<p><div class="KonaFilter image-container display-table float_right"><div><div class="image on-image"><p class="source"><span>Pascal Le Segretain/Getty</span></p></div><p></p></div></div></p><p>At this point, we all know that smoking is bad for us - really, really bad.</p><p>A newly released CDC Vital Signs report helps clarify just how bad we are talking about. Tobacco use is linked to a full 40% of cancer cases in the US, according to the report.</p><p>That means that even though smoking rates have gone down in the country overall, there were about 660,000 people diagnosed with cancer related to tobacco every year from 2009 to 2013. Each of those years about 343,000 died from one of those cancers.</p><p>It's not just lung cancer, either, though more than half of these cancers are either lung or colorectal cancers. But we also know tobacco can cause cancers of the mouth and throat, voice box, esophagus, stomach, kidney, pancreas, liver, bladder, cervix, colon and rectum, along with a type of leukemia.</p><p>"There are more than 36 million smokers in the U.S.," CDC Director Dr. Tom Frieden said in a press release emailed to Business Insider. "Sadly, nearly half could die prematurely from tobacco-related illnesses, including 6 million from cancer, unless we implement the programs that will help smokers quit."</p><p>Quitting at any point in time does help reduce cancer risk, according to the CDC. But at the same time, it's important to know that because the ways that smoking changes a person's DNA, some of the changes caused by smoking are permanent.</p><p>"If you smoke four to five packs of cigarettes in your lifetime, it doesn't sound [like] that much, but you still get several mutations in every cell in your lungs and these are permanent, they do not go away," theoretical biologist Ludmil Alexandrov, first author <a href="http://science.sciencemag.org/cgi/doi/10.1126/science.aag0299">on a recent study</a> examining how smoking affects DNA, <a href="https://www.theguardian.com/society/2016/nov/03/dna-study-lays-bare-devastating-damage-caused-by-smoking">recently told The Guardian</a>. "There are a lot of things that do revert back when you stop smoking, and this shouldn't discourage people from giving up, but the specific mutations in the lung cells are like scars."</p><p>There's no such thing as a "safe" level of smoking, unfortunately. But that doesn't mean that changing behavior isn't worth it. The new report says that declining smoking rates since 1990 mean that we've avoided a 1.3 million deaths from tobacco-related cancer.</p><p>"When states invest in comprehensive cancer control programs - including tobacco control - we see greater benefits for everyone," Dr. Lisa Richardson, director of the CDC's Division of Cancer Prevention and Control, said in a statement. "We have made progress, but our work is not done."</p>    <div class="margin-top">        <h3>NOW WATCH: <a href="http://www.businessinsider.com/bureau-land-management-video-strange-creature-loch-ness-monster-2016-10">A government agency is perplexed by video of a strange creature that some are comparing to the Loch Ness monster</a></h3>        <div>            <div>        <div class="ooyala-video-player" data-video-autoplay="false" data-video-id="5wamU1NzE66Lu67eHbPB2FnOQSmlBhdJ" data-player-variable="ooyalapopvideo" id="ooyalaplayer_popvideo" style="width:1280px;height:720px"></div>        </div>        </div>            </div>

