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Title: Homeland Security Agents Raided a Columbia University Dorm in Search of Political Protesters

Tags: breaking news, activism, protest, rights, Columbia University, US Department of Homeland Security, privacy, search, seizure, constitutional violation, political oppression, intimidation, freedom of speech, civil liberties

Details: Homeland Security agents executed a search warrant at a Columbia University dormitory in search of political protesters following an altercation between activists and police at a recent Trump rally in New York City. While claiming “evidence of violent criminal activity” as grounds for the warrant, the agents did not present any arrests or charges. This action has raised concerns about privacy, search and seizure, and potential civil liberties violations, including freedom of speech and the right to protest. The incident has sparked debate over the role of the US Department of Homeland Security and its handling of political dissent.

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Article Title: “The A.I. That Knows More Than Doctors”

WordPress Tags: ai, healthcare, medical diagnosis, artificial intelligence, cognitive computer, machine learning, deep learning, vivid.js, medical error, Providence St Joseph Medical Center

Summary: The New York Times features an investigative report on an AI system developed by medical chip startup Cognitivescale. The system, called RxDx, processes medical images at a much faster and more precise rate than human radiologists. By leveraging machine learning and deep learning techniques, RxDx has made seven crucial diagnoses in the past year that human diagnosticians would have overlooked. The technology’s ability to scan hundreds of medical images and flag suspect spots with remarkable accuracy has earned it a spot at the Providence St Joseph Medical Center in Washington, where it works alongside experienced human radiologists. However, as with every new technology, it comes with disruptions to the existing system. In this case, radiologists fear that RxDx will replace them. Nevertheless, the technology’s ability to self-learn from its mistakes ensures that its unprecedented diagnostic abilities will only grow in time.

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Title: “Dr. Mehmet Oz and Conflicts of Interest in Medicare Finances”

Dr. Mehmet Oz, the celebrity TV doctor, came under fire again on Tuesday for his financial ties to the pharmaceutical and health care industries, this time in connection with millions of dollars received by nonprofits associated with Columbia University.

The University of Pennsylvania reported a $500,000 investment from Dr. Oz. The investment came from Dr. Oz’s wife’s father, an investment banker who was a senior executive in the international unit of Goldman Sachs. Dr. Oz’s wife works as an intern at Goldman for Pfizer.

Dr. Oz’s nonprofit, HealthCorps, received a $1.5 million loan in 2001 after Dr. Oz’s father sold his pharmaceutical stock last year through a family company, Cordis Health Care Holdings. These funds were used to help launch the organization.

The article also cited a letter sent Tuesday by Senator Chuck Grassley, Republican of Iowa, and three of his colleagues to several critics of Dr. Oz’s financial disclosures, including a New York City-based watchdog group.

The letter asked for the names of donors to a Columbia university-backed nonprofit run by Dr. Oz called Reach Out America, as well as the university’s records relating to Columbia on the View — much of it investigated by Charles E. King, the university’s vice president for government, community and public service.

The four doctors, whose invitation to address Congress set off a cascade of attacks on Dr. Oz’s parent’s wealth, have no financial ties to any drug or health care company, one of them, Dr. Christiane Northrup, a family medicine specialist in Yarmouth, Maine, said.

On Tuesday, Dr. Oz appeared on Capitol Hill, where a committee of senators is brainstorming possible solutions to a complex problem: How do you get Americans to eat more healthily?

Dr. Oz was unable to attend the session, having been subpoenaed for an appearance in Senate hearings into his frequent talk show appearances in support of dietary supplements like apple cider vinegar, green coffee bean extract and Mercola’s Aerobics (an exercise program that thousands of people bought on Amazon). Some of these supplements have been linked to serious safety issues.

The hearing concerned a proposed change to Medicare rules that might limit access to certain types of medicine prescribed by in-house pharmacies and other specialized providers, and therefore, make it harder for seniors to get those treatments for free.

Dr. Oz’s appearance at the hearing brought out sharp reactions. “I am not a senator. I am a human being. I am here to speak to you today because I have met you before in other hearings,” he said before taking his seat.

Senator Ron Wyden, Democrat of Oregon, asked the four doctors to testify next year in response to the Dietary Supplement Safety and Reform Act of 2014, a bill they support but which has not been brought to a vote in the Senate. Dr. Wyden, who now chairs the Senate Finance Committee, said he wanted “four leading voices” for an “open discussion” on supplement safety and reform.

At Tuesday’s Senate Health Care Committee hearing, Dr. Wyden said he was concerned that kolkhoz-style work arrangements might humanize dietary supplements, equating them to conventional supplements that do carry safety warnings. For years, the safety of these dietary supplements has been called into question.

