Aerial Views: ‘Winter In The Netherlands’ (Video)

Filmed and Edited by: Tim Roosjen

The Netherlands, a country in northwestern Europe, is known for a flat landscape of canals, tulip fields, windmills and cycling routes. Amsterdam, the capital, is home to the Rijksmuseum, Van Gogh Museum and the house where Jewish diarist Anne Frank hid during WWII. Canalside mansions and a trove of works from artists including Rembrandt and Vermeer remain from the city’s 17th-century “Golden Age.”

Morning News Podcast: U.S. Jobs Report, Covid-19 Relief, China & HOng Kong

The Labor Department’s new jobs report comes out today as Congress is poised to pass a new round of COVID-19 relief. The Biden administration ended Trump’s “Remain in Mexico” policy, but that doesn’t mean the asylum system is up and running.

And, the Chinese national parliament meeting that begins today will include a proposal to give the Chinese government new control over Hong Kong’s elections.

The Oncologists: ‘Behind The Scenes Of Pancreatic Cancer Surgery’ (Video)

Few ever see this side of cancer care. Our cameras go behind the scenes as a surgical oncologist faces a crucial moment in the OR in this first episode of a new video series.

Aerial Views: ‘Bulgaria – Landscape & Waters’ (4K)

Bulgaria is a Balkan nation with diverse terrain encompassing Black Sea coastline, a mountainous interior and rivers, including the Danube. A cultural melting pot with Greek, Slavic, Ottoman, and Persian influences, it has a rich heritage of traditional dance, music, costumes, and crafts. At the foot of domed Vitosha mountain is its capital city, Sofia, dating to the 5th century B.C. 

Ocean Views: ‘Kahana – Maui, Hawaiian Islands’

Kahana is a picturesque beachfront community along a beautiful stretch of coastline in Napili-Honokowai in northwest Maui just south of Napili Bay. The Kahana coastline has views of the distant islands of  Lanai  and  Molokai.

Exclusive Oceanfront Compound including two adjacent homes located at 4851 Lower Honoapiilani Rd and 10 Hui Rd E. West Maui’s Most Prime Oceanfront Offering features accommodations in two residences and one ohana for approximately 16 people. Architecturally designed to maximize ocean views. Highest quality high-tech materials and finishes throughout, 10-ft. pocket motorized doors, custom Lutron Home Works lighting, Euro-finish cabinets, fabulous infinity pool/spa and water features, and gate to the ocean.

Analysis: ‘Why U.S. Malls Are Disappearing’ (Video)

Shopping malls in the U.S. were already in decline before the Covid-19 pandemic as consumers shifted away from traditional brick-and-mortar stores to e-commerce. The outbreak has only exacerbated the challenges at malls as social distancing has placed restrictions on stores, movie theaters and restaurants.

So what will become of malls in America after the pandemic ends? Shopping malls across the U.S. have been reeling as restaurant and retail tenants struggle to keep their doors open. Data compiled by Coresight Research shows about a quarter of U.S. malls could close over the next three to five years, accelerating a trend that began before the pandemic.

Simon Property Group — the nation’s biggest mall owner — said earlier this month that its fourth-quarter revenue dropped by 24% on a year-over-year basis to $1.1 billion. However, some analysts think Simon — with its portfolio of A-rated malls and a healthy balance sheet — will benefit as distressed malls operated by its rivals close their doors. The company is also expected to see gains from new additions like hotels and luxury residences.

“Unfortunately there are a lot of centers that don’t fit that high profile and that have lost their competitive edge,” said Piper Sandler analyst Alexander Goldfarb. “The thing about Simon is they’ve been really focused on maintaining it, and that’s both been through a combination of culling the lower productive centers as well as making sure that they keep investing in their top centers.”

Simon Property Group CEO David Simon said the company is also getting a lift from increasing traffic at some of its locations and from tenants paying their rent on time. Malls are a big tax driver for the communities they serve and employ lots of people locally. Watch the video above to find out more about the struggles U.S. malls face and what could become of them after the pandemic ends.

Science Podcast: 2000-Year-Old Pet Cemetary, Eyeless Worms See Color

Science’s Online News Editor David Grimm joins host Sarah Crespi to talk about a 2000-year-old pet cemetery found in the Egyptian city of Berenice and what it can tell us about the history of human-animal relationships. 

Also this week, Dipon Ghosh, a postdoctoral fellow at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology, talks about how scientists missed that the tiny eyeless roundworm Caenorhabditis elegans, which has been intensively studied from top to bottom for decades, somehow has the ability to detect colors. 

Medicine: Baseball Great Cal Ripken Jr.’s ‘Robotic Radical Prostatectomy’

Known as the Ironman, 60-year old Hall of Famer Cal Ripken Jr. was diagnosed with prostate cancer during the COVID-19 pandemic. Partnering with the Brady Urological Institute, Mr. Ripken had a successful robotic radical prostatectomy to remove his tumor and is now deemed cancer free. Watch urologic surgeon Mohamad Allaf and Cal Ripken Jr. discuss his prostate cancer journey at Johns Hopkins and share his powerful message to men across the world.

Obesity & Covid-19: Death Rates 10X Higher In ‘50%+ Overweight Nations’

The majority of global COVID-19 deaths have been in countries where many people are obese, with coronavirus fatality rates 10 times higher in nations where at least 50% of adults are overweight, a global study found.

Read study

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