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(CNN) — A bipartisan Senate Intelligence Committee report released Friday slammed the CIA for its treatment of patients with a mysterious ailment known as “Havana syndrome,” determining that “many individuals faced obstacles to timely and sufficient care.” The report outlines 11 recommendations for the CIA to implement to address key concerns such as a lack of an “established clear and documented policies, guidance, and criteria for how it refers AHI (anomalous health incidents) reporters to facilitated treatment programs.” The recommendations also include developing written policies for medical care and benefit programs associated with AHIs, conducting a comprehensive organizational assessment of the CIA’s response to AHIs, and reestablishing a standard post-AHI evaluation to all AHI reporters who request one. Examples of insufficient care outlined in the report included patients who “experienced delayed, denied, or pre-conditioned care,” including “long wait times to access facilitated treatment options; were denied facilitated care by a CIA care adjudication board; perceived that their access to facilitated medical care was contingent on their willingness to participate in a NIH clinical research study.” A spokesperson for the CIA told CNN that during the periods covered in the report, the agency worked to both understand the problem and investigate the “possibility that foreign actors were harming US government personnel and their families.” “In that environment, supporting our officers and their families required us to dynamically adapt our programs and processes to changing needs and circumstances. Whether, in hindsight, we could have done better is for others to evaluate, but our commitment to ensuring that our officers and their families had access to the care they needed has never wavered,” the spokesperson said, emphasizing that the agency has “no greater responsibility than to care for the health and safety of our people.” The mysterious illness first emerged in late 2016, when a cluster of diplomats stationed in the Cuban capital of Havana began reporting symptoms consistent with head trauma, including dizziness and extreme headaches. In subsequent years, there have been cases reported around the world, including clusters of at least 60 incidents in Bogota, Colombia, and Vienna, Austria. There have been about 1,500 reported cases across the US government in 96 different counties, officials said last year, but the number of reported incidents has dropped significantly in recent years. One problem facing the medical community is that there is still not a clear definition of Havana syndrome, which the government refers to as “anomalous health incidents” (AHIs). These tests were done, in some cases, long after symptoms began, making it harder to understand what physically happened. The illness and its cause have remained frustratingly opaque to both the intelligence community and the medical community. Despite long-standing speculation that the illness could have been the result of a targeted campaign by an enemy of the US, the US intelligence community said last year that it cannot link any cases to a foreign adversary, ruling it unlikely that the unexplained illness was the result of a targeted campaign by an enemy of the US. The Senate report, however, recommends that the US intelligence community should continue research as “there remain many unanswered questions about these incidents given information and research gaps.” “The IC must remain objective and must continue to actively collect intelligence: conduct analysis and pursue information that could shed light on AHI reports in general and foreign adversary emerging technologies, to include directed energy weapons in particular.” “Moreover, U.S. adversaries are likely developing directed energy technologies that may plausibly explain some of the reported symptoms community associated with AHls,” the report states. The report also denounces the CIA for halting its collection of clinical research on Havana syndrome while the Pentagon’s research efforts continue. “CIA has halted its own internal clinical research efforts related to AHIs. Specifically, the Agency stopped promoting pre-AHI baseline medical assessments in December 2021 and stopped conducting post-AHI medical assessments in January 2022. As a result, CIA may be missing out on important clinical data that could advance its understanding of AHIs,” it says. The committee also warns about the risks posed by the CIA’s lack of preparedness to respond quickly. “The Committee nevertheless assesses that CIA may not be well postured to respond to future AHI reports and to facilitate quick, accessible, high-quality medical care for those who need it, particularly in the case of another AHI cluster.” Additionally, the report lays out three recommendations for Congress to consider, including codifying into law the two Federal Employees’ Compensation Act bulletins pertaining to AHI-related claims and amending the Expanded Care Program. The findings are “based largely off testimonial evidence provided by CIA officials, other USG (US government) officials, medical professionals who provided care to AHI reporters as part of a facilitated medical care program, and AHI reporters.” The-CNN-Wire TM & © 2024 Cable News Network, Inc., a Warner Bros. Discovery Company. All rights reserved.
