October 12, 2023 (San Diego's East County) -- Our Health and Science Highlights provide cutting edge news that could impact your health and our future.

HEALTH

• Paxlovid may reduce the chance of long Covid. Why don’t doctors prescribe it more? (NBC)
• A gene variant raises the risk of Parkinson's for some people of African descent (NPR)
• A reproduction revolution is on the horizon: vitro gametogenesis or IVG  (NPR)
• It’s one of the world’s toughest anti-smoking laws: The Maori see a major flaw (NPR)

SCIENCE AND TECH

• Chipmaker Qualcomm to lay off over 1200 California workers (CNN)
• EU launches probe into disinformation campaigns as X says ‘hundreds’ of Hamas-affiliated accounts removed (CNN)
• To cheers, NASA asteroid sample capsule safely touches down in Utah (NPR)

For excerpts and links to full stories, click “read more” and scroll down.

HEALTH

Paxlovid may reduce the chance of long Covid. Why don’t doctors prescribe it more? (NBC)

Experts who study and treat long Covid agree that Paxlovid seems to lower the risk of lingering symptoms. Some long Covid patients regret not taking it.

A gene variant raises the risk of Parkinson's for some people of African descent (NPR)

A team that included scientists from Lagos, London and the U.S. found a previously unknown gene variant that can nearly quadruple the risk of Parkinson's for people of African ancestry. The finding, published in August in The Lancet Neurology, suggests that Parkinson's may work differently in people of African, rather than European, descent. It could eventually help scientists develop a treatment specifically for people with this particular gene variant.

A reproduction revolution is on the horizon: vitro gametogenesis or IVG  (NPR)

Scientists in Japan are at the forefront of one the most controversial areas of biomedical research: creating sperm and eggs in the laboratory from practically any cell in the body.

It’s one of the world’s toughest anti-smoking laws: The Maori see a major flaw (NPR)

…Last December, in an all-hands-on-deck effort to get Māori across the 2025 finish line, New Zealand passed one of the strongest anti-tobacco laws in global history. Specifically, the legislation limits the amount of nicotine in cigarettes to non-addictive levels and reduces the number of retailers allowed to sell cigarettes from 600 currently to 60 by July 2024. Most remarkably, the law bans the next generation of New Zealanders — anyone born after 2008 or currently 14 years old or younger — from ever buying cigarettes in the country.

SCIENCE AND TECH

Chipmaker Qualcomm to lay off over 1200 California workers (CNN)

Qualcomm, one of the largest microchip manufacturers globally, is scaling back its workforce.  The San Diego, California-based company will be laying off about 1258 roles in California, according to a filing with the California Employment Development Department. Impacted employees include those based out of San Diego and Santa Clara in multiple roles, from engineers to legal counsel to human resources, with job reductions coming around December 13th.

EU launches probe into disinformation campaigns as X says ‘hundreds’ of Hamas-affiliated accounts removed (CNN)

X says it has removed “hundreds of Hamas-affiliated accounts” and taken down thousands of posts since the attack on Israel by the Palestinian militant group, even as the European Commission formally opened an investigation into X after a previous warning about disinformation and illegal content on its platform linked to the Israel-Hamas war. The platform, formerly known as Twitter, was given 24 hours by the European Union earlier this week to address illegal content and disinformation regarding the conflict or face penalties under the bloc’s recently enacted Digital Services Act.

To cheers, NASA asteroid sample capsule safely touches down in Utah (NPR)

After traveling billions of miles for seven years to touch an asteroid and bring a sample home, NASA's Osiris-REx mission has finally delivered a precious sample to Earth.

October 31, 2023 (San Diego's East County) -- Our Health and Science Highlights provide cutting edge news that could impact your health and our future.

Health

• Medicare Advantage is growing fast, and that's bad for rural hospitals (NPR) 
• Harassment and burnout up among health workers CDC says  (KPBS)
• San Diego County links 9 cases of salmonella to 'raw' milk products from Fresno  (KPBS)
• Does long COVID brain fog start in the gut?  (NPR)
• The FDA moves to ban chemical hair straighteners containing formaldehyde  (NPR)
• More than one serving of red meat a day may drive up the risk of Type 2 diabetes  (NPR)

Science and Technology

• Biden executive order imposes new rules for AI. Here's what they are. (ABC News)
• Carbon emissions threaten 1.5C climate threshold sooner than thought - report (BBC)
  

For excerpts and links to full stories, click “read more” and scroll down.

Health

Medicare Advantage is growing fast, and that's bad for rural hospitals (NPR) 

Medicare Advantage insurers are private companies that contract with the federal government to provide Medicare benefits to seniors in place of traditional Medicare. The plans have become dubious payers for many large and small hospitals, which report that the insurers are often slow to pay or don't pay. Private plans now cover more than half of those eligible for Medicare. And while enrollment is highest in metropolitan areas, it has increased fourfold in rural areas since 2010. Meanwhile, more than 150 rural hospitals have closed since 2010.

Harassment and burnout up among health workers CDC says  (KPBS)

Health care workers are experiencing a mental health crisis, according to a new report published by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) this week…The report notes the number of health care workers reporting harassment at work doubled from 2018 to 2022. Nearly half of those surveyed said burnout happened "often or very often", up from 32% in 2018. More health workers are considering leaving, with 44% — up from 33% in 2021 — planning to look for a new job.

San Diego County links 9 cases of salmonella to 'raw' milk products from Fresno  (KPBS)

According to the county Health and Human Services Agency, the cases began in late September with products from Raw Farm LLC.

Does long COVID brain fog start in the gut?  (NPR)

New research reveals an intriguing connection between low levels of the chemical serotonin and the brain fog seen in some long COVID patients. The findings point the way to one possible treatment.

The FDA moves to ban chemical hair straighteners containing formaldehyde  (NPR)

NPR's Ayesha Rascoe asks researcher Kimberly Bertrand about hair relaxers containing formaldehyde and moves by the FDA to ban them.

