Princess Kate’s cancer, plus marijuana risks and sleep’s impact on mental health

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March 27, 2024

WHAT IS ARTIFICIAL INTELLIGENCE (AI)?

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Dr. AI will see you now.

It might not be that far from the truth, as more and more physicians are turning to artificial intelligence to ease their busy workloads.

Studies have shown that up to 10% of doctors are now using ChatGPT, a large language model (LLM) made by OpenAI — but just how accurate are its responses?

A team of researchers from the University of Kansas Medical Center decided to find out.

“Every year, about a million new medical articles are published in scientific journals, but busy doctors don’t have that much time to read them,” Dan Parente, the senior study author and an assistant professor at the university, told Fox News Digital.

A team of researchers at the University of Kansas decided to find out whether AI is truly helping doctors. (iStock)

“We wondered if large language models — in this case, ChatGPT — could help clinicians review the medical literature more quickly and find articles that might be most relevant for them.”

WHAT IS CHATGPT?

For a new study published in the Annals of Family Medicine, the researchers used ChatGPT 3.5 to summarize 140 peer-reviewed studies from 14 medical journals.

Seven physicians then independently reviewed the chatbot’s responses, rating them on quality, accuracy and bias.

The AI responses were found to be 70% shorter than real physicians’ responses, but the responses rated high in accuracy (92.5%) and quality (90%) and were not found to have bias.

AI responses, such as those from ChatGPT, were found to be 70% shorter than real physicians’ responses in a new study. (Frank Rumpenhorst/picture alliance via Getty Images)

Serious inaccuracies and hallucinations were “uncommon” — found in only four of 140 summaries.

“One problem with large language models is also that they can sometimes ‘hallucinate,’ which means they make up information that just isn’t true,” Parente noted.

CHATGPT FOUND BY STUDY TO SPREAD INACCURACIES WHEN ANSWERING MEDICATION QUESTIONS

“We were worried that this would be a serious problem, but instead we found that serious inaccuracies and hallucination were very rare.”

Out of the 140 summaries, only two were hallucinated, he said.

Minor inaccuracies were a little more common, however — appearing in 20 of 140 summaries.

A new study found that ChatGPT also helped physicians figure out whether an entire journal was relevant to their medical specialty. (iStock)

“We also found that ChatGPT could generally help physicians figure out whether an entire journal was relevant to a medical specialty — for example, to a cardiologist or to a primary care physician — but had a lot harder of a time knowing when an individual article was relevant to a medical specialty,” Parente added.

CHATGPT FOUND TO GIVE BETTER MEDICAL ADVICE THAN REAL DOCTORS IN BLIND STUDY: ‘THIS WILL BE A GAME CHANGER’

Based on these findings, Parente noted that ChatGPT could help busy doctors and scientists decide which new articles in medical journals are most worthwhile for them to read.

“People should encourage their doctors to stay current with new advances in medicine so they can provide evidence-based care,” he said.

‘Use them carefully’

Dr. Harvey Castro, a Dallas-based board-certified emergency medicine physician and national speaker on artificial intelligence in health care, was not involved in the University of Kansas study but offered his insights on ChatGPT use by physicians.

“AI’s integration into health care, particularly for tasks such as interpreting and summarizing complex medical studies, significantly improves clinical decision-making,” he told Fox News Digital.

Dr. Harvey Castro of Dallas noted that ChatGPT and other AI models have some limitations. (Dr. Harvey Castro)

“This technological support is critical in environments like the ER, where time is of the essence and the workload can be overwhelming.”

Castro noted, however, that ChatGPT and other AI models have some limitations.

“It’s important to check that the AI is giving us reasonable and accurate answers.”

“Despite AI’s potential, the presence of inaccuracies in AI-generated summaries — although minimal — raises concerns about the reliability of using AI as the sole source for clinical decision-making,” Castro said.

“The article highlights a few serious inaccuracies within AI-generated summaries, underscoring the need for cautious integration of AI tools in clinical settings.”

It’s still important for doctors to review and oversee all AI-generated content, one expert in AI noted. (Cyberguy.com)

Given these potential inaccuracies, particularly in high-risk scenarios, Castro stressed the importance of having health care professionals oversee and validate AI-generated content.

The researchers agreed, noting the importance of weighing the helpful benefits of LLMs like ChatGPT with the need for caution.

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“Like any power tool, we need to use them carefully,” Parente told Fox News Digital.

“When we ask a large language model to do a new task — in this case, summarizing medical abstracts — it’s important to check that the AI is giving us reasonable and accurate answers.”

For more Health articles, visit foxnews.com/health

As AI becomes more widely used in health care, Parente said, “we should insist that scientists, clinicians, engineers and other professionals have done careful work to make sure these tools are safe, accurate and beneficial.”

European Hyperloop Center aims to usher in new era of transportation in the Netherlands

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March 27, 2024

CHINA SETS WORLD RECORD FOR FASTEST HYPERLOOP TRAIN

A quarter-mile white steel tube running alongside a railway line in the windswept northern Netherlands could usher in a new era in the transportation of people and freight.

The tube is the heart of the new European Hyperloop Center that opens Tuesday and will be a proving ground in coming years for developers of the evolving technology.

Hyperloop, once trumpeted by Elon Musk, involves capsules floating on magnetic fields zipping at speeds of around 435 mph through low-pressure tubes. Its advocates tout it as far more efficient than short-haul flights, high-speed rail and freight trucks.

But since Musk unveiled the concept that he said could shuttle passengers the nearly 400 miles between Los Angeles and San Francisco in 30 minutes, it has progressed at a much slower pace from the drawing board toward the real world.

