelines. It is worth noting that Instagrams Community Guidelines include no specific references to messages about abortion.

The organizations experience provides a glimpse into just how messy it could become for social media platforms attempting to moderate abortion-related content, if the court repeals Roe. It also introduces yet another reason why some have been wary of calls by politicians to repeal Section 230 of the Communications Decency Act, the landmark U.S. legislation that protects web platforms from liability for the content that users post on their sites. Without 230 on the books, social media platforms would no longer retain this protection. It is easy to imagine that this would cause companies to more aggressively moderate abortion-related content to avoid lawsuits.

Of course, so much of this conversation is still just speculation. We dont know what the final Supreme Court decision on Roe will look like, or when it will come out. But it is certain that boundaries between our physical and digital selves are likely to dissolve even further if or when Roe is dealt its final blow.

The son of Ferdinand Marcos will be the next president of the Philippines, thanks in no small part to social media. Our partners at Rappler, the independent media outlet run by Nobel laureate Maria Ressa, tracked the use of social media by major candidates leading up to the election, and found that Ferdinand Bongbong Marcos Jr. had the most well-coordinated network on Facebook among all of the candidates. His community operates in a vacuum, they wrote, effectively drowning out content from sources other than those supportive of him. Reporters at BBC also dug into coordinated efforts to manipulate information on social media, with a particular focus on the re-branding of Marcos father, who ruled the country from 1965-1986 in a regime known for endemic corruption, excess, and human rights abuses.

In India, a new government directive will force virtual private network companies to store and maintain their customer data, including users names, physical addresses, emails, and phone numbers, for five or more years, CNET reports. Failure to comply with the order can result in up to a year behind bars. Responding to the directive, the British Islands-based company PureVPN said it was astonished at this policy move by the worlds largest democracy which is on the brink of becoming the worlds largest police state. As we note below, India also holds the dubious honor of being the worlds foremost perpetrator of internet shutdowns.

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Reversing Roe in the digital age - Coda Story

Decriminalize Denver, 3 years on: A campaign that had a ripple effect throughout the country – Denver 7 Colorado News

Posted on May 12, 2022 by Danzig

DENVER Its been three years since Denver voted to decriminalize psychedelic mushrooms to deprioritize law enforcement actions against the possession of psilocybin, and to mark the occasion, activists fighting for that change gathered to celebrate at Cheesman Park Saturday.

Marijuana was legal and people have this feeling of just like, what's the difference between this plant and this fungus? Why is this plant available in stores on every corner, and this fungus you go to jail for? said freelance reporter Reilly Capps.

Initially thinking it would take five years to decriminalize magic mushrooms, Capps said he was surprised it only took three years for the decriminalize movement to coalesce.

So that story was just fascinating to watch it evolve and grow and grow and grow, he said, adding that more people started getting interested in the movement, including lawyers and influencers.

Decriminalize Denver campaign organizer Travis Tyler Fluck also shared how Denvers passing of the ballot initiative had a ripple effect throughout the country, inspiring other cities across the nation to launch their own campaigns.

Within 18 months of us passing by .5%, Washington D.C. voted on decriminalizing all entheogens and it was able to pass 76% (on the) yes (vote). It's really beautiful to be able to reflect in that way, to see that every time I went outside and collected signatures in 10-degree weather, that it meant something. We won by such a narrow margin that it really showed that each and every person contributed to pulling that win over the line, and I think that that is an important new story that we need in our culture today, Fluck said. The interbeingness of it, that my fate is wrapped up in yours.

Decriminalize Denver, 3 years on: A campaign that had a ripple effect throughout the country - Denver 7 Colorado News

George Cheeks, the president of CBS, tests positive for coronavirus after attending the White House Correspondents Dinner. – The New York Times

Posted on May 12, 2022 by Danzig

Nearly 15 million more people died during the pandemic than would have in normal times, the World Health Organization said on Thursday, a staggering measure of Covids true toll that laid bare how vastly country after country has undercounted victims.

In Mexico, the excess death toll during the first two years of the pandemic was twice as high as the governments official tally of Covid deaths, the W.H.O. found.

In Egypt, excess deaths were roughly 12 times as great as the official Covid toll.

In Pakistan, the figure was eight times as high.

Those estimates, calculated by a global panel of experts assembled by the W.H.O., represent what many scientists see as the most reliable gauge of the total impact of the pandemic. Faced with large gaps in global death data, the expert team set out to calculate excess mortality: the difference between the number of people who died in 2020 and 2021 and the number who would have been expected to die during that time if the pandemic had not happened.

Their calculations combined national data on reported deaths with new information from localities and household surveys, and with statistical models that aimed to account for deaths that were missed.

Most of the excess deaths were victims of Covid itself, the experts said, but some died because the pandemic made it more difficult to get medical care for ailments such as heart attacks. The previous toll, based solely on death counts reported by countries, was six million.

Much of the loss of life from the pandemic was concentrated in 2021, when more contagious variants tore through even countries that had fended off earlier outbreaks. Overall deaths that year were roughly 18 percent higher an extra 10 million people than they would have been without the pandemic, the W.H.O.-assembled experts estimated.

Developing nations bore the brunt of the devastation, with nearly eight million more people than expected dying in lower-middle-income nations during the pandemic.

Its absolutely staggering what has happened with this pandemic, including our inability to accurately monitor it, said Dr. Prabhat Jha, an epidemiologist at St. Michaels Hospital and the University of Toronto, who was a member of the expert working group that made the calculations. It shouldnt happen in the 21st century.

The figures had been ready since January, but their release was stalled by objections from India, which disputes the methodology for calculating how many of its citizens died.

Nearly a third of the excess deaths globally 4.7 million took place in India, according to the W.H.O. estimates. The Indian governments own figure through the end of 2021 is 481,080 deaths.

