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With the stroke of a pen, 31 million more Americans have hypertension

"Tighter blood pressure guidelines from U.S. heart organizations mean millions more people need to make lifestyle changes, or start taking medication, in order to avoid cardiovascular problems. At the new cutoff, around 46 percent, or more than 103 million, of American adults are considered to have high blood pressure, compared with an estimated 72 million under the previous guidelines in place since 2003. Potentially deadly high blood pressure can be brought under control with a wide array of medications."

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In Duterte’s anti-drug pogrom, police and cameras tell different stories

"Chilling surveillance footage of a drug-war operation in Manila raises fresh doubts about police actions in President Rodrigo Duterte's brutal anti-narcotics campaign. Reuters obtained the footage, which shows the deadly operation from start to finish."

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Welsh city refuses man’s £7.4 million offer to dig for lost Bitcoin

"Welsh IT worker James Howells says he accidentally threw away a hard drive full of Bitcoin which he believes is now worth more than $100 million (around £74 million). He’s been fighting Newport city council ever since for a permit to look for the computer, which contains over 7,500 units of the cryptocurrency and is buried below thousands of tonnes of rubbish on a landfill site. A spokesperson for the council said James has been told 'on several occasions' he will not be given a permit despite his offer of a 10% cut."

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US-Backed Saudi Coalition Should Lift Its Yemen Blockade

"There are no heroes in the civil war between Houthi rebels, who have Iranian backing and were responsible for killing Saleh, and the Saudi-led coalition supporting Yemen's government. Both sides have inflicted death and suffering on civilians. The Saudi coalition currently has a partial blockade on ports and airfields controlled by the Houthis. Hostilities have already killed or wounded at least 14,000 people in nearly three years, and countless others have died from disease and starvation. Some 1 million people have contracted cholera in part because the lack of fuel has affected the ability to pump clean water."

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Judge halts Indiana city’s code-enforcement property seizure racket

"The judge had particularly harsh words for Hall, who indicated in emails that it would be 'financially disastrous' for residents to try to improve their homes, because the homes would be demolished anyway. Such statements, coupled with the city’s policy of not levying fines against LLC-owned homes, undermine the goal of maintaining safety, Mount said."

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Here’s What the World’s Central Banks Really Think About Bitcoin

"The guardians of the global economy have two sets of issues to address. First is what to do, if anything, about the emergence and growth of the private cryptocurrencies that are grabbing more and more attention -- with bitcoin climbing above $10,000. The second question is whether to issue official versions."

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We Can’t Attack North Korea. It’s Against the Law

"There was zero discussion at the hearing of the illegality of the U.S. attacking North Korea under the U.N. Charter. Yet as we learned from the Iraq War, there is great wisdom in the charter requirement that peaceful solutions, however difficult to achieve, take precedence over resorting to force."

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US-led coalition acknowledges killing 800+ civilians in Iraq & Syria airstrikes

"The coalition said that despite 'significant successes' against Islamic State (IS, formerly ISIS), 'combat has taken a toll on populations suffering under the militant extremists.' 'We continue to hold ourselves accountable for actions that may have caused unintentional injury or death to civilians,' the report said."

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