“I expect by 2030 you will have the first hyperloop route, maybe three miles in which people will actually be transporting passengers,” said the center’s director, Sascha Lamme. “Actually there’s already preparations being done for such routes in for example Italy or India.”

Not everybody is as optimistic about Hyperloop’s future.

“This is just another example of policymakers chasing a shiny object when basic investment in infrastructure is needed,” Robert Noland, distinguished professor at the Bloustein School of Planning and Public Policy at Rutgers University, said in comments emailed to The Associated Press.

“It costs too much to build,” he added.

hyperloop tube at european test center in netherlands

A tube seen at the the European Hyperloop center in the Netherlands. The center will use the tube as a proving ground for the technology’s development. (AP Photo/Peter Dejong)

Lamme said skeptics should come and take a look for themselves.

“We built the European Hyperloop Center and from what we have built, we know that we can be competitive with high-speed rail,” he said. “And then we have not even included all the cost optimizations that we can do in the coming decade to reduce that even further.”

The test center’s tube is made up of 34 separate sections mostly 2½ meters (more than eight feet) in diameter. A vacuum pump in a steel container next to the tube sucks out the air to reduce the internal pressure. That reduces drag and allows capsules to travel at such high speeds.

A test capsule built by Dutch hyperloop pioneer Hardt Hyperloop will take part next month in the first tests at the center that is funded by private investment as well as contributions from the provincial government, the Dutch national government and European Commission.

A unique feature of the Veendam tube is that it has a switch — where it splits into two separate tubes, a piece of infrastructure that will be critical to real-life applications.

“Lane switching is very important for hyperloop, because it allows vehicles to travel from any origin to any destination,” said Marinus van der Meijs, Hardt’s technology and engineering director. “So it really creates a network effect where you sort of have a highway of tubes and vehicles can take an on and offramp or they can take a lane switch to go to a different part of Europe or to a different destination.”

While testing continues in Veendam, hyperloop developers hope that destinations for their technology are forthcoming.

“Really the main challenge is finding government commitments to build routes and, on the other hand, finding new funding to realize the necessary test facility and technology demonstration that you need to do to make this happen,” Lamme said.

Fox News AI Newsletter: Netflix CEO says AI ‘no shortcut’ for ‘human experience’

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March 27, 2024

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Welcome to Fox News’ Artificial Intelligence newsletter with the latest AI technology advancements.

IN TODAY’S NEWSLETTER:

– Netflix’s Ted Sarandos tells Rob Lowe AI ‘is no shortcut for the human experience’

– Iran looks to AI to weather Western sanctions, help military to fight ‘on the cheap’

– Rep. Cammack concerned about AI’s impact on 2024 election: ‘Critical issue’

The Netflix sign-in page displayed on a laptop screen and Netflix logo displayed on a phone screen are seen in this illustration photo taken in Krakow, Poland, on January 2, 2023. ((Photo by Jakub Porzycki/NurPhoto via Getty Images))

‘NO SHORTCUT’: Netflix chief Ted Sarandos does not see artificial intelligence as an “existential” threat to creativity, but a powerful tool.

DEADLY CHEAP: Iran has made it no secret that it plans to invest heavily in artificial intelligence to help better its military capabilities, but Iranian President Ebrahim Raisi is now turning to Iran’s private sector in a move he thinks will boost his crippling economy.

‘CRITICAL ISSUE’: GOP rep on bipartisan AI task force says group is concerned about impact on 2024 elections.

Governor Bill Lee speaks during the signing of the ELVIS Act to Protect Voice & Likeness in Age of AI event at Robert’s Western World on March 21, 2024 in Nashville, Tennessee. ((Photo by Jason Kempin/Getty Images for Human Artistry Campaign))

ARTISTS VS AI: The governor of Tennessee has approved a law that aims to protect musical artists from exploitation or replication by artificial intelligence.

AI EXPOSURE: The White House released a report that found roughly 10% of the U.S. workforce is in occupations with a high degree of exposure to artificial intelligence , with lower performance requirements that could leave them more vulnerable to displacement.

The White House in Washington, DC. (Yasin Ozturk/Anadolu Agency via Getty Images)

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How to protect your online privacy and security on your next cruise vacation

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March 27, 2024

MISTAKES TO AVOID IF YOU JUST HAVE TO USE PUBLIC WI-FI

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While it may be incredibly tempting to have a “go with the flow” mindset like the rest of your vacation, your technology definitely should not be compromised while traveling. Much like we would advise against using public hot spots, hopping onto a public Wi-Fi on-board or at your destination is not always worth the risk.

Not all cruise lines are the same when it comes to Wi-Fi security at sea. Check with your ship’s internet security before connecting to understand what level of safety is being provided when you are using their internet access.

Cruise ships at a port. (Kurt “CyberGuy” Knutsson)

Between long periods at sea, between ports and disembarking in a variety of destinations, it is incredibly easy for hackers to grab your personal information from or embed malicious viruses on a vulnerable device. And it is much harder for you to combat the consequences while out at sea.

It’s incredibly easy for hackers to grab your personal information from a vulnerable device while you’re at sea. (Kurt “CyberGuy” Knutsson)

While VPNs are a popular choice for secure browsing on cruise ships, their reliability can vary. Some larger cruise lines, like Carnival, don’t allow VPN use on their networks. Others, like Royal Caribbean, might not have an official stance, but connectivity can still be spotty due to satellite internet. Here’s what savvy vacationers can do:

Check the cruise line’s Wi-Fi policy to see if VPNs are allowed.
Consider alternatives depending on your needs. For example, downloading geo-restricted content beforehand might be an option.
Be prepared for potentially slow or unavailable internet with or without a VPN, due to the limitations of satellite internet on cruise ships.

