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Tag: Health

  • British soccer union wants fewer headers for pros to protect players’ brains

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    BOSTON — The union representing British soccer players will announce on Tuesday the first comprehensive protocol for preventing the brain disease CTE, expanding the heightened concern over concussions to include the damage that can be caused by the less forceful blows from heading the ball.

    The guidelines from the Professional Footballers’ Association, which represents current and former players in the Premier League, the FA Women’s Super League and the English Football Leagues, recommend no more than 10 headers per week – including practice – for professionals. Children under 12 shouldn’t head the ball at all, the PFA said, part of a chronic traumatic encephalopathy prevention protocol designed to reduce head impacts across a player’s lifetime.

    “CTE is preventable. Period,” Dr. Adam White, Director of Brain Health at the PFA, said on Monday at the first-ever Global CTE Summit, which was held in San Francisco while the NFL descended on the Bay Area for Sunday’s Super Bowl.

    “It is the principles of less heading, less force, less often and later in life that matter,” White told The Associated Press. “These could apply to any sport and are the best hope we have of stopping current and future players from the same fate as former generations.”

    The degenerative brain disease now known as CTE was studied in boxers more than a century ago as punch drunk syndrome and first diagnosed in American football players in 2005. It has since become a concern in ice hockey, soccer and other contact sports and among combat veterans and others who sustain repeated blows to the head.

    A 2017 study found CTE in 110 of 111 brains donated by former NFL players. The disease can only be identified posthumously through an examination of the brain.

    The NFL, college football and many other sports have instituted protocols that guide teams and athletes on returning to play after sustaining a possible concussion.

    But the British soccer protocol is the first comprehensive plan to combat CTE by addressing the less dramatic, subconcussive blows that can be common in practice, according to Chris Nowinski, the founder of the Concussion and CTE Foundation.

    “For contact sports, CTE prevention protocols are equally important and possibly more important than concussion protocols,” he said.

    Among the more recent concerns are the routine head hits sustained by football lineman, and those from soccer players heading the ball. Research funded by the union and the Football Association found that Scottish pros have a risk of dementia that is 3.5 times greater than the general population; studies of brains from British soccer players found the majority had CTE, including Jeff Astle, Gordon McQueen and Chris Nicholl.

    “With what we know today about the disease, it would be a failure to our players to do nothing,” White said in a statement. “The science and solutions are clear, it just takes willingness from the sporting bodies to put athletes’ long-term health first and I am pleased that we have been able to do that in England. I encourage all sports to put as much, if not more, effort into CTE prevention protocols as they have concussion protocols.”

    The protocol also includes annual education, support for research and care for ex-players who suspect they are living with CTE. It follows the publication of a CTE prevention framework published in 2023 by researchers assembled by the Concussion and CTE Foundation and Boston University’s CTE Center.

    Nowinski called on sports leagues and their medical advisors to adopt CTE prevention protocols.

    “There is now overwhelming evidence that more head impacts in sports will result in more athletes with CTE,” Nowinski said. “Sports administrators aren’t risking CTE themselves, but the policies they set are sentencing some athletes to a life with CTE, a burden that will primarily be carried by their spouses and children. Enough is enough.”

    ___

    AP sports: https://apnews.com/sports

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  • Legionnaires’ disease confirmed in one of city’s largest apartment buildings in Harlem  – amNewYork

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    3333 Broadway in West Harlem. Photo via Wikimedia Commons

    The dangerous bacteria responsible for the Legionnaires’ disease outbreak in Harlem last summer has been detected in one of the city’s largest apartment buildings, building officials and residents said.

    Test results that came back this weekend indicated a harmful level of Legionella, the bacteria that causes Legionnaires’ disease, was found in the water system of the 3333 Broadway apartment building in January, according to a Sunday night email from building management.

    Over 100 cases of Legionnaires’ disease, a severe, frequently fatal form of pneumonia, were confirmed in Harlem last summer. At least five people died as a result. The disease is transmitted via contaminated mist and warm water, not person-to-person. 

    Two cases of Legionnaires’ disease were confirmed in 3333 Broadway within the past 12 months, according to an email from building management earlier this year. After confirmation of those cases earlier this year, testing for Legionnaires’ disease was carried out in January in two of the building’s five towers, Towers A and B. 

    At a tenant meeting on Jan. 13, building management refused to test the building’s other three towers, towers C, D and E, even if test results from Towers A and B came back positive, according to a resident and building management communication. Resident Stephanie Geyer said she and other tenants believe all five towers should be treated “to protect the health and safety of all tenants.”

    Because the bacteria grows in warm water, there have been periods of time where certain residents have been directed to only take cold showers this winter, said Council Member Shaun Abreu, who represents residents in the building. 

    “For the past month, residents of 3333 Broadway have had to take cold showers in the middle of winter while waiting to hear if their building has Legionella,” Abreu said. “Unfortunately, this weekend it was confirmed to be in the water supply for two of the building’s towers.” 

    Abreu called Legionnaire’s disease “a serious public health concern,” adding that “residents deserve a comprehensive treatment plan that makes them confident their water is safe.” 

    The council member said he’s committed to ensuring that building management develops a suitable treatment plan “immediately,” that his office is actively supporting residents during the situation and will continue to monitor the situation as it unfolds.

    Building management communication indicates that the building will undergo a treatment and remediation process prescribed by the city’s Department of Health and Mental Hygiene. 

    “We have already begun the initial steps of this process and are working diligently to comply with DOHMH’s extremely tight timeline,” an email from building management reads. “At certain times during the treatment process we expect to have several water service shutdowns, during which time we will issue every tenant affected an alternate source of water for cooking and drinking and notify you at least a day in advance.”

    Geyer said she and other residents are still looking for confirmation that building management will test or treat all five residential towers in the building and an answer on how long the treatment process will take.

    3333 Broadway, located in the Manhattanville section of Harlem near City University, opened as Riverside Park Community in 1976 with over 1,000 low-income units across five towers. There is a large senior population, who are most at risk from complications of Legionnaires’ disease, as well as generations of families occupying multiple units. 

    Geyer said tenants are asking the New York City Department of Health and Mental Hygiene to provide free mobile Legionnaires’ disease testing on-site or at a nearby NYC Health + Hospitals location.

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  • When forever chemicals contaminate drinking water, private well owners may be the last to know

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    STELLA, Wis. — Kristen Hanneman made a small decision in 2022 that would upend life for her entire town.

    State scientists were checking private drinking water wells across Wisconsin for a widely used family of harmful chemicals called PFAS. They mailed an offer to test the well outside her tidy farmhouse surrounded by potato farms cut out of dense forest. Without much thought, she accepted.

    Months later, Hanneman found herself on the phone with a state toxicologist who told her to stop drinking the water — now. The well her three kids grew up on had levels thousands of times higher than federal drinking water limits for what are commonly known as forever chemicals.

    Hanneman’s well was hardly the only one with a problem. And the chemicals were everywhere. Pristine lakes and superb hunting made Stella a sportsman’s dream. Now officials say the fish and deer should be eaten sparingly or not at all.

    Many residents here have known their neighbors for decades. If they want to move away from all this, it’s hard to sell their property – who, after all, would want to buy?

    “Had I just thrown that survey in the garbage,” Hanneman said, “would any of this be where it is today?”

    Stella is far from the only community near industrial sites and military bases nationwide where enormous amounts of PFAS have contaminated the landscape, posing a particular threat to nearby well owners.

    Forever chemicals get their name because they resist breaking down, whether in well water or the environment. In the human body, they accumulate in the liver, kidneys and blood. Research has linked them to an increased risk of certain cancers and developmental delays in children.

    Government estimates suggest as much as half of U.S. households have some level of PFAS in their water — whether it comes from a private well or a tap. But while federal officials have put strict limits on water provided by utilities, those rules don’t apply to the roughly 40 million people in the United States who rely on private drinking water wells.

    Short of a random test, as in Stella, few may learn their water is tainted with the odorless, colorless chemicals.

    At least 20 states do not test private wells for PFAS outside of areas where problems are already suspected, according to a survey of state agencies by The Associated Press. Even in states that do, residents often wait years for help and receive far fewer resources than people tied into municipal tap water.

    PFAS are so common because they are so useful. Uniquely able to repel moisture and withstand extreme temperatures, the chemicals have been critical to making waterproof shoes, nonstick cookware and foam that could extinguish the hottest fires.

    When the chemicals reach soil or water, as they have near factories and waste sites, they are extremely difficult to remove. North Carolina saw an early example, with well owners downstream from a PFAS manufacturing plant still dealing with tainted water years later. In rural northwest Georgia, communities are reckoning with widespread contamination from PFAS that major carpet manufacturers applied for stain resistance.

    Robert Bilott, an environmental attorney who pursued one of the first major lawsuits against a PFAS manufacturer in the late 1990s, said many states don’t have the money to help.

    “The well owners — the victims of the contamination — shouldn’t have to be paying,” he said. “But where’s this money going to come from?”

