Aussie top-two de Minaur and Popyrin set for Dubai duel
Aussie top-two de Minaur and Popyrin set for Dubai duel
Alexei Popyrin is set to get a crack at Alex de Minaur in Dubai this week for the first time since he achieved a milestone that has so far eluded the man he’s chasing as *********** No.1.
When Popyrin won the ********* Open to much surprise last September, it gave him his first triumph in an ATP Masters 1000 event, something that the world No.8 de Minaur has coveted yet been unable to achieve so far in his flourishing career.
That victory proved the launchpad for ‘Poppy’ to then beat Novak Djokovic at the US Open and surge to no.23 in the world, but his start to 2025 has been beset by injury and illness as he’s yet to win a tour-level match this year in four attempts.
But at this week’s Dubai Championships, Popyrin, now at No.27 in the rankings, will still be a warm favourite to beat Lebanese wildcard Hady Habib in Monday’s opening match, with victory setting up a prospective second-round clash with de Minaur.
De Minaur agonisingly lost to eventual champion Andrey Rublev in an epic Qatar Open quarter-final last week which saw him save seven match points and miss out on one of his own.
But he’s in form and should overcome his first-round challenge in Dubai against Marin Cilic on Tuesday, though it’s never easy against the 36-year-old Croatian veteran.
The resilient Cilic has been battling with knee trouble for two years but still managed to become the lowest-ranked player ever to win an ATP Tour title last year at the Hangzhou Open.
The former US Open champion has a 2-2 record against de Minaur, with the *********** dominating their last encounter three years ago in the Davis Cup semi-final.
De Minaur and Popyrin have played three times on tour, with ‘******’ holding a 2-1 advantage, having won their last encounter on clay in Monte Carlo last year.
Rublev again looms as a danger to No.2 seed de Minaur on the same side of the draw, with the pair scheduled to meet this time in the semi-finals.
Top seed is Daniil Medvedev, who had to withdraw from his Qatar Open quarter-final with food poisoning.
There’ll be a third *********** in the draw after Chris O’Connell beat Dutchman Botic van der Zandschulp 7-6 (7-5) 6-4 in the final round of qualifying on Sunday, but the Sydneysider will face a tough opener against sixth-seed Grigor Dimitrov on Tuesday.
Rising Briton Jack Draper, who was beaten in the Qatar final by Rublev, withdrew from the tournament on Sunday, saying he wanted to “manage” his body after a number of long matches and give himself “the best chance of competing consistently throughout the year.”
Source link
#Aussie #toptwo #Minaur #Popyrin #set #Dubai #duel
Pelican News
View the full article at [Hidden Content]
Zelensky offers to step down as president in exchange for peace
Zelensky offers to step down as president in exchange for peace
Volodymyr Zelensky is willing to step down as president of Ukraine in exchange for peace or the country being granted Nato membership.
On Sunday, the Ukrainian president said: “I am ready to step down if it brings peace. Or trade it for Nato.”
Mr Zelensky added that he was focused on Ukraine’s security now, not in 20 years’ time, saying that it is not his “dream” to remain president for a decade.
His comments came after Donald Trump branded him a “dictator” for not holding elections, which are banned under martial law in Ukraine.
Reports emerged this week that Ukraine may be forced to hold elections before any final peace deal is signed with Russia.
Mr Trump said the demand for a Ukrainian presidential election “came from me”. He then appeared to blame Ukraine for starting the war and not reaching an agreement itself.
“You’ve been there for three years … You should have never started it. You could have made a deal,” he said.
Mr Zelensky said there would be an “important meeting” of leaders on Monday, the third anniversary of the war.
The leaders will speak about their strategy “not for the coming years, but for the coming week”, he said.
Russia has repeatedly stated that Ukraine must not be allowed to join Nato as part of any peace agreement. Pete Hegseth, the US defence secretary, said Nato membership for Ukraine was unlikely as part of negotiations during his visit to Brussels last week.
It came as Ukrainian officials said Russia launched its single largest drone attack of the war so far on Sunday.
A “record” 267 Russian drones were launched in a single, coordinated attack, said Yuriy Ignat, Ukraine’s air force command spokesman.
Some 138 drones were intercepted, while 119 disappeared without causing damage after being jammed, he added.
Though many were intercepted, drone strikes caused destruction and fires across Ukraine overnight.
The strikes came on the eve of the third anniversary of the war in Ukraine and as the White House said Donald Trump was confident that a deal to stop the conflict could be achieved “this week”.
‘Aerial terror’
Mr Zelensky said it was the largest drone attack against his country since Russia started using Iranian drones.
“Every day, our people stand against aerial terror,” Mr Zelensky said, adding that Ukraine had been attacked by 1,150 drones across the entire week.
Credit: State Emergency Service of Ukraine in Kyiv
The Ukrainian president said it showed the need to bring a “lasting and just peace”, which he said could only be achieved with the “strength of all of Europe and America”.
Tensions between Washington and Kyiv have been heightened in recent days after Mr Zelensky reportedly refused to sign an agreement that would hand over $500bn of critical minerals and rare earths to the US.
White House officials had said that a deal was close after the Ukrainian president initially rejected a first draft last week.
But the source said the agreement was not yet ready to be signed as there were a number of problematic issues in the current form of the draft.
On Saturday night, Mr Trump said it was “not fair” that the US was getting nothing in return for its military support of Ukraine.
“I think we’re pretty close to a deal,” the president said in a speech at the Conservative Political Action Conference, adding: “We better be close to one.”
Karoline Leavitt, his press secretary, said the US president was “very confident” that a deal to end the war could be struck “this week”.
“The president, his team are very much focused on continuing negotiations with both sides of this war to end the conflict, and the president is very confident we can get it done this week,” Ms Leavitt said following the Conservative Political Action Conference.
Mike Waltz, the White House’s national security adviser, was “working around the clock” to get a deal and “end this conflict with Ukraine,” she added.
Broaden your horizons with award-winning British journalism. Try The Telegraph free for 1 month with unlimited access to our award-winning website, exclusive app, money-saving offers and more.
Source link
#Zelensky #offers #step #president #exchange #peace
Pelican News
View the full article at [Hidden Content]
For verified travel tips and real support, visit: [Hidden Content]
Pope Francis Had Restful Night After Reports Of Critical Condition – Forbes
Pope Francis Had Restful Night After Reports Of Critical Condition – Forbes
Pope Francis Had Restful Night After Reports Of Critical Condition ForbesPope Francis is alert, but in pain after hospitalization, ******** says FOX 32 ChicagoPope Francis shares written message while continuing hospitalization Fox NewsCatholics Pray for Ailing Pope Francis at Sunday Mass The New York TimesPope Francis has peaceful ninth night in the hospital ******** News
Source link
#Pope #Francis #Restful #Night #Reports #Critical #Condition #Forbes
Pelican News
View the full article at [Hidden Content]
Prince William at lowest over Kate’s *******, says Jason Knauf
Prince William at lowest over Kate’s *******, says Jason Knauf
Guy Lambert
Culture reporter
PA Media
A former aide to the Prince of Wales has said the royal was at his “lowest” after the Princess of Wales was diagnosed with *******.