VPNs are a popular choice for secure browsing on cruise ships, but their reliability can vary. (Kurt “CyberGuy” Knutsson)

IS YOUR ROKU SAFE? MASSIVE DATA BREACH EXPOSES THOUSANDS OF ACCOUNTS

How to protect your devices while on your next cruise

Let’s dive into some ways to keep your devices safe and secure while you’re sailing the high seas! Here are eight tips:

1) Install antivirus software on your devices before you leave home

While you cannot control the vulnerability of the networks secured or unsecured on a cruise, you can certainly control what types of viruses and malware get on your devices. The best bet is to make sure your antivirus software is completely up to date on your devices via your secure, private network before heading out for your vacation.

A good antivirus software will protect you from clicking malicious links that install malware that may get access to your private information. It can also alert you of any phishing emails or ransomware scams. Get my picks for the best 2024 antivirus protection winners for your Windows, Mac, Android & iOS devices.

2) Update operating software on your devices before you leave home

Make sure the operating software is completely up to date on your devices via your secure, private network before heading out for your vacation. Operating system updates usually contain patches for known vulnerabilities and cyberattacks

3) Disable Bluetooth and Wi-Fi when not in use

While at home or the office, you might keep Bluetooth and Wi-Fi constantly on for convenience. However, on a cruise ship with public Wi-Fi and in unfamiliar ports, it’s important to tighten your digital security. Here’s why. First, public Wi-Fi networks, especially free ones, can be unsecured. Disabling Wi-Fi minimizes the chance your device automatically connects to a risky network. Second, Bluetooth can be exploited by nearby devices to steal information. Turning it off when not needed adds an extra layer of security.

Remember: Only enable Bluetooth and Wi-Fi when you need to actively use the internet or connect a specific device. This helps protect your data and keeps your online activity more secure while enjoying your cruise.

Only enable Bluetooth and Wi-Fi when you need to actively use the internet or connect a specific device. (Kurt “CyberGuy” Knutsson)

HOW TO STAY CONNECTED ON YOUR PHONE WHILE TRAVELING ABROAD

4) Wait until you get to the port to use data from your cellular carrier

While it might seem like a chore to wait between ports to hop on to the internet, it might be the safer and cheaper bet. While cellular carriers charge hefty fees for roaming, their cruise packages aren’t exactly cheap.

For instance, AT&T offers a basic cruise package that starts at $60 for 100 minutes of talk, text and data. But if you can wait until you get to port, AT&T customers with unlimited plans can use their AT&T International Day Pass® for $10/day, and data will be drawn from your domestic data allowance. Check with your cellular provider to see if they have a data plan that works with your plan and itinerary. Check out the best SIM and eSIM cards for travelers by clicking here.

While it might seem like a chore to wait between ports to hop on to the internet, it might be the safer and cheaper bet. (Kurt “CyberGuy” Knutsson)

HIDDEN FEATURES IN YOUR AMAZON ECHO THAT IMPROVES YOUR WI-FI SIGNAL

5) Be careful of what websites you visit

If you must stay connected onboard, avoid sensitive sites such as your financial institutions or important email accounts. If possible, access all your funds and travel information before you leave for your trip so you can get updates on a safe connection when you disembark (at ports).

6) Bring your own power banks or USB blockers

While charging your phone may seem like the least risky part of your cruise, it might actually be the riskiest. Yes, hackers and scammers have made even utilizing free charging stations a minefield for your security. Like free Wi-Fi hot spots, hackers have access to free USB charging stations onboard or at ports.

While it is tempting to power up your phone’s battery for the perfect photo op, someone might be siphoning data from your phone while you charge. You should always bring your own charging cable and charging block to connect directly to a wall outlet. If you want to be able to charge as you go, you can bring a power bank you can charge to take with you anywhere on the ship or at the port.

If you want to carry fewer items but need to charge your phone at the free charging stations, you can bring USB data blockers, which will prevent data from being gleaned from your phone while you charge.

It is tempting to power up your phone’s battery for the perfect photo op, but someone might be siphoning data while you charge. (Kurt “CyberGuy” Knutsson)

7) Pony up for the onboard internet packages

Packages for social media access start at around $15/day, so it isn’t cheap. While ponying up for a slower-than-home internet Wi-Fi package seems less than ideal, so are astronomical data roaming charges or identity theft from using an insecure connection. A closed network that requires a login and password, and sometimes two-factor authentication, such as an onboard internet package, is going to keep you safer.

8) Why a VPN is recommended even with slower speeds onboard your cruise ship

Even if it slows down your connection onboard, if your cruise ship allows it, a VPN is still highly recommended. Additionally, with the exception of certain countries where a VPN is illegal, it is still worth being able to use the VPN alongside any connection points you use when you get to the port.

A VPN will protect against being tracked and identify your potential location on websites that you visit. Many sites can read your IP address and, depending on their privacy settings, may display the city from which you are corresponding. A VPN will disguise your IP address to show an alternate location, and this can be useful for bypassing geo-restrictions on streaming content.

For example, if you are traveling to a country that blocks a streaming service you normally use, you can use a VPN to set your destination to a country where the service is available. This will allow you to access the streaming content as if you were in that country. See my expert review of the best VPNs for browsing the web privately on your Windows, Mac, Android & iOS devices.

