"Futile Waste Of Human Resources & Money" - EU PM Says West Got Ukraine All Wrong

 A lone outlier and rare voice of dissent to come out of the generally staunchly pro-Ukraine central and eastern European countries has been Slovakian Prime Minister Robert Fico. He has stirred the pot again and caused outrage among fellow government officials after penning an op-ed this week wherein he slammed the West for getting Ukraine wrong all along.

What's more is that the op-ed published by Slovak newspaper Pravda.sk on Tuesday was issued at the very moment President Zelensky has been touring nearby Baltic countries while urging more weapons and support as the "arms warehouses are empty", supposedly. Fico is a member of the left Smer party in Slovakia and has pointed out that NATO leaders and the US have "repeatedly erred in assessing" the real state of the war.

He articulated that it's largely the false "black-and-white vision" of the war, a simplistic narrative "desired in Washington or Brussels," which has resulted in blunder after blunder, and greater suffering for all during an unnecessarily protracted conflict. Fico described the now proxy war as a "futile waste of human resources and money" that the Western allies got painfully wrong.

Fico said the Russian invasion was the result of a negative domino effect of events going back to 2014, when Washington asserted its influence in Kiev.

"Russia responded to the security situation and Ukraine's pressure to join NATO by violating international law, using military force without an international mandate," Fico wrote. "Big countries often do that, let's see what the US accomplished in Iraq."

"And the West, instead of immediately making every effort to achieve a quick ceasefire, at the beginning of 2022 without even losing a tenth to Ukraine, made a huge mistake," he continued. "[The West] incorrectly evaluated the use of Russian military force as an opportunity to bring Russia to its knees."

Indeed, US officials themselves have made similar statements over the 'opportunity' they see in the conflict. For example Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin famously said the US goal is to "weaken" Russia under Putin.

Fico's op-ed also spoke to the futility of seeking to pump more billions and advanced weapons into Kiev (also amid the EU seeking 50BN euros, which was held up by Hungary). His words suggest it's game over and that nothing will change regardless of EU and US policy:

Russia completely controls the occupied territories militarily, Ukraine is not capable of any meaningful military counter-offensive, [and] it has become completely dependent on financial aid from the West with unforeseeable consequences for Ukrainians in the years to come,” he explained.

“The position of the Ukrainian president is shaken, while the Russian president increases and strengthens his political support,” Fico continued, pointing out that “neither the Russian economy nor the Russian currency collapsed, [and] anti-Russian sanctions have increased the internal self-sufficiency of this huge country.”

There are other recent signs that Fico's assessment is accurate, such as the following...

US Officials Are Concerned About Split Between Zelensky and Military Chief

Bloomberg reports, “Officials in Washington are concerned differences between Zelenskiy and his army chief, Valeriy Zaluzhnyi, are slowing efforts to crystallize a new strategy.”

“Ukraine’s military is… pic.twitter.com/sENg35puG0

— Kyle Anzalone (@KyleAnzalone_) January 11, 2024

During his tour of Baltic allies Lithuania, Latvia and Estonia, Zelensky had complained that his armed forces are "sorely lacking" in advanced anti-air technology, also at a moment Russia has increased missile and drone attacks on Ukrainian cities in response to Ukrainian cross-border attacks on Belgorod.

Kiev has already in the last months been signaling the world that it is ready to blame Washington if it loses the war (which already looks like the outcome), given Biden's planned over $60 billion in Ukraine defense aid was held up by GOP members of Congress. But maybe the West should listen to the populist Slovak PM Fico.

https://www.zerohedge.com/geopolitical/eu-outlier-pm-fico-says-west-got-ukraine-all-wrong-futile-waste-human-resources-money

What the US-led Airstrikes on Yemen Will Mean for Oil Prices

 

• Bigger risk is if conflict spreads to Persian Gulf, ING warns
• WTI could top $75 and Brent could exceed $80, Westpac predicts

The US and its allies launched airstrikes on more than a dozen Houthi targets in Yemen, in retaliation for a spate of attacks on merchant vessels in the Red Sea.

