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Results for " danger " 1,042 found 🔀 AI-powered Shuffle

How the Dangerous Rise in Anti-Immigration Politics Went Mainstream

Violent unrest after a stabbing in Northern Ireland showed the extent to which the far right has taken hold in the U.K., as well as in Europe and the U.S.

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Jun 12 • 6:00 AM EDT • Politics • newyorker.com
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How to judge Trump’s claims he’s ended the Iran war

The world whiplashed Thursday between an apparently imminent, dangerous escalation of the war in Iran and a claim of peace in our time.

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Jun 12 • 12:11 AM EDT • Politics • cnn.com
This Is the Dangerous Trap Making Businesses Bland, Forgettable and Easy to Ignore

Here's how years of shared best practices, optimization and AI-driven efficiency have made differentiation and loyalty harder to sustain.

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Jun 11 • 4:00 PM EDT • Business • entrepreneur.com
When aerosol sprays become a deadly health hazard

Key Takeaways: Dusting or huffing is a dangerous trend where people use inhalants such as deodorants and hair spray to get high.The trend is popular on various social media channels.Inhaling these dangerous aerosols can cause brain damage, breathing and heart issues, and even death.Experts say it's important to have a conversation with your kids...

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Jun 11 • 12:18 PM EDT • Health • newsroom.osfhealthcare.org
Using AI for medical advice; pelvic floor exercises; the hidden dangers of burning incense; plus other stories with Vanderbilt Health sources

Colin Walsh, MD,Associate Professor of Biomedical Informatics, was on WTVF News Channel 5‘s “Morningline” show in an interview about whether or not it is safe to use AI for medical advice. Time magazine reporter Stacey Colino interviewed Elisabeth Sebesta, MD, Assistant Professor of Urology, for a story about pelvic floor exercises for issues including menopause, erectile dysfunction and urinary incontinence in men. “Each Breath,” published by the American Lung Association, quoted Brian Christman, MD, Adjunct Professor of Medicine, for a story about the hidden dangers of burning incense. William Schaffner, MD, Professor of Preventive Medicine, was quoted by several news outlets about public health issues, including: Healthline (low vaccination rates lead to more cases of measles, whooping cough and other preventable diseases); ABC News (U.S. measles cases surpass 2,000 for second year in a row); and CIDRAP News (high-dose flu shots cut rates of hospitalization in older adults). Sarah Rohde, MD, Associate Professor of Otolaryngology-Head and Neck Surgery, was quoted in a People magazine story on patient Makalii Andrade, a surfer from Kauai Island who suffered a serious neck injury in 2022 and recently underwent surgery at Vanderbilt Health to begin the final phase of his recovery. James Crowe, MD, Director of the Vanderbilt Center for Antibody Therapeutics, for a piece in Nature about antibodies against a strain of Ebola. SFGATE reporter Gillian Mohney interviewed Xue Zhong, PhD, Research Assistant Professor, Division of Genetic Medicine and Clinical Pharmacology, for a story about a study of a blood test looking at Alzheimer’s disease biomarkers. Matthew Franklin Mart, MD, Assistant Professor of Medicine, was quoted in a Healio story about how inflammation and illness severity is linked to less cognitive resilience after a person has been an ICU patient. The “How We Really Feel” podcast host Sula Windgassen, PhD, interviewed Lindsey C. McKernan, PhD, MPH, Associate Professor of Psychiatry & Behavioral Sciences, Physical Medicine & Rehabilitation and Urology, for an episode focusing on pelvic and bladder health. The podcast is also available on YouTube and the podcast website. In addition, podcaster Monica Sanford interviewed cardiologist Mark Glazer, MD, for her podcast “The Monica Sanford Show”; the two-part interview is here and here.

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Jun 11 • 9:30 AM EDT • Health • news.vumc.org
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The deadly tapeworm spreading across America has reached the Pacific Northwest

A potentially dangerous tapeworm linked to severe, cancer-like disease has now been found in the Pacific Northwest, marking its first detection in wild animals along the U.S. West Coast. Researchers discovered the parasite, Echinococcus multilocularis, in 37% of coyotes tested around Puget Sound—a surprisingly high rate for a region where it had never been reported until recently.

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Jun 11 • 8:00 AM EDT • Science • sciencedaily.com
Social Security is Facing a Political Crisis

On Tuesday the Social Security Trustees released their latest report on the system’s finances. The numbers didn’t change much: Unless something is done, the Old Age Survivors and Disability Insurance (OASDI) program, Social Security’s official name, will be unable to pay full benefits starting in either 2032 or 2034, depending on some technical issues. That’s not far away: If the Trustees are right, the prospect of a Social Security crisis will loom over the next presidential administration. It’s important to understand, however, the nature of the looming crisis. It won’t be an economic crisis. It won’t even be a serious fiscal crisis. Whatever you may have heard, Social Security isn’t in danger of going bankrupt. What we’re facing, instead, is potential political crisis. Congress and the White House could easily take action to sustain America’s retirement system. But given the current state of our politics, there’s no guarantee that they will. There is a widespread misunderstanding of how Social Security works. While Social Security was designed to look like a pension fund, it isn’t. A pension fund pays benefits out of a stock of assets it has accumulated over time. In contrast, Social Security operates as a government transfer program, like food stamps or Medicaid. Now, unlike food stamps — but like the highway trust fund — Social Security is on paper supported by a dedicated tax, the payroll tax, that is assigned to that program. But I say “on paper” because from an economic point of view assigning the payroll tax to Social Security is just an accounting convention. What matters for the U.S. economy is the overall balance between government spending and government revenue, not the difference between one type of spending and one source of revenue. So there’s no inherent economic significance to the fact that by 2034 payroll tax receipts will be insufficient to cover promised benefits. There is, however, a legislative issue. As long as the Social Security Administration can pay benefits out of payroll taxes and its cash reserve, there’s no need for Congress to vote each year to authorize benefits — they just keep going out until further notice. However, once those resources become insufficient, benefits will fall —by 17 percent according to the Trustees — unless Congress passes new legislation that “tops up” Social Security’s finances. Yet the current administration and Republican party are such extremists that there is a real risk that Social Security will be held hostage on behalf of their goals. If this should come to pass, the hostage-takers will claim that shoring up Social Security is unaffordable. Right on cue, Mike Johnson, the Trump-sycophant Speaker of the House, declared on Monday that “entitlement programs” like Social Security “have to be adjusted and fixed,” and that Republicans will introduce a plan to that effect next year. But this is a ploy, because while the cost of maintaining Social Security benefits at their promised level isn’t trivial, it is in fact affordable. According to the Trustees’ report, the actuarial balance of OASDI up through 2050 — the amount of additional funds it would need to keep paying full benefits for the next 25 years — is 1.06 percent of GDP. To put that number in perspective, the Trump administration proposes increasing military spending next year by $420 billion, equivalent to about 1.4 percent of GDP – without any discussion of whether that’s affordable Yet how did we get to the point where Social Security will need to be topped up? The main answer is that we have an aging population, with a growing ratio of retirees collecting benefits to workers paying into the system: Trump’s anti-immigration policies are making this problem worse. According to the Trustees’ report, lower immigration will deepen Social Security’s financial hole because many immigrants are working-age adults who will pay into the system for decades before they collect benefits. In fact, this problem may be much bigger than the report acknowledges: The report’s baseline assumption is that we’ll have net immigration of almost 1.2 million people a year, and even the pessimistic case assumes 750,000 a year. Meanwhile actual net immigration has already been cut far below that — and may now be negative. Moreover, Social Security is being financially damaged by growing income inequality in America. Payroll taxes are levied only on wages up to $184,500, and they don’t touch capital income. With the distribution of income increasingly shifting from labor to capital, as well as becoming more unequal among wage-earners, revenue from the Social Security payroll tax has been falling as a share of national income. From 1990 to 2024, it fell from 5.02 percent of gross domestic income to 4.46 percent. Which brings me to the question that, these days, we ask about everything: How might Social Security be affected by the advent of AI? A short answer: If, as many of us fear, AI accelerates rising income inequality, it will further reduce the payroll tax receipts that currently pay for Social Security and further endanger its finances. On the other hand, if AI, as its advocates promise, leads to faster economic growth, it will increase the potential tax base that could and should be used to support Social Security and other social insurance programs. But to take advantage of that larger base, we’ll have to get serious about taxing wealth and capital income. Is Social Security in trouble? Yes, but only because of the way its financing is currently structured — a structure that no longer works well because our society and economy have become so unequal. Moreover, Trump’s immigration policies are further endangering its already deteriorating financial condition. So don’t believe Republicans’ gaslighting that it will be necessary to cut Social Security benefits. All that is necessary to preserve Social Security is political will to raise taxes on the wealthy and a sensible immigration policy. MUSICAL CODA Actually 67 under current law.