Kurt’s key takeaways

While we are accustomed to being connected 24/7 to our devices, hopping on board a cruise may be the ultimate invitation to disconnect. Keeping your devices safe on board a cruise can be pricey, but the costs of not staying secure are even higher. If you can’t limit your time online onboard, make sure you’re willing to take steps before and during your cruise to keep yourself and your devices safe.

If you’re required to be in contact with your employer, it might be helpful to discuss your cruise ship’s limitations, especially if there is an IT support person available at work.

Do you feel like the cruise ship companies should step up their security, given the potential security risks of their Wi-Fi? Let us know by writing us at Cyberguy.com/Contact

For more of my tech tips & security alerts, subscribe to my free CyberGuy Report Newsletter by heading to Cyberguy.com/Newsletter

Ask Kurt a question or let us know what stories you’d like us to cover .

Answers to the most-asked CyberGuy questions:

How to recover a purchased app you accidentally deleted from your iPhone

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March 27, 2024

HOW TO PROTECT YOUR IPHONE CALENDAR FROM DISTRACTING SPAM INVITATIONS

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Have you ever accidentally deleted an app from your iPhone that you’ve already paid for? Don’t worry. We’ve got a trick that will save your day — and your wallet — by getting it back without having to buy it again.

Go to the Hidden Purchases feature on your iPhone. (Kurt “CyberGuy” Knutsson)

How to recover a deleted app that you purchased on iPhone

Let’s tackle this step by step. Grab your iPhone or iPad to get started.

Open the Settings app. You’ll find it on your home screen with the familiar gear icon.
Tap on your Apple ID at the top of the settings menu. Remember to use the same Apple ID that you used to purchase the app originally.
Now, select ‘Media and Purchases’
Tap View Account. You might need to sign in with your Apple ID

Steps to recover a deleted app that you purchased on your iPhone. (Kurt “CyberGuy” Knutsson)

Scroll down until you find Hidden Purchases, and tap it. This is where apps go to hide when they think you don’t need them anymore.
From the list, simply tap Unhide next to the app you want to bring back to life.
Tap Continue
Now, click the download icon with a cloud and a down arrow to begin downloading the app back onto your device.

THE IPHONE PRIVACY SETTING YOU NEED TO TURN OFF

Should app stores make it easier to find previously purchased apps? (Kurt “CyberGuy” Knutsson)

You should be able to recover that app without forking over any more cash. It’s like finding digital loose change in the couch cushions.

Kurt’s key takeaways

Isn’t technology great? With just a few taps, you can undo a mistake that could have cost you money. It’s a reminder that even in our fast-paced digital world, there are still simple solutions to our problems.

HOW TO UPDATE YOUR PASSCODE ON IPHONE

Should app stores make it easier to find previously purchased apps? Why or why not? Let us know by writing us at Cyberguy.com/Contact

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Answers to the most-asked CyberGuy questions:

Abortion pill use has spiked in recent years, new report reveals: ‘Substantial increase’

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March 27, 2024

IN ABORTION PILL ARGUMENTS, SUPREME COURT JUSTICES SEEM SKEPTICAL ABOUT FDA ACCOUNTABILITY EXPERTS SAY

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Since 2020, the prevalence of medication abortions — triggered by what’s known as the abortion pill — has risen 10%.

Medication abortions made up 63% of all abortions performed in the U.S. in 2023, according to data from the Guttmacher Institute, a research and policy organization headquartered in New York.

Some 642,700 medication abortions were performed last year.

The data came from Guttmacher’s Monthly Abortion Provision Study, which monitors the estimated number of abortions performed on a state and national basis.

What is medication abortion?

With medication abortion, a woman terminates her pregnancy by taking two different medications — mifepristone and misoprostol — over a period of a couple of days, according to the Yale Medicine website.

This photo shows a patient preparing to take the first of two combination pills, mifepristone, for a medication abortion during a visit to a clinic in Kansas City in Oct. 2022. (AP Photo/Charlie Riedel, File)

The woman first takes a medication called mifepristone, which blocks the production of progesterone, a hormone that supports pregnancy.

The second medication, misoprostol, triggers contractions — and kickstarts the process of miscarriage. That process usually takes between 12 and 24 hours.

The abortion pill was approved by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) in 2000. It can be administered within the first 10 weeks of pregnancy.

PASTOR GREG LAURIE ON WHY HE IS PRO-LIFE: ‘MY LIFE WAS SAVED FROM ABORTION’

In states where procedural abortions are illegal, medication abortions may also be illegal.

Fourteen states have banned the prescription of mifepristone.

Those states are Alabama, Arkansas, Idaho, Indiana, Kentucky, Louisiana, Mississippi, Missouri, North Dakota, Oklahoma, South Dakota, Tennessee, Texas and West Virginia.

Why have medication abortions increased?

“The increased reliance on medication is, to some extent, likely a result of abortion being banned in 14 states,” Rachel K. Jones, principal research scientist at the Guttmacher Institute, told Fox News Digital.

“In many states where abortion remains available, medication abortion can be provided by telehealth, which can reduce the logistical and financial barriers that make it difficult for people to access care,” she went on.

Bottles of abortion pills mifepristone, left, and misoprostol, right, at a clinic in Des Moines, Iowa, Sept. 22, 2010. (AP Photo/Charlie Neibergall)

“Some brick-and-mortar facilities are also able to provide medication abortion more efficiently, which has been necessary to meet the growing need in states where people are traveling for care.”

It is also likely that some people who would prefer a “procedural abortion” now have to rely on medication abortion because they don’t want to wait weeks for an appointment, Jones stated.