    The alarming results from Hanneman’s well triggered a rush of testing, beginning with the wells of nearby neighbors and later expanding miles away.

    How the chemicals infiltrated water beneath Stella’s sandy soil was initially a mystery. State officials eventually suspected the paper mill in the small city of Rhinelander, a 10-mile (16-kilometer) drive from town. The mill had specialized in making paper for microwave popcorn bags — a product that was greaseproof thanks in part to PFAS.

    The mill’s manufacturing process also produced a waste sludge which could be used as a fertilizer. By 1996, and for decades after with state approval, the mill spread millions of pounds on farm fields in and around Stella. Wisconsin officials now believe the PFAS it contained seeped into the subterranean reserves of groundwater that feed lakes, streams and many residential wells.

    In September, the state sent initial letters assigning cleanup and investigation responsibilities to current and former owners of the mill. These companies point out that the state permitted their sludge spreading, starting long before the dangers of PFAS were widely understood.

    The problem in Stella remained hidden because well owners don’t have a utility testing their water.

    Rhinelander’s water utility first tested for PFAS in 2013 to comply with federal rules. By 2019, the city shut down two utility-owned public wells to protect customers. In Stella, meanwhile, some well owners found out only last year that their water is unsafe.

    The Hanneman family moved into their home when their oldest son was nearly two. He’s 19 now. His parents worry about all those years of exposure, and have joined an effort to sue the paper mill’s owners and PFAS manufacturers.

    Several plaintiffs in the growing lawsuit allege property damage and that their cholesterol, thyroid and kidney diseases are linked to contaminated groundwater. The companies have denied responsibility.

    Very tiny amounts of PFAS consumed regularly over years can be dangerous. As scientists better understood those risks, federal advice for water utilities slowly followed and tightened. The current limit is just 4 parts per trillion, or less than a drop diluted in an Olympic-size swimming pool.

    The Environmental Protection Agency recommends private wells be tested for bacteria and a limited number of commonly found chemicals, but not PFAS unless it is a known local problem. Experts say testing mandates would be deeply unpopular. Many well owners value their freedom from government oversight and a monthly bill, and take pride in the taste of their water.

    PFAS has turned some of those freedoms into liabilities. The chemicals can only be removed from water with costly filters that must be regularly monitored and replaced. Some well owners opt instead to drill deeper or even connect to city water pipes. Facing expensive and uncertain options, many resort to bottled water.

    In Stella, residents are grappling with the chemicals’ unpredictable underground path. Though Tom LaDue’s backyard extends to the edge of a highly contaminated lake, testing found barely any PFAS in his family’s well.

    Somehow, a neighbor farther back from the lake found 1,500 parts per trillion of PFAS in her shallower well — magnitudes above the federal limits for tap water. The mother of three in that house says she is regularly tired, which she blames on thyroid issues, wondering if the water is to blame.

    In one picture from a few years ago, LaDue is baiting a hook as his grandson dangles a fishing pole over the side of their boat. The sun shines bright.

    “It’s a nice lake and we fished in here,” he said. “Now they tell us we can’t eat the fish anymore.”

    While utilities can rely on centralized treatment facilities, restoring safe water for well owners must be done household by household. Some well owners get left out as regulators, lawyers and companies strike deals over who gets help.

    The treatment of residents in the lakeside town of Peshtigo, Wisconsin, depends on the street where they live.

    The town faced a crisis nearly a decade ago when PFAS were detected in wells downstream from a fire technology plant owned by Tyco and parent company Johnson Controls, which manufactured firefighting foam. Wisconsin officials said the company was responsible for cleaning up the plant and must sample wells in a broad area to see where the pollution spread. Johnson Controls told state regulators it studied the area’s hydrology and geology and concluded it would pay for tests and drill new wells in a smaller section of town for which it maintains it is responsible.

    Kayla Furton, a high school teacher who grew up in Peshtigo, lives in a home inside this area.

    Had she lived two houses away, Furton would have had to pay out of pocket to treat the PFAS in her water.

    Furton’s worries over what would happen to her neighbors beyond that line, including her sister, motivated her to run for the town’s board. During her time in office, Peshtigo leadership split over which fixes to pursue, and some well owners are still waiting on a long-term solution.

    “Groundwater does not follow lines drawn on a map,” Furton said. “There’s nothing to say that, OK, the PFAS stops there.”

    In a statement, Johnson Controls said it has taken full responsibility for the area it contaminated. The company said it has restored more than 300 million gallons of clean water to the environment and installed 139 new wells.

    The state of Wisconsin says the company has not fully investigated the extent of the contamination, and filed a lawsuit in 2022. Johnson Controls said in December the parties were close to reaching an agreement; the Wisconsin Department of Justice said it does not comment on pending litigation.

    Residents along the Cape Fear River in North Carolina have seen just how far forever chemicals can spread. In 2017, the Wilmington StarNews revealed that PFAS from a Chemours chemical plant in Fayetteville were washing into the river and contaminating the water supply. After being sued, the billion-dollar company agreed to test nearby wells and treat those with polluted water. It did not admit to any wrongdoing.

    As in Stella, the company tested in a slowly expanding radius that grew by quarter-mile segments from its plant. Chemours agreed to keep testing wells until it reached the edge of the polluted area — a process it expected to take 18 months.

    Seven years and some 23,000 wells later, testing is ongoing, with the contamination stretching far beyond what state regulators first imagined. Forever chemicals have been found in drinking water along nearly 100 miles (160 kilometers) of the river, from inland Fayetteville to the Atlantic coast.

    According to an AP analysis of data submitted to the state’s Department of Environmental Quality, Chemours discovered high levels of PFAS in more than 150 new wells in 2025.

    Many well owners “thought they were fine,” said Emily Donovan, an organizer and cofounder of the group Clean Cape Fear. “And now they’re finding out so late that they were also contaminated.”

    In a statement, Chemours said its timeline for testing wells depends on factors outside its control, including whether residents allow it, and that of the roughly 1,250 wells it sampled last year, 12% had PFAS. Chemours said it continues to contact eligible homes, and that a sample is typically taken within a week of residents’ responding.

    In the absence of federal rules, responsibility falls to the states. But many states don’t look for contamination in private wells — and when those that do find it, many struggle to fund a fix.

    One proactive state is Michigan, where millions rely on private wells. Officials there have tested groundwater and offered free tests to well owners near PFAS hot spots which, at hundreds of dollars per test, many owners are reluctant or unable to buy. The state provided more than $29 million in grants to clean up forever chemicals in its 2022 fiscal year, including hooking up nearly a thousand well owners to public water.

    One of the biggest challenges is helping well owners understand why they should take the threat seriously.

    “We are very lucky to get 50% of the people to say, ‘Yes, come test my well for free,’ let alone willing to put on a filter,” said Abigail Hendershott, executive director of Michigan’s multiagency team that responds to PFAS contamination.

    New Hampshire, which dealt with an early PFAS crisis in Merrimack, has tested over 15,000 wells, more than half of which had levels exceeding federal standards. It provides generous rebates for homeowners to access clean water.

    Elsewhere, millions of households are left on their own.

    In northwest Georgia, some of the world’s largest carpet companies began applying PFAS for stain resistance in the 1970s. The companies continued using the chemicals, which entered the environment through manufacturing wastewater, for years, even after scientific studies and regulators warned of their accumulation in human blood and possible health effects, according to an investigation by The Atlanta Journal-Constitution, The Associated Press, The Post and Courier and AL.com. The companies say that they followed all required regulations and that they stopped using PFAS on carpets in 2019.

    The chemicals have tainted much of the landscape, including the drinking water in cities and the waterways that crisscross the Conasauga River watershed, home to tens of thousands of people. But only well owners near the small city of Calhoun have been offered free tests, and then only under a court agreement. The contaminated river flows into Alabama, where state officials do not typically test private wells for PFAS.

    Financial limitations are an oft-cited reason why states aren’t doing more.

    Wisconsin, which relied on federal funds for its initial survey of wells, has scraped together resources to investigate PFAS in Stella. The state’s environmental agency has no budget for sampling or treatment and is pulling money and staff time from other programs, according to the head of the drinking and groundwater program. Supplying bottled water to impacted homes — once a rare expense — now requires the state to set aside $900,000 annually.

    Meanwhile, enormous amounts of money that could help have been stuck in a bank account, collecting interest. Though state lawmakers voted in 2023 to provide $125 million for PFAS cleanup, the funding has been mired by a separate debate over whether to shield certain property owners from liability. In January, key legislators said they were getting closer to a deal that would release the money.

    The EPA has allocated billions to states for PFAS treatment and testing, but much of that money goes to public utilities.

    Federal officials are evaluating Stella for inclusion in the Superfund program, a large-scale decontamination process that would take years. They also partnered with Wisconsin officials to expand well sampling in July.

    At an October public meeting in Stella, several residents asked if they should be worried about their well water.