In an interview with 60 Minutes Australia, Jason Knauf, formerly the chief executive of William and Kate’s Royal Foundation, said: “It was awful, absolutely awful. It’s the lowest I’ve ever seen him.
“Within a couple of weeks, if you’re Prince William, you find out that both your wife and your father have *******. I couldn’t believe it.”
Both the King and the Princess of Wales were treated for ******* last year. Kate is now in remission and Charles is having ongoing treatment.
Reuters
Jason Knauf worked as an aide for both William & Kate, and Harry & Meghan
Mr Knauf, 43, stepped down from his position at the end of 2021.
Catherine’s diagnosis was made public in March last year, and Mr Knauf said: “the problem was that all this crazy conspiracy theory stuff kicked off in the background, online. ‘Was she really ill?’.
“But they didn’t want to say yet that she had ******* because they hadn’t told the children and they were still working through how to tell the children.”
Speaking to reporters last year at the end of his visit to South Africa, Prince William, 42, talked about how he has coped after both his wife and his father were diagnosed with *******, describing the past year as the “hardest year” of his life.
“It’s been dreadful. It’s probably been the hardest year in my life. So, trying to get through everything else and keep everything on track has been really difficult,” he said after being asked how his year has been after a difficult year for the Royal Family.”
PA Media
Preparing their children for public life was a top priority for the Waleses, Mr Knauf says
Mr Knauf also previously worked for the Duke and Duchess of Sussex.
In October 2018, while working for the couple as their communications secretary, Mr Knauf made a bullying complaint against Meghan.
He wrote of his concerns to William’s then private secretary in an email, in an apparent attempt to force Buckingham Palace to protect staff.
The duchess’s legal team strenuously denied the allegation.
Discussing William’s relationship with Harry, Mr Knauf said: “It’s very difficult to have this stuff play out in the public eye, but he’s chosen to keep his thoughts on it private, and I think all of us who know him really have to respect that we should do the same.
“But I will say, of course, it’s been hard and sad, especially for all of us who know both of them.
“I worked really closely with the two of them and we had lots of great times.”
Mr Knauf has previously expressed regret in not giving evidence in the Duchess of Sussex’s High Court case against the publisher of the Mail on Sunday, the Court of Appeal.
Meghan won her privacy case against Associated Newspapers Limited (ANL) in 2021, when the High Court found its publication of her letter to her father – sent in August 2018 – was unlawful.
PA Media
The Duke and Duchess of Sussex attended the 2025 Invictus Games in Vancouver this month
Mr Knauf was made a Lieutenant of the Royal Victorian Order (RVO) in the 2023 New Year Honours List.
Before joining the royal household the American-born former corporate affairs executive worked for a range of institutions, from the office of the New Zealand prime minister to HM Treasury and the Royal Bank of Scotland.
Mr Knauf led a review of the Royal Foundation’s role and structure from March 2019, before becoming its chief executive in September of that year.
He oversaw the launch of the Foundation’s Earthshot Prize – William’s £50 million environmental prize, now an independent charity, which recognises solutions, ideas and technologies that “repair the planet”.
Source link
#Prince #William #lowest #Kates #******* #Jason #Knauf
Pelican News
View the full article at [Hidden Content]
REIWA Housing Issues Survey finds stamp duty a major barrier to homeownership
REIWA Housing Issues Survey finds stamp duty a major barrier to homeownership
A survey on leading Western *********** real estate portal reiwa.com has shown stamp duty is considered a significant barrier to homeownership, particularly for first homebuyers and downsizers.
Source link
#REIWA #Housing #Issues #Survey #finds #stamp #duty #major #barrier #homeownership
Pelican News
View the full article at [Hidden Content]
Ukraine can fight until end-2025 with European support, Poland says
Ukraine can fight until end-2025 with European support, Poland says
WARSAW (Reuters) – Ukraine can keep fighting Russia for the rest of the year with European support, Poland’s Foreign Minister Radoslaw Sikorski said on Sunday.
“Ukraine can fight on its own with our European support for the rest of this year, and I think Putin has to take this into account,” Sikorski told CNN in an interview.
Asked if his impression after talking to the U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio was that Ukraine would be offered security guarantees by Washington, Sikorski said the best guarantee for Ukraine was its almost million-man army, resisting Russian aggression.
Trusted news and daily delights, right in your inbox
See for yourself — The Yodel is the go-to source for daily news, entertainment and feel-good stories.
“If you’d asked me three years ago where Ukraine and Russia would be in this war in three years’ time, I don’t think either of us would have guessed that Russia would only capture 20 percent of Ukraine’s territory,” Sikorski said.
“But if we are to have a durable peace, it has to be one that both sides can live with, above all, the victim of aggression.”
(Reporting by Marek Strzelecki; Editing by Andrew Cawthorne)
Source link
#Ukraine #fight #end2025 #European #support #Poland
Pelican News
View the full article at [Hidden Content]
Apple’s M4 MacBook Air bump may be just around the corner – The Verge
Apple’s M4 MacBook Air bump may be just around the corner – The Verge
Apple’s M4 MacBook Air bump may be just around the corner The VergeNew MacBook Air Leak Reveals Apple’s Powerful Upgrade ForbesThe MacBook Air M4’s Performance Scores Just Leaked—It’s Fast VICEApple preparing to launch M4 MacBook Air in the coming weeks, per report 9to5MacApple MacBook Air M4 – New Features, Price & Should You Buy It? UP Excise Portal
Source link
#Apples #MacBook #Air #bump #corner #Verge
Pelican News
View the full article at [Hidden Content]
The Elder Scrolls IV: Oblivion Fan Remake Skyblivion Looks Very Promising in New Gameplay
The Elder Scrolls IV: Oblivion Fan Remake Skyblivion Looks Very Promising in New Gameplay
SimpleSlave65d ago
The world in Morrowind was vastly superior and way more varied than Oblivion. Morrowind was also the last time where you could actually kill all the important NPCs, including the main quest givers, while Oblivion took steps to protect the important NPCs. Thus making Oblivion the beginning of making the franchise way too casual, or AAA. Regardless, the liberty to off anyone was liberating. Oh, and the Oblivion Gates suuucked.
While I can give you the fact that the whole RNG/Dice Roll combat from Morrowind is terrible, cuz it was, and it is, when it comes to everything else, Morrowind is simply superior. Sure, not perfect, but it was a step in the right direction before Bethesda decided to fall off.
Morrowind is certainly the one game I wouldn’t mind Bethesda revisiting. Especially if they get rid of that god awful combat system, bring back the liberty to take out important NPCs (Obsidian still does this), and better sign post quest markers without relying on arbitrary HUD elements or AAA arrows.
Oblivion is when Bethesda took an arrow to the knee and started their decent into Midness.