Minnesota hunters registered 120,675 deer after the third weekend of the firearms deer season, up 6% from 2023, but down 4% from the five-year mean, or average, the Department of Natural Resources reported Tuesday, Nov. 26. Deer Season A opened Saturday, Nov. 9, and ended Nov. 17 in 200- and 300-series deer permit areas (DPAs) and continued through Nov. 24 in 100-series DPAs, which are mainly in the northern and northeastern part of the state. ADVERTISEMENT The Season B firearms deer season in 300-series DPAs opened Nov. 23 and continues through Sunday, Dec. 1. The firearms deer harvest by region after 16 days was as follows: According to Todd Froberg, big game program coordinator for the DNR at Whitewater Wildlife Management Area in Altura, Minnesota, the harvest really only increased in the Northwest, Northeast and Central regions during the rest of the 16-day season and then in the B season in the southeast part of the state. The 200-series DPAs only had the nine-day season, and there is only one DPA in the southwest region open during the ongoing B season, Froberg said. The cumulative harvest to date, which includes archery, firearm, early antlerless, youth and special hunts, was 153,390 deer, the DNR said. That’s up 3% from 2023, but down 6% from the five-year average and down 8% from the 10-year average. Cumulative tallies by region were as follows: In related deer hunting news, Minnesota archery hunters as of Tuesday had harvested 23,047 deer, Froberg said, up 12% from last year. Crossbows, which are legal for all archery hunters in Minnesota, are making up a greater percentage of the archery harvest, Froberg says. ADVERTISEMENT “Crossbows are making up 47% of (the) archery harvest,” he said. “For crossbow-specific harvest, we are up 24% compared to last year’s crossbow harvest. Vertical bow harvest is up 4% compared to last year’s vertical bow harvest.” Minnesota’s muzzleloader opens Saturday, Nov. 30, and continues through Sunday, Dec. 15. Archery season continues through Dec. 31. The DNR posts regular harvest updates, both statewide and by DPA, on its website at dnr.state.mn.us/mammals/deer/management/statistics.html.
Kroger-Albertson's grocery tie-up unravels; Macy's reports earnings after finding $151M in hidden expensesMartin Necas scored on the power play with 2:07 remaining as the Carolina Hurricanes rallied past the Dallas Stars 6-4 on Monday night behind a five-goal third period. Shayne Gostisbehere, Brent Burns and Sebastian Aho also scored in the third for Carolina before Andrei Svechnikov added an empty-netter with 15 seconds left. Spencer Martin, in just his fourth start of the season, made 15 saves as Carolina notched its eighth straight win at home. Tyler Seguin, Thomas Harley, Mason Marchment and Miro Heiskanen had goals for Dallas. The Hurricanes led 4-3 after Gostisbehere converted the team’s first power-play chance at 8:09 of the third. Heiskanen tied it with 5:14 left, setting the stage for a wild finish. Seguin scored just 18 seconds into the game, converting off a giveaway in the Carolina zone. Seth Jarvis, back after missing seven games with an upper-body injury, pulled the Hurricanes even at 6:36 of the first with a short-handed goal.
