President Joe Biden on Saturday said he told the Pentagon on Wednesday to shoot down a Chinese spy balloon as soon as possible and lauded those who did so on Saturday. "They successfully took it down, and I want to compliment our aviators who did it," Biden told reporters.
Saturday, February 4, 2023
U.S. DEFENSE OFFICIAL SAYS CHINESE BALLOON IS PART OF A FLEET
U.S. DEFENSE OFFICIAL SAYS CHINESE BALLOON IS PART OF A FLEET OF SURVEILLANCE BALLOONS THAT HAVE SPIED OVER FIVE CONTINENTS
U.S. aims to 'quickly' recover debris from Chinese spy balloon
The U.S. military said on Saturday it will attempt to quickly recover key elements of a Chinese surveillance balloon among the debris off the coast of South Carolina after it was shot down by a F-22 fight jet, U.S. officials said on Saturday.
"That recovery is under way. How long it will take is still to-be-determined," a senior U.S. defense official told reporters, adding the debris was in relatively shallow waters.
A senior military official said he anticipated the recovery would not take weeks or months, and would instead move relatively quickly.
Danaher interested in buying life sciences firm Catalent- Bloomberg
Medical equipment maker Danaher Corp has expressed interest in taking over contract drugmaker Catalent Inc, Bloomberg News reported on Saturday, citing people familiar with the matter.
Danaher's approach to Catalent values it at a significant premium, the report said, adding that unclear how Catalent will proceed or whether it is receptive to a takeover offer. A deal is not imminent.
Both Danaher and Catalent did not immediately respond to a Reuters request for comment on the report.
Danaher, which currently has a market capitalization of about $197 billion, bought privately-held biotech company Aldevron in an all-cash deal for about $9.6 billion in June 2021.
https://finance.yahoo.com/news/danaher-interested-buying-life-sciences-191828482.html
Ban on marijuana users owning guns is unconstitutional, U.S. judge rules
A federal law prohibiting marijuana users from possessing firearms is unconstitutional, a federal judge in Oklahoma has concluded, citing last year's U.S. Supreme Court ruling that significantly expanded gun rights.
U.S. District Judge Patrick Wyrick, an appointee of former Republican President Donald Trump in Oklahoma City, on Friday dismissed an indictment against a man charged in August with violating that ban, saying it infringed his right to bear arms under the U.S. Constitution's Second Amendment.
Wyrick said that while the government can protect the public from dangerous people possessing guns, it could not argue Jared Harrison's "mere status as a user of marijuana justifies stripping him of his fundamental right to possess a firearm."
He said using marijuana was "not in and of itself a violent, forceful, or threatening act," and noted that Oklahoma is one of a number of states where the drug, still illegal under federal law, can be legally bought for medical uses.
"The mere use of marijuana carries none of the characteristics that the Nation's history and tradition of firearms regulation supports," Wyrick wrote.
Laura Deskin, a public defender representing Harrison, said the ruling was a "step in the right direction for a large number of Americans who deserve the right to bear arms and protect their homes just like any other American." She called marijuana the most commonly used drug illegal at the federal level.
The U.S. Department of Justice did not respond to request for comment but is likely to appeal.
The decision marked the latest instance of a court declaring a gun regulation unconstitutional after the U.S. Supreme Court's 6-3 conservative majority in June ruled that the Second Amendment protects a person's right to carry a handgun in public for self-defense.
That ruling, New York State Rifle & Pistol Association v. Bruen, announced a new test for assessing firearms laws, saying restrictions must be "consistent with this nation's historical tradition of firearm regulation."
On Thursday, the New Orleans-based 5th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals cited that decision in declaring unconstitutional a federal law barring people under domestic violence restraining orders from owning firearms.
https://www.yahoo.com/now/ban-marijuana-users-owning-guns-213529957.html
'Ozempic Face': Accepting Wrinkles for Improved Health
Last week, a number of patients emailed me regarding their concerns about this phenomenon known as Ozempic face. I went on to read about what this meant. I live in Los Angeles, where most people appear to be on semaglutide (Ozempic). It's the phenomenon where people lose weight relatively rapidly, making their faces thin out. Then what happens, apparently, is they look older because their face is more wrinkled and baggier. They might have to have further plastic surgery. I say that with slight sarcasm because of where I live.
I want to talk about what I think about this, living here where there's a great pressure to prescribe semaglutide off label, and what I think about it for my patients with diabetes.
Historically, we haven't had much in terms of effective medication for treating obesity, and frankly, now we do. We now have agents that are effective, that have relatively few side effects, and that have become part of what's out there. People now want to use these agents, semaglutide, and there's been a great need for these agents.
The problem, however, is twofold. One, as we all know, is that it has basically caused a shortage of medication for treating our patients who actually have type 2 diabetes and really need these medications to manage their disease. Then we have people who want these medications who can't pay for them. Insurance doesn't cover obesity medications, which is problematic and actually quite frustrating for people who, I think, really would benefit from using these medications.