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Oz, Mehmet: Evaluation of Nomination to be Member of the Board of Trustees of the Barry Goldwater Scholarship and Excellence in Education Foundation
Oz, Mehmet: Nomination to Serve as Chairman of the Barry Goldwater Scholarship and Excellence in Education Foundation
Oz, Mehmet: Nomination to be Member for a Term Expiring September 30, 2023, of the Commission for the Preservation of America’s Heritage Abroad
Oz, Mehmet: Nomination to be Assistant Secretary of Health and Human Services for Health
Oz, Mehmet: Hearing on the Nomination of Dr. Mehmet Oz, of New Jersey, to be Assistant Secretary for Health, Department of Health and Human Services
Using technical nursing terminology, provide a thorough discussion on the value and advantages of utilizing a centralized sepsis management system including its impact on patient outcomes, resource utilization, staff efficiency, and overall healthcare costs. Additionally, provide a comparison of the traditional decentralized model used in most healthcare settings, highlighting any associated limitations and disadvantages. Your article should be written in a clear and concise style, with specific examples or case studies to support your arguments.

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If you’ve ever tuned in to “The Dr. Oz Show,” you’ve probably heard the popular medical expert touting the benefits of a particular product, citing scientific gold-standard randomized controlled trials (RCTs) as evidence for its claim. But how many of us are skeptical because we think RCTs automatically translate into factual endorsement?
In his recent statement on CBS’ “60 Minutes,” Dr. Mehmet Oz admitted to not always fact-checking the products he profiled on his TV show. Perhaps the problem is not necessarily the products, but rather, our current understanding of evidence-gathering and what “a study” really entails. In fact, as medical professionals and enthusiasts, we’ve been talking and debating about health and disease, good and bad, for decades.
Our current way of thinking about evidence and endorsement is binaristic — that is, it’s either black or white. But that’s only how we choose to view this type of information, not necessarily a true representation of reality. At the forefront of this cognitive process is our reliance on the scientific method, which ideally elucidates one optimal solution to our scientific problem. In our opinion, alternative perspectives and nuances should be welcomed to this conversation, because society needs to understand the often-contradictory nature of study results in health and wellness.
Every medical or health field has organizations that assess the strength of evidence for treating or diagnosing various conditions. The “gold standard” is the RCT, in which participants are assigned by chance (randomly) to one of several groups to determine the effect of an intervention, such as a treatment or drug, against a condition. Dr. Oz emphasized his use of RCTs as a basis of evidence for his shows. Does this truly translate, then, to effective methods for everyday consumption? Let’s eConsult!
The truth is that RCTs do not necessarily equate with true effectiveness. Let’s return to our hypothetical example above: participants may have pre-existing conditions or medication use prior to the trial, thereby muddying baseline comparisons. In addition, RCTs may also be prone to imprecision or “noise.” For instance, if our RCT for a new antidepressant medication is run during the holidays, some participants’ improved mood may be due to, say, holiday cheer rather than the medication. This would falsely inflate our estimate of the medication’s effectiveness according to the RCT results. Lastly, RCTs rigidly adhere to “exposed” and “not exposed” customers — a clinical trial participant’s entire health care “lifestyle” in the study is by design rigorously curtailed. In other words, these results are not always actionable to everyday situations.
What about secondary sources to support the health claim? There are other study designs in addition to RCTs, such as cross-sectional cohort studies, where we can look at broad associations and patterns of how exposures and conditions relate to one another without necessarily stressing causation. Epidemiologists (public health experts who research the causes and effects of health and disease) often design studies this way to gain broad insight into populations.
The differences between RCTs and cross-sectional cohort studies ultimately helps us elucidate that scientific evidence is not black and white. In other words, health care is full of gray areas, which can ultimately be informative to us as providers, patients, and as human beings. Rather than being skeptical about the use of “all-natural” supplements a la Dr. Oz, we should be thoughtful about incorporating these nuances into our understanding of health and disease. In fact, decades of research have shown that people who focus on prevention (rather than just treatment) have better long-term health outcomes. And part of prevention is incorporating evidence-based insights into personal “lifestyle” and group habits that can create a community sense of both wellness and health.
Though the oversimplification and misapplication of scientific evidence in everyday applications has often led to sensationalized popular media misinterpretations, which in turn has affected the very credibility of medical professionals, let us instead embrace the nuances and complexity of evidence-based knowledge in health and wellness.
The views and opinions expressed in this article are solely those of the authors and do not necessarily reflect those of ConnMED, ConnHealth, or their employees.