ABORTION IS ‘GRUESOME SIGN’ OF WHAT SOCIETY HAS FORGOTTEN, SAYS CATHOLIC ARCHBISHOP

Monica Cepak, the New York-based CEO of Wisp, an online provider of birth control pills and treatments, said the Wisp team expanded its offering of medication abortions following the Supreme Court’s June 2022 overturning of Roe v. Wade. The high court’s decision in Dobbs v. Jackson Women’s Health Organization returned the issue of abortion to the states.

The company currently ships the abortion pill to California, Colorado, Connecticut, Illinois, Maine, New Mexico, Washington, New York and Maryland, its website states.

“There are disparities in health insurance for a procedural abortion. You have to visit the clinic and pay a doctor — it can be a substantial expense.”

“We were able to provide an affordable telehealth option in nine states to date — while, most importantly, protecting our patients’ privacy,” she told Fox News Digital.

Wisp saw a 527% increase in demand for its medical abortion services in 2023, Cepak noted.

Regarding medication abortions, one company provides “an affordable telehealth option” in nine states while protecting its patients’ privacy, it said. (iStock)

Audrey Blondin, a former attorney and adjunct professor in the Department of Population Health and Leadership at the University of New Haven, talked to Fox News Digital about the increase in medication abortions.

“This was a substantial increase in medication abortion over a relatively short period of time,” she said.

“I think this is a good example of ‘where there’s a will, there’s a way,’” she added, referring to the response that resulted when some states enacted bans against abortions.

“Between 2.9% and 4.6% of women who take the drug may require emergency room treatment.”

“Technology and medicine have worked together to give women a rightful choice,” she said. “I always say your health care should not be determined by your zip code.”

Cost savings could be another reason for the rise in medication abortions, according to Blondin.

“There are disparities in health insurance for a procedural abortion,” she said. “You have to visit the clinic and pay a doctor — it can be a substantial expense.”

A medication abortion typically costs around $800, according to the Planned Parenthood website, but some health insurance policies may cover it. (iStock)

There may also be extra costs involved for women who travel to another state, she noted.

“That’s different from rolling over to Walgreens or CVS and getting a prescription,” Blondin noted.

A medication abortion typically costs around $800, according to the Planned Parenthood website, but some health insurance policies may cover it.

There are also programs available via the National Network of Abortion Funds to provide financial assistance for the abortion pill.

Pro-life advocates speak out against medication abortions

Lila Rose, founder and president of the Virginia-based pro-life advocacy group Live Nation, said the rise of “the abortion pill” is a “horrific tragedy.”

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“Federal law currently prohibits sending abortion drugs through the mail under the Comstock Act, and that law should be vigorously enforced,” she told Fox News Digital.

Rose also warned that medication abortions can pose a dangerous risk to women.

“Between 2.9% and 4.6% of women who take the drug may require emergency room treatment,” she told Fox News Digital.

“The Alliance for Hippocratic Medicine has estimated that roughly one in 25 women who take mifepristone may require emergency care.” (iStock)

“Based on this data, the Alliance for Hippocratic Medicine has estimated that roughly one in 25 women who take mifepristone may require emergency care.”

“The abortion pill, mifepristone, has killed millions of American children in a discriminatory and brutal way,” she added.

For more Health articles, visit www.foxnews.com/health.

Yale Medicine stated that while medication abortion is considered a “safe procedure,” some rare complications can occur.

Those include “pregnancy tissue being left in the uterus, blood clots in the uterus, bleeding too much or for too long, infection or an ongoing pregnancy,” the website noted.

NBC’s ousting of Ronna McDaniel reinforces status as anti-Trump, pro-Biden network

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March 27, 2024

NBC NEWS OFFICIALLY DROPS RONNA MCDANIEL FOLLOWING ON-AIR BACKLASH FROM STAFF

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NBC News’ dramatic decision to hire and then immediately fire former RNC chair Ronna McDaniel in the span of five days shows just how far left the media juggernaut has drifted in recent years, particularly as the 2024 presidential election steadily approaches.

On Friday, the network announced McDaniel would be joining the Peacock family as a political analyst across all NBC platforms, including its far-left sister network MSNBC. That opened the floodgates of on-air backlash from the company’s biggest liberal stars, including Rachel Maddow.

“This seems to me to be an example of the hermetically-sealed bubble in which these people on the left live because they simply can’t see it from the other side,” Fox News chief political analyst Brit Hume reacted on Monday’s “Special Report.”

NBCUniversial News Group Chairman Cesar Conde sent a memo to staff Tuesday announcing McDaniel was no longer with the network.

“I want to personally apologize to our team members who felt we let them down,” Conde wrote in the memo. “While this was a collective recommendation by some members of our leadership team, I approved it and take full responsibility for it.”

MSNBC’s Rachel Maddow and NBC’s Chuck Todd led the public ousting of their newly-hired colleague, former RNC chair Ronna McDaniel. (Getty Images/RNC)

During the chorus of outrage from NBC talent, a recurring theme was their claims that objections to McDaniel had nothing to do with politics.

“We believe NBC News should seek out conservative Republican voices to provide balance in their election coverage. But it should be conservative Republicans, not a person who used her position of power to be an anti-democracy election denier.”,” MSNBC’s Mika Brzezinski said on “Morning Joe.”

“The ReidOut” host Joy Reid similarly insisted it wasn’t about partisanship, listing MSNBC colleagues Nicolle Wallace and Michael Steele as well as vocal Trump foes former Reps. Adam Kinzinger and Liz Cheney as Republicans she approves of. She also complimented her guest, NeverTrump MSNBC contributor Charlie Sykes, as a “real conservative” and “not the Trump fake kind.”

