Trump’s NIH pick weighs withholding research grants from ‘woke’ colleges
Universities with “woke policies” could see federal research grants withheld under the new Trump administration, according to the Wall Street Journal. This comes after President-elect Donald Trump’s pick to lead the National Institutes of Health (NIH) announced his plans to address campus culture at elite universities.
Dr. Jay Bhattacharya’s plans include tying the agency’s tens of billions of dollars in research grants to what he defines as “academic freedom.” That’s according to sources familiar with the talks who spoke with the Journal.
Bhattacharya could use a ranking system developed by the Foundation for Individual Rights and Expression (FIRE). The ranking system would determine a university’s level of academic freedom.
The system rates universities based on their track record with freedom of speech and how comfortable students feel expressing differing opinions on campus. According to the Journal, schools that punish faculty or uninvite controversial speakers could face reduced funding.
Some universities that currently receive large NIH grants have received poor rankings from FIRE. They include the University of Pennsylvania, Columbia University, and the University of Southern California.
In contrast, schools such as the University of Virginia and Florida State University received praise for their strong academic freedom records.
Bhattacharya’s push to prioritize academic freedom comes after his own struggles with public backlash over his views. Those views include the nation’s response to the COVID-19 pandemic.
He faced criticism for opposing lockdowns and mask mandates, widely unaccepted positions at the time. Bhattacharya has stated that universities should be places where dissenting ideas are protected, not silenced.
The proposal to tie research grant funding to free speech promotion on campuses has quickly become controversial. Supporters argue it will encourage universities to end “woke” policies and “cancel culture.”
Some warn linking research grants to political factors could delay crucial medical research and progress on cures for diseases like cancer and Alzheimer’s. They said this is particularly worrisome at progressive universities with successful scientific programs.
Bhattacharya’s proposal is expected to be a key point of discussion during Senate debates on his potential leadership.
Cease-fire between Israel and Hezbollah holding so far
The cease-fire between Israel and Hezbollah marks a step toward peace in the Middle East, but what happens now in Gaza where Israel is still at war with Hamas? And rain or shine — but not wind — revelers get ready to celebrate in New York City at the Macy’s Thanksgiving Day Parade. These stories and more highlight your Unbiased Updates for Wednesday, Nov. 27, 2024.
Cease-fire between Israel and Hezbollah holding so far
A cease-fire deal between Israel and the Iran-backed militant group Hezbollah in Lebanon is holding, so far.
President Joe Biden announced the deal — which the United States and France helped broker — on Tuesday, Nov. 26. Israel and Hezbollah have agreed on an initial 60-day cease-fire, which sets the stage for a lasting truce.
Already, long-displaced residents of parts of Lebanon have started returning to their homes, hopeful the tenuous agreement will be extended beyond two months. That’s despite the Israeli military warning people to stay away from previously evacuated areas.
Israel has said if Hezbollah breaks the cease-fire agreement, it will attack.
Following the directive of the political echelon, the ceasefire agreement in Lebanon took effect at 04:00 today, and the IDF has been operating accordingly. IDF troops are stationed at their positions in southern Lebanon.
Over the past hour, the IDF identified a vehicle with…
During the 60-day truce, Hezbollah fighters are to retreat at least 25 miles from the border with Israel and Israeli forces will withdraw from Lebanese territory.
The agreement does not address the ongoing war between Israel and Hamas, another Iran-backed militant group, in Gaza. However, Hamas has said it is ready for a truce.
“So, now Hamas has a choice to make,” President Biden said on Tuesday. “Their only way out is to release the hostages, including American citizens, which they hold. In the process, bring an end to the fighting, which would make possible a surge of humanitarian relief. Over the coming days, the United States will make another push with Turkey, Egypt, Qatar, Israel and others to achieve a ceasefire in Gaza.”
Biden told reporters he’s hopeful he’ll help achieve a cease-fire in Gaza before the end of his term in January. If not, President-elect Donald Trump has vowed to bring peace to the Middle East, though he has not yet said how.
Trump picks nominations for NIH, trade
President-elect Trump has kept busy this holiday week. On Tuesday night, he announced new picks to join his administration.
Among them, Trump nominated Dr. Jay Bhattacharya to serve as the director of the National Institutes of Health. As head of the NIH, the Stanford University professor would work alongside Trump’s pick for health secretary, Robert F. Kennedy Jr.
