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Advances in machine learning have moved at a gallop in recent years, but the computer processors these programs run on have barely changed. To remedy this, companies have been re-tuning existing chip architecture to fit the demands of AI, but on the cutting edge of research, an entirely new approach is taking shape: remaking processors so they work more like our brains.

This is called "neuromorphic computing," and scientists from MIT this week said they've made significant progress in getting this new breed of chips up and running. Their research, published in the journal Nature Materials, could eventually lead to processors that run machine learning tasks with lower energy demands - up to 1,000 times less. This would enable us to give more devices AI abilities like voice and image recognition.

To understand what these researchers have done, you need to know a little about neuromorphic chips. The key difference between these processors and the ones used in your computer is that they process data in an analog, rather than a digital fashion. This means that instead of sending information in a series of on / off electrical bursts, they vary the intensity of these signals - just like our brain's synapses do.
If neuromorphic chips work, we'd spend less energy for more AI brainpower
This means that more information can be packed into each jolt, drastically reducing the amount of power needed. It's like the difference between morse code and speech. The former encodes data using just two outputs, dots, and dashes - making meanings easy to understand but lengthy to communicate. Speech, by comparison, can be difficult to interpret (think fuzzy phone lines and noisy cafes) but each individual utterance holds much more data.

A big difficulty with building neuromorphic chips, though, is being able to precisely control these analog signals. Their intensity needs to vary, yes, but in a controlled and consistent fashion.

Attempts to find a suitable medium for these varying electrical signals to travel through have previously been unsuccessful, because the current ends up spreading out all over the place. To fix this, researchers led by MIT's Jeehwan Kim, used crystalline forms of silicon and geranium that resemble lattices at the microscopic level. Together, these create clear pathways for the electrical signals, leading to much less variance in the strength of the signals.

"This is the most uniform device we could achieve, which is the key to demonstrating artificial neural networks," Kim told MIT News.

To test this premise, Kim and his team created a simulation of their new chip design, with the same degree of variance in signals. Using it, they were able to train a neural network that could recognize handwriting (a standard training task for new forms of AI) with 95 percent accuracy. That's less than the 97 percent baseline using existing algorithms and chips, but it's promising for new technology.

There's a long way to go before we'll know whether neuromorphic chips are suitable for mass production and real-world usage. But when you're trying to redesign how computers think from the ground up you have to put in a lot of work. Making sure neuromorphic chips are firing their electric synapses in order is just the start.

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MIT researchers say new chip design takes us closer to computers that work like our brains

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Advances in machine learning have moved at a gallop in recent years, but the computer processors these programs run on have barely changed. To remedy this, companies have been re-tuning existing chip architecture to fit the demands of AI, but on the cutting edge of research, an entirely new approach is taking shape: remaking processors so they work more like our brains.

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An Arizona woman who originally thought she had the flu had instead a rare flesh-eating disease.

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flu diagnosis ends up being flesh-eating disease - cnn video

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Flu diagnosis ends up being flesh-eating disease - CNN Video

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An Arizona woman who originally thought she had the flu had instead a rare flesh-eating disease.

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Houston kidnap victim killed during FBI raid

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A kidnapping victim was killed after an FBI raid went wrong in Texas on Wednesday, according to authorities.

"FBI was conducting an operation at a home in the 7300 block of Elbert Street in Northeast Houston. During the course of the operation, an individual was fatally injured," reads a statement from the FBI. The FBI said it was still investigating who fired the shot which killed the man who had been kidnapped.

The identity of the victim has not being disclosed.

Conroe, Texas, police had called the FBI to help with a kidnapping investigation in which a father was kidnapped from his home by two men who demanded $20,000 in ransom from a family member, according to a criminal complaint.

Further investigation led to the location of the kidnapped father in another area of Houston.

"The FBI tactical response unit and investigators went to the area of Trinity Gardens where FBI made entry into a home where the victim was being held. The victim was located in the home and transported to the hospital where he was later pronounced deceased," said police.

The incident began when two men with handguns forced their way into a residence while a 12-year-old boy and his father were home.

"The men demanded money, bound the child and father, and began searching the house for cash and valuables," police said in a statement.

Authorities said the intruders took the father from the house and left the residence, while the child, who was unharmed, freed himself and reached out to a neighbor to call Conroe police. An adult uncle who also lives at the residence returned home, and while police were at the scene the uncle received a phone call from an unknown person demanding $20,000 for the victim's safe return.

Conroe police then contacted the FBI, who later detained two male suspects and one female suspect in a hotel room, identified as Nicholas Chase Cunningham, 42, Jimmy Tony Sanchez, 38, and Sofia Perez Heath, 35.

A criminal complaint revealed that the victim was related to the wife of one of the male suspects.