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Jun 11 • 6:34 AM EDT • Politics • paulkrugman.substack.com
Democrats keep Proposition 50 promise alive through primary

California Democrats are bullish about winning in all five Congressional districts they targeted to flip after Proposition 50. Experts said the results of last week's primary election show signs of danger for Republicans.

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Jun 11 • 6:00 AM EDT • Politics • latimes.com
Statement - Europe lost 200 000 people to heat in 4 years yet nearly all of them were preventable

Good morning. The impacts of climate change are a clear and present danger, and its most immediate and lethal manifestation is extreme heat. Heatwaves are no longer freak weather anomalies. They are now a recurring crisis inflicting suffering, claiming lives and fracturing our health systems and infrastructure.

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Jun 10 • 8:00 PM EDT • Health • who.int
Artificial turf contains 400 chemicals tied to cancer and hormone disruption. But is it unsafe?

A recent, 10-year study from California identified many known or suspected carcinogens in artificial turf. Does it pose a danger?

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Jun 10 • 5:19 PM EDT • Health • livescience.com
Trump EPA move sparks fears over kids’ health

An advocate warns that rolling back a key climate finding could expose children – especially in Black and Brown communities – to more dangerous air pollution.

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Jun 10 • 7:00 AM EDT • Health • yaleclimateconnections.org
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Food allergy group calls out Mindy Kaling's 'Not Suitable for Work' over 'dangerous' shellfish plotline

Mindy Kaling's comedy series 'Not Suitable for Work' included a 'dangerous' plotline involving shellfish, FARE, a food allergy awareness group, claims.

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Jun 9 • 9:49 PM EDT • Entertainment • ew.com
Louisiana shop owner says inspection sticker law puts 20-year business in danger

A vehicle inspection shop owner said his business of more than 20 years is in danger of closing after a new state law eliminated inspection stickers.

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Jun 9 • 7:11 PM EDT • Business • wafb.com
Sam Altman said automating everything will be 'dangerous'

Sam Altman and Jakub Pachocki said AI is making the roles of applying human judgment more important.

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Jun 9 • 12:40 AM EDT • Business • businessinsider.com
Dangerous Foul on Indiana Fever's Caitlin Clark Sparks Backlash

Indiana Fever star Caitlin Clark nearly injured her ankle after a hard closeout by a Washington Mystics player.

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Jun 8 • 9:23 PM EDT • Sports • sports.yahoo.com
California, and the dangerous sudden resurgence of GOP voter fraud fever

Even Republicans who previously kept such voter-fraud claims at arm’s length are embracing theories that something is off in California, despite zero evidence.

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Jun 8 • 1:59 PM EDT • Politics • cnn.com
Why Banning Shark Fishing Isn’t Enough to Save Them, According to Science

As of 2021, Caribbean reef sharks are categorized as Endangered by the IUCN Red List. To protect them, we need to stop exploiting them by introducing shark fishing bans. A new Florida International Un...

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Jun 8 • 7:32 AM EDT • Science • yahoo.com
Exclusive: Political pressure threatens to undercut EPA science evaluating chemical safety for consumers, sources say

Inside the Trump administration’s Environmental Protection Agency, scientists say they’re under pressure to alter safety reviews of chemicals commonly found in consumer products like household cleaners and cosmetics to make risks to human health and the environment disappear on paper.

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Jun 8 • 6:00 AM EDT • Science • cnn.com
Exclusive: Political pressure threatens to undercut EPA science evaluating chemical safety for consumers, sources say

Inside the Trump administration’s Environmental Protection Agency, scientists say they’re under pressure to alter safety reviews of chemicals commonly found in consumer products like household cleaners and cosmetics to make risks to human health and the environment disappear on paper.

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Jun 8 • 6:00 AM EDT • Politics • cnn.com
🚨 Because of snakes, Switzerland issued security alert

The Switzerland national team issued an alert to all members of the squad due to a new danger at their training camp. The European side is preparing for its World Cup debut at a training camp at the ...

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Jun 7 • 11:21 PM EDT • Sports • sports.yahoo.com
Lane County warns businesses to be ready for increased wildfire danger

As a potentially active fire season nears, officials say business owners should ensure they are as ready at work as they are at home.

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Jun 7 • 12:42 PM EDT • Business • klcc.org
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We Should Train AI to Betray Its Users

Because the alternative is much too dangerous

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Jun 7 • 11:00 AM EDT • Science • towardsdatascience.com
Byron Donalds speaks out after death threats, warns that irresponsible rhetoric emboldens people with 'real mental health issues'

As the campaign heats up, the rhetoric gets more dangerous.

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Jun 6 • 3:51 PM EDT • Politics • floridapolitics.com
Hegseth warns of 'invasion' and 'dangerous ideologies' in D-Day anniversary speech

U.S. Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth used a D-Day anniversary speech on Saturday to appear to link immigration by sea to the wartime liberation of Europe, warning that the freedom won by Allied troops could prove temporary if leaders failed to defend it.

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Jun 6 • 1:42 PM EDT • Politics • pbs.org
Can alkaline water actually improve your health? Experts separate fact from fiction

Is alkaline water actually better for you? Mayo Clinic and Harvard Medical School experts weigh in on the claims, benefits and potential dangers.

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Jun 6 • 1:47 AM EDT • Health • foxnews.com
Ebola spread in central Africa could match 2014 record outbreak, US health officials say

Modelling from US CDC shows Ebola spread could be on ‘dangerous trajectory’, but experts warn outbreaks can be very hard to predict

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Jun 6 • 12:21 AM EDT • Health • theguardian.com
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Scientists sound the alarm as dangerous amoebas spread globally

Scientists warn that free-living amoebae may be an underappreciated public health threat, capable of causing deadly infections and shielding other dangerous microbes from water treatment. Climate change and aging infrastructure could help these resilient organisms spread more widely in the years ahead.

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Jun 5 • 8:00 PM EDT • Science • sciencedaily.com
Milwaukee health officials monitoring 3 who returned from Ebola-affected area

There is currently no danger to Milwaukee residents, and the risk to the American public is low.

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Jun 5 • 11:00 AM EDT • Health • jsonline.com
Scientists race to collect the last seeds from a critically endangered tree before it goes extinct

Seeds from the last surviving wild Dendroseris neriifolia tree are now stored in Kew Gardens' Millennium Seed Bank as researchers work to find ways to reintroduce the species into the wild.

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Jun 5 • 7:00 AM EDT • Science • livescience.com
Spanberger signs bills banning weapons in mental health, developmental care facilities

Gov. Spanberger signed legislation prohibiting firearms and other dangerous weapons in medical facilities that provide mental health and developmental services.