The attack represents a major escalation of tensions in the Middle East that have been simmering since the Hamas attack on Israel in early October. Brent jumped as much as 2.5% on fears there would be more disruption to shipping, and that the conflict could expand into a broader regional conflagration.

https://www.bloomberg.com/news/articles/2024-01-12/what-the-us-led-airstrikes-on-yemen-likely-mean-for-oil-prices

FCC Sends Letters to Automakers, Telcos About Abusers Using Connected Cars

 Federal Communications Commission Chairwoman Jessica Rosenworcel sent letters to the biggest U.S. automakers and telecommunications companies, saying that connected-car systems have been used by abusers to stalk and harass domestic-abuse survivors.

Rosenworcel asked the companies for details on such systems and how they plan to support survivors in their efforts to disconnect from their abusers.

Rosenworcel sent letters to Ford, General Motors, Honda and other major automakers. She also sent letters to AT&T, T-Mobile and Verizon.

"No survivor of domestic violence and abuse should have to choose between giving up their car and allowing themselves to be stalked and harmed by those who can access its data and connectivity," Rosenworcel said. "We must do everything we can to help survivors stay safe. We need to work with auto and wireless industry leaders to find solutions."

https://www.marketscreener.com/quote/stock/VERIZON-COMMUNICATIONS-4830/news/FCC-Sends-Letters-to-Automakers-Telcos-About-Abusers-Using-Connected-Cars-45727237/

Chinese rival to Apple’s Vision Pro raises $70 million, doubles down to win consumers

 Chinese augmented reality glasses and software company Rokid this week announced it raised 500 million yuan ($70 million) in a funding round led by the government of Hefei city.

Hefei, which has also backed electric car startup Nio, is a hub for autos and semiconductor manufacturing near Shanghai.

Augmented reality (AR) technology allows digital images to be imposed over the real world. Apple’s Vision Pro virtual reality headset, set for release on Feb. 2, also allows users to see the real world using what the company calls “spatial computing” technology.

Rokid sells AR glasses for consumers. But its deal with Hefei will focus on using AR for factories, Rokid founder and CEO Misa Zhu told CNBC in a phone interview Wednesday.

AR glasses can help with equipment safety checks, while reducing the time workers need to spend on training, he said, claiming Rokid already has more than 60% market share in industries such as energy in China.

Zhu said that since businesses care more about the product’s capabilities than the price, it allows Rokid to test new AR technology with industrial customers before finding ways to lower its cost and roll it out to consumers.

Rokid’s cooperation agreement with Hefei city will establish an “industrial metaverse headquarters, an ecosystem center and a research and development center,” local state media said in Chinese, translated by CNBC.

While companies have diversified their supply chains away from China due to geopolitics and labor costs, Beijing has said it wants to build up domestic capabilities in advanced manufacturing.

https://www.cnbc.com/2024/01/12/chinas-rokid-rival-to-apples-vision-pro-raises-70-million.html

Saudi Arabia calls for restraint after air strikes on Yemen

 Saudi Arabia called for restraint and "avoiding escalation" in light of the air strikes launched by the United States and Britain against sites linked to the Houthi movement in Yemen, the kingdom's foreign ministry said on Friday.

Saudi Arabia, which has in recent months engaged in peace talks with Yemen's Houthis, was closely monitoring the situation with "great concern," the foreign ministry said in a statement.

"The kingdom emphasizes the importance of maintaining the security and stability of the Red Sea region, as the freedom of navigation in it is an international demand," the ministry added.

The Houthi movement, an Iran-aligned group that controls much of Yemen after nearly a decade of war against a Western-backed and Saudi-led coalition, has emerged as a strong supporter of the Palestinian Islamist group Hamas in its war against Israel.

The group has been attacking commercial ships it says are linked to Israel or bound for Israeli ports.