The FBI says they are investigating the incident, but cannot comment on any details.

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Houston kidnap victim killed during FBI raid

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A kidnapping victim was killed after an FBI raid went wrong in Texas on Wednesday, according to authorities. "FBI was conducting an operation at a home in the 7300 block of Elbert Street in Northeast Houston. During the course of the operation, an individual was fatally injured," reads a statement...

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Trump won't answer questions regarding his comments about Africa

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Trump said he had had "tremendous discussions" with President Kagame in a sit-down during the World Economic Forum in Davos, Switzerland.

"We have trade with Rwanda and just general, I would say, great relationships," Trump said. "It's an honor to have you as a friend."

However, Trump did not respond to shouted questions from reporters about whether the pair had discussed the US President's reported description of African nations and Haiti as "shithole countries." Trump denies using that term.

Kagame, who is also the current head of the African Union, a body that brings together the leaders of the continent's 55 leaders, thanked Trump for the support Rwanda has received from the United States.

"We had good discussions, on those two levels, the bilateral relations between Rwanda and the United States, Rwanda has benefited tremendously from the support of the United States," he said. "You have supported our economy in trade, investment, we see a lot of promise from the United States."

Kagame said the African Union was also looking forward to working with the United States, adding that the body was carrying out reforms "to get our act together to do the right things." This will help cooperation with the United States, he said.

Trump's reported vulgar remarks during a discussion with senators on immigration in the Oval Office set off a wave of diplomatic uproar from foreign leaders and their citizens. Rwanda's foreign ministry described them as "demeaning and unnecessary," while South Africa, Senegal, Ghana, Haiti and several others summoned top US diplomats in their nations.

In an open letter to Trump last week, Bonang Mohale, CEO of Business Leadership South Africa, urged others to make a statement during the annual gathering of the world's leaders and business elite in Davos.

"Many of us will be boycotting your address to delegates at Davos in protest against your divisive comments and continued failure to unequivocally apologize," Mohale wrote. "We encourage likeminded peers to do the same."

The US gave $268 million in aid to Rwanda in 2016, the most recent completed year of overall aid data.

Of that, $56 million largely went to HIV and AIDS efforts, with $41 million for emergency response, $38 million for conflict, peace, and security, and $34 million for basic education, and $23 million for basic health. Other aid areas include maternal and child health, agriculture, operating expenses, water supply and sanitation, and general health.

CNN's Betsy Klein and Faith Karimi contributed to this report.

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trump dodges questions about vulgar africa remark - cnnpolitics

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Trump dodges questions about vulgar Africa remark

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Trump said he had had "tremendous discussions" with President Kagame in a sit-down during the World Economic Forum in Davos, Switzerland. "We have trade with Rwanda and just general, I would say, great relationships," Trump said. "It's an honor to have you as a friend."

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Nutella discount sparks chaos in French supermarkets

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Chaotic scenes were reported at branches of Intermarche as customers fought to take advantage of the offer. Videos posted online showed the lengths to which people were prepared to go in order to get their hands on the spread.

"It was a real disaster, 200 people were outside waiting for the supermarket's opening," one employee at a store in Metz, northeast France," told CNN. "All of this mess for a Nutella jar."

"People just rushed in, shoving everyone, breaking things. It was like an orgy," another employee in Forbach, northeast France, told AFP. "We were on the verge of calling the police."

The regular price of Nutella at Intermarche is at €4.50 ($5.60). It was discounted to €1.41 ($1.75).

Intermarche apologized to its customers, saying it had been "surprised" by the demand.

It is not the first time that demand for Nutella has turned violent. In September 2015, a 78-year-old shopper in California said he was punched in the face after complaining that another customer took too many Nutella waffle samples.

The makers of Nutella, Ferrero Brands, said that the decision to discount the product was made unilaterally by Intermarche.

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nutella discount sparks chaos in french supermarkets - cnn

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Nutella discount sparks chaos in French supermarkets

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Chaotic scenes were reported at branches of Intermarche as customers fought to take advantage of the offer. Videos posted online showed the lengths to which people were prepared to go in order to get their hands on the spread.

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Michigan State AD resigns after Larry Nassar Scandals.

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Al Goldis/Associated Press
Michigan State athletic director Mark Hollis retired Friday in the wake of the Larry Nassar scandal, according to Chris Solari of the Detroit Free Press.

Lou Ann Simon resigned as MSU president for the same reason Wednesday, per ESPN.com.

Nassar, who served as a physician at Michigan State as well as for USA Gymnastics, was sentenced to 45 to 175 years in prison Wednesday after pleading guilty to 10 counts of first-degree criminal sexual conduct.

"I know this is the right time," Hollis said. He added that he planned to retire in the near future regardless of the Nassar situation, according to Solari.

