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A study conducted by RAND Corporation, a nonprofit research organization, has found that a law by Los Angeles designed to solve the obesity problem in low-income areas by banning the opening of new fast-food restaurants has failed to reduce consumption of fast-food. The ordinance has also failed to reduce obesity rates in the targeted neighborhoods, the study found.

According to reports, the fast-food restrictions in the Los Angeles were passed in 2008. The new study has found that obesity rates in South Los Angeles and other targeted neighborhoods have increased faster than other parts of the city. The study by RAND Corporation has been published in the journal Social Science & Medicine.

A first assessment of the Europe's bee populations has shown that the continent's wild bee population has been declining dramatically. According to the assessment, out of the continent's nearly 2,000 bee species, about 10% species of the wild bee in the Europe have been facing the threat of extinction.

In addition, the study by the International Union for the Conservation of Nature (IUCN) stated that more than 5% bee species could be threatened in the near future, while more than 25% of the species at risk of becoming less common in the continent.

On Thursday, the World Lung Foundation (WLF) released a report, as per which the tobacco industry makes around $7,000 per smoking-related death every year. In 2013, the tobacco industry had revenue of $44 billion. Also, 6.3 million consumers lost their lives due to tobacco-related illness.

The WLF estimates that the average is around $6,900 in revenue per death. The report unveiled that if the trend continues to take place then nearly a billion tobacco consumers will die from smoking or tobacco exposure in this century.

According to reports, a platoon in Alaska at Fort Wainwright is presently undergoing an investigation for ‘racial Thursdays’.

Racial Thursdays’ offer the men in the platoon one day a week to freely use racial slur against each other without any reprisal by the recipient.

As per the report, the platoon is part of the 1/25 Stryker Brigade Combat Team, the 2nd platoon, C company, 3rd battalion, 21st infantry regiment.

As per sources familiar with the issue, the authorities were first notified about the racial Thursdays practice through an informal complaint filed by a platoon member.

According to KTVA Alaska, Lieutenant Colonel Alan Brown, a US Army Alaska spokesperson, said yesterday that officials were previously made aware of the issue of the Racial Thursdays.

A report on lab safety at the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) put together by a committee of external safety experts revealed that the agency’s laboratory safety training is inadequate.

The panel, which includes a group of 11 experts in biosafety, laboratory science and research, has heavily criticized the CDC’s practices and called the agency's commitment to safety as inconsistent and insufficient.

The four-page report was completed in January and posted on the agency's website this week. The panel mentioned that they are deeply concerned that the CDC is imminent to losing its credibility.

The advisory group was created by CDC in a bid to improve lab safety in July following two mishaps and other issues that happened at CDC.

Documents from the office of the Washington Auditor Troy Kelley's Office were given to the US Department of Justice after his home was searched by federal Treasury agents.

But it is not yet known that what officials have been searching. According to auditor's spokesman Thomas Shapley, the documents that were turned over Thursday were in response to a March 6 subpoena auditor's office. The spokesman said that he hadn't seen the subpoena or the documents.

About five hours were spent by agents with the US Department of Treasury to search Kelley's Tacoma home early this week. Kelley is not in the state and a statement has been issued by him that he doesn't have any information about investigation.