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RPG Cast – Episode 536: “When We Get Back to Work We’re Building a Box Fort”

Guest star Sam Watcher joins us, and that means this week's podcast is officially explicit! Between the occasion cuss bomb, we discuss Animal Crossing and Chris' poor decision making, Alex's dive into Persona 5 Royal, and exactly why Kelley needs to finish FF7: Crisis Core in the near future. Anna Marie and Peter round out the 'cast crew this week as we dive into the weekly headlines along with your feedback.




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Cholesterol lowering drugs linked to improved gut bacteria composition in obese people

Obese Europeans who are treated with cholesterol lowering drugs have not only lower values of blood LDL cholesterol and markers of inflammation but in addition a more healthy gut bacteria profile than those obese who are not prescribed statins.




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Oscars on demand: will the Academy be able to put the streaming genie back in the bottle?

With cinemas closed and major titles delaying their release, the Academy has changed its rules to welcome some streaming titles. Will they regret it?

‘What about the Oscars?” might not be the question at the top of your mind as you consider the manifold uncertainties raised by the coronavirus pandemic. A Hollywood awards ceremony scheduled for the end of February 2021, one might think, has fewer immediate concerns than most cultural institutions do right now. Yet panic has been rising within the Academy: the show itself may go on, but with cinemas closed for the foreseeable future and dozens of major titles either rescheduling or indefinitely delaying their release dates, will it have have enough standout films to celebrate?

For some weeks now, the joke around the industry has been that Leigh Whannell’s hit psychothriller The Invisible Man – one of the few popular and critical successes to be released in the year’s early months – may as well collect its gongs now. But a crucial rule change announced on Tuesday by Academy CEO Dawn Hudson and president David Rubin has ensured that it will face some competition after all, even if its rivals never see the inside of a cinema.

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Beastie Boys Story review – Spike Jonze and the boys are back in town

Ad-Rock and Mike D host a convivial trip down memory lane in this filmed record of a live show staged in tribute to third member Adam Yauch

The release of this documentary coincides with #MeAt20, a heart-twisting craze on social media for posting pictures of yourself at 20 years old. Middle-aged people’s timelines are speckled with funny, sweet and sometimes unbearably sad images of themselves in unlined, unformed youth, doing goofy things in milky analogue pictures from back when you had 12 or 24 exposures on your roll-film camera and getting them developed at Boots was a pricey business. That’s what I thought of while watching this engaging, oddly moving film from Spike Jonze: a record of the live stage show he devised at the Kings Theatre in Brooklyn, New York, in tribute to white hip-hop stars and tongue-in-cheek party-libertarian activists the Beastie Boys. It is presented by the two surviving members, Adam Horovitz and Michael Diamond, in tribute to the third member, Adam Yauch, who died of cancer in 2012. Jonze is reuniting with the band after having directed a string of their music videos, including the crime-TV spoof for their single Sabotage in 1994.

Horovitz and Diamond amble on stage, apparently dressed head-to-toe in Gap, and appear for all the world to be about to unveil the iPhone 4S, although actually their jokey anecdotalism makes the show in some ways like the regional tours once presented by George Best and Rodney Marsh. With amiably rehearsed back-and-forth banter, they introduce the embarrassing photos and excruciating TV clips that are shown on a big screen. And the effect of seeing them juxtaposed with the plump-faced frizzy-haired imps of 1986 is startling and bizarre. In the present day, the advancing years seem to have boiled away the badass attitude, leaving behind the quirky humour.

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Coronavirus outbreak: Eight flights from several countries to fly back stranded Indians today

New Dlehi, May 09: Several Indians, who are stranded in at least seven countries due to coronavirus outbreak, is all set to fly back to their home country on Saturday in special flights under Vande Bharat Mission. According to officials,





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Air India Crew Involved in Repatriation Flights Should Stay Back in Delhi, Says Noida Police Commissioner

Noida Police Commissioner has written to national carrier Air India, requesting the airline to ensure that pilots and crew involved in repatriation flights should stay back in Delhi.





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359 Indians Stranded in Dubai Brought Back in Special Flights to Tamil Nadu

The stranded people hail from Tamil Nadu and they were working in the United Arab Emirates.





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Why ‘Propaganda’ Against Safoora Is A Step Back for Women’s Rights

Misogynistic campaign against Safoora reiterates that gender equality in our country is a distant dream.





