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Grandkids already have lots of “stuff.” As the holidays approach, consider a gift that keeps on giving, that being a monetary contribution to a post-high school education fund. Said funds can be used for college, trade school, specialized training, all related to preparing your grandchildren for gaining skills to enable them to find long-term meaningful employment. Employers hire new people to fulfill specific needs within their organizations. Speaking for myself, having a B.A. degree in economics provided a macro understanding of how the economy works. However, to be able to communicate with employees and supervisors in a plant production arena, I took many short courses in science, technology, engineering and math-related subjects to acquire enough knowledge to fully understand the big picture and to be able to surround myself with people with the skill levels I needed (and knew had to be more advanced than my own to make plant operation successful). Bottom line: Education has to continue well beyond high school and even college. I would interview applicants with more “degrees” than a thermometer, but depth of knowledge was often lacking. Wiring a house is not the same as wiring a control panel with a maze of integrated circuitry. Give the gift that keeps on giving. King Embry, Winnetka Shooting down words of war The new Cook County state’s attorney compared Chicago’s gun violence to a “war zone.” Maybe Eileen O’Neill Burke should go on a fact-finding mission to Ukraine. Is it the duty of every elected official to exaggerate the problems they face? (See Mayor Brandon Johnson’s disingenuous performance.) She can follow her statement by blaming the last state’s attorney, taking another page out of Johnson’s playbook. O’Neill Burke’s statement was an insult to the service people who have been in a real war zone. Kevin Berg, Fox Lake More pardons needed to Trump-proof country I 100% agree with the pardon of Hunter Biden and here’s why. The Republicans investigated him for the last two years of the Trump administration and found nothing. They have trashed him for the last six years in the press and for the last two years, the Republican-majority House has tried everything but to tar and feather Joe Biden and came up with nothing. So, let’s look at the charges Hunter Biden was convicted of. Number one: the gun that he had illegally for 11 days. The fact is the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives rarely has brought charges against a single person for the purchase of a single gun. Number two: tax issues. He cheated on his taxes (Yes. So has Donald Trump). He’s paid his back taxes and his late charges, so fine him and move on. This entire thing has been 100% political ploy. If I were President Biden, I would issue a pardon to every Cabinet member and their top assistants across the board. I would pardon retired General Mark Milley and all of the members of the Joint Chiefs of Staff. I would issue a pardon for every executive level employee in the justice, defense, education, energy and border protection departments, Environmental Protection Agency, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention and of course, Dr. Anthony Fauci. If this doesn’t go far enough to stop Trump’s witch hunt, I would issue a blanket pardon for the entire federal government. With this out of his way, Trump can make America great again. Jeffery Carr, Carol Stream Too many guns How did we get to be a country where we put up with travesties like a police officer’s being fatally shot near the Oak Park Public Library at 9:30 a.m.? Where we live in terror whenever our kids go outside or, even scarier, go to school? Where people value their guns over human life? And many folks erroneously think these guns make them safer. Somehow I don’t think this is what the Founding Fathers had in mind. Deborah Donovan, Berwyn A new pledge to the flag Since the Supreme Court granted Donald Trump immunity from the law, thus rendering him lawless, and should he escape punishment for his felonies because of his money, I propose a new Pledge of Allegiance: I pledge allegiance to the flag of the United States of America and to the plutocracy for which it stands: One nation under God, with liberty only for those who can obtain and retain more wealth for themselves, with freedom from governmental regulation, from equality, and from justice for all others. Marion J. Reis, Lombard Ohtani would make fewer errors in the Oval Office While the concept of “ Golden At-Bats” seems preposterous in the traditional game of baseball, it’s not without some merit elsewhere. For instance, maybe the next time Donald Trump brings up tariffs or tax cuts for the wealthy, maybe Shohei Ohtani can be announced as a designated decision-maker. After all, the Japanese superstar has succeeded at everything else, why not global economics as well? Bob Ory, Elgin
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Police say suspect in UnitedHealthcare CEO killing wasn't a client of the insurerArts quango that funded porn film handed extra £28million of YOUR money in SNP Budget Creative Scotland will be subject to a review after a series of controversies They include funding a sex film and 'censoring' gender-critical feminists Click here to visit the Scotland home page for the latest news and sport By GEORGIA EDKINS SCOTTISH POLITICAL EDITOR FOR THE MAIL ON SUNDAY Published: 18:42 GMT, 7 December 2024 | Updated: 18:48 GMT, 7 December 2024 e-mail View comments Scotland's beleaguered arts quango has landed a windfall from the SNP ’s disastrous Budget – despite facing criticism for funding a pornographic sex show. Creative Scotland received a £28 million public cash boost on Wednesday, even though it is understood to be facing the axe. The arts body will be at the centre of a government review after it was found to have funded a porn film. It is also alleged to have censored gender-critical feminists. Artists have lined up to condemn Creative Scotland as ‘secretive’ and ‘ideologically driven’, while Harry Potter author JK Rowling said it was rife with ‘illiberalism and cronyism’. Finance Secretary Shona Robison appeared to disregard such concerns as she delivered her Budget last week. Official documents show it will receive £80 million next year, compared to £51.4 million this year. Last night a writer who was targeted by a member of Creative Scotland’s staff over her gender- critical views hit out at the move. Harry Potter author JK Rowling slammed the ‘illiberalism and cronyism' at Creative Scotland Jenny Lindsay, author of Hounded: Women, Harms and the Gender Wars, said: ‘I welcome the funding boost to the sector. ‘But without significant reform and engagement with those of us who have been highlighting our concerns about the climate of fear and self-censorship around certain issues, this will be a lost opportunity. 