NBC’S RONNA MCDANIEL MELTDOWN MARKS LATEST NEWS OUTLET TO FACE REVOLT FROM LIBERAL STAFF FOR GOP PLATFORMING

“The issue isn’t about ideology, it’s about basic truth. Those trying to make this a left-right issue are being intentionally dishonest. This is about whether honest journalists are supposed to lend their credibility to someone who intentionally tried to ruin ours,” NBC’s Chuck Todd wrote on X.

Fox News contributor Mollie Hemingway reacted, “Chuck Todd has pushed the Russia collusion hoax for years. He has NEGATIVE credibility. This is hilarious.”

Other critics were quick to point out the lack of outrage about MSNBC hiring former Biden-Harris administration officials Symone Sanders and Jen Psaki, the latter of whom allegedly had active discussions with NBC while serving as White House press secretary. They weren’t just hired as mere analysts like McDaniel, they were both given their own shows.

Psaki herself rejected the comparison on Monday, insisting that, unlike McDaniel, she brings “truth” and “honesty” to viewers. But as independent journalist Glenn Greenwald pointed out, Psaki peddled the false Russian disinformation narrative about Hunter Biden’s laptop during the 2020 election.

NBC NEWS LEADERSHIP UNDER FIRE OVER RONNA MCDANIEL DEBACLE

Former Biden White House press secretary-turned-MSNBC host Jen Psaki attempted to distance herself from comparisons to NBC’s hiring of RNC chair Ronna McDaniel. (MSNBC/Screenshot/Paul Bersebach/MediaNews Group/Orange County Register via Getty Images)

The automatic shunning of McDaniel reflects who’s truly welcomed on MSNBC’s airwaves.

Countless Democratic strategists and left-wing journalists from other legacy news organizations have long found a home as paid contributors on MSNBC. The network also has a slew of so-called “conservative” commentators who purportedly bring ideological diversity to the network but in reality sing from the same sheet of music as their liberal counterparts in bashing former President Trump and Republicans broadly.

Alongside Sykes on MSNBC’s payroll are Washington Post’s Jennifer Rubin, New York Times’ Bret Stephens, former Bush official Elise Jordan, former Bush strategist Matthew Dowd, The Bulwark’s Tim Miller, ex-GOP strategist Susan Del Percio, former Ohio Gov. John Kasich and ex-Republican lawmakers David Jolly and Carlos Curbelo.

The Lincoln Project’s Rick Wilson and Stuart Stevens, former George W. Bush speechwriter David Frum, The Bulwark’s Sarah Longwell, former GOP congressman Joe Walsh and The Atlantic staff writer Tom Nichols, while not paid contributors, serve as frequent guests.

MSNBC’S RACHEL MADDOW SLAMS ‘INEXPLICABLE’ RONNA MCDANIEL HIRE, HOPES NBC ‘WILL REVERSE THEIR DECISION’

There is a plethora of former Obama administration appointees on MSNBC’s paid roster, like Ben Rhodes, Richard Stengel, Frank Figliuzzi, Joyce Vance and top Clinton aide Huma Abedin. But the two biggest standouts, former CIA Director John Brennan and former CIA and Defense chief of staff Jeremy Bash, signed the infamous open letter from former intel officials pushing the Russian disinformation narrative about Hunter Biden’s laptop in 2020. Brennan also had a key role in the orchestration of the Russia collusion narrative that plagued the Trump presidency.

Former CIA Director John Brennan is still in MSNBC’s good graces despite his role in the orchestration of the Russian collusion probe and peddling false claims that the Hunter Biden laptop was Russian disinformation in 2020. (Screenshot/MSNBC)

Additionally, DOJ officials involved in the Russia probe landed jobs at MSNBC, such as Andrew Weissmann, best known as the “pit bull prosecutor” on Special Counsel Robert Mueller’s team, and former FBI lawyer Lisa Page, who made headlines after her anti-Trump texts with her lover and FBI colleague Peter Strzok were made public. Strzok is also a frequent MSNBC guest.

That’s not to say that anyone who has worked for former President Trump in the past isn’t allowed on MSNBC’s airwaves, they just have to fully denounce their ex-boss, like his former Defense Secretary Mark Esper, former National Security Adviser John Bolton, former White House aides Cassidy Hutchinson, Sarah Matthews and Anthony Scaramucci, former Pence aide Olivia Troye, and ex-Trump lawyer Michael Cohen, all who make regular guest appearances.

NBC NEWS DEBACLE: RONNA MCDANIEL HIRING INFURIATES MSNBC INSIDERS, PROMPTS ON-AIR REBUKES

McDaniel isn’t the only Biden critic given the heave-ho by the Peacock network. Mehdi Hasan, once a rising liberal star on MSNBC, left the network after his outspoken stance on the Israel-Hamas war, which included criticism from the left of the Biden administration’s handling of the ongoing foreign policy crisis.

There has only been one notable instance where an MSNBC pundit was actually too deep in Biden’s pocket. In 2020, MSNBC was forced to cut presidential historian and outspoken Biden supporter Jon Meachum as a paid contributor after he failed to disclose to the network that he was a Biden speechwriter and even appeared on-air to praise Biden’s victory speech he helped craft. Meachum remains a frequent guest on the network.

But there is certainly no shortage of Biden fans under the NBC umbrella. Of the very few interviews the White House has granted throughout Biden’s presidency, several of them were given to NBC and MSNBC stars like Joe Scarborough, Nicolle Wallace, Lester Holt, Stephanie Ruhle, Lawrence O’Donnell, Al Roker and Jonathan Capehart, the latter of whom most recently landed his second interview with the president earlier this month.