Bhattacharya, who also has a doctorate in economics, became known for opposing lockdown restrictions during the COVID-19 pandemic.
— Donald J. Trump Posts From His Truth Social (@TrumpDailyPosts) November 27, 2024
Trump also selected Jamieson Greer to lead the Office of the United States Trade Representative. Greer is no stranger to the department, having served as chief of staff to the trade representative during Trump’s first term — which saw tariffs imposed on Chinese goods and the signing of the U.S.-Mexico-Canada agreement.
Greer served as a lawyer in the Air Force and is currently a partner in international trade at the law firm King and Spalding.
Both of these nominations will need Senate confirmation.
Australia’s House passes bill to ban kids under 16 from social media
The bill would make platforms such as Tiktok, Facebook, Snapchat, Reddit, X and Instagram liable for fines of up to $50 million ($33 million USD) for failing to prevent young children from holding accounts.
Australia’s communications minister Michelle Rowland introduced a world-first law into Parliament on Thursday that would ban children younger than 16 from social media, saying online safety was one of parents’ toughest challenges. pic.twitter.com/K0zui1wHLv
The legislation passed 102-13 in Australia’s House of Representatives and now moves on to the Senate. If the bill becomes law, social media companies would have one year to figure out how to implement the age restrictions before they are enforced.
More than 3,000 fake name-brand electric guitars seized in California
U.S. Customs and Border Protection said it seized more than 3,000 fake electric guitars in Southern California. CBP said the knockoffs were destined for the e-commerce market, just in time for holiday gift shopping.
CBP said if the guitars were real, they would be worth about $18 million. Most of the fakes look like Gibson brand guitars, but some were supposedly from other well-known companies such as Fender.
Federal authorities would not release any details about suspects in the investigation or where the counterfeit guitars came from.
Macy’s Thanksgiving Day Parade to go on, rain or shine
A Macy’s spokesperson told the New York Post the parade will proceed regardless of wet weather — good news for the expected 3.5 million people who will be along the parade route and the estimated 30 million watching at home. However, wind could pose a problem.
The spokesperson told the Post, “Based on the city’s guidelines, no giant character balloon will be operated when there are sustained wind conditions exceeding 23 miles per hour and wind gusts greater than 34 miles per hour on the parade route.”
So far, according to weather reports, the winds should not be a problem, and all 32 balloons should be able to fly. New ones this year include Minnie Mouse and Spider-Man, which is marking its return to the parade for the first time in a decade.
Happy Thanksgiving from Straight Arrow News
With Thursday being Thanksgiving, as you get ready to gather around the table with your family, we wanted to take this time for you to get to know ours a little better. In the video above, members of our Straight Arrow News team have special messages about what they’re thankful for this holiday season. Happy Thanksgiving from our family to yours!
Trump calls RFK Jr. a ‘great mind’ after health secretary nomination
President-elect Trump has named RFK Jr. as his Health and Human Services Secretary. And fight fans are ready for a streaming spectacle: former champ Mike Tyson will return to the ring to take on social media star Jake Paul. These stories and more highlight your Unbiased Updates for Friday, Nov. 15, 2024.
Trump calls RFK Jr. a ‘great mind’ after health secretary nomination
“[Kennedy is] another one, who’s a great guy and great mind and so popular, and I think he’s right, he wants to make people healthy,” Trump said. “It’s driven him pretty wild over the last number of years, and the Democrats didn’t treat him well. He was doing fantastically well.”
“Today I nominated him for, I guess if you like health and you like people that live a long time, it’s the most important position RFK Jr.,” Trump said.
Kennedy responded to the nomination earlier in the day, posting on X in part, “We have a generational opportunity to bring together the greatest minds in science, medicine, industry, and government to put an end to the chronic disease epidemic.”
The 70-year-old Kennedy is a former Democrat, who endorsed Trump after dropping out of the race. He would oversee a group of health agencies including the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, the Food and Drug Administration and the National Institutes of Health.
Wisconsin Sen. Ron Johnson (R) called Kennedy “a brilliant, courageous truth-teller whose unwavering commitment to transparency will make America a healthier nation.”
Meanwhile, critics of Kennedy pointed to his previous comments questioning vaccinations. Oregon Sen. Ron Wyden (D) said in a statement, “Mr. Kennedy’s outlandish views on basic scientific facts are disturbing and should worry all parents who expect schools and other public spaces to be safe for their children.”
Massachusetts Sen. Ed Markey (D) just posted three words: “Dangerous. Unqualified. Unserious.”
