1674: We're Working!

1: Parkinson's is generally diagnosed clinically, not from brain scans or blood markers, right? The reason I ask is that if that's the case, his physicians could presumably keep an official diagnosis out of his records while prescribing him medicines for it, I imagine.

2: What is the life expectancy for someone with the symptoms Joe displays (assuming they are being managed to the extent possible, which seems like a fair bet). I know Parkinson's is a slow burn, but it accelerates near the end, right?

—

His answers:

1: Parkinson’s is largely a clinical diagnosis, meaning it is diagnosed from a neurological examination and history. There are no blood tests.

2: So life expectancy is difficult to predict in Parkinson’s disease. People can live many years and the disease can accelerate quickly near the end, or progress relatively slowly in its early stages...

My prediction is that the President will have increasing troubles walking over the next siz months, eventually needing some sort of assistive device. His dementia will probably advance during that time as well. We are not seeing the same Joe Biden of even a year ago.

This is obviously an educated guess on my part, but I’ve spoken to many colleagues who feel the same way about his appearance. His gait and his expressionless face (called a ‘poker face’ in the Parkinson’s literature) are quite classic.

Link

Namzaric is a drug that makes Alzheimer’s patients lucid for 8 hours a day. Most doctors say it works for 2 years.

It is two drugs in one pill.

Memantine works by blocking the action of a certain natural substance in the brain (glutamate) that is believed to be linked to symptoms of Alzheimer's disease.

Donepezil is an enzyme blocker that works by restoring the balance of natural substances (neurotransmitters) in the brain.

Link

Hi guys,

I want to give you a ground report on the UK general elections.

I'm a brown Hindu guy (John, I'm a Brahmin), a silent revolt is occurring. I'm getting WhatsApp messages after WhatsApp messages from black, brown, white people urging each other to vote for Farage's party Reform.

I was not going to vote for anyone, but I've been convinced. I'm voting Reform this Thursday and so is my whole family.

Everyone thinks Labour will get majority, let's wait and see.

Sir Abs

I didn’t want to share with you earlier my experience with enabling an AI project, until I had a full understanding of the product and was able to share with you the outcome of my team’s experiences.

This past year I have been working on a project which was promised to quickly modernize our workforce, reduce support costs and create a lasting and sustainable resolution rate when internal resources need IT support and technical troubleshooting for their apps, hardware and software issues.

I was asked to join our team’s AI project which I was told had been initially vetted by our VP of IT. His goal was to integrate an AI chatbot onto our platform tools and reduce the footprint of our Helpdesk support contract with another vendor. I was assured that the ‘groundwork’ had already been conducted which the AI vendor’s team received the past years’ service desk ticket requests and analyzed them to determine four workflows which would be ‘plug and play’ within two months of our kickoff call.

I was told that the only thing I’d need to do was to coordinate team members to ensure we were trained on how to enable future workflows and administer the tool once it went live in our environment.

We were relying on the vendor to provide us with:

1. A project plan which would encompass documented milestones for four workflows.

2. A project team to meet with our team to explain how the chatbot would work and ‘learn’ from our team’s engagement.

3. A series of testing plans to validate the metrics we felt were necessary to prove the chatbot worked before we enabled its use for the entire company.

4. A marketing campaign to help encourage widespread adoption.

After five months, it was evident the vendor’s team oversold what they could provide in the manner of engagement.

They had completely replaced their integration team with a new team, replaced the project plan with a new plan and a new project tool and they had identified workflows they expected our team to revise to help implement the bot into our environment.

When it became apparent the vendor team was incapable of providing us with a basic implementation plan, our leadership didn’t want to scrap the project as R&D, but they doubled downed on the project initiative.

The hours of my expertise went from a 1 time a week 20-minute call to me running the project, drafting a project plan with three milestones and a testing plan for user experiences and beta testing with technical subject matter experts. I set the schedule, identified the three most viable workflows and forecasted them to be implemented as ‘proof of concepts’ with baseline positive resolution rate metrics before we would allow the vendor’s team to note a milestone closed. This is to not toot my own horn but to share with you that the AI products shouldn’t have a reputation of being ready for prime time when their clients must do the heavy lifting to complete one project milestone.

After ten months we only have one fully fledged workflow in our production environment. I wish I could report that it’s as sexy as it’s been billed but it’s not. The chatbot simply scrapes the data for our internal facing troubleshooting documentation libraries and ingests those. It asks some clarifying questions and sometimes regurgitates a joke to the end user. But mostly it pulls up a library that it thinks is the right document the end user needs to read and walk through to resolve their IT issue. It can open up a ticket for the end user, rather than having an IT professional answer the phone and take dictation to start a ticket or the end user click on the portal to submit an issue in the queue.

We have three more workflows to enable but the contract is up for renewal and our leadership isn’t certain they want to continue with the product since many end users opting to still call the help desk, rather than use the bot for troubleshooting. Without cutting off access to end users being able to call, the adoption of the tool will be mediocre at best.

In my experience, this product could be used as a front-end support to scrape white pages or FAQ’s to ingest and provide to client facing audiences. But for backend, real time support for team’s who are online with customers and need to resolve a technical issue quickly because they have lag time on their network or an app isn’t working, the chatbot isn’t their tool.

Issues we have noted:

- We have experienced the bot opening duplicate tickets (6 for one request, not the direction we had hoped for)

- The bot offering multiple knowledge base articles when it became confused.

- The bot doing a Biden and freezing during an interaction.

- The bot doing a Karine Jean Pierre and gaslight the end user with asking them why the answer was wrong or how it was doing when the end user wanted to ask further questions on troubleshooting an issue.

- We were assured that once the bot was enabled, it would quickly learn and become more adept at translating with our end users need, but this has not been the case up to this point.

- We also were assured that the implementation would be frictionless and painless, but our team was not provided a clear sense of direction from the vendor’s team and had to recover the project from flailing in month 5.

- The initial proposal was to enable this product to replace and/or reduce our existing IT support team’s contract. It will be another three to five years, at best for this to occur, in my opinion.

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Archived Version

Thu, 04 Jul 2024 16:35

Fine Print Changes Quiz: Fake or Real Images? Apple Enters A.I. Fray Meta's A.I. Scraping Humane's A.I. Device Flop A security breach at the maker of ChatGPT last year revealed internal discussions among researchers and other employees, but not the code behind OpenAI's systems.

OpenAI's offices in San Francisco, where executives told employees in April 2023 about a hack of the company's messaging system. Credit... Jason Henry for The New York Times July 4, 2024, 5:02 a.m. ET

Early last year, a hacker gained access to the internal messaging systems of OpenAI, the maker of ChatGPT, and stole details about the design of the company's A.I. technologies.

The hacker lifted details from discussions in an online forum where employees talked about OpenAI's latest technologies, according to two people familiar with the incident, but did not get into the systems where the company houses and builds its artificial intelligence.

OpenAI executives revealed the incident to employees during an all-hands meeting at the company's San Francisco offices in April 2023, according to the two people, who discussed sensitive information about the company on the condition of anonymity.

But the executives decided not to share the news publicly because no information about customers or partners had been stolen, the two people said. The executives did not consider the incident a threat to national security because they believed the hacker was a private individual with no known ties to a foreign government. The company did not inform the F.B.I. or anyone else in law enforcement.

For some OpenAI employees, the news raised fears that foreign adversaries such as China could steal A.I. technology that '-- while now mostly a work and research tool '-- could eventually endanger U.S. national security. It also led to questions about how seriously OpenAI was treating security, and exposed fractures inside the company about the risks of artificial intelligence.

After the breach, Leopold Aschenbrenner, an OpenAI technical program manager focused on ensuring that future A.I. technologies do not cause serious harm, sent a memo to OpenAI's board of directors, arguing that the company was not doing enough to prevent the Chinese government and other foreign adversaries from stealing its secrets.

Image Leopold Aschenbrenner, a former OpenAI researcher, alluded to the security breach on a podcast last month and reiterated his worries. Credit... via YouTube Mr. Aschenbrenner said OpenAI had fired him this spring for leaking other information outside the company and argued that his dismissal had been politically motivated. He alluded to the breach on a recent podcast, but details of the incident have not been previously reported. He said OpenAI's security wasn't strong enough to protect against the theft of key secrets if foreign actors were to infiltrate the company.

''We appreciate the concerns Leopold raised while at OpenAI, and this did not lead to his separation,'' an OpenAI spokeswoman, Liz Bourgeois, said. Referring to the company's efforts to build artificial general intelligence, a machine that can do anything the human brain can do, she added, ''While we share his commitment to building safe A.G.I., we disagree with many of the claims he has since made about our work.''

Fears that a hack of an American technology company might have links to China are not unreasonable. Last month, Brad Smith, Microsoft's president, testified on Capitol Hill about how Chinese hackers used the tech giant's systems to launch a wide-ranging attack on federal government networks.

However, under federal and California law, OpenAI cannot prevent people from working at the company because of their nationality, and policy researchers have said that barring foreign talent from U.S. projects could significantly impede the progress of A.I. in the United States.

''We need the best and brightest minds working on this technology,'' Matt Knight, OpenAI's head of security, told The New York Times in an interview. ''It comes with some risks, and we need to figure those out.''

(The Times has sued OpenAI and its partner, Microsoft, claiming copyright infringement of news content related to A.I. systems.)

OpenAI is not the only company building increasingly powerful systems using rapidly improving A.I. technology. Some of them '-- most notably Meta, the owner of Facebook and Instagram '-- are freely sharing their designs with the rest of the world as open source software. They believe that the dangers posed by today's A.I. technologies are slim and that sharing code allows engineers and researchers across the industry to identify and fix problems.

Today's A.I. systems can help spread disinformation online, including text, still images and, increasingly, videos. They are also beginning to take away some jobs.

Companies like OpenAI and its competitors Anthropic and Google add guardrails to their A.I. applications before offering them to individuals and businesses, hoping to prevent people from using the apps to spread disinformation or cause other problems.

Image Daniela Amodei, president and co-founder of Anthropic, said the risks of current A.I. systems were not all that dramatic. Credit... Marissa Leshnov for The New York Times But there is not much evidence that today's A.I. technologies are a significant national security risk. Studies by OpenAI, Anthropic and others over the past year showed that A.I. was not significantly more dangerous than search engines. Daniela Amodei, an Anthropic co-founder and the company's president, said its latest A.I. technology would not be a major risk if its designs were stolen or freely shared with others.

''If it were owned by someone else, could that be hugely harmful to a lot of society? Our answer is 'No, probably not,''' she told The Times last month. ''Could it accelerate something for a bad actor down the road? Maybe. It is really speculative.''

Still, researchers and tech executives have long worried that A.I. could one day fuel the creation new bioweapons or help break into government computer systems. Some even believe it could destroy humanity.

A number of companies, including OpenAI and Anthropic, are already locking down their technical operations. OpenAI recently created a Safety and Security Committee to explore how it should handle the risks posed by future technologies. The committee includes Paul Nakasone, a former Army general who led the National Security Agency and Cyber Command. He has also been appointed to the OpenAI board of directors.

''We started investing in security years before ChatGPT,'' Mr. Knight said. ''We're on a journey not only to understand the risks and stay ahead of them, but also to deepen our resilience.''

Federal officials and state lawmakers are also pushing toward government regulations that would bar companies from releasing certain A.I. technologies and fine them millions if their technologies caused harm. But experts say these dangers are still years or even decades away.

Image Cl(C)ment Delangue, who runs the A.I. company Hugging Face, said Chinese A.I. researchers were quickly catching up to their American counterparts. Credit... Kenny Holston/The New York Times Chinese companies are building systems of their own that are nearly as powerful as the leading U.S. systems. By some metrics, China eclipsed the United States as the biggest producer of A.I. talent, with the country generating almost half the world's top A.I. researchers.

''It is not crazy to think that China will soon be ahead of the U.S.,'' said Cl(C)ment Delangue, chief executive of Hugging Face, a company that hosts many of the world's open source A.I. projects.

Some researchers and national security leaders argue that the mathematical algorithms at the heart of current A.I. systems, while not dangerous today, could become dangerous and are calling for tighter controls on A.I. labs.

''Even if the worst-case scenarios are relatively low probability, if they are high impact then it is our responsibility to take them seriously,'' Susan Rice, former domestic policy adviser to President Biden and former national security adviser for President Barack Obama, said during an event in Silicon Valley last month. ''I do not think it is science fiction, as many like to claim.''

Cade Metz writes about artificial intelligence, driverless cars, robotics, virtual reality and other emerging areas of technology. More about Cade Metz

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Archived Version

Thu, 04 Jul 2024 15:46

By Kevin Yang Wu, MD, DMD, and Fran§ois Evoy, MD, FRCPC Edited by Bennie H. Jeng, MD

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Nonarteritic anterior ischemic optic neuropathy (NAION) is the most common cause of acute optic nerve injury in individuals over 50 years old. Despite its frequency, several aspects of this disease, including its pathogenesis and effective treatments, remain unknown or unproven.

Although no treatment for NAION exists, a history and clinical examina­tion, as well as additional investiga­tions, are critical in ruling out life- or sight-threatening conditions that can mimic NAION.

EpidemiologyIn the United States, the estimated an­nual incidence of NAION ranges from 2.3 to 10.2/100,000 for the population over 50 years old and 0.54/100,000 for all ages. This disease affects both sexes equally, and the mean age of onset is 66 years. White people are at higher risk of NAION than other ethnic groups.

PathophysiologyThe precise pathogenesis of NAION remains unclear, but it has been hypoth­esized that transient hypoperfusion of the short posterior ciliary arteries causes acute ischemia to the optic nerve head (ONH), resulting in axonal swelling. This swelling compromises the axoplas­mic flow, which subsequently increases the axonal swelling, contributing to the compression of ONH microcirculation, exacerbating the ischemia. This vicious cycle creates a compartment syndrome, eventually leading to infarction and apoptosis of the retinal ganglion cells (Fig. 1).

Risk FactorsSystemic. The best-known risk factors for NAION are vasculopathic, includ­ing diabetes, smoking, hypertension, and hypercholesterolemia. Use of med­ications such as phosphodiesterase-5 (PDE-5) inhibitors (e.g., sildenafil, var­denafil, and tadalafil) has been associ­ated with an increased risk of NAION, perhaps by inducing hypoperfusion of the ONH through local vasodilation.

Patients younger than 50 years without vascular risk factors may have coagulation abnormalities; however, frequently no underlying systemic con­ditions are found.

Ocular. The term ''disc at risk'' refers to a small ONH with a small cup-to-disc ratio and crowding of optic nerve fibers, which contributes to the pathogenesis of NAION. Optic disc drusen can also lead to crowding of the disc and are a common risk factor in patients under 50.

Several case reports and case series suggest an association between NAION and ocular surgeries (cataract surgery and LASIK). The authors of these stud­ies hypothesize that the perioperative rise in IOP led to decreased perfusion of the ONH.1,2

Clinical FeaturesSymptoms. NAION typically presents as an acute, monocular, painless loss of vision. Although bilateral presentation is rare, it can occur in the setting of severe blood pressure fluctuation due to surgery, hemodialysis, or excessive blood loss. Ocular discomfort, headache, and periocular pain are not typical but have been reported in 10% of pa­tients. Presence of pain should prompt investigation for alternative causes of the vision loss.

Signs. Visual loss is usually less severe in NAION than in arteritic anterior ischemic optic neuropathy (AAION). The absence of light perception is rare in NAION and, if present, should lead the clinician to suspect AAION. At presentation, 50% of NAION patients have VA better than 20/64, and 66% have better than 20/200. Some NAION patients may have normal VA.

The typical visual field defect in NAION is inferior altitudinal vision loss. However, other patterns may be detected, including inferior nasal loss or central, cecocentral, and/or arcuate scotomas.

As in other types of optic neuropathy, dyschromatopsia and relative afferent pupillary defect may be present in NAION. The degree of dyschromatopsia in NAION is proportionate to the VA loss, unlike in optic neuritis, in which the dyschromatopsia is much more severe than would be expected for the level of VA.

Fundus findings. Funduscopic exam reveals diffuse or segmental optic disc edema (Fig. 2). Peripapillary splinter or flame hemorrhage, dilated telangi­ectatic capillaries, and narrowing of the peripapillary retinal arterioles can be observed in NAION. Cotton-wool spots rarely occur and if present should prompt concern for AAION. The fellow eye shows a disc at risk (Fig. 3).

FUNDUS FINDINGS. (2) Eye with NAION shows optic disc edema, peripapillary splinter hemorrhage, dilated telangiectatic capillaries, and narrowing of the peripapillary retinal arterioles. (3) Eye shows a ''disc at risk.''

DiagnosisNAION is primarily a clinical diagno­sis. If a patient with vasculopathic risk factors has a typical history and classic exam findings for NAION, no addi­tional testing is required to confirm the diagnosis. If the history or signs are atypical, further workup and testing can help to rule out other diagnoses.

Differential diagnosis. Several vision-and life-threatening diseases can mimic NAION. These include giant cell arte­ritis (GCA) manifesting with AAION, optic neuritis, and compressive or infiltrative orbital lesions. See Table 1, for distinguishing characteristics of AA­ION, NAION, and optic neuritis.

Giant cell arteritis. GCA typically occurs in women more than men; patients over 50 years of age are at risk although its incidence increases dramatically after age 70. Its systemic symptoms include headache, scalp tenderness, jaw claudication, fever, malaise, and symptoms of polymyalgia rheumatica such as proximal muscle pain and weakness.

Prodromal ocular symptoms can occur in GCA, and the VA in the associated AAION tends to be worse than in NAION. Funduscopic exam may reveal pallid ONH edema versus hyperemic edema in NAION, and fluorescein angiography shows both ONH and choroidal filling delay. Other red flags for GCA are bilateral simulta­neous or rapidly sequential vision loss (i.e., fellow eye involved within one to two weeks), as well as recurrence in the same eye.

On laboratory testing, inflammatory markers such as erythrocyte sedimen­tation rate (ESR), C-reactive protein (CRP), and platelet count are elevated in GCA.

Optic neuritis. Although typical op­tic neuritis is not likely to be confused with NAION (because optic disc edema is absent and onset of vision loss is gradual over days rather than sudden), anterior optic neuritis can mimic NAION and should be suspected when atypical signs and symptoms such as pain with eye movement, dyschroma­topsia out of proportion to vision loss, and subacute symptom onset and/or progression are noted.

Recent evidence has shown that optic neuritis associated in anti''myelin oligodendrocyte glycoprotein anti­body associated disease (MOGAD) can mimic the fundus appearance of NAION, with marked disc swelling and hemorrhages. However, MRI of the orbits with contrast usually shows optic nerve and nerve sheath enhancement, whereas findings in NAION should be normal. Serologic testing for anti-MOG antibodies should be considered in these cases.

Orbital lesions. Compressive and infiltrative orbital lesions can present with proptosis, diplopia with extra­ocular movement limitation, gradual and progressive visual loss, and ONH edema lasting for more than two months. Neuroimaging is indicated in such cases.

Diagnostic testing. Laboratory tests and imaging can be ordered to rule out alternative diagnoses. Blood tests for ESR, CRP, platelet count, and other inflammatory markers as appropriate should be ordered in patients older than 50 years or in cases that are suspi­cious for GCA. If these inflammatory markers are positive, Doppler ultra­sound and/or temporal artery biopsy should be performed to confirm the diagnosis of GCA, but these procedures should not delay the initiation of thera­py with high-dose corticosteroids.

MRI of the brain and orbits with gadolinium contrast and fat suppres­sion should be ordered for atypical features suggestive of optic neuritis or compressive or infiltrative lesions.

Ocular imaging is not routinely performed but can be useful in case of uncertainty. Some studies suggest that NAION may be differentiated from other causes of optic disc swelling using OCT of the macula or OCT angiogra­phy (OCT-A). However, there are nu­merous technical factors that can cause artifacts and make it difficult to use OCT or OCT-A for diagnosis in clinical practice.3 Fluorescein angiography reveals delayed filling of the optic disc with normal filling of the choroid in NAION. This feature helps differentiate NAION from AAION, as delayed filling of the choroid suggests GCA.

Additional investigations. Further evaluation in patients with NAION fo­cuses on identifying underlying causes and risk factors. In patients younger than 50 years with no vascular risk factors, a hypercoagulable workup may be considered to rule out a thrombo­genic tendency. Also, in these young individuals, spectral-domain OCT with enhanced depth imaging may be helpful to identify optic disc drusen. Polysomnography should be consid­ered if the patient presents with one or more features raising suspicion for obstructive sleep apnea.

In contrast to central retinal artery occlusion, NAION is not associated with embolism from cardiac or larger artery disease (carotid occlusive dis­ease).

ManagementAcute treatment. There is currently no medical or surgical treatment shown to improve the prognosis in the setting of acute NAION.

As shown in previous studies, aspi­rin as an acute treatment does not ap­pear to influence visual outcomes. Low-dose aspirin therapy may be prescribed as secondary prevention based on the patient's underlying vasculopathic risk factors. It is unclear if aspirin is beneficial in preventing occurrence of NAION in the fellow eye.4

Systemic glucocorticoid therapy is not recommended by the existing literature. Although corticosteroids can accelerate the resolution of optic disc edema and improve the visual evoked response, they do not provide clinically significant improvement in long-term visual outcomes.5

Optic nerve sheath decompression (ONSD) offers no benefit, as shown in the Ischemic Optic Neuropathy De­compression Trial. Patients treated with ONSD had worse visual outcomes than the control group.6

Research continues on neuroprotec­tive and neuroregenerative treatments such as stem cell therapy, retinal gangli­on cell transplantation, and optic nerve regeneration.7

Addressing underlying risk factors. After an acute episode of NAION, the clinician should address the specific underlying etiologies in the follow-up appointments. This should be done in collaboration with the patient's primary care physician. Medical control of underlying vasculopathic risk factors (e.g., diabetes, smoking, hypertension, hypercholesterolemia) is paramount for the primary prevention of cardio­vascular and cerebrovascular diseases. However, evidence does not show that such preventive measures have any effect on the occurrence of NAION in the fellow eye.8 Blood pressure should be managed carefully, as systemic hypo­tension may be involved in the patho­genesis of NAION.

After communicating with the pa­tient's primary care physician, clinicians may want to consider discontinuing PDE-5 inhibitors because the risk of developing NAION in the fellow eye may be doubled (from 15% to 30%).9

PrognosisThere is currently no consensus on the percentage of cases that will deterio­rate or improve. However, it has been estimated that approximately 70% of patients will remain static with no change in vision; 20% will have modest improvement in VA; and 10% will experience progressive worsening over the four weeks following initial presentation but will stabilize by two months.6 Continued progression after the first two months is atypical and should prompt investigation into other causes of vision loss (e.g., compressive orbital lesion). Complete recovery of vision is also unusual and should raise the suspicion of optic neuritis.