More than one serving of red meat a day may drive up the risk of Type 2 diabetes  (NPR)

Researchers tracked the eating habits of more than 200,000 people enrolled in long-term health studies for up to 36 years and found that those who regularly consumed a lot of red meat — more than a serving per day — had a significantly higher risk of developing Type 2 diabetes.

Science and Technology

Biden executive order imposes new rules for AI. Here's what they are. (ABC News)

President Joe Biden issued a wide-ranging executive order on Monday that aims to safeguard against threats posed by artificial intelligence, ensuring that bad actors do not use the technology to develop devastating weapons or mount supercharged cyberattacks.

Carbon emissions threaten 1.5C climate threshold sooner than thought - report (BBC)

Human fossil fuel emissions are threatening a key climate threshold more quickly than previously thought, a new report says.

November 17, 2023 (San Diego's East County) -- Our Health and Science Highlights provide cutting edge news that could impact your health and our future.

HEALTH

• Supreme Court deals blow to vaccine skeptics (Newsweek)
• The World’s First Whole-Eye Transplant Is Helping an Arkansas Man Recover From a Catastrophic Injury (Tme)
• CRISPR for high cholesterol shows promise in first study (NPR)

SCIENCE AND TECH

• Elon Musk faces growing backlash over his endorsement of antisemitic X post (CBS)
• A new type of climate-friendly energy is coming online in the U.S. Southwest   (NPR)
• U.S. regulators will review car-tire chemical that kills salmon, upon request from West Coast tribes (AP)

For excerpts and links to full stories, click  “read more” and scroll down.

HEALTH

Supreme Court deals blow to vaccine skeptics (Newsweek)

The U.S. Supreme Court rejected to hear an appeal relating to COVID-19 vaccine requirements in the workplace, dealing a blow to vaccine skeptics across the nation. ...the decision allows a ruling in the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Third Circuit to stand. The lower court ruled that the vaccine mandate challenged by the nurses did not violate their Constitutional freedoms and allowed an executive order from New Jersey Governor Phil Murphy to stay in place.

The World’s First Whole-Eye Transplant Is Helping an Arkansas Man Recover From a Catastrophic Injury (Tme)

Surgeons at NYU Langone Health have performed what they say is the world’s first whole-eye transplant, combined with a partial face transplant, in an important step forward for the fields of both transplantation and vision restoration.

CRISPR for high cholesterol shows promise in first study (NPR)

For the first time, researchers have produced evidence that gene-editing can cut high cholesterol, a major risk factor for the nation's leading killer.

SCIENCE AND TECH

Elon Musk faces growing backlash over his endorsement of antisemitic X post (CBS)

Elon Musk, the billionaire owner of X, faces a mounting backlash after he called an antisemitic post on the social platform this week "the actual truth," dismaying investors and prompting some companies to halt advertising on the platform. Two advertisers, IBM and the European Commission, said they are pulling spending on X (formerly known as Twitter), citing reports of rising hate speech, including a report that some ads are appearing next to Nazi-related content. The White House also issued a statement, calling Musk's comment "unacceptable."

A new type of climate-friendly energy is coming online in the U.S. Southwest   (NPR)

Geothermal energy has been limited to places with subtera reservoirs of hot water. A new technology being proven in Utah is expanding it to exploit dry hot rock underground.

U.S. regulators will review car-tire chemical that kills salmon, upon request from West Coast tribes (AP)

U.S. regulators say they will review the use of a chemical found in almost every tire after a petition from West Coast Native American tribes that want it banned because it kills salmon as they return from the ocean to their natal streams to spawn…. Washington, Oregon, Vermont, Rhode Island and Connecticut also wrote the EPA, citing the chemical’s “unreasonable threat” to their waters and fisheries.

December 18, 2023 (San Diego's East County) -- Our Health and Science Highlights provide cutting edge news that could impact your health and our future.

HEALTH

• Uncle Sam wants you to help stop insurers' bogus Medicare Advantage sales tactics  (NPR)
• After the Dobbs decision, birth rates are up in states with abortion ban states (NPR)
• Ahead of the holidays flu-like illnesses slightly increase  (KPBS)
• Uptick in mpox cases raises concerns in San Diego County  (KPBS)
• FDA expands cantaloupe recall after salmonella infections double in a week  (CBS 8)
• Mexico closes cantaloupe plant temporarily amid deadly salmonella outbreak (Reuters)
• Researchers return to Alzheimer's vaccines, buoyed by recent drug success (Reuters)
• In death, one cancer patient helps to erase millions in medical debt  (AP)

SCIENCE AND TECH

• IBM, EU and Disney pull ads from Elon Musk's X as concerns about antisemitism fuel backlash (AP)
• Judge says evidence shows Tesla and Elon Musk knew about flawed autopilot system  (NPR)
• Jury decides Google's Android app store benefits from anticompetitive barriers  (NPR)
• UC San Diego Climate change panel points to progress (KPBS)
• Companies say they're closing in on nuclear fusion as an energy source  (NPR)
• USDA's plant hardiness zone map shows half the country has shifted  (NPR)
• Forest Service plans carbon dioxide storage on federal lands 
• Consumer Reports is adapting its automobile testing to include EVs (NPR)

For excerpts and links to full stories,  click  “read more” and scroll down.

HEALTH

Uncle Sam wants you to help stop insurers' bogus Medicare Advantage sales tactics  (NPR)

Officials at the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services are encouraging seniors and other members of the public to become fraud detectives by reporting misleading or deceptive sales tactics to 800-MEDICARE, the agency's 24-hour information hotline.

After the Dobbs decision, birth rates are up in states with abortion ban states (NPR)

... They've been trapped by distance or poverty or other factors in their lives. And as a result, there's an increase in births that are occurring for a particularly poor and vulnerable population.

Ahead of the holidays flu-like illnesses slightly increase  (KPBS)

As we approach the holidays, cases of flu-like illness are starting to tick up in San Diego… Recent wastewater testing also shows slight increases in COVID-19, the flu and RSV. 