    There is a risk, state employees said, but they could not offer unlimited free tests to rule it out. Those who wanted one immediately would have to pay for it.

    “We’re doing the best that we can with the funding that we have available,” said Mark Pauli, a drinking and groundwater supervisor.

    In a statement, a spokesperson for the Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources said it had offered cost-free PFAS sampling for well owners within three miles of Stella and to many beyond that distance. The state said it provides owners of contaminated wells with guidance on treating their water and accessing financial help.

    Nobody is accepting blame in Stella and finger pointing is circular. While the state is investigating, the current and former mill owners point to the state’s permit as exonerating and say they followed all state rules.

    Ahlstrom, the Finnish company that has owned the mill since 2018, said in a statement it hasn’t used two of the most common types of PFAS found in Stella wells in its manufacturing process, and that it phased out all other types of PFAS in 2023. In late January, the company announced its own free bottled water program for residents.

    Former owner Wausau Paper and its parent company Essity said they were cooperating with state officials and that the waste sludge they spread was tested for various contaminants, but not PFAS because it wasn’t required.

    Wisconsin officials say the threat of PFAS in the sludge wasn’t well understood when they approved its use as fertilizer, and that the state will continue to require those who caused contamination to address its impacts.

    That leaves residents, who did not contaminate their own wells, stuck hiring lawyers who argue these companies and PFAS manufacturers knew — or should have known — the risks.

    The crisis in Stella sparked by the test of her own well drove Kristen Hanneman to run for a town leadership role.

    She spent months learning about the dangers of PFAS, then relaying that knowledge. It’s a town so small that she said talking to a few of the right people would spread word to just about everyone.

    It’s been more than three years since Hanneman learned her well had PFAS levels near 11,500 parts per trillion. Federal limits are in the single digits. Her water supply is just as contaminated now as it was then. The family currently drinks and cooks with bottled water provided by the state.

    Though some Stella residents have been able to access grant funding to drill deeper wells to reach clean water, the help was limited by household income, with some families disqualified if they made more than $65,000. Typically, the most a family could receive was $16,000 — about half of what it may cost for a replacement well.

    Stories circulate in Stella about people who paid for a new well only for their water still to be contaminated. Wisconsin state officials confirmed that at least three households faced this dilemma.

    “Do we spend $20,000 to $40,000 on a new well for it to still be a problem?” Hanneman said.

    One couple said replacing their well cleaned out much of their savings. Many are concerned about how much their home values have dropped.

    A grant did help Cindy Deere, who worries about how 25 years of drinking the water in Stella may affect her health. She replaced her well and a test confirmed the new one was PFAS-free. Still, she has a hard time trusting the water.

    “It’s a constant worry,” she said. “Is it going to turn bad?”

    The paper mill is still permitted to spread sludge in the county that includes Stella. Its PFAS levels have recently tested well within new state guidelines.

    Experts said sludge from industry and manufacturers is most likely to contain PFAS. Wisconsin developed testing guidelines for those sources for that reason, officials said.

    But the state doesn’t require another type of sludge — treated waste from septic systems, which capture household sewage — to be tested for PFAS. A local septic company has been spreading it in Stella — in 2024 alone, it applied hundreds of thousands of gallons to farms and elsewhere, state records show. The company did not respond to multiple requests for comment.

    Dianne Kopec, who has researched PFAS in wastewater at the University of Maine, said that without testing, officials can’t know if the practice recycles the chemicals back onto the soil in Stella.

    “Given what we know today, continuing to spread sludge on agricultural fields is ludicrous,” Kopec said. “When you find yourself in a hole, it is best to stop digging.”

    ___

    Associated Press writers Todd Richmond in Madison, Wis., Jason Dearen in Los Angeles and M.K. Wildeman in Hartford, Conn., contributed. Dylan Jackson and Justin Price of The Atlanta Journal-Constitution contributed from Atlanta.

    ___

    This story is part of an investigative collaboration with The Atlanta Journal-Constitution, The Post and Courier and AL.com. It is supported through AP’s Local Investigative Reporting Program.

    ___

    The Associated Press receives support from the Walton Family Foundation for coverage of water and environmental policy. The AP is solely responsible for all content. For all of the AP’s environmental coverage, visit https://apnews.com/hub/climate-and-environment.

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  • AI wearable helps stroke survivors speak again

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    Losing the ability to speak clearly after a stroke can feel devastating. For many survivors, the words are still there in their minds, but their bodies will not cooperate. Speech becomes slow, unclear or fragmented. This condition, known as dysarthria, affects nearly half of all stroke survivors and can make everyday communication exhausting. Now, researchers believe they may have found a better way forward. Scientists at the University of Cambridge have developed a wearable device called Revoice. It is designed to help people with post-stroke speech impairment communicate naturally again without surgery or brain implants.

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    FULLY IMPLANTABLE BRAIN CHIP AIMS TO RESTORE REAL SPEECH

    A soft, flexible choker like this houses Revoice’s sensors, which read subtle throat vibrations to help reconstruct speech in real time. (University of Cambridge)

    Why dysarthria makes recovery so hard

    Dysarthria is a physical speech disorder. A stroke can weaken the muscles in the face, mouth and vocal cords. As a result, speech may sound slurred, slow or incomplete. Many people can only say a few words at a time, even though they know exactly what they want to say. According to professor Luigi Occhipinti, that disconnect creates deep frustration. Stroke survivors often work with speech therapists using repetitive drills. These exercises help over time, but open-ended conversation remains difficult. Recovery can take months or even longer, which leaves patients struggling during daily interactions with family, caregivers and doctors.

    How the Revoice device works

    Revoice takes a very different approach. Instead of asking users to type, track their eyes or rely on implants, the device reads subtle physical signals from the throat and neck. It looks like a soft, flexible choker made from breathable, washable fabric. Inside are ultra-sensitive textile strain sensors and a small wireless circuit board. When a user silently mouths words, the sensors detect tiny vibrations in the throat muscles. At the same time, the device measures pulse signals in the neck to estimate emotional state.

    Those signals are processed by two artificial intelligence (AI) agents:

    • One reconstructs words from mouthed speech
    • The other interprets emotion and context to build complete sentences

    Together, they allow Revoice to turn a few mouthed words into fluent speech in real time.

    ELON MUSK SHARES PLAN TO MASS-PRODUCE BRAIN IMPLANTS FOR PARALYSIS, NEUROLOGICAL DISEASE

    A diagram of how the Revoice device works on a patient

    This diagram shows how Revoice combines throat muscle signals and pulse data with AI to turn silently mouthed words into full, expressive sentences in real time. (University of Cambridge)

    Why this AI approach is different

    Earlier silent speech systems had serious limits. Many were tested only on healthy volunteers. Others forced users to pause for several seconds between words, which made the conversation feel unnatural. Revoice avoids those delays. It uses an AI-driven throat sensor system paired with a lightweight language model. Because the model runs efficiently, it uses very little power and delivers near-instant responses. The device is powered by a 1,800 mWh battery, which researchers expect will last a full day on a single charge.

    What early trials revealed

    After refining the system with healthy participants, researchers tested Revoice with five stroke patients who had dysarthria.

    The results were striking:

    • Word error rate: 4.2%
    • Sentence error rate: 2.9%

    In one example, a patient mouthed the phrase “We go hospital.” Revoice expanded it into a complete sentence that reflected urgency and frustration, based on emotional signals and context. Participants reported a 55% increase in satisfaction and said the device helped them communicate as fluently as they did before their stroke.

    PARALYZED MAN WALKS AGAIN AFTER EXPERIMENTAL DRUG TRIAL TRIGGERS REMARKABLE RECOVERY

    This figure breaks down the Revoice hardware and AI pipeline, showing how strain sensors, wireless electronics, and emotion decoding work together to reconstruct natural speech.

    This figure breaks down the Revoice hardware and AI pipeline, showing how strain sensors, wireless electronics, and emotion decoding work together to reconstruct natural speech. (University of Cambridge)

    Beyond stroke recovery

    Researchers believe Revoice could also help people with Parkinson’s disease and motor neuron disease. Because the device is comfortable, washable, and designed for daily wear, it could fit into real-world routines rather than being confined to clinics. Before that can happen, larger clinical trials are required. The research team plans to begin broader studies with native English-speaking patients and hopes to expand the system to support multiple languages and a wider range of emotional expressions. The findings were published in the journal Nature Communications.

    What this means for you

    If you or someone you care for has experienced a stroke, this research points to a major shift in recovery tools. Revoice suggests that speech assistance does not need to be invasive to be effective. A wearable solution could support communication during the most difficult months of rehabilitation, when confidence and independence often suffer the most. It may also reduce stress for caregivers who struggle to understand incomplete or unclear speech. Clear communication can improve medical care, emotional well-being and daily decision-making.

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    Kurt’s key takeaways

    Communication is tied closely to dignity and independence. For stroke survivors, losing that ability can be one of the hardest parts of recovery. Revoice shows how artificial intelligence and wearable tech can work together to restore something deeply human. While it is still early, this device represents a meaningful step toward making recovery feel less isolating and more hopeful.

