Federal health officials have linked two massive US measles outbreaks, confirming that the country is about two months away from losing its measles elimination status, according to a report by The New York Times.
U.S. Representative Robert Garcia of California, top Democrat on the House Oversight Committee, told CNN's Kaitlan Collins Monday night that additional documents from Jeffrey Epstein's estate are expected to be released. read more
Are you using Tesla's Powerwall 2 energy system to store power for your home? It might not be safe to do so. read more
The Texas lawsuit hinges on the unproven claim that Tylenol causes autism. read more
The president has faced a series of brush-offs and brushbacks that threaten his aura of invincibility. read more
Trump Blows Off Claims of Lucrative Property Deals in Saudi Arabia
www.thedailybeast.com
... The president insisted he has nothing to do with his family business. ...
But as they met in the Oval Office to discuss new pacts on defense and artificial intelligence, Trump was asked if it was appropriate for his family to be doing business in Saudi Arabia while he is president.
"I have nothing to do with the family business," he said, visibly annoyed at the question. ...
The president's family has numerous ties to Saudi Arabia, mostly through real estate licensing and investment.
This week, for instance, the Trump Organization and its Saudi-based development partner, Dar Al Arkan, announced a project allowing cryptocurrency investors to buy into Trump-branded real estate projects.
The Trump Organization is headed by the president's sons, Don Jr. and Eric. The company also has Trump-branded projects in the capital of Riyadh, a Trump Tower planned in the port city of Jeddah, and ties with LIV Golf, the league backed by Saudi Arabia's sovereign wealth fund.
Meanwhile, Trump's son-in-law, Jared Kushner, who is married to his daughter, Ivanka, runs a private equity firm that has taken $2 billion from a fund led by the crown prince.
However, Trump told reporters on Tuesday: "What my family does is fine. They do business all over. They've done very little with Saudi Arabia ...
Senate unanimously approves bill to release Epstein files
www.nbcnews.com
... Just hours later, Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer, D-N.Y., headed to the floor and requested unanimous consent that the measure be passed in the upper chamber once the bill is sent over from the House.
Not a single senator objected.
It means that once the paperwork is sent from the House to the Senate, the bill will be sent straight to Trump, who has vowed to sign it into law. ...
House passes bill to force the release of the Epstein files, sending it to Senate
www.nbcnews.com
... The House on Tuesday voted overwhelmingly to pass legislation to compel the Justice Department to release all its records related to the late convicted sex offender Jeffrey Epstein -- a major victory for lawmakers in both parties who've been leading the push for months.
As the final vote tally, 427-1, was read, several Epstein survivors who were sitting in the House gallery embraced each other and loud cheers went up through the chamber. Rep. Clay Higgins, R-La., was the only lawmaker to vote no. ...
Another [deeper dive] view ...
The Air You Breathe May Affect Your Alzheimer's Risk (March 2024)
www.alzinfo.org
... People who live in areas with lots of vehicle traffic and who breath in pollutants from diesel exhaust and other sources have brain changes that are tied to an increased risk of Alzheimer's disease. These findings, detailed in a recent study, add to growing evidence linking air pollution to brain decline.
For the new study, published in the journal Neurology, researchers at Emory University looked for signs of Alzheimer's disease in the brains of 224 deceased men and women in the Atlanta area who had donated their brains to science. Their average age at death was 76.
The researchers also looked at the home addresses of the donors at the time of death, and determined traffic-related air pollution levels near their homes in the years preceding their deaths. They focused on levels of PM2.5, the tiny pollutant particles smaller than 2.5 micrometers in diameter that can be particularly damaging to health. This fine particulate matter can enter the bloodstream where high levels are linked to an increased risk of heart attacks, stroke, respiratory problems and lung disease. These tiny particles may also enter the brain, and a growing body of research has linked them to an increased risk of dementia.
The investigators found that those people who lived in areas with high levels of traffic-related air pollution had higher amounts of amyloid plaques in their brains. The presence of amyloid plaques, which are formed by the clumping together of toxic beta-amyloid in the brain, is a hallmark of Alzheimer's disease. People with the highest exposure to fine particulate matter in the year before their death were nearly twice as likely to have higher levels of plaques, while those with higher exposure in the three years before death were 87 percent more likely to have higher levels of plaques. ...
Strawbs - Remembering; You And I (When We Were Young); Grace Darling (1975)
www.youtube.com
Partial lyrics excerpt ...
...
[Verse 1]
You have been my lighthouse
In every storm
You have given shelter
You have kept me safe and warm
And in my darkest nights
You have shone your brightest lights
You are my saving grace
Darling, I love you
[Verse 2]
You have been the pilot
Who guides me home
You have been the my rock
As on the seven seas I roam
And when I was becalmed
You were the strength in my arms
You are my saving grace
Darling, I love you
[Interlude]
And when I found my back
Was torn and broken on the reef
You sailed your tiny boat
Across the dark seas of my disbelief
[Verse 3]
You have been the anchor
And I the chain
Straining as we hold ourselves
Together in the rain
...
They don't write songs like that anymore ...
Another view ...
Democrats are going to come to regret this': After Epstein vote, Trump ready to attack
www.politico.com