NEWARK, N.J. – A New York man admitted his role in a scheme to defraud Medicare and Medicaid by submitting falsified prescriptions, U.S. Attorney Alina Habba announced today.
Thomas Conzo, 49, of Staten Island, New York, pleaded guilty today, before U.S. District Judge Michael A. Shipp in Trenton federal court to an information charging him with one count of health care fraud.
According to documents filed in the case and statements made in court:
Defendant Thomas Conzo owned and operated Elite Pharmacy, a specialty pharmacy located in Linden, New Jersey. From August 2022 through March 2023, Conzo submitted hundreds of thousands of dollars of fraudulent claims for prescriptions to health care benefit programs, including Medicare and Medicaid, on behalf of Elite Pharmacy. Conzo used the credentials of pharmacists who did not work at Elite Pharmacy or otherwise review, sign, or authorize those prescriptions.
The charge of health care fraud is punishable by a maximum potential penalty of 10 years in prison and a fine of $250,000, or twice the gross profit or loss caused by the offense, whichever is greatest. Sentencing is scheduled for December 4, 2025.
U.S. Attorney Habba credited special agents of the U.S. Postal Inspection Service in Newark, under the direction of Inspector in Charge Christopher A. Nielsen, Philadelphia Division; special agents of the Internal Revenue Service – Criminal Investigation, under the direction of Special Agent in Charge Jenifer Piovesan in Newark; and special agents of the Federal Bureau of Investigation, under the direction of Acting Special Agent in Charge Stefanie Roddy, with the investigation leading to the charges.
The government is represented by Assistant U.S. Attorney George Brandley of the Health Care Fraud and Opioids Enforcement Unit in Newark.
Jefferson City — Today, Governor Mike Kehoe announced eleven appointments to various boards and commissions and filled one county vacancy.
Beth Banker, of Kansas City, was reappointed to the Child Abuse and Neglect Board.
Ms. Banker is the clinical director for the Child Protection Center. She previously served as an art therapist and consultant at Operation Breakthrough. An active member of her community, Banker serves on the American Professional Society on the Abuse of Children (APSAC) and the Missouri Juvenile Justice Advisory Group. Banker earned a master’s degree in social work from Boston University.
Cary Corley, Ph.D., of Lee’s Summit, was appointed to the Committee of Professional Counselors.
Mr. Corley is currently the owner and clinical director of Corley Counseling, LLC. He previously served as a counselor for Peace Partnership, a non-profit counseling center. Dr. Corley is an active member of his community, serving as a Sunday school and leadership institute teacher, marriage counselor, and seminar speaker at Abundant Life Church. He is also a member of his Homeowners Association Elections Committee. Mr. Lee earned his Doctorate of Counseling Psychology from Midwestern College.
Sarah Chapman, from Auxvasse, was appointed as the student representative to the Southeast Missouri State University Board of Governors.
Ms. Chapman is a student ambassador for Southeast Missouri State University Admissions. She is a member of the Student Government Association and the National Society of Leadership and Success. Chapman is currently pursuing a double major in english and music at Southeast Missouri State University.
Jeffery Davis, of Wardsville, was appointed to the Southeast Missouri State University Board of Governors.
Mr. Davis is the executive director of Government Affairs for BNSF Railway. He previously served as the commissioner and chairman of the Missouri Public Service Commission. Davis is an active member of his community, serving on the Missouri Railroad Association and the Missouri Chamber of Commerce. Davis earned his Bachelor of Arts in Political Science from Southeast Missouri State University.
Lee Harris, Ph.D., of Independence, was appointed to the Committee of ProfessionalCounselors.
Mr. Lee is the owner and therapist at AHA Mental Health. Harris also serves as the program manager of Adult and Family Services for ReDiscover, a nonprofit community mental health center that provides comprehensive programs and services for adults and children. He previously served as a program supervisor at the Child Abuse Prevention Association. Lee his Doctorate of Behavioral Health from Arizona State University.
Todd Hays, of Monroe City, was reappointed to the Missouri State Fair Commission.
Mr. Hays is a fifth-generation farmer operating a farrow-to-finish hog operation and row crop farm. He is an active member of his community, currently serving as vice president of the Missouri Farm Bureau and Monroe City Agri-Leaders, and previously served on the Monroe City Fair Board for over 15 years. Hays holds an Associate of Arts in Business Marketing from Moberly Area Community College.
Jared Hill, of Kansas City, was appointed to the MissouriState Fair Commission.
Mr. Hill is the president and owner of Mainline Services LLC, a railroad maintenance and emergency services company. Prior to Mainline, Hill served as the president of HB Trucking LLC. He is a member of the Platte County Fair Board, working tirelessly to promote agricultural education, youth programs, and community events. Hill is also an active member of Eagle Scout Troop 249.
Megan Hill, of Marble Hill, was appointed as the Bollinger County Clerk.
Ms. Hill previously served as the deputy recorder of deeds for the Bollinger County Courthouse before stepping in as the county clerk in an interim capacity. Prior to public service, she worked as an accounting manager at SEMO Options Inc. Hill earned a Bachelor of Science in Business Management from National American University.
Matthew Kliethermes, Ph.D, of Maryland Heights, was reappointed to the Child Abuse and Neglect Review Board.
Mr. Kliethermes is a clinical professor at the University of Missouri – St. Louis, serving as the training director for the Children’s Advocacy Services of Greater St. Louis. A leader in his field, he serves on several boards including the American Psychological Association and the National Child Traumatic Stress Network. Kliethermes earned his doctorate in clinical psychology from St. Louis University.
Monica Lyle, of St. James, was appointed to the Child Abuse and Neglect Review Board.
Ms. Lyle is a counselor for the Salem R-80 School District. She previously served as a counselor for the Rolla #31 School District and the director of education for Perimeter of Missouri. Lyle has been highly involved in several professional organizations, including the American School Counselor Association and the Missouri School Counselor Association. Lyle earned a master’s degree in counseling from Missouri Baptist University.
Lesia Shelton, of Buffalo, was reappointed to the Governor’s Council on Disability.
Ms. Shelton provides specialized employment services for the deaf and hard of hearing at Preferred Family Healthcare. An engaged member of her community, she serves as a member of the Deaf Awareness Group of Southwest Missouri and volunteers for the Dallas County Sheriff’s Posse. Shelton is a licensed Missouri Interpreter for the Deaf and Hard of Hearing.
Jonathan Truesdale, of Raymore City, was appointed to the Lincoln University Board of Curators.
Mr. Truesdale is an attorney at Truesdale Law, LLC in the Greater Kansas City area, specializing in criminal defense, probate law, and personal injury. He previously served as an attorney for Maryland Office of Public Defense. In addition to his professional career, Truesdale is a member of the Mercury Club of Kansas City. Truesdale earned his Juris Doctor from The Ohio State University Moritz College of Law.
This summer four soon-to-be medical students in UConn School of Medicine’s Class of 2029 had the inaugural opportunity to participate in the longstanding Summer Research Fellowship Program of the Health Career Opportunity Programs.
Class of 2029’s Bria Slater with her summer research poster (John Atashian Photo/ UConn Health – July 17, 2025).
“This is the first time we have ever had incoming medical students join our summer research program,” said Dr. Marja Hurley, founding director and associate dean of the Health Career Opportunity Programs (HCOP) and its Aetna Health Professions Partnership Initiative. “This is a great opportunity for the new medical students to make some connections and maybe even decide to later go back and do more research in the faculty mentor’s lab.”
The incoming members of the Class of 2029 were thrilled to present their summer research posters outside the Academic Rotunda on July 17 and cannot wait for medical school at UConn!
Bria Slater, 22, hails from Atlanta, Georgia and believes attending UConn medical school is meant to be.
UConn SOM Class of 2029 student Bria Slater discussing her summer research (John Atashian Photo/UConn Health – July 17, 2025).
“It’s fate. UConn came out of the blue,” applauded Slater of the medical school’s communication outreach, and she is already bleeding UConn blue even before medical school officially starts in August.
“UConn is a very supportive environment and where faculty will have your back. That sealed the deal,” says Slater about her decision to choose UConn School of Medicine. “I’m excited to be a part of this community! I’m looking forward to meeting my peers.”
Slater’s summer research experience at UConn was “amazing” she exclaimed in the exciting neuroscience research lab of Feliks Trakhtenberg, Ph.D., assistant professor in the Department of Neuroscience.
Her research focused on further testing as a local treatment of a promising developed fibronectin (Fn)-based peptide in mice to promote possible axon regeneration for spinal cord injury. Trakhtenberg’s Lab has previously shown that the peptide promotes axon regeneration in injured optic nerves of mice.
Slater looks forward to pursing her interest in neurology, concluding, “I can see myself doing this for the rest of my career.”
Incoming UConn medical student Sophia Fernandes (John Atashian Photo/UConn Health – July 17, 2025).
Sophia Fernandes, 25, from Lincoln, Rhode Island is entering the SOM Class of 2029. She was paired for her summer research experience with Dr.Dyanne Tappin, assistant professor of Obstetrics and Gynecology.
“I’ve had a great summer research experience. Dr. Tappin has been a great resource,” says Fernandes. “I have had an interest in maternal health disparities. Black women are two times more susceptible to Perinatal Mood and Anxiety Disorders. I had no idea before doing this research!”
Her summer research identified gaps in access to Perinatal Mental Health care in Hartford County and made recommendations for care improvements, especially for those in minority communities.
She is excited to get underway at the School of Medicine as a medical student.
“I chose UConn for its supportive environment and HCOP. It’s such a good resource,” Fernandes stated.
Christopher Morales, 23, of Derby, Connecticut is also soon entering the School of Medicine Class 2029 and is already feeling at home at UConn’s medical school.
“I love this place,” says Morales. “I found a medical school where I already feel comfortable. Everyone here is wonderful!”
Class of 2029 Christopher Morales presenting his summer research findings. He already loves UConn’s medical school (John Atashian Photo/UConn Health – July 17, 2025).
Morales first learned about HCOP’s opportunities during his medical school interview process.
“I was an immediate yes,” he says to attending UConn. “I love the medical school’s programming of team-based learning and early patient care experiences in the CLIC program. I love working with patients.” In fact, Morales worked for two years in the ophthalmology care field before medical school.
His mother immigrated to the U.S. from Brazil and Morales is proudly the first generation in his family to gradate college, and now to go on to medical school.
Christopher Morales’ summer research faculty mentor Alice Burghard, Ph.D., assistant professor of Neuroscience (center) with fellow mentor Dr. Dyanne Tappin, assistant professor of Obstetrics and Gynecology (left) and Dr. Marja Hurley, founder and director of HCOP (right). (John Atashian Photo/UConn Health – July 17, 2025).
“I never thought I would be here,” says Morales. “I am very grateful.”
He looks forward to donning his medical school white coat on Friday, August 22 at the traditional White Coat Ceremony held for new medical students at UConn School of Medicine.
Morales loves exploring all about the central nervous system and knows he wants to be a teaching physician someday, so UConn’s academic medical center is a “perfect fit” for him to learn.
His summer research mentor is Alice Burghard, Ph.D., assistant professor of Neuroscience who also enjoyed mentoring Morales and says, “I’m very happy about the study findings.”
In mouse models Morales examined the age and sex differences when it comes to susceptibility to hearing loss due to sound exposure. Interestingly, he found that young females were the most resilient to noise exposure.
“It’s surreal, I’m excited,” says Dany Skaf, 25, from Florida about getting ready to attend UConn for medical school.
Excited Class of 2029 incoming med student Dany Skaf presenting his summer research findings from Dr. Francesco Celi’s Lab. (John Atashian Photo/UConn Health – July 17, 2025).
UConn’s medical school has been on his radar. During COVID-19 in 2020 his in-person HCOP summer research program experience turned virtual due to the pandemic concerns.
But he finally had his chance to participate in the HCOP summer research program in-person in the lab of Chair of the Department of Medicine and endocrinology physician-scientist Dr. Francesco Celi. In Celi’s Lab this summer Skaf helped successfully create a Fibroblast Growth Factor 2 Flox AdipoCre mice colony for further study of the key protein, performed genotype testing, and to further explore the protein’s impact on metabolism, especially for diabetes. As the protein increases one’s likelihood of developing diabetes.
“I hope to continue working on this research. Hopefully, this research opens the door to potentially help improve insulin resistance and to prevent diseases like diabetes and obesity,” says Skaf.
There was a big turnout for the HCOP summer research program poster presentations on July 17, 2025 outside the Academic Rotunda (John Atashian Photo/UConn Health – July 17, 2025).
Congratulations to all the student summer researchers and presenters in both the Summer Research Fellowship Program and the Health Disparities Clinical Summer Research Fellowship Program.
In his remarks, the Secretary-General celebrated the extraordinary life of the South African civil rights icon, affectionately known by his Khosa clan name, Madiba.
“He endured the brutal weight of oppression, and emerged not with a vision of vengeance and division – but of reconciliation, peace and unity,” Mr. Guterres said.
“Today, Madiba’s legacy is now our responsibility. We must carry forward his commitment to peace, justice and human dignity.”
To honour this legacy, the UN chief awarded the annual Nelson Mandela Prize to two individuals who reflect the late leader’s commitment to peace and collective action, and this year’s theme of combating poverty and inequity: Brenda Reynolds of Canada and Kennedy Odede of Kenya.
Brenda Reynolds: turning pain into action
Brenda Reynolds is a Saulteaux member from Fishing Lake First Nation in Canada, and as a social worker she has spent decades advancing Indigenous rights, mental health and trauma-informed care.
“There are many parallels to what we had experienced in both our countries, where the governments made impacted policies to change who we are, to face oppression, to face violations of human rights in our countries,” Ms. Reynolds said in her acceptance speech.
In 1988, she supported 17 teenage girls in the first residential school sexual abuse case in Saskatchewan.
“These charges were the beginning of other disclosures that came from across Canada from survivors speaking about their sexual abuse experiences. Those charges and the disclosures became the largest class action lawsuit to date in Canada,” known as Canada’s Indian Residential Schools Settlement Agreement, she explained.
Afterwards, she became a special adviser to the Truth and Reconciliation Commission and developed the Indian Residential School Resolution Health Support Program – both created by the agreement – helping shape survivor support and trauma responses nationwide.