    If a simple wearable could help restore natural speech, should it become a standard part of stroke rehabilitation? Let us know by writing to us at Cyberguy.com

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    Kurt “CyberGuy” Knutsson is an award-winning tech journalist who has a deep love of technology, gear and gadgets that make life better with his contributions for Fox News & FOX Business beginning mornings on “FOX & Friends.” Got a tech question? Get Kurt’s free CyberGuy Newsletter, share your voice, a story idea or comment at CyberGuy.com.

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  • A police officer thought he had a muscle cramp. He ended up fighting for his life.

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    Detective Sergeant Chris Johnson always kept his health in mind. He knew he had a family history of high blood pressure, so he made sure to stay active and eat well. His job with the Bartlett, Illinois, police force kept him on his feet. When he wasn’t at his desk or spending time with his wife and two children, he was in the gym or playing basketball. 

    One Sunday last March was a rare, slow day. He had spent it relaxing with his family and watching some TV before heading to bed early. Shortly after lying down, he began to feel a chest ache. Believing it was a muscle cramp, he went to the kitchen for some ice.  

    “I didn’t feel nauseated, headache, or anything,” Johnson told CBS News. “I remember getting really hot. I went to my kitchen, and then I basically collapsed.” 

    Luckily, Johnson’s wife had followed him into the kitchen. When he fell, scattering ice across the floor, she leapt into action and called 911. Paramedics arrived at the house in under two minutes, Johnson said. He was sped to an area hospital, then airlifted to Northwestern Memorial Hospital in Chicago. Doctors rushed him into a six-hour open-heart surgery. The procedure saved his life. 

    When Johnson awoke, doctors told him he had experienced an aortic dissection, which is when the body’s main artery tears, causing massive internal bleeding. The condition is rare and often fatal, killing about 13,000 people per year, according to the Journal of the American College of Cardiology. Survival depends on the location and size of the tear and how fast treatment is received. 

    Sgt. Chris Johnson in the hospital after an aortic dissection.

    Chris Johnson


    “If this tear was two millimeters bigger, it would have been instantly fatal,” Johnson said. 

    “My surgeon came in at one point and he was explaining it to me. After you hear it, you’re like, ‘Oh man, this is serious. This is a lot. This is a lot more serious than I thought’,” he continued. “And it all stemmed from one night. I mean, the Saturday before I went and got a couple tattoos. Everything was normal. And then two days later, you’re fighting for your life, literally.”  

    A recovery “against all odds” 

    The dissection wound up being just the first of Johnson’s health troubles. After his surgery, his heart rhythm became abnormal. Doctors needed to shock him with a defibrillator three times to keep him stable. Johnson also had two strokes, two pulmonary embolisms caused by blood clots in his legs, and pneumonia. His right arm was paralyzed by the strokes, he said. 

    “At one point, they did tell my wife that they didn’t think I was going to make it after going through the strokes and all those other medical issues,” Johnson said. 

    After 10 days in the ICU, Johnson was transferred to Northwestern’s Marianjoy Rehabilitation Hospital. He started physical therapy and quickly hit his milestones. But occupational therapy proved tougher. He and occupational therapist Beth Bosak spent three months working on his fine motor skills. 

    screenshot-2026-01-29-at-8-48-33-am.png

    Sgt. Chris Johnson and occupational therapist Beth Bosak work together at Marianjoy Rehabilitation Hospital. 

    Northwestern Medicine Marianjoy Rehabilitation Hospital


    When they first began working together, Johnson’s arm “barely moved” and his hand was “not really responding,” Bosak said. He wanted to get cleared to use his service weapon again and be able to manage his large dog. Bosak blended personalized exercises and classic occupational therapy techniques to create a custom plan. Soon, Johnson was making progress. 

    “For a while, I didn’t want to believe that my injury was as serious as it was. That was hard for me to believe. Day one, I walked in there, and I was like, ‘I don’t want to, I can’t do this,’” Johnson said. “My therapists were amazing. There were tough days, absolutely, but it was amazing. In the beginning, I thought, ‘There’s no way I am ever going to ever get back to normal.’ And now I am — against all odds, I guess. I’m back.” 

    “Don’t ignore those signs” 

    During his rehabilitation, Johnson had been on light duties at work, meaning that he was at his desk instead of out in the field. In August, just 10 weeks after finishing occupational therapy, he was cleared to return to full duty. It was an important milestone, he said. 

    “I was like, ‘I feel amazing. I feel good,’” Johnson said. “Now here we are.” 

    screenshot-2026-01-29-at-8-50-47-am.png

    Sgt. Chris Johnson at the Bartlett Police Department.

    Northwestern Medicine Marianjoy Rehabilitation Hospital


    Johnson returned to work with an extra mission. He has become an advocate for hypertension and heart health awareness, especially for Black men and people in high-stress jobs. He said he has frequently recommended that colleagues get mild symptoms looked at. 

    “The profession that we’re in, in law enforcement, it’s a high-stress, crazy job, right?” Johnson said. “We have tickets to the greatest show on Earth, but if we don’t take care of ourselves, then we can end up in situations like this. Now I’m more like the advocate of ‘Go get heart scans’ and things like that.’ What I’m excited to bring to my department and others that do this profession, or any type of high-stress profession, is to listen to yourself. Don’t ignore those signs. Go to the doctor and get checked out.”  

    Edited by

    Lucia I Suarez Sang

    In:

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  • First measles case among LA County resident confirmed

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    The first measles case in a Los Angeles County resident since August has been confirmed, the Los Angeles County Department of Public Health announced Friday.

    The patient, who was not identified, had recently traveled internationally, according to the department. There are no identified public exposure locations in Los Angeles County outside of a health care setting.

    Affected health care facilities are directly notifying patients and staff who may have been exposed.

    Public Health is also identifying others who may have had contact with the case and verifying their measles vaccination status.

    “Measles is a serious respiratory disease that spreads easily through the air and on surfaces, particularly among people who are not already protected from it,” Dr. Muntu Davis, Los Angeles County’s health officer, said
    in a statement.

    “A person can spread the illness to others before they have symptoms, and it can take seven to 21 days for symptoms to show up after exposure. Measles can lead to severe disease in young children and vulnerable adults.”

    There have been 588 confirmed cases of measles in the nation,  the highest number of measles cases in January since the United States achieved elimination status in 2000, according to the department. Most of these cases are linked to an ongoing measles outbreak in South Carolina and one outbreak in Arizona and Utah.

    There have been two recent cases in Orange County, one in a young adult who had traveled internationally, the other in a toddler.

    Common symptoms of the virus are fever, cough, red-water eyes, and a rash that usually starts on the head and spread. The virus spreads through the air and by direct contact with someone who is infected. An infection can be spreading the virus four days before the rash is noticed.

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  • David’s Quest to Become the Ultimate Status Protein Bar

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    Standing 17 feet tall in a glimmer of white marble at the Galleria dell’Accademia in Florence is the statue of David, his musculature carefully chiseled by the hand of Michelangelo, a portrait of the biblical hero who, despite all odds, defeated Goliath.

    The unlikely eponym follows more than 500 years later, gleaming from the shelves of most major supermarkets, gyms, and convenience stores across America today. It is, of course, the David Bar, easily identified by its shiny gold packaging and bold block letters. Its cofounder, Peter Rahal, started the company alongside Zach Ranen after selling his first, RxBar, to Kellogg’s for $600 million in 2017. Since David’s debut, it’s grown into a $725 million business. Its main investors include podcaster and neuroscientist Andrew Huberman and longevity guru Peter Attia (who now serves as the company’s chief science officer); their combined Instagram followings of 9.4 million helped catapult the status protein bar to mainstream popularity.

    In the fall, David moved into a new office to accommodate their rapid expansion. Rahal emerges from his desk, tall, with a shadowy scruff, tousled brown locks, and piercing blue eyes. He’s dressed in his daily work uniform: a gray monogrammed “David” hoodie, black track pants, and sneakers. Unlike most CEOs of multimillion-dollar companies, there’s no swanky corner office, just a standard desk amongst a row of colleagues. “I want my team to be able to see what I’m doing at all times,” he says. Beside his computer sits a crumpled David bar wrapper—he eats at least one every single day. Taped to his monitor is a photo of his wife, the 29-year-old French model Charlotte Coquelin, their son, and their two dogs, all frequent visitors of the office.

    Justin Campbell.

    Raised in a Chicago suburb by two Lebanese immigrants, Rahal was shaped by a doting mother and an entrepreneurial father, guided by “the classic immigrant mindset” of “if you’re not working, what are you doing?” That, in combination with his dyslexia-fueled struggles in school, meant he rarely felt he measured up to his peers. “At 10 years old, I looked in the mirror and realized I was fat,” he recalls, prompting a fixation with nutrition, which, by the time he was in his early 20s, became a daily devotion to CrossFit.