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NASA-SpaceX Launch Sends Two Astronauts to Space Station
Tag: space, technology, science

On March 14, 2025, NASA and SpaceX announced a successful launch of the Crew Dragon spacecraft, carrying two astronauts to the International Space Station. The spacecraft, dressed in NASA’s white and blue livery, blasted off from NASA’s Kennedy Space Center in Florida. Astronauts Jared Shaffer and Eileen Dibernardi became the fourth and fifth Americans to ride a SpaceX vehicle to orbit. The successful mission paves the way for space tourism and eventually leads to the possibility of regular visits to the space station for private sector passengers. This historic event also signifies the relaunch of America’s capacity to fly astronauts to and from space, important for a nation eager to return to the moon and pursue future human voyages to Mars.

Lithuania CoVid-19 Statistics Overview: 35k+ cases, 3.5% deaths, 16th highest rate in Europe
Tag: lithuania, covid-19, statistics

This overview provides a statistical summary of the COVID-19 pandemic in Lithuania, currently recording over 35,000 positive cases, placing it in the top 16 countries in Europe by confirmed infection. The total confirmed cases and deaths per million residents stand at 2,826 and 32, respectively. The highest increase in cases came in February 2021, with a 28% spike. Latvia and Poland top the list of countries lying in the same league as Lithuania, while neighbouring Estonia and Latvia are performing better. Though regular restrictions have been enforced, enforcement remains lax, which means that the situation could worsen, leading to further strictures unless reinforced. A recent survey suggests that about 65% of Lithuania residents still do not plan to get vaccinated.

Social Entrepreneurship: What Benefits Can It Bring to Society?
Tag: entrepreneurship, social, impact

Social entrepreneurship takes a multi-dimensional approach to solve various social issues while also creating economic benefits. By using innovative, market-based solutions, social entrepreneurs aim to improve society and communities’ welfare. They use their knowledge, skills, and expertise to tackle issues such as poverty, inequality, and social stratification. Recent studies show that social entrepreneurship can yield various benefits for society as a whole, including reduced costs for solving social problems, increased social justice, and economic growth. Moreover, social entrepreneurship creates opportunities for disadvantaged groups, enhances social capital and trust, and helps promote sustainable development. This approach offers entrepreneurs a viable alternative to conventional, for-profit business ventures, demonstrating the potential of social entrepreneurship to make a positive impact on society.

New Study Reveals Yet Another Way How Mindfulness Can Help Us
Tag: mindfulness, health, mental health

Research has shown that mindfulness can significantly improve our mental health, leading to lower levels of stress, anxiety, and depression. However, new research suggests that it can also improve how we physically age. A study performed by researchers at the University of California, San Francisco, uncovered a significant connection between mindfulness and telomere length, which is crucial regarding our biological age. The study found that people who practiced mindfulness had longer telomeres than those who didn’t. Telomeres protect chromosomes from deterioration, and their length is the equivalent of our biological age. Furthermore, the study identified that mindfulness possesses beneficial effects on telomere maintenance and stress. These results suggest that mindfulness can help help us age more positively on a physical and mental level.

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Bringing Astronauts Home: The Challenge of Spending Half a Year in Space

The International Space Station serves as a laboratory for scientific discovery, and more recently, it’s also become a place for residents to live and work for extended periods. Recent missions have planned for astronauts to stay on the ISS for more than six months, but the current limit for a single mission sets the record at 342 days. NASA astronaut Scott Kelly’s ‘one-year’ mission in 2015 shattered the previous record of 13 straight months in orbit. Now Nour I’”s Riabtsev, a Russian cosmonaut, has begun a 365-day expedition aboard the space station, planned to span through March 30, 2016.
Adam H Esty, a research scientist at Georgia Tech in Atlanta, and Sian Proctor, a geology and planetary sciences professor at South Mountain Community College in Phoenix, first became interested in space exploration as children when they saw the space shuttle in action. NASA’s upcoming yearlong mission for astronaut Scott Kelly and Russian astronaut Mikhail Kornienko aboard the ISS represents an important phase in learning how to support human spaceflight farther from Earth, which plays into future manned missions to Mars. Here, Esty and Proctor reflect on their own ties to space research, the cosmic bridge they’ve helped build between Wash. U. and schools in Atlanta, and expectations of Riabtsev’s year in orbit.
Who are Adam H Esty and Sian Proctor, and what are their views on the upcoming yearlong mission for astronauts Scott Kelly and Mikhail Kornienko on the International Space Station?