Kennedy is also the founder of the Children’s Health Defense, which is described by media outlets as the leading anti-vaccine group in the nation.
When pressed on the subject of vaccinations by both NBC News and NPR in interviews earlier this month, Kennedy said if put into this type of role he is “not going to take away anybody’s vaccinations.”
President-elect Trump adds more names to his cabinet
Also on Thursday, Trump nominated Doug Collins as Veterans Affairs secretary. The former Republican congressman from Georgia and Iraq war veteran was a supporter of Trump during his first impeachment trial in 2019.
Trump also named three of his lawyers to positions in the Justice Department.
Finally, John Sauer, who won the presidential immunity case at the U.S. Supreme Court, is Trump’s pick for solicitor general.
House Ethics Committee cancels meeting on Matt Gaetz investigation
The Republican-led House Ethics Committee canceled its meeting over the investigation into former Rep. Matt Gaetz of Florida, according to multiple outlets citing sources. Gaetz resigned from Congress earlier this week after President-elect Trump announced he’s nominating Gaetz for attorney general.
The meeting, which was scheduled for Friday morning, Nov. 15, before Gaetz resigned, was supposed to focus on the investigation into multiple allegations against Gaetz, including sexual misconduct, illicit drug use, accepting improper gifts, and obstruction.
Tropical Storm Sara brings dangerous torrential rain to Honduras
Tropical Storm Sara made landfall late Thursday in northern Honduras, bringing torrential rain as it skirts the country’s coast. Authorities there have warned of the potential for dangerous flash flooding and landslides, with the country’s president saying it could “become a catastrophic event.”
Honduran officials have issued the highest-level warning along the country’s northern coast and activated the national police and military for rescue and relief efforts. Sara is expected to move inland, making landfall over Belize on Sunday, Nov. 17, before dissipating over the Yucatán Peninsula, according to the National Hurricane Center.
This marks the 18th named storm of the 2024 Atlantic hurricane season, which ends Nov. 30.
Annual UFO report finds 21 cases that can’t be explained
Pentagon officials maintain they’ve found no evidence of alien activity, but the government’s All-Domain Anomaly Resolution Office (AARO) said it takes every report seriously and investigates each one.
If none of this UAP stuff exists, if it’s all false, why at every turn are people trying to stop transparency? You can’t talk about fight club if there’s no fight club. pic.twitter.com/otPGNbwu71
Of the new reports the AARO has received, nearly 50 have already been closed as everyday items, such as balloons, birds or drones. The government agency expects to resolve another 243 cases by identifying them as one of those objects.
More than 400 of the new reports were put into an active archive because there was not enough data or evidence to keep investigating.
Tyson vs. Paul in Netflix’s first live streaming boxing event
The two faced off during a final weigh-in on Thursday, with Tyson slapping Paul. The eight-round match at AT&T Stadium in Texas was postponed from July after Tyson suffered an inflamed ulcer weeks before the bout.
Reports indicate both competitors are expected to have a big payday. Tyson, who has a record of 50-6, will reportedly make $20 million and the 27-year-old Paul, who has a record of 10-1, will make $40 million.
Paul’s startup, Most Valuable Promotions, teamed up with Netflix to bring the fight together.
Netflix currently has more than 282 million paid subscribers worldwide and Paul predicts at least 25 million of them will tune in. If that comes to pass, it’ll make this the most watched boxing match of all time.
Fauci received $15M in security since leaving office, documents reveal
Former National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases Director Dr. Anthony Fauci received $15 million in taxpayer-funded security after his retirement in December 2022, documents obtained by Open the Books reveal. The protective detail, provided by the U.S. Marshals Service through an agreement with Health and Human Services, covered security services for Fauci from January 2023 through September 2024.
The security arrangement, unprecedented for a former federal employee, included a chauffeur, full security staff, and transportation services. The U.S. Marshals Service, which typically focuses on protecting judges and witnesses, has faced budget constraints in recent years, and this level of protection has raised concerns about resource allocation.
Fauci, who served as the face of the U.S. pandemic response, said he continues to receive death threats due to his high-profile role and frequent public criticism, which he claims has put him at greater risk.
AP Images
Critics question the fairness of the arrangement, pointing to other public figures who have not received similar taxpayer-funded security. Robert F. Kennedy Jr., who ran for president earlier this year, had to pay for private security after being denied Secret Service protection multiple times, despite facing documented threats.