But India was far from the only country where deaths were substantially underreported. Where excess deaths far outstripped the number of reported Covid fatalities, experts said the gap could reflect countries struggles to collect mortality data or their efforts to intentionally obscure the toll of the pandemic.

In some countries, flaws in government reports were widely known. Russia, for example, had reported roughly 310,000 Covid deaths by the end of 2021, but the W.H.O. experts indicated that the excess death toll was nearly 1.1 million. That mirrored earlier estimates from a Russian national statistics agency that is fairly independent of the government.

Aleksei Raksha, an independent demographer who quit the Russian state statistics service after complaining of the failure to count Covid deaths properly, said that informal orders had been given to local authorities to ensure that in many cases, Covid was not registered as the primary cause of death.

Excess deaths have established the true picture, Mr. Raksha said. Russia demonstrated a dismal performance in fighting the pandemic.

In other nations, W.H.O. experts used what limited data was available to arrive at estimates jarringly at odds with previous counts, though they cautioned that some of those calculations remained highly uncertain. In Indonesia, for example, the experts leaned heavily on monthly death data from Jakarta, the capital, to estimate that the country had experienced over a million more deaths than normal. That figure would be seven times as high as the reported Covid death toll.

Siti Nadia Tarmizi, a spokeswoman for the governments Covid-19 vaccination program, acknowledged that Indonesia had suffered more deaths than the government had reported. She said the problem stemmed in part from people not reporting relatives deaths to avoid complying with government rules for Covid victims funerals. But she said that the W.H.O. estimates were far too high.

In Pakistan, Dr. Faisal Sultan, a former health minister, defended the governments death reports, saying that studies of the number of graveyard burials in major cities did not reveal large numbers of uncounted victims of the pandemic.

For still other countries that suffered grievously during the pandemic, the W.H.O. estimates illuminated even more startling figures hiding inside already devastating death counts. In Peru, for instance, the expert estimate of 290,000 excess deaths by the end of 2021 was only 1.4 times as high as the reported Covid death toll. But the W.H.O. estimate of 437 excess deaths for every 100,000 Peruvians left the country with among the worlds highest per capita tolls.

When a health care system isnt prepared to receive patients who are seriously ill with pneumonia, when it cant provide the oxygen they need to live, or even provide beds for them to lay in so they can have some peace, you get what youve gotten, said Dr. Elmer Huerta, an oncologist and public health specialist who hosts a popular radio show in Peru.

In the United States, the W.H.O. estimated that roughly 930,000 more people than expected had died by the end of 2021, compared with the 820,000 Covid deaths that had been officially recorded over the same period.

In Mexico, the government has itself kept a tally of excess deaths during the pandemic that appears roughly in line with the W.H.O.s. Those estimates about double the countrys reported Covid death toll reflected what analysts there described as difficulties counting the dead.

We responded badly, we reacted slowly. But I think the most serious of all was to not communicate the urgency, the wanting to minimize, minimize, said Xavier Tello, a public health analyst based in Mexico City. Because Mexico wasnt or isnt testing for Covid, a lot of people died and we dont know if they had Covid.

The W.H.O.s calculations include people who died directly from Covid, from medical conditions complicated by Covid, or because they had ailments other than Covid but could not get needed treatment because of the pandemic. The excess death estimates also take into account expected deaths that did not occur because of Covid restrictions, such as reductions in traffic accidents or isolation that prevented deaths from the flu and other infectious diseases.

Calculating excess deaths is complex, the W.H.O. experts said. About half of countries globally do not regularly report the number of deaths from all causes. Others supply only partial data. In the W.H.O.s African region, the experts said that they had data from only six of 47 countries.

Scientists also noted that excess death rates were not necessarily indicative of a countrys pandemic response: Older and younger populations will fare differently in a pandemic, regardless of the response. And the W.H.O. experts said that they did not account for the effects of heat waves or conflicts.

Where death figures were missing, the statisticians had to rely on modeling. In those cases, they made predictions based on country-specific information like containment measures, historical rates of disease, temperature and demographics to assemble national figures and, from there, regional and global estimates.

W.H.O. officials used the release of their calculations to plead for greater investment in death reporting.

When we underestimate, we may underinvest, said Dr. Samira Asma, the W.H.O.s assistant director general for data, analytics and delivery for impact. And when we undercount, we may miss targeting the interventions where they are needed most.

W.H.O. officials cited Britain as an example of a country that had accurately recorded Covid deaths: Their analysis found that about 149,000 more people than normal had died during the pandemic, nearly identical to the number of Covid deaths Britain reported.

The disagreement over Indias Covid deaths spilled into public this week when the Indian government on Tuesday abruptly released mortality data from 2020, reporting an 11 percent increase in registered deaths in 2020 compared with average annual deaths registered over the two prior years.

Analysts saw the release as an attempt to force the W.H.O. to reconsider its calculations on the eve of publication. Indian health officials said their figures showed that the country had lost fewer people to Covid than outside estimates suggested.

But scientists believe that most of the countrys excess mortality occurred in 2021, during a grievous wave caused by the Delta variant. And even Indias 2020 figures gave additional credence to the W.H.O. estimates, said Dr. Jha, who has also studied excess deaths in India.

The Indian government wanted to deflect the news, he said, but theyre confirming, at least for 2020, the W.H.O. numbers.

Other experts said that Indias refusal to cooperate with the W.H.O. analysis was rooted in the countrys history of ignoring how data can inform policymaking.

Its natural to miss some of the Covid deaths, said Dr. Bhramar Mukherjee, a professor of biostatistics at the University of Michigan School of Public Health who has been working with the W.H.O. to review the data. But, she added, Nobodys been this resistant.

The Ministry of Health in New Delhi did not respond to requests for comment. W.H.O. officials said that Indias 2020 death figures were released too late to be incorporated into their calculations but that they would carefully review the data.