Recurrence of NAION in the same eye is uncommon (approximately 5%), as the atrophy caused by ischemic injury relieves nerve fiber crowding in that eye. Ipsilateral recurrence should prompt a reevaluation to rule out GCA or MOGAD.

The rate of occurrence of NAION in the fellow eye is approximately 15% at five years. Evidence suggests that it is not possible to determine who is at risk for the contralateral eye involvement based on the initial presentation.8

ConclusionNAION is the most common nonglaucomatous optic neuropathy in patients older than 50. Despite its frequency, there is no proven treatment to improve visual outcomes and prevent occur­rence in the fellow eye. Nevertheless, it remains critical for clinicians to iden­tify modifiable risk factors to reduce cerebrovascular and cardiovascular morbidities and mortalities.

___________________________

1 McCulley TJ et al. Ophthalmology. 2001;108(7):1275-1278.

2 Cameron BD et al. Ophthalmology. 2001;108(4):660-665.

3 Ling JW et al. Int J Ophthalmol. 2017;10(9):1402-1406.

4 Beck RW et al. Am J Ophthalmol. 1997;123(2):212-217.

5 Saxena R et al. Ophthalmology. 2018;125(10):1623-1627.

6 Ischemic Optic Neuropathy Decompression Trial. Arch Ophthalmol. 2000;118(6):793-798.

7 Gibbons A, Henderson AD. Front Ophthalmol. March 15, 2022. www.frontiersin.org/article/10.3389/fopht.2022.848710. Accessed May 4, 2022.

8 Keren S et al. BMC Ophthalmol. 2017;17(1):155.

9 Campbell UB et al. J Sex Med. 2015;12(1):139-151.

___________________________

Dr. Wu is an ophthalmology resident and Dr. Evoy is assistant professor of neurology and ophthalmology. Both are at the University of Sherbrooke, Sherbrooke, Quebec, Canada. Finan­cial disclosures: None.

Link to Article

Archived Version

Thu, 04 Jul 2024 15:01

From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

American actress

Taraji Penda Henson ( tÉ- RAH -jee; born September 11, 1970) is an American actress. She has received several accolades, including a Golden Globe Award as well as nominations for an Academy Award, a Tony Award and six Emmy Awards (including four Primetime Emmy Awards nominations). In 2016 and 2024, Time named Henson one of the 100 most influential people in the world.

After studying acting at Howard University, she made her film debut in the crime film Streetwise (1998). Henson gained recognition for playing a prostitute in Hustle & Flow (2005) and a single mother in David Fincher's The Curious Case of Benjamin Button (2008). The latter earned her a nomination for the Academy Award for Best Supporting Actress. In 2016, she portrayed mathematician Katherine Johnson in Hidden Figures.[1] She has also acted in Baby Boy (2001), The Karate Kid (2010), Think Like a Man (2012), Acrimony (2018), What Men Want (2019), The Best of Enemies (2019), and The Color Purple (2023).

Henson has also had an extensive career in television. From 2011 to 2013, she co-starred as Joss Carter in the CBS drama series Person of Interest. From 2015 to 2020, she starred as Cookie Lyon in the Fox drama series Empire, for which she won the Golden Globe Award for Best Actress '' Television Series Drama and was nominated for Primetime Emmy Awards in 2015 and 2016. Her other Emmy-nominated roles were for the Lifetime movie Taken from Me: The Tiffany Rubin Story (2011) and for her guest role in the ABC sitcom Abbott Elementary (2023).[2]

Henson also released a New York Times best selling autobiography titled Around the Way Girl in 2016.[3] In 2019, she received a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame.[4][5]

Early life and education [ edit ] Taraji Penda Henson[6][7] was born September 11, 1970, in Southeast Washington, D.C., the daughter of Bernice (n(C)e Gordon), a corporate manager at Woodward & Lothrop, and Boris Lawrence Henson, a janitor and metal fabricator.[6][7][8][9] She has often spoken of the influence of her maternal grandmother, Patsy Ballard, who accompanied her at the Academy Awards the year she was nominated.[10][11][12][13] Her first and middle names are of Swahili origin: Taraji ("hope") and Penda ("love").[14][15] According to a mitochondrial DNA analysis, her matrilineal lineage can be traced to the Masa people of Cameroon.[16] She has said that North Pole explorer Matthew Henson was "the brother of [her] great-great-grandfather."[17]

Henson graduated from Oxon Hill High School in Oxon Hill, Maryland, in 1988.[6] She attended North Carolina Agricultural and Technical State University, where she intended to study electrical engineering, before transferring to Howard University to study drama.[11][13] To pay for college, she worked mornings as a secretary at The Pentagon and evenings as a singing-dancing waitress on a dinner-cruise ship, the Spirit of Washington.[18]

Career [ edit ] 2001''2014: Early career [ edit ] Henson received her SAG membership card in the early 1990s for doing three roles as a background performer. Her first prominent role was in the 2001 comedy-drama film Baby Boy, where she portrayed Yvette, alongside singer Tyrese Gibson.[19]

Henson in 2011Henson has guest-starred on several television shows, including The WB's Smart Guy, the Fox series House in 2005, and CBS's CSI: Crime Scene Investigation in 2006. She also appeared in an episode of Sister, Sister.[6] In 2005, Henson was in the independent film Hustle & Flow as Shug, the love interest of the male lead, DJay, portrayed by Terrence Howard. She made her singing debut in the film, which was nominated for two Academy awards and won one. In 2008, she appeared with Brad Pitt in David Fincher's drama film The Curious Case of Benjamin Button,[20] where she played Queenie, Benjamin's mother, and for which she received an Academy Award nomination for Best Supporting Actress.[21] In an interview with Lauren Viera of The Chicago Tribune, Henson described Queenie as "the embodiment of unconditional love."[22]

Henson acted in two Tyler Perry films, The Family That Preys in 2008 and I Can Do Bad All By Myself in 2009. In 2010, she appeared in the remake of The Karate Kid with Jaden Smith and Jackie Chan. Though reviews were lackluster, the film was a commercial success.[23] Additionally, Henson has been a cast member on several television shows, including Lifetime's The Division and ABC's Boston Legal for one season. Her recurring characters include Angela Scott on ABC's Eli Stone. In 2011, she was cast in the CBS crime-suspense series Person of Interest.[24][25] In the November 20, 2013 episode, "The Crossing", after co-starring for two and a half years, Henson's character, 'Joss' Carter was killed as part of the series' new storyline.[26]

In 2011, Henson starred as Tiffany Rubin in the Lifetime Movie Network film Taken from Me: The Tiffany Rubin Story. It was based on true events in the life of a New York woman whose son, Kobe, was abducted by his biological father to South Korea.[27][28] Her portrayal of Rubin received positive reviews[29] and earned her several award nominations, including a Primetime Emmy Award for Outstanding Lead Actress in a Miniseries or a Movie.[30] In 2012, Henson was in the large ensemble cast film Think Like a Man, based on Steve Harvey's 2009 book Act Like a Lady, Think Like a Man. She reprised the role in the film's sequel, Think Like a Man Too, released in June 2014.[31]

2015''present: Empire and beyond [ edit ] Henson in 2016In 2015, Henson was cast to headline in the Fox series Empire, a musical drama set in the hip hop recording industry,[32] where she plays Cookie Lyon opposite former Hustle & Flow costar Terrence Howard. Fox ordered the pilot in May 2014, and the series debuted on January 7, 2015, with positive critical reviews and wide commercial success.[33][34] The role brought Henson widespread recognition and critical acclaim.[35][36][37] In July 2015, she was nominated for the Primetime Emmy Award for Outstanding Lead Actress in a Drama Series, and submitted the show's pilot for Emmy voting, for which she became the first African-American woman to win the Critics' Choice Television Award for Best Actress in a Drama Series. In January 2016, she won the Golden Globe Award for Best Actress '' Television Series Drama for Empire, becoming only the third African-American actress to take home the award after Gail Fisher (1972) and Regina Taylor (1992).[38] At the 46th NAACP Image Awards, she was named the 2015 Entertainer of the Year for her roles in Empire and No Good Deed.[39]

In 2015, Henson teamed up with Howard to produce and host a variety holiday special for Fox, Taraji and Terrence's White Hot Holidays. The special was produced again in 2016 and 2017, without Howard.[40] In 2016, Henson starred in the biographical drama film Hidden Figures, a major box-office success nominated for numerous awards, including three Oscars (Best Picture, Best Adapted Screenplay, and Best Supporting Actress for Octavia Spencer) and two Golden Globes (Best Supporting Actress for Spencer and Best Original Score). It won the Screen Actors Guild Award for Outstanding Performance by a Cast in a Motion Picture.

In January 2018, she starred in Sony Screen Gems's thriller-drama film Proud Mary, as a hit woman whose life is turned around when she meets a young boy who awakens the maternal instinct she never knew she had.[41] In March, she starred in the film Tyler Perry's Acrimony as a faithful wife who, after tiring of standing by her husband, is enraged when she believes herself betrayed.[42] In November, she voiced the character Yesss in Disney's Ralph Breaks the Internet,[43] a sequel to the studio's Wreck-It Ralph. In February 2019, Henson starred in What Men Want (based on the 2000 Mel Gibson romantic comedy What Women Want)[44] as a female sports agent, looked down upon by male colleagues, who gains the power to hear men's thoughts.[45] In April 2019, she starred in the historical drama The Best of Enemies, portraying civil rights activist Ann Atwater.[46]

In July 2020, it was reported that a spin-off Empire series focusing on Henson's character, Cookie Lyon, was in development, with Henson producing and starring, as part of Henson's two-year first-look deal with 20th Century Fox Television through her production company, TPH Entertainment. The deal includes developing projects for the network across multiple platforms. Henson said she hopes to tackle a number of sensitive topics while cultivating young, fresh voices. FOX has since decided to not move forward with the spin-off, currently putting the series on hold.[47] In December 2020, Henson began hosting the talk show Peace of Mind with Taraji on Facebook Watch.[48] On December 2, 2021, Henson played the role of Miss Hannigan in Annie Live! on NBC.[49] Henson also portrayed Shug Avery in the 2023 film The Color Purple acting alongside Danielle Brooks, who portrayed Sofia. The film was released on December 25, 2023.

Other work [ edit ] Henson made her singing debut in the film Hustle & Flow, where she provided the vocals for the Three 6 Mafia track "It's Hard out Here for a Pimp".[18] The song won an Academy Award for Best Original Song in 2006, giving Three 6 Mafia the distinction of becoming the first African-American hip hop act to win in that category.[50] Henson and the group performed the song at the live Oscar ceremony on March 5, 2006.[51] She also sang "In My Daughter's Eyes" on the 2006 charity album Unexpected Dreams '' Songs From the Stars.[52]

Henson has made several appearances in music videos and television. In 2005, she starred in the rapper Common's music video "Testify" as the wife of a soon-to-be-convicted murderer,[53] and appeared in Tyrese Gibson's music video "Stay" as his love interest.[54] On March 16, 2015, she was a guest co-host on Live! with Kelly and Michael, filling in for Kelly Ripa.[55]

Henson collaborated with MAC Cosmetics to create the Taraji P. Henson makeup collection in late August 2016. The #MACTaraji collection debuted the following month.[56] In November 2016, she again collaborated with MAC as the spokesperson for their Viva Glam Campaign, along with Jussie Smollett, to benefit the MAC HIV/AIDS fund. Their collection debuted in February 2017.[57]

Henson has appeared in a few stage roles, including a production of August Wilson's Joe Turner's Come and Gone and the Pasadena Playhouse's Above the Fold.[58][59] She also started The Boris Lawrence Henson Foundation.[60] Named after her father, it deals with cultural mental illness.

On April 1, 2022, Henson was appointed by President Joe Biden to the President's Board of Advisors on Historically Black Colleges and Universities.[61][62]

Personal life [ edit ] In 1994, Henson gave birth to her son Marcell.[63][64][65] His father, Henson's high-school sweetheart William LaMarr Johnson, was murdered in 2003.[66][67] In 2014, Henson said that her son had been racially profiled by police and that his car had been illegally searched during a traffic stop in Glendale, California. A video obtained by the Los Angeles Times showed Marcell had driven through a lighted crosswalk while a pedestrian was crossing, given verbal consent to search his vehicle, and admitted to smoking marijuana two hours before driving. Hashish oil and marijuana were found inside the car.[65] Forty minutes after the video was made public,[65] Henson said in an Instagram message, "I would like to publicly apologize to the officer and the Glendale Police Department. A mother's job is not easy, and neither is a police officer's."[68][69]

A supporter of People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals (PETA), Henson appeared nude in an ad for the I'd Rather Be Naked Than Wear Fur campaign in January 2011.[70][71] She joined PETA again for their 2013 campaign, "Be an Angel for Animals", where Henson posed with her family dog Uncle Willie. "Chained dogs suffer day in and day out," the ad stated. "They are cold, hungry, thirsty, vulnerable, and lonely. Keep them inside, where it's safe and warm."[72]

Henson posed nude for the May issue of Allure magazine in 2012.[73] In February 2015, Henson was featured in an ad for the NOH8 Campaign supporting the LGBT community.[74] In late 2017, she switched to a vegan diet.[75]

On May 13, 2018, Henson was engaged to former NFL player Kelvin Hayden.[76] She disclosed the end of their engagement during an episode of The Breakfast Club on October 19, 2020.[77]

Henson is a Christian and considers acting to be a spiritual experience.[78][79]

Awards and nominations [ edit ] Henson has received many accolades for her work in film and television. In 2015, Henson won the Critics' Choice Television Award for Best Actress in a Drama Series (for Empire), and became the first black actress in the history of the awards to do so.[80] She also won a Golden Globe in the same category for the series. Additionally, Henson has received nominations for the Academy Award for Best Supporting Actress (for The Curious Case of Benjamin Button), multiple Screen Actors Guild Awards (winning Outstanding Motion Picture Cast in 2017 for Hidden Figures) and three Primetime Emmy Awards (for Taken from Me: The Tiffany Rubin Story and Empire).

Filmography [ edit ] Film [ edit ] Television [ edit ] Documentary [ edit ] Music videos [ edit ] References [ edit ] ^ "SAG Awards 2017: See the Complete Winners List". Vanity Fair. January 29, 2017. ^ "Emmys 2011 winners: Full list". Archived from the original on March 20, 2018 . Retrieved March 15, 2017 . ^ Around The Way Girl Retrieved March 11, 2016 ^ Roffman, Marisa (January 28, 2019). "Taraji P. Henson Talks Importance of Being Paid What She 'Deserved' on Road to Walk of Fame Honor". Variety . Retrieved November 23, 2020 . ^ Pi±a, Christy (April 2, 2023). "Taraji P. Henson Joins 'Abbott Elementary' in Major Guest Role". The Hollywood Reporter . Retrieved April 19, 2023 . ^ a b c d "Taraji P. Henson - Biography". Biography.com (FYI / A&E Networks) . Retrieved September 18, 2014 . ^ a b "Taraji Penda. Henson". TVGuide.com. Archived from the original on March 5, 2016 . Retrieved September 18, 2014 . ^ Tucker, Neely (October 6, 2011). Henson, spent most of her summers as a child in Scotland Neck, NC a small town in between Rocky Mount and Ronoake Rapids, NC about an hour and a half from Raleigh, NC and 45 mins from VA stateline. "The real Taraji Henson". The Washington Post. ^ Henson, Taraji P. (January 12, 2010). "Boris Lawrence Henson RIP...I no u got heaven in stitches cause u had the best sense of humor even in your last moments you kept us laughin". Twitter. ^ Oldenburg, Ann (February 22, 2009). "Taraji P. Henson: 'I'll never forget this'". USA Today. ^ a b Wiltz, Teresa (July 21, 2005), "Drama Queen: Taraji Henson Moved to Hollywood And Smacked It Right Upside the Head", The Washington Post, p. C01 ^ "Veteran Actors, First Time Nominees". The Wall Street Journal. February 19, 2009. (subscription required) ^ a b Galloway, Stephen; Guider, Elizabeth (December 8, 2008). "Oscar Roundtable: The Actresses". The Hollywood Reporter . Retrieved November 3, 2014 . ^ Lanz, Michelle (August 10, 2016). "'Empire' star Taraji P. Henson on the pros and cons of being Cookie". 89.3 KPCC. ^ Henson, Taraji P. (December 5, 2013). "The Late Show with David Letterman" (Interview). Interviewed by David Letterman. Worldwide Pants. . Approximately 4 minutes before the end of the show, Henson said that first name is Taraji and "means hope in Swahili" and that her middle name is "Penda, P-E-N-D-A, and that means 'to love' in Swahili". ^ "Taraji P. Henson Ancestry Reveal". The Africa Channel via YouTube. January 31, 2012. Archived from the original on October 22, 2013 . Retrieved January 14, 2013 . ^ Williams, Kam (2008). "Taraji Shares All, Even the Surprising Color of Her Panties". African American Literature Book Club. Archived from the original on November 21, 2008 . Retrieved April 13, 2015 . Yes, he's my great-great cousin. He was the brother of my great-great-grandfather. Matthew would send him letters about his travels while out on his expeditions. ^ a b Teran, Andi (February 12, 2009). "Meet the Nominees: Taraji P. Henson". Vanity Fair . Retrieved April 7, 2015 . ^ "Taraji P. Henson Talks Cookie Taking Over Her Life, Kerry Washington, Baby Boy Sequel, Season 2 Of Empire + More". power1051fm.com . Retrieved March 18, 2015 . ^ Williams, Kam (December 14, 2008). "Taraji P. Henson: The Curious Case of Benjamin Button Interview". KamWilliams.com . Retrieved June 30, 2009 . ^ MacDonald, Gayle (January 23, 2009), "Benjamin Button Leads Race for What Pitt Calls -- Our Highest Honour", Globe & Mail, Toronto, p. R13 ^ Viera, Lauren (December 21, 2008). "The curious case of Taraji P. Henson". Chicago Tribune. ^ "Taraji P. Henson Interview: The Karate Kid, Beijing Culture and Working for Will Smith". pr.com. June 9, 2010 . Retrieved March 18, 2015 . ^ "Person of Interest: Cast & Details". Tvguide . Retrieved July 9, 2012 . ^ "Taraji P. Hanson". Buddytv . Retrieved February 18, 2015 . ^ Snetiker, Marc (November 20, 2013). " 'Person of Interest' mid-season shocker: Taraji P. Henson talks Carter's big [SPOILER!]". Entertainment Weekly . Retrieved December 16, 2013 . ^ Morales, Wilson (January 4, 2011). "First Look at Taraji P. Henson's Lifetime Movie 'Taken From Me: The Tiffany Rubin Story". Black News, Entertainment, Style and Culture - HuffPost Black. Archived from the original on January 10, 2011. ^ "Taken from Me: The Tiffany Rubin Story: TV review [Lifetime]". entertainmentrealm.com . Retrieved March 19, 2015 . ^ "Taken from Me: The Tiffany Rubin Story". Rotten Tomatoes . Retrieved March 19, 2015 . ^ "Taraji P. Henson". Emmys . Retrieved March 19, 2015 . ^ "Production starts on 'Think Like a Man Too' ". upi.com. May 28, 2013 . Retrieved September 19, 2013 . ^ Goldberg, Lesley (February 26, 2014). "Taraji P. Henson Nabs Female Lead in Fox's Lee Daniels Hip-Hop Drama 'Empire' ". The Hollywood Reporter . Retrieved August 11, 2014 . ^ Gomez, Luis (July 5, 2014). "Lee Daniels' 'Empire' picked up by Fox, will 'likely' film in Chicago". Chicago Tribune . Retrieved November 29, 2014 . ^ "Empire: Season 1". Rotten Tomatoes. January 29, 2015 . Retrieved January 8, 2015 . ^ "Cookie Monster: How Cookie Lyon Became the Most Compelling Character on TV". root.com. February 15, 2015. Archived from the original on May 21, 2016 . Retrieved April 22, 2015 . ^ Rosenberg, Alyssa (March 18, 2015). " 'Empire's' Cookie Lyon is TV's best new female character". The Washington Post . Retrieved April 22, 2015 . ^ Harris, Aisha (March 18, 2015). "Just Give Taraji P. Henson the Emmy Already". Slate.com . Retrieved April 22, 2015 . ^ "Cookie From Empire Quotes". EmpireBBK.com. March 22, 2017. Archived from the original on June 16, 2017 . Retrieved May 2, 2017 . ^ Washington, Arlene (February 6, 2015). "2015 Image Award Winners". The Hollywood Reporter . Retrieved May 12, 2016 . ^ Wagmeister, Elizabeth (March 25, 2017). "Taraji P. Henson to Host Second Annual Fox Holiday Special". Variety. ^ Fleming, Mike Jr. (January 11, 2017). "Hidden Figures Taraji P. Henson Set For Screen Gems Proud Mary". Deadline Hollywood. ^ Lee, Ashley (June 22, 2017). "Tyler Perry's Taraji P. Henson Movie Gets Easter Release". The Hollywood Reporter. ^ "Surprise! Taraji P. Henson Will Voice a Character in Wreck-It-Ralph 2 Who Name-Drops Oh My Disney!". Oh My Disney!. July 14, 2017. ^ Kroll, Justin (November 14, 2017). "Taraji P. Henson to Star in 'What Men Want' for Paramount Players". Variety . Retrieved November 15, 2017 . ^ Fleming, Mike Jr. (November 14, 2017). "Paramount Players Plots 'What Men Want'; 'Empire's Taraji P. Henson To Star". Deadline Hollywood . Retrieved November 15, 2017 . ^ Fleming, Mike Jr. (June 24, 2015). "Empire's Taraji P. Henson And Danny Strong Re-Team On Robin Bissell-Helmed 'The Best Of Enemies' ". Deadline Hollywood. ^ Shepard, Ryan (July 24, 2020). "Taraji P. Henson To Develop 'Empire' Spin-Off At FOX". Def Pen . Retrieved July 24, 2020 . ^ " 'Peace of Mind with Taraji' Renewed for Season 2 by Facebook Watch". August 23, 2021. ^ Pedersen, Erik (June 8, 2021). " 'Annie Live!': Taraji P. Henson To Play Miss Hannigan In NBC's Adaptation Of Tony-Winning Musical". Deadline . Retrieved June 17, 2021 . ^ Swash, Rosie (June 12, 2011). "Three Six Mafia win an Oscar". The guardian . Retrieved July 9, 2012 . ^ "Three 6 Mafia Oscar Performance". youtube.com. Archived from the original on December 19, 2021 . Retrieved February 19, 2012 . ^ "Unexpected Dreams: Songs from the Stars". allmusic. ^ "Common - Testify". youtube.com. Archived from the original on December 19, 2021 . Retrieved April 12, 2015 . ^ "Tyrese "Stay" (official music video) feat. Taraji P. Henson". Youtube. Archived from the original on December 19, 2021 . Retrieved March 19, 2015 . ^ "Scoop: Live with Kelly and Michael Week of March 16, 2015". broadwayworld.com . Retrieved March 18, 2015 . ^ Wilbur, Hayley (August 24, 2016). "MAC Cosmetics continues its long history of diversity with Taraji P. Henson collaboration". Mic . Retrieved August 31, 2016 . ^ Brown, Nikki (February 3, 2017). "Taraji P. Henson's MAC Viva Glam Collection Is Finally Here". Essence . Retrieved February 3, 2017 . ^ "Before there was 'Empire', there was August Wilson: Listen to Taraji P. Henson in Wilson's 'Joe Turner's Come and Gone' ". WNYC Digital . Retrieved May 1, 2015 . ^ "Above the Fold: Theater Review". The Hollywood Reporter. February 6, 2014. ^ Wagmeister, Elizabeth (April 2, 2019). "Taraji P. Henson Works to Eradicate Mental Health Stigmas in Black Communities". Variety . Retrieved January 18, 2021 . ^ "President Biden Announces Appointments to Board of Advisors on Historically Black Colleges and Universities". The White House. March 31, 2022 . Retrieved April 2, 2022 . ^ Johnson, Ted (March 31, 2022). "Joe Biden Names Taraji P. Henson To Historically Black Colleges and Universities Advisory Board". Deadline . Retrieved April 2, 2022 . ^ Boardman, Madeline (March 23, 2015). "Taraji P. Henson Sends Son Marcel to Howard University After Racial Profiling". Us Weekly . Retrieved March 23, 2015 . Note: Source spells son's first name "Marcel". ^ Brown, Laura (August 13, 2015). "Fortune Cookie: Taraji P. Henson". Harper's Bazaar . Retrieved December 29, 2015 . ^ a b c Rocha, Veronica (March 27, 2015). "Actress Taraji Henson apologizes to Glendale police for racial profile claims". Los Angeles Times. Archived from the original on April 9, 2015 . Retrieved March 28, 2015 . ^ "Taraji Henson Talks 'Think Like A Man' and Motherhood". The Wendy Williams Show via BlackRaceKids.com. April 25, 2012. Archived from the original on December 31, 2012 . Retrieved October 22, 2012 . ...her 17-year-old son... ^ "Oscars 2009: Meet the Nominees You've Never Heard Of". Hollywood. February 13, 2009. ^ "#TurningANegativeIntoAPositive #LoveTarajiPHenson". Taraji P. Henson Instagram page. March 27, 2015. Archived from the original on April 2, 2015 . Retrieved March 28, 2015 . ^ "Actress Taraji P. Henson Apologizes For Claiming Glendale Police Racially Profiled Her Son", CBS Los Angeles, March 27, 2015. ^ "Taraji P Henson Goes Nude Again, This Time For PETA" January 27, 2011, Mrs Grapevine ^ Weiss, Shari (January 28, 2011). "Taraji P. Henson poses nude for PETA's 'I'd Rather Go Naked Than Wear Fur' ad campaign". Daily News. New York City. Archived from the original on January 3, 2012 . Retrieved April 17, 2012 . ^ Dinh, Theresa (February 27, 2013). "Taraji P. Henson Steals Her Pooch's Spotlight in Nude PETA Campaign (PHOTOS)". GlobalGrind.com . Retrieved August 11, 2014 . ^ "The Naked Truth: Five Celebrities Go Nude for Allure". Allure. April 17, 2012. Archived from the original on July 10, 2016 . Retrieved March 18, 2014 . ^ Doggett, Jolie A. (February 4, 2015). "Photo Fab: Taraji P. Henson Supports NOH8 Campaign for LGBT Rights". Essence . Retrieved February 5, 2015 . ^ Stutzer, Abbie (March 10, 2018). "Taraji P. Henson Went Vegan to Avoid Stomach Cancer". LIVEKINDLY . Retrieved October 10, 2019 . ^ Melas, Chloe (May 14, 2018). "Taraji P. Henson engaged to NFL star Kelvin Hayden". CNN . Retrieved May 16, 2018 . ^ France, Lisa Respers (October 19, 2020). "Taraji P. Henson confirms split from fianc(C) Kelvin Hayden". CNN . Retrieved October 19, 2018 . ^ Taraji P. Henson on new movie, mental health, & Jussie Smollett | The View , retrieved October 10, 2019 ^ "Everything You Need to know About Taraji P. Henson (Including What the "P" Is For)". Vanity Fair. September 19, 2016 . Retrieved October 10, 2019 . ^ Holmes, Mannie. "Taraji P. Henson's 'Empire' Win Highlights Critics' Choice Awards' Diverse Selections". Variety.com . Retrieved March 14, 2017 . ^ a b c d "Taraji P. Henson (visual voices guide)". Behind The Voice Actors . Retrieved October 21, 2023 . A green check mark indicates that a role has been confirmed using a screenshot (or collage of screenshots) of a title's list of voice actors and their respective characters found in its opening and/or closing credits and/or other reliable sources of information. ^ Milligan, Mercedes (May 24, 2022). "Taraji P. Henson Joins the Pack as First New Voice for 'PAW Patrol: The Mighty Movie' ". Animation Magazine . Retrieved May 24, 2022 . ^ Vena, Jocelyn (February 15, 2017). "James Corden and Will Smith Get Jiggy with It in a Helicopter". Bravo. The Daily Dish . Retrieved March 7, 2019 . ^ Nolfi, Joey (December 9, 2021). "Jennifer Lopez finally joins RuPaul's Drag Race as season 14 trailer teases major twist". Entertainment Weekly . Retrieved December 9, 2021 . ^ Pi±a, Christy (April 2, 2023). "Taraji P. Henson Joins 'Abbott Elementary' in Major Guest Role". The Hollywood Reporter . Retrieved April 19, 2023 . External links [ edit ] Taraji P. Henson at IMDbTaraji P. Henson at TV GuideTaraji P. Henson on FacebookTaraji P. Henson on XTaraji P. Henson on InstagramTaraji P. Henson Archived February 25, 2021, at the Wayback Machine at TV.com Archived February 25, 2021, at the Wayback Machine