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Jun 4 • 5:42 PM EDT • Health • wset.com
The Politics Of Protecting The Florida Reef

This endangered marine environment built around the Florida Tract Reef continues to suffer amid partisan gridlock and differing views on the best way to protect it.

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Jun 4 • 3:30 AM EDT • Politics • nationalparkstraveler.org
Scientists Find Way to Supercharge Dangerous Computer ‘Worms’ With A.I.

Researchers at the University of Toronto showed how hackers could use artificial intelligence to create a program that could target any known flaw in the world’s computers.

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Jun 2 • 8:37 PM EDT • Technology • nytimes.com
Palantir Contracts Have Become ‘An Unacceptable Point of Weakness,’ UK Politicians Warn

A government committee says that the country’s growing dependence on the data analytics company is a serious liability.

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Jun 2 • 7:05 PM EDT • Politics • wired.com
Nvidia and Microsoft Researchers Say AI Agents Don't Care About Safety or Reliability

The researchers compared AI to the near-sighted cartoon character Mr. Magoo, who can’t see he’s stumbling through dangerous situations.

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Jun 2 • 11:03 AM EDT • Technology • 404media.co
Fallout 76 | Fallout 76: Infestations Release Notes

Appalachia is in danger! Infestations of enemies are taking over locations, and the Wasteland needs YOU to clear them out.

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Jun 2 • 8:04 AM EDT • Technology • fallout.bethesda.net
UW Bothell professor was finding sources of dangerous water and soil pollution

Melanie Malone led a research project to identify and study contamination sites in Washington state. Then the EPA canceled her grant.

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Jun 1 • 5:57 PM EDT • Science • seattletimes.com
Democrats zero in on an anti-corruption message: From the Politics Desk

Plus, more members of Congress are in danger of losing in the next round of primaries.

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Jun 1 • 5:00 PM EDT • Politics • nbcnews.com
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Jayden Daniels renewed health, clutch gene makes Commanders dangerous in 2026 campaign

Commanders QB Jayden Daniels has the NFL’s highest fourth-quarter passer rating over the past two seasons

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Jun 1 • 3:19 PM EDT • Health • sports.yahoo.com
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Nutrition professor fights against unhealthy habits

Barry Popkin’s groundbreaking research on the dangers of sugary drinks, processed foods and inactivity has improved lives worldwide.

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Jun 1 • 8:47 AM EDT • Health • unc.edu
A guide to the bookstores owned by your favorite authors

Ann Patchett opened Parnassus Books in 2011 when physical bookstores seemed endangered.

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Jun 1 • 7:06 AM EDT • Entertainment • news4jax.com
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Women's College World Series: UCLA's offensive juggernaut runs out of juice at crucial juncture

The most dangerous hitting lineup in softball had its chance on Sunday, but it was bested by one of the best pitching groups in the game.

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Jun 1 • 4:13 AM EDT • Sports • sports.yahoo.com
Why cancer spreads more in middle age than in old age

Melanoma may not become steadily more dangerous with age as scientists once assumed. In a surprising discovery, researchers found that cancer spread was lowest in young mice, surged in middle-aged mice, and then dropped again in very old mice. The key appears to be a special type of immune cell that helps keep cancer dormant and prevents it from spreading.

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May 31 • 8:00 AM EDT • Science • sciencedaily.com
Most new moms get the baby blues. But it could be something more serious: postpartum depression

Postpartum depression is a potentially dangerous condition that can fill a typically joyous time with despair

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May 30 • 8:18 AM EDT • Health • washingtonpost.com
Most new moms get the baby blues. But it could be something more serious: postpartum depression

Postpartum depression is a potentially dangerous condition that can fill a typically joyous time with despair.

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May 30 • 8:17 AM EDT • Health • clickondetroit.com
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Cabell County Commission calling for investigation after escapes from mental health facility

The Commission is sending a letter to the Governor's Office, hoping more can be done to prevent escapes and to notify people faster when there's potential danger.

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May 29 • 5:32 PM EDT • Health • wsaz.com
AI billionaires brace for pitchforks

Tech titans are keenly aware that the politics of extreme wealth could turn dangerous fast.

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May 29 • 5:40 AM EDT • Politics • axios.com
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Hidden driving danger when edible cannabis and alcohol mix

Using cannabis edibles and alcohol together may make drivers far more impaired than either substance alone, according to new research from Johns Hopkins. Even more concerning, common field sobriety tests often failed to detect the cannabis-related impairment.

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May 29 • 2:33 AM EDT • Science • sciencedaily.com
Dem Senate candidate makes stunning admission about antisemitism in her party: 'Dangerous'

Mallory McMorrow bluntly stated the Democratic Party has an antisemitism problem during a Michigan Senate primary debate, sharing a personal incident.

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May 28 • 7:04 PM EDT • Politics • foxnews.com
Arctic Ocean passed a tipping point and scientists say it may never recover

The Arctic Ocean may have crossed a dangerous tipping point. Scientists say the rapid disappearance of sea ice is triggering a hidden chemical shift that is stripping the ocean of nitrate — a nutrient essential for the tiny plankton that support Arctic life. As nitrate levels plunge, the entire food web could feel the impact, from fish and seabirds to whales and polar ecosystems.

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May 28 • 8:00 AM EDT • Science • sciencedaily.com
Dangerous diagnoses turn heart patient into a heart health advocate

14-year fight to save his failing heart has meant a world of change for James Young II, who now works to help others save their hearts too.

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May 28 • 6:05 AM EDT • Health • freep.com
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OPINION: The danger of treating politics like a championship game

Novelist John Dos Passos, a great student of American life, wrote in 1939 that political “means are more important than ends, because means mold institutions which frame ways of behaving,

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May 27 • 11:59 AM EDT • Politics • springfieldnewssun.com
Power Is Essential to Women’s Health

For women and girls worldwide, reliable light and electricity can mean the difference between danger and safety, isolation and connection.

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May 27 • 9:50 AM EDT • Health • independent.com
Ebola, chemical plants and health, hantavirus, common colds, heat and more

