Topic: public health
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DOGE Lives, Facebook Dating Arrives, and Amazon's AI Ambitions
Budget cuts at public health agencies are eroding institutional capacity, weakening critical services like disease surveillance and vaccination programs, which leaves communities more vulnerable to health crises. The precedent of severe funding cuts internationally has led to preventable loss of ...
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Hackers Build a Literal Anti-Virus at Security Conference
Elevated carbon dioxide levels impair cognitive function and prolong the survival of airborne viruses, making indoor air quality monitoring a key strategy for assessing infection risks. Organizers at Kawaiicon deployed DIY CO2 monitors to track real-time air quality, collaborating with researcher...
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EPA Sued Over Rollback Linked to "Thousands of Avoidable Deaths"
A coalition of health and environmental groups is suing the EPA for repealing the foundational "endangerment finding," which dismantles the legal framework for regulating greenhouse gas emissions from vehicles. The lawsuit argues the repeal disregards scientific consensus to benefit the fossil fu...
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RFK Jr.'s CDC Deputy Director Favors Natural Immunity Over Vaccines
Dr. Ralph Abraham's appointment as principal deputy director at the CDC has sparked controversy due to his vaccine skepticism and criticized management of health crises in Louisiana. His record includes delayed public communication during a whooping cough outbreak and a policy shift away from pro...
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Al Gore's AI Tracks 660 Million Polluters
Climate Trace, an AI initiative co-founded by Al Gore, monitors air pollution from over 660 million global sources, providing public data on PM2.5 to increase transparency and identify pollution impacts. The project was inspired by a community fight in Memphis and uses AI to track pollution plume...
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RFK Jr. Panel Drops Hep B Vaccine Advice Without Evidence
A federal vaccine panel voted to remove the universal recommendation for newborns to receive a hepatitis B vaccine at birth, a policy credited with reversing a prior surge in infant infections. Critics, including some panel members, warn the change lacks new scientific review and will likely incr...
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Ex-CDC chiefs warn of RFK Jr.'s anti-science threat
The CDC is facing a severe crisis due to political assault, including budget cuts, a physical attack on its headquarters, and efforts by Health Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. to dismantle its scientific integrity. Kennedy's agenda led to the firing of CDC Director Susan Monarez and triggered a m...
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National Academies Defies Congress, Releases Critical Climate Report
The National Academies of Science released a report affirming that greenhouse gases endanger public health and welfare, countering recent EPA efforts to revisit this determination. The report concludes that scientific evidence has only strengthened since the 2009 endangerment finding, with advanc...
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Major Study Debunks Anti-Vaccine Myths About Aluminum
A study of 1.2 million Danish children found no link between aluminum in vaccines and developmental disorders or chronic health conditions, countering anti-vaccine misinformation. Researchers analyzed decades of health data and found no increased risk of autism, ADHD, or allergies, regardless of ...
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The Truth About Marijuana Addiction: What You Need to Know
Marijuana addiction, known as cannabis use disorder, is a recognized medical condition affecting about 30% of users, with rising prevalence linked to increased availability and potency of cannabis products. Diagnosis is based on criteria like needing more marijuana for the same effect, withdrawal...
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Inside the Engine Room of the Internet: How Data Centers Work
Hyperscale technology companies like Meta and Google are driving explosive growth in data center infrastructure as a core competitive strategy, using their immense financial resources to build at a rapid pace and scale. The expansion of data centers faces a complex political landscape, with feder...
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ChatGPT to Restrict Suicide Talk with Teens, Says Sam Altman
OpenAI is implementing new safety measures for younger users, including an age-prediction system and restricted experiences for unverified accounts, to enhance privacy and protection. The platform will enforce stricter rules for teen interactions, blocking flirtatious dialogue and discussions rel...
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LLM Confessions & Unlocking Geothermal Energy's Potential
The U.S. has rescinded previous vehicle fuel efficiency standards, a move debated for its impact on consumer costs versus transportation emissions. Multiple sectors face policy shifts, including debates over AI regulation, a retail giant's potential independent delivery network, and public health...
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Trump Rolls Back Fuel Standards, Boosting Gas Guzzlers
The Trump administration has significantly rolled back federal fuel economy standards, allowing automakers to produce less efficient vehicles and reversing stricter Obama-era regulations. Critics warn the policy will increase consumer fuel costs and air pollution, contrasting with prior standards...
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Oregon Data Centers Linked to Cancer and Miscarriage Risk
Amazon data centers in Oregon's Morrow County are linked to rising nitrate levels in the drinking water, contributing to increased cancer diagnoses and miscarriage rates among residents. The data centers' water usage for cooling exacerbates pollution by drawing contaminated water and returning it...
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California Boosts Fake Nude Penalties to $250K to Protect Kids
California has introduced groundbreaking legislation to regulate AI companion bots and increase penalties for nonconsensual deepfake pornography, aiming to protect children from psychological harm and cyber exploitation. The law requires companion bot platforms to implement safety protocols for u...
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Who's Waging War on Science?