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Thu, 04 Jul 2024 14:14

Shares of Novo Nordisk and Eli Lilly extended declines after Mass Eye and Ear, a Harvard-affiliated hospital, revealed in a new study published in the journal JAMA Ophthalmology that people prescribed semaglutide, sold as Ozempic and Wegovy (Novo), have an elevated risk of developing a "potentially blinding eye condition" called nonarteritic anterior ischemic optic neuropathy (NAION).

"The study found people with diabetes who had been prescribed semaglutide by their physician and then filled the prescription were more than four times more likely to be diagnosed with NAION," Mass Eye and Ear wrote in a press release, adding, "Those who were overweight or had obesity and prescribed this drug were more than seven times more likely to get the diagnosis."

The study, which was led by Joseph Rizzo, MD, director of the Neuro-Ophthalmology Service at Mass Eye and Ear, wrote that the "use of these drugs has exploded throughout industrialized countries and they have provided very significant benefits in many ways, but future discussions between a patient and their physician should include NAION as a potential risk."

Rizzo said, "It is important to appreciate, however, that the increased risk relates to a disorder that is relatively uncommon."

Rizzo disclosed that his research team analyzed thousands of medical records from Mass Eye and Ear to discover the connection between semaglutide and NAION:

The researchers analyzed the records of more than 17,000 Mass Eye and Ear patients treated over the six years since Ozempic was released and divided the patients in those who were diagnosed with either diabetes or overweight/ obesity. The researchers compared patients who had received prescriptions for semaglutide compared to those taking other diabetes or weight loss drugs. Then, they analyzed the rate of NAION diagnoses in the groups, which revealed the significant risk increases.

Rizzo noted several limitations to the study:

"Mass Eye and Ear sees an unusually high number of people with rare eye diseases, the study population is majority white, and the number of NAION cases seen over the six-year study period is relatively small. With small case numbers, statistics can change quickly."

Mahyar Etminan, a drug safety researcher at the University of British Columbia in Vancouver, who wasn't involved in the study, told Bloomberg, "This is a very serious condition, so if it were true, it changes the risk-benefit calculus."

In the markets, shares of Novo Nordisk in Copenhagen extended their decline, dropping 2.6%, while Eli Lilly in New York fell by around 2%.

Earlier, both pharma companies fell after President Biden and Vermont Senator Bernie Sanders co-authored an opinion piece in USA Today, urging big pharma to slash the prices of anti-obesity drugs

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Wed, 03 Jul 2024 20:56

Robert F. Kennedy Jr. once ate a dog, a photo suggests.

According to Vanity Fair, the presidential candidate sent a photograph of himself next to what appears to be the barbecued body of a dog to a friend and advised them to sample the animal while visiting Korea.

The photo was taken in 2010, according to the publication's analysis of its metadata. Vanity Fair consulted a veterinarian who said the animal pictured was likely a dog because of its ribs.

However, Kennedy Jr. later told the Breaking Points podcast that the photo had been taken in the Patagonia region of South America, not Korea, and that the animal was a goat, not a dog.

Robert F. Kennedy Jr. appears at Fox News studios on June 2, 2023, in New York City. A photo has appeared that suggests the presidential hopeful once ate a dog. Robert F. Kennedy Jr. appears at Fox News studios on June 2, 2023, in New York City. A photo has appeared that suggests the presidential hopeful once ate a dog. Jamie McCarthy/Getty ImagesNewsweek contacted Kennedy Jr.'s team by email to comment on this story and will update it with any response.

The ContextKennedy Jr. is the son of former Senator Robert F. Kennedy and nephew of former President John F. Kennedy.

The 70-year-old attorney sought to challenge President Joe Biden for the Democratic nomination but withdrew from the race and declared himself an independent candidate last October.

He has a strong anti-vaccine stance and reported support of conspiracy theories, such as the unsubstantiated beliefs that COVID-19 targets certain races, that the 2004 presidential election was stolen by voter fraud, and that there is a link between mass shootings and prescription drugs.

Some experts have said that his candidacy could harm Biden and former President Donald Trump, the presumptive Republican nominee, when voters head to the polls.

What We KnowThe photo was reportedly taken in the same year that a dead tapeworm was discovered in Kennedy Jr.'s brain.

It features Kennedy Jr. appearing to take a mock bite from the skeleton alongside an unnamed woman whose image was concealed by Vanity Fair.

ViewsMatt Corridoni, a spokesperson for the Democratic National Committee, said on X, formerly Twitter, that the incident would make Kennedy Jr. be seen as a "villain."

Here's a photo of @RobertKennedyJr happily posing with a barbecued dog.New reporting in @VanityFair reveals a friend has warned RFK Jr.'s campaign could cause him to ''go down as one of the great villains in American history.''

I think that's already happened'... pic.twitter.com/iBMNVjuCwJ

'-- Matt Corridoni (@mattcorridoni) July 2, 2024 What's Next?

While speaking with NewsNation's Chris Cuomo, Kennedy Jr. was asked if he'd be open to speaking with Democrats if they contacted him about possibly replacing Biden following the president's poorly received performance in his first debate with Trump.

"Of course I would talk to them. It would put me on the ballot with nobody trying to get me off," Kennedy Jr. responded, adding that he believes the Democratic National Committee would otherwise try to get him removed from the ballot in states across the country.

Kennedy Jr. will face his political rivals, Trump and Biden, on November 5 when the presidential election takes place.

Update 7/2/24, 10:38 a.m. ET: This story has been updated with additional information and background.

Update 7/3/24, 06:22 a.m. ET: This story has been updated to reflect Kennedy's denial that he ate a dog.

Uncommon KnowledgeNewsweek is committed to challenging conventional wisdom and finding connections in the search for common ground.

Newsweek is committed to challenging conventional wisdom and finding connections in the search for common ground.

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Wed, 03 Jul 2024 15:35

Key TakeawaysEli Lilly received FDA approval for a drug to help treat Alzheimer's on Tuesday after studies showed it could help slow the progress of the disease.The treatment, which is called donanemab and will be sold under the brand name Kisunla, is a monthly IV infusion.The drug, which faced several obstacles to approval, was delayed as recently as March. Eli Lilly (LLY) has received Food and Drug Administration (FDA) approval for its treatment for early symptomatic Alzheimer's after studies showed that the drug was able to slow the progression of the disease.

The monthly IV infusion, known as donanemab, will be sold under the brand name Kisunla, and cost from roughly $12,500 to nearly $50,000 for treatment cycles of six to 18 months, the company said Tuesday.

Treatment Showed Ability To Slow Progression of Alzheimer's Lilly said trials showed that the drug "slowed cognitive and functional decline by up to 35% compared to placebo at 18 months" in a Phase 3 trial, and "reduced participants' risk of progressing to the next clinical stage of disease by up to 39%."

"We know these medicines have the greatest potential benefit when people are treated earlier in their disease, and we are working hard in partnership with others to improve detection and diagnosis," Lilly Neuroscience president Anne White said.

Long Path To Approval The treatment's path to approval faced roadblocks including a delay in March and a rejection of the drug in January 2023 over a lack of sufficient data. Last month, an independent panel recommended the FDA approve the drug, which sent the company's stock price higher.

Kisunla joins the market as one of the few treatments for Alzheimer's. It will now compete will compete with a treatment from Biogen (BIIB) and Japanese partner Eisai called Leqembi. In its most recent earnings report, Biogen said that global in-market sales of the drug nearly tripled from the prior quarter.

"Today's approval allows people more options and greater opportunity to have more time,'' Alzheimer's Association Chief Executive Officer (CEO) Dr. Joanne Pike said Tuesday. ''Having multiple treatment options is the kind of advancement we've all been waiting for'--all of us who have been touched, even blindsided, by this difficult and devastating disease.''

Eli Lilly shares initially traded higher Wednesday but reversed course and were down 2% to $888.30 as of 11:11 a.m. ET. Still, they have risen more than 50% year-to-date. Biogen's shares fell 2.3% to $223.50.

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Archived Version

Wed, 03 Jul 2024 15:19

Klaus Vedfelt | Digitalvision | Getty Images

Although the unemployment rate has spent 30 months at or below below 4% '-- a near record '-- not everyone who wants a job has one. And not everyone even wants a job at all.

Some, referred to as "NEETs," which stands for "not in employment, education, or training," are opting out of the labor force largely because they are discouraged by their economic standing.

Others, alternatively, are well-qualified but often younger candidates who are struggling to find positions, comprising a contingent of "new unemployables," according to a recent report by Korn Ferry.

Among 16- to 24-year-olds, the unemployment rate rose to 9% in May, which is "typical," according to Al­ Bustamante, a labor economist and director of the Worker Power and Economic Security program at the Roosevelt Institute, a liberal think tank based in New York City.

Although the youth unemployment rate fell below 7% in 2023, according to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, such lows were "emblematic of how hot the labor market was at that point," Bustamante said.

"9% is basically what we should be expecting during relatively good economic times for younger workers," he added.

'NEETS' feel 'left out and left behind'Still, some young adults in the U.S. are neither working nor learning new skills.

In 2023, about 11.2% of young adults ages 15 to 24 in the U.S. were considered as NEETs, according to the International Labour Organization.

In other words, roughly one in 10 young people are "being left out and left behind in many ways," Bustamante said.

Even though "that's typically the norm," he said, "we should be expecting these rates to be lower."

More from Personal Finance:Here's where U.S. rents are rising '-- and falling '-- the fastestTrump, Biden's first presidential debate: What to expect on taxesThe 'funflation' effect: Why consumers are spending this summer

Young men, especially, are increasingly disengaged, according to Julia Pollak, a labor economist at ZipRecruiter.

"The NEET trend is mostly a male phenomenon," she said.

Pollak explained that's in part due to declining opportunities in traditionally male occupations, such as construction and manufacturing, while "women's enrollment in schooling, education outcomes, and employment outcomes have mostly trended upwards."

'Talent hoarding' has led to 'new unemployables'According to Korn Ferry's report, a "perfect storm" has also created a glut of "new unemployables," or highly trained workers who struggle to find job opportunities.

"Employers are holding on to the talent they have and increasingly focusing on talent mobility," said David Ellis, senior vice president for global talent acquisition transformation at Korn Ferry.

This "talent hoarding" has led to fewer available job openings even for well-qualified candidates, he said.

At the same time, firms are scaling back on new hires, limiting the opportunities at the entry level, as well.

While the teen employment rate is the highest it has been in over a decade, early 20-somethings are struggling to find jobs, Pollak said. "It's the 20- to 24-year-olds that saw a massive drop off in the labor force participation during the pandemic, and who have lagged behind ever since."

Overall, hiring projections for the class of 2024 fell 5.8% from last year, according to a report from the National Association of Colleges and Employers, or NACE.

As more candidates compete for fewer positions, stretches of unemployment are also lengthening. Now, the number of people unemployed for longer than six months is up 21%, Korn Ferry found.

'Unemployable' to employableDespite those trends in the job market, "all is not lost," Ellis said.

"Don't wait to reach out," he advised. Get back in touch with former employers or colleagues through LinkedIn or email and set up informational interviews. After that initial approach, ask for any job leads or contacts.

In the meantime, make yourself more visible by writing about noteworthy topics in the industry and updating your resume to include keywords and so-called "title tags," which highlight important elements at the top.

Finally, don't limit yourself to roles that include a promotion or a raise, Ellis also advised. Rather, aim for a "career lattice," which could entail taking lower position to gain skills that will pay dividends later.

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Archived Version

Wed, 03 Jul 2024 15:13

A church in Anafiotika neighborhood, a part of the old historical neighborhood called Plaka, in Athens, Greece on March 16th, 2024.

Nurphoto | Nurphoto | Getty Images

Greece has controversially introduced a six-day working week for some businesses in a bid to boost productivity and employment in the southern European country.

The regulation, which came into force on July 1, bucks a global trend of companies exploring a shorter working week.

Under the new legislation, which was passed as part of a broader set of labor laws last year, employees of private businesses that provide round-the-clock services will reportedly have the option of working an additional two hours per day or an extra eight-hour shift.

The change means a traditional 40-hour workweek could be extended to 48 hours per week for some businesses. Food service and tourism workers are not included in the six-day working week initiative.

The pro-business government of Prime Minister Kyriakos Mitsotakis has said the measure is both "worker-friendly" and "deeply growth-orientated." It is designed to support employees not being sufficiently compensated for overtime work and to help crack down on the problem of undeclared labor.

Labor unions and political observers have sharply criticized the move.

A spokesperson for Greece's embassy in London was not immediately available to comment when contacted by CNBC.

Kyriakos Mitsotakis Prime Minister of Greece talks with media during European Council Meeting on June 27, 2024 in Brussels, Belgium.

Pier Marco Tacca | Getty Images News | Getty Images

Giorgos Katsambekis, a lecturer in European and international politics at the U.K.'s Loughborough University, described the Greek government's introduction of the labor law as "a major step back" for a workforce that is already working the longest hours in the European Union.

Workers in Greece work more than those in the U.S., Japan and others in the 27-member EU, according to data from the Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development.

Greek employees were found to have worked an average of 1,886 hours in 2022, more than the U.S. average of 1,811 and the EU average of 1,571.

"Greek people already work the longest hours per week in Europe. Now they may be forced to work a sixth day, after this Greek [government] decision," John O'Brennan, professor of EU Law from Maynooth University, Ireland, said via social media platform X on Monday.

"It is ridiculous, set against the move to four day weeks in most civilised countries," he added.

A report published by think tank Autonomy earlier this year found that most companies involved in the world's largest trial of a four-day working week had made the policy permanent.

All the consulted project managers and CEOs of the companies involved in the trial said a four-day working week had a positive effect on their organization, with more than half describing the impact as "very positive."

The report found, however, that staff '-- in firms where the additional day off was only weakly guaranteed, or provided on the condition of meeting certain targets '-- had some concerns.

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Archived Version

Wed, 03 Jul 2024 15:10

When Natasha Craft first got a Yotta banking account in 2021, she loved using it so much she told her friends to sign up.

The app made saving money fun and easy, and Craft, a now 25-year-old FedEx driver from Mishawaka, Indiana, was busy getting her financial life in order and planning a wedding. Craft had her wages deposited directly into a Yotta account and used the startup's debit card to pay for all her expenses.

The app '-- which gamifies personal finance with weekly sweepstakes and other flashy features '-- even occasionally covered some of her transactions.

"There were times I would go buy something and get that purchase for free," Craft told CNBC.

Today, her entire life savings '-- $7,006 '-- is locked up in a complicated dispute playing out in bankruptcy court, online forums like Reddit and regulatory channels. And Yotta, an array of other startups and their banks have been caught in a moment of reckoning for the fintech industry.

For customers, fintech promised the best of both worlds: The innovation, ease of use and fun of the newest apps combined with the safety of government-backed accounts held at real banks.

The startups prominently displayed protections afforded by the Federal Deposit Insurance Corp., lending credibility to their novel offerings. After all, since its 1934 inception, no depositor "has ever lost a penny of FDIC-insured deposits," according to the agency's website.

But the widening fallout over the collapse of a fintech middleman called Synapse has revealed that promise of safety as a mirage.

Starting May 11, more than 100,000 Americans with $265 million in deposits were locked out of their accounts. Roughly 85,000 of those customers were at Yotta alone, according to the startup's co-founder, Adam Moelis.

CNBC reached out to fintech customers whose lives have been upended by the Synapse debacle.

They come from all walks and stages of life, from Craft, the Indiana FedEx driver; to the owner of a chain of preschools in Oakland, California; a talent analyst for Disney living in New York City; and a computer engineer in Santa Barbara, California. A high school teacher in Maryland. A parent in Bristol, Connecticut, who opened an account for his daughter. A social worker in Seattle saving up for dental work after Adderall abuse ruined her teeth.

'A reckoning underway'Since Yotta, like most popular fintech apps, wasn't itself a bank, it relied on partner institutions including Tennessee-based Evolve Bank & Trust to offer checking accounts and debit cards. In between Yotta and Evolve was a crucial middleman, Synapse, keeping track of balances and monitoring fraud.