Kennedy Odede: from slums to CEO
After growing up in Kenya’s Kibera Slum, Kennedy Odede went from living on the street to global recognition when he was named one of TIME magazine’s 2024 100 Most Influential People and became a New York Times bestselling author.
“At ten years old, fleeing domestic violence, I joined the ranks of Nairobi’s street children. One day I stole a mango because I was starving. A mob gathered to beat me dead, until a stranger stepped forward, paid for that mango, and in that single act of grace, showed me that kindness could interrupt cycles of violence,” Mr. Odede recounted in his acceptance speech.
He began his journey as an activist by saving his meagre factory earnings to buy a soccer ball and bring his community together.
“That ball was not just for play; it was a tool for organising. A centre around which a community could form,” he said.
This soon grew into Shining Hope for Communities (SHOFCO), the largest grassroots movement in Kenya he now leads as CEO. SHOFCO operates across the country, empowering local groups and delivering vital services to over 4 million people annually.
“Mandela showed all of us at SHOFCO, that leadership is not a privilege reserved for those born to power. It belongs to anyone willing to serve and look within.”
The Honourable Marjorie Michel, Minister of Health, will make an important announcement on helping to address the substance use and overdose crisis in the Atlantic Region.
July 18, 2025, Fredericton, New Brunswick – The Honourable Marjorie Michel, Minister of Health, will make an important announcement on helping to address the substance use and overdose crisis in the Atlantic Region. She will be joined by David Myles, Parliamentary Secretary to the Minister of Canadian Identity and Culture and Minister responsible for Official Languages and to the Secretary of State (Nature) and Member of Parliament for Fredericton-Oromocto.
There will be a media availability immediately following the announcement.
Following the conclusion of the press conference, media will be invited to a photo opportunity at the overnight outreach van.
Date
July 21, 2025
Time
11:00 AM (AT)
Location
The event will be held in-person at: Fredericton City Hall Council Chambers, 2nd Floor 397 Queen Street Fredericton, NB E3B-1B5
Source: The Conversation – UK – By Rachael Eastham, Lecturer in Young People’s Health Inequalities, Division of Health Research, Lancaster University
Homabay, Kenya, in February 2025.Rachael Eastham, CC BY
My phone wouldn’t stop ringing – nurses, social workers, young mothers – all begging for help. ‘I’ve lost my job,’ ‘I have no food,’ ‘What do we do now?’ I felt helpless.
These are the words of Rogers Omollo, founder and CEO of Activate Action – a youth-led non-profit organisation that supports young people with HIV and disabilities in Homa Bay, a town in west Kenya on the shores of Lake Victoria.
As specialists in youth and sexual and reproductive health, we were on a field trip to learn from Omollo and others like him. We wanted to find out about the work they were doing to tackle HIV, stigma and health inequalities.
But our time there was dominated by one thing: President Donald Trump’s executive order which put almost all international spending by the United States Agency for International Development (USAID) on pause for a 90-day review and subsequently took a wrecking ball to all international aid programmes funded by the US.
In July, research published in The Lancet medical journal found that the US funding cuts towards foreign humanitarian aid could cause more than 14 million additional deaths by 2030, with a third of those at risk of premature deaths being children. Davide Rasella, who co-authored the report, said low- and middle-income countries were facing a shock “comparable in scale to a global pandemic or a major armed conflict”.
In the immediate aftermath, we saw firsthand the profound impact the “pause” had in this community. Activate Action is not directly funded by USAID, but as we followed in the footsteps of our host, Omollo, meeting the organisation’s collaborators and beneficiaries, the true extent of the funding freeze became shockingly apparent.
Places like Homa Bay relied heavily on USAID funding to keep hospitals and clinics running, to ensure access to essential medicines, and to support reproductive health and HIV programmes. The executive order, in principle, resulted in the immediate halting of over US$68 billion (£51 billion) in foreign aid, a substantial portion of which supports lifesaving reproductive health and HIV programmes worldwide.
The Insights section is committed to high-quality longform journalism. Our editors work with academics from many different backgrounds who are tackling a wide range of societal and scientific challenges.
As we walked through abandoned offices and healthcare facilities speaking to bewildered people out of work and in need of critical services in February 2025, the chilling reality set in. Omollo reflected:
People who have spent years saving lives are now struggling to survive. The clinics are empty, the hope in their voices fading. It broke my heart. I wanted to scream, to fix it, but the truth hit hard – we can’t depend on one lifeline. If funding stops, lives should not. We must build something stronger, something that lasts.
So, before we even set off on our research trip to unite sexual and reproductive health advocates and collaborate with African partners, we knew we were swimming against this tide.
Final figures remain unclear but in early 2025, the abrupt suspension of an estimated US$500 million of funding to Kenya was suggested by Amnesty International to have led to the layoff of 54,000 community health workers – many of whom had been part of robust, locally led responses to HIV, tuberculosis and malaria.
The decision to do this was driven by US audit and efficiency “reevaluations” over 8,000 miles away in Washington. Decisions were made and implemented by small numbers of people within the Trump administration including Elon Musk, whose estimated individual wealth far exceeds the gross domestic product of many entire east African nations, including Kenya.
Despite years of progress in community-based healthcare systems managed by Kenyans just like Activate Action, these cuts by one external donor disrupted critical services overnight. This also demonstrated that African health systems, no matter how effective, remain subject to profound external control.
Our project was funded in October 2024, before Trump’s re-election. One week of activities in the UK, one week in Kenya. By the time Activate Action visited Lancaster, in the north of England, in January 2025, we had already started to raise eyebrows as our colleagues began receiving communications from USAID-funded initiatives about pausing projects. Two weeks later, by the time we gathered in Kenya, the immediate human cost was clear to see.
‘The field has been eviscerated’
We sat at the back of a meeting observing training for an Activate Action initiative that would see community health champions offer peer support for their neighbours on safer sex and HIV prevention. In a building that was usually busy and populated by USAID-funded staff, the lights remained on in only one room.
Before visiting Homa Bay, we knew of its reputation when it came to the so-called triple threat of gender-based violence, HIV infection and teenage pregnancy rates – all of which disproportionately affects this semi-rural county in west Kenya.
As we watched the training, a colleague based in Europe (who was instrumental in connecting some of the members of our group) texted after learning we were in Kenya, saying:
It’s terrifying. Document it. No one gets it. The field has been eviscerated.
So, what did this evisceration look like?
Staff directly affected by the order were either not permitted to talk about what was happening on the record or didn’t feel safe doing so. We spoke to at least five people who told us directly they couldn’t “speak out” and were nervous about us taking any photographs.
An Activate Action event on International Condoms Day in February 2023. Rogers Omollo, CC BY
We saw how scores of people were served their notice to cease projects, backdated and effective immediately – a stop work order, followed by (for reasons with cloudy legal foundations) official terminations to contracts. Their economic and professional futures left hanging in the balance.
As we navigated workshops and meetings, Omollo (now unexpectedly advantaged through Activate Action not being USAID-funded) continued to receive multiple texts, calls and emails from people seeking work.
A researcher we know working on a USAID supported HIV and maternity care project described doing frantic overtime in the face of uncertainty. She needed to put in hours of extra (unpaid) work to communicate with research participants as it would not be ethical to abruptly disappear on people currently engaged in an active research programme.
She had no way to manage expectations with those she spoke to and no way of knowing if they were saying a final “thank you and goodbye” to the people she had been working with for months. Despite the descriptions of USAID project funds being “paused”, she was quickly served a full termination of employment notice.
In east Africa, where this sudden and mass unemployment of vital technical and administrative staff is happening, more than half of young people aged 15-35 are unemployed. The rate is even higher among young women in rural areas (up to 66%.)
A greater horror unfolds when you consider who these unemployed workers are usually paid to help because they serve communities with some of the highest needs related to HIV, teenage pregnancy and gender-based violence.
The youth health facility we visited, for example, was locked up when we arrived. We sat in stunned silence in an empty three-roomed building with a youth HIV counsellor. We were shown photographs that showed how it was once a vibrant and busy place.
Locked up youth health facility. Rachael Eastham, CC BY
Here, the free services and information on HIV, contraception and mental health was being delivered by skilled and non-judgmental youth specialists. But it was closed down from January 20, 2025 and its future remains uncertain. A free condom dispenser outside lay empty, all supplies given out on closure day in a last ditch attempt to help young people remain safe over the coming weeks.
In Homa Bay, huge achievements have been made in addressing teenage pregnancy and adolescent HIV infection in recent years. There has been a remarkable decline in prevalence rates, new infections, and HIV-related deaths, aided by robust treatment programmes that contribute to better health. People have been living with HIV at undetectable levels, therefore unable to transmit infection. But this “safe” status requires ongoing treatment with antiretroviral medication.
What now in the absence of USAID?
But at the time of our visit, the delivery of antiretroviral therapy was becoming more restricted and would require collection by the user every three weeks, rather than the usual three months, therefore lasting the user a shorter time. To service providers we spoke to, this increase in the frequency of collection of medication was known to be a significant barrier for people having to travel long distances more frequently without transport to get their supply replenished.
Omollo explained to us that Homa Bay is also a medication hub, of sorts. People come here from other communities where, due to stigma, the risks of being identified as someone who is HIV positive in their own communities are much higher.
Every conversation we had yielded new information about the reality. Gender-based violence projects were also suspended, in part because of the Trump administration’s intentions to end “gender ideology”. A service provider joked despondently during a presentation how: “I got sacked for saying gender.”
In Kenya, femicide (the murder of women or girls because of their gender) has been described as a “crisis” requiring urgent action. In Homa Bay specifically, the sexual and gender-based violence statistics are higher than national averages and have been on the rise, especially among young people.
This follows alarming countrywide coverage about femicide across Kenya including high profile and horrifying cases such as that of the Ugandan athlete Rebecca Cheptegei.. Official figures are unclear but there are currently widespread protests and calls to action related to this injustice.
Activate Action had recently won one USAID award focusing on men living with HIV and substance use problems (factors that are both implicated in gender-based violence). Since the USAID funding freeze this offer has instantly been dissolved with no expectation of reinstatement.
Meanwhile, the fight against cervical cancer – the leading cause of cancer death in Kenya – has also been hit. Human papilloma virus (HPV) vaccination campaigns across the county have stalled, despite the fact the vaccines help prevent cervical cancer.
At one point, a 23-year-old mother of three small children asked us directly if we found it troubling (as she did) that she will not be able to receive maternal healthcare and her contraception. The list of effects is grim and feels endless.
Collateral damage
When our group convened for a workshop at a community venue with sexual and reproductive health and rights staff from across the area, the chatter was similarly focused on the effects of the USAID funding freeze, but this time in the direct shadow of operations.
Next door, four-wheel drive Jeeps had been recalled and locked behind USAID premises gates, gathering dust instead of being out in the field delivering HIV outreach services. They represented the stasis of operations more widely.
Dr Peter Ibembe, from a party of service providers visiting from Uganda, was formerly a Programme Director for the non-governmental organisation Reproductive Health Uganda where he was in charge of service delivery. He spoke to us about the atmosphere:
An eerie tone of quiet has descended on the place. Many have been suddenly rendered jobless; creating mental stress, depression, anxiety. But there has also been an indirect effect on the wider community through the entire value chain: landlords, banks and other credit institutions; food vendors; gas stations; transportation facilities and companies; hotels, restaurants and lodges; schools hospitals and the like.
Everyone has been left in limbo. Kenya, despite gradual improvements, is a lower middle income country. Poverty identified by the World Bank as a key development challenge for the nation with, in 2022, over 20 million Kenyans identified as living below the poverty line. So these knock-on effects can be drastic.
At an organisational level we also saw clearly how the boundaries of any one project running within any organisation cannot be neatly drawn, nor can projects be plucked from this matrix discretely in the way we might imagine when we hear how “USAID projects” have been suspended. This way of thinking profoundly undermines the reality of what these cuts mean because many projects are interdependent and interrelated. Omollo added:
Whilst Activate Action was not directly funded by USAID, the overall reduction in health services affects the community they serve. The lack of support for HIV prevention, mental health and economic empowerment programmes placed additional strain on grassroots organisations like us … which have had to fill gaps with limited resources.
Omollo taking a selfie with Activate Action on International Condoms Day in February 2023. Rogers Omollo, CC BY
Services the world over, especially community based services, usually operate with multiple funding streams each providing different projects. Naturally the people, resources and activities overlap. To stress, this is not evidence of the “corruption” the Trump administration claims it wants to weed out, but it is the reality of how services reliant on external funding work.
It is usual that a patchwork of project grants function together to keep the doors open and the lights on. In fact, the sharing of operational resource is what bolsters an organisation’s capacity to serve its communities most effectively.
Considering “USAID projects” as single discretely bounded entities belie the messy complexity of how community and healthcare services work.
For another example of this kind of inter-connection, look no further than “table banking”. Table banking has been described as a “microcredit movement by women and for women” – effectively a DIY bank. We saw table banking used at Activate Action’s Street Business School, an initiative that tackles HIV through training women and building economic sustainability so they do not become trapped in poverty which may force them into have transactional sex. From a seated circle under trees, we watched as the collective pay in and take out loans to support their businesses from a central informal “bank account”.
Beneficiaries from this project continue to come together every Thursday, pooling finances and taking loans to sustain their business needs for the coming week (for example, buying stock for their market stalls). They told us how they are planning to collaborate on a catering business which will mean the older, sicker members of the group remain able to work and earn.
Similarly, Omollo told us how “a bit like table banking”, among his friends and colleagues, they also pool finance on a weekly basis to tick off items on a collective shopping list. He said: “One week we buy for one person, the next week, the next person and so on, until we all have a microwave.”
These demonstrations of microfinance arguably present, however idealistic, inspiration for a more financially sustainable future whereby its principles offer a “light of hope” at grassroots level, possibilities for nations in meeting sustainable development goals and, crucially in this context, freedom from dependency on external donors.
Social dictators of health
When we planned this exchange project, we wanted to work with Activate Action because of our shared interests.
Its explicit focus on the “social determinants of health” (the non-medical factors that affect health) is a refreshing departure from so many health programmes that seek to intervene on a person’s behaviour without attending to how it may be shaped by the wider social system.