Source link
#Elder #Scrolls #Oblivion #Fan #Remake #Skyblivion #Promising #Gameplay
Pelican News
View the full article at [Hidden Content]
Apartment supply key feature of State Election race
Apartment supply key feature of State Election race
It has been a busy week for housing supply-focused election commitments, with the State Government making several promises directly aimed at boosting much-needed apartment supply in Western Australia.
Source link
#Apartment #supply #key #feature #State #Election #race
Pelican News
View the full article at [Hidden Content]
How Teamfight Tactics Approaches Balance Updates and Reworks
How Teamfight Tactics Approaches Balance Updates and Reworks
Game Rant speaks with several Teamfight Tactics developers about how the process involved in addressing balancing and reworks.
Source link
#Teamfight #Tactics #Approaches #Balance #Updates #Reworks
Pelican News
View the full article at [Hidden Content]
Transcript: Gov. Kathy Hochul on “Face the Nation with Margaret Brennan,” Feb. 23, 2025
Transcript: Gov. Kathy Hochul on “Face the Nation with Margaret Brennan,” Feb. 23, 2025
The following is the transcript of an interview with Democratic Gov. Kathy Hochul of New York that aired on “Face the Nation with Margaret Brennan” on Feb. 23, 2025.
MARGARET BRENNAN: We turn now to Trump’s clash with Democratic governors. Joining us now from Albany, New York, is the governor, Kathy Hochul, good morning to you, Governor.
GOV. KATHY HOCHUL: Good morning.
MARGARET BRENNAN: I know you were just here in Washington and you met privately with President Trump. In the past, you’ve said the relationship doesn’t have to be adversarial. Was your meeting with him adversarial? And what was your top message?
GOV. HOCHUL: It was an adversarial meeting, but I was very clear, especially after I found that the Trump administration had ended a program that was put in place, congestion pricing, by the duly elected members of our legislature representing the voice of the people, and with a tweet, he claims that he is the king, and therefore he has the power to destroy it. And I have a problem with that characterization, because we labored under a king 250 years ago, and as I said, we’re not going back there. So I wanted to take my case to him directly and let him see the benefits of this program, because our city is paralyzed with gridlock, and we had a path forward to be able to make the city move again, and it’s working. I wanted to just have that opportunity to convey that, but I don’t know that we’re very persuasive on that front, but that’s okay. The people in my state need to know I’m willing to take the fight wherever I have to.
MARGARET BRENNAN: So just to explain for our audience, congestion pricing, you’re talking about this $9 toll you put on people driving into lower Manhattan, below 60th Street. Your fellow Democrat, Phil Murphy of New Jersey, says he doesn’t like this policy, actually asked President Trump to stop it. President Trump’s office says this is discriminatory against working class people. How do you respond to that?
GOV. HOCHUL: I respond this way with all due respect to the state of New Jersey. They do not tell us in New York what to do, nor does Washington when it comes to policies that we believe are going to reduce congestion. Move along vehicles, emergency vehicles are moving faster. Air quality is improving. So I have arguments that are important, but no one else should be able to second guess us, because that’s not how our system of laws and states was set up. I’m the Governor of New York. I will deal with the internal issues before me without interference from New Jersey or indeed, the federal government.
MARGARET BRENNAN: So this is going to the courts.
GOV. HOCHUL: Oh yes, it’s going to the courts, and I believe we will be victorious in the courts, and this program will continue.
MARGARET BRENNAN: You know, this is not the only standoff between the state and federal government, and the tension here, I know you were in Washington with other governors who were meeting with the President this week. Federal funds account for about 40% of your state’s budget. President Trump is threatening to withhold federal funds to governors in order to force compliance with his agenda. Here’s what he said to the governor of Maine. Take a listen.
[VO SOT]
PRESIDENT DONALD TRUMP: Is Maine here, the Governor of Maine?
ME GOV JANET MILLS: Yeah, I’m here.
PRESIDENT TRUMP: Are you not going to comply with it?
ME GOV JANET MILLS: I’ll comply with the state and federal law.
PRESIDENT TRUMP: Well I’m — we are the federal law. Well you better do it. You better do it. Because you’re not going to get any federal funding at all if you don’t.
MARGARET BRENNAN: That was about transgender athletes on girls sports teams. Are you Democratic governors going to start to work together on this? Is there legal pushback?
GOV. HOCHUL: What he is doing is they’ve described it as flooding the zone. They’re attacking California when it comes to FEMA dollars. They’re filing lawsuits in Illinois. They’re going after Maine on this, and they’re coming after programs that have been duly put in place in the state- What they’re trying to do is create this theater of all kinds of activity that is trying to be a distraction to us. And when someone floods the zone in a football game, what you need to have is the defenders be very disciplined, smart, but also stand their ground. And that’s exactly what New York governors, the governor of New York will do in cooperation with our governors. We’re not going to sit idly by and let our rights be attacked. We’ll work with you when there’s common ground, no doubt about it, let’s build great projects and infrastructure. There’s areas where we’re going to work with you on immigration and getting the violent criminals off our streets. We do not dispute that, but don’t think that you can just come in and bully us around and not expect a reaction from governors.
MARGARET BRENNAN: You know that when it comes to your state, there’s been a lot of focus on Manhattan and the Department of Justice because of Eric Adams and the ongoing legal issues he has. In the past week, four deputy mayors resigned. Seven federal prosecutors resigned after the Trump justice department moved to dismiss those five counts of federal corruption indictments against- against Mayor Adams. You know, the allegation is that the dismissal of the charges was in- related to a quid pro quo around immigration compliance. Did you discuss this case at all with the President when you were in the room with him one on one?
GOV. HOCHUL: No, I did not. In fact, it’s- we’re waiting for the decision by a judge on whether he’s going to accept those recommendation for a dismissal. So that’s still in litigation. But I will say this, we are not allowing the Trump administration to interfere in the operations of our city, and the legal problems that the mayor is facing because of the Trump administration, and the phrasing they have used, and indeed, an interview that was done by one of his representatives on national television saying that he’s basically got the mayor under his control. That’s concerning, and I have to be able to put in safeguards. Of course, everyone says I had the option to remove him. I still hold that option to remove him. It is an extraordinary power. And I know there’s a lot of people disappointed and angry and want something done immediately, but I will always stand on the fact that we are a nation of laws, and one individual, the governor of New York, should not use her voice and her will to override the will of the voters. We have an election in a few months for- in a primary, I’m going to let the voters decide, but I’m also going to be very cognizant. I need to keep an eye on this situation, especially the way the Trump administration has telegraphed that they want to get into our operations, and I have to be the firewall to stop that.
MARGARET BRENNAN: So having said that, does that mean you do believe there was a quid pro quo understanding with Eric Adams?