He also saidhe was not pressured to retire, and added that "many people" told him not to step away.

When asked about Nassar, Solari said he doesn't believe he ever met him during his time as AD, per Solari.

Although Hollis showed remorse for Nassar's victims, he wasn't regretful for how he handled any situation as athletic director, saying, "Every decision I made was a good one at the time I made it."

The Athletic's The All-American tweeted Hollis' full statement regarding his retirement:

The All-American @TheAthleticCFB
Statement from Michigan State AD Mark Hollis on his retirement. https://t.co/TRRBLEczlH
2018-1-26 16:34:42

According to ESPN.com's Dan Murphy, Nassar was allowed to continue seeing patients at Michigan State for 19 months in 2014 and 2015 despite being under investigation for sexual abuse.

Murphy also reported that Michigan State osteopathic school dean Dr. William Strampelimplemented guidelines for Nassar in the wake of the initial investigation, but they were poorly applied. The physician was told he needed a chaperone in the room during his examinations and to avoid skin-to-skin contact with patients, but Nassar's direct superior was not informed of these directives, and they were not consistently enforced.

Nassar graduated from Michigan State in 1993 and eventually began serving as an assistant professor and physician at the school. He was also the national medical coordinator for USA Gymnastics.

Over 150 women and girls said Nassar sexually abused them, including Olympic gold medal-winning gymnasts Aly Raisman, McKayla Maroney, Gabby Douglas, Simone Biles and Jordyn Wieber.

In addition to his most recent sentence, Nassar is serving 60 years in prison on child pornography charges.

Hollis served as Michigan State's athletic director since 2008. He was part of the MSU athletic department since 1995 having graduated from the school in 1985.

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Michigan St. AD Mark Hollis Retires over Larry Nassar Scandal

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Michigan State athletic director Mark Hollis retired Friday in the wake of the Larry Nassar scandal, according to Chris Solari of the Detroit Free Press . Lou Ann Simon resigned as MSU president for the same reason Wednesday, per ESPN...

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The Brewers traded 4 prospects for Miami Marlins Christian Yelich and signed Lorenzo Cain 5 year 80 million dollar deal

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The empire that the Chicago Cubs were building in the NL Central showed some cracks in 2017, and now they're going into 2018 with a loaded St. Louis Cardinals team hot on their heels.

If they didn't already before, now they also have to worry about the Milwaukee Brewers.

The Brewers gave the Cubs a good challenge in 2017, staying in first place as late as July 25 and ultimately finishing just six games back at 86-76. Not bad for a team that had embarked on what was supposed to be a rebuilding year with just a $63 million payroll, the smallest in Major League Baseball.

And now they have two shiny new toys to play with.

The Brewers' first big move on Thursday was to pull off a blockbuster trade with the Miami Marlins for star outfielder Christian Yelich. The deal was first reported by Ken Rosenthal of The Athletic, with the final terms coming from the team itself:

Milwaukee Brewers @Brewers
The #Brewers have acquired OF Christian Yelich from Miami in exchange for OF Lewis Brinson, OF Monte Harrison, INF Isan Diaz and RHP Jordan Yamamoto. https://t.co/1Cni0JA67B
2018-1-25 23:15:13

Before the social media chatter about that deal had a chance to die down, the Brewers struck again by signing Lorenzo Cain, yet another star outfielder. ESPN's Jerry Crasnick had the details:

Jerry Crasnick @jcrasnick
Lorenzo Cain has agreed on a 5-year, $80M deal with the #Brewers, source says. It's the biggest free agent contract of the offseason. The deal includes no-trade protection and significant award bonuses. Milwaukee building a super outfield with addition of Yelich and Cain.
2018-1-26 00:27:57

This is quite the splash, yet to call it unexpected is a stretch.

After all, the Brewers have consistently been linked to all sorts of big names throughout the offseason. Team owner Mark Attanasio practically promised that would be the case, as he was looking forward to putting the club's resources to good use before last season was even over.

"It helps level the playing field versus teams that have more resources," Attanasio said in late September, according to Tom Haudricourtof the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel. "We're in a fortunate position so we can maybe 'punch a little bit above our weight.'"
John Bazemore/Associated Press
Among those resources is spending power that supported $100 million payrolls as recently as 2014 and 2015. And also, a farm system that checked in at No. 7 in Bleacher Report's latest rankings and landed six prospects in Baseball America's top 100 for 2018.

The latter number can now be cut down to just four.

In Lewis Brinson and Monte Harrison, the Brewers are giving up the No. 18 and No. 75 prospects in baseball, respectively. Isan Diaz is no mere throw-in in his own right, as he was a consensus top-100 prospect going into last season. Jordan Yamamoto may not be either, as he's coming off a 2.51 ERA in 22 appearances for High-A Carolina.