For example, in the case of Homa Bay, Activate Action works to address root causes, such as poverty. Poverty means that transactional sex (which could be sex for food or period products) is common. Unsafe sex can be a hallmark of these sexual encounters, increasing HIV risk and transmission. Helping women build businesses, earn their own money to buy food and make their own period pads, reduces the need to trade sex for necessities.
As we sat discussing the various ways the cancelling of USAID would have devastating effects on different programmes and so the lives of different people, we realised how myriad social determinants – such as income, unemployment and healthcare services – are overwhelmingly contingent on distant regimes. Regimes run by people who seem to demonstrate little regard for the lives of disadvantaged and minoritised people.
No period of consultation, no management of expectations – a profound example of how bigger systems that govern our social lives can, in fact, dictate the outcomes of our health.
Antiretroviral drugs for HIV literally keep people alive and prevent transmission to others. Efforts to critique the USAID freeze by the inspector general of USAID, Paul Martin, saw him sacked. Again, no reason was given, and the White House did not have any comment.
When we were trying to explore whether termination notices for staff in Kenya were even legal, one media report about a judicial effort to halt the USAID stop work order noted that Trump has a “high threshold for legal risk”. An insight into what type of threats we may need to consider when trying to understand risks to and protections for health in the future.
Dr Ibembe, who provided closing remarks to our workshop, highlighted how “the effect of USAID cuts on the east African development landscape has been nothing short of seismic. It has created an environment of uncertainty, fear and stress. In some instances, up to 80% of health-related initiatives are donor supported. The funding and operational gap created is almost insurmountable.”
This reliance on external financial support and limited domestic financing in Kenya and other sub-Saharan African countries is common. This makes a nation vulnerable. Kenya also experiences substantial “donor dependency” especially across the health system which makes it harder to absorb the shock of a donor pulling funds.
In other words, this is a highly precarious system that is going through a shock which it will find incredibly difficult to withstand.
The situation is a stark reminder of just how unfair the power dynamics are that dictate African health governance and sovereignty.
Conversations about reducing the dependence of countries like Kenya on external donors have been going on for a long time. Throughout it has been acknowledged that any transition away from donor dependence needs to be carefully managed to avoid upsetting all the gains that have been made through initiatives like those funded by USAID. This has been completely impossible given the pace of change since January 2025 when the USAID stop work order came into play.
African solutions to African problems
The question now is not merely how African institutions will survive these disruptions but how they will leverage them as an impetus for change. Discussions about donor dependency arguably contribute to the framing of African states and institutions that are economically vulnerable and a “risk”. This in turn creates a negative bias that has recently been identified as costing African nations billions in lost or missed investment opportunities.
While financial constraints are a reality, the dominance of stereotypes also means we may overlook the effective strategic responses and resilience demonstrated by African organisations over the years. The challenge is not simply to reduce donor reliance but to reposition African institutions as key architects of health solutions through approaches that emphasise ownership, sustainability and regional integration.
Omollo talking to The Street Business School in January 2023. Rogers Omollo, CC BY
The Afya na Haki (Ahaki) institute provides a clear example of this shift towards what they refer to as “Africentric” models of health governance. The aim is to build African solutions to African problems.
This approach is anchored on four key pillars: amplifying positive African narratives; strengthening engagement with African regional institutions; supporting and fostering collaboration among African non-governmental organisations (NGOs) and other organisations; and bringing together African experts and communities to create knowledge that reflects local realities and needs.
Yet, restrictive policies that pre-date the USAID cuts such as the global gag rule which means NGOs are prohibited from receiving any US government funding if they provide, advocate for, or even refer to abortion services, have significantly disrupted this work, forcing institutions to rethink their operational strategies. An Ahaki staff member told us how their core focus on empowering Africans has been “thrown into disarray”.
Research that puts African stories and priorities front and centre is crucial – not just for shaping policies but for shifting the focus from dependence on external aid to African-led solutions and self-determination.
‘Hope hasn’t disappeared’
Within days of the USAID executive order on January 20, the USAID website was unreachable and our colleagues in Homa Bay sat reeling. By February 14, just after our visit, it was confirmed that a federal judge had successfully blocked the funding suspensions, although the relevance of this for people and projects like those we met in Homa Bay, whose contracts had already been terminated, was limited.
This executive order is one of many that has triggered global shockwaves. But for every action there is a reaction and we have also witnessed international resistance, from protests of USAID and nonprofit workers in Washington, to 500 Kenyan community workers demanding their unpaid salaries.
Musk’s company Tesla has been subject to widespread boycott and coordinated protest by “Tesla Takedown” in over 250 cities around the world. Canada has also made strides to reject American imports and strengthen its domestic markets, building greater independence from the USA, echoing desires of many African nations in relation to US donor dependence.
Musk suggested that USAID needs “to die” due to widespread corruption – an assertion that remains unsubstantiated. However, the violence and damage of this sentiment is being realised. As the sites we visited remain eerie and empty, gathering dust, our immediate concern is for the people and communities that agencies once funded by USAID represent and serve.
Omollo, and others like him, are now finding new ways to navigate these problems. The ripple effects of the USAID funding freeze have hit hard, programs have stalled, uncertainty has grown and communities are feeling the strain.
“But in the cracks, we’ve found ways to adapt,” he said. “At Activate Action, we’ve leaned on local partnerships, stretched every resource, and kept showing up for young people. Hope hasn’t disappeared; it’s just become something we fight for daily.”
To hear about new Insights articles, join the hundreds of thousands of people who value The Conversation’s evidence-based news. Subscribe to our newsletter.
We would like to acknowledge the specific contribution of Rogers Omollo from Activate Action in developing this article.
Christopher Baguma works with Afya na Haki as a Director of Programmes.
Source: The Conversation – UK – By David Bartlett, Senior Lecturer of Exercise Immunology, Faculty of Health and Medical Sciences, School of Biosciences, University of Surrey
CLL starts when a type of immune cell called a B cell – normally responsible for producing antibodies – becomes cancerous. This not only stops it from working properly, but also weakens the rest of the immune system.
For many people, CLL begins as a slow-moving, low-grade disease that doesn’t need immediate treatment. These patients are placed on “active monitoring,” where they’re regularly checked for signs of progression. Others, especially those with more aggressive forms of the disease, will need immediate and targeted treatment to destroy the cancer cells.
Get your news from actual experts, straight to your inbox.Sign up to our daily newsletter to receive all The Conversation UK’s latest coverage of news and research, from politics and business to the arts and sciences.
People on active monitoring often find themselves in a kind of medical limbo: well enough not to need treatment, but not well enough to feel secure. Fatigue, anxiety, social isolation and fear of infection are common. For those receiving treatment, side effects including nausea, bleeding, diarrhoea and extreme tiredness can make everyday life even more challenging.
Because CLL weakens the body’s ability to fight infection, many people begin avoiding places where germs might spread: busy shops, family gatherings, even the gym. But while this instinct is understandable, it can come at a cost. Over time, isolation and inactivity can chip away at physical fitness, reduce resilience and make it harder to recover from illness or cope with stress.
The role of exercise
Exercise is good for everyone but for people living with CLL, it can be life-changing. Our research shows that physical activity is strongly linked to fewer symptoms and a better quality of life. Fatigue, the most common and often most debilitating symptom, was significantly lower in people who stayed active. Many also reported reduced pain and a greater sense of physical wellbeing.
Cancer-related fatigue isn’t just feeling a bit tired. It’s a deep, persistent exhaustion that doesn’t improve with sleep or rest. The exact biological reasons behind it aren’t fully understood, but one thing is clear: regular movement helps. People who are more active tend to feel better – and live better.
The good news is that even gentle activity can make a difference. Low-intensity activities are safe for almost everyone and come with meaningful health benefits. Walking, yoga, swimming – anything that gets you moving – can help ease symptoms. In fact, research shows that just 12 weeks of regular exercise can reduce fatigue and improve day-to-day wellbeing.
People with additional health concerns, such as heart disease, diabetes or bone conditions, should take extra care. It’s always a good idea to speak to a doctor or physiotherapist before starting a new routine. The PAR-Q+ (physical activity readiness questionnaire) is a helpful tool to assess whether it’s safe to begin exercising.
Once cleared, the goal is to work up to the recommended activity levels: 150–300 minutes of moderate activity a week (like brisk walking or cycling) or 75–150 minutes of vigorous activity (like jogging or swimming), along with two sessions of muscle-strengthening activities per week. Start slowly and build gradually.
Because people with CLL are immunocompromised, it’s important to reduce infection risks while staying active. That might mean exercising outdoors, avoiding crowds, wearing a mask, or choosing quieter times at the gym. But, as long as precautions are taken, the benefits of movement far outweigh the risks.
Benefits of keeping active
In one of our pilot studies, people with CLL who had not yet started treatment showed smaller increases in tumour cell counts after 12 weeks of exercise. Their immune systems also appeared more robust, with stronger responses to abnormal cells. This research is still in its early stages, but it’s encouraging to see that exercise doesn’t appear to accelerate disease progression – and might even help to slow it.
The biggest improvements were seen in people who started off with the worst symptoms or poorest physical condition. In other words, those with the most to gain, gained the most. Older adults, in particular, seemed to benefit from even modest activity.
People receiving treatment were generally less active and reported lower quality of life than those who weren’t but their symptom levels were similar. That suggests physical activity might offer especially meaningful benefits for people going through treatment.
Exercise is already a well-established part of care for people with solid tumours such as breast or bowel cancer.
What’s different about CLL is that many people don’t receive treatment for years – yet still experience symptoms and lower quality of life. Our study shows that physical activity matters just as much for this group. Whether someone is on active monitoring or undergoing treatment, staying active can help ease symptoms, boost energy and improve daily life.
It’s a powerful reminder that even small steps can make a big difference and that living well with CLL isn’t just about waiting for treatment. It’s about reclaiming strength, mobility and agency, one movement at a time.
David Bartlett receives funding from the American Society of Hematology
Imagine waking up to the news that a deadly new strain of flu has emerged in your city. Health officials are downplaying it, but social media is flooded with contradictory claims from “medical experts” debating its origin and severity.
Hospitals are filled with patients showing flu-like symptoms, preventing other patients from accessing care and ultimately leading to deaths. It gradually emerges that a foreign adversary orchestrated this panic by planting false information – such as the strain having a very high death rate. Yet despite the casualties, no rules define this as an act of war.
This is cognitive warfare, or cog war for short, where the cognitive domain is used on battlefields or in hostile attacks below the threshold of war.
Get your news from actual experts, straight to your inbox.Sign up to our daily newsletter to receive all The Conversation UK’s latest coverage of news and research, from politics and business to the arts and sciences.
A classical example of cog war is a concept called “reflexive control” – an art refined by Russia over many decades. It involves shaping an adversary’s perceptions to your own benefit without them understanding that they have been manipulated.
In the context of the Ukraine conflict, this has included narratives about historical claims to Ukrainian land and portraying the west as morally corrupt.
Cog war serves to gain advantage over an adversary by targeting attitudes and behaviour at the individual, group or population level. It is designed to modify perceptions of reality, making “human cognition shaping” into a critical realm of warfare. It is therefore a weapon in a geopolitical battle that plays out by interactions across human minds rather than across physical realms.
Because cog war can be waged without the physical damage regulated by the current laws of war, it exists in a legal vacuum. But that doesn’t mean it cannot ultimately incite violence based on false information or cause injury and death by secondary effects.
Battle of minds, bodily damage
The notion that war is essentially a mental contest, where cognitive manipulation is central, harks back to the strategist Sun Tzu (fifth century BC), author of The Art of War. Today, the online domain is the main arena for such operations.
The digital revolution has allowed ever-more tailored content to play into biases mapped through our digital footprint, which is called “microtargeting”. Machine intelligence can even feed us targeted content without ever taking a picture or recording a video. All it takes is a well-designed AI prompt, supporting bad actors’ pre-defined narrative and goals, while covertly misleading the audience.
Such disinformation campaigns increasingly reach into the physical domain of the human body. In the war in Ukraine, we see continued cog war narratives. These include allegations that the Ukrainian authorities were concealing or purposefully inciting cholera outbreaks. Allegations of US-supported bioweapons labs also formed part of false-flag justifications for Russia’s full-scale invasion.
During COVID, false information led to deaths when people refused protective measures or used harmful remedies to treat it. Some narratives during the pandemic were driven as part of a geopolitical battle. While the US engaged in covert information operations, Russian and Chinese state-linked actors coordinated campaigns that used AI-generated social media personas and microtargeting to shape opinions at the level of communities and individuals.
Fake image of Donald Trump being arrested. wikipedia
The capability of microtargeting may evolve rapidly as methods for brain-machine coupling become more proficient at collecting data on cognition patterns. Ways of providing a better interface between machines and the human brain range from advanced electrodes that you can put on your scalp to virtual reality goggles with sensory stimulation for a more immersive experience.
Darpa’s Next-Generation Nonsurgical Neurotechnology (N3) program illustrates how these devices may become capable of reading from and writing to multiple points in the brain at once. However, these tools might also be hacked or fed poisoned data as a part of future information manipulation or psychological disruption strategies. Directly linking the brain to the digital world in this way will erode the line between the information domain and the human body in a way never done before.
Legal gap
Traditional laws of war assume physical force such as bombs and bullets as the primary concern, leaving cognitive warfare in a legal grey zone. Is psychological manipulation an “armed attack” that justifies self-defence under the UN charter? Currently, no clear answer exists. A state actor could potentially use health disinformation to create mass casualties in another country without formally starting a war.
Similar gaps exist in situations where war, as we traditionally see it, is actually ongoing. Here, cog war can blur the line between permitted military deception (ruses of war) and prohibited perfidy.
Imagine a humanitarian vaccination programme secretly collecting DNA, while covertly used by military forces to map clan-based insurgent networks. This exploitation of medical trust would constitute perfidy under humanitarian law – but only if we start recognising such manipulative tactics as part of warfare.
Developing regulations
So, what can be done to protect us in this new reality? First, we need to rethink what “threats” mean in modern conflict. The UN charter already outlaws “threats to use force” against other nations, but this makes us stuck in a mindset of physical threats.
When a foreign power floods your media with false health alerts designed to create panic, isn’t that threatening your country just as effectively as a military blockade?