Almost half of cancer cases in the US are linked to tobacco use

<p><div class="KonaFilter image-container display-table float_right"><div><div class="image on-image"><p class="source"><span>Peter Nicholls/Reuters</span></p><p class="caption">Protesters shout slogans and hold placards outside Supreme Court after the third day of the challenge against a court ruling that Theresa May's government requires parliamentary approval to start the process of leaving the European Union, in Parliament Square, central London, Britain December 7, 2016.</p></div><p></p></div></div>LONDON - A "child of six" could see the flaws in the government's legal case, the<span> lawyer representing the Welsh government in the Article 50 case told the Supreme Court on Monday morning.</span></p><p>Richard Gordon QC insisted that Wales is not trying to block Brexit, but put forward an impassioned case for why Theresa May must secure parliamentary approval before initiating Britain's formal departure from the European Union.</p><p>Using royal prerogative powers to invoke Article 50 of the Lisbon Treaty would "crucify" human rights and "trash" basic constitutional principles, he said. He added that a "child of six" could identify the flaws in the government's legal case, phrasing that triggered the response of "well put" from Lord Neuberger.</p><p>Gordon repeated <a href="http://uk.businessinsider.com/brexit-supreme-court-appeal-lord-pannick-day-3-morning-2016-12" target="_blank">the argument made by Gina Miller's lawyer Lord Pannick earlier in the week</a> that the 2015 referendum act had clear political significance but was nothing to do with the legal question facing the justices.</p><p>"The Brexit vote split the <keyword id="6354868" type="COUNTRY" weightage="60" keywordseo="UK">UK</keyword>. It split it into four parts. We have absolutely no quarrel with the vote. It was almost the most divisive political event that has happened in the last several decades," he said.</p><p>"Who is going to judge what happens next according to law?... It must be parliament.</p><p>"All the recent events have nothing to do with this case. The Referendum Act of 2015 has nothing to do with the issues in this case. It's a statute that had died. It has fulfilled its purpose. You cannot revive a corpse by tearing up the death certificate."</p><p>He added that by bypassing parliament and using royal prerogative powers to trigger Article 50, Theresa May's government would not just nullify rights that only MPs can legislate on, but establish a "new constitutional order" that would be totally unprecedented.</p><p>Gordon followed the Lord Advocate for Scotland James Wolffe, who argued that Westminster must seek Scotland's consent before taking action which will affect matters north of the border. <span>He cited the Sewel convention, which makes clear that "Westminster would not normally legislate with regard to devolved matters in Scotland without the consent of the Scottish parliament."</span></p><p>Helen Mountfield QC, who is representing the crowd-funded Peoples' Challenge, told the Supreme Court that the EU laws that have affected the UK since 1972 are domestic laws which only MPs, not government ministers, can repeal or nullify. At one point, the lawyer compared royal prerogative to the mythical aquatic creature the Loch Ness monster. "Just because it hasn't been caught, you can't assume it's still there."</p><p><span>Manjit Gill QC, who is representing a group of EEA nationals, closed the morning's proceedings. He suggested that the 2015 referendum act was silent about the consequences of a Brexit vote because neither government nor parliament expected a Brexit vote. </span></p><p>The case concludes today, with a verdict expected in early January.</p>    <div class="margin-top">        <h3>NOW WATCH: <a href="http://www.businessinsider.com/polling-analyst-matt-singh-explains-what-threw-off-all-the-brexit-polls-2016-9">The only person who was right about the general election tells us what threw off all the Brexit polls</a></h3>        <div>            <div>        <div class="ooyala-video-player" data-video-autoplay="false" data-video-id="g1MzNvNTE6az7BjvpEmRa3waqiCRlHDL" data-player-variable="ooyalapopvideo" id="ooyalaplayer_popvideo" style="width:1280px;height:720px"></div>        </div>        </div>            </div>