'What is actually happening with the proposed review?’ Scottish Tory culture spokesman Murdo Fraser said: ‘Given the controversy surrounding funding Creative Scotland, SNP Ministers must ensure they deliver value for money for the taxpayer. ‘It is just common sense that taxpayer funds shouldn’t have been squandered on a porn film at a time when the SNP’s financial incompetence has left Scotland’s finances in a shocking state.’ In September, Culture Secretary Angus Robertson announced a review of Creative Scotland to ‘ensure its operations are optimal to the needs of the culture sector’. This came in the wake of Mail on Sunday investigations which uncovered concerns over alleged mismanagement at the quango. We disclosed how an employee tasked with helping authors tried to prevent at least one bookshop from stocking Ms Lindsay’s book as she deemed it transphobic. Another incident involved arts worker Rosie Aspinall Priest, who is the partner of a Creative Scotland official who helps make decisions on grants for projects. Poet Jenny Lindsay has called for reform of the arts quango after she was targeted for her views Scottish Conservative Murdo Fraser has demanded the body deliver value for the taxpayer She accused David Greig – the artistic director of Edinburgh’s Royal Lyceum Theatre – of voicing support for allegedly transphobic views on social media posts, while he was awaiting the outcome of a funding application. Click here to visit the Scotland home page for the latest news and sport Advertisement Earlier this year, Creative Scotland handed £84,000 of public money to a sex show. After an outcry over the decision, bosses claimed there had been confusion over ‘terminology’ used in the funding process. They said the application by the film’s director Leonie Rae Gasson did not make clear live sex acts would be featured – despite the mention of ‘genital contact’ – but agreed to withdraw the funding. Mr Robertson last week said the review into the quango will begin early next year and will aim to publish its recommendations in the summer. A government source previously said: ‘This will not be a review to fix Creative Scotland – Creative Scotland is over.’ Creative Scotland last night welcomed the funding boost. A Scottish Government spokesman said: ‘It is routine for public bodies to undergo reviews and while that process is ongoing we expect their work to continue.’ SNP Share or comment on this article: Arts quango that funded porn film handed extra £28million of YOUR money in SNP Budget e-mail Add comment
Unlike scores of people who scrambled for the blockbuster drugs Ozempic and Wegovy to lose weight in recent years, Danielle Griffin had no trouble getting them. The 38-year-old information technology worker from New Mexico had a prescription. Her pharmacy had the drugs in stock. And her health insurance covered all but $25 to $50 of the monthly cost. For Griffin, the hardest part of using the new drugs wasn’t access. It was finding out that the much-hyped medications didn’t really work for her. “I have been on Wegovy for a year and a half and have only lost 13 pounds,” said Griffin, who watches her diet, drinks plenty of water and exercises regularly. “I’ve done everything right with no success. It’s discouraging.” In clinical trials, most participants taking Wegovy or Mounjaro to treat obesity lost an average of 15% to 22% of their body weight — up to 50 pounds or more in many cases. But roughly 10% to 15% of patients in those trials were “nonresponders” who lost less than 5% of their body weight. Now that millions of people have used the drugs, several obesity experts told The Associated Press that perhaps 20% of patients — as many as 1 in 5 — may not respond well to the medications. It's a little-known consequence of the obesity drug boom, according to doctors who caution eager patients not to expect one-size-fits-all results. “It's all about explaining that different people have different responses,” said Dr. Fatima Cody Stanford, an obesity expert at Massachusetts General Hospital The drugs are known as GLP-1 receptor agonists because they mimic a hormone in the body known as glucagon-like peptide 1. Genetics, hormones and variability in how the brain regulates energy can all influence weight — and a person's response to the drugs, Stanford said. Medical conditions such as sleep apnea can prevent weight loss, as can certain common medications, such as antidepressants, steroids and contraceptives. “This is a disease that stems from the brain,” said Stanford. “The dysfunction may not be the same” from patient to patient. Despite such cautions, patients are often upset when they start getting the weekly injections but the numbers on the scale barely budge. “It can be devastating,” said Dr. Katherine Saunders, an obesity expert at Weill Cornell Medicine and co-founder of the obesity treatment company FlyteHealth. “With such high expectations, there’s so much room for disappointment.” That was the case for Griffin, who has battled obesity since childhood and hoped to shed 70 pounds using Wegovy. The drug helped reduce her appetite and lowered her risk of diabetes, but she saw little change in weight. “It’s an emotional roller coaster,” she said. “You want it to work like it does for