MSNBC’s Nicolle Wallace was giddy during her exclusive sit-down with President Biden last year. (Screenshots/MSNBC)

NBC’s lurch to the left is no secret. In fact, its stars have been transparent with their liberal ideology and their philosophy when it comes to journalism for years.

In a 2019 “Meet the Press” special that dedicated an entire hour to the “climate crisis,” Todd banned climate change skeptics from appearing on his show.

“We’re not going to debate climate change, the existence of it. The Earth is getting hotter and human activity is a major cause, period,” Todd told viewers at the time. “We’re not going to give time to climate deniers. The science is settled, even if political opinion is not.”

NBC’S CHUCK TODD EXPLODES ON NETWORK BOSSES ON THE AIR FOR HIRING RONNA MCDANIEL AS ANALYST, CALLS FOR APOLOGY

“NBC Nightly News” anchor Lester Holt, who was tapped as one of the moderators at the NBC-hosted debate during the GOP primaries last fall, said “it’s become clear that fairness is overrated” while accepting a journalism award in 2021, adding that “the idea that we should always give two sides equal weight and merit does not reflect the world we find ourselves in.”

“That the sun sets in the west is a fact. Any contrary view does not deserve our time or attention,” Holt said. “Decisions to not give unsupported arguments equal time are not a dereliction of journalistic responsibility or some kind of agenda. In fact, it’s just the opposite. Providing an open platform for misinformation, for anyone to come say whatever they want, especially when issues of public health and safety are at stake, can be quite dangerous. Our duty is to be fair to the truth.”

NBC’s Lester Holt declared “fairness is overrated” while accepting a journalism award in 2021. (Nathan Congleton/NBC via Getty Images)

And as Maddow told her viewers Monday night while denouncing the “inexplicable” McDaniel hire, their role in the media is to defend democracy.

“It’s about our system of government and undermining elections and going after democracy as an ongoing project,” Maddow said. “And this is a difficult time for us as a country. And I think that means we need to be clear-eyed about the implications of it. Difficult times make for difficult decisions. We are contending with something we’ve never had to contend with before. In the news business, yes, we are covering an election, which we do all the time, but we’re also covering bad actors trying to use the rights and privileges of a democracy to end democracy!”

In a direct plea to her NBC bosses, Maddow added, “Take a minute, acknowledge that maybe it wasn’t the right call. It is a sign of strength, not weakness, to acknowledge when you are wrong. It is a sign of strength. And our country needs us to be strong right now.”

Exclusive-Russia struggles to collect oil payments as China, UAE, Turkey raise bank scrutiny

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March 27, 2024

MOSCOW (Reuters) – Russian oil firms face delays of up to several months to be paid for crude and fuel as banks in China, Turkey and the United Arab Emirates (UAE) become more wary of U.S. secondary sanctions, eight sources familiar with the matter said.

Payment delays reduce revenue to the Kremlin and make them erratic, allowing Washington to achieve its dual policy sanction goals – to disrupt money going to the Kremlin to punish it for the war in Ukraine while not interrupting global energy flows.

Several banks in China, the UAE and Turkey have boosted their sanctions compliance requirements in recent weeks, resulting in delays or even the rejection of money transfers to Moscow, according to the eight banking and trading sources.

Banks, cautious of the U.S. secondary sanctions, started to ask their clients to provide written guarantees that no person or entity from the U.S. SDN (Special Designated Nationals) list is involved in a deal or is a beneficiary of a payment.

The sources asked not to be named due to the sensitivity of the issue and because they are not allowed to speak to media.

In the UAE, banks First Abu Dhabi Bank (FAB) and Dubai Islamic Bank (DIB) have suspended several accounts linked to the trading of Russian goods, two sources said.

UAE’s Mashreq bank, Turkey’s Ziraat and Vakifbank and Chinese banks ICBC and Bank of China still process payments but take weeks or months to process them, four sources said.

Mashreq bank declined to comment. UAE’s FAB and DIB banks, Turkey’s Ziraat and Vakifbank, China’s ICBC and Bank of China did not reply to requests for comments.

Kremlin spokesperson Dmitry Peskov said payment problems exist when asked about reports that banks in China have slowed payments.

“Of course, unprecedented pressure from the United States and the European Union on the People’s Republic of China continues,” Peskov told a daily conference call with reporters.

“This, of course, creates certain problems, but cannot become an obstacle to the further development of our trade and economic relations (with China),” Peskov said.

U.S. EXECUTIVE ORDER

The West has imposed a multitude of sanctions on Russia after it invaded Ukraine in February 2022. Dealing with Russian oil is not illegal as long as it is sold below a Western-imposed price cap of $60 per barrel.

Russian oil exports and payments for it have been disrupted in the first months of the war but later normalised as Moscow re-routed flows to Asia and Africa away from Europe.

“Problems returned from December after banks and companies have realised the threat of U.S. secondary sanctions is real,” one trading source said.

The source was referring to a U.S. Treasury executive order published on Dec. 22, 2023, which warned it could apply sanctions for the evasion of the Russian price cap on foreign banks and called on them to boost compliance.

It became the first direct warning about a possibility of secondary sanctions on Russia, putting it on par with Iran in some areas of trade.

Following the U.S. order, Chinese, UAE and Turkish banks that work with Russia have increased checks, started asking for extra documentation and trained more staff to make sure deals were compliant with the price cap, the trading sources said.

Additional documents can also include details on the ownership of all companies involved in the deal and personal data of individuals controlling the entities, so that banks can check on any exposure to the SDN list.