Founded in 2014 by a first-time entrepreneur named Sankaet Pathak, Synapse was a player in the "banking-as-a-service" segment alongside companies like Unit and Synctera. Synapse helped customer-facing startups like Yotta quickly access the rails of the regulated banking industry.

It had contracts with 100 fintech companies and 10 million end users, according to an April court filing.

Until recently, the BaaS model was a growth engine that seemed to benefit everybody. Instead of spending years and millions of dollars trying to acquire or become banks, startups got quick access to essential services they needed to offer. The small banks that catered to them got a source of deposits in a time dominated by giants like JPMorgan Chase .

But in May, Synapse, in the throes of bankruptcy, turned off a critical system that Yotta's bank used to process transactions. In doing so, it threw thousands of Americans into financial limbo, and a growing segment of the fintech industry into turmoil.

"There is a reckoning underway that involves questions about the banking-as-a-service model," said Michele Alt, a former lawyer for the Office of the Comptroller of the Currency and a current partner at consulting firm Klaros Group. She believes the Synapse failure will prove to be an "aberration," she added.

The most popular finance apps in the country, including Block's Cash App, PayPal and Chime, partner with banks instead of owning them. They account for 60% of all new fintech account openings, according to data provider Curinos. Block and PayPal are publicly traded; Chime is expected to launch an IPO next year.

Block, PayPal and Chime didn't provide comment for this article.

'Deal directly with a bank'While industry experts say those firms have far more robust ledgering and daily reconciliation abilities than Synapse, they may still be riskier than direct bank relationships, especially for those relying on them as a primary account.

"If it's your spending money, you need to be dealing directly with a bank," Scott Sanborn, CEO of LendingClub , told CNBC. "Otherwise, how do you, as a consumer, know if the conditions are met to get FDIC coverage?"

Sanborn knows both sides of the fintech divide: LendingClub started as a fintech lender that partnered with banks until it bought Boston-based Radius in early 2020 for $185 million, eventually becoming a fully regulated bank.

Scott Sanborn, LendingClub CEO

Getty Images

Sanborn said acquiring Radius Bank opened his eyes to the risks of the "banking-as-a-service" space. Regulators focus not on Synapse and other middlemen, but on the banks they partner with, expecting them to monitor risks and prevent fraud and money laundering, he said.

But many of the tiny banks running BaaS businesses like Radius simply don't have the personnel or resources to do the job properly, Sanborn said. He shuttered most of the lender's fintech business as soon as he could, he says.

"We are one of those people who said, 'Something bad is going to happen,'" Sanborn said.

A spokeswoman for the Financial Technology Association, a Washington, D.C.-based trade group representing large players including Block, PayPal and Chime, said in a statement that it is "inaccurate to claim that banks are the only trusted actors in financial services."

"Consumers and small businesses trust fintech companies to better meet their needs and provide more accessible, affordable, and secure services than incumbent providers," the spokeswoman said.

"Established fintech companies are well-regulated and work with partner banks to build strong compliance programs that protect consumer funds," she said. Furthermore, regulators ought to take a "risk-based approach" to supervising fintech-bank partnerships, she added.

The implications of the Synapse disaster may be far-reaching. Regulators have already been moving to punish the banks that provide services to fintechs, and that will undoubtedly continue. Evolve itself was reprimanded by the Federal Reserve last month for failing to properly manage its fintech partnerships.

In a post-Synapse update, the FDIC made it clear that the failure of nonbanks won't trigger FDIC insurance, and that even when fintechs partner with banks, customers may not have their deposits covered.

The FDIC's exact language about whether fintech customers are eligible for coverage: "The short answer is: it depends."

FDIC safety netWhile their circumstances all differed vastly, each of the customers CNBC spoke to for this story had one thing in common: They thought the FDIC backing of Evolve meant that their funds were safe.

"For us, it just felt like they were a bank," the Oakland preschool owner said of her fintech provider, a tuition processor called Curacubby. "You'd tell them what to bill, they bill it. They'd communicate with parents, and we get the money."

The 62-year-old business owner, who asked CNBC to withhold her name because she didn't want to alarm employees and parents of her schools, said she's taken out loans and tapped credit lines after $236,287 in tuition was frozen in May.

Now, the prospect of selling her business and retiring in a few years seems much further out.

"I'm assuming I probably won't see that money," she said, "And if I do, how long is it going to take?"

When Rick Davies, a 46-year-old lead engineer for a men's clothing company that owns online brands including Taylor Stitch, signed up for an account with crypto app Juno, he says he "distinctly remembers" being comforted by seeing the FDIC logo of Evolve.

"It was front and center on their website," Davies said. "They made it clear that it was Evolve doing the banking, which I knew as a fintech provider. The whole package seemed legit to me."

He's now had roughly $10,000 frozen for weeks, and says he's become enraged that the FDIC hasn't helped customers yet.

For Davies, the situation is even more baffling after regulators swiftly took action to seize Silicon Valley Bank last year, protecting uninsured depositors including tech investors and wealthy families in the process. His employer banked with SVB, which collapsed after clients withdrew deposits en masse, so he saw how fast action by regulators can head off distress.

"The dichotomy between the FDIC stepping in extremely quickly for San Francisco-based tech companies and their impotence in the face of this similar, more consumer-oriented situation is infuriating," Davies said.

The key difference with SVB is that none of the banks linked with Synapse have failed, and because of that, the regulator hasn't moved to help impacted users.

Consumers can be forgiven for not understanding the nuance of FDIC protection, said Alt, the former OCC lawyer.

"What consumers understood was, 'This is as safe as money in the bank,'" Alt said. "But the FDIC insurance isn't a pot of money to generally make people whole, it is there to make depositors of a failed bank whole."

Waiting for their moneyFor the customers involved in the Synapse mess, the worst-case scenario is playing out.

While some customers have had funds released in recent weeks, most are still waiting. Those later in line may never see a full payout: There is a shortfall of up to $96 million in funds that are owed to customers, according to the court-appointed bankruptcy trustee.

That's because of Synapse's shoddy ledgers and its system of pooling users' money across a network of banks in ways that make it difficult to reconstruct who is owed what, according to court filings.

The situation is so tangled that Jelena McWilliams, a former FDIC chairman now acting as trustee over the Synapse bankruptcy, has said that finding all the customer money may be impossible.

Despite weeks of work, there appears to be little progress toward fixing the hardest part of the Synapse mess: Users whose funds were pooled in "for benefit of," or FBO, accounts. The technique has been used by brokerages for decades to give wealth management customers FDIC coverage on their cash, but its use in fintech is more novel.

"If it's in an FBO account, you don't even know who the end customer is, you just have this giant account," said LendingClub's Sanborn. "You're trusting the fintech to do the work."

While McWilliams has floated a partial payment to end users weeks ago, an idea that has support from Yotta co-founder Moelis and others, that hasn't happened yet. Getting consensus from the banks has proven difficult, and the bankruptcy judge has openly mused about which regulator or body of government can force them to act.

The case is "uncharted territory," Judge Martin Barash said, and because depositors' funds aren't the property of the Synapse estate, Barash said it wasn't clear what his court could do.

Evolve has said in filings that it has "great pause" about making any payments until a full reconciliation happens. It has further said that Synapse ledgers show that nearly all of the deposits held for Yotta were missing, while Synapse has said that Evolve holds the funds.

"I don't know who's right or who's wrong," Moelis told CNBC. "We know how much money came into the system, and we are certain that that's the correct number. The money doesn't just disappear; it has to be somewhere."

In the meantime, the former Synapse CEO and Evolve have had an eventful few weeks.

Pathak, who dialed into early bankruptcy hearings while in Santorini, Greece, has since been attempting to raise funds for a new robotics startup, using marketing materials with misleading claims about its ties with automaker General Motors.

And only days after being censured by the Federal Reserve about its management of technology partners, Evolve was attacked by Russian hackers who posted user data from an array of fintech firms, including Social Security numbers, to a dark web forum for criminals.

Natasha Craft, a 25-year-old FedEx driver from Mishawaka, Indiana. She has been locked out of her Yotta banking account since May 11.

Courtesy: Natasha Craft

For customers, it's mostly been a waiting game.

Craft, the Indiana FexEx driver, said she had to borrow money from her mother and grandmother for expenses. She worries about how she'll pay for catering at her upcoming wedding.

"We were led to believe that our money was FDIC-insured at Yotta, as it was plastered all over the website," Craft said. "Finding out that what FDIC really means, that was the biggest punch to the gut."

She now has an account at Chase, the largest and most profitable American bank in history.

'-- With contributions from CNBC's Gabriel Cortes.

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Archived Version

Tue, 02 Jul 2024 19:48

Credit: The Detroit NewsBiden's debate collapse was reportedly a set-up as part of a ''soft coup,'' and a prominent replacement may already be waiting in the wings.

The Daily Mail spoke to Democrat operatives on Saturday who say Biden's debate was part of a set-up to ensure he fell flat on his face so they could eventually replace him with someone younger and more competent.

''There has never been a debate this early before,'' a former Hillary Clinton aide explained to the outlet. ''Traditionally, the debates are held after the Republican and Democratic conventions, which are in July and August.''

''There is a growing belief this was a 'soft coup' because they know he isn't fit to govern and have known for some time,'' the aide continued. ''They wanted to test him against Trump early while there was still time to replace him if he failed to rise to the occasion. Which, of course, he did spectacularly.''

Another aide told the Daily Mail that Democrat leadership knew for weeks Biden would fall apart but kept it secret for fear of being disloyal.

''Publicly, the Democratic leadership has been backing Biden because they can't appear to be disloyal to the President,'' the second aide said. ''But privately, there have been discussions going on for a long time that he's too old to beat Trump.''

''There were whispers for weeks that 'Joe's going down at the debate,''' he added.

The Daily Mail also reports that Michigan Governor Gretchen Whitmer has made a significant move to launch a presidential bid potentially. It turns out she ''secretly'' sent out an advance team to Washington DC weeks ago as part of the preparation.

From the Mail:

One of the favourites to replace Biden '' Michigan Governor Gretchen Whitmer, 52 '' secretly sent an advance team to Washington DC ''weeks ago'' to prepare for her possible presidential run.

The team has been 'on manoeuvres' and meeting with Democratic officials. The source said: ''Gretchen was the first to act. Now the floodgates have been opened.''

Whitmer has long been tipped as a top Democrat presidential candidate and was a finalist for Biden's running mate slot in 2020. While not well-known by the general public, Joe Biden likes her, and she is fairly popular with Michigan voters.

As The Gateway Pundit has reported, Whitmer has ruled the Wolverine State as a corrupt tyrant, terrorizing her constituents at every turn. She has consistently sold Michigan out to the Chinese Communist Party and pushed through several pieces of far-left legislation to permanently transform the state in her image.

Moreover, she was one of the most loathsome figures during COVID, pushing punishing lockdowns for small businesses and schools while exempting herself from her own rules.

Tudor Dixon, Whitmer's Republican opponent in Michigan's 2022 Gubernatorial election, predicted that Whitmer would replace Biden if he bombed the debate (which he did).

''If pathological liar Joe Biden fails tonight, this is the next pathological liar they'll replace him with,'' she wrote.

If pathological liar Joe Biden fails tonight, this is the next pathological liar they'll replace him with. pic.twitter.com/CRBka23bNq

'-- Tudor Dixon (@TudorDixon) June 27, 2024

If this prediction comes to fruition, America should be terrified if Whitmer somehow prevails against Trump.

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Archived Version

Tue, 02 Jul 2024 19:23

What is African swine fever?African swine fever (ASF) is a highly contagious viral disease of domestic and wild pigs, whose mortality rate can reach 100%.

It is not a danger to human health, but it has devastating effects on pig populations and the farming economy.

The virus is highly resistant in the environment, meaning that it can survive on clothes, boots, wheels, and other materials. It can also survive in various pork products, such as ham, sausages or bacon. Therefore, human behaviours can play an important role in spreading this pig disease across borders if adequate measures are not taken.

African swine fever: a socio-economic burden and a threat to food security and biodiversity Pigs are a primary source of household income in many countries. The spread of ASF across the world has devastated family-run pig farms, often the mainstay of people's livelihoods and a driver of upward mobility. It has also reduced opportunities to access healthcare and education.

Moreover, pork meat is one of the primary sources of animal proteins, accounting for more than 35% of the global meat intake1. Hence, this disease poses a serious problem for food security worldwide.

This disease is also a concern for biodiversity and the balance of ecosystems, as it affects not only domestic farmed pigs, but also wild boars, including native breeds.

Protecting local livelihoods in LaosBounmee is into small scale pig farming, a common activity in Laos. With a total of 1,055 pigs, Bounmee and her family heavily depend on this activity as their source of income. Yet, her pig farming business took an unexpected turn in 2019, when African swine fever (ASF) hit her country for the first time. She lost all 1,055 pigs to this disease in 2019, impacting negatively on her financial resources to cater for her entire family.

Learn more on how we have collaborated with the national Veterinary Service to support pig farmers like Bounmee in Laos.

Global situation ASF continues to spread worldwide, threatening pig health and welfare. The disease has reached multiple countries across Asia, the Caribbean, Europe, and the Pacific, affecting both domestic and wild pigs.

Know more about the current disease situation:

Act to stop the spread From farmers to travellers, all those who might be in direct or indirect contact with pigs, wild boars or pork products can contribute to stopping the spread of this deadly pig disease.

You are a citizen interested in helping

Learn more

1 FAO Food Outlook 2019

Situation reports for African swine fever (ASF) These reports provide an update of the ASF situation at both global and regional levels, according to the information submitted by countries through the World Animal Health Information System (WAHIS).

ASF evolution since 2005 2005: Presence in AfricaASF has traditionally been present in the African continent, where it has been reported in 32 countries since 2005 , when WOAH began to collect data on ASF through its World Animal Health Information System (WAHIS)

2007: Appearance in East EuropeIn 2007 , the disease was confirmed in the Caucasus region of Georgia. From there, the ASF virus gradually spread to neighboring countries (i.e., Armenia, Azerbaijan, Russia and Belarus) affecting domestic pigs and wild boar.

2014: Spread to the EUThe first occurrence of ASF was reported in the European Union (EU) in 2014 and since then, numerous EU countries have been affected by this devastating pig disease that continues to be reported in 16 countries (during 2020 / 2022). Two European countries have managed to eradicate the disease and submitted a self-declaration of freedom: Belgium (event resolved in March 2020) and Czech Republic (event resolved in April 2018).

2018: Emergence in AsiaIn August 2018 , the virus leapt to China (People's Rep. of), which represented the first occurrence of ASF in Asia. Since then, the disease continued to spread in the Region, affecting 16 countries as of 2021.

2019/2020: Spread to OceaniaIn September 2019 , the first occurrence of ASF in Oceania was reported by Timor-Leste, followed by Papua New Guinea (March 2020 ).

2021: Reappearance in the AmericasIn July 2021 the disease reappeared in the Americas after an absence of almost 40 years, having been introduced in Dominican Republic and later in Haiti.

2022 '' 2024: Further spread in Asia and EuropeIn January 2022 , ASF genotype II was notified on the Italian mainland after around 40 years of absence. Two new countries reported the first occurrence of the disease in January as well: North Macedonia and Thailand. In March 2022, ASF was reported for the first time in Nepal.

In 2023, the following countries reported the presence of the disease for the first time: Singapore (February), Bosnia and Herzegovina (June), Croatia (June), Sweden (August), Bangladesh (November). Finally, Montenegro reported the first occurrence of ASF in the country in January 2024.

More on recent ASF dynamics80 countrieshave reported ASF cases since 2005 and as of February 2022.

9 countrieshave reported first occurrences of ASF since January 2022 and until January 2024.

14 countriesreported its spread to new zones since January 2022 and until January 2024.

Keeping transparency on the disease situation Maintaining transparency on the global situation of African swine fever is key to facilitate the implementation of early measures that could halt the spread of the disease.

ASF is a WOAH-listed disease. It is therefore mandatory for national Veterinary Authorities to notify WOAH of any ASF case in a timely manner. Countries may also self-declare the absence of ASF from their territory on a voluntary basis.

Prevention is essential Prevention in ASF-free countries depends on implementation of appropriate import policies and biosecurity measures, ensuring that neither infected live pigs nor pork products are introduced into ASF-free areas.

This includes ensuring proper treatment and disposal of waste food from aircraft, ships or vehicles coming from affected countries and policing illegal imports of live pigs and pork products from affected countries.

At farm level, the following key biosecurity principles should be implemented to keep animals healthy.

Read more about biosecurityControl measures to halt ASF spread During outbreaks and in affected countries, controlling the spread of African swine fever can be difficult and must be adapted to the specific epidemiological situation.

General sanitary measures that may be implemented include:

early detection and humane killing'¯of animals (with proper disposal of carcasses and waste), thorough cleansing and disinfection, zoning/compartmentalisation and movement controls, surveillance and detailed epidemiological investigation, and strict biosecurity measures on farms. As observed in Europe and in some regions of Asia, where wild boar play a significant role in the transmission of ASF, the management of this wild population density and their interaction with low-biosecurity pig production systems is key. The good knowledge and management of the wild boar population and a good coordination among the Veterinary Services, wildlife and forestry authorities are required to successfully prevent and control ASF.

Check our technical guidelines: A global threat African swine fever (ASF) has never been so widespread. Due to its complex epidemiology, the disease has expanded relentlessly since 2018, affecting more than 50 countries2.

Controlling and eradicating ASF becomes more challenging. Despite this daunting context, global control of the disease is possible with sustained effort and collaboration at national, regional and international levels, as evidenced by countries that have succeeded in eradicating the disease.

Today, no country is safe from ASF. The number of countries reporting outbreaks to the WOAH continues to grow. This corresponds to the biggest animal disease outbreak of our generation. Sustained investment in Veterinary Services, and the effective implementation of international standards, are needed to bring ASF under global control.

Dr. Monique ‰loitDirector General for the World Organisation for Animal Health (WOAH)Towards the global control The WOAH and the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO) have developed a joint initiative for the Global Control of ASF. This initiative, launched under the umbrella of the Global Framework for the progressive control of Transboundary Animal Diseases (GF-TADs), brings together governments, industry and specialists to support our Members in their effort to control this devastating pig disease.

The objectives are to:Improve the capability of countriesto control (prevent, respond, eradicate) ASF using WOAH standards and best practices that are based on the latest science.

Establish an effectivecoordination and cooperation framework for the global control of ASF.

Facilitate business continuity.

Global Control on African Swine FeverLearn more about the efforts at regional level2 As of May 2021

You are a citizen interested in knowing more about ASF and what you can doConcrete actions you can take:When travelling

Avoid carrying pork products or declare them to the transport authorities Keep away from pig farms and wild pigs, unless strictly necessary Do not feed pigs with food waste or kitchen scraps containing meat products When hunting

Clean and disinfect your equipment on site Do not leave food for wild boar Clean and disinfect your hunting trophies before leaving the area Your main resources:General PublicHuntersTravellersGeneral Public ãƒ>> Travellers ãƒ>> HuntersYou work in the travel sector, help us spread the word on ASFYou work with pigs. Follow the recommendations Farmers

Declare any suspicious case (dead or alive) to the Veterinary Authorities Do not feed untreated swill or kitchen scraps containing meat to your pigs Implement biosecurity measures in your farm and at markets Veterinarians

Recognise ASF clinical signs Confirm your diagnosis by laboratory test Notify national Veterinary Authorities VeterinariansFarmersFarmersVeterinarian's Infographicãƒ>> Farmer's Infographic ãƒ>> Farmer's Poster

Technical resourcesOther technical resourcesPanoramaPanorama 2020-1: African swine fever: responding to the global'¯threat

Discover

GF-TADsGF-TADs web page on African Swine Fever

Discover

Regional resourcesYou are a journalist, check our publications and events on ASFPublicationsAfrican swine fever threatens an entire production system in South-East Asia '' Opinion piece by Dr Monique Eloit, WOAH Director General, published in iD4D in September 2020

News and EventsWhat is ASF?African swine fever is a highly contagious haemorrhagic viral disease of domestic and wild pigs, responsible for serious production and economic losses due to its high mortality rate and the control measures implemented by affected countries. It is caused by a DNA virus of the Asfarviridae family. Although signs of ASF and classical swine fever (CSF) may be similar, the ASF virus is unrelated to the CSF virus.

ASF does not affect human health.

Although signs of ASF and classical swine fever (CSF) may be similar, the ASF virus is unrelated to the CSF virus. ASF does not affect human health.

What are the clinical signs of ASF?Clinical signs and mortality rates can vary according to the virulence of the virus and the type/species of pig: Acute forms are characterised by high fever, depression, anorexia and loss of appetite, haemorrhages in the skin (redness of skin on ears, abdomen and legs), abortion in pregnant sows, cyanosis, vomiting, diarrhea and death within 6-13 days (or up to 20 days). Mortality rates may be as high as 100%.

Subacute and chronic forms are caused by moderately or low virulent viruses, which produce less intense clinical signs that can be expressed for much longer periods. Mortality rates are lower but can still range from 30-70%. Chronic disease symptoms include weight loss, intermittent fever, respiratory signs, chronic skin ulcers and arthritis.

Different types of pig may have varying susceptibility to ASF virus infection. African wild suids may be infected without showing clinical signs, allowing them to act as reservoirs.

Where does ASF come from? African swine fever has traditionally been present in Africa, until 1978 when the disease was introduced to the Italian island of Sardinia. In 2007, the disease was confirmed in the Caucasus region of Georgia and, from there, the ASF virus gradually spread to neighbouring countries affecting domestic pigs and wild boar. The first occurrence of ASF in the European Union (EU) was reported in 2014 and since then, numerous EU countries have been affected by this devastating pig disease. Yet, two European countries have also managed to eradicate it: Belgium (March 2020) and Czech Republic (April 2018). In 2018, the virus leapt to China (People's Rep. of), representing the first occurrence of ASF in Asia. Since then, the disease has continued to spread in this region and in Oceania. In July 2021, the disease reappeared in the Americas after an absence of almost 40 years, having been introduced in Dominican Republic and later in Haiti. Access the latest updates on the current situation.

How does ASF spread? The epidemiology of ASF is complex and varies depending on the environment, types of pig production systems, the presence or absence of competent tick vectors, human behaviour, and the presence or absence of wild pigs. Routes of transmission can include: '' direct contact between infected pigs, domestic or wild; '' ingestion of material contaminated with the virus (e.g. food waste, feed, or garbage); '' contact with contaminated fomites (such as clothing, footwear or vehicles), or '' bite of biological vectors (soft ticks of the genus Ornithodoros), where present.

