Baby Bottle Makers Accused of Deceiving Parents about Dangers of Microplastics in their Products
Two US makers of baby bottles engaged in a “campaign of reckless deceit” about the dangers of microplastics released by their products, according to two separate lawsuits that have recently been filed.
The lawsuits against Philips North America and Handi-Craft Co. allege that the companies marketed baby bottles as safe, despite knowing that when their products were heated they would release large quantities of harmful microplastics into the contents of the bottles.
“This disregard for the safety and well-being of society’s most vulnerable members has placed the health and welfare of millions of children in jeopardy as well as duped consumers out of millions of dollars,” the lawsuits claim.
The plaintiffs allege that the companies have “callously brought to life every parent’s worst nightmare: unknowingly harming their children through a product they believed was safe.”
The lawsuits make their claims on behalf of all California residents who have bought the offending products within the last four years and all US residents who have bought them within the relevant statue of limitations period.
Microplastics—literally, microscopic pieces of plastic—have been identified as a massive emerging health threat, and studies have already linked them to virtually all of the prevailing chronic diseases of modernity, from irritable bowel syndrome and heart disease, to reproductive dysfunction and degenerative brain diseases like Alzheimer’s.
Microplastics have been detected in virtually every tissue in living animals, including the brain and reproductive organs. Studies have shown that microplastics are present in the placenta and cord blood and pass from mother to baby during pregnancy, with as-yet unknown effects on development
Children, with their developing bodies, are particularly vulnerable to microplastics, and research has already shown that children have massively elevated levels of microplastics in their bodies, for a variety of reasons, including the use of plastic baby bottles, cutlery and toys, and the closer proximity of children to the ground, where microplastics accumulate in dust.
The lawsuits are seeking, among other things, court orders to prevent the two companies from selling the products.
Axios: “Biden Oligarchy” Will Decide the President’s Fate
Commentators at Axios made an interesting admission on Saturday when they said that only a select “Biden oligarchy” would be able to decide if the President steps aside, raising questions about who exactly has been running the United States while President Biden fades further and further into dementia, and for how long.
“Forget the pundits. Ignore New York Times editorials and columnists. Tune out people popping off on X,” wrote Mike Allen and Jim VandeHei.
“The only way President Biden steps aside, despite his debate debacle, is if the same small group of lifelong loyalists who enabled his run suddenly — and shockingly — decides it’s time for him to call it quits.”
Miller and Vandehei identify this group as Biden’s wife, his younger sister, the President’s advisor Ted Kaufman and “a small band of White House advisers.”
“This decades-long kitchen cabinet operates as an extended family, council of elders and governing oligarchy. These allies alone hold sway over decisions big and small in Biden’s life and presidency.”
Image: Axios
The fact-checking piece is supposed to provide reassurance that the country is in safe hands, but instead it raises questions about why and for how long the president—and the nation—has been in the hands of this unelected “governing oligarchy.”
Talk of Biden being a “front” or “puppet” for other people and other interests has been dismissed as a “conspiracy theory,” and the mainstream media have danced loops to prove that Biden is “actually in charge of the Biden administration.”
New York magazine dismissed the idea as a “deranged conspiracy theory” typical of Donald Trump and his supporters.
“The Trump version of this attack is a characteristically deranged conspiracy theory, in which some other person, either Barack Obama or Kamala Harris, is actually running the presidency while decrepit Joe Biden is being spooned mouthfuls of apple sauce.”
But now Axios has confirmed it: Biden is not in control of his own presidency, if he ever was.
ChatGPT Gives Better Answers to Health Questions than Physicians
ChatGPT is already able to provide better answers to real patients’ healthcare questions than actual physicians, a new study claims.
The study, published in the journal JAMA Internal Medicine, took questions and answers from Reddit’s r/AskDocs forum and then got ChatGPT to provide answers to them. The original and AI-generated answers were then evaluated, blindly, by other healthcare professionals. In 79% of cases, the assessors found the AI-generated answers to be superior.
What’s more, the assessors rated 27% of physicians’ answers as being of a less-than-acceptable quality, whereas only 3% of ChatGPT answers were given this rating.
The answers from ChatGPT were also consistently rated as more empathetic than those of doctors.
The researchers took a random sample of 195 exchanges between physicians and patients from Reddit’s r/AskDocs forum, which has approximately 474,000 members. Users post medical questions and verified healthcare professional post answers.
Although various different kinds of healthcare professionals answer questions posted in the Subreddit, only answers from qualified physicians were considered in the study. This was because the study researchers only wanted answers from the most highly qualified professionals to be used.
“While this cross-sectional study has demonstrated promising results in the use of AI assistants for patient questions, it is crucial to note that further research is necessary before any definitive conclusions can be made regarding their potential effect in clinical settings,” the study authors caution.
“Despite the limitations of this study and the frequent overhyping of new technologies, studying the addition of AI assistants to patient messaging workflows holds promise with the potential to improve both clinician and patient outcomes.”
Even ‘The View’ Hosts Say Biden Should Drop Out of Election
“The View” hosts are urging Joe Biden to setp down following his disasterous debate performance. Co-host Sara Haines said: “It kind of pains me to say this today, but I think President Biden needs to […]
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Croatia Announces Return of Military Conscription
Croatia will bring back military conscription, the country’s defense minister has announced. The move comes amid growing tension in Europe as the war in Ukraine drags on and other European countries, most notably Germany, debate reintroducing conscription to address manpower shortages.
Croatian Defense Minister Ivan Anušić made the announcement after a meeting of the country’s National Assembly on Tuesday. The conscription period is planned to last two to three months, but no further details of the scheme were given.
Anušić said that the aim is to keep as many young people in the military as possible, with up to 15,000 taking part in training each year.
Conscription was abolished in Croatia in 2008, because it was unpopular and surveys showed that nine out of ten young people objected to the use of military force.
The new scheme will include roles for objectors that won’t require participation in combat training.
“Those who refuse to take up arms will take rakes and hoes in their hands or carry sacks on the dikes for flood protection,” Anušić said.
Although objectors “do not have to carry weapons,” he added, “they must fulfill their duties and obligations to the state.” Their terms of service will also be longer, and they will be paid less.
Veterans Affairs Minister Tomo Medved stressed that Croatia is not alone in considering the reintroduction of conscription. Flagging manpower and the war in Ukraine are driving European states to rearm.
There are already nine European states with mandatory conscription: Cyprus, Greece, Austria, Lithuania, Estonia, Latvia, Finland, Sweden and Denmark. Latvia, which shares 217 miles of border with Russia, was the last country to reintroduce conscription, in 2023.
Germany and Italy are both considering reintroducing conscription. British Prime Minister Rishi Sunak has made “national service” for young people a central pledge of his party’s manifesto as he heads into a general election this week.
CDC: Everyone Aged 6 Months & Over Should Have Covid & Flu Jabs This Fall
Everyone over the age of six months should receive an “updated” COVID-19 jab this fall, according to new recommendations issued by the CDC. They also recommended that everyone has an “updated” flu vaccine as well. […]
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