Uptick in mpox cases raises concerns in San Diego County  (KPBS)

San Diego County has witnessed a rise in mpox cases after experiencing a lull in reports for the majority of 2023.   Health officials attribute this surge to low vaccination rates and changing perceptions of the threat posed by mpox.

FDA expands cantaloupe recall after salmonella infections double in a week  (CBS 8)

U.S. health officials recalled three more brands of whole and pre-cut cantaloupes Friday as the number of people sickened by salmonella more than doubled this week. Nearly 100 people in 32 states have gotten sick from the contaminated fruits.

Mexico closes cantaloupe plant temporarily amid deadly salmonella outbreak (Reuters)

Mexico's government said Friday it temporarily closed a cantaloupe processing plant while investigating the source of a salmonella contamination that has killed at least nine people in the U.S. and Canada….and hundreds of illnesses from salmonella since October.  Health authorities in both countries have implicated Malichita and Rudy brand cantaloupes as the sources of the outbreak and issued recalls of the fruit.

Researchers return to Alzheimer's vaccines, buoyed by recent drug success (Reuters)

Breakthrough Alzheimer’s treatments that remove toxic proteins from the brain have revived interest in vaccines to treat the memory-robbing disease, potentially offering a cheaper, easy-to-administer option for millions of people…Clinical trials are underway or completed for at least seven Alzheimer’s vaccines designed to harness the immune system to rid the brain of the disease-related proteins...

In death, one cancer patient helps to erase millions in medical debt  (AP)

A New York City woman who died Sunday from cancer has raised enough money to erase millions of dollars in medical debt with a posthumous plea for help.  Casey McIntyre told followers in a social media message posted by her husband that she had arranged to buy the medical debt of others as a way of celebrating her life….“I loved each and every one of you with my whole heart and I promise you, I knew how deeply I was loved,” the 38-year-old wrote. The posts included a link to a fundraising campaign started through the nonprofit RIP Medical Debt.

SCIENCE AND TECH

IBM, EU and Disney pull ads from Elon Musk's X as concerns about antisemitism fuel backlash (AP)

Advertisers are fleeing social media platform X over concerns about their ads showing up next to pro-Nazi content and hate speech on the site in general, with billionaire owner Elon Musk inflaming tensions with his own posts endorsing an antisemitic conspiracy theory.

Judge says evidence shows Tesla and Elon Musk knew about flawed autopilot system  (NPR)

A Florida judge says a lawsuit against Tesla and its autopilot driving car can go to trial, adding to the company's legal woes over the technology. / Palm Beach County Judge Reid Scott ruled that there was "reasonable evidence" to conclude that Tesla owner and CEO, Elon Musk, and other company executives knew that the vehicle's autopilot system was defective. But they continued to tout its capabilities and sell it anyway.

Jury decides Google's Android app store benefits from anticompetitive barriers  (NPR)

A federal court jury has decided that Google's Android app store has been protected by anticompetitive barriers that have damaged smartphone consumers and software developers, dealing a blow to a major pillar of a technology empire.  The unanimous verdict reached Monday came after just three hours of deliberation following a four-week trial revolving around a lucrative payment system within Google's Play store.

UC San Diego Climate change panel points to progress (KPBS)

A panel of climate and policy experts said new policies and technologies have reduced projections of global warming.

Companies say they're closing in on nuclear fusion as an energy source  (NPR)

Fusion power could change the world. If it worked, it would grant humanity eye-watering quantities of electricity without producing any greenhouse gas emissions. The warming of the planet would slow, environmental pollution would drop, and energy would be cheaper than ever.

USDA's plant hardiness zone map shows half the country has shifted  (NPR)

This week the ["plant hardiness zone map”] map got its first update in more than a decade, and the outlook for many gardens looks warmer.

Forest Service plans carbon dioxide storage on federal lands 

The idea is to trap planet-heating carbon dioxide from the smokestacks of factories and power plants and transport it to sites where it is injected underground and stored.

Consumer Reports is adapting its automobile testing to include EVs (NPR)

Consumer Reports, the nonprofit product testing organization, is adapting to the rise of the electric vehicle. One change: Range tests that show how far you can drive on a full battery charge...their big annual survey of owners found electric vehicles have 79% more problems.

January 9, 2024 (San Diego's East County) -- Our Health and Science Highlights provide cutting edge news that could impact your health and our future.

HEALTH

• Emergency rooms not required to perform life-saving abortions, federal appeals court rules (Tribune)
• Medicare Advantage plans are popular, but some seniors feel trapped when ill  (NPR)
• Hydroxychloroquine could have caused 17,000 deaths during Covid, study finds (Politico)
• Tampa's new water filtration system is expected to help remove forever chemicals  (NPR)
• It's been 4 years since COVID hit. Here's what's happening to prevent the next pandemic. (USA Today)
• Why hospitals in several states are reinstating mask requirements (ABC News)
• Early intervention for schizophrenia is effective, but insurance won't cover it (NPR)

SCIENCE AND TECH

• Russian hackers were inside Ukraine telecoms giant for months  (Reuters)
• Here's how to safely charge e-bikes, prevent fires (CBS 8)
• Why Are Alaska’s Rivers Turning Orange?  (Scientific American)
• Consumer Reports finds 'widespread' presence of plastics in food (Reuters)
• An abused wife took on Tesla over tracking tech. She lost. (Reuters)
• Driverless car startup Cruise's no good, terrible year (NPR)

.For excerpts and links to full stories, click “read more” and scroll down.

HEALTH

Emergency rooms not required to perform life-saving abortions, federal appeals court rules (Tribune)

The Biden administration reminded hospitals of their obligation to perform life-saving abortions under the Emergency Medical Treatment and Labor Act after the overturn of Roe v. Wade. Texas sued, arguing it was an overstep that mandated abortions. Federal regulations do not require emergency rooms to perform life-saving abortions if it would run afoul of state law, a federal appeals court ruled Tuesday.