Lawyer for Wales: A 'child of six' could see why government is wrong on Brexit

<p class="p1"><span class="s1"><div class="KonaFilter image-container display-table float_right"><div><div class="image on-image"><p class="source"><span>REUTERS / Bobby Yip</span></p><p class="caption">Brian Moynihan looks set to hold onto the CEO role in Bank of America's game of thrones.</p></div><p></p></div></div>Bank of America<a href="http://www.businessinsider.com/bank-of-america-cfo-thompson-leaving-firm-2015-7"> CFO Bruce Thompson is leaving the organization</a> in what Wall Street insiders say is the latest step in an ongoing consolidation of power at the top of the company. </span></p><p class="p1"><span class="s1">The man tightening his grip on the bank is chief executive and chairman Brian Moynihan. </span></p><p class="p1"><span class="s1">He has led the bank as CEO for about five years, and added the chairman title late last year. </span><span class="s1"> Thompson's departure is widely seen by those on Wall Street as evidence of Moynihan extending his influence even further. </span></p><p class="p1">A number of the top posts at Bank of America are now held by executives who like Moynihan moved to the bank as part of <a href="http://investor.bankofamerica.com/phoenix.zhtml?c=71595&amp;p=irol-newsArticle&amp;ID=510909#fbid=DLjB6fJlSNM">Bank of America's 2003 $47 billion FleetBoston acquisition</a><span class="s1">. </span></p><p class="p1"><span class="s1">Business Insider reached out to bank analysts and other industry insiders who say the age of Moynihan is unlikely to end anytime soon. </span><span class="s1">Bank of America did not returns calls seeking comment. </span></p><p class="p1"> </p><ul><li><span style="line-height: 1.5em;">One Wall Street insider said the firm has "an extremely weak board of directors" that has not been aggressive with leadership. </span></li><li><span style="line-height: 1.5em;">Mike Mayo, bank analyst with CLSA, went a step further, describing the bank's corporate governance as "horrendous". </span></li><li><span style="line-height: 1.5em;">He added that the bank is too big to buckle to shareholder pressure, and that it would take a combination of hedge funds and regulators to force the bank to break up into smaller pieces. </span></li><li><span style="line-height: 1.5em;">He said "the Boston power is tightening its grasp," referring to the group of former FleetBoston executives now in senior posts at Bank of America. </span></li><li><span style="line-height: 1.5em;">He also views Thompson's ouster as a mystery. "Between the Loch Ness Monster, Stonehenge and the real reason why the CFO of Bank of America got fired, I think it's among the world's great mysteries." </span></li><li><span style="line-height: 1.5em;">One Wall Street insider said: "Clearly Moynihan is increasing his influence over the organization, which is a good thing, because it's a f****d up organization." </span></li><li><span style="line-height: 1.5em;">Chris Whalen, senior managing director and head of research with the Kroll Bond Rating Agency, said it's possible Bank of America could consider asset sales including Merrill Lynch under Moynihan. "What the Fed has told banks is to get smaller," Whalen said. "And, to avoid risk."</span></li><li><span style="line-height: 1.5em;">Another analyst points out that between the departure of Thompson and wealth management head David Darnell, Bank of America has reduced the list of potential candidates to replace Moynihan yet again. </span></li></ul>    <div class="margin-top">        <h3>NOW WATCH: <a href="http://www.businessinsider.com/facts-about-greek-economy-bailout-euro-crisis-2015-6">6 mind-blowing facts about Greece's economy</a></h3>        <div>            <div>        <div class="ooyala-video-player" data-video-autoplay="false" data-video-id="JueTR5dTo3QyUhdNPH4LuPBLRuUjzGwo" data-player-variable="ooyalapopvideo" id="ooyalaplayer_popvideo" style="width:1280px;height:720px"></div>        </div>        </div>            </div>

WALL STREET: Bank of America's CEO is tightening his grip on the bank

<p dir="ltr"><span><div class="image-container float_right" style="width:400px"><div class="image"><p class="source"><a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/worldeconomicforum/4315020941/sizes/l/">Flickr/World Economic Forum</a></p><p class="caption"><keyword id="6390344" type="CITY" weightage="60" keywordseo="Cisco">Cisco</keyword> CEO John Chambers</p></div></div>Whoever is writing the marketing materials at Cisco these days has a sense of humor.</span></p>
<p dir="ltr"><span></span>Cisco recently polled more than 1,300 IT professionals in 13 countries to get their take on a variety of technology trends. In its <a href="http://www.cisco.com/en/US/solutions/ns1015/impact_survey.html">2013 Global IT Impact Survey</a>, released Wednesday, Cisco uses vivid – and sometimes hilarious – imagery to jazz up what would otherwise be a series of dry figures about challenges IT folks face in getting their jobs done.</p>
<p>It’s rare that Elvis, the Loch Ness Monster, and Bigfoot get mentioned in an IT survey, but Cisco managed to work in references to all three.</p>
<p>It's goal was to show that real-world software-defined <keyword id="6375238" type="COMPANY" weightage="60" keywordseo="networking">networking</keyword> deployments are tough to find. It's not surprising that Cisco would make this discovery since SDN, which turns the high-end control features in switches and routers into software that can run on cheaper hardware, could threaten Cisco and other networking vendors.</p>
<p>SDN is still a really young technology, too.</p>
<p>Still, as Cisco noted, 71% of those polled said they’re planning to deploy SDN on their networks this year. Cisco is planning to fight back with its own SDN software that will sit on top of its networking hardware.</p>
<p>Besides poking fun at its rival tech, SDN, Cisco had a laugh about the general way IT departments work, too.</p>
<p>It said that 35% of respondents are “somewhat confident” in their IT departments’ ability to respond to the company's business needs. That's “equal to their perceived ability to do ‘Gangnam Style’ moves," Cisco quipped.</p>
<p>Another 18% of respondents said they’d “rather break out of prison or train for a triathlon than ask for additional budget” to speed the progress of stalled projects, Cisco said in the report.</p>
<p>The poll also found that 42% of respondents are as “familiar" with a concept called The <keyword id="970768" type="UNKNOWN" weightage="60" keywordseo="internet-of-things">Internet Of Things</keyword> (IoT) as they are with Einstein’s theory of relativity. The IoT is when <span>wireless chips are used to connect cars, home appliances and other physical objects to the Internet</span>. Nearly half, 48%, think the IoT will <span>create business opportunities.</span></p>