While this issue was recognised as early as 2017, by the groups of experts who drafted the Tallinn Manual on cyberwarfare (Rule 70), our legal frameworks haven’t caught up.
Second, we must acknowledge that psychological harm is real harm. When we think about war injuries, we picture physical wounds. But post-traumatic stress disorder has long been recognised as a legitimate war injury – so why not the mental health effects of targeted cognitive operations?
Finally, traditional laws of war might not be enough – we should look to human rights frameworks for solutions. These already include protections for freedom of thought, freedom of opinion and prohibitions against war propaganda that could shield civilians from cognitive attacks. States have obligations to uphold these rights both within their territory and abroad.
The use of increasingly sophisticated tactics and technologies to manipulate cognition and emotion poses one of the most insidious threats to human autonomy in our time. Only by adapting our legal frameworks to this challenge can we foster societal resilience and equip future generations to confront the crises and conflicts of tomorrow.
David Gisselsson Nord receives funding from the Swedish Research Council, the Swedish Cancer Society and the Swedish Childhood Cancer Foundation. He has also received a travel grant from the US Department of Defence.
Alberto Rinaldi has received funding from the The Raoul Wallenberg Visiting Chair in Human Rights and Humanitarian Law and the Swedish Research Council.
On July 14, Wascana Centre removed two trees that tested positive for Dutch Elm Disease (DED). Wascana Centre staff test for DED throughout the summer to proactively detect diseased trees, allowing for safe removal and disposal.
There have been five confirmed cases of DED in Wascana Centre in the last 10 years: one in 2014, one in 2019, one in 2024 and two in 2025. This year’s cases were located near Goose Hill and the Saskatchewan Science Centre.
The Provincial Capital Commission (PCC) is responsible for the maintenance and future of the urban forest located within the Wascana Centre and Government House boundaries. The urban forest is monitored continually for overall health of the tree canopy cover.
The PCC’s DED Control Program includes monitoring and surveillance, control and prevention.
“Elm trees are an important part of Regina’s tree canopy cover,” PCC Executive Director Jenna Schroeder said. “Wascana Centre is proud to be a place where friends and families can gather and enjoy the outdoors at one of our many picnic spots. To ensure the continued health of our trees, we remind visitors that it is illegal to transport, store or buy elm firewood.”
For more information on Dutch Elm Disease, visit saskatchewan.ca.
Headline: NCDHHS Releases Black Youth Suicide Action Plan to Tackle Rising Number of Suicides Among Black Youth, Young Adults
NCDHHS Releases Black Youth Suicide Action Plan to Tackle Rising Number of Suicides Among Black Youth, Young Adults jawerner
In response to a sharp increase in suicide rates among young Black youth, the North Carolina Department of Health and Human Services announces the NC Black Youth Suicide Prevention Action Plan. Coinciding with the Bebe Moore Campbell National Minority Mental Health Awareness Month, this effort sheds light on communities which have been marginalized, where mental health challenges persist, and outlines initiatives to be implemented over the next five years to reduce injury and save the lives of Black youth and young adults.
“A community-led, ground-up approach is essential to address the increase in suicide rates among Black youth and young adults,” said Kelly Crosbie MSW, LCSW NCDHHS Director of the Division of Mental Health, Developmental Disabilities and Substance Use Services. “NCDHHS wants to ensure everyone has the support they need before, during, and after a personal crisis, especially groups that are disproportionately affected.”
A review of 2023 data showed an urgent need for action and indicated Black populations were over-represented in emergency department visits for suicidal thoughts or self-injury, particularly among the 10-24 age group. Additionally, research shows Black youth are over-represented in suicides and attempts but are under-represented in calls to 988, particularly in urban counties. Data showed from 2013-22 more than half of Black youth and young adults who died by suicide used firearms.
Black families also experience significant barriers to accessing medical and mental health services, due to a variety of socio-economic factors, including effective cultural communication from providers and a lack of access to a provider with a shared identity.
The action plan was developed by NCDHHS in collaboration with the North Carolina Department of Public Instruction, the UNC Suicide Prevention Institute and several community-based organizations and includes feedback from members of the public.
The plan identifies six objectives to improve the health and well-being of Black youth and young adults:
Establish the Community of Practice and Education (COPE) initiative to lead, develop and champion suicide prevention efforts at the community level, targeting Black youth and young adults in North Carolina.
Strengthen supportive mental health services for Black youth, incorporating both peer support specialists and peer-to-peer support systems.
Enhance awareness and training for suicide prevention, specifically for Black youth.
Reduce access to lethal means among Black youth.
Strengthen protective factors for Black youth to support mental well-being.
Establish a comprehensive understanding of the suicide prevention needs of Black youth through data analysis and reporting to inform targeted interventions and increase awareness.
Each objective includes a series of goals to guide policy-making decisions.
The plan includes many culturally relevant strategies to address the issue. These include expanded training efforts among trusted community partners, such as barbers, with specific attention to key programs: Counseling on Access to Lethal Means (CALM), Mental Health First Aid (MHFA), and information about the 988 Suicide & Crisis Lifeline.
DHHS will also support a statewide event on Sept. 20 in Rocky Mount: the Stronger Together Conference. This unique conference is a free one-day, interactive experience centered on cultural connection, creative expression and community care. The event will bring together youth, young adults and advocates for a day of learning, healing and community building. Registration is open and available on the website. NCDHHS will provide more details about the event in the coming weeks.
###
If you or someone you know is struggling with their mental health or need someone to talk to, you are not alone. Resources are available on the NCDHHS Suicide Prevention website for social or family situations, depression, anxiety, panic attacks, thoughts of suicide, alcohol or drug use, or if you just need someone to talk to. Our Crisis Services Communications Toolkit includes free flyers, posters and other resources to promote and explain crisis services in your community in English and Spanish.
For those in a mental health crisis, NCDHHS provides somewhere to go, someone to talk to and someone to respond. The 988 Lifeline Chat and Text – 988 Suicide & Crisis Lifeline is free, confidential, and available to everyone 24/7 by call, text, or chat. Educational resources include 988 materials specifically designed for people who attend Historically Black Colleges and Universities.
North Carolinians can call the Peer Warmline (1-855-PEERS NC [855-733-7762]) 24/7 to speak with a Peer Support Specialist. Peer Support Specialists (or “peers”) are people living in recovery with mental illness and/or substance use disorder who provide support to others who may have similar life experiences and can benefit from their lived experiences.
NCDHHS crisis services include mobile crisis teams that can come to you and community crisis centers, which are safe places where you can get help from a licensed clinician, without needing to go to the emergency room.
En respuesta a un fuerte aumento en las tasas de suicidio entre los jóvenes negros, el Departamento de Salud y Servicios Humanos de Carolina del Norte anuncia elPlan de Acción para la Prevención del Suicidio entre los Jóvenes Negros de Carolina del Norte. Coincidiendo con el Mes Nacional de Concientización sobre la Salud Mental de las Minorías Bebe Moore Campbell, este esfuerzo hace énfasis en las comunidades que han sido marginadas, donde persisten los desafíos de salud mental, y describe las iniciativas que se implementarán en los próximos cinco años para reducir las lesiones y salvar las vidas de los jóvenes y adultos jóvenes negros.
“Un enfoque basado en la comunidad es esencial para abordar el aumento de las tasas de suicidio entre los jóvenes y adultos jóvenes negros”, dijo Kelly Crosbie MSW, LCSW NCDHHS directora de la División de Servicios de Salud Mental, Discapacidades de Desarrollo y Uso de Sustancias. “El Departamento de Salud y Servicios Humanos de Carolina del Norte quiere asegurarse de que todos tengan el apoyo que necesitan antes, durante y después de una crisis personal, especialmente los grupos que se ven afectados de manera desproporcionada”.
Una revisión de los datos de 2023 mostró una necesidad urgente de acción e indicó que las poblaciones negras estaban sobrerrepresentadas en las visitas al departamento de emergencias por pensamientos suicidas o autolesiones, particularmente entre el grupo de edad de 10 a 24 años. Además, la investigación muestra que los jóvenes negros están sobrerrepresentados en suicidios e intentos de suicidio, pero están subrepresentados en las llamadas a la línea 988, particularmente en los condados urbanos. Los datos mostraron que entre el 2013 y 2022 más de la mitad de los jóvenes y adultos jóvenes negros que murieron por suicidio usaron armas de fuego.
Las familias negras también experimentan barreras significativas para acceder a los servicios médicos y de salud mental, debido a una variedad de factores socioeconómicos, incluida la comunicación cultural efectiva de los proveedores y la falta de acceso a un proveedor con una identidad compartida.
El plan de acción fue desarrollado por el Departamento de Salud y Servicios Humanos de Carolina del Norte (NCDHHS, por sus siglas en inglés) en colaboración con el Departamento de Instrucción Pública de Carolina del Norte, el Instituto de Prevención del Suicidio de la Universidad de Carolina del Norte (UNC, por sus siglas en inglés) y varias organizaciones comunitarias, e incluye comentarios de miembros del público.
El plan identifica seis objetivos para mejorar la salud y el bienestar de los jóvenes y adultos jóvenes negros:
Establecer la iniciativa Comunidad de Práctica y Educación (COPE) para liderar, desarrollar y defender los esfuerzos de prevención del suicidio a nivel comunitario, dirigidos a jóvenes y adultos jóvenes negros en Carolina del Norte.
Fortalecer los servicios de salud mental de apoyo para los jóvenes negros, incorporando tanto especialistas en apoyo entre pares como sistemas de apoyo entre pares.
Mejorar la conciencia y la capacitación para la prevención del suicidio, específicamente para los jóvenes negros.
Reducir el acceso a medios letales entre los jóvenes negros.
Fortalecer los factores de protección para los jóvenes negros para apoyar el bienestar mental.
Establecer una comprensión integral de las necesidades de prevención del suicidio entre los jóvenes negros a través del análisis de datos y la presentación de informes para guiar las intervenciones específicas y aumentar la conciencia.
Cada objetivo incluye una serie de metas para guiar las decisiones de desarrollo de políticas.
El plan incluye muchas estrategias culturalmente relevantes para abordar el problema. Estos incluyen una expansión de esfuerzos de capacitación entre socios comunitarios de confianza, como barberos, con atención específica a programas clave: Asesoramiento sobre el acceso a medios letales (CALM, por sus siglas en inglés), Primeros Auxilios de Salud Mental (MHFA, por sus siglas en inglés) e información sobre la Línea 988 de Prevención del Suicidio y Crisis.
El DHHS también apoyará un evento en todo el estado el 20 de septiembre en Rocky Mount: la conferenciaStronger Together(Más fuertes juntos). Esta conferencia única es una experiencia interactiva gratuita de un día, centrada en la conexión cultural, la expresión creativa y la atención comunitaria. El evento reunirá a jóvenes, adultos jóvenes y defensores para un día de aprendizaje, sanación y creación de comunidad. La inscripción está abierta y disponible en el sitio web. El NCDHHS proporcionará más detalles sobre el evento en las próximas semanas.
###
Si usted o alguien que conoce está luchando con su salud mental o necesita a alguien con quien hablar, no está solo. Los recursos están disponibles en elsitio web de Prevención del Suicidio del NCDHHSpara situaciones sociales o familiares, depresión, ansiedad, ataques de pánico, pensamientos de suicidio, consumo de alcohol o drogas, o si solo necesita a alguien con quien hablar. NuestroKit de herramientas de comunicaciones de servicios de crisisincluye volantes gratuitos, carteles y otros recursos para promover y explicarservicios de crisisen su comunidad en inglés y español.
Para aquellos en una crisis de salud mental, el NCDHHS proporciona un lugar a donde ir, alguien con quien hablar y alguien que responda. LaLínea 988 de Prevención del Suicidio y Crisises gratuita, confidencial y está disponible para todos, las 24 horas del día, los 7 días de la semana, por llamada, mensaje de texto o chat. Los recursos educativos incluyen materiales del 988 diseñados específicamente para las personas que asisten aColegios y universidades históricamente negros.
Los habitantes de Carolina del Norte pueden llamar a la línea de ayuda entre pares Peer Warmline (1-855-PEERS NC [855-733-7762]) las 24 horas del día, los 7 días de la semana, para hablar con un especialista en apoyo entre pares. Los especialistas en apoyo entre pares (o “pares”) son personas que viven en recuperación con enfermedades mentales y/o trastornos por uso de sustancias que brindan apoyo a otras personas que pueden tener experiencias de vida similares y pueden beneficiarse de sus experiencias vividas.
Losservicios de crisisdel NCDHHS incluyen equipos móviles de respuesta a crisis que pueden acudir a usted y centros comunitarios de respuesta crisis, que son lugares seguros donde puede obtener ayuda de un médico con licencia, sin necesidad de ir a la sala de emergencias.
Source: United States House of Representatives – Congressman Dan Newhouse (4th District of Washington)
Headline: Newhouse Secures $23 Million for Central Washington Infrastructure Projects
WASHINGTON, D.C. – Today, Rep. Dan Newhouse (WA-04) released the following statement upon committee passage of the Fiscal Year 2026 Transportation, Housing and Urban Development, and Related Agencies Appropriations Act.
“Across Central Washington, there is a need to modernize, upgrade, and expand various infrastructure projects. I am proud to have secured over $23 million that will go directly to the Wenatchi Landing project, the Port of Quincy rail expansion, and recovery housing in Benton County. These projects will boost economic development, improve public safety, and allow local entities to provide quality services to those who rely on them. I look forward to working with Appropriations Committee Chairman Tom Cole, House leadership, and our Senators to get this funding signed into law,” said Rep. Newhouse.
The Transportation, Housing and Urban Development, and Related Agencies Appropriations Bill provides a total discretionary allocation of $89.910 billion, which is $4.458 billion (4.7%) below the Fiscal Year 2025 enacted level. This legislation prioritizes air traffic control infrastructure, controller hiring, and transportation safety while maintaining essential housing assistance for our nation’s most vulnerable.
Rep. Newhouse secured funding for the following projects in Washington’s Fourth District in this legislation.