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The bacteria in a mother’s gut may protect babies from food allergies

The presence of bacteria that break down fibre in a mother’s gut is linked to a reduced risk of food allergies in her child’s first year of life




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Eating too much salt seems to impair body's ability to fight bacteria

High salt intake seems to impair the immune cells in humans that fight bacteria because of a side effect of the hormones that help get rid of salt




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How to fight infection by turning back your immune system's clock

Your immune system ages too, weakening as you get older and making you more susceptible to infections. Fortunately, we are discovering plenty of things you can do to turn back the clock and stay healthy




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Pet food can contain drug-resistant bacteria that may pass to humans

Some dogs and cats may be passing gut microbes to their owners that withstand last-resort antibiotics, which can be needed to fight off pneumonia from a coronavirus infection




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'He always p*ssed himself with fear' - Melo & Balotelli hit back at 'disrespectful' Chiellini comments

The Juventus defender took aim at the pair in his upcoming autobiography but is now finding himself on the receiving end





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Kenya and Uganda hit by power blackout, electricity back in most of Kenya

Kenya and Uganda were hit by power blackouts on Saturday, and Kenya Power said the outage on its grid was caused by a fault on a high voltage line but that it had restored supply to most parts of the country.






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BBC backlash as social distancing IGNORED during on-air VE Day celebrations – 'Ridiculous'



BRITONS flocked outside to celebrate the 75th anniversary of VE Day yesterday, which caused major backlash online, especially against the BBC.




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A timely reminder of what a government-backed company bailout actually looks like — it’s not pretty

Kevin Carmichael: There is little evidence that Canada’s version of Big Oil is ready for the medicine that was force-fed to GM and Chrysler a decade ago




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Trump ‘turns back the clock’ by luring drilling companies to pristine lands

Energy companies have leased 9.9m acres from the administration – and the fossil fuels extracted could equal half a year of emissions from China

The Trump administration has offered oil companies a chunk of the American west and the Gulf of Mexico that’s four times the size of California – an expansive drilling plan that threatens to entrench the industry at the expense of other outdoor jobs, while locking in enough emissions to undermine global climate policy.

Energy companies have leased 9.9m acres from the unprecedented 461m acres put up for rent by the Trump administration, according to a new analysis from the Wilderness Society.

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Bill Belichick comfortable with Patriots' quarterback situation: 'We feel like we have four good players'

It seems like everyone but Patriots’ head coach Bill Belichick is worried about the quarterback situation in New England. 




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How Africa's Mountain Gorillas Staged a Comeback

Long victimized by poaching and deforestation, the primate species is in the midst of a surprising rebound that is sparking new hopes of recovery




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Meet the Ecologist Who Wants You to Unleash the Wild on Your Backyard

Fed up with invasive species and sterile landscapes, Douglas Tallamy urges Americans to go native and go natural




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How a Few Sick Tobacco Plants Led Scientists to Unravel the Truth About Viruses

With the COVID-19 coronavirus causing a global pandemic, a look back at the scientists who figured out viruses and their relationship to disease




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Heavily Trafficked Songbirds Have a Path Back to Resiliency

Researchers see promise in recruiting red siskin pet traders as conservation partners




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With Boats Stuck in Harbor Because of COVID-19, Will Fish Bounce Back?

The pandemic has left many unable to leave harbor, creating a window for fishing grounds to recover from years of overfishing




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How the Stunning Scarlet Macaw Came Back From the Brink

The bird, decimated by poachers and smugglers, is making a big comeback in the Central American rainforest




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Plasma medicine research highlights antibacterial effects and potential uses

As interest in the application of plasma medicine -- the use of low-temperature plasma (LTP) created by an electrical discharge to address medical problems -- continues to grow, so does the need for research advancements proving its capabilities and potential impacts on the health care industry. Across the world, many research groups are investigating plasma medicine for applications including cancer treatment and the accelerated healing of chronic wounds, among others.




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Australia backs BP's study to produce hydrogen from wind, solar

BP Plc has won Australian government backing for a feasibility study into producing hydrogen using wind and solar power to split water and converting the hydrogen to ammonia in Western Australia.