everybody else.” The medications are typically prescribed along with eating behavior and lifestyle changes. It’s usually clear within weeks whether someone will respond to the drugs, said Dr. Jody Dushay, an endocrine specialist at Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center. Weight loss typically begins right away and continues as the dosage increases. For some patients, that just doesn't happen. For others, side effects such as nausea, vomiting and diarrhea force them to halt the medications, Dushay said. In such situations, patients who were counting on the new drugs to pare pounds may think they’re out of options. “I tell them: It's not game over,” Dushay said. Trying a different version of the new class of drugs may help. Griffin, who didn't respond well to Wegovy, has started using Zepbound, which targets an additional hormone pathway in the body. After three months of using the drug, she has lost 7 pounds. “I'm hoping it's slow and steady,” she said. Other people respond well to older drugs, the experts said. Changing diet, exercise, sleep and stress habits can also have profound effects. Figuring out what works typically requires a doctor trained to treat obesity, Saunders noted. “Obesity is such a complex disease that really needs to be treated very comprehensively,” she said. “If what we’re prescribing doesn’t work, we always have a backup plan.”Christmas travel hell warning as Labour’s huge pay rise for train drivers means FEWER will work over the holidays
By Jody Godoy (Reuters) – Andrew Ferguson, President-elect Donald Trump’s pick to chair the U.S. Federal Trade Commission, has expressed the desire to go after Big Tech companies while taking a hands-off approach to regulating artificial intelligence. Ferguson’s views on social media, data privacy, AI and the need to boost American competitiveness are likely to affect the regulator’s approach to companies including Meta Platforms, Microsoft and Alphabet’s Google. Here are some of the views Ferguson has expressed in statements during his term as an FTC commissioner which began in April and ends in 2030. ARTIFICIAL INTELLIGENCE The “pro-regulation side of the AI debate” is “the wrong one,” Ferguson said. “A knee-jerk regulatory response will only squelch innovation, further entrench Big Tech incumbents, and ensure that AI innovators move to jurisdictions friendlier to them — but perhaps hostile to the United States,” he said in a September statement on the FTC’s report on social media. The report called for comprehensive legislation to protect users’ data and prevent AI from perpetuating discrimination. ONLINE PRIVACY Ferguson has described the vast collection, aggregation and indefinite storage of data on social media and internet users in the U.S. as an “online privacy crisis” that regulators should focus on. However, he has warned against regulating how such information is used to target advertising. “If regulators and lawmakers attempt to ban or seriously curtail targeted advertising, they will be undoing the balance of the online economy,” he said. CONTENT MODERATION POLICIES Ferguson has criticized social media platforms for instituting “Orwellian policies banning nebulous categories of content like ‘misinformation,’ ‘disinformation,’ and ‘hate speech.'” The FTC could take action against social media platforms if their terms of service misled users about content moderation policies. With more transparent policies, users could decide if they want to stay on the platforms, Ferguson said in December. “But the choice would be real only if there are suitable free-speech-respecting substitutes to the censorious platforms,” Ferguson said, praising Elon Musk’s “unusually firm commitment to free and open debate” after the billionaire took over social media platform X. PLATFORM COLLABORATION ON CONTENT Ferguson has expressed concern that social media platforms may have coordinated in banning Trump in 2021, taking down posts they deemed harmful during the COVID-19 pandemic, and restricting dissemination of stories about Hunter Biden’s laptop computer. “If the platforms colluded amongst each other to set shared censorship policies, such an agreement would be tantamount to an agreement not to compete on contract terms or product quality,” which would violate antitrust laws, Ferguson said. ADVERTISER COORDINATION Coordination between advertisers to pull money from platforms such as X over content concerns could violate antitrust laws, Ferguson said. The World Federation of Advertisers’ Global Alliance for Responsible Media, which was formed to help advertisers avoid their ads being placed next to harmful content on social media, shut down after X sued, accusing it of facilitating group boycotts. Ferguson has said the FTC could investigate similar efforts. KIDS AND TEENS ONLINE Congress should pass a law that would require online service providers to give parents more control over children’s online privacy, Ferguson said. “Congress should empower parents to impose whatever level of supervision and control over internet messaging they feel is right for their family and their children,” he said. (Reporting by Jody Godoy in New York; Editing by Matthew Lewis) Disclaimer: This report is auto generated from the Reuters news service. ThePrint holds no responsibility for its content. var ytflag = 0;var myListener = function() {document.removeEventListener('mousemove', myListener, false);lazyloadmyframes();};document.addEventListener('mousemove', myListener, false);window.addEventListener('scroll', function() {if (ytflag == 0) {lazyloadmyframes();ytflag = 1;}});function lazyloadmyframes() {var ytv = document.getElementsByClassName("klazyiframe");for (var i = 0; i < ytv.length; i++) {ytv[i].src = ytv[i].getAttribute('data-src');}} Save my name, email, and website in this browser for the next time I comment. Δ document.getElementById( "ak_js_1" ).setAttribute( "value", ( new Date() ).getTime() );
Biden opens final White House holiday season with turkey pardons and first lady gets Christmas tree
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