The Wenatchi Landing Interchange Improvement Project
Amount Secured: $10,000,000
The project aims to address transportation and safety issues in Douglas County, an area experiencing rapid growth, technological advancements, and commerce, while maintaining its agricultural roots. The goal of the project is to improve safety and connectivity between local communities and the broader regional transportation network. The funding will provide key safety upgrades will include a separated pedestrian and bicycle path, improved sidewalks, and better connectivity to U.S. Highway 2, State Route 28, and the county’s broader transportation network. These improvements will reduce accidents, enhance safety for all road users, and support sustainable transportation needs.
Port of Quincy Rail Infrastructure Expansion Project
Amount Secured: $2,500,00
Funding will expand the rail infrastructure on the northeast side of Quincy, WA, both within the Port’s current rail terminal and to nearby industrial zoned properties in the Port District. Once complete, the project will provide more freight mobility options to Pacific Northwest and Washington State agricultural and food shippers and exporters, attract industrial and manufacturing projects that will create family wage jobs, lessen wear and tear on freeways, highways and mountain passes by converting over-the-road freight to rail intermodal freight, and decrease fuel consumption and carbon emissions.
The Port of Warden Truck Access/Bypass Road Project
Amount Secured: $2,500,000
This project is a multi-phase infrastructure initiative aimed at improving freight mobility, enhancing public safety, and supporting economic development in Warden, WA. The project involves constructing a dedicated truck access and bypass road that connects State Route 170 to the Port of Warden’s industrial properties in southwest Warden. This new roadway is designed to provide a more efficient route for trucks transporting goods to and from industrial facilities, allowing them to bypass residential neighborhoods.
Three Rivers Recovery Housing Project
Amount Secured: $3,000,000
Funding would be used to convert a portion of the old Kennewick General Hospital into residential apartments for transitional housing to ensure safe and stable housing exists for people coming out of treatment facilities to ensure smooth re-entry into the community. The building is currently owned by Benton County, Seasons Housing will enter a long-term lease for the space. The completed project will contain up to 17 residential units which can house up to 35 residents. The project will also include spaces for individual and group counseling, entertainment for the residents, and training spaces for social skills and job placement assistance. Benton County is in the process of developing a comprehensive behavioral health recovery program that will serve its residents and those in the surrounding region and this project will help residents achieve lifelong recovery and avoid homelessness that often plagues people recovering from substance use disorders.
Village of Hope
Amount Secured: $4,265,000
Funding will be used to renovate 25 warehouse units, which currently serve up to 100 homeless individuals, and construct nine new units, which will serve up to 40 additional homeless individuals within the Village of Hope. The current application waiting list is up to 46 chronically homeless families within the community, and the number is rising. The project completion would address the unmet needs of the chronically homeless and provide vulnerable individuals and families on the Yakima reservation with resources, support, and guidance to minimize their barrier to finding permanent housing and improving their quality of life.
Port of Moses Lake Infrastructure Development Project
Amount Secured: $600,000
Funding will be used to construct access to common areas surrounding Port of Moses Lake ramp access. Project elements include the construction of aircraft taxi lanes, vehicle access roads, and other site preparation. This work will facilitate public and private development in partnerships to meet the current and accelerating demand, which will in turn create new jobs and generate additional revenue, as well as supporting life and safety operations.
Reconstruction of US 97, Phase 2
Amount Secured: $948,000
Funding will be used to support the reconstructing of US 97 through the City of Tonasket. Specifically, funding will be used to add features to increase pedestrian safety and decrease vehicular travel speeds, improve street and pedestrian lighting, replace existing sidewalks with full ADA compliance, correct adverse elevations slopes for ADA crossing compliance, replace existing stormwater structures and conveyance systems to pass design storm events and limit flooding to the adjacent businesses and inflow to the wastewater treatment plant, replace existing 80-year-old cast iron with lead joint watermains, and installation of stormwater treatment to protect the quality of water of the Okanogan River.
Source: US Department of Health and Human Services – 3
This recall involves removing certain devices from where they are used or sold. The FDA has identified this recall as the most serious type. This device may cause serious injury or death if you continue to use it. Affected Product
Product Names: Adult Manual Resuscitator with Medium Adult Mask, Bag Reservoir, Filter, Manometer and 7 ft Oxygen Tubing Unique Device Identifier (UDI)/Model: Each: 10884389164822, Case: 40884389164823 Lot/Serial Numbers: 526782, 526790, 526796, 526797, 526798, 526800, 526802, 526804, 526805, 526806, 26807, 526808, 526809, 526810, 526814, 526815, 526816, 526811, 526817, 526818
What to Do
Stop using and quarantine all affected product immediately. Document quantity on hand and arrange to return or destroy affected units.
On May 1, 2025, SunMed Holdings, LLC sent all affected customers an Urgent Medical Device Recall notice recommending the following actions:
Check your inventory for the affected product. Stop using the product immediately and quarantine it. Document the amount of product on hand and return or destroy affected units. Distribute the recall notice to any customers who received the product from you. Complete and return response form via e-mail to productquality@myairlife.com as soon as possible. If you need urgent assistance or replacement, contact SunMed directly. Notify all affected personnel in your organization of recall.
Reason for Recall SunMed Holdings, LLC is recalling Adult Manual Resuscitator devices due to incorrect assembly of the B/V filter. The use of affected product may cause serious adverse health consequences, including lack of oxygen to the body (hypoxia), build-up of carbon dioxide in the blood (hypercapnia), organ failure, and death. There have been no reported injuries. There have been no reports of death. Device Use The manual resuscitator is used to provide emergency respiratory support to adult patients. It includes a face mask, bag reservoir, filter, manometer, and oxygen tubing, and is used during situations such as cardiac arrest or respiratory failure to manually deliver breaths. Contact Information Customers in the U.S. with questions about this recall should contact SunMed Holdings, LLC at 1-800-433-2797. Additional FDA Resources (listed in order of most to least recent):
Unique Device Identifier (UDI) The unique device identifier (UDI) helps identify individual medical devices sold in the United States from manufacturing through distribution to patient use. The UDI allows for more accurate reporting, reviewing, and analyzing of adverse event reports so that devices can be identified, and problems potentially corrected more quickly.
How do I report a problem? Health care professionals and consumers may report adverse reactions or quality problems they experienced using these devices to MedWatch: The FDA Safety Information and Adverse Event Reporting Program.
The Rhode Island Department of Health (RIDOH) is advising consumers that Chetak LLC Group recalled frozen Deep Sprouted Mat (Moth) and Deep Sprouted Moong (Mung), and RIDOH is advising businesses to not sell or serve the recalled products. These products are associated with a multi-state salmonella outbreak. Currently, there are no Rhode Island cases associated with this recall.
Product The recalled products were distributed nationwide in retail stores and through mail orders and include: — Deep Sprouted Mat (Moth) in 1-pound (16 oz.) packages with the following lot codes printed on the back of the bag: IN 24330, IN 25072, IN 25108, IN 24353, IN25171, IN 24297, IN 25058,IN 25078, IN 24291, IN 25107, IN 24354, and IN 24292. — Deep Sprouted Moong (Mung) in 1-pound (16 oz.) packages with the following lot codes printed on the back of the bag: IN 24330, IN 25072, IN 25108, IN 24353, IN 25171, IN 24297, IN 25058, IN 25078, IN 24291, IN 25107, IN 24354, and IN 24292.
Symptoms of Salmonella infection Illness usually occurs within 12 to 72 hours after eating food that is contaminated with Salmonella, and the symptoms usually last four to seven days. Symptoms include diarrhea, fever, and abdominal cramps. Children younger than five, the elderly, and people with weakened immune systems are more likely to have severe infections.
Recommendations — Consumers, restaurants, and retailers should not eat, sell, or serve recalled products. — Consumers, restaurants, and retailers who bought or received the recalled products should wash hands, utensils, and surfaces with hot, soapy water before and after handling the recalled products. Follow FDA’s safe handling and cleaning advice and use extra care in cleaning and sanitizing any surfaces and containers that may have come in contact with these products to reduce the risk of cross-contamination. — Check your refrigerators and freezers for recalled products. If you have any recalled products, throw they away or return them to the store where you bought them. — Contact your healthcare professional if you think you may have symptoms of a Salmonella infection after eating the recalled products.
More information and pictures of the recalled products are available on FDA’s website.
DENVER, July 18, 2025 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) — EverCommerce Inc. (NASDAQ: EVCM), a leading provider of SaaS solutions for service SMBs, will report its second quarter 2025 financial results after the U.S. financial markets close on Thursday, August 6, 2025.
Management will host a conference call on Wednesday, August 6 at 5:00 p.m. Eastern Time / 3:00 p.m. Mountain Time to discuss the Company’s financial results and provide a business update. Please visit the “Investor Relations” page of the Company’s website (https://investors.evercommerce.com/) for both telephonic and webcast access to this call; a replay will be archived on the website as well.
About EverCommerce
EverCommerce (Nasdaq: EVCM) is a leading service commerce platform, providing vertically-tailored, integrated SaaS solutions that help more than 725,000 global service-based businesses accelerate growth, streamline operations, and increase retention. Its modern digital and mobile applications create predictable, informed, and convenient experiences between customers and their service professionals. With its EverPro, EverHealth, and EverWell brands specializing in Home, Health, and Wellness service industries, EverCommerce provides end-to-end business management software, embedded payment acceptance, marketing technology, and customer experience applications. Learn more at EverCommerce.com.
Investor Contact: Brad Korch SVP and Head of Investor Relations 720-796-7664 ir@evercommerce.com
Press Contact: Jeanne Trogan VP of Corporate Communications 512-705-1293 press@evercommerce.com
Source: US Congressman Ryan Zinke (Western Montana)
Congressman Zinke voted to pass the Big Beautiful Bill after successfully leading an effort to remove public land sales from the legislation
Washington, D.C – On July 3rd, Western Montana Congressman Ryan Zinke voted to pass the One Big Beautiful Bill (OBBB), a historic piece of legislation delivering major wins for Montana families, workers, seniors, and small businesses. The bill was signed into law by President Donald Trump on July 4th, cementing expanded tax relief, protection for critical healthcare and food security programs, strengthened border security, and a growth economy for Montanans and all American citizens.
“From protecting Montana jobs to increasing take-home pay and supporting small businesses, the One Big Beautiful Bill will deliver real results for Montana,” said Zinke. “This bill not only prevented the largest tax hike in American history but expanded tax relief for Social Security recipients, overtime earners, and tipped service industry workers. It reflects the core American promise: if you work hard, you should get what you earn. This legislation keeps that promise, while also reaffirming our support for those who need it most.”
Key Wins for Montana in the OBBB:
Wage Growth – Due to legislative provisions and tax cuts in the bill, wages in Montana will rise by an inflation-adjusted amount of $3,400 to $6,100 over the next four years.
Take Home Pay – A typical family with two children can expect $7,000 to $9,900 more in take-home pay with the OBBB in place.
Jobs Protected – The bill helps safeguard 22,000 full-time Montana jobs that would have been at risk if previous tax cuts were allowed to expire.
No Taxes on Social Security – With new deductions, the average Montana senior will pay zero taxes on their Social Security benefits, delivering tax relief to over 200,000 seniors in the state.
No Taxes on Overtime – Roughly 24% of Montana workers regularly work overtime and will see real benefits in their paychecks. As much as 64% of Montana workers are eligible for this relief.
No Taxes on Tips – About 4% of Montana’s labor force work in tipped industries and will see direct tax relief.
Death Tax Relief – The bill extends higher estate tax exemptions, protecting Montana’s family farms, ranches, and small businesses from being unfairly taxed at death.
No Sale of Public Lands – Congressman Ryan Zinke was successful in stripping a provision selling more than 450,000 acres of public land from the “One Big Beautiful Bill Act”.
Protecting Healthcare Access and Food Security for Rural and Vulnerable Montanans:
No Cuts to Medicare – The OBBB does not touch Medicare benefits. Not a single dollar is cut from services seniors rely on.
Strengthening Medicaid and SNAP– The bill protects Medicaid and SNAP for pregnant women, children, seniors, people with disabilities, and low-income families. By removing illegal aliens from the rolls and requiring able bodied adults to work part time to receive benefits, it eliminates pathways for fraud and abuse, ensures only eligible Americans receive coverage, and strengthens the system for the truly vulnerable, not illegal immigrants and fraudsters.
Support for Rural Hospitals – OBBB includes expanded protections for rural hospitals with $50 billion in targeted rural health grants under the “Rural Health Transformation Program” and gives states flexibility to support local providers, ensuring continued access to care in small towns and underserved areas.
Boosting Montana’s Economy:
Small Business Support – The bill extends the 199A small business tax deduction to about 29,000 Montana firms, nearly 45% of all businesses in the state.
Manufacturing Incentives – Targeted provisions support Montana’s manufacturing sector, which makes up 5% of total employment.
Opportunity Zones Made Permanent – Montana has 25 Opportunity Zones, including 10 on tribal land, which have already created 3,000 jobs and led to the construction of 500 new housing units.
Protecting the Northern and Southern Borders:
Tackles the Opioid Epidemic – Fights the flow of illicit fentanyl and deadly drugs across the southern border, helping combat the opioid crisis devastating Montana families and tribal communities.
Builds and Secures the Border Wall – Constructs hundreds of miles of new border wall and barriers to stop drug smuggling and human trafficking operations that reach Montana communities and Tribal Nations.
Funds Immigration, Customs, and Border Agencies at Record Levels – Provides resources for over 18,000 new frontline enforcement personnel, including 10,000 new ICE officers, 5,000 Customs officers, and 3,000 Border Patrol agents. This will helping secure both the southern and northern borders, which were left dangerously exposed under the Biden administration.
For additional information on the OBBB, visit: https://www.whitehouse.gov/obbb/
Source: United States House of Representatives – Congresswoman Kat Cammack (R-FL-03)
Washington, D.C. — Today, Congresswoman Kat Cammack (FL-03) released the following statement after the U.S. House of Representatives passed the Senate-amended version of H.R. 4, the Recissions Act of 2025, which eliminates $9 billion in wasteful spending uncovered by DOGE. This legislation now heads to President Trump’s desk for his signature.
“The American people are tired of footing the bill for unchecked government agencies, watching their hard-earned money shipped overseas, and funding woke nonsense disguised as policy,”said Congresswoman Cammack.“This rescissions package is just the beginning, but it’s a critical step toward restoring fiscal sanity in Washington and putting American taxpayers back in the driver’s seat. I’m proud to stand with President Trump and my Republican colleagues to ensure our federal budget works for the American people—not against them.”