Medicare Advantage plans are popular, but some seniors feel trapped when ill  (NPR)

Enrollment in Medicare Advantage plans has grown substantially in the past few decades, enticing more than half of eligible people, primarily those 65 or older, with low premium costs and perks like dental and vision insurance. And as the private plans' share of the Medicare patient pie has ballooned to 30.8 million people, so too have concerns about the insurers' aggressive sales tactics and misleading coverage claims.

Hydroxychloroquine could have caused 17,000 deaths during Covid, study finds (Politico)

Former US President Donald Trump said: ‘What do you have to lose? Take it.’

Tampa's new water filtration system is expected to help remove forever chemicals  (NPR)

Tampa could become the first U.S. city to get a water treatment system with technology that can help filter out forever chemicals known as PFAS.

It's been 4 years since COVID hit. Here's what's happening to prevent the next pandemic. (USA Today)

Concentric, the biosecurity unit of Ginkgo Bioworks, recently published an analysis with the Center for Global Development showing a 2% to 3% chance of another global pandemic every year for the next quarter-century. That means there's a 50-50 chance we'll have another one before the year 2049….

Why hospitals in several states are reinstating mask requirements (ABC News)

Some hospitals across the United States are reinstating indoor masking rules amid rising cases and hospitalizations of respiratory illnesses including COVID-19 and influenza. Hospitals in at least six states -- California, Illinois, Massachusetts, North Carolina, Washington and Wisconsin -- have put masking guidelines in place….

Early intervention for schizophrenia is effective, but insurance won't cover it (NPR)

Every year, an estimated 100,000 young adults or adolescents in the U.S. experience a psychotic episode. Only 10-20% of them gain access to the holistic treatment approach recommended by the National Institute of Mental Health as the gold standard of care for early psychosis, due to lack of space or because insurance won't cover it.

SCIENCE AND TECH

Russian hackers were inside Ukraine telecoms giant for months  (Reuters)

Russian hackers were inside Ukrainian telecoms giant Kyivstar's system from at least May last year in a cyberattack that should serve as a "big warning" to the West, Ukraine's cyber spy chief told Reuters. The hack…knocked out services provided by Ukraine's biggest telecoms operator for some 24 million users for days from Dec. 12….  The attack wiped "almost everything", including thousands of virtual servers and PCs, he said, describing it as probably the first example of a destructive cyberattack that "completely destroyed the core of a telecoms operator."

Here's how to safely charge e-bikes, prevent fires (CBS 8)

The San Diego Fire Department has seen an increase in fires caused by e-bikes.

Why Are Alaska’s Rivers Turning Orange?  (Scientific American)

Streams in Alaska are turning orange with iron and sulfuric acid. Scientists are trying to figure out why.

Consumer Reports finds 'widespread' presence of plastics in food (Reuters)

Consumer Reports has found that plastics retain a "widespread" presence in food despite the health risks, and called on regulators to reassess the safety of plastics that come into contact with food during production. 

An abused wife took on Tesla over tracking tech. She lost. (Reuters)

San Francisco police Sergeant David Radford contacted Tesla in May 2020 with a request on a case: Could the automaker provide data on an alleged stalker’s remote access to a vehicle?  A woman... told police that her abusive husband, in violation of a restraining order, was stalking and harassing her using the technology in their 2016 Tesla Model X…. Cases of technology-enabled stalking involving cars are emerging as automakers add ever-more-sophisticated features, such as location tracking and remote control of functions such as locking doors or honking.

Driverless car startup Cruise's no good, terrible year (NPR)

A year ago, the future seemed bright for the driverless car startup Cruise….But then, in October, things took a disastrous turn.

January 21, 2024 (San Diego's East County) -- Our Health and Science Highlights provide cutting edge news that could impact your health and our future.

HEALTH

• 1,500 Americans dying from COVID each week despite vaccines, treatments (ABC)
• Cases almost double as CDC expands warning of salmonella infections linked to recalled charcuterie meats (CNN)
• Researchers find a massive number of plastic particles in bottled water  (NPR)
• Why long COVID can cause exhaustion, or post-exertional malaise, after exercise 
• Red Cross declares an emergency blood shortage, as number of donors is down 40% (NPR)
• FDA clears first CRISPR treatment for a second disease, beta thalassemia (
  
  CNN)

SCIENCE AND TECH

• Washington takes aim at facial recognition (Politico)
• His sock, shoe and iPhone were sucked out of Alaska Flight 1282. The phone still works (Los Angeles Times)
• Huge ancient lost city found in the Amazon  (BBC)
• State-backed Russian hackers accessed senior Microsoft leaders' emails, company says  (KPBS)

For excerpts and links to full stories, click read more or scroll down.

HEALTH

1,500 Americans dying from COVID each week despite vaccines, treatments (ABC)

For the week ending Dec. 9, the last week of complete data, there were 1,614 deaths from COVID, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC). The last four weeks of complete data show an average of 1,488 weekly deaths.  By comparison, there were 163 weekly deaths from the flu for the week ending Dec. 9, according to CDC data.

Cases almost double as CDC expands warning of salmonella infections linked to recalled charcuterie meats (CNN)

As cases of salmonella infections linked to recalled charcuterie meats double, the US Centers of Disease Control and Prevention expanded its warning in a new food safety alert on Thursday.  There are now a total of 47 reported illnesses, including 10 hospitalizations, in 22 states... he CDC now says do not eat, serve or sell any lot of the following (both of which are sold in twin-packs):  Busseto brand Charcuterie Sample sold at Sam’s Club;  Fratelli Beretta brand Antipasto Gran Beretta sold at Costco

Researchers find a massive number of plastic particles in bottled water  (NPR)

Researchers from Columbia University and Rutgers University found roughly 240,000 detectable plastic fragments in a typical liter of bottled water. The study was published Monday in the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences.

Why long COVID can cause exhaustion, or post-exertional malaise, after exercise 

By taking biopsies from long COVID patients before and after exercising, scientists in the Netherlands constructed a startling picture of widespread abnormalities in muscle tissue that may explain this severe reaction to physical activity.  Among the most striking findings were clear signs that the cellular power plants, the mitochondria, are compromised and the tissue starved for energy. The tissue samples from long COVID patients also revealed severe muscle damage, a disturbed immune response, and a buildup of microclots.