GOV. HOCHUL: I am going by what the perception could be. I cannot let the integrity of the administration in the city of New York be undermined by perception that the Trump administration actually created, they created this perception, the reality I will never know, but as long as there’s the faith of New Yorkers that has been undermined by what the Trump administration doing is trying to give the appearance of holding the city hostage, those are what- that’s exactly what they’re trying to do. Again, they’re trying to create chaos. But we have to be smart as Democrats and as leaders and parse through all this and just go do what’s right. That will always be my North Star.
MARGARET BRENNAN: Governor Hochul, thank you for your time this morning. Face the Nation will be back in one minute. Stay with us.
Face The Nation Transcripts
More
More
Source link
#Transcript #Gov #Kathy #Hochul #Face #Nation #Margaret #Brennan #Feb
Pelican News
View the full article at [Hidden Content]
For verified travel tips and real support, visit: [Hidden Content]
Can RFK Jr. Really Take Away ADHD Medications?
Can RFK Jr. Really Take Away ADHD Medications?
Robert F. Kennedy Jr. speaks after being sworn in as Secretary of Health and Human Services in the Oval Office at the White House on Feb. 13, 2025. – Credit: Andrew Harnik/Getty Images
A recent executive order has sparked widespread concern about the availability of medications treating Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD), a condition that affects more than 22 million Americans. Entitled “Establishing the President’s Make America Healthy Again Commission,” the executive order has Secretary of Health and Human Services Robert F. Kennedy Jr.’s fingerprints all over it, focusing on several of the pillars of his MAHA campaign, from increasing Americans’ life expectancy to fighting chronic illness.
But the recent wave of anxiety about ADHD medications largely stems from a line from the executive order calling on the soon-to-be-formed MAHA Commission to produce a report on children’s health “assess[ing] the prevalence of and threat posed by the prescription of selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors, antipsychotics, mood stabilizers, stimulants, and weight-loss drugs.” Stimulants like Adderall and Ritalin are commonly used to treat ADHD in adults and children, along with behavioral treatment. This attack on ADHD medication comes more than two years into a nationwide Adderall shortage, which has already made accessing the medication especially difficult.
More from Rolling Stone
The language used in the executive order was an immediate red flag for Max Wiznitzer, MD, a pediatric neurologist at Rainbow Babies & Children’s Hospital in Cleveland and co-chair of the Professional Advisory Board at CHADD (Children and Adults with Attention-Deficit/Hyperactivity Disorder). “When they use the word ‘threat,’ it automatically implies there’s something wrong with this treatment, and ignores the mounds of scientific evidence about the utility of the use of medication in conjunction with a multi-modal approach towards target management of ADHD,” he tells Rolling Stone.
Positioning ADHD medications as a “threat” is in line with some of Kennedy’s previous remarks about the treatment in the context of his plan for “wellness farms,” where “addicts” taking ******** and legal drugs — including Adderall — could grow and eat organic food, learn a trade, and “learn to get re-parented.”
So, do parents of children with ADHD and adults with the condition need to worry? Does Kennedy actually have the power to take away or restrict access to people’s medications? Rolling Stone spoke with medical and legal experts to find out what Kennedy does — and doesn’t — have the authority to do, and why this messaging on ADHD medications from the federal government is both stigmatizing and dangerous.
What does the executive order say about ADHD medications?
The MAHA Commission executive order focuses on the use of stimulants to treat children with ADHD. It begins by claiming that the “health burdens” of chronic conditions in children — including allergies, asthma, and fatty liver disease — “have continued to increase alongside the increased prescription of medication.” The example provided is ADHD: specifically, that 3.4 million children are currently on medication for the condition. That figure comes from a 2024 Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) study, which also indicates that the 3.4 million children ages three to 17 who are taking medication for ADHD represent 53.6 percent of the kids with the diagnosis.
Later, the executive order stipulates that the MAHA Commission — with Kennedy at the helm — has 100 days to submit a report assessing “the prevalence of and threat” posed by stimulants used to treat ADHD, as well as other mental health medications, including mood stabilizers and the selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors (SSRIs).
“For now, the White House is only calling for an assessment of how these drugs are being administered and their impact on patients,” says Ana Santos Rutschman, a professor of law at Villanova University specializing in FDA law and policy, noting that the commission’s findings won’t be legally binding. In other words, the executive order “does not and cannot make a change in law, nor a change in the FDA’s approval of any medications,” says Elizabeth Y. McCuskey, professor of health law policy & management at Boston University. “Congress has set the procedures for that.”
The dangerous part of this executive order, Wiznitzer says, is that there’s a good chance that this report will be based on opinion, inaccurate facts, and preconceived notions rather than science. “When using the term ‘threat’ [in relation to ADHD medications], there’s a concern that they’re not going to be looking at this in an objective manner, but they’ve got a preset agenda that is to be addressed — and that’s not the scientific method,” he says. “The scientific method is asking a question in an unbiased manner and then investigating that question in order to come up with an answer.” This is problematic because the commission’s report(s) “will almost certainly be the policy basis for a couple of agencies to then take steps to make changes,” Rutschman tells Rolling Stone.
Plus, even if experts with appropriate training and expertise are appointed to the MAHA Commision, Kennedy’s still the one in charge. “Putting a secretary with zero epidemiological, medical, or scientific training or professional expertise in charge of studying and interpreting mountains of data is a cause for concern in itself,” McCuskey says. And if Kennedy were to say that ADHD medications aren’t medically necessary, that could create a conflict between the federal government and medical professionals and “make it a more chaotic environment for patients,” says Richard Pan, MD, a pediatrician who prescribes ADHD medications and former Democratic state lawmaker.
Does Kennedy have the power to ban ADHD medications?
Banning or restricting access to any medication currently used in the treatment of ADHD would have to involve the Food and Drug Administration (FDA), which falls under and follows the policies of the Kennedy-led Department of Health and Human Services, Rutschman says. “These ADHD drugs have been approved by the FDA — which by law has to make a determination that a drug is safe and effective before a company can sell it,” she says. “Also by law, the FDA can withdraw approval or restrict distribution if new evidence suggests that an approved drug is not safe or effective.” So, banning or restricting access to these drugs would require some sort of FDA-initiated decision based on data raising concerns about a specific ADHD drug.
According to Rutschman, the MAHA Commission report itself wouldn’t be a sufficient source of this data; rather, it would need to come from several studies reflecting the current “scientific consensus” demonstrating that a specific ADHD drug was causing issues, or was not effective. “If the FDA makes a decision that does not reflect that consensus, then the decision could be challenged in court,” she says. Plus, as McCuskey points out, the FDA has to go through review processes and consider evidence before revoking the approval of a drug or imposing stricter prescribing or dispensing requirements.
Separately, the FDA can impose extra hoops to jump through or conditions for dispensing approved drugs, McCuskey says. One example of this is when the FDA established — and later removed — a restriction on the abortion medication mifepristone, requiring patients to take the pill inside the doctor’s office. But Kennedy can’t simply order the FDA to implement restrictions on ADHD medications: the FDA still has to go through the processes and produce the required justifications for these restrictions that Congress has defined.