But the Brewers can rest easy knowing that Brinson and Harrison were part of a deep collection of young, talented outfielders that still includes Domingo Santana, Keon Broxton and Brett Phillips.

They can rest even easier knowing that those two helped bring back a player who's very young, very controllable, very cheap and, oh yeah, very good.

Yelich may not be a household name, but he's a .290 career hitter with an .800 career OPS who can also run and play good defense. He's averaged 4.1 wins above replacement since 2014, which is higher than any Brewers position player climbed in 2017.

Even better: Yelich is only 26 and signed to a deal that stretches as far as 2022, where it would max out at a modest $15 million salary.

For his part, Cain is totally deserving of the biggest contract of the offseason. He was a big component of the Kansas City Royals' rise to excellence in recent seasons, averaging 5.1 WAR between 2014 and 2017. And although he's on the older side at 31, his legs, bat and glove are in good shape.

Rather than whether these are good moves on their own, a better question is whether the timing for them is right.

Although the Brewers' 2017 season was a pleasant surprise, in retrospect it doesn't look like an obvious springboard to bigger and better things. They were supposed to be bad and became merely good despite having a whole bunch of things go right. Many of the weaknesses-namely: second base, catcher, center field and starting pitching depth-they endured still loom with the 2018 season getting closer.

At the start of the day on Thursday, it wasn't surprising to see FanGraphsprojecting the Brewers to win only 73 games. That was 19 fewer than the Cubs, 15 fewer than the Cardinals and even five fewer than a Pittsburgh Pirates team that doesn't even have Gerrit Cole and Andrew McCutchen anymore.

Milwaukee wasn't without reasons to feel bullish about its chances, however.

There's the very real possibility that Eric Thames (1.4 WAR), Travis Shaw (1.8 WAR) and Domingo Santana (1.7 WAR) will pick up where they left off in 2017 and outperform their modest projections. It's also possible that former top prospect Orlando Arcia (1.0 WAR) will blossom as a star shortstop after getting his feet wet last season.

In light of the recent report, per MLB.com's Adam McCalvy, that right-hander Jimmy Nelson is ahead of schedule in his return from shoulder surgery, the Brewers can also look forward to reuniting the trio of Nelson, Chase Anderson and Zach Davies that anchored the club's starting rotation in 2017.

These were solid excuses to imagine a few extra victories on top of Milwaukee's 73-win projection. Bringing Yelich and Cain into the fold is worth still a few more. So at this juncture, it's within reason to look at the Brewers and see a National League wild-card contender.
Charlie Riedel/Associated Press
And they may not be done yet.

Earlier this week, a report from Yahoo Japan (h/t Mark Polishuk of MLB Trade Rumors) claimed the Brewers had made a contract offer to ace right-hander Yu Darvish. He's only the latest big-name starter they've been linked to. Indeed, Jon Morosi of MLB.com linked them to Jake Arrieta and Lance Lynn at the very outset of the winter.

Even after trading for Yelich and signing Cain, the Brewers may yet be able to be afford one of these guys. Failing that, they now have an outfield surplus from which they could pull from to find a top-tier starter on the trade market.

Regardless of how they do so, adding an extra starter could result in the Brewers having enough pieces to challenge the Cubs and Cardinals for the NL Central title in 2018.

If not, there wouldn't be signs pointing them back to the drawing board. They're still going to have a fairly deep farm system under them, as well as some future spending flexibility with Braun coming off their books as soon as 2020. They could keep adding in subsequent years, either from within or without.

If there's a rival that ought to be worried about this, it's the Cubs.

There's little doubt that the Cubs are going to be one of the National League's heavyweights once again in 2018. But the cracks that showed last year haven't fully mended. They need bounce-back or breakout seasons from quite a few of the regulars in their lineup. They also haven't found anyone to fill Jake Arrieta's shoes in their starting rotation.

Trouble is, the Cubs' resources aren't what they once were. Their farm system has gone from being the best of the bunch to one of the worst in short order. Meanwhile, their payroll is weighed down by multiyear deals and homegrown players who are entering their arbitration years.

So, when the Cubs won 103 games and captured a very-long-awaited World Series title in 2016? It's fair to wonder if that was their peak and if they're going to be ripe for toppling in coming years.

The Brewers could have done it by playing the long game and using in-house promotions to methodically construct a superteam over a period of several years. Instead, it seems they've looked at the layout on the board and come to a perfectly logical conclusion:

Why wait when the playoffs are right there, right now?

Stats courtesy ofBaseball Reference and FanGraphs. Contract data courtesy ofCot's Baseball Contracts.