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The Los Angeles Dodgers and Dustin May have agreed to $2.135 million to avoid arbitration, according to Fabian Ardaya of The Athletic. This settlement could pay big dividends for the current World Champions in 2025. The Dodgers and Dustin May settled at $2.135 million to avoid arbitration, sources tell The Athletic. — Fabian Ardaya (@FabianArdaya) November 22, 2024 Dodgers, Dustin May Reach Settlement to Avoid Arbitration Multiple Injuries Dustin May has some of the most electric pitches in the Los Angeles organization. However, he has had trouble staying healthy. In fact, May hasn’t seen a big league mound since the middle of 2023. The right-hander was projected to return the latter half of the 2024 season, after rehabbing from his second Tommy John surgery. Unfortunately, he had to have emergency surgery to repair a torn esophagus, sidelining him for the rest of the year. Options for 2025 The Dodgers are planning to go for a six-man starting rotation for the 2025 season. This would be a response to the avalanche of injuries the Dodgers pitchers experienced this year It would not only limit the amount of innings for Tyler Glasnow , Clayton Kershaw , and Shohei Ohtani , who will all be coming off injuries. The strategy will also preserve the regular five days of rest for Yoshinobu Yamamoto and, perhaps Roki Sasaki , should he choose to sign with Los Angeles . It is not hard to see this plan benefiting May as well. Another Scenario With May’s filthy arsenal, one could also easily envision a spot in the bullpen for the right-hander. The run on his sinker and the drop on his breaking ball is a devastating combination. The Dodgers could use a high-leverage right arm in the late innings of ballgames, given that Daniel Hudson announced his retirement . Blake Treinen and Joe Kelly are also free agents and may choose to go elsewhere. Brusdar Graterol will miss the first half of 2025 coming off shoulder surgery . If May is healthy and anywhere near as effective as he has shown he can be, the Dodgers have to be elated that the right-hander will be an available weapon at their disposal. The only question left is, where will he be deployed? This article first appeared on Last Word On Sports and was syndicated with permission.LeBron James and the NBA are going to have make room for the NFL on Christmas. That shouldn’t be a problem. Both leagues were winners on Wednesday. Netflix set records as the most-streamed NFL games in U.S. history while the NBA had its best holiday numbers in five years according to Nielsen. The NFL and Nielsen said 65 million U.S. viewers tuned in for at least one minute of one of the two NFL games. The Baltimore Ravens’ 31-2 victory over the Houston Texans averaged 24.3 million while Kansas City’s 29-10 win at Pittsburgh averaged 24.1 according to early viewer figures released by Nielsen on Thursday. The NBA’s five-game slate averaged about 5.25 million viewers per game across ABC, ESPN and its platforms, according to the league and Nielsen. “I love the NFL,” James jokingly said in his televised postgame interview Wednesday night. “But Christmas is our day.” However, Wednesday’s ratings showed that there is room for both. Even though the NBA had the sports calendar to itself on Dec. 25 for many years, the NFL has made Christmas one of its tentpole events during the regular season, joining Kickoff Weekend and Thanksgiving. Hans Schroeder, the executive vice president of NFL Media, took James’ comments in jest while also being joyful about the first season of the league’s three-year partnership with Netflix. “The numbers speak for themselves and LeBron can have his own view, and I’m sure more people will look at that because of this,” he said. “But, you know, we’re focused on the NFL and we’re thrilled with the results this year with the Christmas on Netflix and we’re excited to continue to build that over the next couple of years.” Both NFL games surpassed the previous mark of 23 million for last season’s AFC wild-card game between the Miami Dolphins and Chiefs on Peacock. Viewership for Ravens-Texans peaked with the Beyoncé Bowl. The nearly 13-minute halftime performance averaged over 27 million viewers. The viewer figures include the audience on Netflix, mobile viewership on NFL+ and those who tuned in on CBS stations in Pittsburgh, Kansas City, Baltimore and Houston. Global ratings and final U.S. numbers are expected to be available on Tuesday. The NFL’s Christmas numbers decreased from last season, but not at the rate that usually happens when programming goes from broadcast to streaming. Last year’s three games averaged 28.68 million viewers. The early afternoon contest between the Las Vegas Raiders and Chiefs led the way, averaging 29.48 million on CBS. Once global and Netflix’s first-party data is released, both Christmas games are expected to surpass 30 million. The games were the second- and third-most popular live titles in Netflix history, surpassed only by the Nov, 14 fight between Jake Paul and Mike Tyson. That bout averaged a worldwide audience of 60 million and peaked at 65 million concurrent streams, including 38 million concurrent streams in the United States. There will be at least two NFL games on Christmas next year, but with the holiday falling on a Thursday it is more likely to be three with two afternoon and one prime time. The NFL has had three Thanksgiving Day games since 2006. One of the biggest wins for Netflix on Wednesday: fewer streaming complaints it received. It seems the only gripe from most was that the stream did not immediately go to live