Fauci’s security funding contrasts with the Marshals Service’s recent request for $28 million to better fulfill its primary responsibilities, which include protecting federal judges.
Researchers found avoiding sugar from conception to age two can reduce a child’s risk of developing type 2 diabetes by 35% and delay its onset by four years. They also found limiting a baby’s sugar intake drops their risk of high blood pressure by 20% and delays its onset by two years.
The study found the most important times to avoid sugar for babies are during pregnancy and after they’re about 6 months old, when they typically start eating solid foods.
Marijuana addiction, other side effects rising with legalization and higher usage
As marijuana becomes legal in more parts of the United States, be it medicinal or recreational, more people are using it. That also means more people are experiencing its unpleasant and potentially dangerous side effects.
A recent data analysis done for The New York Times found that nearly a third of all users – about 18 million people – have reported symptoms of cannabis use disorder, and about 3 million of them would be considered addicted to cannabis.
Symptoms of cannabis use disorder include impaired control, cannabis use becoming a high priority – even if it causes issues in your school, work, or personal life or leads to riskier behavior, and physiological dependence – needing more cannabis to get the same high or showing symptoms of withdrawal. These are all symptoms commonly associated with addiction, as well.
The Columbia University epidemiologist who did the analysis for the Times based her research on responses to the 2022 national drug use survey conducted by the Department of Health and Human Services.
The researcher found cannabis use was especially common among 18- to 25-year-olds surveyed, with 4.5 million reporting they use it daily or almost daily. Furthermore, 81% of them met the criteria for cannabis use disorder.
Doctors say they’ve seen a sharp rise in something called cannabinoid hyperemesis syndrome (CHS). It’s a condition brought on by heavy cannabis use that causes users to experience nausea, vomiting and pain and can lead to extreme dehydration, seizures, kidney failure and cardiac arrest.
In rare and extreme cases, CHS has been deadly. The Times said it found CHS could be linked to at least eight deaths in the U.S. since the condition was first documented in 2004 – including some cases that were not previously known about before the Times commissioned this study.
CHS is not consistently documented, but researchers estimate up to a third of near-daily cannabis users in the U.S. experience mild to severe symptoms of it.
Another side effect of marijuana that’s not often warned about but is becoming more common is temporary psychosis. It’s also being increasingly linked to people developing chronic psychotic disorders, like schizophrenia.
While some form of marijuana use is legal in fewer than half of states, it remains illegal under federal law. With that, its effects have not been widely studied, and laws surrounding marijuana use are not consistent.
Less invasive self-administered pap smear now available
Women are known to dread getting a pap smear. While it’s recommended only every three to five years now, depending on age, the cervical cancer screening is known to be invasive, uncomfortable, and often just downright painful. However, new technology is changing that.
The first shipments of self-collection human papillomavirus, or HPV tests, are now arriving at doctors’ offices across the country. The FDA just approved the tests in May, which require patients to gather their own sample with a swab while in a health care setting like the doctor’s office, urgent care or pharmacy clinic.
Cervical cancer has been identified as one of the top preventable causes of death in the nation, and HPV is the leading cause of cervical cancer.
According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, more than 11,000 new cases of cervical cancer are diagnosed in the U.S. every year and about 4,000 women die of the disease annually. One study found about two-thirds of cervical cancers are diagnosed in women who are not screened within the recommended interval.
Under the Affordable Care Act, insurers are required to cover the costs of cervical cancer screening.
Getting vaccinated against HPV can also help. There are more than 150 strains of the virus, and the vaccine is proven to protect against the nine riskiest strains.
Access denied: Less than 1 in 4 infertile couples in US can access IVF
On the campaign trail this week, former President Donald Trump pledged to make in-vitro fertilization free if elected in November. Trump spoke about his plan during a rally.
“I’ve been looking at it and what we’re going to do is, for people that are using IVF – which is fertilization – the government is going to pay for it or mandate your insurance company to pay for it, which is going to be great,” Trump said.
Infertility rates are rising around the world and the cost of IVF in the U.S. can be a huge barrier to treatment. The American Society for Reproductive Medicine estimates that fewer than a quarter of infertile couples have sufficient access to infertility care.
The cost of a single cycle in the U.S. can run $20,000-$25,000, and many families need multiple cycles to achieve a live birth. Studies show an IVF cycle in the U.S. is 271% more expensive than the mean cost in 25 other countries.
