HOUSTON — The Houston Astros agreed to one-year contracts with right-hander Lance McCullers Jr. and infielder Aledmys Diaz on Friday to avoid salary arbitration, but couldn’t come to terms with…

Pregnant or postpartum Black women are 45% more likely to die in the hospital and are at higher risk for heart problems
In her last trimester, in the midst of dealing with family and work issues as well as preparing for a new baby, Michelle Emebo felt stressed. "I didn't realize how…

Royal Dutch Shell to cut more than 300 North Sea jobs
The oil giant Royal Dutch Shell is to cut 330 jobs from its operations in the North Sea. The company said most of the posts are based at its office…

Asus has a 32-inch 4K gaming monitor with HDMI 2.1 shipping later this year
Asus is gearing up to release its first gaming monitor to support HDMI 2.1, which boasts enough bandwidth to display up to 4K resolution at 120 frames per second when…

NRA seeks bankruptcy protection, plans move from New York to Texas
The National Rifle Association, the gun industry's chief advocate, said Friday it was leaving New York for Texas and would seek bankruptcy protection. The NRA excoriated New York's government and…

Cubs avoid arbitration with Bryant, Báez, Contreras
CHICAGO — The Cubs avoided arbitration with three of their biggest stars, agreeing to one-year deals with third baseman Kris Bryant, shortstop Javier Baez and catcher Willson Contreras on Friday.…

Study: higher vaccine rates associated with indicative language by provider, more efficient
New research from Boston Medical Center finds that using clear, unambiguous language when recommending HPV vaccination both increases vaccine acceptance and increases conversation efficiency while preserving patient satisfaction. Published in…

Families ‘struggling to pay for funerals’
Families are struggling to pay for funerals of loved ones killed by Covid as their own finances are stretched by the economic effects of the pandemic. Average funeral costs have…

Asus’ ROG Claymore II mechanical keyboard has a handy detachable number pad
Asus announced a new mechanical keyboard at CES 2021 called the ROG Claymore II. It’s designed for gamers, with customizable macro keys and per-key RGB backlighting. It’s also the first…

Iran jails U.S. businessman, possibly jeopardizing Biden’s plans for diplomacy with Tehran
WASHINGTON — Only weeks after the U.S. election and three days after an Iranian nuclear scientist was assassinated, Iranian authorities convicted a U.S. businessman on spying charges, a family friend…