The chief negotiator for the Houthis, Mohammed Abdulsalam, said on Thursday the group's attacks on commercial ships in the Red Sea do not threaten its peace talks with Saudi Arabia.

https://news.yahoo.com/saudi-arabia-calls-restraint-air-022700617.html

Advanced Prostate Cancer Cases On The Rise After Years Of Decline

 by Cara Michelle Miller via The Epoch Times (emphasis ours),

U.S. Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin was recently diagnosed and is being treated for prostate cancer. He is one of the nearly 290,000 American men who will be diagnosed with the condition this year.

Nearly all types of cancer have become less deadly over the last 30 years, with one notable exception: advanced-stage prostate cancer, according to a recent report from the American Cancer Society (ACS).

“We have had more men diagnosed with more advanced prostate cancer over the last decade,” Dr. Sam S. Chang, the Chief Surgical Officer at the Vanderbilt Ingram Cancer Center, told The Epoch Times in an email. “The good news, many men with prostate cancer can be monitored safely and never require treatment.”

Survival Rates Are High, But Concerns Grow Over Advanced Cases

One in eight men will be diagnosed with prostate cancer—the second leading cause of cancer death among men in the U.S. after lung cancer—in their lifetime, according to ACS.

While concerning, the vast majority do not die from it. In fact, this type of cancer has one of the highest survival rates. The 5-year relative survival rate, which refers to the percentage of people with a prostate cancer who will still be alive five years after diagnosis, compared to people without that cancer, is over 90 percent.

However, advanced prostate cancer rates, after declining for decades, are rising again.

The Debate Around PSA Screenings for Prostate Cancer

Overall prostate cancer rates grew 3 percent annually between 2014-2019, per the ACS report. Meanwhile, advanced cases have increased 4-5 percent yearly since 2011, likely due to decreased screenings, according to Dr. Chan.

“The American Urology Association (AUA) guidelines recommend screening people for prostate cancer through bloodwork, which is obtained with a prostate-specific antigen (PSA) test,” Dr. Adnan Dervishi, a urologist with Ascension Saint Thomas Hospital specializing in urologic cancers, told The Epoch Times. Elevated PSA levels can be an indicator of potential prostate cancer. A “biopsy is needed to look at specimens under a microscope to get an accurate diagnosis,” he added.

In the past, PSA screenings posed health risks, yielding false positives or prompting unnecessary, potentially harmful procedures. This is why, in 2008 the U.S. Preventive Service Task Force advised against routine PSA testing for men 70 years and older.

False positives are when the test indicates high PSA levels, but there is no prostate cancer. Because some men with prostate cancer live for decades without any problems, there are concerns about over treatment. Cancer treatments, like surgery or radiation, may result in other health issues, including loss of bladder and bowel control, and erectile dysfunction.

“My standard practice is to recommend getting an MRI prior to proceeding with a biopsy,”  Dr. Dervishi said. “It is more comprehensive.” A 2017 study in The Lancet suggests that 27 percent of men at low risk who get a prostate MRI may be able to avoid a biopsy.

Still, screenings can prevent advanced disease and death, which is why the AUA recommends them for men ages 55-69 on a case-by-case basis.

Researchers attribute rising advanced cancer rates to multiple factors, including improved diagnostic tools, more screenings, an expanding and aging population.

Risk of Developing Prostate Cancer

The risk factors for developing prostate cancer vary based on a man’s age and ethnicity. For example, men with obesity, older men, and African American men, as well as Caribbean men of African ancestry, are more prone to prostate cancer. Men of this ethnic background have a 70 percent higher likelihood of developing prostate cancer compared to white men.

The National Comprehensive Cancer Network recommends that patients in this higher risk ethnic group or anyone with a family history of prostate cancer receive bloodwork testing beginning at age 40.

The risk of prostate cancer starts to increase significantly after the age of 55 and reaches its highest point between the ages of 70 and 74. Prostate cancer is still rare in men under 40. The average age for a first diagnosis is about 67.