“The Secretary absolutely can and certainly does influence FDA’s conduct and what it investigates, but he cannot dictate it,” McCuskey says. “There is cause for concern, but the administrative processes put in place by Congress and challengeable in court are designed to pump the brakes a bit on what any one political appointee can do to an approved drug.”
How else could this impact people taking ADHD medication?
Even if nothing comes from the executive order, the fact that it’s based on unfounded opinion rather than scientific fact is damaging in itself. “When executive orders are vague and not grounded in science, there’s a real disservice, because it’s undermining things that have been established to be true: like that ADHD exists, has profound impact on individuals, communities, countries, and their performance, [and] that it’s very treatable,” says Craig Surman, MD, director of the clinical and research program in adult ADHD at Massachusetts General Hospital and associate professor of psychiatry at Harvard Medical School.
Along the same lines, Surman’s concern is that people have access to reliable sources of scientific medical information so they can make informed decisions about their health and their children’s health. “I think it’s particularly concerning to be sowing any kind of distrust or confusion when there’s already quite a hurdle to clear for people to get good information,” he tells Rolling Stone. “There’s lots of misinformation about ADHD on TikTok, for example, and I would hope that the government can support entities that are conveying scientific information, because otherwise it’s all just guesswork and storytelling, and people don’t have access to treatments they need.”
Suggesting ADHD medication is a “threat” also casts a negative light on a treatment that for many has been life-changing. “For someone to stigmatize the medication after we’ve had all this positive feedback and these years and years and years of research showing us the benefits of what these medications can do for people, I think, is really to ignore the science,” Wiznitzer says. Casting doubt on the effectiveness of ADHD medication also does a disservice to people living with developmental disabilities, who may not be able to learn how to successfully manage the condition without medication, he adds.
Should access to stimulants be restricted, Surman is concerned that adults prescribed ADHD medications could begin self-medicating with alcohol, other substances, or “street” Adderall, which may be fake and contain fentanyl. “Having an FDA-sanctioned way for people to continue to function is pretty important,” he says.
So, what does this all mean for people living with ADHD? “Right now, I’d say don’t panic,” Pan says. “And hoarding medication probably is not going to be very productive. It’s unlikely that suddenly the medication is not approved, or that your health plan will say, ‘Oh, by the way, we’re not covering your ADHD medicine.’”
Even so, Wiznitzer says that it’s important to consider the impact that stigmatizing ADHD medication could have on the 22 million Americans living with the condition, as well as their families and society as a whole. “We know what happens when you don’t manage ADHD appropriately,” he says. “Productivity is down, there’s a greater risk for a negative impact on one’s health, a shortened life expectancy, increased suicide rate, and an increased chance of risk-taking behaviors, including substance use. Those are things that are not acknowledged by that executive order.”
Best of Rolling Stone
Sign up for RollingStone’s Newsletter. For the latest news, follow us on Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram.
Source link
#RFK #ADHD #Medications
Pelican News
View the full article at [Hidden Content]
PGA Tour 2K25: Choosing the Archetype That Best Fits Your Style
PGA Tour 2K25: Choosing the Archetype That Best Fits Your Style
PGA Tour 2K25 brings a new level of customization with its archetype system, allowing players to tailor their golfer’s play style to suit their preferences and strengths. Let’s dive into the various archetypes available and how to choose the best one for your game.
Source link
#PGA #Tour #2K25 #Choosing #Archetype #Fits #Style
Pelican News
View the full article at [Hidden Content]
Rodent Resuscitation? Watch Mice Attempt To Revive Their Unconscious Mates – IFLScience
Rodent Resuscitation? Watch Mice Attempt To Revive Their Unconscious Mates – IFLScience
Rodent Resuscitation? Watch Mice Attempt To Revive Their Unconscious Mates IFLScienceView Full Coverage on Google News
Source link
#Rodent #Resuscitation #Watch #Mice #Attempt #Revive #Unconscious #Mates #IFLScience
Pelican News
View the full article at [Hidden Content]
Pokemon Scarlet and Violet start Jumpluff distribution for 2025 International Championships
Pokemon Scarlet and Violet start Jumpluff distribution for 2025 International Championships
Pokemon Scarlet and Violet celebrate 2025 International Championships with special Jumpluff distribution for a limited time.
Source link
#Pokemon #Scarlet #Violet #start #Jumpluff #distribution #International #Championships
Pelican News
View the full article at [Hidden Content]
Housing policy promises face market reality check
Housing policy promises face market reality check
As Western Australia’s major parties compete with increasingly ambitious housing policies ahead of the State Election, industry attention is turning to the practical challenges of delivery.
Source link
#Housing #policy #promises #face #market #reality #check
Pelican News
View the full article at [Hidden Content]
Former Nintendo employee predicts June Switch 2 release, says retailers know ‘nothing’
Former Nintendo employee predicts June Switch 2 release, says retailers know ‘nothing’
A former member of the Nintendo of America sales team has predicted a June release date for Nintendo Switch 2, and claimed that retailers currently know “nothing” about Nintendo’s launch plans for the console.
‘Sean’ previously worked in the sales and retail department at Nintendo‘s US arm, and recently appeared with his former colleagues on the Kit and Krista podcast to share insight into the company’s sales strategy.
According to the former employee, Nintendo will “definitely” share plans to release Switch 2 before the end of the summer during its upcoming Nintendo Switch 2 Direct in April.
“They’re going to want the system to be out before the end of the summer. I would say at the start of the summer, at the end of the school year, so you have kids talking about what they’re excited for,” he said.
“I think we’ll see a June launch. I’m thinking maybe mid-June, or a little bit later than that. But definitely before the end of the summer, that thing’s coming out… there are good strategic reasons why that would be part of the consideration.”
The former Nintendo employee was also asked about alleged retail leaks regarding Switch 2’s release date and price, and dismissed the notion that retailers have any advance knowledge of plans.
Asked what retailers know about Switch 2, Sean replied: “Nothing. Nothing. Certainly not price. Almost certainly not any kind of launch date other than maybe a quarter. It always makes me laugh to see these articles like, ‘Walmart Canada says the price is going to be this’… Walmart Canada are the last people who are going to know.”
He continued: “They don’t have that information. There’s no way that even Target in the US would know anything… when we know the launch date, that’s probably when the retailers are going to know the launch date. Maybe a week or two in advance. I would imagine maybe March 27th the retailers will find out – a couple of days in advance [of the Nintendo Direct].”
Nintendo officially announced Switch 2 last month, with a teaser video showing the console and Joy-Cons. No release date was given, but Nintendo plans to reveal more information about the console in a Nintendo Direct broadcast in April.
In a recent shareholder Q&A, Nintendo president Shuntaro Furukawa said the Nintendo Switch 2 price will ‘consider the affordability customers expect’ from Nintendo.
Furukawa was asked if there was any change to Nintendo’s stance on what constitutes an acceptable price point, given various global economic factors. He replied that not only does Nintendo have to take into account Japan’s increased inflation rate, it also has to consider that the exchange rate environment has changed considerably.