Nations that report Covid deaths more accurately have also been at the center of disputes over the reliability of excess death estimates. In Germany, for example, the W.H.O. experts estimated that 195,000 more people than normal had died during the pandemic, a significantly higher toll than the 112,000 Covid deaths recorded there.

But Giacomo De Nicola, a statistician at Ludwig Maximilian University of Munich, who has studied excess deaths in Germany, said that the countrys rapidly aging population meant that the W.H.O. analysis might have underestimated the number of people who would have been expected to die in a normal year. That, in turn, could have produced overestimates of excess deaths.

He said that the W.H.O.-assembled experts had accounted for trends in mortality, but not directly for changes in the age structure of the population. While Germany experienced excess deaths, he said, the W.H.O. estimate for the country seems very high.

Overall, the W.H.O. calculations were more conservative than separate analyses released earlier by The Economist and the Institute for Health Metrics and Evaluation.

Some experts said that the W.H.O. analysis benefited from relying more heavily than other estimates on actual data, even where it was incomplete, as opposed to statistical modeling.

Oscar Lopez, Karan Deep Singh, Sofa Villamil, Christopher F. Schuetze, Ivan Nechepurenko, Richard C. Paddock, Muktita Suhartono, Mitra Taj, Julie Turkewitz, Merna Thomas and Salman Masood contributed reporting.

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George Cheeks, the president of CBS, tests positive for coronavirus after attending the White House Correspondents Dinner. - The New York Times

COVID-19: What you need to know about the coronavirus pandemic – World Economic Forum

Posted on May 12, 2022 by Danzig

Confirmed cases of COVID-19 have passed 517.3 million globally, according to Johns Hopkins University. The number of confirmed deaths has now passed 6.25 million. More than 11.65 billion vaccination doses have been administered globally, according to Our World in Data.

The Africa Centre for Disease Control and Prevention has urged those purchasing COVID-19 vaccines to place orders with South Africa's Aspen Pharmacare.

The European Union's drug regulator says it hopes to approve COVID-19 variant-adapted vaccines by September.

Major US airlines, businesses and travel groups have urged the US government to abandon COVID-19 pre-departure testing requirements for vaccinated international passengers traveling to the US.

It comes as the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention recommended travelers continue to wear masks on airplanes, trains and in airports.

Colombia will offer a second COVID-19 vaccine booster shot to those aged 50 and over, the government announced last week.

Infection with the Omicron variant of COVID-19 can significantly improve the immune system's ability to protect against other variants, but only in people who have been vaccinated, South African researchers have found.

The first World Trade Organization meeting to discuss a draft agreement to temporarily waive intellectual property rights for COVID-19 vaccines went "very well", its chair said on 6 May, although some members voiced reservations.

China is setting up thousands of permanent PCR testing stations, with 9,000 completed in Shanghai alone already.

Daily new confirmed COVID-19 cases per million people in selected countries.

Image: Our World in Data

The COVID Response Alliance to Social Entrepreneurs - soon to continue its work as the Global Alliance for Social Entrepreneurship - was launched in April 2020 in response to the devastating effects of the pandemic. Co-founded by the Schwab Foundation for Social Entrepreneurship together with Ashoka, Echoing Green, GHR Foundation, Skoll Foundation, and Yunus Social Business.

The Alliance provides a trusted community for the worlds leading corporations, investors, governments, intermediaries, academics, and media who share a commitment to social entrepreneurship and innovation.

Since its inception, it has since grown to become the largest multi-stakeholder coalition in the social enterprise sector: its 90+ members collectively support over 100,000 social entrepreneurs across the world. These entrepreneurs, in turn, have a direct or indirect impact on the lives of an estimated 2 billion people.

Together, they work to (i) mobilize support for social entrepreneurs and their agendas; (ii) take action on urgent global agendas using the power of social entrepreneurship, and (iii) share insights from the sector so that social entrepreneurs can flourish and lead the way in shaping an inclusive, just and sustainable world.

The Alliance works closely together with member organizations Echoing Green and GHR Foundation, as well as the Centre for the New Economy and Society on the roll out of its 2022 roadmap (soon to be announced).

New WHO estimates suggest that the full death toll associated directly or indirectly with the COVID-19 pandemic (the "excess mortality") between 1 January 2020 and 31 December 2021 was approximately 14.9 million.

These sobering data not only point to the impact of the pandemic but also to the need for all countries to invest in more resilient health systems that can sustain essential health services during crises, including stronger health information systems, said Dr Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus, WHO Director-General. WHO is committed to working with all countries to strengthen their health information systems to generate better data for better decisions and better outcomes."

Excess mortality is calculated as the difference between the number of deaths that have occurred and the number that would be expected in the absence of the pandemic based on data from earlier years.

COVID-19 cases in the Americas have continued to rise, notably in Central and North America, the Pan American Health Organization (PAHO) said on 4 May.

The Americas reported more than 616,000 new cases in the week beginning 25 April, while the death toll was down by less than 1% in the same comparison to 4,200, the organization said.

PAHO's director, Dr. Carissa F. Etienne, called for stronger measures to tackle the pandemic as cases and hospitalizations rise.

"COVID-19 cases and hospitalizations are rising in far too many places, which should prompt us to strengthen our measures to combat the virus, including surveillance and preparedness," Etienne told a news conference.

"We must reach those who remain unvaccinated with the full COVID-19 vaccine primary series, and ensure access to boosters, especially to the most vulnerable," she added.

Written by

Joe Myers, Writer, Formative Content

The views expressed in this article are those of the author alone and not the World Economic Forum.

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COVID-19: What you need to know about the coronavirus pandemic - World Economic Forum

Bill Gates Tests Positive for Coronavirus – The New York Times

Posted on May 12, 2022 by Danzig

Bill Gates, who has donated millions to pandemic relief efforts, tested positive for the coronavirus, he said on Tuesday.