    After finishing college at Wittenberg University in Ohio and working and studying in Belgium and Beirut, he returned to the States with new entrepreneurial ambitions, hoping to eventually join his father’s juice company. “But first I wanted to sharpen my teeth,” he says, so he went to work at a transportation brokerage startup. “The company’s unstated mission was to make the founder as much money as possible,” regardless of anyone else, he says. Unhappy in his corporate life, Rahal worked on various unsuccessful entrepreneurial ventures after hours—including the concept for an upscale Dunkin’ Donuts called Cream and Sugar—until one day, he says, he came across an Inc article on how to start a nutrition bar business with just $10,000.

    Because of CrossFit, Rahal knew consumers wanted simple, whole ingredients in line with the Paleo diet, which he calls “the religion” of the time. He started to put together recipes in his parents’ basement, enlisting his mother to help with sticking on the labels (she was later “fired” for putting them on incorrectly).

    A few months later, Rahal began carrying cases of the bars to local CrossFit gyms in Chicago, convincing managers to stock a limited supply. Soon, they were flying off the shelves. In 2015, he invested that money in a rebrand that would become the iconic, brightly colored packaging the brand is known for today. In October 2017, he sold the company to Kellogg’s for $600 million.

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    Sophia Herring

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  • DA clears 8 police officers in Gigliotti death

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    HAVERHILL — After a seven-month investigation, the Essex County District Attorney’s Office announced Tuesday that criminal charges will not be pursued against local police officers involved in the July 11 incident that preceded the death of Francis Gigliotti.

    District Attorney Paul Tucker said criminal charges “are not supportable and will not be pursued” following an investigation of the police encounter led by use-of-force expert Eric P. Daigle.

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    By Jonah Frangiosa | Staff Writer

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  • Another strike sends 31,000 Kaiser Permanente health care workers to picket lines

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    OAKLAND, Calif. — An estimated 31,000 registered nurses and other front-line Kaiser Permanente health care workers launched an open-ended strike this week in California and Hawaii to demand better wages and staffing from the health care giant.

    The picketing that began Monday marked the second major walkout in recent months by employees represented by the United Nurses Associations of California/Union of Health Care Professionals. A five-day strike in October ended with negotiations resuming, but talks broke down in December.

    This week the union accused Kaiser of refusing to return to national bargaining discussions.

    “We will continue to push Kaiser to stop their egregious unfair labor practices against the frontline workers who deliver the best care for their patients and billions in profit to do the right thing, and come back to the table to bargain in good faith,” the union bargaining committee said in a statement.

    Kaiser said Sunday that the union had agreed to return to local bargaining, even as workers moved forward with the strike. The company said it paused national bargaining last month after what it described as a threatening incident involving a union official.

    “Illegal threats are a line that cannot be crossed,” Greg Holmes, Kaiser’s chief human resources officer, said in a statement. “This union official’s actions have compromised the national bargaining process and undermined both parties’ ability to continue good-faith bargaining.”

    Those on strike, including pharmacists, midwives and rehab therapists, say wages have not kept pace with inflation and there is not enough staffing to keep up with patient demand.

    They are asking for a 25% wage increase over four years to make up for wages they say are at least 7% behind their peers.

    Kaiser Permanente had countered with a 21.5% increase over four years. The company says that represented employees earn, on average, 16% more than their peers, and it would have to charge customers more to meet strikers’ pay demand.

    Arezou Mansourian, a physician assistant on the bargaining team, told the San Francisco Chronicle that Kaiser has been unable to retain and recruit providers, which is impacting patient care. Medical staff have been leaving Kaiser for higher-paying jobs at other local hospitals, Mansourian said.

    She said the union’s fight for better working conditions will ultimately help patients as well.

    “We know it’s a pain right now, but it’s so that we can take care of you better in the future,” Mansourian told the Chronicle.

    The company said health clinics and hospitals will remain open during the strike, with some in-person appointments shifted to virtual appointments, and some elective surgeries and procedures being rescheduled.

    Kaiser Permanente is one of the nation’s largest not-for-profit health plans, serving 12.6 million members at 600 medical offices and 40 hospitals in largely western U.S. states. It is based in Oakland, California.

    In New York City, about 15,000 nurses who walked off the job headed back to the bargaining table earlier this month. The New York State Nurses Association said contract negotiations resumed with officials at the three private hospital systems impacted by the strike: Montefiore, Mount Sinai and New York-Presbyterian.

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  • ‘This would kill someone’: Kentucky woman opens Ritz. Then she sees something that could pose a serious allergy risk—and it’s not disclosed anywhere

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    One Kentucky woman thought she was getting regular, buttery Ritz Crackers. Then, she opened the package and smelled something suspicious. 

    Raven Brackens (@rae_rnb) expressed her concerns about a fairly peanut-y smelling package of Ritz, a product that does not list peanuts on its ingredients list. Concerned for those with severe nut allergies, she posted a warning video on TikTok that now has over 10,000 views. 

    “ So I just opened a fresh pack of Ritz, right,” Brackens shared while wearing white gloves. “And I was looking at these and I was like, is that peanut butter? And it is. It smells like peanut butter. And nowhere on the box does it say, ‘may contain nuts made in a factory with nuts.’” 

    To her, it seemed very clear that the Ritz may be a contamination hazard. In her video, at least three Ritz crackers had an unknown brown ‘gunk’ that looked suspiciously like peanut butter. 

    “Selling ‘plain’ crackers without clearly stating they’re made in a peanut facility is dangerous. Food allergies aren’t a suggestion,” Brackens stated in her video’s description. 

    Could Ritz Crackers be an allergy risk?

    The possibility of peanut contamination for Ritz crackers is not zero, as Mondelez International does make some of its crackers in factories with peanuts. But Mondelez International has not listed peanuts among the ingredients of Ritz crackers. 

    There are Ritz cracker peanut butter sandwiches available on the market, but only some Ritz cracker facilities make them. Ritz has multiple factories across the U.S., and while some packages have warnings that say the package was made in a facility with peanuts or that they may contain peanuts, others do not. 

    Ritz also hasn’t had many recent Food and Drug Administration (FDA) warnings issued that state that the original Ritz crackers contain peanuts. In 2025, did the FDA issue a warning against Ritz crackers, as their variety pack of cheese and peanut butter crackers contained incorrectly labeled snacks. The cheese-filled crackers had a “peanut butter” label on them. But that is the most recent example of an FDA warning against the company. 

    Are food protections getting worse?

    Many commenters claimed that issues with Ritz might be related to a much bigger issue in the United States: the FDA’s recent financial and structural changes.  

    So, is it true that food protections and general standards are getting worse? 

    The Trump administration proposed an astonishing 11 percent cut to the FDA, but the white House’s proposal was never approved. However, the overall budget did decrease going into 2026. In one of the FDA’s statements, the administration stated it would “continue to consolidate work to core functions and mission-critical activities.” 

    The FY 2026 budget, according to the administration’s summary fact sheet, was reduced by 271 million. Ultimately, though, there hasn’t been any significant reporting that indicates this reduction could lead to complete, critical failures from the FDA. There’s nothing that could indicate that the FDA is specifically “dropping the ball” when it comes to statements on recalls. 

    Viewers generally recommended reaching out to Mondelez International so that it can issue a voluntary recall and potentially pay Brackens for the inconvenience. This advice could inevitably help consumers, as there’s a chance Mondelez International is completely unaware of any contamination issues at facilities. 

    More directly, however, viewers recommended advocating for better food safety standards and more oversight over product expectations. The FDA has been described as having longstanding issues: In a previous article published by The Mary Sue, a consumer found small particles in a Great Value pure granulated sugar bag that looked like microplastics. Some viewers cite recent changes to food safety as an issue directly related to the current FDA and changes happening on an administrative level. 

    The FDA is changing at an incredibly fast rate due to the Make America Healthy Again (MAHA) initiative. There may be benefits from some (but definitely not all) of the public health secretary Robert F. Kennedy’s changes to the FDA. For instance, the elimination of the incredibly criticized GRAS system, which allows chemicals and substances to avoid FDA oversight, could be beneficial. But these changes are coming haphazardly and without technical oversight. That means that they’re often being implemented too quickly, leading to internal issues. 

    Ultimately, though, there isn’t necessarily a direct correlation between this event and FDA changes. It’s just possible that they’re related. It’s more likely that any peanut butter substance found on Ritz crackers is a direct result of a manufacturing defect, requiring an immediate recall. 

    @rae_rnb Selling ‘plain’ crackers without clearly stating they’re made in a peanut facility is dangerous. Food allergies aren’t a suggestion. @Ritzcrackrs @RitzCrackersID #foodallergy #crosscontamination #fypツ ♬ original sound – Raven_N_Brackens

    The Mary Sue reached out to Mondelez International and Brackens for comment.