Red Cross declares an emergency blood shortage, as number of donors is down 40% (NPR)

The American Red Cross announced that it is experiencing the lowest number of people giving blood in the last 20 years, in what the organization says is an emergency shortage.  In all, the Red Cross says that the number of people donating blood has dropped by 40% over the last two decades, and that the shortage could worsen in coming months if winter weather or seasonal respiratory illnesses like the flu or COVID-19 cause people to cancel their donation appointments.

FDA clears first CRISPR treatment for a second disease, beta thalassemia (CNN)

The US Food and Drug Administration has approved a second use for the first CRISPR-based medicine, Casgevy, which was approved in December to treat sickle cell disease. The groundbreaking treatment can now also be used to treat transfusion-dependent beta thalassemia in people 12 and older. Like sickle cell, beta thalassemia is an inherited blood disorder.

SCIENCE AND TECH

Washington takes aim at facial recognition (Politico)

A group of Democratic senators on Thursday demanded that the Justice Department look at how police use facial recognition tools and whether it violates civil rights laws — part of a fresh wave of scrutiny in Washington to a technology that has triggered national concerns but has never come under federal regulations.

His sock, shoe and iPhone were sucked out of Alaska Flight 1282. The phone still works (Los Angeles Times)

Cuong Tran got his iPhone back after it was sucked out of the side of Alaska Flight 1282 when a door plug blew out. He got it back -- but not his sock or shoe.

Huge ancient lost city found in the Amazon  (BBC)

The discovery changes what we know about the history of people living in the Amazon.

State-backed Russian hackers accessed senior Microsoft leaders' emails, company says  (KPBS)

State-backed Russian hackers broke into Microsoft's corporate email system and accessed the accounts of members of the company's leadership team, as well as those of employees on its cybersecurity and legal teams, the company said Friday. / In a blog post, Microsoft said the intrusion began in late November and was discovered on Jan. 12. It said the same highly skilled Russian hacking team behind the SolarWinds breach was responsible.

February 5, 2024 (San Diego's East County) -- Our Health and Science Highlights provide cutting edge news that could impact your health and our future.

HEALTH

• Haleon to recall batches of some adult cough syrups due to contamination (Reuters)
• Dangers of Marijuana: How high-potency weed & oil can damage the teenage brain  (10 News)
• South America dengue spike prompts vaccination drive as bug spray runs out (Reuters)
• COVID levels are up to 19 times higher than reported, WHO says as it warns of the potential dangers of repeat reinfection: ‘We don’t know everything about this virus’ (MSN)
• The EPA is proposing that 'forever chemicals' be considered hazardous substances(NPR) 

SCIENCE AND TECH

• San Diego researcher lands prestigious scientific award  (KPBS)
• Musk's X aims to hire 100 content moderators in Austin by end of year  (Reuters)

For excerpts and links to full stories, click “read more” and scroll down.

HEALTH

Haleon to recall batches of some adult cough syrups due to contamination (Reuters)

Haleon is recalling some lots of its adult cough syrup Robitussin because of microbial contamination, the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has said. The consumer healthcare company is recalling the cough syrup, sold under the brand name "Robitussin Honey CF Max Day Adult" in 4-ounce and 8-ounce doses, along with its 8-ounce nighttime version.

Dangers of Marijuana: How high-potency weed & oil can damage the teenage brain  (10 News)

Marijuana is not what it used to be. The legal retailers are making power-packed versions of THC oils, gummies and even sodas that doctors say they are now finding are highly addictive and causing actual brain damage in teenagers and young adults.

South America dengue spike prompts vaccination drive as bug spray runs out (Reuters)

South America is seeing a surge in cases of the mosquito-borne disease dengue during the southern hemisphere summer, prompting Brazil to roll out a novel vaccine campaign, while in Argentina many stores have run out of bug spray …Brazil this month has started spraying insecticide from trucks as the disease rips through previously unaffected regions, while hospitals in Paraguay have set up night clinics to attend to the sick due to elevated dengue activity.

COVID levels are up to 19 times higher than reported, WHO says as it warns of the potential dangers of repeat reinfection: ‘We don’t know everything about this virus’ (MSN)

COVID levels are 2 to 19 times higher than numbers being reported around the world, a WHO official said Friday, citing wastewater data. The news comes as the organization warns of the yet unknown dangers of repeat COVID infection, which can occur without symptoms.

The EPA is proposing that 'forever chemicals' be considered hazardous substances(NPR) 

The Environmental Protection Agency is proposing that nine PFAS, also known as "forever chemicals," be categorized as hazardous to human health.  The EPA signed a proposal Wednesday that would deem the chemicals "hazardous constituents" under the Resource Conservation and Recovery Act…. The agency cited various studies in which forever chemicals were found to cause a litany of "toxic effects" in humans and animals, including, but not limited to cancer, a decreased response to vaccinations, high cholesterol, decrease in fertility in women, preeclampsia, thyroid disorders and asthma….The proposed rule will be open for public comment once it is uploaded to the Federal Register (https://www.federalregister.gov/documents/search), under docket number EPA-HQ-OLEM-2023-0278.

SCIENCE AND TECH

San Diego researcher lands prestigious scientific award  (KPBS)

Kimberly Prather, a UC San Diego atmospheric chemist, is among 20 researchers being honored by the [National Academy of Sciences] specifically for her work on aerosols — tiny airborne particles that impact the world around them.

Musk's X aims to hire 100 content moderators in Austin by end of year  (Reuters)

Social media company X is in the process of hiring 100 content moderators for a new office in Austin, Texas that will focus on fighting child abuse content, a goal it hopes to complete by the end of the year, an X executive said on Saturday. The Elon Musk-owned company announced the new "Trust and Safety center of excellence" ahead of a U.S. Senate hearing on Jan. 31 about online child sexual exploitation.

February 18, 2024 (San Diego's East County) -- Our Health and Science Highlights provide cutting edge news that could impact your health and our future.