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The Small-Market Team That's Ready to Go Big to Take Down the Rival Cubs

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The empire that the Chicago Cubs were building in the NL Central showed some cracks in 2017, and now they're going into 2018 with a loaded St. Louis Cardinals team hot on their heels. If they didn't already before, now they also have to worry about the Milwaukee Brewers.

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January 31 a Super Blue Blood Moon will occur for the first time in 150 years. It will be visible in North America, but easier viability the further west you go.

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The pre-dawn hours of January 31 will play host to an incredibly rare celestial convergence -- a "super blue blood moon."

To prepare you for the lunar triple whammy, here's your all-you-need-to-know guide.

What is a 'super blue blood moon'?

It may sound like the apocalypse is nigh, so let's break it down by its three parts: "super," "blue" and "blood."

So, a "supermoon" is when a full moon occurs at the same time as its pedigree, the closest point of the moon's orbit with Earth. The result: the moon appears larger than normal and NASA is predicting this one will be 14% brighter than usual.

Chances are you have used the phrase "once in a blue moon" -- but have you ever wondered where it came from? The well-known idiom actually refers to the rare instance when there is a second supermoon in a calendar month. The first supermoon of 2018 -- which took place on New Year's Day -- was previously described by NASA as the "biggest and brightest" one expected for the entire year.

Then completing this "lunar trifecta" is the "blood" element. Although it does not have a scientific definition, a "blood moon" occurs during a lunar eclipse when faint red sunbeams peak out around the edges of the moon, giving it a reddish, copper color.

Where can I see it?

Eager stargazers living in North America, Alaska or Hawaii will be able to see the eclipse before sunrise on Wednesday, according to NASA. For those in the Middle East, Asia, eastern Russia, Australia and New Zealand, the "super blue blood moon" will be visible during moonrise on the morning of January 31.

As long as the weather doesn't try to ruin things, observers in Alaska, Australia, eastern Asia and Hawaii will be experience the whole phenomenon from start to finish.

For those living in the US, NASA says the best spots to watch the entire celestial show will be in California and western Canada.

"Weather permitting, the West Coast, Alaska and Hawaii will have a spectacular view of totality from start to finish," said George Johnston, lunar blogger at NASA, in a press statement. "Unfortunately, eclipse viewing will be more challenging in the eastern time zone. The eclipse begins at 5.51 a.m. ET, as the moon is about to set in the western sky, and the sky is getting lighter in the east."

For observers living in New York or Washington D.C., the space agency suggests a 6.45 a.m. ET start for the best viewing.

"Your best opportunity if you live in the east is to head outside about 6.45 a.m. and get to a high place to watch the start of the eclipse," Johnston said. "Make sure you have a clear line of sight to the horizon in the west, opposite from where the sun will rise."

Where the moon is covered by the Earth's shadow, known as the period of totality, it will last just over one and a quarter hours, according to EarthSky. And unlike a solar eclipse, a lunar eclipse is perfectly safe to watch in the night with the naked eye.

And fear not luna-tic's, Virtual Telescope will be streaming the event live for those of you unable to view it up close.

There are usually a couple of lunar eclipses each year so if you do miss it this time around, the next one will happen on July 27 -- though it won't be visible in North America. It'll be a long wait for skywatchers in the US as Johnston predicts the next visible lunar eclipse will be on January 21, 2019.

Be sure to take your favorite pictures and tag #CNNSpace for a chance to be featured.

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'super blue blood moon': what to know for next week  - cnn

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Lunar trifecta: Rare 'super blue blood moon' is coming

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The pre-dawn hours of January 31 will play host to an incredibly rare celestial convergence -- a "super blue blood moon." To prepare you for the lunar triple whammy, here's your all-you-need-to-know guide. What is a 'super blue blood moon'?

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Jason Aldean Talks Returning to the Road After Route 91

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So when a French supermarket chain discounted the chocolatey goodness by 70%, shoppers were keen to get more than their fair share.

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Chaotic scenes were reported at branches of Intermarche as customers fought to take advantage of the offer. Videos posted online showed the lengths to which people were prepared to go in order to get their hands on the spread.

"It was a real disaster, 200 people were outside waiting for the supermarket's opening," one employee at a store in Metz, northeast France," told CNN. "All of this mess for a Nutella jar."

"People just rushed in, shoving everyone, breaking things. It was like an orgy," another employee in Forbach, northeast France, told AFP. "We were on the verge of calling the police."

The regular price of Nutella at Intermarche is at €4.50 ($5.60). It was discounted to €1.41 ($1.75).

Intermarche apologized to its customers, saying it had been "surprised" by the demand.

It is not the first time that demand for Nutella has turned violent. In September 2015, a 78-year-old shopper in California said he was punched in the face after complaining that another customer took too many Nutella waffle samples.