How is ASF diagnosed? African swine fever may be suspected based on clinical signs, but confirmation must be made with laboratory tests, particularly to differentiate it from classical swine fever (CSF). Guidance on diagnostic tests for ASF can be found in the Manual of Diagnostic Tests and Vaccines for Terrestrial Animals.

Can humans get ASF? ASF is not a risk to human health.

It is safe to eat pork? Humans do not get sick from African swine fever. The disease cannot be transmitted to humans through contact with pigs or by consuming pork products. However, meat contaminated with the ASF virus should not be used to feed pigs, as pigs can get infected this way. It is therefore recommended to avoid feeding pigs with food scraps or kitchen waste that have not been properly treated.

Should cases of ASF be notified to the WOAH? ASF is a WOAH-listed disease. It is therefore mandatory for national Veterinary Authorities to notify WOAH of any ASF case in a timely manner. At the same time, countries may also self-declare the absence of ASF from their territory on a voluntary basis. Maintaining transparency on the global situation of African swine fever is key to facilitate the implementation of early measures that could halt the spread of the disease.

How can we prevent ASF? Biosecurity is the most important and effective measure available to prevent and control African swine fever. Rigorous and continuous implementation of biosecurity principles at farm level, as well as increasing vigilance at borders to prevent the illegal movement of ASF-infected animals or commodities, can halt the virus from entering pig herds. It is equally important that all those who might be involved in the direct and indirect transmission of ASF are made aware and acknowledge the importance and potential consequences of their actions. In this scenario, efficient risk communication becomes also an essential component of the disease prevention efforts. To support countries, WOAH, jointly with the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO), has developed an awareness campaign that targets different actors who are susceptible to play a role in the spread of the disease. Hunters, small pig farmers and large commercial pig producers, as well as travellers and the transport industry, are called upon to be actively engaged in curbing the spread of this deadly pig disease.

Can African swine fever be controlled? Despite the complexity and challenging characteristics of ASF, its global control is possible with sustained effort and collaboration at national, regional and international levels. For this reason, in 2020, WOAH launched the Initiative for the Global Control of ASF in partnership with the Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO), under the umbrella of the Global Framework for the Progressive Control of Transboundary Animal Diseases (GF-TADs). Its goal: bringing together governments, industry and experts to support our Members in their effort to control this devastating pig disease.

What are the WOAH's goals regarding ASF control? To achieve global control, ASF requires adequate risk management through the development and implementation of national control programmes. Through the Initiative for the Global Control of ASF, WOAH and FAO aim to improve the capability of countries to prevent, respond to and eradicate the disease using WOAH International Standards and best practices that are based on the latest science available. The goal is also to establish an effective coordination and cooperation framework for the control of ASF at global, regional and local level and to facilitate business continuity while ensuring safe production and trade to protect food systems.

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Tue, 02 Jul 2024 18:51

Cognify is a revolutionary new jail concept that uses artificial intelligence and brain implants to reduce the time it takes for criminals to recover from years to minutes.

Introducing fictitious memories of crimes into convicts' brains is an innovative technique to reform the criminal justice system. It allows inmates to understand their misdeeds from the perspective of their victims.

(Photo: Pixabay/ geralt)

Inside the Criminal's Mind: The Cognify ConceptHashem Al-Ghaili, a creative scientist, developed Cognify, which represents a significant step forward in assisting offenders to improve. The technology contains a VR-like gadget that displays an AI-generated video of the crime and a brain implant that causes the individual to experience negative emotions such as regret and guilt.

These fabricated recollections are meant to be very real and detailed so that the offender feels the emotional effects of the crime. This could change their mind and make them less likely to commit another crime.

As part of the rehabilitation process, high-resolution brain scans are used to make precise maps of the neural pathways of the prisoners. Memory, thinking, and logical thought are among the brain regions that the Cognify gadget can target. These are the anterior cingulate cortex, parietal lobe, amygdala, hippocampus, and prefrontal cortex.

This way, the device ensures that the implanted memories are smoothly integrated into the brain's neural networks. This stops cognitive dissonance and ensures that the person experiencing the memories thinks they are real.

The Cognify rehabilitation meetings are meant to feel like years to the prisoner, even though they only last a few minutes in real-time. This is done by changing the way the criminal thinks about time, speeding up their actions' long-term effects. The memories can be altered to fit the needs of each person's rehabilitation, depending on how evil the act was.

The technology shows visual effects and makes people's bodies react, which lets criminals feel their victims' pain and suffering. Some memories are meant to cause long-lasting trauma, like the effect on the victim's body and mind or the grief of the victim's family.

In a demonstration film, 19 pods line a white room. Inside each pod is a prisoner wearing the Cognify device, which has headphones over their ears and a screen over their eyes. With this set-up, they are fully immersed in the memories made by AI.

As inmates undergo these intense events, a central computer records information that will help researchers understand what motivates people to do bad things. The system's storage is encrypted to keep private information about prisoners and their recovery safe.

READ ALSO: Neuralink's First Brain-Implant Patient Demonstrates How Brain Chip Works Despite Reported Setbacks

Revolutionizing the Criminal Justice SystemCognify could significantly reduce the need for long-term prisons and their associated costs. Traditional jails cost a lot of money to build, maintain, staff, and provide prisoners with care such as food, medical care, and rehabilitation programs. The criminal justice system's cost could be significantly reduced if long prison terms were replaced with short, intensive rehabilitation programs.

Al-Ghaili says Cognify's fake memories would fit perfectly with the brain's natural neural networks. This would prevent cognitive dissonance and make the person think the memories are real. This smooth merging is critical for the rehabilitation process to work.

As people struggle with the problems with traditional prisons, Cognify offers a futuristic solution that sees criminals more like patients, getting to the bottom of why they do bad things and giving them a way to change. There are more than 1.7 million people in jail in the US right now, and studies have shown that prison does not effectively stop people from committing crimes again. This means that new solutions like Cognify are needed more than ever.

Though implementing Cognify still raises some social issues and concerns, it is a significant step in reevaluating how we assist criminals in becoming better. Combining AI and neuroscience may result in a more efficient and just criminal justice system.

RELATED ARTICLE: UK Teen Becomes First Recipient of Life-Changing Brain Implant for Epilepsy, Reducing Daytime Seizures by 80%

Check out more news and information on Brain Implant in Science Times.

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Tue, 02 Jul 2024 18:49

Over the past few years, podcasts have grown immensely in popularity, drawing millions of users worldwide. So, it was only a matter of time before advertisers took note of the trend and tried to take advantage of the emerging medium. According to data presented by OnlyAccounts.io, the total spending on podcast ads will reach $4 billion in 2024, four times more than just five years ago. This figure is projected to grow by a further 25% and hit over $5 billion by 2027.

Total Ad Spending Has Increased Sevenfold Since 2017 and will Continue Growing by an Average of $400 Million per Year by 2027Although podcast popularity soared during the pandemic years, helping the format earn a deserved spot among other established media, the entire market continues growing with no signs of stopping soon.

In 2024, roughly 460 million people will listen to podcasts, 55 million more than last year and five times more than in 2017. This massive audience, mostly young, educated, with high incomes and high trust scores, has become highly attractive to advertisers and brands, especially smaller ones seeking to reach a particular target group. This has helped podcast advertising, the largest revenue stream in the market, skyrocket over the years.

According to a Statista Market Insights survey, global podcast ad spending has increased more than sevenfold since 2017, rising from roughly half a billion dollars to over $4 billion. Although the annual growth rate dropped from an all-time high of 45% in 2021 to 16% in 2024, this shows the massive boom the market experienced during the pandemic is being replaced by steady growth and investment.

Statista expects global spending on podcast ads to continue growing by an average of $400 million per year and hit over $5 billion by 2027. Over 65% of that value will come from the world`s largest podcast advertising industry, the United States. The US market is expected to hit $3.3 billion in total ad spending by 2027, or 30% more than this year. Far below, China follows with roughly half a billion dollars in podcast ad spending by 2027, or 13% more than this year. All other top podcast advertising markets, like Japan, India, and Brazil, will see less than $100 million in total ad spending.

The Biggest Podcast Enthusiasts are in Spain, United States and SwedenPodcasts are especially well-suited for long-form audio content like interviews and talks that dig deeper into specific topics or special interests. This format has become particularly popular among younger audiences and digital natives, helping the market to grow its user base more than fivefold. However, the level of podcast adoption varies significantly across different markets.

According to the Reuters Institute's latest Digital News Report survey, 38% of respondents from 47 countries had listened to a podcast in the month preceding the survey, but the biggest podcast enthusiasts were found in Spain, the United States, and Sweden.

Spain had the highest podcast adoption rate of 44%, up from 39% five years ago. The United States and Sweden saw similar growth, with 44% and 43% of podcast listeners in 2024, respectively. The survey also showed Canada and the United Kingdom saw the biggest podcast adoption growth, rising by 12% and 10% in five years, respectively. Japan and France were at the other end of the scale, with 26% and 28% of respondents having listened to a pod in the past month.

Jastra Kranjec Jastra is an editor, writer, and PR specialist with years of experience in news, research, and report writing. Over the years, she has covered different topics and markets, including social media, digital content, the creator economy and the entertainment industry.

View all of Jastra Kranjec's posts

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Tue, 02 Jul 2024 18:47

There may be trouble looming on the horizon for the U.S. stock market, according to BCA Research.

In a note to clients last week, BCA Research chief global strategist Peter Berezin warned that, contrary to popular belief, the economy will fall into a recession either this year or in early 2025.

Should that happen, the S&P 500 could tumble to 3,750, which marks a 30% drop from current levels.

Berezin's prediction hinges on the belief that the labor market will slow notably in coming months, which will weigh heavily on consumer spending '' a major driver of economic growth. The relationship between inflation and unemployment is measured by something called the "Phillips curve."

SMALL BUSINESSES FACE NEW THREAT: BALLOONING RENTS

"The reason the U.S. avoided a recession in 2022 and 2023 was because the economy was operating along the steep side of the Phillips curve," he wrote. "When the labor supply curve is nearly vertical, weaker labor demand will mainly lead to lower wage growth and falling job openings. In other words, an immaculate disinflation."

Pedestrians in front of the New York Stock Exchange in New York on Feb. 16, 2024. (Michael Nagle/Bloomberg via Getty Images / Getty Images)

Berezin also foresees widespread economic pain, with growth slowing sharply in Europe and China. This scenario could further weaken global growth and weigh heavily on international stocks.

WEALTHY AMERICANS ARE ANXIOUS ABOUT MAKING ENDS MEET

Stocks notched a new record in mid-May, with the Dow Jones Industrial Average topping 40,000 for the first time ever, but they have since fallen from those highs.

Ticker Security Last Change Change % I:DJI DOW JONES AVERAGES 39268.13 +98.61 +0.25%I:COMP NASDAQ COMPOSITE INDEX 17996.369954 +117.07 +0.65%SP500 S&P 500 5496.49 +21.40 +0.39% The indexes opened slipped Monday morning as investors await key jobs data from the Labor Department. The S&P benchmark was down about 12 points as of mid-morning.

A Wall Street sign in New York City on Jan. 27, 2023. (Photographer: John Taggart/Bloomberg via Getty Images / Getty Images)

The forecast from BCA Research '' one of the gloomiest on Wall Street '' comes after a volatile year for the market.

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All three indexes tumbled in mid-2023 amid fears the Federal Reserve would raise interest rates higher than previously expected '' and hold them at peak levels for longer. However, they have recouped those losses and more, with the S&P 500 up more than 29% since it hit bottom at the end of October.

Since the start of the year, the benchmark index is up about 15%, while the Dow Jones Industrial Average has climbed 3.7%. The tech-heavy Nasdaq Composite, meanwhile, has increased about 20% year to date.

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Tue, 02 Jul 2024 18:45

Following my post today, a neurosurgeon and Unreported Truths reader (yes, some of you are actually brain surgeons) wrote in.

For obvious reasons, he did not want his name used, but his email and answers to my follow-up question speak for itself. I'd urge you to read to the end, for the prediction he makes.

I simply wanted to give you a thumbs up on your diagnosis of POTUS. He undoubtedly has Parkinson's disease, and is increasingly suffering from Parkinson's dementia. The signs are unmistakable: -his shuffling gait -the absence of associated movements (facial expression, arm swinging). When he does swing his arms, it appears stilted - probably because his handlers have told him to swing his arms when he walks. It's something we all do naturally, but it goes away in Parkinson's disease -gait instability -soft voice -ON and OFF periods - times when the medication seems to be working well, and when it isn't (also explains how a good dose of Sinemet times right could get him more animated -resting tremor is not prominent in Biden's case, but this is true of many cases of Parkinsonism His physicians UNDOUBTEDLY know this, and it is unconscionable that we do not know this about his health record. I understand HIPAA issues, but this is worse than the Roosevelt secret - he couldn't walk. At least he had his mind about him! Here we have someone with cognitive issues with his hand on the nuclear button. '--

(Pay 20 cents a day for me, get the neurosurgeon for free!)

'--

I followed up with two questions:

1: Parkinson's is generally diagnosed clinically, not from brain scans or blood markers, right? The reason I ask is that if that's the case, his physicians could presumably keep an official diagnosis out of his records while prescribing him medicines for it, I imagine.

2: What is the life expectancy for someone with the symptoms Joe displays (assuming they are being managed to the extent possible, which seems like a fair bet). I know Parkinson's is a slow burn, but it accelerates near the end, right?

'--

His answers:

1: Parkinson's is largely a clinical diagnosis, meaning it is diagnosed from a neurological examination and history. There are no blood tests.

2: So life expectancy is difficult to predict in Parkinson's disease. People can live many years and the disease can accelerate quickly near the end, or progress relatively slowly in its early stages...

My prediction is that the President will have increasing troubles walking over the next siz months, eventually needing some sort of assistive device. His dementia will probably advance during that time as well. We are not seeing the same Joe Biden of even a year ago.

This is obviously an educated guess on my part, but I've spoken to many colleagues who feel the same way about his appearance. His gait and his expressionless face (called a 'poker face' in the Parkinson's literature) are quite classic.

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Tue, 02 Jul 2024 18:44

By Julie Steenhuysen and Leah Douglas

(Reuters) -The U.S. government has awarded $176 million to Moderna to advance development of its bird flu vaccine, the company said on Tuesday, as concerns rise over a multi-state outbreak of H5N1 virus in dairy cows and infections of three dairy workers since March.

Funds from the U.S. Biomedical Advanced Research and Development Authority will be used to complete late-stage development and testing of a pre-pandemic mRNA-based vaccine against H5N1 avian influenza.

U.S. officials said on a press call that late-stage testing would begin in 2025, pending results expected in the coming weeks of Moderna's phase 1 trial. The late-stage trial would likely focus on safety and immune response.

The contract includes options to accelerate the development timeline if needed, based on an increase in human cases, the severity of cases or human-to-human transmission of the virus.

It is too early to tell how many doses Moderna will be able to manufacture, said Robert Johnson, director of the medical countermeasures program at HHS, on the call.

In March, U.S. officials reported the first outbreak of the H5N1 virus in dairy cattle, which has since infected more than 130 herds in 12 states.

Scientists are concerned that exposure to the virus in poultry and dairy operations could increase the risk that the virus will mutate and gain the ability to spread easily among people, touching off a pandemic.

The risk to the general public from bird flu remains low, and vaccination is not currently recommended for any segment of the population, Dawn O'Connell, assistant secretary for preparedness and response at the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, said on a call with reporters.

However, "robust discussions" are occurring within government agencies about whether vaccinating farm workers would be helpful, said Nirav Shah, principal deputy director of the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, adding that no final decisions have been made.

The government expects to have more announcements on H5N1 vaccines in the near future, O'Connell said. In a previous briefing, O'Connell said her agency was also negotiating with Pfizer for an mRNA vaccine against H5N1.

Both the Moderna and Pfizer vaccines use messenger RNA, the technology used in their COVID-19 vaccines.

"mRNA vaccine technology offers advantages in efficacy, speed of development and production, scalability, and reliability in addressing infectious disease outbreaks, as demonstrated during the COVID-19 pandemic," Moderna CEO Stephane Bancel said in a statement.

Manufacturing of conventional flu vaccines using cell or egg-based technology can take four to six months.

U.S. officials previously announced they were moving bulk vaccine from CSL Seqirus that closely matches the current virus into finished shots that could provide 4.8 million doses if needed.

Some of those doses could be available as early as this month, O'Connell said. Those shots could potentially be used to inoculate farm workers and others at risk of exposure to the virus.

Lab experiments from the U.S. Food and Drug Administration continue to confirm that pasteurization inactivates the bird flu virus in dairy products, said Don Prater, director of the agency's Center for Food Safety and Applied Nutrition.

The FDA is conducting ongoing tests of retail dairy products for traces of avian flu and has cautioned against consuming raw milk.

(Reporting by Julie Steenhuysen in Chicago and Leah Douglas in Washigton; Additional reporting by Bhanvi Satija, Christy Santhosh in Bengaluru; Editing by Bill Berkrot)

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Tue, 02 Jul 2024 18:41

Convicted pedophile Jeffrey EpsteinPalm Beach County Judge Luis Delgado ordered the unsealing of grand jury records related to the infamous Jeffrey Epstein case on Monday.

Earlier this year, Florida Governor Ron DeSantis signed a bill that would enable the release of grand jury documents related to the 2006 investigation of sexual predator Jeffrey Epstein.

For context, in July 2006, the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) initiated an investigation into Jeffrey Epstein, a wealthy financier, under the codename ''Operation Leap Year.'' The probe culminated in a 53-page indictment by June 2007, exposing the depths of Epstein's alleged sex crimes involving minors.

However, Alexander Acosta, the U.S. Attorney for the Southern District of Florida at the time, brokered a plea deal. This agreement, negotiated with the assistance of attorney Alan Dershowitz, effectively granted Epstein immunity from all federal criminal charges, along with four named co-conspirators and any potential unnamed accomplices.

The Miami Herald reported that the non-prosecution agreement ''essentially shut down an ongoing FBI probe'' into the possibility of more victims and powerful individuals involved in Epstein's crimes. The deal, which was kept secret from the victims in violation of federal law, halted further investigations and sealed the indictment.

Acosta later justified the leniency of the deal by claiming he was informed that Epstein ''belonged to intelligence'' and that the issue was above his ''pay grade,'' the Daily Beast reported.

On Monday, Palm Beach County Judge Luis Delgado unsealed long-contested grand jury records after persistent legal efforts by the Palm Beach Post, alongside other major media outlets such as the Miami Herald.

The court documents reveal that Epstein, who was in his 40s at the time, had raped girls as young as 14 in his Palm Beach residence. The victims also testified that they were also compensated to recruit additional girls for him.

Miami Herald reported:

The records contain nearly 200 pages, including the testimony of two girls who were molested by Epstein, the New York financier who abused hundreds of underage girls at his Palm Beach mansion between 1996 and 2008. Epstein managed to escape serious charges, in part because the Palm Beach prosecutor at the time, Barry Krischer, elected to charge him with minor prostitution and solicitation rather than bringing a felony sexual assault case.

Both Krischer and the lead prosecutor in the case, Lanna Belohlavek, told Palm Beach police that they didn't intend to prosecute Epstein because they believed the girls were prostitutes. But Palm Beach Police Chief Michael Reiter and the lead detective, Joe Recarey, both protested the decision, noting that the victims were as young as 14 and that Epstein, who was in his 50s, had used fraud and coercion to lure the girls to his home on the pretense that they would be paid to give him massages.

The records released Monday were transcripts of audio recordings of the testimony given before a grand jury convened in 2006. Although grand juries are normally convened for murder cases, Krischer took the unusual step of presenting the case to a grand jury because he was unwilling to allow Palm Beach police to arrest and file charges against the powerful and politically connected Epstein.

The actual audio recordings of the proceeding were not released to the public Monday. The Miami Herald requested the recordings, but was told that they were not available. The transcripts also seem to be missing key elements that would normally be part of a grand jury proceeding. For example, there is no record that Belohlavek introduced herself to the panel, explained what the case was about or told the jury what they were supposed to do. There's no closing statement summarizing the case or any documentation of what the grand jury ultimately decided.

What is clear is that Belohlavek painted an unsympathetic portrait of the girls, both of whom came from broken families. One of the girls and her sister had been passed back and forth between parents and were taken to a school for troubled juveniles. The girl ran away several times before meeting a group of older kids, one of whom brought her to Epstein's mansion.

According to the transcripts, Palm Beach Police Detective Joe Recarey testified in July 2006 about the initial investigation into Epstein. The probe began in March 2005 when a woman reported her high school-aged stepdaughter had received $300 for ''sexual activity with a man in Palm Beach,'' First Coast News reported.

Another teenager, whose name was redacted in the transcript, told detectives she was 17 when she was offered $200 to provide a massage at Epstein's home. Once there, she was asked by Epstein to undress. When Epstein made unwanted advances, she expressed her discomfort. However, Epstein then proposed paying her to bring other girls to his home. He made it clear that he preferred them younger.

The teenager brought six friends from her high school to Epstein's home over time, including a 14-year-old girl. She received $200 each time she brought a friend and was also provided a rental car paid for by Epstein.

According to Liz Crokin, ''Palm Beach prosecutor, Lanna Belohlavek, disgustingly painted Jeffrey Epstein's two victims, one who was 14 the other 16 or 17 at the time of the sexual abuse, as prostitutes and accused them of committing a ''crime'' in the 2006 secret grand jury hearing. Belohlavek asked one victim, who was 14 at the time Epstein sexually abused her, this: ''You're aware that you committed a crime?'' Belohlavek asked the other victim who was repeatedly sexually abused by Epstein starting at age 16 or 17 this: ''You understand that you in effect were committing prostitution yourself?'' Also, Belohlavek told Palm Beach police that they didn't intend to prosecute Epstein because they believed the girls were prostitutes.''

Read the grand jury testimony below:

Trending: Rep. Matt Gaetz Points Out CNN's Dana Bash Used Hand Signals During Debate (VIDEO)

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Archived Version

Tue, 02 Jul 2024 18:30

Heads are spinning in Texas following the indictment of general surgeon Dr. Eithan Haim, a recent graduate of Baylor College of Medicine who - with astounding bravery - exposed Texas Children's Hospital for continuing to perform gender reassignment procedures on children despite assuring Attorney General Ken Paxton and the general public that it wasn't. Days later, a second, equally courageous, whistleblower stepped up - nurse Vanessa Sivadge witnessed Texas Children's transgender clinic fraudulently billing Medicaid, miscoding illegal care as something legal in order to receive payment. SB14, a law passed a year ago, prohibits physicians in Texas from providing gender-affirming care to minors. Texas Children's Hospital apparently found ways around this.