HEALTH

• U.S. is '18 months or so' away from finding bird flu vaccine, says agriculture secretary (Reuters)
• Does Your Blood Type Affect Your Heart Health? Yes, but Here's the Full Story (CNet)
• How the anti-vaccine movement is downplaying the danger of measles(NBC)
• The abortion pill case on its way to the Supreme Court cites a retracted paper  (NPR)
• Listeria recall expands to include bean dips, salad dressings, taco kits and more 

SCIENCE AND TECH

• Climate scientist Michael Mann is suing for defamation in court  (NPR)
• Finance worker pays out $25 million after video call with deepfake ‘chief financial officer’ (CNN)
• FCC declares AI-generated voices in robocalls are illegal (CBS News)
• Reduce, reuse, redirect outrage: How plastic makers used recycling as a fig leaf (KPBS)

For excerpts and links to full stories, click “read more” and scroll down.

HEALTH

US is '18 months or so' away from finding bird flu vaccine, says agriculture secretary (Reuters)

The U.S. Department of Agriculture is "18 months or so" away from identifying a vaccine for the current strain of bird flu and is developing a process to distribute it, said Agriculture Secretary Tom Vilsack on Wednesday. USDA has found bird flu in 8 commercial flocks and 14 backyard flocks so far this year, affecting 530,000 poultry, according to agency data. More than 81 million U.S. poultry and aquatic birds have been killed by avian flu across 47 states since January 2022, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.

Does Your Blood Type Affect Your Heart Health? Yes, but Here's the Full Story (CNet)

Certain blood types are associated with health problems like blood clotting, but that's just one piece of the heart health puzzle.

How the anti-vaccine movement is downplaying the danger of measles(NBC)

As outbreaks of measles spread throughout the world, anti-vaccine activists…[are] falsely downplaying the dangers from the highly contagious respiratory disease….  Last month, the World Health Organization announced an “alarming” 45-fold increase in measles in Europe from 2022 to 2023…. Before a measles vaccine became available in 1963, the U.S. saw millions of cases per year,  tens of thousands of related hospitalizations, and hundreds of deaths, according to the CDC.

The abortion pill case on its way to the Supreme Court cites a retracted paper  (NPR)

A scientific paper that raised concerns about the safety of the abortion pill mifepristone was retracted by its publisher this week. The study was cited three times by a federal judge who ruled against mifepristone last spring. That case, which could limit access to mifepristone throughout the country, will soon be heard in the Supreme Court.

Listeria recall expands to include bean dips, salad dressings, taco kits and more 

More foods are being recalled in the wake of a deadly outbreak of listeria food poisoning, including snack foods that may be part of Super Bowl Sunday party menus. / Seven-layer bean dip, chicken enchiladas, cilantro salad dressing and taco kits sold at stores like Costco, Trader Joe's and Albertson's are part of the growing recalls of products made by Rizo Lopez Foods, Inc., of Modesto, California, federal health officials said.

SCIENCE AND TECH

Climate scientist Michael Mann is suing for defamation in court  (NPR)

In a D.C. courtroom, a trial is wrapping up this week with big stakes for climate science. One of the world's most prominent climate scientists is suing a right wing author and a policy analyst for defamation.

Finance worker pays out $25 million after video call with deepfake ‘chief financial officer’ (CNN)

A finance worker at a multinational firm was tricked into paying out $25 million to fraudsters using deepfake technology to pose as the company’s chief financial officer in a video conference call, according to Hong Kong police.The elaborate scam saw the worker duped into attending a video call with what he thought were several other members of staff, but all of whom were in fact deepfake recreations, Hong Kong police said at a briefing on Friday.

FCC declares AI-generated voices in robocalls are illegal (CBS News)

The Federal Communications Commission on Thursday declared the use of voice-cloning technology in robocalls to be illegal, giving states another tool to go after fraudsters behind the calls. The ruling takes effect immediately and comes amid an increase in such calls due to technology that offers the ability to confuse people with recordings that mimic the voices of celebrities, political candidates and even close family members.  "Bad actors are using AI-generated voices in unsolicited robocalls to extort vulnerable family members, imitate celebrities and misinform votes," FCC Chairwoman Jessica Rosenworcel stated. "State attorneys general will now have new tools to crack down on these scams and ensure the public is protected from fraud and misinformation."



Reduce, reuse, redirect outrage: How plastic makers used recycling as a fig leaf (KPBS)

The plastics industry has worked for decades to convince people and policymakers that recycling would keep waste out of landfills and the environment….Yet from the early days of recycling, plastic makers, including oil and gas companies, knew that it wasn't a viable solution to deal with increasing amounts of waste, according to documents uncovered by the Center for Climate Integrity.

March 18, 2024 (San Diego's East County) -- Our Health and Science Highlights provide cutting edge news that could impact your health and our future.

HEALTH

• U.S. measles milestone: 60 cases so far in 2024 — more than all of 2023  (CBS)
• 'Zombie deer disease' cases are rising in the US. Can the disease spread to humans? (USA Today)
• Blood test can detect colorectal cancer early, new study finds  (NPR)
• Teens are getting high on delta-8, or 'weed lite,' an unregulated form of THC  (NPR)
• Overwhelming support for abortion in pregnancy-related emergencies, poll finds  
• (NPR)
• Cancer-causing chemical found in Clinique, Clearasil acne treatments, US lab reports (Reuters)
• The FDA issues an alert for 6 brands of cinnamon due to possibly containing lead   (NPR)
• A Major Source of Toxic PFAS Has Been Eliminated, FDA Says  (Consumer Reports)
• Strength training boosts longevity, mood and metabolism as it builds muscle   (NPR)
• Maternal mortality numbers in the U.S. have been overestimated, study shows  (NPR)

SCIENCE AND TECH

• US Supreme Court sets free-speech test for officials who block social media critics (Reuters)
  
  US House passes bill to force ByteDance to divest TikTok or face ban (Reuters)
• Pharmacies nationwide face delays as health-care tech company reports cyberattack (Fox Business)
• Privately built lunar lander makes history with successful moon touchdown (NBC)
• Lockbit cybercrime gang faces global takedown with indictments and arrests (Reuters)
• Microsoft says it hasn't been able to shake Russian state hackers  (AP)
• CEO of Element Biosciences in Sorrento Valley Named to CNBC ‘Changemakers’ List  (Times of San Diego)
• Lockbit cybercrime gang faces global takedown with indictments and arrests (Reuters)
• How sea cucumbers act as little allies for disappearing coral reefs  (NPR)

For excerpts and links to full stories, click “read more” and scroll down.