In the end of February UAE banks had to rise payment scrutiny as they were asked to provide data to the U.S. correspondent banks and the U.S. treasury if they have transactions that go to China on behalf of a Russian entity, according to one banking source familiar with the matter.

“This meant delays in processing payments to Russia,” one of the sources said.

One source said one payment had been delayed by two months, while another said the delays amounted to two to three weeks.

“It has become tough and not even for the dollar transactions. Sometimes it takes weeks for a direct yuan-rouble transaction to be executed,” one of the traders said.

(Reporting by Reuters reporters in MOSCOW, Aizhu Chen in SINGAPORE, Engen Tham in BEIJING, additional reporting by Ziyi Tang, Florence Tan, Can Sezer, Jonathan Spicer, Federico Maccioni, Nidhi Verma, Hadeel Al Sayegh and Kevin Huang; editing by David Evans)

Drug overdoses have reached record high, per latest CDC report: ‘Grim statistics’

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March 26, 2024

ELON MUSK REVEALS WHY HE TAKES KETAMINE, DENIES ABUSING THE DRUG: ‘I SHOULD KEEP TAKING IT’

Drug overdoses reached a new high last year in the U.S., according to a new report from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC).

Nearly 108,000 people died from drug overdoses in 2022, the agency said.

This was a marginal increase from 2021, when 106,669 people died of drug overdoses.

Overdoses are still the leading cause of death for adults in the country, largely driven by fentanyl, a synthetic opioid drug.

Over the past two decades, the rate of drug overdose deaths has spiked from 8.2 per 100,000 people in the year 2000 to 32.6 per 100,000 in 2022, per the CDC.

The CDC says that overdoses are at a record high. (iStock)

The overdose rate increased for males between 2021 and 2022, and slightly decreased for females.

Overdoses increased among adults ages 35 and older between 2021 and 2022, and they decreased among those aged 15 to 34.

They were lowest for adults 65 and older.

AMID KRATOM OVERDOSE CLAIMS, GROUPS CALL FOR REGULATION, BETTER TESTING OF DRUG

Overall, roughly 25% of adults aged 12 and older — over 70 million people — used illicit drugs in 2022, according to the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA).

“When it comes to the intractable problem of substance abuse, one thing is evidently clear: America has an appetite for drugs, and not enough is being done about it,” Dr. David Campbell, clinical and program director of Recover Together in Bend, Oregon, who was not involved in the CDC report, told Fox News Digital.

“It should come as no surprise, then, that overdoses have emerged as one of the top 10 causes of non-genetic deaths and a leading contributor to the first drop in life expectancy in the United States in over two decades.”

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One doctor said that Americans have an “appetite for drugs” and that not enough is being done to protect Americans. (REUTERS/Nikolay Doychinov (BULGARIA))

Although the record-high rates signify an ongoing problem, some industry experts are pointing out that the rate of increase has slowed considerably.

“Despite the grim statistics released today by the CDC, overdose fatalities rose at a slower rate in 2022 compared to a year earlier,” said Philip Rutherford, strategy lead for substance use at the National Council for Mental Wellbeing, in a statement provided to Fox News Digital.

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Rutherford was also not involved in the CDC’s report.

“Let’s hope this is an early indication that the upward curve of overdose deaths is flattening,” he added.

What needs to change?

To help reverse the high rate of overdoses, Rutherford stressed the need for addiction treatment and recovery support.

“It will require increasing the size of the behavioral health workforce, augmenting the number of peer support specialists and implementing a variety of strategies to provide care in all settings,” he said.

Rutherford also called for increasing support for underserved populations and eliminating “deserts of care.”

“We strongly urge pharmacies to increase the supply of suboxone,” he said.

“That simple step will sharply increase equitable access to treatment and recovery supports and help communities provide people with the opioid use disorder medication they need to survive.”

KETAMINE THERAPY SHOWN EFFECTIVE IN TREATING SEVERE DEPRESSION IN VETERANS, STUDY FINDS

Dr. Lawrence Weinstein, chief medical officer of American Addiction Centers in Tampa Bay, Florida, also emphasized the need for education around the dangers of hidden substances, such as fentanyl.

“Fentanyl, along with fentanyl analogs and other adulterants, can be mixed with other substances without the user’s knowledge, putting them at much greater risk of overdose,” he told Fox News Digital.

The Drug Enforcement Administration’s office in Houston said it seized more than 7 million fatal fentanyl doses in 2022. (U.S. State Department )

“Being aware of that risk can encourage those with substance-use disorder to be more mindful and cautious.”

Weinstein noted that “harm-reduction strategies” — like the availability of naloxone (Narcan) and needle-exchange programs — can help, but he also called for more widespread substance-use disorder treatments.

“Fentanyl can be mixed with other substances without the user’s knowledge, putting them at much greater risk of overdose.”

“Evidence-based treatment can reduce substance use disorder, health harms and overdose deaths, and the longevity and quality of treatment directly relates to lower mortality rates,” he said.

“We should also prioritize medication-assisted treatment to help individuals achieve and maintain sobriety.”

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A lack of mental health resources could also contribute to the problem, Weinstein said.

“Our country must find ways to make community mental health resources more readily available through walk-in clinics and telehealth, and to expand the number of providers, especially in areas most impacted by the overdose epidemic,” he told Fox News Digital.

Accessibility to walk-in clinics and telehealth doctors can be critical to helping with mental health issues, said one health professional. (Ashley Gibson/Cleveland Clinic)

“Not only is substance-use disorder itself often driven by underlying mental health issues, but the impact of substance-use disorder and overdoses on families and communities is creating a secondary mental health crisis that must be addressed before it turns deadly.”