Cisco: You'll Find Bigfoot Before You'll Find This Tech That Competes With Us 

<p><div class="KonaFilter image-container display-table float_right"><div><div class="image on-image"><p class="source">Hannah Foslien/Getty Images</p><p class="caption">Brian Hoyer</p></div><p></p></div></div>There are two things I'd like to talk about before making my picks for this week. </p>
<p>First, what happened to Cleveland Browns quarterback Brian Hoyer on Thursday night is super sad. </p>
<p>Hoyer was an undrafted player who backed up Tom Brady for his first three years in the league. He was then cut, and bounced between Pittsburgh and Arizona last year. </p>
<p>This year he was backing up Brandon Weeden in Cleveland. When Weeden got hurt, Hoyer had his chance. And he made the most of it. He won two games, and <a href="http://www.businessinsider.com/why-the-cleveland-browns-are-good-2013-10">appeared to be playing pretty well</a>. </p>
<p>Then, in his third game as a starter, he had a season-ending injury with a partial ACL tear.</p>
<p>The Browns have a solid defense, and a great kick returner. But with Weeden as QB, it's hard to see them winning very many games. It's easy to imagine them getting a top-10 draft pick. This year's draft is deep with QB talent, so expect the Browns to pick a QB in the first round. </p>
<p>That means Hoyer will be hosed. He'll be returning from an injury - a fourth-year journeyman QB with a two-game resume competing against someone the team will have made a serious investment in. </p>
<p>It's possible defenses would have figured him out and he would have lost a ton of games this year anyway. It's also possible, however, that he would have gotten better and better, and established himself as a good quarterback.</p>
<p>Now, all of that's out the window. </p>
<p>Imagine dedicating your entire life to one goal - being a starting quarterback - finally reaching that goal and then having it all taken away from you in one moment. Heartbreaking. </p>
<p>Hopefully he recovers, and he gets a second chance. </p>
<p><div class="KonaFilter image-container display-table float_right"><div><div class="image on-image"><p class="source">Dean Mouhtaropoulos/Getty Images</p><p class="caption">Au revoir, Josh Freeman. </p></div><p></p></div></div>Second thing on the agenda: The Tampa Bay Buccaneers. Boy are they a total mess. </p>
<p>I don't know the ins and outs of what's going on in Tampa, but it looks ugly. The team seems to be <a href="http://www.businessinsider.com/josh-freeman-cut-by-tampa-bay-buccaneers-2013-10">trashing Josh Freeman as it kicks him out of the building</a>. Greg Schiano appears to embody the worst aspects of an overly enthusiastic college coach trying to take over a professional team. </p>
<p>And yet... if there's one team in the league that I see as having reason for hope, it's the Bucs. They seem destined to be next year's Kansas City Chiefs.</p>
<p>The Bucs will stink this year, which will give them a good draft pick. With the right quarterback and better coach, the team could be great. The defense is solid, the offensive pieces around the quarterback appear to be good. They just needs those two pieces, then voila, they're a contender. </p>
<p>Now, on to this week's picks...</p>
<p>I nailed Thursday night's game on Twitter, <a href="https://twitter.com/jyarow/status/385890950360211456">calling for the Browns to win</a>. I must say I got a little nervous when Hoyer went down, but it all worked out. That makes me 4-1 on Thursday game this year. <a href="https://twitter.com/jyarow">Follow me on Twitter</a> to get that pick in the future. </p>
<p>Last week I went 5-1 with my picks, which astounds me. Picking games is hard, especially when you watch as little football as I do. For the year I am now 14-12-1, which means if you're foolish enough to bet based on my picks, you're making money. I do not recommend betting on my picks. <keyword id="103436" type="ORGANIZATION" weightage="60" keywordseo="NFL">NFL</keyword> games are largely a crapshoot. You are just burning your money. But, it is a fairly thrilling way to burn money. I've never literally set money on fire, but I'm willing to bet it's not exciting. </p>
<p>I'm not feeling great about this week's picks. There's a lot of in-between games.</p>
<p>As always, I took five games I feel good about. The lines are from the Las Vegas Hilton, <a href="http://www.vegasinsider.com/nfl/matchups/">via Vegas Insider</a>. </p>
<h2><div class="KonaFilter image-container display-table float_right"><div><div class="image on-image"><p class="source">NFL Network</p><p class="caption">Soon to be hall of fame coach Andy Reid.</p></div><p></p></div></div><strong>Kansas City is on the road against the Tennessee Titans, who are getting 3 points. </strong></h2>