Background: Congresswoman Cammack has championed the fight to defund the Corporation for Public Broadcasting, by co-authoring the Defund NPR Act alongside Senator Jim Banks to stop the flow of taxpayer dollars to politically biased media outlets. The Rescissions Act of 2025 builds on that effort, clawing back billions in federal funding identified as waste by the Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE), including:
$1.1 billion for the Corporation for Public Broadcasting (CPB), including NPR and PBS
$135 million to the World Health Organization
$18 million to improve gender diversity in Mexican street lighting
$4.4 million for a Melanesian Youth Climate Corps
$3.9 million for LGBTQI+ advocacy in the Western Balkans
$2.5 million to teach children about environmentally friendly “reproductive health” choices
$300,000 for a pride parade in Lesotho
$500,000 for electric buses in Rwanda
$500,000 for a gender equality and empowerment hub
Source: United States House of Representatives – Congressman Donald Norcross (1st District of New Jersey)
WASHINGTON, DC — Today, Congressman Donald Norcross (D-NJ) voted against the Trump-Republican rescissions package to cut humanitarian aid, infectious disease prevention, and public broadcasting.
“I voted against the disastrous Trump-Republican cuts that would take away food from hungry kids, make it easier for infectious diseases to spread, make America less safe, and cut off rural communities’ access to emergency information and severe weather alerts. It’s a reckless bill that puts billionaires first and working families last,” said Congressman Donald Norcross. “The cuts do nothing to address the cost-of-living crisis and only continue the efforts by Elon Musk’s Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE) to starve the American people of government resources and weaken the United States’ power on the world stage.”
The Trump-Republican Recissions Package would result in:
$1.1 billion in cuts to PBS funding, hurting families who rely on public TV and radio to support their children’s education and stay informed about the day’s news.
$500 million in cuts to USAID Global Health Programs that prevent the spread of infectious diseases across the world and into the U.S.
$202 million in cuts to UN-affiliated organizations such as the International Atomic Energy Agency, which monitors nuclear weapons and chemical weapons in Iran.
142 million in cuts to the United Nations’ Children’s Fund (UNICEF), a program that provides humanitarian aid to children in developing nations.
$22 million in cuts to the African Development Foundation, which provides food to starving kids.
Source: United States House of Representatives – Congressman Donald Norcross (1st District of New Jersey)
WASHINGTON, DC — Today, Congressman Donald Norcross (D-NJ) voted against the Trump-Republican rescissions package to cut humanitarian aid, infectious disease prevention, and public broadcasting.
“I voted against the disastrous Trump-Republican cuts that would take away food from hungry kids, make it easier for infectious diseases to spread, make America less safe, and cut off rural communities’ access to emergency information and severe weather alerts. It’s a reckless bill that puts billionaires first and working families last,” said Congressman Donald Norcross. “The cuts do nothing to address the cost-of-living crisis and only continue the efforts by Elon Musk’s Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE) to starve the American people of government resources and weaken the United States’ power on the world stage.”
The Trump-Republican Recissions Package would result in:
$1.1 billion in cuts to PBS funding, hurting families who rely on public TV and radio to support their children’s education and stay informed about the day’s news.
$500 million in cuts to USAID Global Health Programs that prevent the spread of infectious diseases across the world and into the U.S.
$202 million in cuts to UN-affiliated organizations such as the International Atomic Energy Agency, which monitors nuclear weapons and chemical weapons in Iran.
142 million in cuts to the United Nations’ Children’s Fund (UNICEF), a program that provides humanitarian aid to children in developing nations.
$22 million in cuts to the African Development Foundation, which provides food to starving kids.
WASHINGTON — The Department of Veterans Affairs today announced that it will soon propose a rule to extend Program of Comprehensive Assistance for Family Caregivers eligibility for certain Veterans and their family caregivers through Sept. 30, 2028.
The new rule will extend program eligibility for legacy participants, legacy applicants and their family caregivers for three years while VA continues the rulemaking process to refine the program. The extension will ensure that legacy participants and applicants can maintain their benefits and stability during this time.
Legacy participants are Veterans, service members, and their family caregivers who were participating in PCAFC as of Sept. 30, 2020, and legacy applicants are Veterans, servicemembers, and their family caregivers who applied for PCAFC before Oct. 1, 2020, and were accepted into the program on or after Oct. 1, 2020.
“Legacy caregivers have helped shape VA’s Caregiver Support Program for many years,” said VA Secretary Doug Collins. “This decision underscores VA’s commitment to Veterans and caregivers across the nation and will help provide consistency and stability to nearly 15,000 legacy participants for years to come.”
PCAFC is part of VA’s broader Caregiver Support Program, and offers enhanced clinical support for family caregivers of eligible Veterans who incurred or aggravated a serious injury in the line of duty, and meet other eligibility criteria. PCAFC benefits include education and training, respite care, counseling, technical support, a monthly stipend and access to health care through the Civilian Health and Medical Program of the Department of Veterans Affairs and certain travel expenses.
CBO provides information about how changes to funding for the National Institutes of Health (NIH) and changes in the Food and Drug Administration’s (FDA’s) review times would affect the development of new drugs. In particular, CBO was asked to assess two hypothetical scenarios:
A permanent 10 percent reduction in the amount of funding that the government provides to the NIH, and
A nine-month increase in the time it takes the FDA to review new drug applications (NDAs).
To assess the effects of the hypothetical reduction in NIH funding, CBO focused on how the reduction would affect external preclinical research—that is, research conducted before clinical trials begin by organizations that receive money from the NIH. CBO estimated that a reduction in the NIH’s funding of external preclinical research would ultimately decrease the number of new drugs coming to market by roughly 4.5 percent, or about 2 drugs per year. That result would not be immediate; rather, the impact of the reduction in funding would grow over a 30-year period and would take full effect in the third decade after the reduction began. A reduction in other components of the NIH’s budget would further decrease the number of new drugs coming to market; CBO has not assessed the magnitude of that effect.
A nine-month increase in FDA review times for NDAs would reduce the number of FDA-approved drugs in the first year following the increase because all but three months’ worth of drug approvals would shift to the next year. In addition to that initial delay, the increase in review times would reduce the number of such approvals by raising the cost to develop new drugs. The number of drug approvals deterred by the increase in development costs would grow over time and would reach its full effect of a 2 percent reduction—amounting to about one less new drug—each year in the second decade after the increase in review times began.
CBO was also asked to analyze the implications of reducing NIH funding by 35 percent to 38 percent. CBO has not yet assessed whether historical evidence can be generalized and reliably used to estimate the effects of a reduction in funding of that magnitude.
Source: United States House of Representatives – Congressman Earl L Buddy Carter (GA-01)
Headline: Carter Introduces Bill to Increase Funding for Veteran Health Care
WASHINGTON, D.C. – Rep. Earl L. “Buddy” Carter (R-GA), Rep. Mike Lawler (R-NY), Rep. Josh Harder (D-CA), and Rep. Jason Crow (D-CO) today introduced the Veterans Health Care Stamp Act of 2025, a bill directingthe United States Postal Service to issue and sell a stamp that will fund medical care and treatment for veterans.
For every stamp sold, proceeds will be contributed to an account within the Department of Veterans Affairs, providing the public with a convenient way to contribute to health care services for veterans.
“This common-sense legislation will provide additional support to our heroic veteran community for the sacrifices they have made in defense of our country,” said Rep. Carter. “With this bill, we will increase the quality, accessibility, and affordability of health care for our nation’s veterans, fulfilling our promise to defend them as fully as they defended us.”
“I served as an Army Ranger in Iraq and Afghanistan. As a veteran, caring for our veterans is personal to me. I’m proud to introduce this bipartisan legislation to help support the VA health system and provide better care for those who have served our country,” said Rep. Crow.
Source: United States House of Representatives – Congressman Earl L Buddy Carter (GA-01)
Headline: Carter Introduces Bill to Increase Funding for Veteran Health Care
WASHINGTON, D.C. – Rep. Earl L. “Buddy” Carter (R-GA), Rep. Mike Lawler (R-NY), Rep. Josh Harder (D-CA), and Rep. Jason Crow (D-CO) today introduced the Veterans Health Care Stamp Act of 2025, a bill directingthe United States Postal Service to issue and sell a stamp that will fund medical care and treatment for veterans.
For every stamp sold, proceeds will be contributed to an account within the Department of Veterans Affairs, providing the public with a convenient way to contribute to health care services for veterans.
“This common-sense legislation will provide additional support to our heroic veteran community for the sacrifices they have made in defense of our country,” said Rep. Carter. “With this bill, we will increase the quality, accessibility, and affordability of health care for our nation’s veterans, fulfilling our promise to defend them as fully as they defended us.”
“I served as an Army Ranger in Iraq and Afghanistan. As a veteran, caring for our veterans is personal to me. I’m proud to introduce this bipartisan legislation to help support the VA health system and provide better care for those who have served our country,” said Rep. Crow.
Source: United States House of Representatives – Congresswoman Lori Trahan (D-MA-03)
WASHINGTON, DC – Yesterday, Congresswomen Lori Trahan (MA-03), Deborah Ross (NC-02), Kim Schrier, M.D. (WA-08), Kathy Castor (FL-14), and Lizzie Fletcher (TX-07) introduced the Right to FDA-Approved Medicines Act, new legislation to protect Americans’ ability to access safe, effective medications that have been reviewed and authorized by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA). This bill clarifies that FDA approval of medicines preempts state efforts to ban their prescription, provision, or use. “When politicians override science to push an agenda, it puts everyone’s health at risk,” said Congresswoman Trahan. “Doctors should be able to prescribe safe, effective, FDA-approved medications based on what’s best for their patients – not what politicians believe. The Right to FDA Approved Medicines Act protects access to lifesaving prescriptions like mifepristone and ensures health care decisions stay between patients and their doctors, not politicians.” This legislation comes at a time when many Republican-controlled states are working to ban or limit access to mifepristone, one of two drugs approved for pregnancy termination. Just this week, the U.S. Court of Appeals for the 4th Circuit ruled that federal law does not prevent West Virginia from restricting medication abortion. If states are effectively able to ban FDA-approved medications like mifepristone, that could open the door to bans of birth control, PrEP, vaccines, and other life-saving FDA-approved medications. “In recent years, we’ve seen a troubling rise in politically motivated attempts by extremist state legislatures to block access to safe, effective medications approved by the FDA,” said Congresswoman Ross. “This legislation clarifies that if a medication is approved by the FDA, no state can stand in the way of a patient who needs it. Allowing states to second-guess the FDA and ban safe, life-saving medications sets a dangerous precedent that undermines the entire drug approval process. Science, not politics, should guide health care in this country. Thank you to my colleagues for joining me in this important effort.” “Patients should never lose access to medications because of where they live, and we’ve already seen states try to ban medications such as mifepristone. As a physician, I know that blocking access to critical medicines will compromise people’s health and inevitably lead to adverse outcomes for patients,” said Congresswoman Schrier, M.D. “That’s why I’m proud to introduce this legislation to ensure that patients across the country have access to FDA-approved medications, vaccinations, and reproductive care. “The safety and efficacy of medications should be determined by science and medical experts – not partisan politics,” said Congresswoman Castor. “FDA sets the gold standard for drug review and approval. Floridians and Americans across the country deserve consistent access to FDA-approved medications, whether it’s for abortion care or cancer treatments. This legislation ensures that extremist politicians cannot deny patients the right to get the care and medication they need to live healthy lives.” “Everyone deserves access to life saving, FDA-approved drugs,” said Congresswoman Fletcher. “But states like Texas have attempted to block Americans’ access to safe and effective abortion care medications like Mifepristone, which was approved by the federal government more than 20 years ago. I am glad to join Congresswoman Ross in introducing the Right to FDA-Approved Medicines Act to protect access to FDA-approved drugs like Mifepristone and to protect the health, dignity, and freedom of women and families across our country.” This bill would:
Clarify that individuals maintain the right to access medications that have been approved, licensed, or authorized by the FDA. Affirm the right of health care providers to prescribe and dispense these medications without fear of criminalization or civil penalties from state governments. Prevent state governments from banning, restricting, or interfering with access to FDA-approved drugs, including reproductive health medications.
The text of the legislation can be found HERE. ###
Source: United States House of Representatives – Representative Mike Johnson (LA-04)
House Claws Back $9 Billion in Wasteful Spending, Sends Rescissions Package to President Trump’s Desk
Washington, July 18, 2025
WASHINGTON — Speaker Johnson released the following statement after House Republicans passed the Senate-amended rescissions request to cut $9 billion in wasteful spending uncovered by DOGE.
“President Trump and House Republicans promised fiscal responsibility and government efficiency. Today, we’re once again delivering on that promise.
“This package eliminates $9 billion in unnecessary and wasteful spending at the State Department, USAID, and the Corporation for Public Broadcasting. The American people will no longer be forced to fund politically biased media and more than $8 billion in outrageous expenses overseas.
“While Republicans continue to deliver real accountability, restore fiscal discipline, and protect taxpayer dollars, Democrats continue to defend waste, fraud, and abuse. This isn’t the end, it’s the beginning. We look forward to passing additional rescissions bills throughout the 119th Congress.”
Background:
The Trump Administration’s rescissions package rescinds $9 billion of wasteful spending uncovered by DOGE, including:
$1.1 billion for Corporation for Public Broadcasting
$135 million in contributions to the corrupt and dangerous World Health Organization (WHO)
$18 million to improve gender diversity in Mexican street lighting
$4.4 million for a Melanesian Youth Climate Corps
$3.9 million for LGBTQI+ advocacy programs in the Western Balkans
$2.5 million to teach children how to make environmentally friendly “reproductive health” decisions
$300,000 to fund a pride parade in Lesotho
$500,000 for electric buses in Rwanda
$500,000 for a gender equality and empowerment hub
MIAMI – On July 10, 2025, Magaly Travieso, 54, of Miami, Fla., was sentenced to nine years’ imprisonment for conspiracy to commit health care fraud, and Yudorki Ramirez, 53, of Miami, Fla., was sentenced to three years’ imprisonment for conspiracy to commit money laundering.