Mr. Gates, 66, said on Twitter that he was isolating with mild symptoms and that he was vaccinated and boosted. It was not clear if this was the first time he had tested positive for the coronavirus. He also said that he would participate virtually in a meeting on Tuesday with people from his foundation.

In recent months, Mr. Gates, a co-founder of Microsoft and one of the richest men in the world, has focused his considerable resources on the pandemic. He published a book last week called How to Prevent the Next Pandemic, in which he explains how countries could pull off a coordinated effort to avert pandemics and eliminate all respiratory diseases.

He has been outspoken about how the global health authorities should respond to the pandemic and distribute vaccines. The Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation said it has donated millions to organizations including Gavi and the World Health Organization to fund testing, treatments and vaccine distribution. (The Gateses divorced last year, but both expressed continued commitment to the foundation.)

In January, Mr. Gates said on Twitter that once Omicron goes through a country, the virus could be treated more like seasonal flu.

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Bill Gates Tests Positive for Coronavirus - The New York Times

Half of Covid-hospitalised still symptomatic two years on, study finds – The Guardian

Posted on May 12, 2022 by Danzig

More than half of people hospitalised with Covid-19 still have at least one symptom two years after they were first infected, according to the longest follow-up study of its kind.

While physical and mental health generally improve over time, the analysis suggests that coronavirus patients discharged from hospital still tend to experience poorer health and quality of life than the general population. The research was published in the Lancet Respiratory Medicine.

Our findings indicate that for a certain proportion of hospitalised Covid-19 survivors, while they may have cleared the initial infection, more than two years is needed to recover fully, said the lead author, Prof Bin Cao, of the in China.

Until now, the long-term health effects of Covid-19 have remained largely unknown, as the longest follow-up studies to date have spanned about a year. The absence of pre-Covid-19 health status data and comparisons with the general population in most studies also made it difficult to determine how well patients with Covid-19 have recovered.

For the new study, researchers sought to analyse the long-term health outcomes of hospitalised Covid-19 survivors, as well as specific health impacts of long Covid. They evaluated the health of 1,192 participants with acute Covid-19 treated at Jin Yin-tan Hospital in Wuhan, China, between 7 January and 29 May 2020, at six months, 12 months and two years. The average age was 57 at discharge.

Assessments involved a six-minute walking test, laboratory tests, and questionnaires on symptoms, mental health, health-related quality of life, whether they had returned to work and healthcare use after discharge. Health outcomes at two years were determined using an age, sex and comorbidities-matched control group of people in the general population with no history of Covid-19 infection.

Six months after initially falling ill, 68% of the patients reported at least one long Covid symptom. Two years after infection, more than half 55% still reported symptoms. Fatigue or muscle weakness were those most often reported. Regardless of the severity of their initial illness, two years later, one in 10 patients 11% had not returned to work.

Two years after initially falling ill, the patients were in poorer health than the general population, with 31% reporting fatigue or muscle weakness and 31% reporting sleep difficulties. The proportion of non-Covid-19 participants reporting these symptoms was 5% and 14% respectively. The Covid-19 patients were also more likely to report a number of other symptoms including joint pain, palpitations, dizziness and headaches. In quality of life questionnaires, Covid-19 survivors also more often reported pain or discomfort and anxiety or depression than non-Covid-19 participants.

The authors acknowledged limitations to their study. Being a single-centre study from early in the pandemic, the findings may not directly extend to the long-term health outcomes of patients infected with subsequent variants, the Lancet Respiratory Medicine said. Like most Covid-19 follow-up studies, there is also the potential for information bias when analysing self-reported health outcomes.

Ongoing follow-up of Covid-19 survivors, particularly those with symptoms of long Covid, is essential to understand the longer course of the illness, as is further exploration of the benefits of rehabilitation programmes for recovery, said Cao. There is a clear need to provide continued support to a significant proportion of people whove had Covid-19, and to understand how vaccines, emerging treatments and variants affect long-term health outcomes.

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Half of Covid-hospitalised still symptomatic two years on, study finds - The Guardian

Sulfur Burps and Diarrhea: Is It COVID-19 or Something Else? – Healthline

Posted on May 12, 2022 by Danzig

COVID-19 can cause gastrointestinal symptoms, which can be difficult to distinguish from other ailments like food poisoning or the stomach bug.

Gastrointestinal symptoms like nausea, vomiting, diarrhea, or even gas can develop with a wide range of conditions, infections, or even chronic disorders.

This article will focus on gastrointestinal symptoms, such as diarrhea and sulfur-smelling burps, and when to suspect COVID-19 or something else as the cause.

Every year, about 48 million people in the United States experience some level of food poisoning. Some cases may go almost unnoticed, but about 128,000 U.S. people are hospitalized for food poisoning every year, and about 3,000 die.

The symptoms and severity of food poisoning can depend on what type of food poisoning you have and how much of the affected food you consumed. Common symptoms of food poisoning include:

These symptoms can develop within hours or days after you consume an affected food or drink. In most cases, you can ride out a case of food poisoning at home. Its best to focus on drinking plenty of fluids to prevent dehydration.

The stomach flu is a collection of symptoms rather than an actual diagnosis in most cases. The stomach flu is not actually a type of influenza at all. Its a generic name given to gastroenteritis, which is inflammation that occurs in the stomach or intestines for a variety of reasons.

Bacteria, parasites, and even some chemicals can cause gastroenteritis, but viruses are one of the most common culprits. The onset of gastroenteritis symptoms can depend on the cause and even the type of virus.

Other viruses can also cause gastroenteritis, including coronaviruses, but these are less common.

Symptoms of gastroenteritis usually include things like:

There are many causes of stomach infections. The coronavirus is just one type of virus that can cause viral gastroenteritis.

Coronaviruses are a family of viruses, and there are several forms, including the one that causes COVID-19 infections. There are also several variations and mutations of the virus that causes COVID-19, and some types affect your gastrointestinal system in different ways.