    Have a tip we should know? [email protected]

    Image of Rachel Thomas

    Rachel Thomas

    Rachel Joy Thomas is a music journalist, freelance writer, and hopeful author who resides in Los Angeles, CA. You can email her at [email protected].

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  • How To Get Your Dog Used To Having Their Teeth Brushed

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    Last updated on By Puppy Leaks Leave a Comment

    Getting your dog used to having their teeth brushed might sound like a big challenge, but with patience and the right approach your dog can learn to tolerate the process. Some dogs find the process enjoyable, especially if you get the yummy toothpaste flavor.

    Brushing your dog’s teeth daily is one of the most effective ways to prevent plaque buildup, tartar formation, bad breath, and serious issues like periodontal disease. 80-90% of dogs have signs of periodontal disease by the age of three, and left unchecked it can impact their heart, liver, and kidneys. By brushing their teeth every day you can help cut down on those risks.

    The key to success is desensitization and counter conditioning; break the routine into small manageable steps and pair each one with something your dog loves, like high-value treats, praise, or playtime. Never force your dog or push through resistance, as this can create fear. Instead, go at your dog’s pace, even if it takes a few weeks or months. Puppies often adapt faster, but older dogs can learn with consistency.

    Step 1: Gather the Right Supplies

    When it comes to supplies you need two things — the brush and the toothpaste.

    For the toothbrush they do sell many dog varieties in the store, such as soft bristled ones on an angle to help reach the back teeth, or finger brushes for beginners and/or small mouths. You can even use a cloth or piece of soft gauze at the beginning to get your dog used to the process.

    For the toothpaste you need to stick to ones formulated for dogs only, since human toothpaste is highly toxic to dogs. Enzymatic dog toothpaste comes in yummy flavors like beef and peanut butter, which will make the process even smoother since your dog won’t mind having something new done in their mouth if it’s delicious.

    Step 2: Get Your Dog Comfortable with Mouth Handling

    Many dogs are sensitive about their face and mouth being touched, so begin here before introducing tools.

    • Choose a calm time, like after a walk when your dog is relaxed.
    • Sit beside or slightly behind your dog in a quiet spot.
    • Gently touch their muzzle, cheeks, and mouth, rewarding immediately with treats and praise.
    • Progress to lifting the lips gently (no tools yet) to expose the teeth, and reward for calm behavior.
    • Touch the teeth and gums with your clean finger for a second or two, reward heavily and gradually increase time.

    If your dog pulls away, go back a step. The goal is to have your dog associate mouth handling with good things.

    Step 3: Introduce the Toothpaste

    The flavor is your secret weapon—many dogs will come to see dog toothpaste as a treat. Personally my dogs go crazy for the beef and peanut butter flavors.

    • Let your dog sniff and lick a small dab of toothpaste from your finger, then praise enthusiastically.
    • Repeat a few times until they’re excited about it.
    • Once comfortable, let your dog lick the toothpaste from your finger a few times to build up positive associations.

    Step 4: Bring in the Toothbrush

    Now combine the toothpaste and mouth handling with the toothbrush.

    • Let your dog investigate the dry toothbrush (sniff, lick if they want), then reward curiosity.
    • Add a tiny bit of toothpaste and let them lick it off the brush (no brushing yet).
    • When they’re happily licking, gently touch the outside of a few front teeth with the brush with very light pressure and reward handsomely.
    • Gradually add gentle circular motions at a 45-degree angle toward the gumline (focus on outer surfaces first, inner surfaces are harder and less critical for plaque control).
    • Work up to more teeth; start with canines (easy to reach), then side/back teeth. Aim for 30–60 seconds total eventually, but celebrate tiny progress.

    Brush in sections (e.g., front left, back right) and keep sessions under 2 minutes at first. Many experts recommend starting with just the outer surfaces of the upper teeth, where plaque builds fastest.

    Step 5: Build the Routine

    • Practice tooth brushing daily for consistency. I added it to my night time routine, brushing my dog’s teeth before bed time.
    • Use a consistent spot or cue to let your dog know it’s “toothy time,” or whatever you’d prefer to call it.
    • End every session positively with praise, treats, or a quick game, even if you were only able to brush for 10 seconds, as this will encourage them to try it again.
    • Once comfortable aim for one daily session to help keep your dog’s nice and clean.

    If your dog still resists after weeks you might want to consult your veterinarian so they can rule out pain (such as sore gums or a cracked tooth). They might also suggest alternatives such as VOHC-approved dental chews, water additives, or wipes.

    With time most dogs start getting excited when they see the toothbrush — turning what once was a chore into a nice little daily bonding moment. Your dog’s healthier mouth (and fresher kisses) will be worth every treat and pat along the way.

    Recommended Reading:

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  • Heading a ball contributed to brain injury suffered by late Scotland defender McQueen, coroner says

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    NORTHALLERTON, England — Repeatedly heading a soccer ball “likely” contributed to the brain injury that was a factor in the death of former Manchester United and Scotland defender Gordon McQueen, a coroner found Monday.

    McQueen died in June 2023 at the age of 70, with the cause of death given as pneumonia after he became frail and bed-bound for months.

    In his narrative conclusions following an inquest, coroner Jon Heath said McQueen died from pneumonia as a consequence of mixed vascular dementia and chronic traumatic encephalopathy. CTE is a neurodegenerative disease linked to repeated head trauma.

    “It is likely that repetitive head impacts sustained by heading the ball while playing football contributed to the CTE,” the coroner said.

    His daughter, Hayley McQueen, was in court to hear the findings. She gave evidence during the inquest, saying her father had said that ’heading a football for all those years probably hasn’t helped” his condition.

    She said her father was relatively injury-free during his career but did suffer some concussions, adding: “They would just head back out and play.”

    Hayley McQueen, a TV presenter, said she hopes the findings of the inquest will lead to change in soccer and “make sure that this really real, horrible problem isn’t a problem for future generations.”

    McQueen played 30 games for Scotland between 1974-81, and for Manchester United and Leeds in a 16-year career.

    After retiring as a player, McQueen went into coaching and became a TV pundit.

    After his death, his family donated his brain to professor Willie Stewart, a consultant neuropathologist at the Queen Elizabeth University Hospital in Glasgow, the inquest heard.

    Stewart has conducted extensive research into brain injuries in soccer and rugby players. He told the inquest he found evidence of CTE and vascular dementia.

    Stewart said the only evidence available was that McQueen’s “high exposure” to heading a soccer ball contributed to the death and that heading the ball contributed to the CTE.

    ___

    AP soccer: https://apnews.com/hub/soccer

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  • Blood clot hospitalizes Florida Senate President Ben Albritton

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    TALLAHASSEE, Fla. — Florida Senate President Ben Albritton was taken to the hospital early Sunday after experiencing chest pain, his office said Monday.

    “Physicians in the Emergency Room at Tallahassee Memorial Hospital discovered a small blood clot in his lung,” a statement from the Office of the Senate President said. “The President remained in the Emergency Room overnight and is currently under observation, awaiting further testing.”

    Albritton’s office said he is “in good spirits and has been in frequent communication with staff via phone and email yesterday and today.”

    “All previously scheduled Senate business will proceed as planned this week,” the statement added.

    Albritton’s office said he hopes to return to work later in the week.

    “The President and Mrs. Albritton would be very grateful for your prayers,” the statement said. 

    No other information about Albritton’s hospitalization and current condition was immediately released.

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  • Pasco County Fire Rescue rolls out new ‘D-shift’ with focus on wellness

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    HUDSON, Fla. — Firefighters in Pasco County are working on a new shift aimed at improving their mental health.

    What You Need To Know

    • Pasco County Fire Rescue is implementing its new “D-shift,” designed to put firefighter wellness front and center

    • The new shift focuses on providing firefighters with an extra day of rest and time to recharge
    • Traditionally, firefighters would work 24 hours and be off for 48. Now, with the D-shift, staff will work 24 hours and be off for 72
    • This move puts PCFR among the first fire departments in Tampa Bay to adopt such a model


    Pasco County Fire Rescue is implementing its new “D-shift.”

    “Three years of work has been put into this plan, this project, and to see it finally happen is incredible,” said Dixon Phillips, president of the Pasco County Professional Firefighters Local 4420.

    It’s the turning of a new page at Fire Rescue Station 3.

    “D-shift is the culmination of an incredible commitment by both sides of the table, and this really does show what you’re capable of doing when labor and administration work together,” said Phillips.

    The shift’s focus is on providing firefighters with an extra day of rest and time to recharge.

    “Every third week we would work a Sunday, Wednesday, Saturday,” said Phillips. “So we’re gone from our families for 72 hours in that seven-day period of time. Back that up two or three years ago, when we were hitting an excessive amount of mandatory overtime, you go to work and you don’t know if you’re going to go home the next day.”

    “So there were many times where we were working 96 hours, maybe even 120 hours in a seven-day period just based on the staffing.” he said.

    Phillips said that traditionally, firefighters would work 24 hours and be off for 48. Now, with the D-shift, staff will work 24 hours and be off for 72.