The makers of Nutella, Ferrero Brands, said that the decision to discount the product was made unilaterally by Intermarche.

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nutella discount sparks chaos in french supermarkets - cnn

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Nutella discount sparks chaos in French supermarkets

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Chaotic scenes were reported at branches of Intermarche as customers fought to take advantage of the offer. Videos posted online showed the lengths to which people were prepared to go in order to get their hands on the spread.

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The economy grew 2.3% for the year, the Commerce Department said Friday. That's well ahead of the 1.5% growth in 2016, but slower than 2015. It's also below the 3% target President Trump has set for his first term.

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The U.S. economy gained momentum in 2017, but growth slowed at the end of the year.

The economy grew 2.3% for the year, the Commerce Department said Friday. That's well ahead of the 1.5% growth in 2016, but slower than 2015. It's also below the 3% target President Trump has set for his first term.

Overall, the economy is healthy. Americans are shopping, businesses are investing, and the stock market is booming. Consumer confidence is the highest since 2000, unemployment is the lowest in 17 years, and the country has added jobs every month for more than seven years.

But some things are still holding the economy back.

A major increase in imports at the end of the year -- the biggest since 2010 -- pushed down growth because it increased the U.S. trade deficit. Some of that was offset by solid consumer spending, the main engine of U.S. growth.

Business investment didn't rise as quickly at the end of the year. And inventories are high: Businesses still have a lot of products sitting on shelves in back rooms. That tends to ebb and flow every six months or so.

For the year overall, the economy started sluggish, picked up considerably in the spring and summer, and then slowed a bit in the fall.

For the final three months, the economy grew at a 2.6% annual rate. Federal government spending helped: It rose at the fastest pace in seven years, led by a surge in defense spending. But the economy was growing at a 3% pace or better for the previous six months.

Related: Davos loves the Trump tax cuts

Trump and other Republicans sold their tax cut last year by saying it would create jobs and boost growth even more. Many economists expect that the tax cuts could help boost growth this year, but that growth will gradually slip back to 2%, where it has hovered since the Great Recession.

One big question mark for economic growth is Trump's trade policy.

The administration announced tariffs this week on imported washing machines and solar panels, a move seen by some experts as a harbinger of tariffs on other things, like steel and aluminum.

Related: LG is raising washing machine prices due to new Trump tariff

Trump's trade team is also renegotiating NAFTA, the trade pact between the United States, Canada and Mexico. Trump has threatened to withdraw altogether if negotiations don't produce a deal he thinks will create American jobs.

Experts say that if Trump takes drastic, protectionist steps on trade, it will hurt economic growth by raising consumer prices and cooling spending.

The administration emphasized at the World Economic Forum in Davos, Switzerland, that it does not have a protectionist trade policy and is only trying to level the playing field.

CNNMoney (New York) First published January 26, 2018: 8:39 AM ET

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U.S. economy picked up in 2017, but growth slowed at year's end

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The economy grew 2.3% for the year, the Commerce Department said Friday. That's well ahead of the 1.5% growth in 2016, but slower than 2015. It's also below the 3% target President Trump has set for his first term. Overall, the economy is healthy. Americans are shopping, businesses are investing, and the stock market is booming.

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The flu has already killed 37 children this year. The flu is also deadly to 80% of seniors over 65. This is one of the deadliest season for the flu.

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There were 11,965 new laboratory-confirmed cases during that week ending January 20, bringing the season total to 86,527. The number of people infected with influenza is believed to be much higher because not everyone goes to their doctor when they are sick, nor do doctors test every patient.

Added to those scary stats, the World Health Organization estimates that annual flu epidemics result in about 3 to 5 million cases of severe illness globally and 290,000 to 650,000 deaths.

Although the fever and aches may feel terrible, most of us don't die from the flu. So how exactly does this common illness lead to so many dying?

"Influenza and its complications disproportionately affect people who are 65 and older. They account for 80% of the deaths," said Dr. William Schaffner, an infectious disease specialist at Vanderbilt University.

But young children and people who have an underlying illness, such as heart disease, lung disease or diabetes, are susceptible to dying from the flu as well, he said. There are three ways adults can succumb:

Pneumonia

"The usual flu death is a person who gets influenza, gets all that inflammation in their chest, and then has the complication of pneumonia," explained Schaffner, who added that this is a "long, drawn-out process."

Pneumonia is an infection that causes the small air sacs of the lungs to fill with fluid or pus. Though this is the most common route to death, flu can be fatal for more unusual reasons.

Sepsis

"Much of the systemic symptoms that any of us have with influenza -- the fever, the aches and pains, the sense of exhaustion -- all of those are part of (our body's) response to the virus," said Schaffner. The symptoms we experience are an inflammatory response to the immune system "soldiers" that our body sends to fight any pathogen, he said.

