Health

A spine-zapping implant helped 3 people with a muscle-wasting disease walk better

Feb. 05, 2025

WASHINGTON (AP) — Three people with a muscle-destroying disease destined to worsen got a little stronger – able to stand and walk more easily – when an implanted device zapped their spinal cord. On Wednesday, researchers reported what they called the first evidence that a spine-stimulating implant already being tested for paralysis might also aid neurodegenerative diseases like spinal muscle atrophy – by restoring some muscle function, at least temporarily. “These people were definitely not expecting an improvement,” said Marco Capogrosso, an assistant professor at the University of Pittsburgh who led the research. Yet over the month-long pilot study, “they were getting better and better.” Spinal muscle atrophy or SMA is a genetic disease that gradually destroys motor neurons, nerve cells in the spinal cord that control muscles. That leads muscles to waste away, especially in the legs, hips and shoulders and sometimes those involved with breathing and swallowing. There is no cure. A gene therapy can save the lives of very young children with a severe form of the disease, and there are some medicines to slow worsening in older patients.

Health

Racial gap widened in deaths among US moms around the time of childbirth

Feb. 05, 2025

NEW YORK (AP) — Black women in the U.S. died at a rate nearly 3.5 times higher than white women around the time of childbirth in 2023, as maternal mortality fell below prepandemic levels overall but racial gaps widened, according to federal health data released Wednesday. In 2021 and 2022, the maternal death rate for Black women was about 2.6 times higher than white women. The data suggest that the COVID-19 pandemic, at its peak, impacted all pregnant women. But “once we went back to ‘usual activities,’ then the impact of systemic racism and unequal access (to medical care) ... came right back into place,” said Dr. Amanda Williams, interim medical director for the March of Dimes. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention’s report Wednesday on the 2023 deaths was drawn from death certificates. The CDC counts women who died while pregnant, during childbirth and up to 42 days after birth. Accidental deaths are excluded.

Health

Patients using diabetes apps can miss critical alerts. Here’s how to make sure you’re getting them

Feb. 05, 2025

WASHINGTON (AP) — Patients who use smartphone apps to manage their diabetes could face serious health problems if they miss notifications needed to control their blood sugar, U.S. health officials warned. The Food and Drug Administration said Wednesday it has received multiple reports of users missing or not hearing important medical alerts from their phones, leading to cases of dangerously low blood sugar and even death. The agency’s warning applies to a growing field of wearable devices that track patients’ sugar levels or automatically deliver insulin, the hormone that helps manage glucose in the blood and break it down into energy. These days, many devices are programmed through apps on patients’ phones. But the FDA warns that certain phone settings, such as pausing notifications, may cause patients to miss critical updates. In other cases, connecting the phone to a new audio source, such as a car stereo, could change the volume of the alerts users are accustomed to hearing.

Health

Some communication from federal health agencies is now allowed most still blocked

Feb. 05, 2025

Much of the scientific communication typically released publicly from federal health agencies remains on pause, according to multiple sources within the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention and the National Institutes of Health. Staffers say the communications stoppage, along with a barrage of memos from the Trump administration with sweeping instructions to scrub all evidence of gender identity and diversity, equity and inclusion initiatives, is affecting efforts to protect Americans’ health within the health agencies. The halt in communications is occurring during an intense flu season and outbreaks of other respiratory illnesses, as well as an escalating bird flu outbreak. “Their effects on the CDC has led to a near complete stop of day-to-day work,” said a physician at the CDC who was not authorized to speak publicly. The Department of Health and Human Services directives allow for the release of communications that could be considered a matter of critical health and safety. The pause was expected to end Feb. 1. Andrew Nixon, HHS’ director of communications, wrote in an email Tuesday that “several types of external communications” are no longer subject to the pause, and that “all HHS divisions have been given clear guidance on how to seek approval for any other type of mass communication.”