As they say, bugs have ears. Public health has had a relentless May. Chemical plant (near) explosions, Ebola, hantavirus, and that's before you even get to the usual suspects: common colds, heat, and ticks. Here’s an attempt to keep you up to speed and, more importantly, what it means for you and your community. But first, an announcement: World Cup The World Cup starts in 15 days (not like anyone is counting down), and we are hanging TVs in the Health Security Operations Center. It’s going to be a gorgeous, chaotic celebration of basically every culture on earth. And it’s going to take a team effort—from communities to individuals, from public health to health care—to keep people healthy. That’s where you come in. If you’re going to the games or live within 30 miles of a stadium, we would love to hear from you. Sign up for a weekly survey here. Thanks to the more than 1,280 people who have already signed up…you will be hearing from us soon!! Global disease “weather report” Hantavirus: Two more cases The global count of cruise ship passengers with hantavirus has now increased to 13 cases (11 confirmed), with three deaths. The two new cases are overseas and among people who were already quarantining: A crew member in the Netherlands. A Spanish national passenger who was quarantining at home tested positive through daily monitoring. They are now in a biocontainment unit. In the U.S., everyone remains negative. There may be more cases, given that the incubation period of hantavirus (the time from exposure to infection) is 45 days. But this week, we will reach a major milestone: the median incubation window is 18 days, and that will pass on May 29. What this means for you: Your risk from this cruise ship outbreak remains essentially nil at this point. Ebola rages on in Central Africa Big thanks to Dr. Craig Spencer, a humanitarian physician who has treated and survived Ebola, for jumping in to provide the YLE community with an update. Craig, take it from here… The combined confirmed and suspected Ebola cases in DRC are now more than 1,000. All signs are pointing to a very long and catastrophic outbreak in Central Africa: This is a vast undercount. We know this because the test positivity rate is hovering around 50%, only 20% of contacts are being traced (and in some areas, no contacts at all), and more cases keep popping up with no known connection. This all points to widespread and undetected community transmission. This is in only a week of detection. Compared to previous outbreaks, the growth is very fast, as the huge West Africa outbreak in 2016 was first detected at 49 cases and rose to 208 cases a month later. It took four months for that outbreak to reach the size of the current one in the DR Congo. The cases are spread out across 16 health zones. There are now multiple epicenters, making containment very difficult. Next door in Uganda, the case count is seven. While this number is low compared to DRC, a concerning development is that two health care workers recently tested positive with uncertain exposure histories. If they weren’t treating known Ebola cases, this means it’s spreading undetected in Uganda as well. On the ground, backlash, including the burning of health centers, has emerged, a pattern seen in nearly every outbreak and rooted in deep community distrust. It often stems from outside actors working in communities without fully understanding or addressing local priorities. Affected populations may recognize the severity of Ebola while still holding other concerns as more pressing, such as where their loved ones are buried. Community trust is essential to an effective response, but difficult to build during an active emergency. It is best established long before a crisis begins. U.S. priorities are made clear, and may backfire. The U.S. Administration has shown that its first priority is keeping Ebola out, with helping end the outbreak in the DRC a secondary concern. That's meant travel restrictions broader than anything we've imposed before — covering travelers from across the region, and reportedly some green card holders and permanent residents as well. For example, just these past two days, news broke that high-risk American travelers will be subject to a mandatory quarantine in Kenya before they are allowed to return. If an American is infected, the U.S. government plans to send them to a hospital it is standing up from scratch in Kenya. (Currently, Americans who were in the area are allowed to return but are diverted to three airports—Houston, Atlanta, and DC—for further screening.) Past administrations have used travel notices and stepped-up screening; this goes much further. At first blush, these strict precautions may sound prudent. But this approach could backfire in three ways: Restrictions this blunt give people every reason to hide where they’ve been and whom they’ve been near — making the people we most need to find harder to track, not easier. They also breed a false sense that this is someone else’s problem. But diseases are humbling. They find the small cracks in even the most impenetrable-seeming defenses. Lives lost. There is no treatment for this Ebola strain, which means survival depends heavily on the quality of the health system. We have that system in the States, but we are choosing not to use it for infected Americans. This is unbelievable and infuriating. (See a deeper dive from me here.) The only real way to lower the risk to Americans — and everyone else — is to end the outbreak in the DRC and across the region. What this means for you: If you have travel plans to this region, it’s time to cancel them. This is a high-risk situation in Central Africa, and CDC released a Level 4 Travel Advisory. There is also great uncertainty if and when the Administration will let you back in. To the general public in the U.S., your risk remains very, very low right now. U.S. disease “weather report” Ticks: past peak season? Good news, especially for people in the Northeast and Midwest: tick numbers continue to decline. Though we are at the peak of the season, this unusually early year is trending favorably. Heat-related illnesses in the North Heat risk is certainly not blanketing the entire country yet, but this week it will be moderate in the Midwest and the Southeast. What this means for you: Be sure to check the CDC HeatRisk tool. A red day isn’t the best day for that soccer game for a kid with asthma, and a stretch of orange days is a great time to check on your elderly neighbor. Common colds surging As far as respiratory viruses go, the only thing really going around right now is the common cold. It is higher this year than last year, but should peak very soon before returning this fall. Spotlight: Chemical plants Over the weekend, YLE California covered the serious situation that unfolded around a chemical plant in Orange County, California. Thankfully, the worst-case scenario (a chemical explosion) was mitigated, but only through luck. The health implications in a densely populated area could have been catastrophic. As the situation was winding down, another chemical explosion struck Washington State. This one was fatal. Health officials say the risk to surrounding residents from chemicals in the air and ground remains low, though the community deserves far greater clarity. Clean air and clean water consistently rank as Americans’ top public health concerns — yet when chemical disasters strike, communities are too often met with reassurances rather than transparency and accountability. Residents near the 2023 East Palestine, Ohio train derailment, for example, are still waiting to understand the long-term impact on their health, with few clear answers. What this means for you: Many are wondering if facilities processing potentially dangerous materials are in their neighborhoods. This interactive map allows you to enter your ZIP code and see all facilities monitored by the EPA, including any violations. Good news Ebola vaccines and treatment for the Bundibugyo species are in development. Two vaccine platforms are being explored, at least one of which may be deployable in as little as 2 months. One vaccine is being developed by Oxford, and the other uses the same biotechnology as the FDA-approved Zaire species of Ebola. (It may provide cross-protection, but it’s unclear at this point.) On the treatment side, two promising monoclonal antibody cocktails are likely to be deployed, though doses are limited and logistical hurdles remain significant challenges. Anni over at The Biotech Tea had a great explainer about the Ebola vaccine gap, if you want to read more. [ The Biotech Tea The Ebola vaccine gap, reading vessel damage, & the Makary exit 🗝️ Paid subscribers get the Biotech Term of the Week at $30/year (~$2.50/month). I try to keep it intentionally accessible, but if cost is ever a barrier, send me a message. A few people asked about expensing your subscription, so I put together a short email template… Read more 6 days ago · 10 likes · Annicka Evans, PhD ](https://www.thebiotechtea.com/p/the-ebola-vaccine-gap-reading-vessel?utm_source=substack&utm_campaign=post_embed&utm_medium=web) Polycystic ovary syndrome (PCOS) has been officially renamed polyendocrine metabolic ovarian syndrome (PMOS), following more than a decade of debate and input from roughly 22,000 clinicians, researchers, and patients worldwide. This is good because the old name was medically misleading, leading to patients without visible cysts being dismissed or overlooked entirely. The WHO estimates that 70% of people with the condition remain undiagnosed. A more accurate name should improve recognition, reduce stigma, and ultimately help the millions of people living with this condition get diagnosed and treated sooner. Poll Loading... Bottom line Public health situations are everywhere right now. Staying healthy takes public health professionals and systems working tirelessly behind the scenes and each of us showing up for our neighbors and communities. Love, YLE Big thanks to Ed Nirenberg for staying on top of the Ebola vaccines, Hannah Totte for all the figures, Dr. Craig Spencer for the Ebola insight, and Dr. Matt Willis for covering the chemical situation in CA. Your Local Epidemiologist (YLE) comprises a team of experts, ranging from physicians to immunologists to epidemiologists to nutritionists, working together with one goal: to “Translate” ever-evolving public health science so that people are well-equipped to make evidence-based decisions. YLE suite of newsletters reaches over 475,000 people across more than 132 countries. This newsletter is free to everyone, thanks to the generous support of fellow YLE community members. To support the effort, subscribe or upgrade below: Subscribe

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May 27 • 7:43 AM EDT • Health • yourlocalepidemiologist.substack.com
Albuquerque police launch new de-escalation initiative for businesses and organizations

ALBUQUERQUE, N.M. (KRQE) – The Albuquerque Police Department is launching an initiative to help business owners and other establishments become better equipped to handle dangerous situations. The &…

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May 26 • 8:27 PM EDT • Business • krqe.com
Scientists are raising new questions about vitamin B12 and cancer

Vitamin B12 has long been seen as a health hero, helping the body make red blood cells, repair DNA, and keep nerves functioning properly. But scientists are discovering that the story may be more complicated than simply “more is better.” While too little B12 can damage DNA and raise cancer risk, some studies suggest that extremely high levels — especially from long-term high-dose supplements — may also be linked to certain cancers or poorer outcomes in cancer patients.

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May 26 • 8:00 PM EDT • Science • sciencedaily.com
Solar flares may show predictable warning signs hours before erupting

Scientists spotted patterns hours before a major solar flare, a discovery that could help forecast dangerous eruptions.