With patients who are categorized as low-risk prostate cancer, doctors use a wait and see approach called “active surveillance.” It delays treatment until there are indications that the cancer has progressed.

What to Know About Prostate Health

The prostate, a small walnut-sized gland in the male reproductive system situated below the bladder, surrounds the urethra—the tube carrying urine from the bladder. With age, the prostate may enlarge, exerting pressure on the urethra and causing a slower urine flow. This “benign enlargement of the prostate is very common and results in urinary symptoms such as hesitance, frequency, nocturia (waking up at night to void) and urgency to void,” Dr. Chan said.

The most prevalent form of prostate cancer is adenocarcinoma, where cells in the gland lining grow uncontrollably, Dr. Chan added. Prostate cancer often goes unnoticed in its early stages, lacking symptoms. Currently, an estimated 2.9 million men are living with prostate cancer.

At later stages, prostate cancer can obstruct the kidneys and the bladder. Advanced prostate cancer spreads to the bone which can be very painful and even cause bone fractures, Dr. Chan noted.

When symptoms are serious, surgery is recommended to remove the section of prostate tissue causing the most harm. However, he stresses that while “many men live without sequala (complications that exist from a pre-existing illness) it is important to remember that there is no cure for prostate cancer once it has become metastatic and spread to the bones.”

While there are no clinically proven dietary methods to reduce prostate cancer risk, men from Asian countries exhibit lower incidences compared to their Western counterparts—attributed to genetic and dietary differences, according to some research.

Natural Ways to Keep the Prostate Healthy

Some scientific evidence has shown several natural methods for maintaining prostate health, promoting overall well-being, and preventing potential complications.

Eat a nutritious diet

Eating nutritious foods with healthy fats, antioxidants, and good quality proteins is beneficial for one’s overall health. In a 2009 study, scientists found that consuming a diet high in omega-3 fatty acids (found in salmon, nuts and plant-based oils) was associated with a decreased risk of aggressive prostate cancer. 

Additionally, studies indicate that regular consumption of lycopene, an antioxidant found in tomato and watermelon, can contribute to lowering the risk of prostate cancer.

Maintain vitamin D levels

Some studies have shown that vitamin D may be effective with more aggressive forms of prostate cancer.

Vitamin D plays a role in regulating cell growth and preventing the formation of abnormal cells. Adequate levels of vitamin D may help control the growth of prostate cells, reducing the risk of cancer.

Exercise regularly

A sedentary lifestyle, such as prolonged periods spent working at a computer, can be detrimental and may contribute to inflammation in the prostate. To counteract this, incorporating regular exercise is essential to mitigate the negative effects of extended sitting.

https://www.zerohedge.com/medical/advanced-prostate-cancer-cases-rise-after-years-decline

Even Insured Americans Can't Afford Medical Bills

 by George Citroner via The Epoch Times (emphasis ours),

Millions of Americans are struggling under the crushing weight of rapidly rising health care costs that now force them to choose between putting food on the table or taking care of their health.

Even with insurance, medical bills have become backbreaking as health care expenditures devoured more than 17 percent of the U.S. GDP, an increase of 4.1 percent from the year before.

Runaway Growth of Health Costs

Over the past few decades, health care expenditures in the United States have skyrocketed.

Costs rocketed to nearly $4.5 trillion in 2022 despite reduced services during the pandemic, data from the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS), the federal agency that administers the Medicare program, show. The agency predicts national health expenditures will soar to nearly $7 trillion by 2030.

Out-of-pocket costs will also increase by an average of 4.6 percent annually through 2030 to reach 9 percent of total spending.

Deductibles also show a worrying trend, with the average deductible doubling from $1,025 in 2010 to $2,004 in 2021, according to the Center for American Progress, a public policy research and advocacy organization. In the same time frame, the percentage of plans mandating a deductible rose from 78 percent to about 89 percent.

