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Labs: the (overlooked) building block of Universal Health Coverage

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 10:55:08 GMT

Hepatitis C (HCV) — a potentially life-threatening virus that infects 1.5 million new people around the world every year — is highly treatable if diagnosed early.[1]Unfortunately,  access to quality screening is far from universal. Countries like Egypt — one of the countries with the highest prevalence of HCV in the world — demonstrate the impact screening can have. In 2015, HCV was prevalent in an estimated 7 percent of the country’s population and accounted for 7.6 percent of the country’s mortality, presenting a significant health care and societal burden.[2]But since then, Egypt has turned a corner. In 2018, the Egyptian Ministry of Health and Population launched a massive nationwide HCV screening and treatment campaign as part of its 2014-2018 HCV action plan.[3] The campaign’s results were inspiring: by July 2020, Egypt had screened more than 60 million people[3] and treated 4 million residents.[2] Today, Egypt is set to be the world’s first country to eliminate HCV withi...

Liz Truss’ sacked chancellor Kwasi Kwarteng speaks of ‘emptiness’ after Downing Street

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 10:55:08 GMT

LONDON — Former U.K. Chancellor Kwasi Kwarteng spoke out about the “numbness” and “emptiness” top politicians feel after being ousted from office.Kwarteng was sacked 38 days into Liz Truss’ short-lived and chaotic premiership last year. He presided over the “mini-budget,” which precipitated market turmoil, an emergency intervention from the Bank of England, and was gutted within days.Speaking to POLITICO’s Westminster Insider podcast, Kwarteng said he felt “let down” by his longstanding friend and political ally Truss. He revealed the two have not spoken about his dramatic firing since it took place.In an episode about what former prime ministers do after leaving office, Kwarteng gave a frank assessment of politicians who are “adrenaline junkies” and likened top jobs to being in an “action movie.”Speaking about how ex-leaders feel after office, Kwarteng said: “These people, political people, but I think particularly people who get to the top, they...

Larger than life puppet begins 6,000 mile journey from Boston to San Diego to raise awareness and for refugees 

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 10:55:08 GMT

A larger than life puppet went on parade through the streets of Boston and Cambridge Thursday, arriving in the area as part of a mission to raise awareness and donations for refugees. The puppet’s name is Little Amal. Standing 12-feet tall, she has already been touring the world.Now, she is scheduled to travel 6,000 miles to San Diego as part of a journey that started with Thursday’s event.“Once we get going like we did today, we don’t stop,” said Little Amal Producer David Lan. Modeled after a 10-year-old Syrian refugee, Amal has visited 15 countries. The complex puppet is controlled by three puppeteers, with one on each hand and a third inside walking on stilts. Lan has been with Amal from her beginnings two years ago and said Amal has been asked to appear all over the world. “She has a vast online family,” Lan said. “…You go, ‘OK, something of value is happening here.’” Amal’s visit to the Boston area comes as Gov. Maura Healey has declared a state ...

Howie Carr: Tales from the T crypt

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 10:55:08 GMT

Who knew that MBTA “workers” aren’t allowed to sleep on the job?I thought sleeping on the job was part of the T job description, not just a perk, but a requirement.Now the T tells us that they’ve fired eight hacks for either sleeping or “not paying attention” on the job.Finally, we can understand why the state is now having to pay bonuses of thousands of dollars to get new employees to take jobs “on the T.”All of this is a complete reversal from the MBTA’s past history, when you had to pay a politician, in cash, to actually get “on the T.”The T used to be a destination no-heavy-lifting retirement home. Not for nothing was it called “Mr. Bulger’s Transportation Authority.”Remember the old saying about what a job at the T entailed – “Hide and seek for a grand a week.”Think of the great perks. At the T, you only had to “work” for 23 years. Then you could retire with the full kiss in the mail, in your early 40’s, like at least two of Whitey Bulger’s nephews, as well as a career hack nam...

Javier Assad struggles with his command in the Chicago Cubs’ 6-2 loss to the Arizona Diamondbacks in the opener of a 4-game series

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 10:55:08 GMT

Javier Assad’s command has been a staple of his big-league success.Since his transition to the rotation one month ago, it has served as the basis for his ability to give the Chicago Cubs quality starts. Coming off the deepest start of his career with eight shutout innings in Cincinnati, Assad searched for his command throughout a 6-2 loss Thursday night against the Arizona Diamondbacks.“I tried to take it inning by inning and I tried to maintain the score as low as possible,” Assad said through an interpreter. “But I definitely struggled with the command.“I left the pitches in the strike zone a little too much today so I think that may have contributed to it.”The loss in the opener of a four-game series at Wrigley Field dropped the Cubs two games behind the idle Milwaukee Brewers. The Diamondbacks, meanwhile, pulled within three games of the Cubs for the second National League wild-card spot.Assad surrendered three runs and scattered seven hits in...