However, he noted that Nintendo also has to consider “the affordability that our customers expect from Nintendo products”, saying the company needs to take all these factors into account when considering the price of its products.
Source link
#Nintendo #employee #predicts #June #Switch #release #retailers
Pelican News
View the full article at [Hidden Content]
How six deaths in three states came to be linked to a cult-like group
How six deaths in three states came to be linked to a cult-like group
When the alleged leader of a cult-like group that has been linked to six killings across the country was ordered to be held without bail this week, she demanded vegan meals, claiming she could starve and that she was already “in a mild state of delirium” due to lack of food.
Jack LaSota, 34, known online as “Ziz” is the apparent leader and the namesake of a mysterious group of mostly transgender and non-binary young people known as the “Zizians.”
The group, whose members include highly educated young computer scientists obsessed with veganism, animal rights, and theories about the nature of human consciousness, have been linked to homicides in California, Pennsylvania, and Vermont – including the shooting death of U.S. Border Patrol Agent David Maland near the ********* border in January.
And LaSota, a vegan computer scientist from Berkeley, California, who uses she/her pronouns, has reportedly been seen near multiple crime scenes and has connections to various suspects.
More than two years after the elusive LaSota allegedly faked her own death in 2022, she was arrested on Sunday along with Michelle “Jamie” Zajko, 33, of Media, Pennsylvania, and Daniel Blank, 26, of Sacramento, California, on charges of trespassing, obstructing and hindering, and possession of a handgun in the vehicle.
A judge ordered all three held without bail, describing them as dangerous flight risks, despite LaSota asking for pretrial release, saying she was homeless with no means of traveling.
‘Ziz’, known in court documents by her legal name as Jack LaSota, after her arrest in Maryland (Allegany County Detention Center / Maryland State Police)
“I haven’t done anything wrong,” she told the judge.
The trio were arrested after a Frostburg, Maryland resident called police to remove three “suspicious” people off his property after they had parked two box trucks there and asked to camp for a month, according to police documents.
When police responded to the call, they found the three individuals dressed in ****** with two of them wearing gun belts holding ammunition. A rifle and handgun were found in their vehicle.
Zajko, who was carrying a handgun, refused to put her hands behind her back during the arrest and was forced to the ground, police said.
The arrests are just the latest twist in a bizarre saga that emerged following the deadly shooting at a traffic stop that left a border patrol agent and a car passenger dead, leading to a cross-country investigation that has revealed a series of violent incidents that started years earlier.
Alleged members of the Zizians have since been linked to the death of a woman during an attack on a California landlord in November 2022, the landlord’s subsequent slaying in January, and the December 2022 deaths of Zajko’s parents in Pennsylvania.
Landlord impaled by sword, shoots tenant dead
In 2019, Ziz and three friends attempted a non-violent protest outside a rationalist think tank, but were met with a SWAT team and felony charges. Ziz would later allege that she was abused in police custody.
Curtis Lind, who rented his trailer yard to several friends of Ziz. He was attacked and shot one person dead. While he survived that attack, he was later murdered (Friends of Curtis Lind via GoFundMe)
Amid mounting legal troubles, Ziz reportedly faked her death in 2022, while several of the group stopped paying rent at their home in a trailer yard in Vallejo, California.
Curtis Lind, the landlord, then tried to evict LaSota and her friends, who had been living in vans and box trucks on the property without paying rent.
Emma Borhanian in San Francisco. She was shot dead during the initial attack on Lind (AP)
That led, in November 2022, to a deadly confrontation with Lind, which left Ziz’s friend Emma Borhanian dead — shot by Lind in alleged self-defense — and Lind himself in hospital, stabbed by a samurai sword.
Prosecutors charged two other members of the group, Alexander Leatham and Suri Dao, who had been living there, with Borhanian’s *******, alleging that they had started the fight and were therefore responsible for its consequences.
After that, Ziz and her remaining associates seem to have dropped off the map. But since then, connections have continued to emerge in other criminal cases.
The 2022 murders of Richard and Rita Zajko
In Pennsylvania, on New Year’s Eve 2022, Zajko’s parents, 71-year-old Richard Zajko and his wife, 68-year-old Rita Zajko, were shot and killed inside their Pennsylvania home.
Richard and Rita Zajko were found shot dead at the home in Pennsylvania (Pennsylvania State Police)
Police believed Zajko’s gun might have been involved, and detained her at a Pennsylvania hotel.
But when they checked another room in the same hotel, whose occupants Zajko had asked them to alert to her custody, they found Ziz — alive and well, albeit uncooperative — along with Daniel Blank.
Michelle Zajko following her arrest (Allegany County Sheriff’s Office)
Zajko, Lasota and Blank were all initially taken into custody, but were not charged with their murders at the time, NBC News reported.
A deadly confrontation with a landlord
Then on January 17, Curtis Lind, the 82-year-old landlord back in Vallejo, California, who was set to testify against the members of the group from the 2022 attack, was killed by a mysterious figure in a ****** mask wielding a knife.
Authorities arrested and charged 22-year-old Oxford graduate Maximilian Snyder with Lind’s *******.
Oxford graduate Maximilian Snyder has been charged with Lind’s ******* (Chris Riley/The Times-Herald/AP)
The same month, a border agent, David Maland, and a young rationalist named Felix “Ophelia” Bauckholt were killed in a shoot-out over a traffic stop.
Teresa Youngblut, 21, was arrested and charged in Maland’s *******. She had been traveling with Bauckholt, a ******* citizen, and the pair had been under surveillance for several days.
Youngblut, who was wounded in the shootout, is charged with firearms charges.
During the investigation of the shooting, it was discovered that Youngblut and Snyder were connected through a marriage license they had applied for in November 2024.
Snyder denied being a friend of Ziz.
“I am not one of Ziz’s friends, and neither she nor her friends endorse me or my words so far as I know. I speak only for myself, as myself, for the sake of everyone,” Snyder said in a letter dictated from prison, in which he urged other rationalists to stop eating meat immediately.
Border patrol agent, young rationalist killed in shooting
On January 20, three days after Lind was killed, the shoot-out unfolded more than 3,000 miles away in Coventry, Vermont, when Youngblut and Bauckholt were pulled over on Interstate 91 for an immigration inspection, according to an FBI affidavit.
Bauckholt appeared to have an expired visa, according to a Department of Homeland Security database, but investigators later confirmed that his visa was current, the FBI said.
Border agent David Maland was killed in a shoot-out near the ********* border (AP)
Youngblut, who had been driving Bauckholt’s car, got out and opened fire on Maland and other officers without warning, the FBI said. Bauckholt tried to draw a gun but was shot.
The gun allegedly used by Youngblut and the one that Bauckholt was carrying were purchased by a third person in Vermont in February 2024, it was discovered.
Teresa Youngblut is seen in the office at the Newport City Inn in Newport, Vermont (AP)
That buyer was Zajko, who was also a person of interest in the 2022 murders of her parents, state police confirmed.