As a result, even those with insurance often cannot afford the out-of-pocket expenses associated with needed care. The problem is especially acute because incomes have failed to keep pace with rapidly rising costs.

Who’s to Blame?

Why are people with health insurance increasingly faced with high medical debt? Is it a problem with health insurers or health care providers?

It’s both, according to Pavani Rangachari, a professor of health care administration and public health director of the Master of Healthcare Administration program at the University of New Haven in Connecticut.

The root cause is a broken health care system, “the way it is designed, unfortunately,” she told The Epoch Times. Federal policymakers must fix it to ensure affordability, “They have a big role to play in modifying the system to ensure that it works well for people who are insured.”

Unaffordable Costs Forcing Patients to Skip or Delay Care

A Federal Reserve survey found that, in 2022, about one-third of U.S. adults recently skipped or postponed medical care due to cost. The most frequently delayed care was dental, with 21 percent skipping dentist visits, followed by a visit to a specialist, with 16 percent saying they did not go.

Other care avoided due to costs include the following:

• 10 percent did not fill prescribed medication.
• 10 percent skipped follow-up appointments.
• 10 percent did not pursue needed mental health care.

Lower-income patients suffered most: 38 percent of those earning under $25,000 went without some care due to expense, versus 11 percent of those earning at least $100,000.

Data from The Commonwealth Fund, a health care policy-focused private foundation, reveal nearly half of lower- and middle-income adults reported at least one affordability issue accessing care in the past year.

Why Is It Becoming Unaffordable?

One factor contributing to the increasing unaffordability of care is due to the equation “price times quantity,” Ms. Rangachari said.

Price

Providers can charge substantially higher rates for the same services to private insurers versus public plans like Medicaid, Ms. Rangachari said. This allows them to negotiate selectively. For example, they may deny care for lower-paying Medicaid patients if reimbursements are deemed insufficient. This leaves uninsured and lower-income patients with fewer affordable options.

“You have all of these different market segmentations, so the people who are able to afford it and might not really need that kind of preventive health care are benefiting from it,” Ms. Rangachari said. Additionally, those most in need of care face coverage denials.

Quantity

The quantity side of the affordability equation involves overused services, Ms. Rangachari said. Much unnecessary testing stems from fee-for-service models compensating volume over value. Each test, procedure, or patient visit triggers a separate payment.

This has led payments to be based on volume rather than value, incentivizing unnecessary services over preventative care, she added. This has driven health care spending to nearly 20 percent of GDP according to the CMS, an economically unstable trajectory signaling a need for health system reform, Ms. Rangachari noted.

Value-Based Care as a Solution

Value-based care is one solution for repairing issues in the system, according to Ms. Rangachari. This model emphasizes patient outcomes over fee-for-service.

“One big example is bundled payments for episodes of care, rather than just focusing on encounter-based care and paying for every service delivered,” she said.

Programs like CMS’ bundled payments for joint replacements focus spending on total 90-day care rather than single encounters. This prevents emergency readmissions from fragmented or poor care, Ms. Rangachari added, noting this approach could extend to prescription drugs.

Pharmaceuticals also bear the blame for health care’s cost spikes.

A 2023 AARP analysis found list prices had more than tripled since their introduction to the market. To fight these price hikes, the Inflation Reduction Act enables Medicare to negotiate lower prices and limit out-of-pocket costs for beneficiaries. (The act’s provisions don’t extend to the private health insurance market.)

Applying value-based purchasing here could control pricing and supply issues, Ms. Rangachari said. CMS will increasingly scrutinize what value is delivered to justify cost, comparative efficacy, therapeutic advances, and research and development investments.

“And this is an initiative that’s now underway as a result of the Inflation Reduction Act,” Ms. Rangachari said. “Ultimately, it’s really tackling the p’s and the q’s of the equation through delivery system reform.”

https://www.zerohedge.com/medical/even-insured-americans-cant-afford-medical-bills