The outcry from state politicians was immediate and caught the attention of Attorney General Ken Paxton, who swiftly stepped in, declaring he was launching an investigation into Texas Children's. The hospital immediately retreated, taking down its press contact page, calling the cops on a reporter and scrubbing their website's information of the two doctors implicated in the scandal, Drs. Richard Ogden Roberts and David Paul as well as their entire board of directors.

The response from our elected officials was appropriate and expedient, but at the same time frustrating - the COVID response from our leaders has been far more tentative. Four years later, we are still trying to right the ship. No one has been held accountable, very few politicians will acknowledge the COVID shots are dangerous and should be pulled off the market, and the first hospital in the country to mandate the shots has yet to lose a lawsuit. Like a smoldering burn that will not extinguish, I continue to fight the Texas Medical Board to clear my name. I did not secretly insert hormone pellets into 12 year old girls and bill the taxpayers - instead, I stepped on the toes of two multibillion dollar 'nonprofit' hospitals by speaking up against mandates and fighting to protect - through the court system - the medical wishes of a dying man whose caretakers refused to respect his rights.

COVID opened my eyes to a very dark side of healthcare - a side I had seen hints of throughout my career but had managed to avoid. When I decided to take care of COVID patients and buck the establishment, I met the darkness head-on. I accepted the challenge and intend on shining light on the darkness.

On April 1, 2021, the day HHS announced the launch of its vaccine propaganda machine, COVID-19 Community Corps, and five months before Biden announced the federal employee mandate, Houston Methodist Hospital proudly declared it was setting a precedent - ''leading medicine'' as they like to say - and mandating COVID shots for all of its employees. At the time, these shots were not FDA- approved and only under EUA status - they had been on the market for less than four months. In June of 2021, the hospital fired 153 employees who refused to comply.

I had many patients confide in me their reluctance to abide by the mandates, voicing concerns about the safety of these new modified mRNA shots. Because my clinic was doing a lot of testing, I saw the breakthrough cases and even reached out to an administrator at Houston Methodist, asking him if he was seeing what I was seeing. My concerns were dismissed.

Ignored by Methodist, I started speaking out on X, daring to tweet ''Vaccine mandates are wrong.'' In retaliation, Houston Methodist suspended my privileges, declared to the world I was ''dangerous,'' and reported me to the Texas Medical Board. At the same time, I was asked to help a dying man obtain ivermectin by serving as an expert witness and a consulting physician in his lawsuit against Texas Huguley Hospital. He lost his legal battle and ultimately died, but despite their victory, the hospital reported me to the Texas Medical Board. Nearly three years and over $175,000 later, I am still defending myself against the charges both Houston Methodist and Texas Huguley hospital brought against me.

The backlash against Eithan Haim by Texas Children's Hospital was more severe than my experience - I am not potentially facing prison time - which I presume is a reflection of the particularly ardent fervor of the ideological movement he has challenged. We were both thrust into the public eye and punished by government authority for honoring the Hippocratic oath over extreme public healthcare policies. Many have asked how such persecution could occur in the seemingly red state of Texas, but I believe these attacks are orchestrated and part of a bigger plan. Healthcare is serving as a Trojan horse to sneak in powerful far-left tenets and change the political landscape of our state. Mandates were just the beginning - the extremists knew if they could get away with mandates in Texas, they could get away with them anywhere. As goes Texas, so goes the country.

I live in Harris County, the most populous county in Texas, the 3rd most populous county in the nation, and home to the largest medical complex in the world - the Texas Medical Center (TMC). The TMC hosts 61 hospitals, including the world's largest children's hospital (Texas Children's Hospital) and the world's largest cancer hospital (MD Anderson.) I've wondered what sort of impact this gigantic system has on Texas state politics and decided to dig into the numbers.

Source: https://www.apmresearchlab.org/blog/unequal-counties

Over the last 10 years, Texas' population has surged. Austin's population has grown 33%, Dallas and Houston have each grown 20%. Recent figures show from 2021 to 2022, hundreds of thousands of people fled the blue cities of New York, Los Angeles and Chicago to settle in Houston and Dallas.

And where are these people working? In 2022, the top employment sector in Texas was healthcare . Presently, the top position advertised online in Texas is for Registered Nurses.

Healthcare is the number one source of employment growth in the region . At the current growth rate, the area expects to grow to approximately 1,935,146 jobs by 2030, a 23.4 percent growth rate from 1,567,737 positions in 2020.

Houston's Texas Medical Center is the world's largest medical complex by several measures: number of hospitals, number of physicians, square footage and patient volume. The TMC employs over 106,000 people, hosts 10 million patient encounters annually, and has a gross domestic product of US$25 billion. Overall, the healthcare industry contributes over $105 billion to Texas' GDP.

Over the past 10 years, Texas grew its physician workforce at a faster rate than the state's population; the total number of physicians grew at 2.5 times the population rate. Every year, nearly 2500 first year residents enter Texas to work in teaching hospitals, and this number is growing. From 2021 to 2022, the number of newly licensed physicians increased by 1,300 (24%), from 5,300 newly licensed in 2021 to 6,600 newly licensed in 2022. This is the second highest year-over-year numerical increase for newly licensed physicians in Texas in 40 years.

In the last 8 years, health professionals PACs' contributions to candidates have shifted allegiances; in 2014, the majority of contributions went to Republican candidates but over the ensuing 8 years, healthcare PACs have shifted their money to the Democrats. [Source: OpenSecrets.org ]. Though donations were down significantly to both parties, 2023 saw a shift back towards Republicans

2014: $15,429,353 to Republicans vs. $10,597,508 to Democrats

2018: $13,819,441 to Republicans vs $10,949,985 to Democrats

2020: $10,839,418 to Republicans vs $10,784,919 to Democrats

2022: $9,932,381 to Republicans vs $11,163,321 to Democrats

2023 $7,045,496 to Republicans vs $6,497,799 to Democrats

The Texas Medical Association (TMA) is the nation's largest medical society and claims to be the strongest voice for physicians in Texas. With over 57,000 members, approximately 80% of Texas physicians belong to the TMA. In 2022, they collected over $16 million in membership dues. Historically, TMA has been pro-physician and pro-patient, a group designed to help individual and small groups of doctors and their patients stand up against large hospitals and insurance companies. Lately however, their public health policies, legislative priorities, candidate endorsements and donor lists suggest otherwise.

Since 2010, the majority of funds raised by the TMA have supported Republicans, but in 2024, 50% of donations went to Democrats , including vaccine crusaders and mandate enthusiasts Reps Julie Johnson and Jasmine Crockett.

The two biggest line items on the TMA foundation's ''Program Service Accomplishments'' in 2022 were ''Diversity and Medicine Scholarship'' for $179, 514 and ''Vaccine Defend What Matters'' for $106,021.

Dr. Jimmy Widmer, head of TEXPAC , the political arm of the Texas Medical Association, testified against the Texas COVID-19 Vaccine Freedom Act and SB 177 , a bill allowing individuals to reject the COVID-19 shots based on informed consent.

Pediatrician Dr. Valerie Smith wrote opposing testimony to Texas Senate Bill 29, prohibiting government vaccine mandates, mask requirements, or private business or school closures to prevent the spread of COVID-19:

In a TV interview , Dr. Smith recommended universal masking in schools. As part of TMA's COVID-19 Task Force, she helped craft the following COVID propaganda:

The TMA has written policies supporting universal flu vaccines and removing parents' right to refuse vaccinations for their children.

At their last annual meeting on May 5, 2024, Dr. Ori Hampel, a urologist in Houston, proposed a policy opposing mandates for any and all medical interventions. The majority of the 500 TMA delegates voted this measure down, signifying that the largest medical association in the country believes the government should have the authority to force Texas citizens to undergo a medical intervention.

SB14, Prohibiting Gender Transitioning Procedures and Treatments for Minors, passed and was signed into law but was opposed by TMA . Claiming to represent all 55,000 physicians in Texas, Dr. Linda Villarreal , President of Texas Medical Association, and Dr. Charleta Guillory, President of Texas Pediatric Society, sent a letter to Attorney General Ken Paxton opposing ''the criminalization of evidence-based, gender-affirming care for transgender youth and adolescents.''

TMA's policy outlining gender affirming care for minors was crafted in 2021 by a small coalition of LGBQT activists - Drs. Brett Cooper, Shanna Combs, Emily Briggs, and Maria Monge.

TMA opposes ''conversion therapy'' meaning ''any form of talk therapy or similar activity that seeks to break down a person's sexual attraction or gender identity. Attempts may also be made to force an attraction to the opposite sex, or identification with recorded birth sex.'' The language of the TMA's policy on gender affirming care for minors is purposely confusing but amounts to supporting gender transitioning through medical interventions in minors and opposing therapy that might change their mind.

One of TMA's strongest proponents of transitioning minors is Dr. Maria Monge . Until recently, she was the director of adolescent medicine at Dell Children's Medical Center in Austin Texas but departed after Attorney General Ken Paxton announced an investigation into the hospital for illegal performance of gender transitioning procedures on minors. Of note, every doctor in the adolescent medicine department at Dell Children's Medical Center left the hospital following Ken Paxton's announcement.

Dr. Monge developed her extreme views while training at Boston Children's adolescent care program. She now runs an independent practice in Austin . A source who knows her told me she is passionate about providing gender affirming care.

In 2021, the TMA passed a resolution opposing criminalization of gender modification treatments on minors.

According to a former leader within the TMA, medical students were used as a Trojan horse to introduce this legislation. TMA culture is one of head-patting and giving leeway to medical students, and despite only comprising 12 of the 500 delegates, the medical student section submitted 40 resolutions last session. Audio transcripts from a LGBTQ section meeting on January 28, 2022 attended by Dr. Brett Cooper, Sealy Massengill, Shanna Combs, Emily Briggs and John Carlo demonstrate how a small group of activists from different groups within the TMA can strategize to push through controversial policy. Dr. Sealy Massingill, CMO of Planned Parenthood said ''And we get those two things tagged in there. That would be outstanding, but again, you need the right Trojan horse to bring that in'.... Shanna [Combs], just putting the text isn't the worst idea ever, it'd be easier and potentially less problematic for to come find the right Trojan horse , that'd be the best way to do it.'' The group knew if the policy had come directly from the LGBTQ section there would have been more pushback, so they arranged for the medical students to introduce it and sneak it in.

Dr. Emily Briggs, part of TMA's COVID-19 Task Force and a LBGTQ section leader, was instrumental in forming the original gender affirming care for minors policy out of the Committee for Child and Adolescent Health. She runs a full-spectrum family practice in New Braunfels, TX

The members of TMA's LBGQT group knew the importance of getting the right language into policy in order to force the TMA advocacy team to action. Sealy said, ''All y'all are exactly right, this allows'...actually forces the advocacy staff to say we have a position. Now whether they will or won't care, do we have a position as they didn't, a lot during the last session is going to depend on how much we PRESS them to take a position. And that's why Council on Legislation chair, that's an important position, why the advocacy, vice presidents are such an important position, we got to keep pressuring them to do the right thing is pretty clear they don't always want to do the right thing. This came up in the last in the special sessions, as John Carlo, and his role as chair of Council on Legislation asked about is the TMA didn't actually have policy. So there was nothing that our Council on Legislation could take to the Capitol. That's why this is needed.''

Doe v. Abbott is a lawsuit brought by a family investigated by the Texas Department of Family and Protective Services (DFPS). Abbott directed them to investigate parents seeking medical care for minors with gender dysphoria. Texas Medical Association filed a friend-of-the-court brief in support of the plaintiffs (March 10, 2022.) ''TMA supports physician efforts to provide medically appropriate therapies relating to gender identity and opposes efforts to criminalize evidence based, gender-affirming care for transgender youth.'' The lawsuit is pending appeal before the Third Court of Appeals.

Doe v Abbott is backed by Lambda Legal , the ACLU and Baker Botts. Lambda Legal was started in 1971 to advocate for gay rights. The firm has grown to twenty attorneys and is financially backed by George Soros . With assets estimated over $16 million, Lambda Legal has expanded to become active in transgender cases, notably ones involving minors. Another minor gender modification case they backed, Loe v Abbott , challenging SB14, was shut down by the Supreme Court of Texas on June 28, 2024.

During their last annual meeting, May 5, 2024, Dr. Michael Ready , a neurologist in Temple, Texas, submitted a proposal to change the language of TMA's guidelines from ''gender-affirming care'' to ''evidenced-based care.'' Of all the resolutions proposed, this one stimulated the most pushback, inciting a storm of LBGQT TMA activists to submit written testimony in opposition. His efforts really didn't stand a chance - nearly 80% of the 500 delegates voted against this resolution and it was easily struck down.

Opposing testimony was submitted by Drs. Lindy McGee, Brett Cooper (on behalf of the LGBTQ Section), Benjamin Lee (on behalf of the Council of Science and Public Health), Shanna Combs, John Carlo, Celia B. Neavel (on behalf of the Behavioral Health Committee), Kelly Ann Bennett and Mr. Jon Roth (on behalf of Dallas County Medical Society).

Only two physicians supported the resolution - John R. Asbury, MD and Vivek U. Rao, MD (on behalf of the Lone Star Caucus - Lone Star Caucus is the caucus of all the small counties and towns in Texas and makes up approximately 40% of caucus strength at TMA.)

Dr. Lindy McGee is an assistant professor of pediatrics at Baylor College of Medicine with Texas Children's Hospital and serves as chair of the Committee on Child and Adolescent Health at Texas Medical Association. She is a vaccine enthusiast, sitting on the board of The Immunization Partnership , a Houston-area organization that promotes vaccines, and recently presented at UT Southwestern's Pediatric Ground Rounds, ''Anti-Vaccine Rhetoric and the Threat to Routine Childhood Immunizations.'' In an article published on TMA's website titled ''Getting Another Shot: Physicians Combat Post-COVID Vaccine Hesitancy,'' McGee states, ''Increased skepticism about childhood vaccines has been encouraged by anti-vaccine forces.'' McGee fears it will be used to convince lawmakers to weaken requirements that schoolchildren be vaccinated.

Her written testimony to the TMA from May 2024 demonstrates her support for allowing minors to sexually transition.

Dr. Brett Cooper , Assistant Professor in the Department of Pediatrics at UT Southwestern Medical Center, specializes in adolescent medicine, including puberty consultations and LGBTQ health.

In his written testimony to TMA, Dr. Cooper wrote, ''Just because the legislature decided that they know how to practice medicine better than we do doesn't mean we should remove our support of the ability to provide ALL evidence-based care.''

Dr. Benjamin Lee is Associate Professor in the Department of Pediatrics at UT Southwestern Medical Center and a member of TMA's Infection Control and Health Information Management committees. He served as past chair of the Committee on Child and Adolescent Health and is the current chair of the Council on Health Promotion within the Texas Medical Association.

Dr. Lee also proposed a resolution supporting transgender youth participation in sports. This was fully supported by TMA's Committee for Child and Adolescent Health and LGBTQ section but did not pass thanks to the efforts of former Board of Trustees member Dr. Lisa Erlich and the TMA's Council on Science and Public Health.

Dr. Shanna Combs is an assistant professor in Pediatrics and Adolescent Gynecology at University of North Texas Science Center, is chair of the Women's Section of Texas Medical Association and vice-chair of Tarrant County Medical Society. A former leader in TMA told me she was reprimanded by a hospital for performing gender affirming care on minors.

Dr. John Carlo is a public health activist and board member of the Texas Medical Association. He served on TMA's COVID-19 Task Force, chaired the Texas Public Health Coalition, the Councils on Science and Public Health, Legislation, and Socioeconomics and is a delegate to the American Medical Association. John Carlo trained as a general surgeon but supposedly did not complete his residency and is not board certified in general surgery. He is CEO of Prism Health , a company that focuses on HIV and transgender care and accepts Medicare and Medicaid. He is reported to be pro-mandate, pro-mask, pro-vaccine, pro-lockdown and a prominent member of TMA's COVID-19 Task Force.

Dr. Celia Neavel is co-chair of TMA's Behavioral Health Committee and the medical director for the Center for Adolescent Health at People's Community Clinic in Austin.

Dr. Neavel holds the belief that transitioning minors prevents suicides, writing ''The Committee on Behavioral Health (CBH) is against Resolution 326. CBH stands by the original TMA policy 260.139 on Gender-Affirming Care, as this is rooted in evidence-based and patient-centered care practices. CBH affirms support for TMA policy 260.139 which was approved by the House of Delegates. TMA policy 260.139 contributes to improving the mental health and reducing suicide risk of transgender patients.''

Dr. Kelly Ann Bennett , chair of TMA's LGBQT Health Section, is an associate professor in family medicine at the Texas Tech University Medical Center in Lubbock Texas.

Dr. Bennett leaned on WPATH in her testimony opposing Dr. Ready's resolution.

Mr. Jon Roth , CEO of the Dallas County Medical Society, also opposed Dr. Ready's resolution.

Mr. Roth replaced outgoing CEO of Dallas County Medical Society Michael Darrouzet after Darrouzet was promoted to become CEO of TMA in 2019. According to a former leader within the TMA, Mr. Darrouzet is the impetus behind the deviation in TMA's mission from protecting the physician-patient relationship to embracing extreme left-wing public health policies. Darrouzet set TMA on a new trajectory and has been quoted as calling physicians who disagree with this trajectory as ''rogue.'' Mr. Darrouzet has been accused of bringing Washington DC politics and AMA values into the Texas Medical Association, clouding a vision that previously had been clear.

In 2023, the TMA Board of Trustees created a 'medical disinformation' policy. Apparently my name was brought up multiple times during the committee meeting drafting this policy.

The ringleaders for this resolution were pediatricians Dr. Jason Terk and Dr. Valerie Smith - both members of TMA's COVID-19 Task Force.

Dr. Jason Terk was on TMA's Committee for Science and Public Health the past two years and reportedly targeted me and other physicians who had the courage to speak out against mandates. In an interview with KevinMD , Terk recounts how one of his patients infected his father with COVID. The implication was that both the son and the father not being vaccinated were to blame for his death - he made no mention of early treatment or comorbidities.

TMA is a member of a group called '' Shots Heard ,'' an organization describing itself as ''a rapid-response digital cavalry dedicated to protecting the online safety of health care providers and practices.''

During the pandemic, members of Shots Heard encouraged the public to report me and other physicians to the medical boards. Here's an example where TMA member and Houston pediatrician Dr. Christina Propst spurred other members to make fake claims against me to the Texas Medical Board:

I reported this action of Dr. Propst to the medical board, but the board declined to investigate, admitting they don't regulate speech.

When I posted TMA's evidence of membership in Shots Heard on X, TMA responded by blocking me. I've sent them numerous emails asking for explanation that have all remained unanswered.

Despite the fact that the TMA is part of a group trying to take me down, I am forced to pay them $810 in annual dues. If I don't, I lose my malpractice insurance with TMLT - an option I don't have since I am in the midst of defending myself against the medical board.

TMA and TMLT have an intimate relationship - the chair of TMA's Board of Trustees, Dr. Joseph Valenti is also on TMLT's Board of Trustees. TMLT has a virtual monopoly for medical malpractice in Texas, and TMA enables the monopoly in two ways. First, it obstructs competitors from representation at their annual meeting. Medpro allegedly offered one million dollars to have a booth and was denied - other competitors have been subjected to the same stacked deck. Second, a condition of having insurance with TMLT is membership with TMA. Valenti was witnessed celebrating this requirement, calling it ''golden handcuffs'' for Texas physicians.

Gynecologist Valenti is a regular donor to Democrats - he is particularly fond of Rep. Julie Johnson who is very vocal about her views on abortion.

The three most powerful leaders of TMA sit on the board of the Physician's Foundation - TMA Board of Trustees chair Dr. Joseph Valenti, TMA's CEO Michael Darrouzet and TMA's COO John Dorman. The Physician's Foundation financially supports medical associations across the state and in 2022, gave $450,000 to Weill Cornell Medical College.

Houston Methodist is also friends with Weill Cornell Medical College. From Methodist's website: ''Houston Methodist is affiliated with Weill Cornell Medical College and the Weill Cornell Graduate School of Medical Sciences of Cornell University. The educational programs at Houston Methodist are coordinated by the Academic Institute, under the leadership of Houston Methodist Academic Institute president H. Dirk Sostman, MD, FACR, Research Institute president and CEO Edward Jones, and Education Institute director Timothy Boone, MD, PhD. It is advised by a council of chairs of the academic clinical and research departments.''

I'm curious why TMA and first hospital in the country to mandate the COVID shots are both so closely connected to Weill Cornell.

Only a handful of physicians within the TMA have been brave enough to publicly stand up to the left-wing public health activists. Trying to reframe a failed Free Speech resolution he had written a few years before, Dr. Michael Ready, backed by the Lone Star Caucus, made waves again when he submitted the following resolution at last May's TMA meeting:

Dr. Ready was motivated by what he had perceived as self-censoring of physicians (primary in response to DEI programs - as a recent study has shown that free speech is suppressed or goes down in the presence of DEI programs).

A dermatologist from Tyler, Texas, Dr. Laura Haygood, submitted testimony in favor of the proposal, but her support was overshadowed by that of the Harris County Medical Society, who rejected the proposal. The measure was struck down.

Despite the Texas law against gender transitioning care for minors, TMA offered a CME course on transgender care at their annual meeting on May 5th. Activists Brett Cooper, Emily Briggs and Sealy Massingill were part of the team that presented this talk.

The talk encompassed care for adolescents and children.

Texas does not have a state Surgeon General. During the pandemic, Governor Abbott relied on Texas Department of State Health Services (DSHS) commissioner Dr. Hellerstedt, who spoke of his close relationship with TMA.

''We had daily discussions with TMA,'' in coordination with the association's COVID-19 Task Force, he reflected. ''They were a great resource for getting out information to other physicians. It was extremely helpful to have that [coordination] and be able to have regular in-depth conversations with medical professionals.''

Prior to his DSHS term, Dr. Hellerstedt served as a consultant to TMA's Council on Public Health.

Dr. Hellerstedt was eventually awarded with the Texas Hospital Association's THA Trustee Award - the highest honor given to someone not directly involved in hospital management. The THA commended him for ''wearing a mask and becoming one of the first Texans to become vaccinated against COVID-19'....During industry-wide calls to address the pandemic, Dr. Hellerstedt made sure the needs of hospitals were amplified as the state public health team worked to respond.''