A police bulletin described Zajko as armed and dangerous, and said she followed an “anti-law-enforcement ideology”.
Ophelia Bauckholt was killed during the shoot-out in Vermont (The Org)
The exact nature of the connections between these people and cases remain uncertain, and neither Ziz nor Zajko have been charged in connection with any of the deaths.
“The investigators that are working on the case aren’t going to do any press releases at this time because the investigation is kind of fluid and ongoing and the FBI is involved now,” Maryland State Police lieutenant Jeremy Stonebraker said.
Source link
#deaths #states #linked #cultlike #group
Pelican News
View the full article at [Hidden Content]
For verified travel tips and real support, visit: [Hidden Content]
Pedestrian killed in pick-up truck ******
Pedestrian killed in pick-up truck ******
A pedestrian has died in a ****** involving a pick-up truck in the early hours of the morning.
Emergency services were called to the B6412 in Temple Sowerby, near Penrith in Cumbria, at about 00:23 GMT after reports of ****** involving a white pick-up truck.
The pedestrian, a man in his 30s from the Eden area, was declared dead at the scene.
Cumbria Police said a man and a woman, both in their 50s, had been arrested in connection with the ****** and remained in custody.
The force is asking anyone who witnessed or has dashcam footage of the ****** to come forward.
Follow BBC Cumbria on X, Facebook, Nextdoor and Instagram.
Related internet links
Source link
#Pedestrian #killed #pickup #truck #******
Pelican News
View the full article at [Hidden Content]
L.A. Notes: Doncic, Goodwin, Leonard, Bogdanovic – hoopsrumors.com
L.A. Notes: Doncic, Goodwin, Leonard, Bogdanovic – hoopsrumors.com
L.A. Notes: Doncic, Goodwin, Leonard, Bogdanovic hoopsrumors.comNikola Jokic says Nuggets might have “tricked ourselves” with 9-game win streak. The Denver PostLakers get first big performance from Luka Dončić in win over Nuggets Yahoo SportsLuka Doncic Had Simple Reminder for NBA After Lakers’ Big Win Over Nuggets Sports Illustrated
Source link
#L.A #Notes #Doncic #Goodwin #Leonard #Bogdanovic #hoopsrumors.com
Pelican News
View the full article at [Hidden Content]
This Florida senior living in a nursing home was told she owes $10K on water bill — from a leak-free vacant property
This Florida senior living in a nursing home was told she owes $10K on water bill — from a leak-free vacant property
A Florida woman living in a nursing home was blindsided by a water bill totaling more than $10,000 — despite her home being vacant and having no leaks.
St. Petersburg resident Noreen McClure discovered the shocking charge when her 93-year-old mother’s bank flagged the account for insufficient funds.
Don’t miss
“Her bank reached out to me because there was insufficient funds to pay a bill,” McClure told ABC Action News.
Her mother, who has lived in the home for 45 years, had her bills set to autopay. But in May, the water bill spiked to over $4,000 — and then it happened again in August, pushing the total to nearly $10,000.
“I thought ‘well, that’s crazy,’” she said.
The city demanded payment despite a leak detection expert confirming there was no leak.
“They’re saying that the meter, the computer, doesn’t lie,” McClure said. “Well, neither do I.”
Fortunately, McClure and her mother aren’t alone in their fight to clear these astronomical water bills.
How did this happen?
After receiving the bill, McClure immediately contacted the city, expecting them to say there was a mistake. Instead, she was told she needed to hire a leak detection company — at her own expense. So she did.
Leak detection specialist Gary Bonar came out to inspect the property. Not once, but twice. His verdict?
“I don’t have an explanation why they could use a whole lot of water and then it stop. I mean if there were several neighbors pools they filled or something, you know that’s — it’s just so much water. I don’t have an answer for it,” he told ABC Action News. “I don’t see any signs of the water anywhere.”
The amount of water usage didn’t make sense, either. McClure’s mother’s home used enough water to fill more than six swimming pools — even though the house doesn’t have a pool. Despite spending $300 for a leak detection expert, McClure still didn’t have answers — and the city refused to back down.
McClure tried appealing, arguing that no one lives in the home and that her family checks on it regularly. But when she showed up to the Utility Billing Review Committee meeting, she was hit with another shock — the $4,000 bill had gotten even higher.
“I said, well, I’m here for the May bill. And they said, well, now the bill is $9,900 and something because the same scenario happened again in August. Even with more water usage,” she said.
Her appeal was denied. The city’s response? Take legal action.
Meanwhile, other St. Pete residents are coming forward with similar stories, and city council members are demanding answers.
“What if we really did make the mistake?” Council Member Deborah Figgs-Sanders asked during a city council meeting. “What if it really is on us? We need to own it.”
The city council has temporarily halted water shut-offs and late fees while investigating the number of people affected.
It also came up with some proposed changes on Feb. 20, including more flexibility with City Code, to dig deeper into how they can help those affected in the community until they get to the bottom of the issue.
Attorney Matt Weidner has since hopped on the case for free to work towards helping McClure’s mother and the rest of the community.
Read more: Home prices in America could fly through the roof in 2025 — here’s the big reason why and how to take full advantage (with as little as $10)
How to avoid a similar water bill nightmare
No one expects to wake up with a five-figure water bill. In McClure’s case, there may be extenuating circumstances.
If you know for a fact that something is way off, ABC Action News says to check for leaks and apply for an adjustment. If it turns out there’s no leak, you may want to dispute the bill with your local utility company.
Leaks and watering grass can lead to sky-high bills due to the way some cities charge for sewage usage. A few precautions can help protect you from unexpected water bills.
Monitor water usage regularly
Don’t rely solely on autopay to pay your water bill. Instead, check the bill every month and look for unusual spikes in usage.
Many companies provide daily usage reports that help you spot errors. Compare the meter readings on your bill to the numbers on your actual water bill to make sure they match.
Set up alerts with your utility company
Some water providers allow customers to set alerts for abnormal water use.
These alerts can notify you if your property suddenly uses more water than usual, allowing you to investigate before your bill skyrockets. If your water company offers an app, consider installing it; this can make spotting errors simple.
Ask for a smart meter
Some cities are replacing standard water meters with smart meters, which make it easier to spot leaks and track water usage more accurately.
If your city offers these, consider requesting a replacement. This can improve your ability to spot increases and help you conserve water where possible.
What to read next
This article provides information only and should not be construed as advice. It is provided without warranty of any kind.
Source link
#Florida #senior #living #nursing #home #told #owes #10K #water #bill #leakfree #vacant #property
Pelican News
View the full article at [Hidden Content]
China-made medical devices are all over U.S., and the Feds are worried
China-made medical devices are all over U.S., and the Feds are worried
A popular medical monitor is the latest device produced in China to receive scrutiny for its potential cyber risks. However, it is not the only health device we should be concerned about. Experts say the proliferation of ******** health-care devices in the U.S. medical system is a cause for concern across the entire ecosystem.