“We want to produce babies in this country, right?” Trump said.
The U.S. fertility rate has been at or below replacement levels for more than 50 years. The official replacement rate is 2.1 births per woman. The U.S. currently sits at less than 1.7 births per woman.
And this story is not unique. All but one developed nation struggles with low birth rates. The main concern is this will eventually put a major strain on economies as fewer working-age people will be around to contribute.
That is why this campaign season, candidates are talking more about policies like free IVF and baby bonuses, and the U.S. is far behind on this train.
And in the one developed country in the world where fertility is robust, IVF is free there too.
“It’s an unlimited number of treatments, up to the second child, so long as the mother is below age 45,” Alex Weinreb, a demographer and Research Director at the Taub Center for Social Policy Studies in Israel, said. “It’s quite generous.”
Israel’s fertility rate is the envy of developed countries at 2.9 births per woman. But because its birth rate is already so high, Weinreb said free IVF has less effect.
“If Israel’s fertility was low, then the effect would be larger, but as of now, about 5% or so of births in Israel in any given year, they stem from IVF,” Weinreb said.
So why pay for the program at all? Weinreb said it is all about what the program communicates.
“I think the more important thing in Israel, or in the Israeli context, is it sends a message that the state is supporting women and men’s desire to have children,” Weinreb said.
Trump quickly took his message of free IVF to the campaign trail but with little detail on how he would pay for universal fertility treatments or force insurance companies to cover the cost.
NIH violated free speech by blocking activists’ comments, court rules
The National Institutes of Health (NIH) violated activists’ First Amendment rights when it deleted comments on the NIH Facebook and Instagram pages, according to the U.S. Court of Appeals. Animal rights activists had been posting comments to the NIH’s social media posts to advocate against animal testing.
The agency’s moderation policy prohibited “off-topic posts” and used keyword filters to hide comments containing words such as “animal,” “testing” and “cruel.” Activists’ comments were filtered out and hidden from the public.
People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals (PETA) sued, arguing the agency’s social media pages were “traditional public forums” and the government is not allowed to censor speech on the platforms.
A U.S. District Court first ruled the NIH’s content moderation restrictions were reasonable, agreeing with the agency’s claim that it was trying to avoid having social media pages inundated with repetitive “irrelevant” comments.
PETA appealed that decision and the appeals court for the D.C. Circuit made a ruling.
“The government should tread carefully when enforcing any speech restriction to ensure it is not viewpoint discriminatory and does not inappropriately censor criticism or exposure of governmental actions,” Judge Garcia wrote.
The court disagreed, however, that the social media sites were public forums, instead ruling the “NIH intended to create a forum ‘limited solely to the discussion of certain subjects,’” and that “in a limited public forum, speech restrictions may be ‘based on subject matter.’”
Processed red meats linked to increased dementia risk: Study
The evidence against ultra-processed foods just keeps stacking up. In a new study, researchers presented preliminary findings from a study that shows regularly eating processed red meat is linked to a higher risk of developing dementia later in life.
Processed red meats include things like hot dogs, bacon, sausage, salami and bologna.
Researchers tracked more than 130,000 U.S. adults for up to 43 years. They said during that time, 11,173 of those people developed dementia.
According to the study’s authors, those who ate two servings of processed red meat a week had a 14% higher risk of developing dementia than those who ate fewer servings.
Furthermore, the study found eating unprocessed red meat did not significantly increase the risk of developing dementia. Unprocessed red meats are things like steak or pork chops.
Most processed meats are classified as “ultra-processed foods,” which means they’re made with ingredients that don’t occur naturally. The most common are soy protein isolate, high fructose corn syrup, modified starches, flavorings or color additives. Many ultra-processed foods also have high levels of sugar, sodium or fat, all of which have long been known to negatively impact health.
Some of the most common ultra-processed foods are things like sodas, flavored yogurts, instant soups and most breakfast cereals. A different study published 2023 found they make up a huge part of the American diet, accounting for about 58% of children and adults’ calorie intake. These foods have been linked to health conditions like heart disease, type 2 diabetes, obesity and some types of cancer.
In recent years, several studies have linked ultra-processed foods to cognitive decline as well — not just this new study. However, researchers say while these studies show a link, they do not prove the foods directly harm the brain and not all the studies have found a consistent link.
Experts also said they are not sure exactly how ultra-processed foods would impact the brain. Still, according to the researchers, cutting down on intake of these foods is never a bad idea.