Here he is receiving the award with Dr. Marc Boom, CEO of Houston Methodist Hospital:

Current DSHS commissioner Jennifer Shuford, MD, who was front and center during TMA's COVID Task Force meetings, spoke of the chemistry between TMA and the public health agency:

''TMA has been an extraordinary partner during my time as commissioner.''

Shuford served as consultant to TMA's Council on Science and Public Health and Committee on Infectious Diseases and recently attended TMA's Leadership Conference in January to address the state's syphilis epidemic.

''The benefit is mutual, and I can say that having been a member of TMA before [becoming commissioner]. Seeing everything that they can do to improve the lives of patients through public health is great.''

''I had no idea they [TMA] were such an advocate for public health until I was in this role.''

Texas has become the testing ground for far left public health policies - I believe Houston Methodist was strategically chosen to be the first hospital in the country to mandate the COVID shots. By pulling off mandates in the largest freedom-loving Republican state in the country, Houston Methodist proved mandates can happen anywhere. And by targeting me - a solo physician inconsequential to their revenue stream - they sent a strong message to other physicians who might have wanted to speak out. TMA was part of that effort.

The largest medical association in the country is being led by extremists who embrace mandates, censorship and gender transitioning of minors. As evidenced at their last meeting, the majority of delegates within the TMA also embrace these tenets.

TMA has lost its way and should be dismantled. TMA's close relationship with the largest malpractice insurance carrier in the state should prompt an anti-trust investigation.

In subsequent chapters, I will look at the politicians working with TMA and other institutions making up the Texas Medical Mafia. Please subscribe and send this to your legislators.

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Tue, 02 Jul 2024 18:12

Jamie Foxx is opening up about his health scare last year in which the actor and singer said he asked for an Advil because of a headache and woke up 20 days later with no member of what happened.

In a clip posted on X , Foxx can be seen speaking to a small group of people in downtown Phoenix about his experience that landed him in the hospital.

''April of last year, I had a bad headache,'' Foxx said. ''I asked my boy for an Advil.''

Foxx then snapped his fingers and told the crowd, ''I was gone for 20 days'...I don't remember anything.''

''So they told me, I'm in Atlanta, and they told me, my sister and my daughter took me to the first doctor,'' Foxx continued, saying that the doctor ended up giving him a cortisone shot.

Jamie Foxx was spotted in downtown Phoenix, where he told a small group of people that on April 11th, 2023, he had a bad headache, asked a friend for an Advil, and then woke up 20 days later with no memory of what happened. pic.twitter.com/wIhuvN9hCC

'-- The Art Of Dialogue (@ArtOfDialogue_) July 1, 2024

''Next doctor said, 'Something is going on up there,''' Foxx added as he pointed to his head.

Foxx did not want to say what exactly the doctor said.

''Yeah, I don't want to say on camera, but it was'...,'' he added as he trailed off.

Foxx recently promised to open up about what he went through a little more than a year ago.

''I'm so thankful and I get emotional because it's beyond the scope,'' Foxx said during an acceptance speech . ''I had some people in my life that really made sure I was here because it was dire straits.''

''I take things differently now because you just don't know,'' he added . ''Everybody wants to know what happened and I'm gonna tell you what happened but I got to do it in my way.''

''I'm going to do it in a funny way. We are going to be on stage,'' Foxx continued. ''We are going to go back to the stand-up roots. If you want to have a good time and laugh '... come see me when we go take this thing out.''

At the time, the comedian said that his upcoming special would have some things ''people will love'' and things that are guaranteed to ''pull at your heart string.''

Since the actor was hospitalized in April 2023, very little has been released as to what the health scare was he had to deal with. His daughter, actress Corrine Foxx, first announced the news on Instagram.

In Corrine's original post , she wrote, ''From the Foxx Family: We wanted to share that, my father, Jamie Foxx, experienced a medical complication yesterday. Luckily, due to quick action and great care, he is already on his way to recovery. We know how beloved he is and appreciate your prayers. The family asks for privacy during this time. Much love, The Foxx Family.''

Related: Jamie Foxx Credits God For 'Finally Startin To Feel' Better Following April Hospitalization

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Archived Version

Tue, 02 Jul 2024 18:12

RIYADH: Middle Eastern airlines witnessed a 15.3 percent year-on-year demand growth for cargo in May, driven by growing e-commerce and maritime issues, an analysis showed.

In its latest report, the International Air Transport Association said that airlines in the Middle East region handled 13.5 percent of the overall cargo globally, a figure that remained unchanged from the previous month.

IATA also highlighted that the total cargo capacity of carriers in the region increased by 2.7 percent in May compared to the same month of the previous year.

Countries in the Middle East region, including Saudi Arabia, have strengthened their aviation sector over the past few years as they continue to reduce their dependence on oil and continue their economic diversification journey.

Saudi Arabia's national aviation strategy outlines an ambitious plan aimed at handling 4.5 tonnes of cargo by the end of this decade, along with establishing more than 250 direct destinations from the Kingdom's airports to global locations.

''Air cargo demand moved sharply upwards in May across all regions. The sector benefited from trade growth, booming e-commerce and capacity constraints on maritime shipping,'' said Willie Walsh, director-general of IATA.

The report revealed that the demand for air cargo routes between the Middle East and Europe grew at an annual rate of 33.8 percent in May.

Freight demand between the region and Asia expanded by 18.6 percent year-on-year in May.

Global outlook

According to the release, the total demand for air cargo globally, measured in cargo tonne-kilometers, surged by 14.7 percent in May, compared to the same month of the previous year, marking the sixth consecutive month of double-digit year-on-year growth.

IATA revealed that African airlines saw 18.4 percent year-on-year demand growth for air cargo over the period '' the strongest of all regions.

Moreover, demand for air cargo routes between the African and Asian markets increased by 40.6 percent in May compared to the same month of the previous year, marking the most robust performance among all trade lanes.

The report added that African airlines' air cargo capacity also surged by 21.4 percent year-on-year in the fifth month of the year.

Similarly, the Asia Pacific region witnessed a year-on-year growth in air cargo handling in May at 17.8 percent.

The capacity of Asia Pacific carriers also grew by 8.4 percent in May, compared to the same month of the previous year.

On the other hand, European carriers witnessed a 17.2 percent year-on-year demand growth for air cargo.

The report revealed that intra-European air cargo rose by 25.6 percent compared to May 2023, the fifth month in a row of double-digit annual growth, while demand increased by 33.8 percent on the Europe '' Middle East routes.

Similarly, air cargo capacity of European airlines surged by 11.9 percent in May compared to the same month of the previous year.

Latin American carriers saw a growth rate of 12.7 percent year-on-year in May, while the capacity of these carriers increased by 8 percent during the same period.

On the other hand, North American carriers witnessed a growth rate of 8.7 percent in air cargo handling, the weakest among all regions. The airlines' capacity in this region also rose marginally by 2.5 percent in May compared to the same month of the previous year.

''For Asia-North America, the largest trade lane by volume, the question remains what will happen following the US crackdown on e-commerce deliveries out of China. Rising costs and increasing transit times of shipments valued less than $800 could dampen US consumers' appetite for e-commerce, which could have an impact on the whole air cargo sector,'' the report warned.

IATA optimistic about future growth

In the analysis, the airline trade association noted that it is optimistic about the future growth of air cargo transportation, as most countries have recorded positive Purchasing Managers' Index figures in recent months.

According to Investopedia, PMI measures the prevailing direction of economic trends in manufacturing. It is calculated based on a monthly survey of supply chain managers across 19 industries, covering both upstream and downstream activity.

IATA revealed that PMI for global manufacturing output and new export orders indicated expansion at 52.6 and 50.04, respectively.

''The month of May delivered small improvements in global production and trade figures, which continued optimism for new export orders and manufacturing output among purchasing managers,'' said IATA in the report.

Similarly, industrial production and global cross-border trade also increased month-on-month in April by 0.5 percent and 1.5 percent, respectively.

''The outlook remains largely positive, with purchasing managers showing expectations for future growth. Some dampening, however, could come as the US imposes stricter conditions on e-commerce deliveries from China,'' said Walsh.

He added: ''Increased costs and transit times for shipments under $800 may deter US consumers and pose significant challenges for growth on the Asia-North America trade lane '' the world's biggest.''

The report further noted that inflation figures showed a mixed picture in April.

In April, the inflation rate in Japan and the EU fell to 2.8 percent and 2.7 percent, respectively, while in the US, it rose to 3.3 percent.

In contrast, China's inflation rate remained at 0.3 percent, reflecting weak domestic demand due to high unemployment, slow income growth, and a crisis in the real estate sector, a trend that has persisted since 2023.

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Tue, 02 Jul 2024 18:11

While Americans struggle to afford groceries, First Lady Jill Biden appeared on the cover of Vogue Magazine wearing a roughly ten thousand dollar outfit.

Vogue released its August issue Monday morning, a few days after President Joe Biden's poor debate performance prompted calls for him to step down. This is Jill Biden's third Vogue cover after two features in print and one online '' the same amount in four years as Michelle Obama had in eight, The Spectator noted.

Vogue describes Jill Biden as ''down-to earth Dr. B'' '' a humble FLOTUS fighting for America's ''core values.''

''Look, I know that food prices are up,'' Jill Biden remarked. ''I go to the grocery store when I'm in Wilmington. And I raised three kids, and did the food shopping for how many years before we got to this job? It's not like I don't know.''

Jill Biden campaigning in luxury dresses and posing on the cover of Vogue conflicts with this message, however, especially as Americans struggle to afford basic necessities.

Jill Biden's Kristian Silk Tuxedo Dress costs $4,990 , and she paired it with Irene Neuwirth earrings that apparently cost anywhere from $4,550 to $4,600 . Her outfit totals approximately ten thousand dollars, roughly double the annual cost of groceries.

The average cost of groceries in 2023 was about $415.53 per month, according to a move.org study, which amounts to $4,986.36 annually.

The article laments how Americans ''want their country to work'' so they can ''buy groceries and gas.'' The author's attempt to connect with ordinary Americans is followed by glossy photos of FLOTUS donned in expensive outfits, from Ralph Lauren dresses to Coach trench coats.

''Every campaign is important, and every campaign is hard,'' shares Dr. Jill Biden, the first lady and Vogue's August cover subject. Whatever happens between now and November, it is Jill Biden who will remain the president's closest confidant and advocate. https://t.co/y6WcDbsWtf pic.twitter.com/4LQFUzoVx6

'-- Vogue Magazine (@voguemagazine) July 1, 2024

Vogue details the First Lady's time on the campaign trail and her purported commitment to '' democracy .''

For Vogue's August issue, Dr. Biden talks about the most pressing issues in this election'--the economy, reproductive rights, and the state of democracy. ''We will decide our future,'' she says of women voters, perhaps the most critical constituency this fall. https://t.co/UVge6Po7yY

'-- Vogue Magazine (@voguemagazine) July 1, 2024

After increasing from 1.4% year-over-year in January 2021, inflation spiked to 9% under Biden's administration in June 2022. Rural Americans, a group that largely votes Republican, reported experiencing the brunt of inflation the most , according to a 2023 Ipsos tracker .

It's not only those in rural America who are displeased with Biden's economy: a 2023 Associated Press-NORC Center for Public Affairs Research poll discovered that only 36% of those polled approved of ''Biden's economic performance.'' (RELATED: Runaway Inflation Under Biden Just Reached A New Milestone)

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Tue, 02 Jul 2024 00:24

This piece originally appeared in my newsletter, Future Proof. Please do subscribe to that, as it gives me a little bit of dopamine every time someone does.

So the New York Times, one of the world's great media brands, is to put its podcasts, including The Daily, which regularly ranks as one of the most popular and influential shows, behind a paywall.

This move comes after the paper launched an audio specific app in May 2023, which has subsequently passed a million downloads. That project, in tandem with an internal paywalling strategy that has seen Games and Recipes become key subscription generating verticals, makes the paper well placed to start controlling access to its podcasts.

According to reporting in the Wall Street Journal, shows like Serial will become entirely inaccessible to non-subscribers (this is, perhaps, part of a longer term strategy to justify the $25m the Times paid for Serial '-- though that price looks relatively cheap compared to the silly money sloshing about during that period. The Daily, which is perceived as a major gateway drug to the Times' political reportage, will continue to be available for three days (or three editions) but only subscribers will receive access to the show's full archive. (My supposition would be that podcasts produced by The Athletic will continue to be paywalled within that app, but may also be available on New York Times Audio). On the spectrum of paywalls I would consider this at the tough end: the Times is a sufficiently established media brand, and its podcasts a key part of that, to not need to offer tasters for samplings, like cubes of cheese at the end of a supermarket aisle.

There are two important things to note about this move. Firstly, it is clearly another landmark in the steady decoupling of podcasts from their free-for-all origins. For the past five years or so, plenty of enterprises have sought to reverse the foundational access provided by the podcast industry, whether that was Luminary's plan to create a ''Netflix for podcasts'' (yes, I'm still mocking them for that one) or Spotify and Apple wrestling for position in the subscriber content arena. I thought for a long time that the horse had bolted on that, and a non-podcast audio product would have to emerge to serve this more transparently commercial plan. But it's clear that the VC-fuelled industry is slowly but surely shifting the internal dynamics of podcasting, so that ''podcast'' remains the brand for this new sort of pay-to-access audio endeavour.

The second point would be to reinforce the bifurcation of the industry at this point. The New York Times is a media brand of a specific size, and there are only a handful at that level globally. Putting aside media conglomerates like Disney, Paramount or omnicompanies like Apple or Amazon, there are but a few journalistic outlets at the Times' level. The BBC, perhaps, or Fox, CNN or the Washington Post. But it's a really rarefied group.

What this group have that most other podcast companies don't have is clout with their audiences. Like most businesses, media organisations work in a reciprocal relationship with their customers. You ask a little of them, they ask a lot of you. And that's the basic transaction, but, at a certain point, the dial begins to shift. The clout ratio moves in favour of the provider. It's why Arsenal can get away with selling £1000 season tickets, or Taylor Swift can charge her fans $500 for the chance to sniff her air. And while the New York Times might not exist on quite that level, it can make demands of its audience.

If I '-- as someone who runs an independent podcast company with several shows that need to turn a profit '-- want to change the business model of any of my products, I have to do it in a manner that is almost totally frictionless. If I want to introduce some paywalled content, I have to basically guarantee that there is still a product there for the free-to-access listeners. If I want to run advertising it can't be too obstreperous, yet the density has to be high enough for it to be a valuable idea. I am basically at the mercy of the fact that the most important thing for me is still that raw audience size, that access to market.

If I were running the Times' audio strategy I would, of course, have suggested this move some time ago. It's clear that the podcast market is moving only in one direction, and they can do proprietary paywalling which, again, isn't an option for me (I would have to outsource that job to Apple or Patreon or whoever, all of whom will take a 30% or so cut). It's also clear that podcasting is, strategically speaking, only a relatively small part of a broader subscription business. But the Times has evidenced, in the past, an ability to convert partial users '-- people who want Alison Roman's recipe cards, or to play Spelling Bee '-- into total users. Full package subscribers to the New York Times experience.

To me, finally, it suggests a closing of the era of free content. We've witnessed journalism, as an industry, trying to retrospectively build a wall around their output (once again, after the horses have made it halfway to Seabiscuit's house party). Podcasts have remained free far longer than they should have (per unit of output, they are a relatively expensive form of journalism) because of the lack of sophistication hard-coded into their DNA. But the end of the RSS era, the end of Podcasting 1.0, has made it harder to justify the assumption that a podcast should be free at the point of access. And if podcasts aren't free, what is?

Enjoyed this? Why not try listening to my podcast, The Ned Ludd Radio Hour.

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Mon, 01 Jul 2024 17:33

Rachel Cohen

Trending

Posted on Jun 26, 2024 Updated on Jun 26, 2024, 10:58 am CDT

For many, planning a wedding can be stressful. This includes who to invite, where to have the wedding, and what to eat, among many tiny details'--not to mention the cost. But, once you send the wedding invitations, you can check that off the list and breathe for a minute. Most go to the post office, drop it off, and are on their way. Easy enough.

But Lindsay Adkison, a social media micro-influencer, had a different experience.

Adkison took to her TikTok account to share why she can't mail her wedding invites yet and warns others against making the same mistake. In her video, she says that because she used a wax stamp to seal the back of her invitations, she was unable to mail them to guests without an additional stamp.

Wax seals don't go through the machine at the post office unless you have a special stamp, Adkison explains.

She was open to purchasing the extra stamp'--until she saw it was an ''ugly little fox stamp.''

''No shot, I'm not putting that on my wedding invite,'' Adkison says.

USPS's website notes that customers can alternatively have their letters ''hand-canceled'' to avoid sending them through processing machines. Hand canceling simply means the USPS worker processes the mail by hand, which is often recommended for bulkier mail, like those with wax seals. However, this can incur additional costs.

Adkison says in a follow-up video that the ordeal forced her to spend an additional $80 on her wedding invitations. ''Weddings are expensive and you have to budget,'' she concludes.

One user felt she was being a little dramatic about the fox stamp. ''I know it's your wedding and vision but no one will think about the 'ugly' stamp in fact most ppl will immediately throw away the envelope and care more about your actual pretty invites,'' the comment read.

But, another user understood why she was upset about the fox stamp.''The way i would dedicate a day to hand delivering them into everyone's mailbox,'' they wrote.

Like Adkison, several users commenting on the video didn't realize they needed an additional stamp for wax seals either.

One said, ''Omg no I just put 150 wax seals on and already did the stamps.''

Another commented, ''My wedding invites ended up with a fox on them haha! I just laugh whenever I think of it.''

Adkison concluded that wax seals are a ''pain in the butt'' and aren't worth it.

Others agreed with her.

As one user commented, ''I could never understand why anyone cared what the envelope for the invite looked like. It's literally gonna get filthy nasty from being handled in the mail.''

Adkison made a follow-up video addressing some comments. In the clip, she notes that she made the initial TikTok to make fun of herself and hoped it would steer others away from the same mistake. She also responds to some solutions commenters had for her.

How to mail letters with wax seals One idea was to put the wax-sealed envelopes into a bigger envelope to mail. Adkison says she didn't want to pay for a whole new set of stamps and envelopes when the envelopes were already addressed and stamped.

USPS's website also advises against sending exposed letters with embellishments like wax seals, strings, ribbons, etc. Putting them inside another envelope is an easy solution to avoid sending exposed envelopes.

Another idea commenters suggested was to take the wax seal off. Adkison avoided that solution because that would require her to rip the envelope open. She wanted her guests to be the first to do it.

The Daily Dot reached out to Adkison via TikTok direct message and USPS via email.

Update 10:55am CT June 26: In a DM to the Daily Dot, Adkison said the post office told her she needed the 44-cent fox stamps for her envelopes so they could be hand-sorted. However, by that point she had already spent $200 on stamps.

Adkison said she ended up taking the USPS office's advice and using the fox stamps.

*First Published: Jun 26, 2024, 1:00 am CDT

Rachel Cohen Rachel Cohen is a trending intern for the Daily Dot. She is currently a student at the University of Wisconsin-Madison, where she studies journalism with certificates in sports communications and digital studies.

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Mon, 01 Jul 2024 16:44

Has a presidential campaign ever had a worse four-day stretch than what Joe Biden and his handlers are going through? The current president all but ended his campaign on Thursday evening, turning in one of the most damaging debate performances in history. What's followed hasn't been pretty.

READ: Biden's Handlers Release a New Video, and It's a Five-Alarm Fire Moment

The Biden campaign is adrift. It simply has no idea where to go next, and that's led to a variety of missteps in the aftermath of the debate disaster. That would include a heavily edited video of the current president mumbling lines off a teleprompter, all but confirming that he is senile. The deluge of leaks involving Democratic Party officials seeming completely uncertain about the future hasn't helped either.

Then there are the things that were pre-planned and are now dropping at the worst possible time. One of those is Jill Biden once again appearing on the cover of Vogue.

Jill Biden is on the July cover of Vogue. Just dropped this AM.https://t.co/sIDNKmZ8EZ pic.twitter.com/FS8M4UrJl1

'-- Alex Thompson (@AlexThomp) July 1, 2024If the White House's goal after the debate was to reassure American voters that Joe Biden is in control and that there's no puppet master behind the curtain, this cover does the complete opposite of that. Amid a variety of videos over the last few days showing Jill Biden leading her aimless husband around, the last thing the campaign needs is her face being plastered everywhere. All it does is serve as a reminder of who is really in charge.

It's not just the optics, though. Some seriously questionable lines within the piece only serve to make the Bidens seem power-hungry and out of touch.

If you want to know what power feels like, try to get yourself driven around in a motorcade. Flashing police chaperone lights form a perimeter as you blaze down an empty highway, waiting cars backed up on entry ramps as you pass. It's as if the world is holding its breath. For you. Also, rules don't apply: On a cool spring day, driving down suburban Minneapolis side streets, we run red lights and whip round curves so fast I can barely take in the commonplace American view.

Is that feeling of power why Jill Biden is so obsessed with keeping her husband in the race? That's certainly how many people see it given her behavior. From the first year of his term, she has put herself at the forefront. Who can forget the infamous picture of her "preparing" for the G7? And after the latest meltdown, who was leading Joe Biden's post-debate rally, talking to him like a child? She opened for him the next day as well. The perception that Jill Biden is running the show is impossible to ignore.

Vogue even included this editor's note at the top of her cover article, which again heavily insinuates that the president's wife is calling the shots.

Reached by phone on June 30 at Camp David, where the Biden family had gathered for the weekend, she told Vogue that they ''will not let those 90 minutes define the four years he's been president. We will continue to fight.'' President Biden, she added, ''will always do what's best for the country.'' Whatever happens in the weeks and months between now and November, it is Dr. Biden who will remain the president's closest confidant and advocate.

Call it arrogance, political malpractice, or both, but if Jill Biden had any strategic sense, she'd stop reinforcing the idea that her husband is senile and incapable of handling his affairs. Every single time she appears on a magazine cover (she's now appeared in Vogue more times than Michelle Obama did in eight years) and puts out statements talking about how "we will continue to fight," she reminds people of exactly what's going on.

If it wasn't obvious before, it's obvious now: Jill Biden is the reason Joe Biden is still in this race. That Vogue article completely gives the game away. She seems content to run her husband into the ground in pursuit of her own political ambitions. It's sad to watch, though the chaos enveloping the Democratic Party is well deserved.