Some of the more common gastrointestinal symptoms associated with COVID-19 infection may be overlooked before other symptoms like fever and respiratory symptoms because theyre so common to a number of stomach issues.

However, about 5 to 10 percent of people who get COVID-19 end up with some form of digestive symptom.

Stomach and digestive symptoms that have been linked to COVID-19 infections include:

Diarrhea is the most common gastrointestinal symptom associated with COVID-19 infections. Theres debate as to whether or not the appearance of digestive problems signals more or less severe cases of infection.

Sulfur burps is the name given to burps that have a very particular smell, like that of rotten eggs. Burps can happen any time but may occur more when you are having other gastrointestinal problems.

In most cases, the types of food youre eating and how youre eating them can cause sulfur burps. Avoiding foods that create a lot of gas and taking time to eat more slowly can help reduce sulfur burps.

Theres really no cure for diarrhea, and managing this symptom usually depends on the cause. If you have a chronic condition that causes diarrhea, treatment is more complex.

In most cases of diarrhea caused by certain types of foods or simple stomach bugs, there are over-the-counter medications that can help you manage your bowels.

However, the biggest concern is to avoid dehydration caused by diarrhea by drinking fluids. Most cases of diarrhea resolve in about 2 days.

Sulfur burps and diarrhea can appear with many types of stomach problems, including pancreatic cancer. Your pancreas makes chemicals called enzymes that help you digest food. When you have cancer, the production of these enzymes can be affected.

Any changes in digestion can lead to problems like diarrhea and increased gas production. Talk with a doctor if you are experiencing these symptoms repeatedly or for long periods of time.

Long-haul COVID-19 and the symptoms associated with this chronic, post-infection condition are still being researched. But there are a number of symptoms that have been linked to the severe inflammation COVID-19 causes throughout the body.

If you experience gastrointestinal symptoms after a COVID-19 infection, talk with a doctor about treatment strategies and ways to reduce inflammation in your digestive tract.

Stomach problems like smelly burps, nausea, and diarrhea are linked to all kinds of conditions, infections, and diseases.

The key to knowing the cause of your symptoms and how to treat them is to pay attention to other symptoms or changes that occur alongside your gastrointestinal problems.

For most acute infections, the key to treating gastrointestinal symptoms is to drink plenty of water and to rest. If your symptoms get worse after a few days, talk with a doctor about other possible causes and treatments.

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Sulfur Burps and Diarrhea: Is It COVID-19 or Something Else? - Healthline

Severe COVID-19 may cause cognitive deficits equivalent to 20 years of aging – Medical News Today

Posted on May 12, 2022 by Danzig

A recent study appearing in the journaleClinical Medicinesuggests that severe COVID-19 may be associated with persistent cognitive deficits, equivalent to a decline of 10 IQ points. In this study, severe COVID-19 was defined as COVID-19 that required hospitalization and critical care.

These cognitive deficits persisted until at least 6 months after contracting the SARS-CoV-2 infection, with a gradual improvement, if any, in these cognitive symptoms. These results underscore the importance of longer-term support for patients who have recovered from severe COVID-19.

According to official data from 2020, which is the same year that this study drew its data from, about 4 in 10 adults over the age of 18 are at risk of developing severe COVID-19 in the United States.

A significant minority of individuals with a SARS-CoV-2 infection experience persistent cognitive symptoms following the initial 4 weeks after the onset of COVID-19 symptoms. Some of the common cognitive symptoms include problems with concentration, brain fog, memory, and executive function.

Although persistent cognitive symptoms are also observed in individuals with mild COVID-19, such deficits in cognitive function are more prevalent in individuals with severe COVID-19. Previous studies suggest that 36%76% of individuals with severe acute COVID-19 show cognitive deficits 6 months after illness onset.

However, further research is needed to understand the specific aspects of cognitive function that are affected after severe COVID-19 and the factors that predict these cognitive symptoms.

Previous studies characterizing persistent cognitive symptoms in COVID-19 patients have relied on self-reports, which are susceptible to bias. Other studies have used pen-and-paper neuropsychological tests to assess cognitive function.

However, these tests do not possess the sensitivity to detect small changes in cognitive function or distinguish the various domains or aspects of cognitive function impacted by a SARS-CoV-2 infection.

To address these concerns, the authors of the present study used computerized cognitive tests to objectively characterize specific domains of cognitive function impacted after severe acute COVID-19. These computerized tests also allowed the researchers to assess the magnitude of these cognitive deficits.

Individuals with COVID-19 also experience persistent mental health symptoms such as anxiety, depression, fatigue, and post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD), which could contribute to the deficits in cognitive function.

Another objective of the present study was to determine whether these mental health symptoms mediate the persistent cognitive deficits in COVID-19 patients.

The present study involved 46 patients who were previously hospitalized for severe COVID-19 and received critical care in Addenbrookes Hospital in Cambridge, England. The former COVID-19 patients completed a series of computerized cognitive tests during a return visit to the hospital, an average of 6 months after the onset of the illness.

The performance of the 46 participants on the cognitive tests was compared with that of 460 individuals in the control group. The individuals in the control group were not hospitalized for COVID-19 and were matched for age, sex, and education levels. The researchers also used self-reports to assess symptoms of anxiety, depression, and PTSD.

The researchers found that the COVID-19 patients had a lower score and a slower response time in the cognitive tests than the matched controls. People who had COVID-19 showed more pronounced deficits in specific domains of cognition, including processing speed, attention, memory, reasoning, and planning.

Notably, the deficits in cognitive function in the COVID-19 survivors were not associated with mental health symptoms present at the time of the cognitive testing, such as depression, anxiety, and PTSD.

Instead, the performance in the cognitive tests was correlated with the severity of acute illness. For instance, cognitive deficits were more pronounced in individuals who required mechanical ventilation.