Travieso was an advanced practitioner registered nurse and the owner of ProMed Healthcare, L.L.C., a medical clinic that purportedly provided back and shoulder braces, physical therapy, psychosocial rehabilitation, and other mental health therapy services to beneficiaries with commercial insurance, Medicare, and Medicare Advantage Plans, and to Medicaid recipients. From approximately March 2019 through at least January 2023, Travieso conspired with others to submit over $20 million in fraudulent claims for reimbursement, of which ProMed received over $10 million.
Specifically, Travieso and her co-conspirators paid patients illegal kickbacks and fabricated medical records to substantiate thousands of insurance claims for medically unnecessary goods and services—and services that ProMed never even provided. For example, Travieso and other ProMed mental health counselors completed progress notes for “psychosocial rehabilitation” (“PSR”) with fabricated stock quotes of PSR patients that they copied throughout records of dozens of different elderly patients. ProMed’s medical records even copied the typos in those fabricated quotes. Travieso and others’ PSR progress notes not only copied participant responses, the notes also fabricated observations, results, and other medical notations.
Once ProMed’s health care fraud proceeds were deposited into ProMed’s bank accounts, Travieso and her former spouse, Ramirez, used the fraud proceeds for their personal use and benefit. For example, Travieso spent approximately $75,000 in proceeds on the purchase of a 2021 Land Rover Range Rover in the name of ProMed and approximately $750,000 in proceeds on the purchase of her residence in Miami, Florida. Similarly, Ramirez spent approximately $141,923.02 of proceeds on the purchase of his residence in Miami. Ramirez also laundered approximately $2,068,904.55 of health care fraud proceeds into his investment accounts. In June 2024, pursuant to seizure warrants, law enforcement seized Travieso’s Range Rover and over $4 million in health care fraud proceeds from bank accounts belonging to Travieso and Ramirez. Since then, law enforcement has recovered over $2 million in additional forfeited assets, and the Court ordered Travieso and Ramirez to pay millions more to the Government and the victims.
Hayden P. O’Byrne, U.S. Attorney for the Southern District of Florida, Acting Special Agent in Charge Brett Skiles from the Federal Bureau of Investigations, Miami Field Office, Acting Special Agent in Charge Ryan Lynch of the Department of Health and Human Services Office of Inspector General (HHS-OIG) Miami Regional Office and Florida Attorney General James Uthmeier for the Florida Office of the Attorney General Medicaid Fraud Control Unit (MFCU) made the announcement.
This case was investigated by the FBI Miami Field Office, the Department of Health and Human Services Office of Inspector General, and Medicaid Fraud Control Unit of the Florida Office of the Attorney General. Assistant U.S. Attorney Joseph Egozi prosecuted the case and Assistant U.S. Attorney Joshua Paster handled asset forfeiture.
You may find a copy of this press release (and any updates) on the website of the United States Attorney’s Office for the Southern District of Florida at www.justice.gov/usao-sdfl.
Related court documents and information may be found on the website of the District Court for the Southern District of Florida at www.flsd.uscourts.gov or at http://pacer.flsd.uscourts.gov, under case number 25-CR-20074-KMM.
Source: The Conversation – UK – By Deborah Pain, Visiting Academic, University of Cambridge; Honorary Professor, University of East Anglia, University of Cambridge
The UK’s environment minister Emma Hardy has announced a ban on toxic lead ammunition to protect Britain’s countryside. This ban includes the sale and use for hunting of both lead shotgun ammunition (each cartridge of which contains hundreds of small lead pellets called “shot”), used mainly for hunting small game animals like gamebirds, and large calibre lead bullets, used for hunting large game animals like deer.
This is great news for Britain’s birds because the ban will eventually prevent the deaths and suffering of the vast numbers affected by lead poisoning each year after ingesting lead from ammunition.
Waterbirds and land-based gamebirds mistakenly eat these because they look like food or the grit they ingest to help grind up their food. Shot are retained in their gizzards (a muscular part of the stomach), ground up, and the lead dissolved and absorbed into the bloodstream.
Lead poisoning kills an estimated 50,000-100,000 waterbirds annually in the UK. These birds suffer considerably before they die. Many more birds are poisoned, but not killed.
While this additional “sublethal” poisoning does not kill birds directly, they may be more likely to die of other causes. This is because lead poisoning affects the immune system and behaviour.
Gamebirds will no longer be able to be killed using lead shot under a new ban in Britain. AdamEdwards/Shutterstock
The use of lead shot for hunting waterfowl and over certain wetlands is already banned in England and Wales. It is also banned for shooting over all wetlands in Scotland.
However, compliance with the regulations in England is only about 30%, and is also low in Scotland, although has not been measured in Wales. This new comprehensive ban should dramatically improve the situation across all habitats throughout Britain.
Birds of prey, including eagles, common buzzards and red kites ingest lead fragments when they scavenge flesh from animals killed by lead ammunition, or prey on animals wounded by lead ammunition. The acidic conditions in their stomachs help dissolve the lead.
Our research shows that while fewer birds of prey than waterbirds are estimated to die of lead poisoning, it can have a far greater effect on their populations, especially for species that first breed at a later age, produce fewer young, and would otherwise have higher annual adult survival rates.
The lead ban will benefit birds that live in Britain permanently or for just part of the year. But it will not entirely solve the problem for migratory species. If lead shot continues to be used elsewhere, these species may still ingest it on migration or on their breeding or wintering grounds.
Beyond borders
To protect all species, lead ammunition needs to be replaced by non-lead alternatives everywhere. The use of lead shot is already banned in many wetlands globally. Across the EU, a ban on the use of lead shot in or close to wetlands came into force in February 2023.
Now, Britain is set to become the second country to ban most uses of lead ammunition. This has been made possible by the increasing availability of safe, efficient and affordable non-lead ammunition alternatives, primarily steel shot and copper bullets.
In February 2025, the European Commission published a draft regulation banning most uses of lead ammunition and fishing weights. This awaits approval under EU processes – if successful, it will represent a major step forward.
Beyond birds
Birds are particularly susceptible to the effects of ingested lead from ammunition due to their muscular gizzards and stomach acidity. But it also puts the health of many other animals at risk, including pets and people.
The UK government based its decision to ban lead ammunition on a report by the Health and Safety Executive which highlighted risks to the health of young children and women of pregnancy age if they frequently eat meat from game hunted with lead ammunition. Children’s developing nervous systems are particularly sensitive to the effects of lead.
We recently urged the EU’s committee of member states for Reach (the chemicals regulation), the European parliament and council to fully support the European Commission’s proposal to restrict lead ammunition.
We also encouraged the European Food Safety Authority to recommend that the European Commission set a legal maximum level for lead in game meat marketed for human consumption. This maximum level should be similar to the one already set for meat from most farmed animals.
Until this happens, and more countries follow suit by banning all use of lead ammunition for hunting, the health of wildlife, domestic animals and vulnerable groups of people will continue to be threatened by the toxic effects of lead from ammunition.
Don’t have time to read about climate change as much as you’d like?
Deborah Pain is an Honorary Professor at the University of East Anglia (Biological Sciences) and a Visiting Academic in the Department of Zoology, University of Cambridge. She has been an independent scientist since April 2018. She has received no remuneration for research on lead poisoning since that time, but, along with colleagues, has received funding for the costs of research and chemical analysis from a number of sources, as acknowledged in published papers. She was a member of the UK REACH Independent Scientific Expert Pool (RISEP) and within this the Challenge Panel on Lead in Ammunition and received payment for that work. However, her published research on lead poisoning was independent of that process.
Rhys Green has received funding for research from several organisations including the RSPB, where he was principal conservation scientist until 2017. He is now retired. He is an unpaid volunteer research scientist at RSPB and Emeritus Honorary Professor of Conservation Science in the Department of Zoology, University of Cambridge. He is a member of the UK REACH Independent Scientific Expert Pool (RISEP), which is an expert group set up by a UK government agency, the Health & Safety Executive. He receives occasional payments for work done on behalf of RISEP. He is on the Board of Trustees of Chester Zoo.
Niels Kanstrup does not work for, consult, own shares in or receive funding from any company or organisation that would benefit from this article, and has disclosed no relevant affiliations beyond their academic appointment.
Suaalii only switched codes from rugby league to rugby union in 2023 and has just five international caps to his name. But despite his lack of union experience, he has been catching attention lately for more than just his powerful runs and physicality. In recent weeks, Suaalii’s unusual pre-match warm-up has also sparked curiosity, most notably, his use of juggling and peripheral awareness drills to prepare his visual system.
For many spectators, seeing a player showing off their juggling skills is more suited to a circus performance than international rugby. But there is science behind his bizarre approach. This preparation could be giving him an edge the Lions should fear.
Growing evidence
Visual performance in elite sport remains an under-applied area of sport science, yet the evidence for its effectiveness is growing.
My own research has found that a county cricket team which underwent six weeks of visual training improved their basic cricket skills more than a control group which did extra cricket skills exercises. This demonstrates that we need to be looking beyond the confines of the sport itself to bring about maximal performance.
Visual skill in sport is about more than just 20/20 vision. Each sport has its own specific demands, and rugby requires skills such as peripheral awareness, depth perception, rapid eye movement, reaction speed, dynamic visual acuity and eye-body coordination.
Combining these visual skills will allow the most accurate information to be sent to the brain for processing – helping players to make the best decisions, even under intense pressure and high levels of fatigue.
By using exercises such as juggling, Suaalii is training several of these visual skills at once. Juggling requires excellent eye-body coordination, the use of the peripheral system and reaction speed. These are all skills which are also used in rugby for catching high balls kicked by opponents, reading attacking threats and spotting the movement of teammates and opposition players.
Juggling has also been shown to bring about positive structural changes in the human brain – particularly in areas linked to processing visual information – and integrating this with motor control.
This demonstrates that this relatively simple exercise can lead to improvements not only in the eyes, but also the brain. In rugby, the visual array will be constantly changing. A shift in the defensive line, a looping support run, a player slightly slow to recover from a ruck, or a spiralling high kick – the ability to spot, process and respond to these visual cues can be the difference between success and failure.
Suaalii is by no means the first rugby player to train his visual system. Former coach Clive Woodward famously brought in a visual performance coach to work with the England team – and they went on to win the 2003 Rugby World Cup.
I also worked with the Harlequins rugby team in the English Premiership as a visual performance coach. We won three trophies in my first three seasons with the team, which is known for free flowing, creative play. This style of play places extremely high demands on the players’ visual systems.
Lions test series
So what particular visual skills can you look out for over this Lions test series and how might they impact the outcome?
When defending close to their own try line, players should be scanning across the width of the pitch to ensure that they do not become outnumbered on either side of the field. Conversely, the attackers should be making rapid scans to quickly identify any mismatch (for example, a slow front row forward versus a swift and agile winger) they can take advantage of.
In these situations, players can often focus too much on the ball, allowing opposition players to craftily reposition themselves unseen. The best players will, wherever possible, be looking at everything, everywhere, all at once, improving their spatial awareness and enabling them to maintain an overview of the game in their minds.
To catch a kicked spiralling highball, a fullback or winger needs exceptional tracking ability and depth perception. Players in this situation are sometimes let down by “convergence issues”, where as the eyes track an object moving towards them, they can drift outwards or become misaligned. This can cause players to mistime their jump, or for the ball to hit their chest before being caught, wasting vital milliseconds. Training these convergence issues has been shown to bring about improvements in sports performance.
As a scrum-half is collecting the ball from a breakdown, they need quickly to scan the positions of teammates on either side of them, and be aware of the depth of the defensive line. Having this visual information will lead to better decisions and creating faster attacking opportunities.
A crunching tackle may seem like a purely strength-based skill. But to ensure it is both perfectly timed and legal, a defender must perfectly anticipate the speed and direction of the oncoming player. They can then use this information to precisely position their own body to impart their full momentum, while using their reaction speed to make last-second adjustments to ensure they do not put their opponent in danger.
Subtle visual advantages, honed through practice, can influence these moments. During this test series, they may well be the difference between winning and losing. Suaalii’s juggling may seem better suited to the circus, but it could be the secret weapon Australia need to secure the series.
Zoe Wimshurst is the owner and director of Performance Vision Ltd, a company which provides visual training and consultancy services.
As summer holidays begin, many travellers are packing more than just swimsuits and sunscreen – for millions, medicines are essential. But taking them abroad isn’t always simple. From legal pitfalls to temperature-sensitive drugs, here’s how to travel safely and legally with your medication.
Know the law
Medicines that are legal in the UK can be restricted or even banned in other countries. Having a valid prescription doesn’t guarantee you can take a medicine into another country.
For example, Nurofen Plus, which contains codeine (an opioid painkiller), is prohibited in countries like Egypt, Indonesia and the UAE.
Even common cold remedies containing decongestants like pseudoephedrine can land you in trouble in places like Japan and South Korea. This is because pseudoephedrine can be used to make methamphetamine (“speed”). Likewise, many stimulant ADHD drugs are also banned from these countries.
Get your news from actual experts, straight to your inbox.Sign up to our daily newsletter to receive all The Conversation UK’s latest coverage of news and research, from politics and business to the arts and sciences.
Some countries have restrictions on the amount of medication that you are allowed to bring into the country – usually a maximum of three months supply.
Travellers often overlook how strict customs regulations can be regarding medications. Even if prescribed for a valid medical reason, carrying a prohibited drug can lead to confiscation (leaving you without essential treatment), fines (especially in countries with tough drug laws) and detention or arrest in rare but serious cases.
If you’re travelling with certain controlled drugs – such as opioids, stimulants or psychotropic substances – you may need to apply for an export licence from the UK Home Office. This is typically required when carrying a supply of three months or more. Examples of controlled drugs include diazepam (for anxiety and muscle spasms), codeine and morphine (for pain), amphetamines (for ADHD) and temazepam (for insomnia).
Before you travel, check whether your medicine is affected by any of these restrictions. Use the country’s embassy website or the UK government’s travel advice to check the rules of your destination country.
This should provide guidance on whether you simply need a copy of your prescription, a doctor’s letter or a special import certificate (some countries require official documentation even for personal use).