<p>I'm new to picking games. I think there are unwritten rules. Or maybe they're written. I don't know. But, one of those wise man-type things people say is, "Don't take road favorites." This is the only reason I can think of to stay away from this game. The Chiefs are good. The Titans, while not bad, just lost their quarterback. Do we really believe that Ryan Fitzpatrick, the Titans backup, is going to beat Kansas City's fantastic secondary? We do not. </p>
<p><strong>The pick: Chiefs, -3</strong></p>
<p><strong>(For non-gamblers like my boss Henry Blodget, this means I think the Chiefs win by 3 or more.)</strong></p>
<h2><strong>Philadelphia is on the road against the New York Giants, who are 1 point favorites. </strong></h2>
<p>This line opened at Eagles +14, and moved to Eagles +1. The reason? People think the Eagles can win. I'm one of those people. Maybe I'm a sucker. The Eagles are the team I root for. This year, I'm 1-2 picking Eagles games, so beware. My rationale on this one: The Eagles aren't as bad as they looked against the Broncos. The Giants just aren't any good this year. Their weaknesses match up with the Eagles' strengths, so Chip Kelly should get his second win of the year. </p>
<p><strong>The toothpick: Eagles, +1</strong></p>
<p><strong><strong>(For non-gamblers like my boss Henry Blodget, this means I think the Eagles win or lose by 1.)</strong></strong></p>
<h2><div class="KonaFilter image-container display-table float_right"><div><div class="image on-image"><p class="source">Justin Edmonds/Getty Images</p><p class="caption">BRONCOOOOOOOOS</p></div><p></p></div></div><strong>Denver is on the road against the Dallas Cowboys, who are getting 7.5 points. </strong></h2>
<p>This game opened with the Broncos as just 3.5 favorites! I hope you were lucky enough to grab it then. Because that's nuts. The Broncos are a juggernaut and this line should be double digits. I suppose even juggernauts have off weeks, and it's possible the Cowboys lose by less than 7, but I wouldn't feel comfortable with that wager.</p>
<p><strong>The T. Boone Pickens: Broncos, -7.5</strong></p>
<p><strong><strong>(For non-gamblers like my boss Henry Blodget, this means I think the Broncos win by 7.5 or more.)</strong></strong></p>
<h2><strong>Detroit is on the road against the Green Bay Packers, who are 7 point favorites.</strong></h2>
<p>A 7-point spread in a division game? I'm not a big believer in the Lions, but they clearly have some juice with Reggie Bush in the lineup. The defense is serviceable, and it's possible the Packers aren't good this year. The Packers are coming off a bye week, so they should be primed to get after Detroit and win this one. But, I just see those seven points and have to do it. Maybe it's a sucker's bet, but I like the Lions here. </p>
<p><strong>The stone cold lock pick: Lions +7</strong></p>
<p><strong>(For non-gamblers like my boss Henry Blodget, this means I think the Lions win or lose by 7 or less.)</strong></p>
<h2><div class="KonaFilter image-container display-table float_right"><div><div class="image on-image"><p class="source">Mike Ehrmann/Getty Images</p></div><p></p></div></div><strong>Seattle is on the road against the <keyword id="205793" type="ORGANIZATION" weightage="60" keywordseo="Indianapolis-Colts">Indianapolis Colts</keyword>, who are getting 3 points. </strong></h2>
<p>How good are the Seahawks? We'll find out this weekend. They're clearly awesome at home, but on the road they're a little shaky, with a near loss at Houston and a close game in Carolina. The Colts are pretty good, and QB Andrew Luck might be enough to get a win here. So... why not, one of the unbeaten teams has to lose eventually. </p>
<p><strong>The Loch Ness Monster pick of the week: Colts +3</strong></p>
<p><strong>(For non-gamblers like my boss Henry Blodget, this means I think the Colts win or lose by 3.)</strong></p>

You Searched For "Loch Ness monster" and got 6 results

Almost half of cancer cases in the US are linked to tobacco use

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Lawyer for Wales: A 'child of six' could see why government is wrong on Brexit

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WALL STREET: Bank of America's CEO is tightening his grip on the bank

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Cisco: You'll Find Bigfoot Before You'll Find This Tech That Competes With Us

Kevin McLaughlin

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How eBay Worked With The FBI To Put Its Top Affiliate Marketers In Prison

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