(2021-10-13). Mayo Clinic Q&A podcast: Treating and preventing liver cancer. newsnetwork.mayoclinic.org While still relatively rare, the rate of primary liver cancer has been increasing in recent decades, disproportionately affecting minority populations. "Research has shown that Blacks and Hispanics are less likely to be diagnosed with liver cancer at an earlier stage, compared to whites," says Dr. Sumera Ilyas, a Mayo Clinic gastroenterologist. "And that, in turn, means the odds of being eligible for potentially curative treatments are lower for these patients." These disparities are due to…
(2021-10-12). Muqtada al-Sadr-led alliance set to emerge as single largest force in Iraqi parliament. peoplesdispatch.org The fifth elections since the 2003 US-led invasion of the country saw the lowest voter turnout (41%), amid growing discontent with the political system due to widespread corruption, inefficiency and government apathy…
(2021-10-12). Epitaph for a Failed US Occupation: The Late Gen. Odierno's Arch-Nemesis Muqtada al-Sadr wins Iraq. juancole.com Ann Arbor (Informed Comment) — The elections in Iraq have brought it briefly back into U.S. headlines, though it is a long time since Americans have given the mess they made there any thought. The late Gen. Ray Odierno, the former head of the 8.5-year-long occupation of Iraq who died on Saturday, once fingered a …
(2021-10-12). Voter Turnout in Iraq Hits All-Time Low as Faith in Democratic Process Falters. truthout.org 
Voter turnout at the fifth parliamentary election in Iraq hit an all-time low, with many Iraqis refusing to vote as widespread faith in the democratic process and politics falters. Shiite cleric Muqtada al-Sadr, who has been a vocal opponent of foreign invasion, won the most seats. He has also been accused of kidnapping and killing his critics. "The election has more to do with making this regime and this system look good than responding to the demands of the people," says Nabil Salih, Iraqi j…
(2021-10-12). Headlines for October 12, 2021. democracynow.org WHO: Climate Change Is "The Single Biggest Health Threat Facing Humanity", Heavy Flooding in China Kills 15, Destroys 20,000 Homes, 135 Arrested in Indigenous Peoples' Day Climate Action Outside White House, Greenpeace Installs Statue of Boris Johnson Splattered in Oil Outside 10 Downing St., Wealthy Nations Denounced for Hoarding COVID-19 Vaccines, Parliamentary Report: COVID-19 Response Was One of Biggest Public Health Failures in U.K. History, Gov. Greg Abbott Bans All Entities in Texas from Enforcing Vaccine Mandates, Iraqi Cleric Muqtada al-Sadr Sees Biggest Gains in Parliamentary Election, U.N. Urges World…
(2021-10-12). Muqtada The Conqueror gains ground in Iraqi poll. asiatimes.com 
It would be tempting to picture the Iraqi parliamentary elections last Sunday as a geopolitical game-changer. Well, it's complicated — in more ways than one. Let's start with the abstention rate. Of the 22 million eligible voters able to choose 329 members of Parliament from 3,227 candidates and 167 parties, only 41% chose to cast …
(2021-10-12). Iraqi Journalist: Amid Low Election Turnout, "Iraq's Streets Littered with the Memories of Our Dead" democracynow.org 
Voter turnout at the fifth parliamentary election in Iraq hit an all-time low, with many Iraqis refusing to vote as widespread faith in the democratic process and politics falters. Shiite cleric Muqtada al-Sadr, who has been a vocal opponent of foreign invasion, won the most seats. He has also been accused of kidnapping and killing his critics. "The election has more to do with making this regime and this system look good than responding to the demands of the people," says Nabil Salih, Iraqi journalist and photographer, who also discusses protests that sped up the election and conditions in Iraq's hospitals. His…