"Pushing the war analogy, we all know there is incidental damage that occurs during the course of a war," said Schaffner, and so the flu can also take a perfectly healthy person "and put them in the ER in 24 to 48 hours."

Flu stimulates an immune response in everyone's body, but for some people, this natural response can be "overwhelming," noted Schaffner. "Young robust people can have such an overwhelming response that it's called a cytokine storm." Cytokines -- proteins that are created as part of the inflammatory response -- create a "storm" in the body, explained Schaffner: "And this cytokine storm can actually lead to sepsis in the person."

Kyler Baughman, 21, is one example of that happening. He died unexpectedly in December at UPMC Presbyterian Hospital in Pittsburgh after a bout with the flu. Baughman, a college student, worked two jobs and often posted pictures of himself at the gym on social media. The cause of his death, as reported by the Allegheny County Medical Examiner, was influenza, septic shock and multiple organ failure.

Heart attack

Chances of a heart attack are increased sixfold during the first seven days after a flu infection, a new study published Wednesday in the New England Journal of Medicine found. The study looked at nearly 20,000 cases of flu in Ontario adults age 35 or older.

The risk may be higher for older adults, said Dr. Jeff Kwong, lead author of the study and a scientist at the Institute for Clinical Evaluative Sciences and Public Health Ontario. Heart attack occurs when blood flow to the heart is abruptly cut off; this is also called acute myocardial infarction.

Since a few days usually elapse between getting sick and getting a lab test, Kwong said "the increased risk is probably within the first 10 days or so after exposure to the virus."

The research, which identified 364 hospitalizations for acute myocardial infarction among the flu cases studied, also showed a stronger association for influenza B than influenza A. "We would have needed more cases to determine if the difference was real or just a chance finding," said Kwong.

Though the new study did not identify the reasons why flu might lead to heart attack, Kwong and his co-authors theorize that infectious illness may cause inflammation, stress and constriction of blood vessels, which increases blood pressure.

Threats to children

The overwhelming majority -- 99% -- of children under age 5 who die from flu-related illness are in developing countries.

Children in the developed world may not face such high risks, but they are still vulnerable if they develop flu. Sepsis resulting from flu can cause the death of very young children, said Dr. Flor M. Munoz, an associate professor of pediatrics and infectious diseases at Baylor College of Medicine.

"Children have different risks depending on their age," said Munoz, and the most worrisome ages are "infants in the first year of life and those under 5 years of age."

"What's different from adults is children have a lot of opportunities to not only be exposed to flu but also to spread the flu," said Munoz. In general, children are the first to get sick when flu season begins, mainly because they are in school and playing with others -- and spreading germs.

"They can be completely healthy and still have problems with the flu," said Munoz. "The flu shot doesn't offer the same protection as it does for adults."

This is due to the lack of "immunologic experience" that children have. The immune system in infants is "still developing and it has different responses, let's say, to new things," said Munoz. "Young children will not necessarily have the same response that older children, adolescents or adults have." The same is true for very old people, said Munoz: "That's just a normal way the immune system works."

However, the worry whenever a young child or infant gets flu symptoms, including fever, is that they might have a more serious infection occurring at the same time. "Young children at that age can have meningitis, pneumonia, bacterial infections, not necessarily flu-related," said Munoz. "One needs to be more cautious."

"Certainly, we do tend to see secondary infections," said Munoz. So a child will start with the flu and the irritation in their noses and throats leave them exposed to more germs and so they develop another bacterial infection --- ear infections, say, or sinusitis or pneumonia.

With the child's immune system already fighting the flu and then another bacteria on top of that, sepsis may be the result. These are the cases we hear on the news, said Munoz, "previously healthy children that don't feel well and in a day or two they die of some complication."

Another threat? Though children and adults experience the same symptoms when sick with the flu, children are more likely to get diarrhea and to vomit. This can lead to dehydration in infants and small children, Munoz said, and it can be life-threatening at such a young age.

What do parents need to know?

"Every year we're going to have the flu. Every year we have anywhere between 50 and 100 deaths of children from the flu," said Munoz, who is also a member of the Committee on Infectious Diseases for the American Academy of Pediatrics. "This is something to be taken seriously."

Parents can make sure their children are vaccinated, she said. "As a mother, if you have something at hand that can protect your child, why not?"

"It's a very safe vaccine -- it is not true that you can get the flu with the vaccine," she added.

Lynnette Brammer, head of the CDC's Domestic Flu Surveillance team, supported Munoz' view. "We want to continue to emphasize that there's still a lot of flu activity to come, people that haven't been vaccinated should still get vaccine," said Brammer. "We may be getting close to the peak of this wave, it's not unusual to have a second wave of influenza B come through."