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May 26 • 11:00 AM EDT • Science • sciencenews.org
The World Cup Problem That Could Disrupt All of Sports

After last year’s dangerously hot and humid FIFA Club World Cup in the US, attention has turned to how soccer’s governing body might handle extreme heat during its largest ever tournament: The 2026 FIFA World Cup, set to kick off June 11. Much of the focus has been on how the temperatures could affect the footballers, but the event is a reminder that the ones in real peril are the fans — and the players of the future.

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May 26 • 12:00 AM EDT • Sports • bloomberg.com
India’s Scorching Nights Strain Power Grid and Threaten Health

India’s dangerously torrid summer days have long been a climate warning. Now the country is increasingly dealing with sweltering nights too, as global warming and poor urban planning put millions at risk.

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May 25 • 9:00 PM EDT • Health • bloomberg.com
Massive supercomputer simulations unlock cosmic magnetic mystery

Scientists used some of the most advanced plasma simulations ever created to uncover how the universe builds enormous magnetic fields out of turbulence. The discovery could reshape our understanding of stars, black holes, neutron star collisions, and dangerous solar eruptions.

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May 25 • 8:00 PM EDT • Science • sciencedaily.com
The rare Ebola outbreak is one danger. Attacks on healthcare workers are another

Healthcare facilities have been attacked at least three times in the past week, forcing evacuations and hindering response efforts.

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May 25 • 4:13 PM EDT • Health • adn.com
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The rare Ebola outbreak is one danger. Attacks on healthcare workers are another

BUNIA, Congo (AP) — Every time Vanny Birungi, a volunteer with the Red Cross in eastern Congo, goes out to raise awareness about the latest Ebola outbreak as suspected cases near 1,000, she faces a double threat.

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May 25 • 1:03 PM EDT • Health • wral.com
The rare Ebola outbreak is one danger. Attacks on healthcare workers are another

By JUSTIN KABUMBA and OPE ADETAYO BUNIA, Congo (AP) — Every time Vanny Birungi, a volunteer with the Red Cross in eastern Congo, goes out to raise awareness about the latest Ebola outbreak as suspected cases near 1,000, she faces a…

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May 25 • 12:59 PM EDT • Health • baltimoresun.com
The rare Ebola outbreak is one danger. Attacks on healthcare workers are another

Health workers responding to a rapidly spreading outbreak of a rare type of Ebola in eastern Congo face two threats.

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May 25 • 12:59 PM EDT • Health • ksat.com
Allegheny County residents warned of increased risk for ticks and Lyme disease

As Allegheny County residents step outside to enjoy spring, local health experts are warning about the dangers of Lyme disease after an unusually high number of tick bites reported across the country. In April, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention issued an early advisory urging the public to guard

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May 25 • 12:07 PM EDT • Health • triblive.com
What most people misunderstand about sepsis

Kyle Busch’s family says the NASCAR superstar died after severe pneumonia progressed into sepsis, a dangerous condition that many people do not understand.

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May 24 • 3:00 PM EDT • Health • cnn.com
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Experts have found a new type of cholesterol. And it could be the most dangerous | BBC Science Focus Magazine

Experts have found a new type of cholesterol, and it could be the most dangerous for your long-term health.

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May 24 • 2:30 PM EDT • Science • sciencefocus.com
Repeal of EPA’s endangerment finding won’t change the realities of chronic disease

We can expect chronic disease rates to worsen as greenhouse gas emissions trend upward and contribute to more frequent and intense climate impacts like extreme heat and wildfires.

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May 24 • 10:00 AM EDT • Health • thehill.com
How the Silicon Valley-backed steroid Olympics aim to get everyone hooked

As biohacking gains momentum among elites including Robert F. Kennedy Jr., the Peter Thiel-backed Enhanced Games aims to normalize longevity drugs through a Vegas sports spectacle. Critics call the premise dangerous and unethical.

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May 24 • 7:00 AM EDT • Business • washingtonpost.com
Avoid foam on Michigan's waters this summer, health experts warn

Rinse off if you touch the foam, which can contain high levels of dangerous \

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May 23 • 9:12 AM EDT • Health • detroitnews.com
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Jacksonville community honors fallen hero with fundraiser for first responder mental health

He ran toward danger for a living. As a Marine, a firefighter and a lifeguard, Garrett Opper spent his life in service to others. But like so many who dedicate themselves to protecting their communities, the battles he fought on the inside were the hardest ones of all

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May 22 • 1:33 PM EDT • Health • news4jax.com
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Mass. pols issue report on possible effects of Haiti TPS termination on local health care

The lawmakers' investigation found that terminating TPS would "exacerbate" shortages in the health care workforce, limit high-quality care, and "endanger patients," the report says.

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May 22 • 12:31 PM EDT • Health • boston.com
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Scientists uncover cancer-causing chemicals hidden in everyday foods

Scientists have identified potentially cancer-causing chemicals hiding in many everyday foods, especially those exposed to high heat cooking methods like grilling, roasting, smoking, and frying. The compounds, known as PAHs, can form during cooking or enter foods through contamination, raising concerns about long-term health risks.

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May 22 • 8:00 AM EDT • Science • sciencedaily.com
Scalise: Democrats' Politics of Hatred and Division Need to Stop

WASHINGTON, D.C.—Today, House Majority Leader Steve Scalise (R-La.) joined Fox Business Network’s Kudlow to call out Democrats’ increasingly dangerous rhetoric, failure to confront rising antisemitism on the left, and continued opposition to commonsense election integrity and border security measures.

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May 21 • 6:42 PM EDT • Politics • scalise.house.gov
The U.S. Is Holding Global Vaccination Efforts Hostage

Halting the distribution of vaccines that the U.S. objects to will mean depriving kids of protection against dangerous diseases.

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May 21 • 11:13 AM EDT • Health • theatlantic.com
Nursing board suspends Camp Mystic chief health officer’s license

Mary Liz Eastland is accused of endangering campers during the July 4 flash flood that killed 27 guests at the Texas Hill Country retreat

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May 21 • 10:24 AM EDT • Health • expressnews.com
Bonus 228: The $1.776B Political Question

Every so often a story comes along that is so brazen, so cleanly emblematic of the moment we are living through, that staying quiet about it feels like a kind of complicity unto itself. Monday’s announcement by the Department of Justice that the Acting Attorney General has unilaterally created a $1.776 billion “Anti-Weaponization Fund” to compensate so-called “victims of lawfare” is one of those stories. And the reason I want to write about it here, in a newsletter ostensibly devoted to the Supreme Court and the law and politics surrounding it, is that I’m increasingly worried that we’re asking the wrong institution to save us from one of the most offensive, alarming, and anti-constitutional things we’ve seen from any president in American history. As I explain below the fold, the Anti-Weaponization Fund is not principally a legal problem awaiting a judicial fix. It is a shockingly egregious political abuse—the President suing his own government, purporting to settle with himself, and routing nearly $2 billion from the Treasury to his own supporters as a not-so-subtle (and not-so-formal) reward, if not an incentive, for political violence. And the Constitution’s answer to political abuses of this kind and magnitude is a political remedy, not a legal one. In his majority opinion in NFIB v. Sebelius (the Affordable Care Act case from 2012), Chief Justice Roberts defended the Court’s endorsement of Congress’s power to adopt the individual mandate by noting that it is “not our job to protect the people from the consequences of their political choices.” As much of a judicial supremacist as I am, that sentiment is, for better or worse, an entirely correct (and, in the long term, normatively desirable) institutional assessment. One can believe in substantial judicial power without believing that literally every political dispute in our country can and should be resolved by unelected judges. The real upshot of this latest headline (among so, so many other similar headlines) is that it is past time to reinvigorate impeachment—not because conviction is realistic in this Senate, or even because impeachment itself is feasible in this House, but because forcing every member of Congress to vote on the record whether this brazen, corrosive, and affirmatively dangerous corruption is impeachable is itself a point worth fighting for (and fighting with our friends over). Assuming the courts will save us absolves our political leaders of both responsibility and accountability for allowing this kind of mischief to continue, and it absolves all of us of our responsibility to refuse to tolerate those who would just as quickly shrug their shoulders and move on. For those who aren’t paid subscribers, we’ll be back (no later than) Monday with our continuing coverage of the Supreme Court. For those who are, please read on.