HEALTH

U.S. measles milestone: 60 cases so far in 2024 — more than all of 2023  (CBS)

The U.S. has now tallied at least 60 confirmed or suspected measles cases investigated so far this year by authorities in 17 states — more than the 58 cases reported nationwide in all of 2023. It comes as health officials are grappling with multiple major outbreaks around the world.  Now with spring break travel looming, health officials have ramped up pleas for Americans to double check whether they are up to date on the highly effective vaccines used to protect against measles.

'Zombie deer disease' cases are rising in the US. Can the disease spread to humans? (USA Today)

Experts aren't sure if "zombie deer disease" can spread to humans, but they're concerned about the rising number of cases and the potential of humans being impacted by exposure to infected deer. Scientists are still unsure if humans can contract the illness, but the disease is being compared to mad cow disease.

Blood test can detect colorectal cancer early, new study finds  (NPR)

At a time when colorectal cancer is on the rise, a new study finds the disease can be detected through a blood test. The results of a clinical trial, published Wednesday, in The New England Journal of Medicine, show that the blood-based screening test detects 83% of people with colorectal cancer. If the FDA approves it, the blood test would be another screening tool to detect the cancer at an early stage.

Teens are getting high on delta-8, or 'weed lite,' an unregulated form of THC  (NPR)

A national survey of more than 2,000 high school seniors across the country found that more than 11% used a drug called delta-8 THC in the past year. The psychoactive compound is derived from hemp, and often called "diet weed' or "weed lite." It's milder than its cousin, delta-9 THC, the main intoxicant in marijuana, but has similar effects on the brain and the body.

Overwhelming support for abortion in pregnancy-related emergencies, poll finds  

(NPR)

In the almost two years since Roe v. Wade was overturned, the unintended consequences of abortion bans have become clearer.  NPR has reported on women who were denied care for miscarriages and high-risk pregnancies

Cancer-causing chemical found in Clinique, Clearasil acne treatments, US lab reports (Reuters)

High levels of cancer-causing chemical benzene were detected in some acne treatments from brands including Estee Lauder's Clinique, Target's Up & Up and Reckitt Benckiser-owned Clearasil, said independent U.S. laboratory Valisure….  Benzene was also detected in Proactiv, PanOxyl, Walgreens' (WBA.O) acne soap bar and Walmart's (WMT.N) Equate Beauty acne cream….

The FDA issues an alert for 6 brands of cinnamon due to possibly containing lead   (NPR)

The Food and Drug Administration has issued an advisory for six brands of cinnamon due to possibly containing lead. / La Fiesta, Marcum, MK, Swad, Supreme Tradition and El Chilar brands of cinnamon are typically sold at discount stores and contain between 2.03 and 3.4 parts per million of lead.

A Major Source of Toxic PFAS Has Been Eliminated, FDA Says  (Consumer Reports)

Manufacturers have stopped selling grease-proof food packaging coatings that contains the harmful chemicals. It's a key step, but it's not the end of PFAS.

Strength training boosts longevity, mood and metabolism as it builds muscle   (NPR)

A new study finds women who do strength training exercises two to three days a week are more likely to live longer and have a lower risk of death from heart disease, compared to women who do none.

Maternal mortality numbers in the U.S. have been overestimated, study shows  (NPR)

The CDC's National Center for Health Statistics' most recent report put the U.S. maternal mortality rate at a whopping 32.9 deaths per 100,000 births. A new study suggests the national U.S. maternal mortality rate is actually much lower than that: 10.4 deaths per 100,000 births.

SCIENCE AND TECH

US Supreme Court sets free-speech test for officials who block social media critics (Reuters)



The U.S. Supreme Court on Friday in a decision on free speech in the digital age set a new standard for determining if public officials acted in a governmental capacity when blocking critics on social media - a test to be applied in lawsuits accusing them of violating the Constitution's First Amendment. First Amendment protections for free speech generally constrain government actors, not private individuals. Under the new test, officials are considered engaging in governmental action if they had "actual authority to speak on behalf of the state on a particular matter" and "purported to exercise that authority in the relevant posts."

US House passes bill to force ByteDance to divest TikTok or face ban (Reuters)

The U.S. House of Representatives overwhelmingly passed a bill on Wednesday that would give TikTok's Chinese owner ByteDance about six months to divest the U.S. assets of the short-video app, or face a ban, in the greatest threat to the app since the Trump administration.

Pharmacies nationwide face delays as health-care tech company reports cyberattack (Fox Business)

Change Healthcare said it became aware of the "outside threat" on Wednesday morning, disconnecting their systems for security purposes.

Privately built lunar lander makes history with successful moon touchdown (NBC)

The lander, built by Intuitive Machines, touched down on the lunar surface at around 6:24 p.m. ET, overcoming a late-stage glitch with its onboard laser instruments.

Lockbit cybercrime gang faces global takedown with indictments and arrests (Reuters)

An international law enforcement operation led by Britain's National Crime Agency and the FBI has arrested and indicted members of the Lockbit ransomware gang, in an unprecedented police operation that has struck one of the world's most notorious cybercrime gangs.

Microsoft says it hasn't been able to shake Russian state hackers  (AP)

Microsoft said Friday it’s still trying to evict the elite Russian government hackers who broke into the email accounts of senior company executives in November and who it said have been trying to breach customer networks with stolen access data.  The hackers from Russia’s SVR foreign intelligence service used data obtained in the intrusion, which it disclosed in mid-January, to compromise some source-code repositories and internal systems….