The flu shot is admittedly imperfect, Schaffner said, but there are still benefits. "If you get the vaccine and you have a flu-like illness, it's likely the illness is less severe," he said. "Data show you're less likely to get pneumonia and less likely to die."

If a child, especially a small one, becomes sick, parents should visit a doctor or health care provider who may prescribe medication, said Munoz.

By treating illness, antiviral drugs become a second line of defense against serious consequences. While most otherwise healthy people will not need to be prescribed antiviral drugs, those who may benefit from these medications are "people who are high risk, the elderly, children under 2, pregnant women and people with chronic health problems," said Brammer.

Antiviral drugs are known to work best when started within two days of getting sick. Studies show these drugs, which rarely produce side effects, can lessen symptoms and shorten the time a person is sick by one or two days.

"It's a brisk influenza season and I think it will end up being a moderately severe one," said Schaffner. "We'll take any bit of protection and prevention we can get."

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flu season: how the flu turns deadly - cnn

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There were 11,965 new laboratory-confirmed cases during that week ending January 20, bringing the season total to 86,527. The number of people infected with influenza is believed to be much higher because not everyone goes to their doctor when they are sick, nor do doctors test every patient.

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Last night, the teams for the 2018 All-Star draft were picked. The draft featured 2 captains, Lebron James, from the Cleveland Cavs and Steph Curry from the Golden State Warriors. Lebron picked KD, Anthony Davis and Kyrie just to name a few. Steph picked Joe, Giannis, James Harden and Demar Derozan.

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Dr. Sij Hemal delivered a baby on an international air flight from India to the United States.

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Hemal was tired. The second-year urology resident at Cleveland Clinic's Glickman Urological and Kidney Institute had spent his entire day traveling. He started in New Delhi, stopped in Paris and was now headed to New York, where he would catch a connecting flight to Cleveland -- his final destination.

He needed a nap. The 27-year-old had planned to watch the movie " Side Effects," enjoy a glass of champagne and fall asleep.

But before he could have that drink, everything changed. A flight attendant was looking for any doctors on board. So Hemal got out of his seat and went to offer what help he could.

It was then he discovered that 41-year-old Toyin Ogundipe had gone into labor as the plane skirted the southern coast of Greenland, 35,000 feet below. "She was complaining of back pain," Hemal told CNN. "At first, I thought it might be kidney stones, but after she told me she was pregnant, I knew she was going into labor."

Over the course of an hour, Ogundipe's contractions accelerated.

"Once they got to two minutes apart, that's when we knew we were going to deliver on the plane," Hemal said.

An emergency landing would have required a two-hour diversion to a US military base in the Azores Islands. Instead, the crew moved Ogundipe to first class, which had fewer passengers and more space. They continued to head for JFK International Airport, a full four hours away.

While Hemal practices urology, this wasn't his first delivery. Thanks to his training at Wake Forest School of Medicine, Hemal had delivered seven babies -- just not on the floor of a jet.

"I was relaxed because I knew I was in safe hands," Ogundipe said in a statement. "They did everything a doctor or midwife would have done if I was in the labor room in the hospital. Even better, if you ask me."

After about half an hour, Ogundipe gave birth to a boy named Jake. And Hemal was relieved.

When they finally landed, Ogundipe and Jake were quickly sent off to Jamaica Hospital Medical Center, four miles from the airport, and were released later that day.

"Honestly, it was something from God," Hemal said of the mid-December delivery. "A lot of things could have gone wrong. But we made the best with what we had."

Hemal still had one last obstacle in front of him -- getting to his connecting flight on time.

With the help of airport officials, he made it through immigration and arrived at his gate in time. It was an uneventful flight back to Cleveland.

"I'm glad I didn't have anything happen after that," Hemal said.

Air France even made up for that missed glass of champagne -- the airline provided Hemal with a whole bottle -- along with a travel voucher as a thank you for his medical services.

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doctor delivers baby on international flight - cnn

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Doctor delivers baby on international flight

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Hemal was tired. The second-year urology resident at Cleveland Clinic's Glickman Urological and Kidney Institute had spent his entire day traveling. He started in New Delhi, stopped in Paris and was now headed to New York, where he would catch a connecting flight to Cleveland -- his final destination.

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An Indiana mom died because of the flu just days after her kids got over the flu. She went to the doctor after she started to get symptoms, but the doctors sent her home saying she was fine. Eventually she ended up in the ICU and died soon after.

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Indiana Mom of Two Dies From the Flu After Taking Care of Her Sick Family

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An Indiana mother of two died three days after receiving a flu diagnosis after she took care of her sick family members.

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Korea is running low on fuel reports say.

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A former gymnast testified saying that she had gone as far as giving herself a concussion to avoid facing former USA team doctor Larry Nassar