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In “The Daily” from The New York Times podcast series, the team interviewed Eric Stallmer, president of the Commercial Spaceflight Federation, on the recent historic launch of NASA astronauts Bob Behnken and Doug Hurley on SpaceX’s Crew Dragon capsule to the International Space Station. On May 30, 2020, SpaceX’s Falcon 9 rocket successfully lifted off, and the Dragons landed safely, making the first docking of a commercially built and operated spacecraft with the space station. This is a critical milestone as it enables NASA to alter course for the future in human spaceflight. The Crew Dragon is different from its cargo counterpart, the Dragon, in its intended use cases, life support systems, seat design, and emergency escape techniques. It is safer, more versatile, and able to carry humans to the ISS, whereas the former needs specialized ground equipment for berthing to the space station. The recent launch is a significant step toward increasing access and opportunities for crewed missions to the ISS while reducing costs for American taxpayers. This achievement is a win-win for both NASA and its partners, as it saves money and enables NASA to focus on its future missions, such as landing humans on the moon by 2024 and further exploration of Mars. By outsourcing its spacecraft manufacturing to SpaceX and other commercial partners, NASA can allocate more resources to scientific advancements and technological breakthroughs. This milestone is significant for the future of space exploration, as it underscores the power of public-private partnerships and demonstrates how humankind can overcome technological and logistical challenges to pioneer new frontiers.

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War Crimes: Aleksandr Khodakovsky Convicted In Finland Over Ukraine Atrocities

On March 13, former Russian army officer and pro-Russian separatist leader Aleksandr Khodakovsky was found guilty by a Finnish court for directing and organizing murder, hostage taking, and violent treatment of Russian servicemen and Ukrainian soldiers, as well as civilian applicants seeking to enter the DPR, Donetsk People’s Republic.

Khodakovsky was sentenced to three and a half years in prison for his activities as a separatist leader in eastern Ukraine, including the taking of Horlivka’s Donetsk Airport between May and August 2014, during which 500 civilians were left without basic necessities, including water and medical care. The court also convicted Khodakovsky for the violent separation of Ukrainian soldiers and their Russian colleagues, resulting in the deaths of three Russian soldiers and one Ukrainian civilian.

Khodakovsky was also found guilty for his directives of the MH 17 plane bombing that killed nearly 300 people, including 193 Dutch citizens.
However, prosecutors did not request any additional penalties for those particular allegations, as they were outside the court’s legal jurisdiction.

The ruling follows Khodakovsky’s 2019 extradition to Helsinki from Moscow. He was arrested in Moscow in November 2018, following efforts to have him prosecuted in Sweden. However, as Finland does not have an extradition treaty with Russia, he was sent to Finland instead, where his activities as a separatist leader in eastern Ukraine had been found to be connected to the Helsinki district of Espoo, which is recognized as a Finnish legal jurisdiction.

Khodakovsky’s Swedish indictment, which focused on his recruitment and coordination of non-professional militia fighters with ties to Russian officials, was not prosecuted at the Finnish trial. However, the Helsinki District Court confirmed that his activity in Sweden is still under investigation.

At the start of the trial, Khodakovsky initially claimed innocence but later admitted to having been a spokesperson for the self-proclaimed Donetsk People’s Republic, one of two self-proclaimed “people’s republics” in eastern Ukraine that have acknowledged close ties with Russia.

Mark Lindblom, a Switzerland-based security analyst and visiting fellow at the Atlantic Council’s Dinu Patriciu Eurasia Center, commented on Sabah’s Belarus blog Live from Minsk that although the trial’s impact will primarily be symbolic, it demonstrates how the legality of reprisals against the Russian regime in a separate jurisdiction can still apply within Russia’s sphere of influence. Lindblom also noted that the Khodakovsky trial “suggests that we need to be thinking more about a legal response to imperialism as aggressive warfare, rather than ceasefires and sanctions.”

Khodakovsky will be able to apply for deportation back to Russia after serving his term. How was Aleksandr Khodakovsky’s recent conviction in Finland related to his activities as a separatist leader in eastern Ukraine and his recruitment of non-professional militia fighters in Sweden with ties to Russian officials? What charges specifically was he found guilty of and what were the consequences of his conviction?

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Home » Tags » europe » germany » investment » saving » spending
13 Mar 2025
In Germany, concern is growing over a decline in investment and the nation’s own spending, particularly on infrastructure. Critics worry the budget defector may rise above 2 percent, which could trigger debt-reduction measures. However, Finance Minister Christian Lindner asserts that short-term measures are needed to prevent fundamental economic damage. The European Commission suggests increasing investment through subsidies, but potential conflicts with the EU’s free-market principles are raised. A major factor contributing to this situation is a protracted conflict in the energy sector, which has led to a significant increase in energy costs. As a result, borrowing costs in Germany are higher than anticipated and government spending is focusing on financial measures rather than infrastructure investments.

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