The 21st century is increasingly defined by severe environmental crises and the rapid spread of misinformation, creating a challenging context for science. Scientists Michael E. Mann and Peter J. Hotez have co-authored a book that identifies and addresses five major forces threatening science and...
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Inside the CDC's Vaccine Rollout Confusion
Two former CDC directors testified that they left due to a disregard for scientific integrity and pressure to ignore evidence-based guidance, raising concerns about the agency's stability. A CDC advisory panel voted to no longer recommend the MMRV vaccine for children under four, adding complexit...
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America's Gun Crisis & How AI Video Models Work | The Download
A new federal strategy for children's health focuses on nutrition and physical activity but overlooks gun violence, the leading cause of death for children and teenagers in the U.S. Advances in AI video generation by systems like Sora and Veo 3 create realistic content but pose risks such as mark...
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Geospatial AI at Scale: Innovations from Google Earth
Google Earth AI introduces new geospatial AI models, like AlphaEarth Foundations, to tackle pressing global challenges. It improves weather predictions, delivers crucial flood and wildfire alerts, and aids urban planning and public health. This initiative offers practical insights, helping individuals and organizations make informed decisions for a more resilient world.
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Data Center Construction Moratorium Gains Momentum
Over 230 environmental and public interest groups are demanding a nationwide moratorium on new data center construction, citing unregulated growth driven by AI and cryptocurrency that threatens economic stability and water security. The coalition argues the industry's rapid expansion strains loca...
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Inside AI's Brain & The End of Animal Testing
AI is reshaping cybersecurity and healthcare, with systems now capable of independently managing complex hacking tasks and potentially reducing reliance on animal testing in medicine. Space exploration advances with Blue Origin's successful New Glenn rocket launch, deploying NASA satellites and m...
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Post-Shutdown, CDC Panel Resumes Vaccine Schedule Review
The Advisory Committee on Immunization Practices (ACIP) is resuming its review of the childhood immunization schedule, with a rescheduled December meeting to discuss vaccine safety and hepatitis B vaccines, including a planned vote on recommendations. The committee's composition has shifted signi...
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Heidi Raises $65M to Build AI Care Partners for Clinicians
Heidi secured $65 million in a Series B funding round, led by Point72 Private Investments, boosting its valuation to $465 million and total funding near $100 million to develop AI care partners for healthcare providers. The funding will advance Heidi's AI Care Partner platform, which automates ad...
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Google Halts AI Medical Search Results
Google has suspended its AI from generating medical search results after it provided dangerously inaccurate health advice, highlighting the risks of deploying AI in high-stakes fields. The AI gave a potentially lethal recommendation for pancreatic cancer patients to avoid high-fat foods, contradi...
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CDC's New Vaccine Advisor Questions Shot Safety
The ACIP is undergoing another leadership change, with controversial biostatistician Martin Kulldorff replacing the current chair, continuing a pattern of instability. Kulldorff is known for his pandemic-era criticism of mainstream public health and his alignment with Health Secretary Kennedy's v...
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Surviving Extreme Temperatures and the Whale-Wind Turbine Myth
Extreme temperatures driven by climate change pose a severe threat to human health, causing tens of thousands of heat-related deaths in Europe in 2023 and projecting millions more this century. Scientists are advancing research on human thermoregulation to redefine thermal limits and develop surv...
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RFK Jr. Blames Antidepressants for Mass Shootings, Experts Disagree
U.S. Secretary of Health and Human Services Robert F. Kennedy Jr. has proposed investigating whether antidepressant medications, particularly SSRIs, are linked to mass violence, though many mental health experts challenge this due to a lack of evidence. Multiple studies, including a 2019 analysis...
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NIH Director Joins MAHA, Replaced by JD Vance Ally
Richard Woychik is stepping down as director of the National Institute of Environmental Health Sciences to join the Make America Healthy Again movement, while his replacement, a close associate of Vice President JD Vance, was appointed through an irregular process, raising concerns about politica...
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Moderna CEO Counters RFK Jr.'s Vaccine Criticism
Moderna's CEO criticized new federal health policies that restrict COVID-19 vaccine eligibility, arguing they create confusion and reduce public access to protection. HHS Secretary Robert F. Kennedy, Jr. has taken a critical stance on mRNA vaccines, canceling contracts and limiting recommendation...
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Communities Are Beating Back Data Centers
A nationwide, bipartisan grassroots movement is uniting against massive data center expansion, primarily due to soaring electricity demands and significant environmental impacts that affect utility bills and local resources. The enormous energy and water consumption of modern data centers, especi...
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Kids' Safety Bill Faces Major Cuts, Sparking Outrage
The Kids Online Safety Act (KOSA) may undergo revisions that remove its central "duty of care" provision, which would require digital platforms to proactively prevent harm to minors online. Supporters argue the duty of care is essential for protecting children from online dangers, while opponents...
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AI Hunts "Zero Day" Bugs, Apple Pulls ICE App
AI is now being used to detect zero-day software vulnerabilities, advancing cybersecurity, while OpenAI's parental controls are easily bypassed with delayed alerts for harmful teen conversations. Venture capital investment in AI startups hit $192.7 billion, raising concerns about a market bubble,...
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