    “A lot of studies have gone into the fact that firefighters are getting cancer, firefighters are getting PTSD, firefighters are mentally and emotionally getting beat down and disrupting family and home lives as well,” said Chief Ryan Guynn of Pasco County Fire Rescue. “So, we took a look at it and figured, ‘What can we do?’”

    The move puts PCFR among the first fire departments in Tampa Bay to adopt such a model.

    “It’s a holistic approach to try to take care of our firefighters,” said Guynn. “To make them the best that they can be so that when they come to work every day, they’re giving their citizens 100%.”

    It’s also putting the department on the map as a desirable place to work, with more than 100 new employees to help make the transition easier.

    “We set the industry standard,” said Phillips. “Several years ago, we started our decontamination program. We’ve had departments from California, such as Sacramento, the state of Washington come here to Pasco County to see what we’re doing for cancer prevention for our members. Now you add the D-shift and everything else we have in place. We are absolutely the place to be — one of the premier departments in the State of Florida, no question.”

    Helping raise the bar for fire rescue in the state.

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  • Smart pill confirms when medication is swallowed

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    NEWYou can now listen to Fox News articles!

    Remembering to take medication sounds simple. However, missed doses put people at serious health risk every day. Because of that, engineers at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT) have designed a pill that confirms when someone swallows it. As a result, doctors could track treatment more accurately, and patients could stay on schedule more easily. At the same time, the pill safely breaks down inside the body, which helps reduce long-term risk.

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    FDA CLEARS FIRST AT-HOME BRAIN DEVICE FOR DEPRESSION

    MIT engineers have designed a pill that can report when it has been swallowed. (Mehmet Say)

    How the MIT smart pill works

    The new system fits inside existing pill capsules. It uses a tiny, biodegradable radio-frequency antenna made from zinc and cellulose. These materials already have strong safety records in medicine. Here is what happens step by step:

    • You swallow the capsule as usual
    • The outer coating dissolves in the stomach
    • The pill releases both the medication and the antenna
    • The antenna sends a radio signal confirming ingestion

    This entire process happens within about 10 minutes. An external receiver, potentially built into a wearable device, detects the signal from up to two feet away.

    Designed to break down safely

    Previous smart pill designs relied on components that stayed intact as they passed through the digestive system. That raised concerns about long-term safety. The MIT team took a different approach. Nearly all parts of the antenna break down in the stomach within days. Only a tiny off-the-shelf RF chip remains, and it passes naturally through the body. According to lead researcher Mehmet Girayhan Say, the goal is clear. The system avoids long-term buildup while still reliably confirming that a pill was taken.

    Who could benefit most from this technology?

    This smart pill is not meant for every prescription. Instead, it targets situations where missing medication can be dangerous. Potential beneficiaries include:

    • Organ transplant patients taking immunosuppressants
    • People with chronic infections like TB or HIV
    • Patients with recent stent procedures
    • Individuals with neuropsychiatric conditions

    For these patients, adherence can mean the difference between recovery and serious complications.

    BREAKTHROUGH DEVICE PROMISES TO DETECT GLUCOSE WITHOUT NEEDLES

    Woman hand with pills on, spilling pills out of bottle on dark background.

    The MIT capsule uses layered materials, including gelatin, cellulose, and metals like molybdenum or tungsten, to prevent any RF signal from transmitting outside the body. (iStock)

    What researchers say about the breakthrough pill

    Senior author Giovanni Traverso emphasizes that the focus is on patient health. The aim is to support people, not police them. The research team published its findings in Nature Communications and plans further preclinical testing. Human trials are expected next as the technology moves closer to real-world use. This research received funding from Novo Nordisk, MIT Department of Mechanical Engineering, Brigham and Women’s Hospital Division of Gastroenterology and the U.S. Advanced Research Projects Agency for Health.

    Why medication adherence remains a major problem

    Patients failing to take medicine as prescribed contribute to hundreds of thousands of preventable deaths each year. It also adds billions of dollars to health care costs. This problem hits hardest when patients must take treatment consistently over long periods. That includes people who have received organ transplants, patients with tuberculosis and those managing complex neurological conditions. For these groups, missing doses can have life-altering consequences.

    10 HEALTH TECH PRODUCTS STEALING THE SPOTLIGHT AT CES 2026

    medicine drugs pills

    Once safely inside the stomach, the pill can activate and communicate internally, reducing privacy risks while enabling more accurate medical tracking. (iStock)

    What this means for you

    If you or a loved one relies on critical medication, this kind of technology could add an extra layer of safety. It may reduce guesswork for doctors and ease pressure on patients who manage complex treatment plans. At the same time, it raises important questions about privacy, consent and how medical data is shared. Any future rollout will need strong safeguards to protect patients.

    For now, until this technology becomes available, you can still stay on track by using the built-in tools on your phone. We break down the best ways to track your meds on iPhone and Android in our step-by-step guide.

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    Kurt’s key takeaways

    A pill that confirms it was swallowed may sound futuristic, but it addresses a very real problem. By combining simple materials with smart engineering, MIT researchers created a tool that could save lives without lingering in the body. As testing continues, this approach could reshape how medicine is monitored and delivered.

    Would you be comfortable taking a pill that reports when you swallow it if it meant better health outcomes? Let us know by writing to us at Cyberguy.com

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    Copyright 2026 CyberGuy.com.  All rights reserved.

    Kurt “CyberGuy” Knutsson is an award-winning tech journalist who has a deep love of technology, gear and gadgets that make life better with his contributions for Fox News & FOX Business beginning mornings on “FOX & Friends.” Got a tech question? Get Kurt’s free CyberGuy Newsletter, share your voice, a story idea or comment at CyberGuy.com.

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  • Pennsylvania woman gets infection from nail salon. Then it leads to her finger being amputated: ‘I coulda lost my arm’

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    A Pennsylvania woman decides to treat herself to a manicure at a local nail salon. However, she notices something strange on her finger that leads to a scary emergency hospital visit. If she waited to get treatment, she believes the situation could have ended even worse.

    In a video with over 1.5 million views, TikToker Ashley Christmas (@ashthegoddess09) sits on the floor as she records, showing her bandaged hand.

    She says that soon after her manicure, she started to feel “tingly” in her right middle finger.

    “I didn’t think anything of it,” she says. “I just kinda brushed it off.”

    Days later, she noticed that her finger was “extremely swollen and painful.” However, because she dislikes hospitals, she decides to wait it out for a few more days. Her finger’s condition didn’t improve.

    Finally, she heads to the emergency room, where the staff gives her pain medication. They transfer her to a hand specialist at another hospital to check out her swollen finger.

    She stays the night at the second hospital and takes antibiotics. The next day, the doctor examines her hand and decides to make an incision to drain the infected pus.

    Did the antibiotics work on the infected nail?

    Unfortunately, the antibiotics and first procedure don’t completely fix her pain and swelling. So, they decided to surgically remove her nail and make multiple incisions on her finger.

    “They flushed it, cleaned it out, whatever,” she explains.

    The hospital discharges her, and she returns to the hand specialist a few days later. After seeing her finger, he decides to readmit her to amputate the tip of her finger after another unsuccessful flush of the infection.

    “They were afraid that there still might have been some infection,” she says. “This time it was very aggressive.”

    Christmas shares that she was taken aback at first, as she loves to dress up and get her nails done.

    “My confidence was instantly shot,” she shares. However, she’s ultimately thankful the infection didn’t spread to her hand or arm.

    She shares that she initially filmed the TikTok about a year ago but finally wanted to share her story as she looks into legal advice. However, in her latest update, she says that personal injury firms she reached out to don’t want to take on her case because the nail salon’s lawyer wanted to settle.

    “They tried to throw out an [expletive] $5000, but what the [expletive],” she says, holding up her amputated finger.

    In a TikTok direct message to The Mary Sue, Christmas says she recently switched attorneys and plans to “proceed with the lawsuit.”

    How common are infections from nail salons?

    While nail salons are held to high standards of cleanliness, including sanitizing between customers, infections are still shockingly common.

    According to Memorial Hermann Health System, polishes and nail tools may harbor MRSA, Staph, or other pathogens that can be easily jump to the nail or finger during a service. These bugs can be extremely dangerous, potentially causing major injury or death if they cause an infection.

    In less severe cases, customers may also catch fungal infections, which can damage the nail permanently.

    In the comments of Christmas’s viral TikTok, others say her story makes them think twice about getting a salon manicure.

    “I’m realizing imma have to go to cosmetology school JUST to learn how to do my own hair and nails,” one writes.

    Another insists, “I will never go to another nail salon again.”

    “No one can ever convince me to get my nails done! I just cannot…as pretty as some of them look,” a third says.