Health

Federal health workers terrified after DEI website publishes list of targets

Feb. 05, 2025

Federal health workers are expressing fear and alarm after a website called “DEI Watch List” published the photos, names and public information of a number of workers across health agencies, describing them at one point as “targets.” It’s unclear when the website, which lists mostly Black employees who work in agencies primarily within the Department of Health and Human Services, first appeared. “Offenses” for the workers listed on the website include working on diversity, equity and inclusion initiatives, donating to Democrats and using pronouns in their bios. The website, a government worker said, is being circulated among multiple private group chats of federal health workers across agencies, as well as through social media links. The site also reached Dr. Georges Benjamin, the executive director of the American Public Health Association, who learned about it Tuesday evening when a federal health worker sent it to him. “This is a scare tactic to try to intimidate people who are trying to do their work and do it admirably,” Benjamin said. “It’s clear racism.” A government worker said they found out theirs was among the names on the website Tuesday afternoon after a former co-worker sent them the link on social media. “It’s unnerving,” said the person, who requested anonymity because of safety concerns. “My name and my picture is there, and in 2025, it’s very simple to Google and look up someone’s home address and all kinds of things that potentially put me at risk.” “I don’t know what the intention of the list is for,” the person said. “It’s just kind of a scary place to be.” On Tuesday evening, the site listed photos of employees and linked to further information about them under the headline “Targets.” Later Tuesday night, the headline on each page had been changed to “Dossiers.”

Business

Google to tout AI impact on small businesses during Super Bowl

Feb. 05, 2025

The Super Bowl is one of the biggest stages for marketing. This year, Google is using it to turn the spotlight on small businesses throughout America that are benefitting from its artificial intelligence (AI) models. As part of its "50 Stories, 50 States" campaign, Google will illustrate the impact of AI on small businesses by featuring 50 customer stories from all 50 states. The ads will appear next to commercials from some of the biggest brands in the world that doled out millions for the coveted airtime. Massachusetts' Joe the Architect, Oregon's Jacobsen’s Salt Co, New Jersey's Nuts.com and Texas' Bison Coolers will be among the businesses profiled, along with their use of Google Gemini.

International News

The Rwanda-backed rebels who seized a city in Congo declare a unilateral ceasefire

Feb. 04, 2025

The Rwanda-backed rebels who seized the eastern Democratic Republic of Congo’s key city of Goma announced a unilateral ceasefire in the region Monday for humanitarian reasons, following calls for a safe corridor for aid and hundreds of thousands of displaced people. The M23 rebels said the ceasefire would start Tuesday. The announcement came shortly after the U.N. health agency said at least 900 people were killed in last week’s fighting in Goma between the rebels and Congolese forces.

Business

Trump moves to develop sovereign wealth fund to 'create value for American citizens'

Feb. 04, 2025

President Donald Trump said Monday he would create a sovereign wealth fund, a pool of assets like those that exist in other countries that can help pay out regular funds to ordinary citizens. However, full details on how the fund would work were not immediately available. Trump made the announcement in an Oval Office ceremony. He had floated the idea of creating such a fund during his 2024 presidential campaign. Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent offered brief remarks at the event outlining the fund.

Business

Political uncertainty remains as Trump strikes temporary tariff deals

Feb. 04, 2025

The impacts of Donald Trump’s long-promised pledge to use tariffs as a political cudgel started to come into focus Monday, even as the president cut last-minute deals with some of the country’s closest allies allowing him to back down from his initial threats. On Saturday, Trump announced that he would slap broad 25% tariffs on Canada and Mexico, both U.S. allies, and 10% tariffs on China, a political foe. The move was expected, but it still sparked fears about the rising costs of goods across the U.S. economy. That concern is particularly potent because Trump campaigned heavily on lowering costs and easing inflation. If they are fully implemented, Trump's tariff proposals would affect American households' purchasing power by $1,000 to $1,200 annually, according to the Budget Lab at Yale University.

Business

Fox reveals plans to launch subscription streaming service this year

Feb. 04, 2025

Fox Corp. is finally getting into the direct-to-consumer streaming game. The company known for its news and sports TV content said Tuesday it’s aiming to launch a subscription streaming service by the end of the year. The streaming service is not meant to upend Fox’s place in the traditional bundle, CEO Lachlan Murdoch said on the company’s quarterly earnings call. Murdoch offered few details on the streaming service beyond the high-level announcement. He said the company is designing the app now, and further information will be released in the coming months. Fox’s upcoming streaming option is expected to include both its sports and news content, Murdoch said.