The Contec CMS8000 is a popular medical monitor that tracks a patient’s vital signs. The device tracks electrocardiograms, heart rate, blood oxygen saturation, non-invasive blood pressure, temperature, and respiration rate. In recent months, the FDA and the Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency (CISA) both warned about a “*********” in the device, an “easy-to-exploit vulnerability that could allow a bad actor to alter its configuration.”
CISA’s research team described “anomalous network traffic” and the ********* “allowing the device to download and execute unverified remote files” to an IP address not associated with a medical device manufacturer or medical facility but a third-party university — “highly unusual characteristics” that go against generally accepted practices, “especially for medical devices.”
“When the function is executed, files on the device are forcibly overwritten, preventing the end customer—such as a hospital—from maintaining awareness of what software is running on the device,” CISA wrote.
The warnings says such configuration alteration could lead to, for instance, the monitor saying that a patient’s kidneys are malfunctioning or breathing failing, and that could cause medical staff to administer unneeded remedies that could be harmful.
The Contec’s vulnerability doesn’t surprise medical and IT experts who have warned for years that medical device security is too lax.
Hospitals are worried about cyber risks
“This is a huge gap that is about to explode,” said Christopher Kaufman, a business professor at Westcliff University in Irvine, California, who specializes in IT and disruptive technologies, specifically referring to the security gap in many medical devices.
The American Hospital Association, which represents over 5,000 hospitals and clinics in the U.S., agrees. It views the proliferation of ******** medical devices as a serious threat to the system.
As for the Contec monitors specifically, the AHA says the problem urgently needs to be addressed.
“We have to put this at the top of the list for the potential for patient harm; we have to patch before they hack,” said John Riggi, national advisor for cybersecurity and risk for the American Hospital Association. Riggi also served in FBI counterterrorism roles before joining the AHA.
CISA reports that no software patch is available to help mitigate this risk, but in its advisory said the government is currently working with Contec.
Contec, headquartered in Qinhuangdao, China, did not return a request for comment.
One of the problems is that it is unknown how many monitors there are in the U.S.
“We don’t know because of the sheer volume of equipment in hospitals. We speculate there are, conservatively, thousands of these monitors; this is a very critical vulnerability,” Riggi said, adding that ******** access to the devices can pose strategic, technical, and supply chain risks.
In the short-term, the FDA advised medical systems and patients to make sure the devices are only running locally or to disable any remote monitoring; or if remote monitoring is the only option, to stop using the device if an alternative is available. The FDA said that to date it is not aware of any cybersecurity incidents, injuries, or deaths related to the vulnerability.
The American Hospital Association has also told its members that until a patch is available, hospitals should make sure the monitor no longer has access to the internet, and is segmented from the rest of the network.
Riggi said the while the Contec monitors are a prime example of what we don’t often consider among health care risk, it extends to a range of medical equipment produced overseas. Cash-strapped U.S. hospitals, he explained, often buy medical devices from China, a country with a history of installing destructive malware inside critical infrastructure in the U.S. Low-cost equipment buys the ******** potential access to a trove of American medical information that can be repurposed and aggregated for all sorts of purposes. Riggs says data is often transmitted to China with the stated purpose of monitoring a device’s performance, but little else is known about what happens to the data beyond that.
Riggi says individuals aren’t at acute medical risk as much as the information being collected and aggregated for repurposing and putting the larger medical system at risk. Still, he points out that, at least theoretically, is can’t be ruled out that prominent Americans with medical devices could be targeted for disruption.
“When we talk to hospitals, CEOS are surprised, they had no idea about the dangers of these devices, so we are helping them understand. The question for government is how to incentivize domestic production, away from overseas,” Riggi said.
******** data collection on Americans
The Contec warning is similar at a general level to TikTok, DeepSeek, TP-Link routers, and other devices and technology from China that the U.S. government says are collecting data on Americans. “And that is all I need to hear in deciding whether to buy medical devices from China,” Riggi said.
Aras Nazarovas, an information security researcher at Cybernews, agrees that the CISA threat raises serious issues that need to be addressed.
“We have a lot to fear,” Nazarovas said. Medical devices, like the Contec CMS8000, often have access to highly sensitive patient data and are directly connected to life-saving functions. Nazarovas says that when the devices are poorly defended, they become easy prey for hackers who can manipulate the displayed data, alter vital settings, or disable the device completely.
“In some cases, these devices are so poorly protected that attackers can gain remote access and change how the device operates without the hospital or patients ever knowing,” Nazarovas said.
The consequences of the Contec vulnerability and vulnerabilities in an array of ********-made medical devices could easily be life-threatening.
“Imagine a patient monitor that stops alerting doctors to a drop in a patient’s heart rate or sends incorrect readings, leading to a delayed or wrong diagnosis,” Nazarovas said. In the case of the Contec CMS8000, and Epsimed MN-120 (a different brand name for the same tech), warning from the government, these devices were configured to allow remote code execution by the remote server.
“This functionality can be used as an entry point into the hospital’s network,” Nazarovas said, leading to patient danger.
More hospitals and clinics are paying attention. Bartlett Regional Hospital in Juneau, Alaska, does not use the Contec monitors but is always looking for risks. “Regular monitoring is critical as the risk of cybersecurity attacks on hospitals continues to increase,” says Erin Hardin, a spokeswoman for Bartlett.
However, regular monitoring may not be enough as long as devices are made with poor security.
Potentially making matters worse, Kaufman says, is that the Department of Government Efficiency is hollowing out departments in charge of safeguarding such devices. According to the Associated Press, many of the recent layoffs at the FDA are employees who review the safety of medical devices.
Kaufman laments the likely lack of government supervision on what is already, he says, a loosely regulated industry. A U.S. Government Accountability Office report as of January 2022, indicated that 53% of connected medical devices and other Internet of Things devices in hospitals had known critical vulnerabilities. He says the problem has only gotten worse since then. “I’m not sure what is going to be left running these agencies,” Kaufman said.
“Medical device issues are widespread and have been known for some time now,” said Silas Cutler, principal security researcher at medical data company Censys. “The reality is that the consequences can be dire – and even deadly. While high-profile individuals are at heightened risk, the most impacted are going to be the hospital systems themselves, with cascading effects on everyday patients.”
Source link
#Chinamade #medical #devices #U.S #Feds #worried
Pelican News
View the full article at [Hidden Content]
Final Fantasy 14 Roleplayers Comment on Content Drought Criticisms
Final Fantasy 14 Roleplayers Comment on Content Drought Criticisms
Doc Laladay and Penny Lane, creatives staging a play in Final Fantasy 14, discuss the wealth of casual content in the game.
Source link
#Final #Fantasy #Roleplayers #Comment #Content #Drought #Criticisms
Pelican News
View the full article at [Hidden Content]
Privacy Notice: We utilize cookies to optimize your browsing experience and analyze website traffic. By consenting, you acknowledge and agree to our Cookie Policy, ensuring your privacy preferences are respected.