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Philippine lawmakers vow to get broadcast giant ABS-CBN back on air

Philippine legislators pushed on Wednesday to get the country's biggest broadcaster back on air, amid widespread shock and dismay over an order by the industry regulator for the station to cease operations after its 25-year licence expired.




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Southwest to raise $815 million through sale and leaseback of 20 planes

Southwest Airlines Co will sell and lease back 20 planes for gross proceeds of about $815 million, the company said in a regulatory filing on Friday.




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Death toll among NHS workers reaches 19 as Matt Hancock faces backlash for calling PPE a 'precious resource'

Read our live coronavirus updates HERE Health Secretary said his 'heart goes out' to the families of NHS workers killed during outbreak Facing backlash for calling protective equipment for healthcare workers a 'precious resource' Sir Keir Starmer waded into row, calling Mr Hancock's comments 'insulting'




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Brits back coronavirus lockdown but fear years of hardship after pandemic, poll finds

Follow our live coronavirus updates HERE Coronavirus: The symptoms




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Chinese and Russian state-backed media 'sharing misleading information on coronavirus with millions'

Coronavirus: the symptoms Read our LIVE updates on the coronavirus here




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'We will bounce back': Rishi Sunak warns 'tough times' lie ahead but UK economy will survive Covid-19 crisis

Follow our live Covid-19 updates HERE Coronavirus: The symptoms




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Bernie Sanders warns supporters not backing Joe Biden will pave way for Donald Trump's re-election

The Vermont senator said progressives who "sit on their hands" in the months ahead would simply enable Republican president Donald Trump's re-election.




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Nurse who treated Boris Johnson 'thought he'd done something wrong' when he was urgently called back to work

Follow our live Covid-19 updates HERE Coronavirus: The symptoms




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Families 'afraid to let children back into classroom' as Denmark lets some return to school after coronavirus lockdown




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Donald Trump says US will be 'comeback kids' as he insists coronavirus has reached its peak

The President said the White House was now "in a strong position to finalise guidelines for states reopening".




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Frontline coronavirus nurse demands bag back after being mugged on her way home

Follow our LIVE updates about the coronavirus outbreak here Coronavirus: The symptoms




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Footage of Westminster Bridge during Clap for our Carers applause prompts backlash over lack of social distancing

Follow our live coronavirus updates HERE Coronavirus: The symptoms




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Food For London Now: Duchess of Sussex backs Evening Standard appeal to help feed the hungry

Meghan says spirit of Grenfell lives on in video call to women she helped at kitchen You can donate at virginmoneygiving.com/fund/FoodforLondonNOW




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Boris Johnson has been 'at helm of Covid-19 response since outbreak began': Downing Street hits back at Sunday Times report

Downing Street has fiercely rebuffed newspaper reports that Boris Johnson failed to act in the early stages of the coronavirus outbreak.




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Coronavirus UK LIVE: Covid-19 hospital deaths pass 16,000 as Downing Street hits back at criticism of pandemic response

The Government is facing a mounting backlash over its response to the coronavirus pandemic while the death toll of Covid-19 in UK hospitals has passed 16,000.




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Metro Bank agrees to pay customers back £10million in overdraft fees




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Prince Harry warned Meghan's father Thomas that speaking to press would 'backfire', court documents show




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Richard Branson warns Virgin Atlantic will collapse without Government support as he defends himself over bailout backlash

Billionaire Sir Richard Branson today warned Virgin Atlantic will need financial aid from the Government in order to survive the coronavirus crisis as he defended himself amid backlash over a bailout request.




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Top civil servant back tracks on claim UK not joining EU ventilator scheme was 'political decision'

The Foreign Office's top civil servant has backtracked after saying ministers took a "political decision" not to take part in an EU scheme to get vital coronavirus equipment.




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UK coronavirus LIVE: Vaccine development to be 'backed to the hilt' as hospital deaths top 17,000

Read our live updates below...




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Food For London Now: Former Tottenham boss Mauricio Pochettino backs appeal to help vulnerable

Donate at virginmoneygiving.com/fund/FoodforLondonNOW




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Food For London Now: Faith leaders back campaign to feed the vulnerable during coronavirus outbreak

The Bishop of London tells April Roach there has never been a greater need for people to come together to help feed hungry Londoners You can donate here virginmoneygiving.com/fund/FoodforLondonNOW