What I tell people, frankly, is that until I have enough supply for my patients with type 2 diabetes, who need these agents to control their blood sugars, I want to keep this class of drugs available to them. I also hope we're able to expand it more and more with improving insurance coverage — and that's a big if, if you ask me — both for people who have pre-diabetes and for patients who are overweight and obese, because I think it's really hard for people to lose weight.
It's frustrating, and for many people, being overweight and obese causes all sorts of other health issues, not only diabetes. I believe that these drugs are both safe and effective and should be more available. I do think we need to be careful in terms of who we prescribe them to, at least at the moment. Hopefully, we'll be able to expand their use.
Anything that can encourage our population to lose weight and maintain that weight loss is very important. We need to couple weight loss medications with lifestyle interventions. I think people can out-eat any medication; therefore, it's very important to encourage our patients to eat better, to exercise more, and to do all the other things they need to do to reduce their risks for other comorbidities.
I am incredibly happy to have these newer agents on the market. I tell my patients — at least those who have diabetes — that they have to accept looking a little bit too thin for the benefits that we can see in using these medications.
Anne L. Peters, MD, is a professor of medicine at the University of Southern California (USC) Keck School of Medicine and director of the USC clinical diabetes programs. She has published more than 200 articles, reviews, and abstracts, and three books, on diabetes, and has been an investigator for more than 40 research studies. She has spoken internationally at over 400 programs and serves on many committees of several professional organizations.
Advice on Antibiotics for Kids During Shortages
Pharmacies are running out of the antibiotics used to treat serious infections in children. This leaves parents and doctors frustrated and scared. Here is what pediatricians want you to know.
After weeks of overcrowded waiting rooms, extended office hours, and countless telephone calls during the viral respiratory surge, pediatricians are now facing a new challenge: an ever-growing list of medication shortages, including many of the most commonly used antibiotics.
These shortages primarily affect liquid formulations, so children — and the pediatricians' offices and pharmacies serving them — are disproportionately impacted. Though there are multiple factors contributing, antibiotic overuse for viral infections during the surge has undoubtedly catalyzed the current crisis. It can be scary for parents to watch a child miserable with fever, which is why parents and pediatricians look for a quick fix in antibiotics, but unnecessary prescriptions that contribute to ongoing shortages should be avoided. We, as practicing pediatricians, think that this is a moment for reflection on when and why we use antibiotics during viral season. Though antibiotic overuse may have led us into this shortage, better antibiotic stewardship may just lead us out of it.
Since amoxicillin was approved for medical use in 1974, it has been one of the most commonly prescribed antibiotics in children. It is particularly well-suited for use in children because it treats common pediatric infections such as ear infections, strep throat, and pneumonia. These factors, along with its low cost and bubblegum flavor, make it no surprise that amoxicillin was consistently one of the top 25 medications prescribed in the United States between 2013 and 2019, with over 25 million prescriptions annually.
Amoxicillin remains the best first-line treatment option for the most common bacterial respiratory tract infections in children. With liquid formulations scarce, pediatricians, parents, and pharmacists are getting creative with crushed tablets or sprinkling capsules when possible.
However, without liquid amoxicillin readily available in our pediatric arsenal, we have recently had to turn to antibiotics with higher costs and more side effects. These broad-spectrum antibiotics target a more extensive range of bacteria and are rarely necessary for common pediatric infections. Further, their use risks increasing the already dire problem of antibiotic resistance, which causes more than 35,000 deaths in the United States each year. And perhaps most importantly, broader spectrum antibiotics aren't better than amoxicillin for the treatment of respiratory tract infections; they are sometimes worse.
The urge to turn to antibiotics as a potential cure for childhood illnesses is an understandable one for parents and clinicians alike. A common refrain in pediatrician offices is, "Isn't there anything we can give them?" as parents look for respite in a long viral season. As viruses continue to surge, it is helpful to remember that children will get eight to 10 viral infections per year, with most of those occurring in the fall and winter. When parents report that their child is always sick, they aren't far off.
Most of these infections will be cured by a child's own immune system rather than our medications. For example, in children older than 2 years, studies have demonstrated that waiting about 2 days to start antibiotics after an ear infection is diagnosed is just as effective as starting the antibiotics right away. As tempting as it is to ask for antibiotics early, that prescription may only worsen the situation if it is a virus. Instead, pediatricians can offer parents support in treating their children at home with humidifiers, pain/fever relievers when appropriate, honey in children over 12 months, and hydration.
This drug shortage is a pivotal moment for parents and clinicians to reconsider how and when we use antibiotics during viral season. Though antibiotics may be one of the greatest inventions of the 20th century, it is how we use them now that will determine our health in the century to come.
Katie K. Lockwood, MD, MEd
Associate Professor, Department of Pediatrics, Perelman School of Medicine, University of Pennsylvania; Attending Physician, Department of Primary Care, Children's Hospital of Philadelphia, Erdenheim, Pennsylvania
Disclosure: Katie K. Lockwood, MD, MEd, has disclosed no relevant financial relationships.
Rebecca G. Same, MD
Assistant Professor, Department of Clinical Pediatrics, Perelman School of Medicine at the University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania; Attending Physician, Children's Hospital of Philadelphia, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania
Disclosure: Rebecca G. Same, MD, has disclosed no relevant financial relationships.
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