The researchers then compared the performance of COVID-19 survivors with over 66,000 individuals from the general population.

The magnitude of cognitive impairment in COVID-19 survivors was equivalent to the age-related cognitive decline expected during the 20year period between the ages of 50 and 70 years.

The studys lead author Professor David Menon, head of the Division of Anaesthesia at the University of Cambridge, says: Cognitive impairment is common to a wide range of neurological disorders, including dementia, and even routine aging, but the patterns we saw the cognitive fingerprint of COVID-19 was distinct from all of these.

Dr. Betty Raman, a cardiologist at the University of Oxford, told Medical News Today, This prospective cohort study of 46 individuals recovering from severe COVID-19 and large normative reference population by Hampshire and colleagues has shown a clear association between severity of infection and degree of cognitive impairment.

This multidimensional characterization of cognition provides a nuanced understanding of distinct patterns of cognitive impairment during the convalescent phase of severe COVID-19. Future efforts are needed to understand how this pattern varies in the context of other post-infectious syndromes and critical illness.

The study found that these cognitive deficits persisted until 6-10 months after the onset of COVID-19, and there was only a gradual improvement, if any, in cognitive performance. The persistence of these cognitive deficits highlights the importance of understanding the mechanisms underlying these symptoms.

Scientists have proposed multiple mechanisms, such as direct infection of the brain by SARS-CoV-2 and disruption of blood supply to the brain, to explain the persistent cognitive symptoms in COVID-19 patients. Among these mechanisms, systemic or whole-body inflammation has emerged as the leading candidate responsible for persistent cognitive symptoms.

Dr. Roger McIntyre, a professor of Psychiatry and Pharmacology at the University of Toronto, told MNT, Inflammatory activation appears to be mediating these findings, highlighting the hazards of lengthy immune activation. The next steps are to unravel biological mechanisms more fully and identify prevention and treatment strategies.

Discussing major questions that need to be addressed, Dr. Paul Harrison, a professor of psychiatry at the University of Oxford, said:

This study shows that these deficits can be substantial and persist more than 6 months after the acute illness. The results are convincing and important and raise further questions. For example, what happens following a less severe infection? How long do the deficits last? What causes them and, critically, how can they be treated or prevented?

Severe COVID-19 may cause cognitive deficits equivalent to 20 years of aging - Medical News Today

Coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) WHO Thailand Situation Report 235 – 11 May 2022 – Thailand – ReliefWeb

Posted on May 12, 2022 by Danzig

Situation Analysis

New cases, severe cases, ventilated cases and deaths have all shown a weekly decrease. The average number of new laboratory-confirmed (PCR positive) COVID-19 cases reported per day (8005) decreased by 35% in the past 7 days compared to the previous week (12,407). The average number of probable (ATK positive) cases reported per day over the last 7 also decreased by 24%

Bangkok continues to report the highest daily number of COVID cases (with a weekly average of 2,390) but reported a 7-day average decrease of 22.7% compared to the week before

The reduction in new cases has seen the average daily number of all currently 'active' COVID-19 cases (93,955) over the last seven days decrease by 35% compared to the previous week (which showed a decrease of 21%). Most cases continue to be monitored in hospitels, community isolation and home isolation. The average number of COVID cases occupying hospital beds per day over the past week (29,678) decreased by 21%

The weekly average number of daily deaths decreased by 45%. However, the daily average count of deaths remains high at 60. Although this is a significant drop from an average of 108 the week prior, most of these deaths would have been prevented if vaccination rates were higher The average daily number of severe COVID-19 cases over the past seven days (1,580) represented a decrease of 11% over the previous week (1,733).

The average daily number of ventilated COVID-19 cases over the past seven days (757) has decreased by 7.6% compared to the number the week before (827)

Although nationally new cases are decreasing, the policy of not confirming all probable cases by PCR testing, as well as the widespread use of rapid antigen tests (including those available 'over the counter' that may not be reported), continues to make it difficult to accurately monitor actual case counts. From the data reported, the high transmissibility of the Omicron variant is clear, with approximately half of all cases in Thailand reported in the last 4-months, when the Omicron variant started to dominate circulation

Vaccination in Thailand continues to significantly reduce levels of severe illness and deaths caused by circulating COVID-19 strains. High vaccination rates also help to reduce the transmission of COVID-19. The COVID-19 situation in Thailand is improving, but there remains a long way to reduce the burden of ventilated cases and deaths from COVID-19 in Thailand. Vaccination rates remain low in some provinces and some important risk groups.

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Coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) WHO Thailand Situation Report 235 - 11 May 2022 - Thailand - ReliefWeb

Variants of the Virus that Causes COVID-19 – Coronavirus – Virginia Department of Health

Posted on May 12, 2022 by Danzig

WHO/CDC Label Name of Variant: Omicron

How contagious is this variant? Omicron is more contagious than the original COVID-19 virus and might be up to 3x more transmissible than Delta.

How sick do people get with this virus?Data suggests that illness might not be as severe as with other variants; symptom severity can vary depending on your vaccination status, age, history of prior infection and the presence of certain medical conditions . However, Omicron is capable of causing severe illness and death.

If I have already had COVID-19 before, am I still protected from this variant? Some reduced protection from natural infection is probable; reinfection cases have been observed with Omicron. Vaccine breakthrough infections, meaning infections in people who are vaccinated, are expected. Being up to date on recommended vaccines is effective at preventing severe illness, hospitalizations, and death.

Are there medications that can treat this variant? Yes. Antiviral drugs work against Omicron and one monoclonal antibody medication is effective.