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May 21 • 7:17 AM EDT • Politics • stevevladeck.com
Loma looks to live dangerously in return to the ring

Former Ukrainian pound-for-pound king Vasiliy Lomachenko hasn't officially announced his return to the ring, but the rumors about who will be his comeback fight opponent are already swirling. Gervonta "Tank" Davis was the first name mentioned. That makes sense, since fans of both fighters have ...

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May 20 • 8:03 PM EDT • Sports • sports.yahoo.com
FDA vape guidance could endanger children, contradicting MAHA goals

When people inside your own administration are walking away over a policy, that tells you this isn’t just routine disagreement. This is a major fight over what public health is supposed to mean. …

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May 20 • 2:19 PM EDT • Health • thehill.com
Sky bridges, citizen science protect endangered Malaysia monkeys

A graceful black monkey edges across a swaying red rope bridge strung over a busy residential road in Malaysia's Penang, watched by local conservationists who carefully record her movements.

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May 20 • 12:30 PM EDT • Science • phys.org
EPA is sidelining its independent chemical referee – and that endangers public health

The move reshapes how future assessments of chemical dangers will be carried out, and if they’ll be ignored, delayed or understated to benefit industry.

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May 20 • 8:25 AM EDT • Health • theconversation.com
Inside the Texas Ranch Where Big-City Professionals Go to Get Dangerous

In an era of assassinations and political chaos, a rustic ranch an hour and a half southeast of Dallas offers a new way to prepare for disaster.

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May 20 • 7:00 AM EDT • Politics • texasmonthly.com
With Trump's approval ratings so low, how does he keep ousting GOP rivals?

Kentucky Rep. Massie is the latest Republican to suffer the wrath of Trump even as the president's ratings sink into dangerous territory for the GOP.

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May 20 • 3:01 AM EDT • Politics • usatoday.com
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Sky bridges, citizen science protect endangered Malaysia monkeys

A graceful black monkey edges across a swaying red rope bridge strung over a busy residential road in Malaysia's Penang, watched by local conservationists who carefully record her movements.Key to the...

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May 20 • 12:38 AM EDT • Science • yahoo.com
Biscayne Bay's health is still "in danger" despite report showing slight improvement, officials say
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May 19 • 10:14 PM EDT • Health • cbsnews.com
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Scientists use DNA from poop to save the world’s rarest marsupial

Scientists in Australia are using cutting-edge DNA techniques to help save one of the world’s rarest marsupials — the critically endangered Gilbert’s potoroo, with fewer than 150 left in the wild. By analyzing tiny traces of DNA in the animals’ scat, researchers uncovered clues about the elusive fungi the potoroos depend on for survival. The findings could help conservationists identify safer new habitats and establish backup populations before disasters like bushfires wipe them out.

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May 19 • 8:00 PM EDT • Science • sciencedaily.com
Oronde Gadsden II is the Chargers’ best-kept secret

I think I can, without a doubt, say that second-year tight end Oronde Gadsden II is one of the most exciting Chargers fans are looking forward to watching in 2026 after a great rookie season. He became a dangerous weapon for Justin Herbert once he cemented himself in the team’s starting lineup and will once […]

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May 19 • 12:13 PM EDT • Sports • sports.yahoo.com
Scientists stunned by new Yellowstone discovery: what it means for the next eruption - Futura-Sciences

Yellowstone: The Supervolcano That Never Sleeps Yellowstone is widely regarded as one of the most dangerous volcanoes in the world. Why? It’s a supervolcano, known for its potential to unleash absolutely colossal eruptions. The last time it blew was around 70,000 years ago, but make no mistake—the volcano is far...

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May 19 • 8:00 AM EDT • Science • futura-sciences.com
Gemini is in danger of going full Copilot

Hey Google, knock it off.

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May 19 • 6:30 AM EDT • Technology • theverge.com
She Was Finding Sources of Dangerous Water and Soil Pollution

Melanie Malone led a research project to identify and study contamination sites in Washington State. Then the E.P.A. canceled her grant.

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May 19 • 5:00 AM EDT • Science • nytimes.com
The 'unintended consequences' of using AI in health insurance coverage decisions

Jude Odu, a health technology expert and former United Healthcare employee, discusses the dangers of outsourcing medical claims decisions to artificial intelligence.

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May 19 • 5:00 AM EDT • Health • wusf.org
Premature abandonment of protocol

In real-life rescue situations, it is well documented that the most dangerous moment comes right before safety. Emotional exhaustion takes over and, most dangerously of all, protocol begins to disappear.

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May 19 • 3:42 AM EDT • Sports • sports.yahoo.com
Experts see near-decade high ER surge in tick bites. How to stay safe

Tick activity is on the rise nationally, including in the Midwest, as summer nears. What to know about the dangerous pests.

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May 18 • 9:45 AM EDT • Health • freep.com
Anxiety and the Science of Learning Safety

Anxiety may not only be a fear of danger. Sometimes, it is the body struggling to recognize safety.

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May 18 • 8:00 AM EDT • Science • psychologytoday.com
The Subnautica 2 fish self-defence debate rages on, as the game’s non-violent themes clash with player desire to fend off underwater threats

Unknown Worlds has stayed true to its oceanic pacifism themes, while the realities of living with dangerous animals has some players frustrated.

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May 18 • 7:17 AM EDT • Technology • eurogamer.net
Common Cleaning Chemical Could Triple Your Risk of a Dangerous Liver Disease

Scientists are uncovering a possible connection between everyday chemical exposure and serious liver damage.

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May 18 • 6:45 AM EDT • Technology • scitechdaily.com
Leeds 1-0 Brighton

Brighton looked dangerous when attacking and so did we. Looked like a 0-0 then Dominic Calvert-Lewin capitalised on a Brighton error and we won the game. Mark: Leeds' never-say-die approach is just awesome.

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May 18 • 6:38 AM EDT • Sports • sports.yahoo.com
The Moral Dangers of Political Victory

In 1985, CT welcomed the successes of the Religious Right but also sounded a note of caution.

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May 18 • 6:00 AM EDT • Politics • christianitytoday.com
Puyallup police seek help finding missing endangered teen with mental health concerns
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May 17 • 3:05 PM EDT • Health • king5.com
News Analysis: Trump spent two days with Xi in Beijing. Was he outplayed?

The Trump administration argues the trip was a success, having secured the display of conciliation and partnership the president had sought after years of increasingly dangerous acrimony.