The UK government advises carrying controlled drugs or any drugs that might be restricted in your hand luggage. You should take along a prescription or a signed letter from your doctor detailing your medication, dosage and travel dates.
Ensure you take sufficient supplies for the duration of your trip and include extras for unexpected delays, damage or loss.
It might be tempting to save space by transferring pills or liquids into smaller containers or pill organisers. While this can be convenient, it’s not always advisable. Customs officials may not recognise unlabelled containers, increasing the chance of delays or confiscation.
Some medications are sensitive to light, air or temperature, and must remain in their original packaging to stay effective. For example, HRT (hormone replacement therapy) sprays like Lenzetto must not be decanted.
These products rely on precise metered dosing and specialised packaging to deliver the correct amount of hormone. Transferring them to another container could result in incorrect dosing or loss of potency.
Similarly, GTN (glyceryl trinitrate) tablets, used to treat angina, should always be stored in their original glass bottle. The active ingredient can evaporate if exposed to air, reducing the tablets’ effectiveness.
You might be worried about the 100ml liquid in hand luggage restriction – with a doctor’s letter certifying the need for this medicine, you should be able to take larger amounts of liquid medicine through security.
Medicines should always be kept in their original packaging with labels intact. When in doubt, ask your pharmacist whether your medication can be safely repackaged for travel.
It’s also important to split your supply of medicines between bags (if more than one is used) in case one is lost. Tablets and capsules can sometimes be placed in a pill organiser for daily use, but always carry the original box or prescription label as backup.
Some medicines require refrigeration – like Wegovy and Ozempic (semaglutide) injections for weight loss or insulin.
Usually, unopened Wegovy pens and insulin preparations should be stored between 2°C and 8°C in a fridge. Once out of the fridge, they can be kept at room temperature (up to 25°C) for up to 28 days, but must be protected from heat and sunlight. High temperatures, such as in direct sunlight or a hot car, can damage insulin.
When travelling, use an insulated travel case or cool pack, but avoid placing pens or other medicines directly next to ice packs to prevent freezing.
Airlines generally do not provide refrigeration or freezer storage for passenger items, including medicines, due to space and liability concerns, but it’s worth contacting them to see if they can help with arrangements for storage. Inspect insulin for crystals after flying – if any are present, it should be discarded.
You can bring needles and injectable medicines like EpiPens (for allergies), insulin or Wegovy in your hand luggage. But it’s important to carry a doctor’s note stating your medical condition and the necessity of the medication, and a copy of your prescription.
You should also declare them at airport security. Security officers may inspect these items separately, so allow for extra time going through security.
Contact your airline for any specific rules on needles and injectable medicines. Always carry such medicines and medical devices in your hand luggage – checked bags can be lost or exposed to extreme temperatures.
Don’t skip doses
Tempting as it may be to leave your medication behind for a short trip, doing so can be risky. Stopping treatment – even temporarily – can lead to relapse or worsening of symptoms (especially for chronic conditions like diabetes, hypertension or depression).
For medicines like antidepressants or opioids, people may start feeling withdrawal effects. You’re also at risk of reduced effectiveness if you miss doses of medicines that require consistent levels in your bloodstream.
If you’re considering a break from your medication, consult your doctor first. They can advise whether a short pause is safe or help you plan a travel-friendly regimen.
Take the right documents
While showing your NHS app to border officials may help demonstrate that a medicine is prescribed to you, it’s not always sufficient – especially when travelling with restricted or controlled drugs and injectable medicines.
Most countries require a copy of your prescription, and a doctor’s letter confirming the medication is for personal use. Your doctor is not legally obliged to issue this letter, but most will do so upon request.
It’s best to ask at least one to two weeks in advance, as some practices may charge a fee or require time to prepare the documentation.
Travelling with medication doesn’t have to be stressful, but it does require planning. With the right preparation, you can enjoy your holiday without compromising your health or running afoul of foreign laws.
Dipa Kamdar does not work for, consult, own shares in or receive funding from any company or organisation that would benefit from this article, and has disclosed no relevant affiliations beyond their academic appointment.
Source: United States Senator for West Virginia Shelley Moore Capito
[embedded content]
Click hereor on the image above to watch Senator Capito’s remarks.
WASHINGTON, D.C. — Yesterday, U.S. Senator Shelley Moore Capito (R-W.Va.) delivered a speech on the Senate floor celebrating the career and legacy of West Virginia University’s (WVU) outgoing president Dr. Gordon Gee.
Dr. Gee, who retired this week, dedicated nearly two decades of his life to the service of West Virginia, where he saw the university through many victories and challenges. Dr. Gee worked tirelessly to make education in West Virginia more accessible and obtainable, partnered with Marshall University president Brad Smith to keep the best and brightest students in West Virginia after graduation, and oversaw the addition of 20 hospitals under the WVU Medicine umbrella.
Senator Capito’s remarks as prepared for delivery:
“Mr. President,
“I rise today to honor a dear friend of mine, who has dedicated nearly two decades of his life to the service of our great state of West Virginia, and, to the betterment of our students seeking higher education.
“The man who has been president of more universities than anyone else in the entire world!
“Doctor E. Gordon Gee, President of West Virginia University, who retired this week.
“Dr. Gee, or Gordon as we call him, was fortunate to serve two tenures as President of WVU,
“First from 1981 to 1985, and again from 2013 to 2025.
“Where he brought his strong desire for community, and love of education, to our Home Among the Hills in Morgantown.
“I know I speak for everyone when I say how much we will miss his signature bow tie—I believe he has thousands, his love for athletics and impact within the NCAA—he even offered to suit up for the WVU football team, although he’s quick to admit he isn’t much of an athlete—his infectious energy, and his thoughtful guidance.
“His legacy will be felt at WVU for generations to come.
“To understand the impact that Gordon has made on West Virginia, I must expand on what WVU means to our state and people far outside our borders.
“WVU was established in 1867, initially named the Agricultural College of West Virginia, and became our state’s first public land-grant university.
“Since then, individuals from across our state, country, and world have become Mountaineers – including many members of my own family.
“There are a couple things that I must note about WVU:
“First, Mountaineers are everywhere.
“There isn’t a town across West Virginia, or an airport across our country, where you won’t see the trademark blue and gold flying WV logo.
“The Mountaineers serve as a point of pride for our state and bring recognition to the wonderful people, passion, culture, and history that we have in West Virginia.
“Second, Mountaineers are changing the world.
“Across WVU’s thirteen colleges and schools, whether it be engineering, agriculture, law, or medicine, Mountaineers are making a difference.
“WVU is our state’s only institution to hold the title of an R-1 University, the benchmark that recognizes exceptional research capacity.
“This is a status that WVU received in 2016 under Gordon’s leadership.
“Gordon’s connection to West Virginia isn’t just a professional one. It’s a personal one too.
“He chose to return to West Virginia not once, but twice, because he believes in West Virginia, our people, and WVU.
“When he speaks of his love and passion for our state, it is unmistakenly heartfelt.
“Gordon believes in the power of education, and that belief has left its mark not only on Morgantown, but across every corner of our great state, and honestly, across our entire nation.
“When Gordon became President of WVU the first time in 1981, he was only 37 years old.
“When he returned to Blaney House in 2013, he came back seasoned, with the experience and perspective that WVU needed.
“Through the foundation of his four pillars—education, health care, prosperity, and purpose—Gordon has guided WVU through times both successful and tumultuous—including through a global pandemic—made education for our children in West Virginia more accessible and obtainable, and moved our state towards one of his principles that West Virginians should not have to leave our state’s borders to receive the health services they deserve.
“The impact that Gordon has made is apparent in many areas, but particularly noteworthy is the impact he has made through the continued expansion of WVU Medicine.
“As the Chairman of the WVU Medicine Board of Directors, Gordon oversaw the addition of 20 hospitals under the WVU Medicine umbrella that span across our state,
“And increased the capacity and research support for WVU’s world class facilities like the Rockefeller Neuroscience Institute, Cancer Institute, Heart and Vascular Institute, and the new Children’s hospital.
“As West Virginia’s Senator, I’ve had the privilege to work with the wonderful and incredibly impressive people of WVU Medicine and visit these facilities many times.
“Let me tell you, they are on the cutting edge of medical advancements that will saves live and change our world.
“Gordon’s leadership has been a critical part of this success, and it’s fitting that his recently finished portrait will live on the WVU Medicine campus.
“Although Gordon was born in Utah, he is the first to tell you that he is a ‘born-again’ West Virginian.
“He has made our state his home, and the effort and energy he puts toward benefiting the lives of his fellow West Virginians is evident.
“Two of Gordon’s four pillars that I mentioned earlier—purpose and prosperity—relate directly to economic development in our state.
“Along with Marshall President Brad Smith, Gordon was central to developing the ‘First Ascent’ program in West Virginia,
“This program connects recent WVU and Marshall graduates with workforce opportunities within our state that launch their professional careers, and keep our best and brightest home, contributing to our communities.
“The duo also worked together to establish ‘Ascend West Virginia,’ which has been a successful effort to attract remote workers to West Virginia’s mountains, highlighting the wonderful outdoor recreation opportunities our state offers to young professionals and their families.
“Additionally, Gordon has made it a priority to visit and spend time in all 55 of West Virginia’s counties, showing the excellent work of the WVU Extension services, designed to build prosperity, enhance educational opportunities, improve health, and create purpose in communities across the entirety of our state.
“While Gordon’s presence as WVU President will be missed, we know that he will continue to make a difference in West Virginia.
“And, as I said when I started this speech, the legacy he has built will continue to be felt for generations to come.
“I know that I join Gordon and our state when I say we look forward to leadership and experience that the new WVU president, Michael Benson, brings to Morgantown.
“In a recent article published by WVU Magazine, I found the advice that Gordon gave to his successor to be wise, true, and eloquent:
“’If you love the state and its people, they will love you back.’
“That has certainly been the case for Doctor E. Gordon Gee, and the time he has spent in Morgantown.
“On a personal note, Charlie and I have been the recipients of emails, texts, and letters from Gordon that have lifted us up in tough times, and in good times as well.
“I have leaned on Gordon’s counsel as I’ve made difficult decisions, and he has always taken the time to give me thoughtful advice.
“Both Charlie and I can safely say that our lives have been touched by Gordon, and by the friendship we have fostered with him and Laurie.
“Here in the U.S. Senate, there are members who may have Gordon on speed-dial, but I am eternally grateful that the West Virginians are the ones who get to claim him!
“Gordon, I wish you the best in your next chapter, and I hope you enjoy the well-deserved time to now spend with your Laurie, who has made an unbelievable mark on our state and the university alongside you, as well as your daughter Rebekah, and your twin granddaughters that you love so dearly.
“Thank you for all you have done for West Virginia University— for your leadership, your vision, your heart, and all you’ve done for our state and the people who call it home.
Briefing reporters in Geneva, UN human rights office, OHCHR, spokesperson Ravina Shamdasani highlighted “credible” reports of “widespread violations and abuses, including summary executions and arbitrary killings, kidnappings, destruction of private property and looting of homes” in the city of Sweida.
“Among the reported perpetrators were members of the security forces and individuals affiliated with the interim authorities, as well as other armed elements from the area, including the Druze and Bedouin,” she said.
Many hospitals are struggling to cope with the influx of injured, the UN refugee agency UNHCR also noted.
Forced to flee
On Friday morning, OHCHR colleagues reported that clashes were continuing and that “a lot of people are trying to flee or have fled the area”, Ms. Shamdasani continued.
Latest updates from the UN humanitarian affairs coordination office, OCHA, on Thursday indicated that nearly 2,000 families had been displaced from areas affected by the fighting.
Hundreds have reportedly been killed since sectarian violence involving the Druze and Bedouin communities erupted on 12 July, triggering an intervention by Syrian security forces.
OHCHR’s Ms. Shamdasani highlighted an incident on 15 July in which at least 13 people were killed when “armed individuals affiliated with the interim authorities deliberately opened fire at a family gathering”.
Briefing an emergency meeting of the Security Council in New York on Thursday, UN Assistant Secretary-General Khaled Khiari also referenced reports of “civilians, religious figures and detainees being subjected to extrajudicial executions and humiliating and degrading treatment”. He urged all parties to protect civilians and civilian infrastructure.
Rumours and fact-checking
Ms. Shamdasani stressed that the UN human rights office has been trying to verify the information through “contacts on the ground…families of people who were killed, eyewitnesses”, but that obtaining reliable estimates of the death toll remains challenging.
“There are lots of videos circulating,” she said. “Some claim to be fighters who are in the area filming the abuses and violations they’re carrying out. We are trying to verify some of these videos, but there’s a lot of disinformation out there and a lot of it is being used to incite further violence to inflame tensions.”
The OHCHR spokesperson also expressed concern about reports of civilian casualties resulting from Israel’s airstrikes on Sweida, Dara’a and central Damascus.
“Attacks such as the one on Damascus on Wednesday pose great risks to civilians and civilian objects,” she warned, calling for the strikes to cease.
Israel had launched the strikes pledging to protect the Druze community.
The violence and displacement have sparked “considerable” humanitarian needs, with the health and aid systems struggling to keep up, said William Spindler of the UN refugee agency UNCHR.
“Many of the hospitals have been overwhelmed by the number of people who have been injured in the recent fighting,” he said.
According to OCHA, the UN World Health Organization (WHO) has dispatched enough trauma and emergency surgery kits for 1,750 interventions to the area, but many “remain undelivered due to access constraints”.
Since the displaced had to flee at very short notice, they are in desperate need of essentials – blankets, jerry cans, solar lamps – but providing these items has been a challenge.
Too risky to enter
“We have this in stock and we are ready to deliver them as soon as the security allows it,” Mr. Spindler said. “For now, this has not been possible.”
Mr. Spindler also warned of water shortages due to electricity outages. He said that people are unable to buy bottled water or food because of the insecurity.
UNHCR has an office in rural Sweida and Mr. Spindler expressed concern about the impact of the hostilities on the agency’s operations, infrastructure and personnel.
“We know that humanitarian infrastructure has been affected,” he said, describing an incident on 15 July in which a warehouse of the Syrian Arab Red Crescent was severely damaged by shelling.
The UNHCR spokesperson called on all parties to the conflict to respect and protect humanitarian premises, personnel and assets “in accordance with international humanitarian law”.