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Britain's roads - Conservatives - X

Going on for years - BBC

Surrey is the worst place in the country for potholes - Surrey Live

All Conservative - Wikipedia

Inflation - Conservatives - X

Sunak is responsible for furlough - Statista

Sunak not getting credit for inflation dropping! - inews

Small Business closure! - Conservatives - X

Nearly 400,000 small businesses closed during lockdown - This is Money

Food security - Conservatives - X

Farms - Conservatives - X

No longer subsidising food production - Institute for Government

Paying farmers not to farm - gov.uk

Paying farmers to leave farming - gov.uk

Net Zero - Conservatives - X

Page 47 in the manifesto - Conservatives

Hiking taxes - Conservatives - X

Starmer will tax you - Conservatives - X

Highest tax in history! - Rishi Sunak - X

Highest tax burden since WWII - This is Money

NHS budget cut - Conservatives - X

No end to NHS funding in sight - The King's Fund

Criminals win - Conservatives - X

Shoplifter's charter - BBC News

Obviously this isn't a deterrence - BBC News

Shoplifting offences reach more than 100k per quarter - The Telegraph

Starmer deported a guy for stealing an ice cream lol - max - X

Red carpet for invaders - Conservatives - X

Putting migrants in fucking hotels - BBC News

5.4 billion a year - inews

5k illegals deported - Full Fact

Migration - Conservatives - X

Labour have a history for migration - Conservatives - X

Are you mental? - Carl Benjamin - X

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Wed, 03 Jul 2024 20:46

LOUISVILLE, Ky. (WDRB) -- A Louisville woman claims a popular weight loss drug she was prescribed for Type 2 diabetes almost killed her.

WDRB Investigates started digging into the serious side effects of drugs like Ozempic and found thousands of others are suffering too.

More Coverage of Popular Weight Loss DrugsWHO and Eli Lilly caution patients against falling for fake versions of popular weight-loss drugsNationwide shortage of popular weight loss drugs being felt in Louisville areaDiabetes medicine shortage in Louisville linked to nationwide weight loss trendFor Jacqueline Barber, it's been a long health journey.

"I just see my sisters and my dad, how upset they were and they would see me every week and I would get smaller and smaller," Barber said, starting to cry while talking about the health issues she has suffered.

Doctors prescribed Ozempic to treat Barber's Type 2 diabetes back in 2021, but she said it gave her a lot of complications and she couldn't eat. Barber said the only thing she could keep down without throwing up was peanuts, peanut butter crackers and peanut butter cookies.

"To lay on the couch and throw up nonstop, can't hardly make it to walk, go anywhere, it's very depressing," she said. "I ended up losing 140 pounds. I was down to around 87 pounds, couldn't walk or get around, couldn't get off the couch. Nobody knew what was going on. No one put the two together."

Three years ago, drugs like Ozempic, Wegovy, and Mounjaro weren't popular weight loss medications.

"Never heard of the medicine before," said Barber.

But now, you see commercials for the medications all over TV and social media.

While Barber's diabetic levels got under control, her doctors finally told her to stop taking the Ozempic after two years in 2023 because of the complications she was having.

"My stomach was paralyzed," she said. "I couldn't tolerate anything."

Barber had developed gastroparesis, but she's not the only one who has taken weight loss medication and developed complications.

"What gastroparesis is, when food goes down to the stomach and it doesn't empty out to the small intestine, so it just sits in the stomach," said Dr. John Oldham, a bariatric surgeon with Baptist Health.

Oldham said patients on any of the weight loss medications need to be monitored closely.

"You just need to make sure you are doing this through your doctor. You're going to have follow up. You're going to have bloodwork (to see) that you are tolerating the medication well," he said. "Ozempic and Wegovy, on average, we're seeing 15% of weight loss."

Oldham said there are benefits to the drugs, which he said also help with cardiovascular and kidney diseases.

"The rare things, the thyroid tumors, cancers, we have not seen though," he said. "That's what we saw in rodents when the study came out."

Oldham said patients with a history of thyroid issues are not prescribed these drugs.

"The biggest side effect with this medicine is nausea, he said, adding that the nausea should only last a few hours and if it's long-term, make sure you contact your doctor.

Oldham said doctors are often seeing patients in the ER for complications to the weight loss medications.

"When I just left the hospital to come over today, (I) was counseled on patient that came to the emergency room this morning who took her second dose of Mounjaro medication. Just three hours later, she was having abdominal pain, bloating," he said. "Her CT scan is actually showing a gastric outlet obstruction, where her stomach is very dilated full of food, not wanting to pass."

He said there are several other cases of complications too.

"I just had a study couple days ago, the patient died from necroptosis, pancreatitis. The patient was taking Mounjaro, Zepbound, don't know if the medication caused the pancreatitis," Oldham said, adding most people can get pancreatitis resolved without dying.

"I have one patient that I'm doing a gastric bypass on, that has gastroparesis," he said. "She was taking the medication back in the fall, only taking it for a month and now has severe gastroparesis where nothing is helping."

Barber's attorney Andrew Van Arsdale, with the AVA Law Group, said he now represents 213 patients across Indiana and Kentucky with similar issues.

"We know roughly 3% of the U.S. population is on the drugs and there is increasingly alarming rates of serious gastro and intestinal problems with the population that is taking this drug," Van Arsdale said.

Seventeen of those cases are from the Louisville area. Van Arsdale's lawsuit against Novo Nordisk, the maker of Ozempic and the makers of similar drugs, represents over 2,000 patients across the country. He said there are thousands of patients dealing with side effects of the drugs.

"I think in country as a whole there are over 10,000 known cases at the time. That number is unfortunately growing every day," he said. "The lawsuits are all about asking the drug companies that are aware of these dangers to adequately warn consumers."

Van Arsdale said of his more than 2,000 clients, 60% were using the drugs for weight loss, and 40% for diabetes.

"Each of the manufacturers making drugs in this category need to do better," he said.

WDRB Investigates heard from several other patients with similar side effects after taking a popular weight loss drugs.

A Prospect woman said she was prescribed Wegovy for weight loss and it led to bowel issues that involved a major surgery.

"I began taking Wegovy about 2.5 years ago when I was suffering from back arthritis pretty badly," said the woman, who didn't want to be identified. "My pain management doctor told me it was all due to my weight (220 pounds) and that I needed to lose weight now, or I would be in pain for the rest of my life.

"I was prescribed Wegovy by my general practitioner. No warnings, no talks, just a prescription. I started taking it and was having the 'normal' side effects I read on the package (nausea)."

She said her side effects became major complications that eventually led to surgery.

"Going from 220 to 146 pounds, and back up to 220 pounds, in two years has been absolutely devastating to my body and mind," she said. "I want doctors to check in with patients. I want it known that this is a medication you will take for life, or you will gain it back immediately. I want it known that it can cause anorexia. I want it known that it can destroy your colon."

Jada Kimbro, from Murray, Kentucky, told WDRB News "I do still have to take the Ozempic although I would like to switch. I have lost almost 40 pounds since I began it about a year and a half ago.

Jada Kimbro provided this picture of what she looked like before taking Ozempic.

"I haven't been hospitalized like some have. I had the gastroparesis study done and a scope last year both were fine they said. I would like to add though this has also deteriorated a lot of the muscle I have. I used to be very athletically built, but my muscle sometimes feel like it wraps over my bones, especially in my legs and buttock regions," Kimbro said.

Jada Kimbro provided this picture of what she looks like after taking Ozempic.

Rose Daugherty, from Winchester, Kentucky, said she had similar complications that sent her to the emergency room.

"(I) have had nothing but sickness since taking Ozempic, throwing up and diarrhea," Daugherty said. "I even had to go to the ER for dehydration and even now am still sick a lot of times."

The lawsuits against Ozempic and other drug makers have now been consolidated in the Eastern District of Pennsylvania.

"These guys are making so much money by prescribing this drug to anyone and everyone that is able to get their hands on it," said Van Arsdale. "They have an obligation to do better to warn about the dangers associated with it."

Van Arsdale said the case is a mass tort, where damages are different than a class action lawsuit.

"When we look at these cases, they have to look at it on a per claimant basis and make reparations and restitutions on how severely the drug affected them, so it's called a mass torte," he said.

"Someone starting the drug today doesn't understand the risks of gastroparesis because these drug companies have failed to adequately warn them and we're asking them to correct that problem," Van Arsdale said. "Hoping to get a trial as soon as humanly possible and to put on our evidence why the drug makers knew of these dangers and why they're liable to Jacqueline and others for failing to prevent this from happening to them."

Novo Nordisk declined an on-camera interview, but released this statement to WDRB News:

"Novo Nordisk believes that the allegations in these lawsuits are without merit, and we intend to vigorously defend against these claims.

"Patient safety is our top priority at Novo Nordisk, and we work closely with the U.S. Food and Drug Administration to continuously monitor the safety profile of our medicines. GLP-1 medicines have been used to treat type 2 diabetes (T2D) for more than 18 years, and for the treatment of obesity for 8 years. This includes Novo Nordisk GLP-1 products such as semaglutide and liraglutide that have been on the market for more than 13 years. Semaglutide has been extensively examined in robust clinical development programs, large real world evidence studies and has cumulatively over 9.5 million patient years of clinical experience.

"The known risks and benefits of semaglutide and liraglutide medicines are described in their FDA-approved product labeling. Novo Nordisk stands behind the safety and efficacy of all of our GLP-1 medicines when they are used as indicated and when they are taken under the care of a licensed healthcare professional."

"Well the drug was on the market for couple of years and all of a sudden lot of people had their gallbladder removed as a result of taking these drugs, (so) they updated the label," said Van Arsdale. "We're asking them to do the same thing about gastroparesis."

WDRB News also reached out to Eli Lilly, the maker of Mounjaro, for comment and haven't heard back.

Barber is now gaining weight and gets the nutrients she needs through an IV when she can't hold down any food.

"I've had this PICC line for a year, " she said, showing her arm.

Barber also had a gastric stimulator put in, a device to treat stomach muscle issues.

"These are my vitamins and nutrients," she said, showing a bag for her IV. "This has carbohydrates, lipids, protein."

Barber said a nurse comes to her house each week. At one point, she had a feeding tube.

"I'm hoping the drug makers have to change this drug," she said. "If it's that great and it's helping the whole population of obesity great, but tell people what can happen to them. Try to do better."

"We're not demanding they take the drug off the market," Van Arsdale added. "We're not saying this isn't a great drug. We're saying let consumers make an educated decision about it."

Related Stories:

WHO and Eli Lilly caution patients against falling for fake versions of popular weight-loss drugsNationwide shortage of popular weight loss drugs being felt in Louisville areaDiabetes medicine shortage in Louisville linked to nationwide weight loss trend Copyright 2024 WDRB Media. All Rights Reserved.

If you have information about a story you think the WDRB Investigates Team should look into, you can email investigate@wdrb.com or call the WDRB Investigates line at 502-322-1297.

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Wed, 03 Jul 2024 20:42

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Wed, 03 Jul 2024 17:43

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Wed, 03 Jul 2024 17:41

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Wed, 03 Jul 2024 17:38

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Wed, 03 Jul 2024 17:38

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Wed, 03 Jul 2024 17:36

HOUSTON -- Investigators with Houston police returned to the home of a now former NASA engineer to execute another search warrant after finding videos of his sexual encounters on his previously seized devices, court records show.

Eric Sim, 37, is charged with seven counts of sexual assault with seven different victims listed.

At the same time as his arrest in late February, investigators took several devices from Sim's home as part of a search warrant.

Forensic analysis of an external hard drive turned up a folder labeled "sex tapes" and several other folders with women's first and last names, according to an affidavit for a search warrant filed on June 24. Detectives noted finding numerous videos of sexual encounters in Sim's home.

PREVIOUS REPORT: Aerospace engineer no longer with NASA as 7th sexual assault charge filed against him

NASA confirmed that Eric Sim no longer works at the federal agency as the engineer faces a new sexual assault charge, his seventh.

"Under each of the woman's folder, there were photos of that woman saved, there were also screenshots of text messages saved," the detective wrote in the affidavit.

"Also on the Hard Drive, there was an Excel spreadsheet with 437 first and last names of women, ethnicity, the year he met them, and the location where their sexual encounter took place," the affidavit notes.

Detectives noted that they were able to cross-reference the spreadsheet and the videos and contact at least five of the women seen in the videos. Each of the women said they did not consent to being recorded. They did tell police that they consented to the sexual encounters, according to the affidavit, although several said Sim pressured them.

One woman told the detective that she had a suspicion that she was being recorded.

"Complainant stated that during sex she felt as though the suspect was positioning her to face the computer and it was awkward," the affidavit said. "Complainant stated when she came out of the bathroom after the sex and the suspect was closing windows on his computer and it completely weirded her out."

Sim's attorney, Neal Davis, is pleased with the new information coming out in the case. He believes the videos will prove that the women accusing him of sexual assault actually consented to the sexual activity.

"Yeah, this is about as close to a smoking gun as you can get," Davis said. "It's on video."

Through analyzing the video evidence, detectives determined that Sim used glasses with a hidden camera to record the videos. They note in the affidavit that he would position the glasses on a table near his bed to record the videos.

"I don't believe anything in the affidavit about eyeglasses or anything a detective says in an affidavit," Davis said. "I want to see it myself."

Houston police executed a search warrant on June 21, during which they confiscated 14 pairs of sunglasses from his home.

Sim has not been charged for any of the videos. The district attorney's office declined to comment Thursday.

"A question they could certainly answer is, 'Are you in possession of videotapes of consensual activity with the named complainants in these cases?'" Davis said. "Let her answer that question for you."

NASA confirmed to ABC Houston affiliate KTRK that he is no longer employed there but did not detail the terms of the separation.

Sim is currently out on bond and is due back in court on July 23.

SEE PREVIOUS COVERAGE:

HPD, Harris County DA seeking more victims of NASA engineer accused of being 'serial sex predator'NASA engineer facing four new sexual assault chargesNASA engineer accused of sexual assault was arrested at Johnson Space Center, agency confirmsFormer NASA engineer charged with sexually assaulting 2 women released on $500K bond, records showCopyright (C) 2024 KTRK-TV. All Rights Reserved.

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Wed, 03 Jul 2024 17:36

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Tue, 02 Jul 2024 20:19

WASHINGTON (AP) '-- President Joe Biden on Tuesday proposed a new rule to address excessive heat in the workplace, warning '-- as tens of millions of people in the U.S. are under heat advisories '-- that high temperatures are the country's leading weather-related killer.

Watch Biden's remarks in the player above.

If finalized, the measure would protect an estimated 36 million U.S. workers from injuries related to heat exposure on the job '-- establishing the first major federal safety standard of its kind. Those affected by excessive heat in the workplace include farmworkers, delivery and construction workers, landscapers and indoor workers in warehouses, factories and kitchens.

READ MORE: Arizona street medicine teams offer IV hydration to homeless people during extreme heat

Biden highlighted the proposed rule as one of five steps his Democratic administration is taking to address extreme weather as Hurricane Beryl is already ripping through the Caribbean in an ominous sign for the summer.

Biden used his remarks at the DC Emergency Operations Centers to blast those Republican lawmakers who deny the existence of climate change, saying, ''It's not only outrageous, it's really stupid.'' Biden noted that there are human and financial costs from climate change, saying that weather-inflicted damage last year cost the economy $90 billion.

''More people die from extreme heat than floods, hurricanes and tornadoes combined,'' Biden said. ''These climate fueled extreme weather events don't just affect people's lives. They also cost money. They hurt the economy, and they have a significant negative psychological effect on people.''

The Democratic president, who's seeking reelection in part on his environmental record, said that the Federal Emergency Management Agency was also finalizing a rule to factor in possible flooding risks for federal construction projects.

In addition, FEMA was announcing $1 billion in grants to help communities deal with natural disasters, while the Environmental Protection Agency was releasing a new report on climate change's impacts. Lastly, Biden said his administration would hold a conference titled ''White House Summer on Extreme Heat'' in the coming months.

Despite increased awareness of the risks posed to human health by high temperatures, extreme heat protections '-- for those routinely exposed to heat index readings above 80 degrees Fahrenheit (27 degrees Celsius) '-- have lagged.

''The purpose of this rule is simple,'' a senior White House administration official told reporters. ''It is to significantly reduce the number of worker-related deaths, injuries, and illnesses suffered by workers who are exposed to excessive heat '... while simply doing their jobs.''

Under the proposed rule, employers would be required to identify heat hazards, develop emergency response plans related to heat illness, and provide training to employees and supervisors on the signs and symptoms of such illnesses. They would also have to establish rest breaks, provide shade and water, and heat acclimatization '-- or the building of tolerance to higher temperatures '-- for new workers.

Penalties for heat-related violations in workplaces would increase significantly, in line with what workplaces are issued for violations of Occupational Safety and Health Administration rules, a senior White House administration official said.

An estimated 2,300 people in the U.S. died from heat-related illness in 2023. Workers with prolonged exposure to extreme heat are among the most vulnerable to related health risks, such as heatstroke and other illnesses, according to the Centers for Disease Control and the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration.

As the hottest month of the year gets underway, millions of Americans will be at greater risk of heat strokes, dangerous dehydration and heat-related heart stress.

The Labor Department has been developing a standard for how workplaces deal with heat since 2021, with OSHA having held meetings last year to hear about how the proposed measures could affect small businesses.

The AFL-CIO union federation praised the Biden administration's rule. ''If finalized, this new rule would address some of the most basic needs for workers' health and safety,'' said AFL-CIO President Liz Shuler.

Heat protection laws in the U.S. have faced steady industry opposition, including from chambers of commerce and other business associations. Many say a blanket mandate would be difficult to implement across such a wide range of industries.

California, Colorado, Oregon, Minnesota and Washington are the only states with workplace standards for heat exposure. Some regulations have recently come under attack by Republicans. Over the past year, Florida and Texas, led by Gov. Ron DeSantis and Gov. Greg Abbott, both Republicans, passed legislation preventing local governments from requiring heat protections for outdoor workers.

If finalized, the Biden administration's rule would override state measures, and states with existing procedures to deal with heat would have to institute measures that are at least as stringent as the finalized federal rule.

The Associated Press' climate and environmental coverage receives financial support from multiple private foundations. AP is solely responsible for all content. Find AP's standards for working with philanthropies, a list of supporters and funded coverage areas at AP.org.

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Tue, 02 Jul 2024 19:41

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Tue, 02 Jul 2024 19:06

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Tue, 02 Jul 2024 19:01

BATON ROUGE - America's first unmanned drive-thru is being manufactured in Baton Rouge and is now on the market.

The new technology, created by Baton Rouge native Speed Bancroft, has been in the works since 2021.

It's called Speedy Eats and it's essentially a huge, drive-thru vending machine with patented features that make it stand out.

Speedy Eats can take a customer's order and give it to them all by itself with no employees operating it. The food will be locally prepared, meal-prep style, by food vendors and placed inside the machine about once a week, Bancroft said. Once inside the machine, customers can order through the app or in person.

"We have salads, wraps, cold-cut subs, we have a good variety of products that you can pull from," Bancroft said.

Bancroft says the machine can also automatically throw expired products away and microwave food.

He says the biggest deficit in the food market is staffing, and this solves that problem.

"It allows an operator to have a hub and spoke model, not have to go through the obstacles of managing a staff and it's a profit center from an operator that can limit itself to high volume because it's placed out on the road where the traffic is," Bancroft said.

This first-of-its-kind project has been picked up by Louisiana entrepreneur Tance Hughes, who is placing it in Natchez, Mississippi.

"I've been following Speed and the development of this technology for the last few years and I really love the way it has so much automation. It makes it really easy for the operator to profitably scale a business and not have to manage as many employees with the high labor cost and everything of that nature," Hughes said.

Hughes says he hopes to bring the invention to the capital region soon.

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Tue, 02 Jul 2024 18:53

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Tue, 02 Jul 2024 18:51

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Tue, 02 Jul 2024 18:42

Mistrial in case of woman charged with killing Boston officer01:39

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Tue, 02 Jul 2024 18:09

In the aftermath of Monday's Supreme Court presidential immunity ruling, the Usual Suspects on the left and in the media (but I repeat myself) launched into full-blown hysterics even though the ruling clearly noted that a president had immunity with regard to official acts but not unofficial ones.

MSNBC "legal analysts" and CNN's Jake Tapper, for instance, seemed fixated on the idea - pushed by Supreme Court Justice Sonia Sotomayor in her dissent - that a president now could be immune from prosecution if he ordered a hit on a political rival using SEAL Team 6, because in Sotomayor's view that theoretically would be considered an "official act" of a president.

Squad leader Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez (D-NY) was so incensed that she announced she would soon be filing articles of impeachment, declaring that "It is up to Congress to defend our nation from this authoritarian capture."

READ MORE: AOC's Reaction to Presidential Immunity Ruling Shows Just How Constitutionally Ignorant She Is

Sotomayor's dissent has gotten a lot of airtime, with some treating it as the gospel truth while others have only half-jokingly described it as an audition for an MSNBC gig. Here are the money quotes:

"When [a president] uses his official powers in any way, under the majority's reasoning, he now will be insulated from criminal prosecution," she writes. "Orders the Navy's Seal Team 6 to assassinate a political rival? Immune. Organizes a military coup to hold onto power? Immune. Takes a bribe in exchange for a pardon? Immune. Immune, immune, immune."

[...]

"Even if these nightmare scenarios never play out, and I pray they never do, the damage has been done," she added. "The relationship between the President and the people he serves has shifted irrevocably. In every use of official power, the President is now a king above the law."

Bill Barr, who was the U.S. Attorney General for two years under Trump, had this to say in response during a Fox News appearance Monday:

''The worst example I think, the one that makes no sense whatsoever, is the idea he can use SEAL Team 6 to kill a political opponent. The president has the authority to defend the country against foreign enemies, armed conflict and so forth,'' Barr said Monday on Fox News.

[...]

''He has the authority to direct the justice system against criminals at home. He doesn't have authority to go and assassinate people,'' he added. ''So, whether he uses the SEAL team or a private hit man, it doesn't matter; it doesn't make it a carrying out of his authority. So, all these horror stories really are false.''

Watch:

WATCH: Former Attorney General Bill Barr rips apart liberal Justice Sonia Sotomayor's dissent in Trump v. United States:"The worst example I think, the one that makes no sense whatsoever, is the idea he can use SEAL Team Six to kill a political opponent. The president has the'... pic.twitter.com/gv2qY7LTiH

'-- Steve Guest (@SteveGuest) July 1, 2024I mean, I'm not a lawyer nor did I stay at a Holiday Inn Express last night, but I am smart enough to know that ordering a hit on a political opponent would not be considered an "official act." Good grief.

To read the full ruling, click here.

Related: Justice Alito Neighbor at Center of Upside Down Flag Dispute Tells on Herself in CNN Interview

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Mon, 01 Jul 2024 17:29