Will this variant affect a test for COVID-19? No real impact

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Variants of the Virus that Causes COVID-19 - Coronavirus - Virginia Department of Health

Copper in initial resources hits 7-year high – S&P Global

Posted on May 12, 2022 by Danzig

Introduction

The number of copper initial resource announcements jumped to 18 in 2021, a seven-year high, from 13 in 2020, although the contained copper fell 2% to 9 million tonnes. The all-time high was 57 announcements in 2012. The higher number of announcements coincided with a 31% increase in initial resource exploration budgets as companies accelerated exploration to take advantage of elevated metals prices and a bullish capital-raising environment.

The recovery in demand for commodities amid the reopening of the global economy as the pandemic recedes pushed copper prices to new highs after they bottomed in early 2020. Lingering supply concerns and a chronic underinvestment in the copper pipeline supported elevated prices and attracted companies, mostly juniors, to explore for copper. With the higher exploration budgets, the number of initial resource announcements for copper increased 38% year over year, although the amount of new copper fell slightly due to a lack of large deposits.

Early in the COVID-19 pandemic, the copper price fell to a low of $4,600 per tonne, or $2.10 per pound, on March 23, 2020, under the impact of public health lockdowns and restrictions. The price recovered quickly due to several factors, however, including the reopening of economies, pandemic-induced supply concerns and underinvestment in the copper-production pipeline. In October 2021, the price was at its highest since 2011, peaking at $11,300/t, or $5.13/lb, as energy issues and supply disruptions affected the market. The Russia-Ukraine conflict added further strain to the market in late February 2022, maintaining the elevated prices.

Initial resource-related exploration almost back to pre-pandemic levels

Grassroots is the exploration stage most likely to result in the announcement of an initial resource, although exploration at mine sites and at projects with existing resources can also result in the discovery of new deposits. Therefore, S&P Global Commodity Insights assumes that companies devote 100% of their grassroots and 25% each of their late-stage and minesite exploration budgets to the discovery of initial resources. Using this methodology, we examined the exploration budgets that led to the announcement of new copper resources over the period, although not all initial resources by majors are collected due to a lack of reporting.

Copper initial resource exploration budgets increased to $1.17 billion year over year in 2021 just 3% lower than the pre-pandemic budget of 2019. The rebound would likely have been higher if not for the modest increase in copper budgets for Latin America due to ongoing pandemic restrictions in many of the region's countries. Latin America accounts for the largest share of copper exploration budgets over the last 10 years at about 40%.

The 31% increase in the copper initial resource budget year over year was also the largest increase in 10 years. The largest-ever copper initial resource budget was $2.36 billion in 2012, which coincided with 57 copper initial resource announcements containing 22.9 Mt of new copper.

Among the company types, juniors had the largest boost in copper budgets in 2021, with a 77% increase compared with a 19% increase by majors. The majors, nevertheless, still had the largest share of copper early-stage budgets at 66%, although it was down almost 7 percentage points from 2020. Junior companies accounted for 26%, up from 20% in 2020. Intermediates posted a 60% jump in grassroots budgets, although their share remained small at 3%.

More announcements, but no breakthrough in 2021

Unlike previous years, there were no very large copper initial resource announcements in 2021. In 2018,Nevsun Resources Ltd.'s LowerTimokdeposit in Serbia accounted for almost 69% of the year's new copper. In 2016,Ivanhoe Mines Ltd.'sKamoa-Kakulain the Democratic Republic of Congo accounted for 86% of the total.

The largest 2021 announcement was from Australia-based, U.K.-listedSolGold PLC'sPorvenirproject in Ecuador, with 1.7 Mt of copper and 2.2 million ounces of gold at the Cacharposa deposit. The resource accounted for 19% of the new copper announced in 2021. SolGold began a 25,000-meter drill program at Porvenir in the first quarter of 2021 and announced the initial resource the following December. In 2018, SolGold announced 5.2 Mt of contained copper for the Alpala deposit at itsCascabelproject, also in Ecuador, the second largest for that year. The company announced another initial resource containing 1.1 Mt of copper in Porvenir's Tandayama deposit in October 2021.

The second-largest copper announcement came fromAnleck Ltd., a U.K.-based private company, for itsMaalinao-Caigutan-Biyog, or MCB, project located in the northern Philippines. A month later, Australian Securities Exchange-listedCelsius Resources Ltd.announced the completion of its acquisition of Anleck, including MCB and other exploration permits, by issuing 100 million shares of its common stock. Anleck announced 1.5 Mt of contained copper and 1.5 Moz of gold in MCB. After the acquisition, Celsius continued exploration and began drill programs and scoping studies.

The Copper World zone ofHudbay Minerals Inc.'sRosemontproject in Arizona was the second largest, with 1.5 Mt of contained copper, announced in December 2021. In September 2021, Hudbay identified seven deposits at Copper World and conducted a 28,000-meter drill program. The company is expected to release a preliminary economic assessment in the first half based on the drill results.

Australia has most announcements, Ecuador has largest new resources

Australia had the most copper initial resources in 2021 with four. The resources were small, however, containing only 360,000 tonnes of new copper. Three of the four were extensions or new zones at existing projects. The U.S. was second with three announcements containing 2.0 Mt of new copper, with Rosemont accounting for almost three-quarters of the total. Ecuador reported the largest country total for 2021, with 2.7 Mt at SolGold's Porvenir and Cascabel projects.

Australia has been the top country in the past 10 years with 44 announcements, although it ranks sixth in contained copper at 6.9 Mt. Canada is a distant second with 18 announcements, although the new copper totals 7.4 Mt.

Serbia, the exploration budgets of which total $110 million over the past 10 years, announced the largest amount of contained copper at 16.8 Mt in three announcements primarily 14.3 Mt in the Lower Zone of the Timok project. Chile ranks second with 12.8 Mt in 10 announcements, boosted by 8.5 Mt of copper at theLos Heladosproject, which was announced in 2012.

This article was published by S&P Global Market Intelligence and not by S&P Global Ratings, which is a separately managed division of S&P Global.

