U.S.

Unusual discoveries shake up what we know about ancient diets

Buzz started to build about a decade ago around the meat-heavy paleo diet — an approach to eating that’s based on what our Stone Age relatives supposedly liked to consume.

But the truth is that we know relatively little about what our earliest ancestors ate, and what we’ve learned in recent years suggests that there was more than just mammoth steak on the menu.

Groundbreaking new discoveries, including some featured in this week’s CNN science newsletter, have revealed that the diets of early humans were surprisingly varied and that those ancient meals may have involved more sophisticated preparations than previously thought.

Dig this
Neanderthals who lived 90,000 years ago in a seafront cave in what’s now Portugal regularly caught and ate crabs, roasting them on coals, according to a new study.

The finding is significant because it builds upon evidence challenging the long-standing notion that a taste for seafood — rich in omega-3 fatty acids that are important for brain growth — was one of the unique factors that made our own species, Homo sapiens, cognitively smarter than our extinct Neanderthal counterparts.

Meanwhile, in Kenya, another archaeological dig has revealed that early hominins feasted on hippo 2.9 million years ago, butchering the carcasses with the help of distinctive and unexpected implements.

Consequences
In the HBO show “The Last of Us,” characters identify zombies among them by the fungi that burst from their bodies. Those fungal parasites manipulate their hosts to infect the communities around them, creating more monsters as a consequence. (HBO, like CNN, is a unit of Warner Bros. Discovery.)

In real life, the type of fungus that inspired the story, Ophiocordyceps, affects insects and does not cause problems for people.

However, the threat from fungal pathogens is increasing, experts say, and may grow much worse in a warmer, wetter and sicker world.

The climate crisis may also be contributing to the rise of drug-resistant superbugs, a new UN report has warned, with rising temperatures increasing the rate of bacterial growth and the rate of the spread of antibiotic-resistant genes between microorganisms.

U.S.

WeWork reaches deals to cut debt, extend maturities

(Reuters) -WeWork Inc said on Friday it had struck deals to cut debt by about $1.5 billion and extend the date of some maturities, in a bid to preserve cash as the flexible-workspace provider feels the heat of mass layoffs on its business.

The company, which offers workstations, private offices and customized floors, had enjoyed a pandemic-driven shift to flexible work outside traditional offices, but is now gearing up for a potential fallout from a likely economic downturn.

WeWork said it will also infuse the company with about $540 million in new funding.

Last month, the company forecast weak current-quarter revenue, after having announced moves to cut 300 jobs and exit 40 underperforming U.S. locations in a move aimed at curbing its real-estate footprint.

Under the deals announced Friday, key investor SoftBank Group Corp’s $1.0 billion unsecured notes would be converted to equity. The Japanese company held a stake of about 46% in WeWork before the restructuring was announced, as per Refinitiv data.

About $1.9 billion of pro-forma debt will now mature in 2027, WeWork said, adding that it would have less than $2.0 billion in net debt once the deal closes.

The agreements also cover an ad-hoc group which represent over 60% of the company’s public bonds and a third-party investor, WeWork said. The group includes King Street Capital Management L.P. and BlackRock Inc.

WeWork, which went public in 2021 after a two-year struggle, is yet to post a quarterly profit. But the company said on Friday it expects to turn a core profit this year, helped by cost cuts.

PJT Partners LP advised WeWork on the debt restructuring, while Houlihan Lokey advised SoftBank.

(Reporting by Priyamvada C and Kannaki Deka; Editing by Shailesh Kuber.

U.S.

Walmart just dropped a goldmine of goodies — score AirPods for $99 and more

Itching for some retail therapy? Walmart is packed right now with much-needed items at way-discounted prices. You can snap up a 43-inch smart Roku TV for only $178 (down from $249) and Apple Airpods for $99! And with spring around the corner, we’ve got Crocs for $35 that you can wear around the home … and, hopefully soon, outdoors. So with that in mind — let’s go!.

This Hisense 43-inch 4K Smart TV is fully optimized for the best images and picture quality, plus it has a game mode that provides minimal input lag time … and maximum action. It also allows you access to some of your favorite apps like Netflix and Amazon Prime Video and even live TV.

The 43-inch screen includes a built-in Google Assistant and a convenient voice-controlled remote that puts you in charge of all your entertainment. This reviewer shared: “It’s excellent because it allows you watch shows that you usually can only see on cable, plus it gets all the main TV channels without an antenna or cable hookup! I highly recommend this product.”

U.S.

2023 New York Yankees Betting Preview: Odds to win AL East, World Series, over/under win

The 2023 Yankees look like a real contender to win their 28th World Series championship in franchise history and their first since ’09. The Yanks might very well have the best starting rotation in baseball, headlined by Gerrit Cole and Carlos Rodon, and the offense is going to remain near the top of the league in most offensive categories thanks to a nine-year, $360 million contract to keep newly dubbed captain Aaron Judge in pinstripes.