action if someone tuned in after the game started. Bela Bajaria, Netflix’s chief content officer, said in statement about the Chistmas broadcasts that the streaming service is thankful for the partnership with the NFL, the on-air talent, and “let’s please not forget the electrifying Beyoncé and the brilliant Mariah Carey.” Beyoncé’s performance was trending number one worldwide socially on X , formerly known as Twitter. The hashtag #NFLonNetflix also trended around the world, reaching a peak of second in Australia, third in the United Kingdom and Germany, fifth in Brazil and France, and sixth in the U.S. The NBA felt it had a banner day, announcing Thursday that all five Christmas games on its schedule — San Antonio at New York in Victor Wembanyama’s holiday debut, Minnesota at Dallas, Philadelphia at Boston, Denver at Phoenix and Lakers-Warriors — saw year-over-year viewership increases. The NBA’s lineup saw an 84% rise over 2023. One reason for the increase is that all five games were on ABC, compared to two last year. The Lakers’ 115-113 victory over the Warriors — a game pitting Olympic teammates James and Stephen Curry — averaged 7.76 million viewers and peaked with about 8.32 million viewers toward the end of the contest, the league said. Those numbers represent the most-watched NBA regular season game in five years. Wednesday’s numbers pushed NBA viewership for the season across ESPN platforms to up 4% over last season. The league also saw more than 500 million video views on its social media platforms Wednesday, a new record. For the NBA, those are all good signs amid cries that NBA viewership is hurting. “Ratings are down a bit at beginning of the season. But cable television viewership is down double digits so far this year versus last year,” NBA Commissioner Adam Silver said earlier this month. “You know, we’re almost at the inflection point where people are watching more programing on streaming than they are on traditional television. And it’s a reason why for our new television deals, which we enter into next year, every game is going to be available on a streaming service.” Part of that new package of television deals that the NBA is entering into next season also increases the number of regular season games broadcast on television from 15 to 75. Under the 11-year agreement, ESPN and ABC will continue air the Christmas Day games.
LOS ANGELES (AP) — The Biden administration plans on reducing part of Intel’s $8.5 billion in federal funding for computer chip plants around the country, according to three people familiar with the grant who spoke on the condition of anonymity to discuss private conversations. The reduction is largely a byproduct of the $3 billion that Intel is also receiving to provide computer chips to the military. President Joe Biden announced the agreement to provide Intel with up to $8.5 billion in direct funding and $11 billion in loans in March. The changes to Intel’s funding are not related to the company’s financial record or milestones, the people familiar with the grant told The Associated Press. In August, the chipmaker announced that it would cut 15% of its workforce — about 15,000 jobs — in an attempt to turn its business around to compete with more successful rivals like Nvidia and AMD. Unlike some of its rivals, Intel manufactures chips in addition to designing them. Two years ago, President Biden hailed Intel as a job creator with its plans to open a new plant near Columbus, Ohio. The president praised the company for plans to “build a workforce of the future” for the $20 billion project, which he said would generate 7,000 construction jobs and 3,000 full-time jobs set to pay an average of $135,000 a year. RELATED COVERAGE Nvidia replaces Intel on the Dow index in AI-driven shift for semiconductor industry Intel scores fresh win against EU after top court backs annulment of billion-euro antitrust fine The California-based tech giant’s funding is tied to a sweeping 2022 law that President Biden has celebrated and which is designed to revive U.S. semiconductor manufacturing. Known as the CHIPS and Science Act , the $280 billion package is aimed at sharpening the U.S. edge in military technology and manufacturing while minimizing the kinds of supply disruptions that occurred in 2021, after the start of the coronavirus pandemic, when a shortage of chips stalled factory assembly lines and fueled inflation . The Biden administration helped shepherd the legislation following pandemic-era concerns that the loss of access to chips made in Asia could plunge the U.S. economy into recession. When pushing for the investment, lawmakers expressed concern about efforts by China to control Taiwan, which accounts for more than 90% of advanced computer chip production. In August, the administration pledged to provide up to $6.6 billion so that a Taiwanese semiconductor giant could expand the facilities it is already building in Arizona and better ensure that the most advanced microchips are produced domestically for the first time. The Commerce Department said the funding for Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Co. meant the company could expand on its existing plans for two facilities in Phoenix and add a third, newly announced production hub. The administration has promised tens of billions of dollars to support construction of U.S. chip foundries and reduce reliance on Asian suppliers, which Washington sees as a security weakness. _____ Boak reported from Washington.President of Ireland leads tributes to former government minister Gemma HusseyNone
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