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May 17 • 6:00 AM EDT • Politics • latimes.com
Now What? With Carbon Pricing Eroded and Pipeline Politics Advancing, Here Are the Pathways for Climate Success

At the end of a whirlwind week of news on carbon pricing and electricity strategy, capping a madcap year of pretty much non-stop, dramatic change, the word across much of Canada’s climate and energy transition community is that climate policy in this country has been shredded. Eviscerated. Hit with a sledgehammer by policy rollbacks that have pushed the country’s 2050 net zero target “well out of reach”. That means it’s never been more important to look for the rays of hope and glimmers of possibility. To glimpse the seeds of the next set of strategies to get Canada’s climate pollution under control and the country into the accelerating global dash away from fossil fuels. And then, once we’ve spotted those possibilities, get on with the hard, day-to-day slog of trying to make them a reality. Nothing takes away from the frustration and the deep disappointment so many climate and energy hawks are expressing, the sense of betrayal by the author of Value(s) and the former UN special envoy for climate action and finance. But we knew two things as the week drew to a close. We’re looking at the world as it most definitely is. And we don’t get to give up finding the pathways to confront climate change and deliver faster, deeper carbon cuts that leave no one else behind. So really, the first question we all have to ask ourselves is: What’s next? Subscribe All the Oxygen in the Room The outpouring of anger and grief over the carbon pricing deal between Prime Minister Mark Carney and Alberta Premier Danielle Smith has been absolutely understandable. So much of the climate community poured years, more than a decade, into dragging the current federal pricing regime across the finish line, then defending it from a deluge of three-syllable rhymes after the Trudeau government proved utterly incapable of delivering its own message. The policy foisted on us by neo-classical economists took up all the oxygen in the room, burned through years of climate response time that we won’t get back, while cornering climate hawks into the position that the best response to the crisis of our lifetimes is a new tax…in an era of historic anti-tax sentiment. I mean, really—what could possibly have gone wrong? Against that history, let’s appreciate columnist Max Fawcett’s point that even a modest carbon pricing agreement with a government as off-the-wall libertarian/conspiracist as Danielle Smith’s—those adjectives are mine, not Max’s—is a win worth savouring (as long as Smith keeps her promises for a change). But part of living in the world as it is (no, I’m not letting that go) is to be clear-headed about what we can and can’t control. And one thing we get to decide, after seeing this week’s carbon price festivities take up all the oxygen yet again, is whether we want to keep letting that happen. Particularly when success down that road depends on a factor that no one with a climate agenda can control or influence—a provincial carbon pricing mechanism that has been manipulated and eroded beyond its lowest possible denominator. Thankfully, that’s not the way it has to go. Not when we have so many other powerful, practical tools at our disposal, including the ones still available to us through this abominable Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) between Canada and Alberta. Tools In Our Toolbox When I started roughing out this list, I didn’t expect it to grow to nearly a dozen bullet points. It’s probably still incomplete. Some of the greatest hits in today’s climate solutions toolbox include: • No Carbon Capture, No Pipeline: On Friday, Prime Minister Mark Carney explicitly stated that there’s been no change to the MOU provision that there will be no West Coast pipeline without an industry commitment to build its massive, $16.5-billion carbon capture and storage (CCUS) hub in Northern Alberta, and vice versa. The two megaprojects were joined at the hip when the MOU was signed Nov. 27, and the implementation agreement this week affirmed that they still are. A parade of independent analysts have spent years pointing to the economic and technical flaws in CCUS, while the industry kept postponing its investment decision until it could arm-twist the government for more “clarity” (by which it meant even more lavish taxpayer subsidies) on the project. Now the industry itself is running away from the CCUS hub and insisting the pipeline should proceed without it, but Carney doesn’t seem to be budging from a central tenet of the MOU to which Smith has signed on. • No Subsidies, No Investors: Climate analysts and advocates have quite rightly been hammering away at Carney and his team, insisting that any new capacity the industry wants to build must proceed without new subsidies. The government has responded with a growing collection of funding and financing mechanisms for the very wide menu of industrial development and nation-building projects they say they want to take on, and that menu always includes fossil fuel infrastructure. But it’s hard to see how even the combined fiscal clout of the federal and supportive provincial governments will deliver the financial backing private investors would need when the business case for new fossil fuel development is evaporating before their eyes. Particularly when… • No Market, No Demand, No Investors: As our friend Markham Hislop at Energi Media (our apparently sleepless friend, given the massive volume of great material he’s been churning out) points out this morning, the biggest vulnerability in any pipeline deal is the assumption that Asian buyers will want the oil or liquefied natural ga that our fossil industry is so keen to send them. Hislop writes in part: Ottawa and Alberta are effectively betting that countries like China and India will continue increasing oil imports for decades as their economies grow and energy consumption rises. That assumption underpins the entire economic rationale for expanding oil sands production and building billions of dollars in new export infrastructure. But Asian energy systems are changing rapidly… China, India, South Korea, and other major hydrocarbon importers are now investing hundreds of billions of dollars into electricity systems built around wind, solar, batteries, nuclear, hydro, and expanded transmission infrastructure. Domestic “energy sovereignty” is increasingly replacing the old energy-security model based on stable oil and gas imports. Those investments are expected to sharply slow oil demand growth and eventually reverse it, even as overall energy consumption continues rising. There are also refining constraints. Many Asian refineries and petrochemical complexes are already optimized to process discounted heavy crude from the Middle East and Latin America. That raises serious questions about how much additional Canadian bitumen Asian markets can absorb at profitable prices. Small wonder that there’s still no private sector investor for the project, despite Smith’s government desperately beating the bushes to put together a deal. For now, Alberta is acting as proponent and covering early start-up costs for a pitch to the federal Major Projects Office, which could actually turn into the next tough hurdle for Smith and her pipeline to jump. • Canada Day Looms: How ironic that Canada’s birthday this year could become a major chokepoint for the provincial premier who’s been working so diligently to tear the country apart! The July 1 target date for Alberta’s pipeline proposal is baked into the MOU, was reaffirmed by the implementation plan, but it hadn’t dawned on me that it cuts both ways. As one very smart colleague wrote in an email yesterday, “they’ve thrown the ball into Alberta’s court to get the project proposal on the table really quickly and to have to do a whole pile of work to put together a massive, complicated project that would typically take years to assemble, and they’ve given them weeks to do it.” That makes July 1 a looming deadline that Smith won’t be able to run away from politically, especially with the separatists in her party and her caucus breathing down her neck. (See previous ref to off-the-wall.) But if Alberta comes in with a sloppy, incomplete submission, even after Carney bent over backwards to simplify the application process and the rules that govern it, it may be harder for the province or the industry to blame Ottawa and insist on the faster process they claim their investors are demanding. (Oh, wait—which investors would those be??) • We’ll See You In Court (Then We’ll See You Again): If Carney did cave, that would be just one more reason for Indigenous and other affected communities to take the government and the process to court—Just as Alberta First Nations did, successfully, in response to Smith’s half-baked separation referendum. Veterans of the Harper era have been warning that a shoddy process around fossil fuel infrastructure or other major projects will be a recipe for the very delays that process seeks to avoid. And now more than ever, with renewable energy and energy storage eating fossil fuels’ lunch in import markets around the world, a delayed pipeline or LNG terminal may be as good as a cancelled one. • Charged Up, Ready to Go: With its goal of doubling Canada’s electricity supply to meet a doubling of demand by 2050, the national electricity strategy that Carney unveiled Thursday has a lot to like. With its explicit language about speeding the shift from fuels to more efficient and affordable electricity, global investment and deployment patterns that already favour that shift, an emerging bidirectional power grid, the role of front-line options like rooftop solar and heat pumps, the emergence of electric vehicles as behind-the-meter energy storage, and the domestic jobs and manufacturing to make it all happen, the document doubles down on the essential cornerstone of a faster shift off fossil fuels. The strategy envisions a more prominent role for gas and nuclear power. But some of those provisions were already in the Clean Electricity