CEO of Element Biosciences in Sorrento Valley Named to CNBC ‘Changemakers’ List  (Times of San Diego)

Element Biosciences CEO and co-founder Molly He has been selected to be part of the inaugural CNBC “Changemaker” list of trailblazing female leaders.  As a first-generation Asian female leader, He was honored by CNBC for spearheading an undertaking to democratize sequencing and biological tools globally.  Her team has grown to over 300 people and has sold over 160 instrument placements across 20 countries, opening access to emerging markets like India and Vietnam.

Lockbit cybercrime gang faces global takedown with indictments and arrests (Reuters)

An international law enforcement operation led by Britain's National Crime Agency and the FBI has arrested and indicted members of the Lockbit ransomware gang, in an unprecedented police operation that has struck one of the world's most notorious cybercrime gangs.

How sea cucumbers act as little allies for disappearing coral reefs  (NPR)

When sea cucumbers were removed, tissue death of the corals more than tripled, and whole colony mortality surged 15 times.

April 4, 2024 (San Diego's East County) -- Our Health and Science Highlights provide cutting edge news that could impact your health and our future.

HEALTH

• Measles makes a comeback: what parents need to know (Cedars-Sinai)
• Bird Flu infects cows, chickens, but risk of spillover to humans is low   (NPR)
• U.S. fully bans asbestos, which kills 40,000 a year (MSN)
• CDC alerts doctors to watch for rare, serious bacterial infection appearing with unusual symptoms (Yahoo)
• "Truly dystopian": Experts worry Trump's school vaccine plan will spark "public health catastrophe" (MSN)
• A diet high in ultra-processed food is linked to a greater risk of many diseases : Shots - Health News  (NPR)

SCIENCE AND TECH

• Google to delete search data of millions who used 'incognito' mode  (NPR)
• Majority of recent CO2 emissions linked to just 57 producers, report says (Reuters)
• FTX Founder Sam Bankman-Fried Sentenced to 25 Years in Prison (Wired)
• Twisted magnetic field observed around Milky Way's central black hole  (Reuters)

For excerpts and links to full stories, click “read more” and scroll doiwn.

HEALTH

Measles makes a comeback: what parents need to know (Cedars-Sinai)

Physician Urges Parents to Vaccinate Children as Global Uptick in Deadly Childhood Disease Reaches California. A highly contagious childhood disease once eradicated by vaccination has made a comeback. Globally, measles cases increased by 79% in 2023, according to the World Health Organization. In 2022, WHO estimated that measles killed more than 130,000—most of them children. 

Bird Flu infects cows, chickens, but risk of spillover to humans is low   (NPR)

The recent spread of avian influenza in dairy cattle in the U.S. has startled even some scientists who've tracked a global outbreak of the virus over the last few years….How widespread is the virus in dairy cattle? What could this mean for humans?

U.S. fully bans asbestos, which kills 40,000 a year (MSN)

The Environmental Protection Agency on Monday finalized a ban on chrysotile asbestos, part of a family of toxic minerals linked to lung cancer and other illnesses that the agency estimates is responsible for about 40,000 U.S. deaths each year. / The federal ban comes more than 30 years after the EPA first tried to rid the nation of asbestos but was blocked by a federal judge. While the use of asbestos in manufacturing and construction has declined since, it remains a significant health threat.

CDC alerts doctors to watch for rare, serious bacterial infection appearing with unusual symptoms (Yahoo)

Health officials are alerting doctors to be on the lookout for certain types of rare, serious meningococcal infections that are on the rise in the United States... In the cases identified so far this year, about 1 in 6 people have died, a higher fatality rate than they typically see with meningococcal infections. These cases are also unusual because they are striking middle-aged adults.

"Truly dystopian": Experts worry Trump's school vaccine plan will spark "public health catastrophe" (MSN)

A former lawmaker raised alarms after former President Donald Trump's vow in Virginia to defund public schools that require vaccines. Trump, who has repeatedly vowed not to "give one penny to any school that has a vaccine mandate," repeated his call during an appearance in Richmond on Saturday, according to former Rep. Barbara Comstock, R-Va.

A diet high in ultra-processed food is linked to a greater risk of many diseases : Shots - Health News  (NPR)

At a time when Americans consume more than half of their daily calories from ultra-processed foods, there is increasing evidence that eating too many of these foods can make us sick. A study published in the British Medical Journal finds people who consume high amounts of these foods have an increased risk of anxiety, depression, obesity, metabolic syndrome, certain cancers including colorectal cancer and premature death.

SCIENCE AND TECH

Google to delete search data of millions who used 'incognito' mode  (NPR)

Google will destroy the private browsing history of millions of people who used "incognito" mode in its Chrome browser as a part of a settlement filed to federal court on Monday in a case over the company's secret tracking of web activity.

Majority of recent CO2 emissions linked to just 57 producers, report says (Reuters)



The vast majority of planet-warming carbon dioxide emissions since 2016 can be traced to a group of 57 fossil fuel and cement producers, researchers said on Thursday….  The world's top three CO2-emitting companies in the period were state-owned oil firm Saudi Aramco, Russia's state-owned energy giant Gazprom and state-owned producer Coal India, the report said…. most companies had expanded their fossil fuel production since 2015, the year when nearly all countries signed the U.N. Paris Agreement,... Global energy-related CO2 emissions hit a record high last year, the International Energy Agency has said.

FTX Founder Sam Bankman-Fried Sentenced to 25 Years in Prison (Wired)

A U.S. federal judge in the Southern District of New York has sentenced Sam Bankman-Fried, founder of bankrupt crypto exchange FTX, to 25 years in prison. In addition, Bankman-Fried has been ordered to forfeit $11 billion.

Twisted magnetic field observed around Milky Way's central black hole  (Reuters)

Astronomers on Wednesday announced that they have detected a strong and organized magnetic field twisted in a spiral pattern around the Milky Way's supermassive black hole, revealing previously unknown qualities of the immensely powerful object lurking at the center of our galaxy.