Climate protester glues feet to floor at US Open, interrupts Coco Gauff’s semifinal win over Muchova

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 10:55:08 GMT

NEW YORK (AP) — Coco Gauff’s U.S. Open semifinal victory over Karolina Muchova was delayed by 50 minutes because of a disruption by four environmental activists in the Arthur Ashe Stadium stands on Thursday night. One protester glued his bare feet to the concrete floor. Gauff was leading 1-0 in the second set when play was halted. She would go on to win 6-4, 7-5.Security guards and, later, more than a half-dozen police officers went over to confront the protesters, who were wearing shirts that read, “End Fossil Fuels.” The U.S. Tennis Association said three of the protesters were escorted out of the stadium without further incident, but it took longer to remove the person who stuck his feet to the ground.The USTA added that NYPD and medical personnel were needed in order to safely remove that person. All four activists were taken into police custody. Muchova said that, initially, she “thought it was, like, fans screaming, cheering.”A group called Extinction Rebellion said it w...

Lions spoil Chiefs’ celebration of Super Bowl title by rallying for a 21-20 win in the NFL’s opener

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 10:55:08 GMT

KANSAS CITY, Mo. (AP) — Jared Goff threw for 253 yards and a touchdown, new Lions running back David Montgomery ran for the go-ahead score with 5:05 remaining in the game, and Detroit held on for a sloppy 21-20 victory over the Super Bowl champion Kansas City Chiefs in the NFL’s season opener Thursday night.Amon-Ra St. Brown had six catches for 71 yards and a score, and Lions rookie Brian Branch returned Patrick Mahomes’ first pick in an opener 50 yards for another touchdown, helping Detroit snap the Chiefs’ eight-game Week 1 winning streak.The Lions were trying to run out the clock when Goff had a fourth-down pass near midfield batted down with 2:30 left, giving the Chiefs a chance. But they made a mess of it: Kadarius Toney dropped a potential 20-yard gain, a deep completion was called back for holding, Skyy Moore dropped a pass and a false start left Mahomes heaving a fourth-and-25 throw downfield.When it fell incomplete and Detroit took over, Montgomery ran for...

Court order allows Texas’ floating barrier on US-Mexico border to remain in place for now

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 10:55:08 GMT

NEW ORLEANS (AP) — A federal appeals court on Thursday allowed Texas’ floating barrier on the Rio Grande to stay in place for now, a day after a judge called the buoys a threat to the safety of migrants and relations between the U.S. and Mexico. The order by the 5th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals puts on hold a ruling that would have required Texas to move the wrecking-ball sized buoys on the river by next week. The barrier is near the Texas border city of Eagle Pass, where Republican Gov. Greg Abbott has authorized a series of aggressive measures in the name of discouraging migrants from crossing into the U.S. The stay granted by the New Orleans-based appeals court lets the barrier remain in the water while the legal challenge continues. The lawsuit was brought by the Justice Department in a rare instance of President Joe Biden’s administration going to court to challenge Texas’ border policies. On Wednesday, U.S District Judge David Ezra of Austin ordered Texas to move the ba...

President Biden declares 3 Georgia counties are eligible for disaster aid after Hurricane Idalia

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 10:55:08 GMT

ATLANTA (AP) — President Joe Biden on Thursday approved a disaster declaration for three Georgia counties following Hurricane Idalia’s sprint across southern and coastal Georgia on Aug. 30. The storm made landfall with 125 mph (201 kph) winds in Florida’s remote Big Bend region before moving north into Georgia.Biden initially approved assistance to individuals and governments in Cook, Glynn and Lowndes counties. Lowndes County, home to the city of Valdosta, experienced the worst damage, with estimates showing 80 homes destroyed and 835 homes sustaining major damage as winds reached nearly 70 mph (113 kph). One man in Valdosta died when a tree fell on him as he tried to clear another tree from a road, sheriff’s deputies said. Georgia Gov. Brian Kemp, in a letter sent Wednesday, requested aid from the Federal Emergency Management Agency to governments in 30 counties and individuals in the three counties Biden approved and added Appling County.The Georgia Emergency Management Age...

Round Rock Police investigating deadly motorcycle crash

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 10:55:08 GMT

ROUND ROCK, Texas (KXAN) -- The Round Rock Police Department is investigating a deadly motorcycle crash that occurred Thursday night in Round Rock, the agency said on social media.RRPD posted on social media shortly before 9:30 p.m. saying the crash occurred on SH 45 eastbound between A W Grimes Boulevard and Donnell Drive.Police said the inside lane is currently closed, and drivers should expect delays as first responders work the scene.