    @ashthegoddess09 If you visit nail Salons, WATCH THIS ‼️‼️this video was recording almost a year ago, I’ll post an update soon #nailsalon #nailinfection #amputee #explorepage✨ #fyp ♬ original sound – Ashley Christmas

    Have a tip we should know? [email protected]

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    Rebekah Harding

    Rebekah Harding is a reporter and content strategist based in Philadelphia. You can contact her at rebekahjonesharding.com.

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  • Powdered whole milk could be a culprit in the ByHeart botulism outbreak, tests show

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    Powdered whole milk used to make ByHeart infant formula could be a source of contamination that led to an outbreak of botulism that has sickened dozens of babies, U.S. health officials indicated Friday.

    Testing by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration found the type of bacteria that can cause the illness in two samples linked to the formula, officials said.

    The agency found that bacteria in an unopened can of formula matched a sample from a sick baby — and it also matched contamination detected in samples of organic whole milk powder used to make ByHeart formula and collected and tested by the company.

    FDA testing also found contamination in a sample of whole milk powder supplied to ByHeart — and it matched the germ in a finished sample of the company’s formula.

    The findings are not conclusive, and the investigation continues “to determine the source of the contamination,” the agency said in a statement.

    A ByHeart official said the finding helps shed light on what has become a “watershed moment” for the company.

    “We are focused on the root cause and our responsibility to act on what we’ve learned to help create a safer future for ByHeart and infant formula,” said Dr. Devon Kuehn, ByHeart’s chief scientific and medical officer.

    Neither FDA nor ByHeart named the supplier of the powdered whole milk.

    At this time, there is no indication of a broader problem in the infant formula supply, the FDA said.

    New York-based ByHeart has been at the center of a food poisoning outbreak that has sickened 51 babies in 19 states since December 2023. The problem was identified in November after officials with the California program that supplies the sole treatment for infant botulism detected a surge in cases in babies who consumed ByHeart formula.

    No new cases in the outbreak have been identified since mid-December, the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention said.

    ByHeart initially recalled two lots of formula, but it expanded the recall to all products days later. Federal health officials later said they could not rule out contamination of all products made since the company launched in March 2022.

    That followed company testing, announced in November, that found six of 36 samples of formula from three different lots contained the dangerous type of bacteria that causes infant botulism.

    Illnesses caused by botulism bacteria in infant formula are rare, and the size and scope of the ByHeart outbreak is unprecedented, food safety experts said.

    Some formula companies do test raw materials and finished formula for evidence of the contamination, but such testing should be required, said Sarah Sorscher, director of regulatory affairs for the Center for Science in the Public Interest, an advocacy group.

    “FDA has not announced a plan to do testing, and that’s what we really want to see them do,” she said.

    Even if the contamination was traced to a milk supplier, the company remains responsible for the harm caused by its product, said Bill Marler, a Seattle food safety lawyer who represents more than 30 families of babies who fell ill.

    “Just because they are able to point the finger at dried powder as the ingredient that may have been contaminated, it doesn’t take any of the legal or moral responsibility away from ByHeart,” Marler said.

    ByHeart, which accounted for about 1% of the U.S. infant formula market, previously sold about 200,000 cans of the product per month. It was marketed as an option close to human breast milk, one that used “organic, grass-fed whole milk.” Parents of babies sickened in the outbreak said they chose the formula, which cost about $42 per can, because of its touted health benefits.

    ___

    The Associated Press Health and Science Department receives support from the Howard Hughes Medical Institute’s Department of Science Education and the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation. The AP is solely responsible for all content.

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  • California splits with Trump administration over World Health Organization

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    California is once again breaking ranks with the Trump administration, this time over the World Health Organization.

    Gov. Gavin Newsom’s office announced Friday that the Golden State is the first and, so far, only state to join the WHO’s Global Outbreak Alert and Response Network (GOARN). The move comes one day after the Trump administration announced the U.S. had officially withdrawn from the WHO.

    California joined GOARN back in September. Only sovereign nations can be official dues-paying members of the WHO. There are no dues for being part of GOARN.

    Newsom called the U.S. exiting the WHO “reckless” and warned it could be harmful to public health.

    With GOARN, California doctors will have global access to early warning systems and data sharing to prepare for potential virus outbreaks.

    NBC Bay Area’s Emma Goss has more in the video report above.

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  • Rwanda to test AI-powered technology in clinics under a new Gates Foundation project

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    Rwanda will test technology powered by artificial intelligence in more than 50 health clinics as part of a new initiative by the Gates Foundation to support 1,000 clinics across Africa with the aim to improve health care services

    KIGALI, Rwanda — KIGALI, Rwanda (AP) — Rwanda will test technology powered by artificial intelligence in more than 50 health clinics as part of a new initiative by the Gates Foundation to support 1,000 clinics across Africa with the aim to improve health care services.

    The technology is intended to strengthen rather than replace clinical judgment, while improving efficiency within an already stretched health system, Andrew Muhire, a senior official with Rwanda’s Ministry of Health, told The Associated Press on Thursday.

    Rwanda now has one health care worker for 1,000 patients — far from the globally recommended ratio of 4:1,000.

    The Gates Foundation and OpenAI on Wednesday launched a new initiative dubbed Horizons1000, with joint funding of $50 million over two years. Bill Gates said the initiative will help close the health inequality gap.

    “In poorer countries with enormous health worker shortages and a lack of health systems infrastructure, AI can be a game changer in expanding access to quality care,” Gates said in a blog post on the launch.

    Muhire described it as a “transformative opportunity” that will improve citizens’ access to health care, “reduce administrative burden” and help medical professionals make “more accurate and timely decisions.”

    However, digital experts are worried about AI technology using the English language, which is not widely spoken in Rwanda.

    Audace Niyonkuru, CEO of AI and open data company Digital Umuganda, told the AP that efforts are underway to develop AI technologies in Kinyarwanda, the language spoken by about 75% of Rwanda’s population.

    “Deploying AI technologies that do not operate in Kinyarwanda would pose a serious barrier to effective care,” he said.

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  • Thousands advised to stay inside In Georgia, Tennessee

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    Thousands of people in communities across parts of Georgia (including Dalton, Adrian, and Louisville) and Tennessee (including Chattanooga, Dunlap, and Tracy City) have been advised to stay indoors, after the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) recorded that fine particle pollution (PM2.5) had reached “unhealthy” levels, as of January 22, 2026, at 2.45 a.m., according to the AirNow Map.

    Why Does This Matter

    When local air quality readings are classified as “unhealthy,” the EPA warns that everyone in the affected area might begin to experience certain health effects, ranging from coughing and eye, throat, and nose irritation to chest tightness and shortness of breath. 

    Members of sensitive groups, which include children, the elderly, and people with existing heart and lung health conditions, may experience more serious health effects.

    What To Do When Air Is “Unhealthy”

    When air quality reaches “unhealthy” levels, the EPA advises everyone in the affected area to take more breaks during outdoor activities, reduce activity intensity, and move longer or more strenuous activities indoors when possible, until the air quality improves. 

    Local health agencies, such as New York City’s Department of Health, recommend wearing a properly fitted respirator (such as an N95 or KN95) to help reduce exposure when someone must remain outdoors for extended periods.

    Individuals in sensitive groups should be particularly cautious, as elevated PM2.5 levels can exacerbate or trigger heart and lung issues.

    The EPA also advises checking real‑time conditions and forecasts to plan activities for when air quality is better, and to keep medications and asthma action plans current for those with respiratory conditions

    How Air Pollution Affects Health

    According to the EPA, fine particulate matter—known as PM2.5—consists of “fine inhalable particles, with diameters that are generally 2.5 micrometers and smaller.”

    Because of their small size, PM2.5 can penetrate deep into the lungs and enter the bloodstream, which is why exposure to PM2.5 can trigger a range of health effects, including asthma, decreased lung function, and increased respiratory issues, and can contribute to serious outcomes for people with cardiovascular conditions. 

    What Causes ‘Unhealthy’ Air Quality

    PM2.5 comes from multiple sources, including direct emissions and the formation of particles in the atmosphere from gases. According to the EPA, common sources of increased PM2.5 include power plants, industrial activities, vehicles, wood burning, and wildfires.

    How the EPA Measures Air Quality

    The EPA uses the Air Quality Index (AQI) to measure and report the air quality across America. The AQI uses a scale and six categories to establish the health concern levels, with the higher the AQI value, the greater the level of air pollution and the greater the health concern.

    The categories are:

    • Good (0–50): Air quality is satisfactory, and air pollution poses little or no risk
    • Moderate (51–100): Air quality is acceptable; some pollutants may be a moderate health concern for a very small number of unusually sensitive people
    • Unhealthy for Sensitive Groups (101–150): Members of sensitive groups may experience health effects, but the general public is less likely to be affected
    • Unhealthy (151–200): Some members of the general public may experience health effects, and members of sensitive groups may experience more serious effects
    • Very Unhealthy (201–300): A health alert is issued as the risk of health effects is increased for everyone
    • Hazardous (301–500): A health warning of emergency conditions is issued as everyone is more likely to be affected. 

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