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Copper in initial resources hits 7-year high - S&P Global

The promise of African clean hydrogen exports: Potentials and pitfalls – Brookings Institution

Posted on May 12, 2022 by Danzig

Abundant energy resources in many parts of Africa position the continent as a potential location for the production and export of climate-friendly hydrogen, based either on renewable electricity (green hydrogen) or natural gas in combination with carbon capture and storage technologies (blue hydrogen). Green hydrogen is produced via electrolysis by splitting water molecules into their component parts using renewable electricity, while blue hydrogen is produced by splitting natural gas into hydrogen and CO2after which the CO2 needs to be captured and stored.

Several African countries, especially around the Northern and Southern Tropics, have excellent solar and wind resources. Africa also has large untapped hydropower potential, mainly located along the Congo and Nile Rivers. Countries like Nigeria, Algeria, and Angola have some of the largest gas reserves in the world. Blue hydrogen has been suggested as a low-carbon option for these countries as they seek to diversify their fossil fuel-dependent economies.

This large resource potential has spurred political engagement by a number of European countries, most notably Germany. The German government has partnered with several African countries to develop a Hydrogen Potential Atlas and has committed $45.7 million to the National Green Hydrogen Development Strategy of Namibia. Germany and the Democratic Republic of the Congo have taken up discussions that could see the country relaunch the controversial Inga Dam III project. Germany has also set up so-called Hydrogen Offices in Angola and Nigeria to facilitate dialogue with these fossil fuel-exporting economies.

But how realistic are these ambitions, given a number of factors complicating the regions pursuit of this energy carrier?

First, hydrogen development cannot be separated from Africas broader energy landscape. More than half of the African population lacks access to electricity. Per capita consumption of energy in sub-Saharan Africa (excluding South Africa) stands at 180 kWh, compared to 13,000 kWh per capita in the U.S. and 6,500 kWh in Europe. Renewables also remain at an early stage of development: In 2018, the continent generated approximately 180 TWh of renewable powerapproximately 20 percent of electricity generation and less than 0.02 percent of its estimated potential.

Source: IRENA (2014) Estimating the Renewable Energy Potential in Africa; FAO (2011) Water for agriculture and energy: The challenges of climate change; IEA (2019) Africa Energy Outlook.

Despite the large potential, capacity additions for the production of green hydrogen raise the question of whether they are coming at the expense of expanding local access to renewable energy to meet socioeconomic needs, to enable clean industrial development, and to meet domestic climate targets within the context of the Paris Agreement. Furthermore, the production of green hydrogen comes with a significant demand for water at a time of increasing levels of water scarcity across Africaespecially in the northern and the Sahel regions. Similarly, the prospect of blue hydrogen as a climate-friendly energy carrier remains highly uncertain, due to residual greenhouse gas emissions, the need for safe CO2 storage sites, and controversy related to the viability of carbon capture and storage technologies.

Moreover, policymakers must consider the economic feasibility of hydrogen exports. Notably, the production of clean hydrogen in some of the most promising locations in Africa could be very cost-competitive, particularly due to abundant availability of solar resources. West Africa alone could produce approximately 120,000 TWh of green hydrogen per year at a price of less than $2.63/kg, assuming no water constraints. However, the cost of transporting hydrogen hampers this competitiveness. Maritime shipping, considered the most cost-effective for distances over 3,000 km, would add an estimated $1 to $2.75/kg. For shorter distances, the cost of pipeline transport could be considerably lower, estimated at $0.18/kg per 1,000 km for new hydrogen pipelines and $0.08 for retrofitted gas pipelines.

Though such infrastructure investments carry high costs and are frequently hampered by delays, current pipelines, when repurposed, could offer a starting point for Africas hydrogen trade. Current international pipeline infrastructure in Africa mainly consists of pipelines transporting natural gas from Northern African countries to Europe as well as connections between Egypt and the Middle East. In addition, the West African Gas Pipeline (WAGP) network, which currently transports gas from Nigeria to neighboring countries Benin, Togo, and Ghana, also offers potential for transporting hydrogen. It is the starting point for the recently launched Nigeria-Morocco Pipeline project, which could potentially be further extended to Europe. If constructed as hydrogen-ready, the WAGP could be repurposed for the export of hydrogen from West African countries. However, its success will depend on the interests of the Nigerian and Moroccan governments.

In addition to export-oriented ambitions, African countries are pursuing different, local applications of green hydrogen and related industrial development opportunities. For example, Morocco, a major exporter of fertilizers, plans to replace imports of conventional ammonia with domestic green ammonia, with its first project to start construction in 2022. Similarly, Egypt is investing in a facility for the production of 1 million tons of green ammonia annually.

South Africa has launched a strategy aimed not only at the production of hydrogen but at the domestic manufacturing of hydrogen-related technologies and products. Building on its endowment in platinum-group metalsa key metal for the production of hydrogen technologies, the South African government is promoting an industrial corridor stretching from the Limpopo mining region through Johannesburgs industrial district to Durban. The countrys chemicals and energy giant, Sasol, has launched an initiative for landmark green hydrogen projects, aimed at greening existing materials and chemical value chains.

Whether ambitions to export large quantities of hydrogen from Africa to Europe will be feasible remains an open question, given the constraints around transport infrastructure, water access, as well as crucial climate-related considerations. Moreover, any strategy to develop hydrogen exports will have to take into account the industrial policy ambitions of important players on the continent or risk losing the goodwill of these key allies.

Note: The authors developed this blog post as part of the Institute for Advanced Sustainability Studies project Geopolitics of the Energy Transformation: Implications of an International Hydrogen Economy (GET Hydrogen), which has been supported with funding from Germanys Federal Foreign Office. This blog reflects the views of the authors only and does not reflect the views of the Africa Growth Initiative nor the Brookings Institution more broadly.

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The promise of African clean hydrogen exports: Potentials and pitfalls - Brookings Institution

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