Regulations that climate hawks are now fighting so hard to defend, inserted as a compromise in a futile attempt to mollify the industry and its political representatives in Alberta and Saskatchewan. But once again, gas will be a tougher sell when it’s more expensive and now so much more unpredictable than the clean alternatives. The new nuclear technologies are still speculative and deeply vulnerable to cost overruns. Increasingly, utilities, developers, and investors know it. Carney declared Thursday that “it doesn’t do us good to be sitting in court all the time with provinces. It doesn’t do us good to be talking past each other. What does do us good is to come together with specific projects.” There are no guarantees, but so much of the language and narrative-building in the electricity strategy suggests the lion’s share of those projects will be renewable. • The Party Has Already Started: The electricity strategy only rarely digs down to specific projects, but provinces representing three-quarters of Canada’s population are already embracing a faster transition. Hydro-Québec is working on a 10-year, $185-billion renewable energy and grid buildout by 2035. Ontario recently brought 10 provinces and territories together in a National Energy Corridor Agreement to boost interprovincial and -territorial transmission infrastructure. And the MOU implementation agreement commits Alberta to facilitate investment in renewable energy projects, a big step back from its continuing, punitive restrictions on renewables development. The electricity strategy envisions much of the financing and infrastructure that will be needed to pull those advances together into an integrated whole. • Delivering on Affordability: The MOU implementation plan has little or nothing to say about affordability (are you surprised?), but the electricity strategy does, with a top-line pledge to reduce home energy costs for seven out of 10 Canadian households by 2050, a total saving of $15 billion across the board. It’s just a start, but it puts affordability on the government’s narrative map. If they’re serious and deliberate about patching together a least-cost energy strategy, it’ll have little if any room for oil, gas, or nuclear—not with powerful evidence, for example, that electricity prices are higher when those prices are set by gas. • Smith Proves that Canada Works: By signing a deal that makes it harder to claim the federal government is blocking a new pipeline, Smith has helped prove Carney’s constant anti-separatist refrain that “Canada works”—incurring the rage, no doubt, of her own political base. Canada also needs to work for anyone who depends on a clean environment, healthy and thriving ecosystems, and safe, stable climate. But with Smith and her separatist constituents setting up as a fifth column for annexation by Donald Trump’s United States, let’s set aside any notion that 51st state status for Canada is a recipe for anything other than climate disaster (and so much else). Resisting and withstanding Trump (just 170 more sleeps until mid-term elections, which is a damn sight better than the 730 we started with) doesn’t mean a free pass for a pipeline, but we can still appreciate it that keeping Canada whole and sovereign is still Carney’s Job One. • The Words Not Spoken: Apart from a commitment to export a million barrels of “low-emission” Alberta bitumen per day (memo to Smith and Carney: You realize that that’s less than the industry is already exporting??), the MOU implementation plan says nothing about the international trade and economic sovereignty deals that Carney has been travelling the world to negotiate. It didn’t have to. Carney doesn’t need permission from Danielle Smith, her American enablers, or her separatist allies to continue building the alliances that will ratchet down our economic dependency on our unstable, unreliable neighbour to the south. But every connection he builds with countries outside North America helps align our economy and our future with a faster shift off fossil fuels. Little if any of this was on our bingo cards a year or two ago. But it’s the pathway that has opened up to us. And if it gives Canada any climate or energy gains at all in an era still dominated by Trump and his increasingly ridiculous tariffs, his loutish trade negotiations and his continuing annexation threats, we have to take the wins. Not least because they’ll be the point of departure for what we can achieve in 2027, 2029, and beyond, as Trump’s grip and this era begin to loosen and then fade. What is Carney Doing? If this line of thought is right—and it’s a possibility, not a prediction—it means that Carney’s actions and decisions are largely about buying time. Time for Trump’s power to wane. Time for Alberta’s separatist/conspiracist virus to spread, mutate, die out, or at least die back, with help from a vaccine of federal steadiness and calm (appropriate enough, for a movement populated largely by vaccine deniers) that no conspiracy theory can dismiss. And time for the government’s trade and investment agenda to deliver results—even knowing that some of those results will bring impacts that front-line communities will not and should not accept. In the immediate moment, none of this changes the way the wider climate community has to respond, from campaigners to investors to front-line practitioners. All of our voices are still essential. But those voices will be stronger and more confident if we have a clearer sense of the brutal game we’ve been pulled into, and a plausible path (or two it three) for playing it to the win we need. This conversation also underscores our biggest task for the remaining years of what was supposed to be the “decisive” decade for climate response: if we can shift the energy narrative in Canada, make it a mainstream view that the country’s preoccupation with oil and gas has us falling farther behind a changing world, we’ll see far better results in the 2030s and beyond. For many veteran climate advocates, taking on that part of the fight will begin with recognizing that most of our friends and family, neighbours and colleagues already understand that climate change is real and right in front of us: they’re looking away and staying silent because they don’t have what climate communicator Katharine Hayhoe calls “efficacy”. As Hayhoe recently pointed out in a feature interview with The Energy Mix, it amounts to science denial to keep hammering away at the dire news about global warming without also helping audiences understand what they can do about it, with multiple studies telling us why that won’t work. Far better to open those conversations with the dominant crises like energy security, food security, emergency preparedness and business continuity, affordability, and financial security that have knocked climate change far lower on the list of public priorities, and will likely keep it there. We Knew This Would Happen Climate hawks have always known this day would come. For decades, we warned that everyone had to pay attention to climate change right now, because it would be much tougher to respond once the crisis itself started affecting our daily lives. We were right, and here we are. But now, thanks to decades of hard work, communities and countries have an alternative to doubling down on fossil fuels. “In 10 years everyone will have ‘always known’ that solar and batteries were going to win,” Morgan Solar Executive Chair Mike Andrade writes on LinkedIn. With the disruption in the Strait of Hormuz roiling energy priorities around the world, Canada and the United States are among the shrinking number of countries that are still very keen on fossil fuel development. Understanding that gap is a first, essential step in spotting the opportunities ahead, and averting the deep economic as well as environmental and social risk we face if we don’t seize them. Thanks for reading The Energy Mix Weekender! Subscribe for free to receive new posts and support our work. Subscribe Mitchell Beer traces his background in renewable energy and energy efficiency back to 1977, in climate change to 1997. Now he and the rest of the Energy Mix team scan 1,200 news headlines a week to pull together The Energy Mix and The Energy Mix Weekender. Chart of the Week BYD Eyes 20 Dealership Locations After Canada Greenlights Chinese EV Imports ‘Sledgehammer’ Carbon Price Deal Boosts Emissions by 230Mt, Aims for Fall 2027 Pipeline Approval ‘Worse Than Harper’: Regulatory Rollback Would Stop Canada from Assessing Project Impacts, Critics Warn Electricity Strategy Aims for Doubling by 2050, Allows ‘Flexibility’ for Gas Power Plants Opposition Mounts as O’Leary’s Data Centre Approved in Drought-Stricken Utah Diluted Carbon Price Misses ‘Reality of the World We’re In’, Could Impede Diversified Trade: Climate Institute $200B in Clean Energy Investment Will Need On-Time Delivery, Reliable Policies, Trade Association Says ‘Sovereign Pipeline’: CEO Pitches to Keep Trans Mountain in Government Hands What a Supercharged El Niño Could Mean for Canada Canada’s future is electric, and here’s how a power grid superhighway would get us there (Toronto Star) The Perilous Waters of Hecate Strait (Globe and Mail) Saudi Aramco profits jump despite conflict in Middle East (The Guardian) Farmers confront rising cost of fertilizer and fuel as spring seeding under way (Canadian Broadcasting Corporation) Clarkson forecasts 24% decline in offshore oil, gas capital expenditures (Oil & Gas Journal) Pipe Dreams: How Oil and Gas Fail to Deliver Economic Development in Africa (Oil Change International) Developing countries must hold the pen to script the fossil fuel transition (Climate Home News) Iran war threatens the dream of a post-oil economy in the Gulf (Washington Post) U.S. Oil, Gas Work Force Hits Lowest Level Since 2022 (Rigzone) Why Polestar Is Doubling Down on Net Zero as Rivals Pull Back on EVs (Bloomberg) Why this Michigan utility plans to sell its hydro dams for $13 (E&E News/Politico) Levees can no longer save New Orleans (Vox)

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May 16 • 6:41 PM EDT • Politics • energymixweekender.substack.com
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