The betting market also agrees that the Yankees are one of the top contenders to hoist the Commissioners Trophy this fall, giving them the second-lowest odds to win the 2023 World Series at +750, per DraftKings Sportsbook. New York’s also expected to win the AL East for a second consecutive season, entering the year as the odds-on favorite with +110 odds.

Below, we’ll list the various New York Yankees futures markets bettors can delve into and advise how to approach betting on them.

Odds courtesy of DraftKings Sportsbook

2023 New York Yankees regular season win total: Over or under?
OVER 94.5 wins (-105)
UNDER 94.5 wins (-120)
Last season, the Yankees entered the season with a 92-win over/under and surpassed that number by finishing with a 99-63 record. This year, the Yankees’ regular season win total has increased to 94.5 wins, which is a fair number for a team who seemingly got better in the offseason.

Even in an ultra-competitive AL East, the Yankees won 47 of their 76 divisional games, giving them a respectful 62-percent win rate. However, with MLB instituting a balanced schedule, New York will play just 13 games against divisional foes instead of 19. While that might seem like a positive thing given how deep and competitive the AL East is, considering the Yankees’ inner-division success, that might hinder their chances of getting to 95 wins.

New York began last season as arguably the best team in baseball, entering the All-Star break with a 64-28 record, but it played .500 baseball to finish out the regular season. Considering how dominant they were in the first half, it was unlikely the Yankees maintained their .696 winning percentage throughout the whole season.

The Yankees still managed to boast an above-.500 winning percentage in both home (.704) and road games (.519) and had just one month (August) where they failed to play .500 ball (10-18). So, which Yankees team will we see more often in 2023? The one that dominated the first half or managed to get by in the second half?

We’ll side with a mix between the two, with more consistency throughout the season that leads the Bronx Bombers to eclipse their regular season win total of 94.5. Between an offense that ranked fourth in wRC+ (115) and a pitching staff that held hitters to the third-lowest xwOBA (.290), New York has a real shot to cash their regular-season win total OVER for a second consecutive season.

2023 New York Yankees odds to win AL East
Team Odds
New York Yankees +110
Toronto Blue Jays +215
Tampa Bay Rays +380
Boston Red Sox +1700
Baltimore Orioles +2200
A team projected to win close to 95 games should also be projected to win its division, so it’s no surprise to see the Yankees priced as the team to beat in the AL East at +110. While the Blue Jays’ odds to win the AL East (+215) appear to be more enticing, it’s tough to bet against a team that had an above-.500 winning percentage against every divisional foe last season.

The AL East is likely to be a two-team race between the Yankees and Blue Jays, but you can never count out the Rays (+380). The Red Sox (+1700) have too many glaring holes on their roster to compete for an AL East title, and although the Orioles (+2200) put together an 83-79 season, they failed to post a winning record against their AL East opponents, something you can’t have if you’re vying for the division title.

While we think the Yankees are on track for another successful regular season, we profiled the Blue Jays as our favorite bet to win the division in our divisional odds preview. We think the Jays’ odds should be a bit shorter than +215, therefore we see some value on the Jays to take the AL East. As a bettor, it’s tough to find value on the Yankees, as they’re always a public darling, and bettors tend to pay more of a premium to bet on them. There might not be betting value on the Yankees to win the AL East, but considering the betting market gives them a 47.62-percent chance to win the division, it tells you the market still sees them as the most complete team in the AL East.

2023 New York Yankees AL pennant odds
Yankees odds to win the American League: +360 (implied probability: 21.74 percent)
The Yankees sit right behind the Astros with the second-best odds to win the American League at +360. New York hasn’t won the AL pennant in over a decade (13 seasons) but has reached the ALCS three times in the past six seasons.

The Astros have been the Yankees’ kryptonite, ending their hopes of winning the AL pennant the past three times. Houston’s roster is just as, if not even more, as impressive as last season, with the addition of 2020 AL MVP Jose Abreu bolstering an already dangerous lineup. While they’ve had their struggles against the Astros in the postseason, it’s only a matter of time until Aaron Boone’s bunch breaks through to the World Series considering they’ve reached the ALCS 50 percent of the time over the past six years.

The betting market correctly priced the Yankees’ AL pennant odds, but they could still be a worthwhile bet at +360 for those higher on the Yankees than the market.

2023 New York Yankees World Series odds
As previously mentioned, the Yankees have the second-best odds to win the 2023 MLB World Series at +750, trailing only the Astros (+600). Granted they’re able to stay healthy, New York’s pitching rotation is going to be tough to score runs against the October, and as long as they’re able to clutch up with runners in scoring position, New York has as good of a chance as ever to hoist the Commissioner’s Trophy this fall.

A modest wager on the Yankees to win it all in 2023 isn’t a bad way to dish out a portion of your bankroll, but with the World Series odds market available throughout the season, it’s usually a good idea to wait a bit before making your bet. The odds likely won’t be around 7.5-1 if they again get off to a hot start, but New York could be around 10-1 if they start slowly. Of course, it’s all part of the gamble, but we recommend holding pat for the time being while reevaluating the World Series markets after a month or so.