Author: Reporter

Zepbound: FDA approves new version of Eli Lilly’s Mounjaro diabetes drug to assist with weight loss

A new version of the popular diabetes treatment Mounjaro can be sold as a weight-loss drug, U.S. regulators announced in early November. The U.S. Food and Drug Administration approved Eli Lilly’s drug, named Zepbound. The drug, also known as tirzepatide, helped dieters lose as much as 40 to 60 pounds in testing. Zepbound is the latest diabetes drug approved for chronic weight management, joining Novo Nordisk’s Wegovy, a high-dose version of its diabetes treatment Ozempic. Both are weekly injections. The FDA approved Lilly’s drug for people who are considered obese, with a body mass index of 30 or higher,...

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Despite little research the mind-altering drug ketamine has become a new treatment for pain

As U.S. doctors scale back their use of opioid painkillers, a new option for hard-to-treat pain is taking root: ketamine, the decades-old surgical drug that is now a trendy psychedelic therapy. Prescriptions for ketamine have soared in recent years, driven by for-profit clinics and telehealth services offering the medication as a treatment for pain, depression, anxiety and other conditions. The generic drug can be purchased cheaply and prescribed by most physicians and some nurses, regardless of their training. With limited research on its effectiveness against pain, some experts worry the U.S. may be repeating mistakes that gave rise to...

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Rise of mysterious respiratory infections in Chinese children triggers U.N. health investigation

The World Health Organization says it has made an official request to China for information about a potentially worrying spike in respiratory illnesses and clusters of pneumonia in children. The U.N. health agency cited unspecified media reports and a global infectious disease monitoring service as reporting clusters of undiagnosed pneumonia in children in northern China. In a statement on November 22, WHO said it was unclear whether those were linked to a rise in respiratory infections reported by Chinese authorities. Outside scientists said the situation warranted close monitoring, but were not convinced that the recent spike in respiratory illnesses...

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Elevating free speech: Universities form partnership in response to threats against democracy

The presidents of a wide-ranging group of 13 universities are elevating free speech on their campuses this academic year, as part of a new nonprofit initiative announced in August to combat what organizers call dire threats to U.S. democracy. The Campus Call for Free Expression will take different forms on different campuses. The campaign, created by The Institute for Citizens & Scholars with funding from the Knight Foundation is designed to cultivate the freedom of expression on campuses and help students work together to find solutions to complicated, divisive problems. “The national context of the deep political polarization, the...

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Pandemic spending by schools boosted profits for tech companies but little proof students benefited

As soon as the federal pandemic relief started arriving at America’s schools, so did the relentless calls. Tech companies by the dozens wanted a chance to prove their software was what schools needed. Best of all, they often added, it wouldn’t take a dime from district budgets: Schools could use their new federal money. They did, and at a tremendous scale. An analysis of public records found many of the largest school systems spent tens of millions of dollars in pandemic money on software and services from tech companies, including licenses for apps, games, and tutoring websites. Schools, however,...

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School attendance tanks across the United States as millions of students miss weeks of classes

When in-person school resumed after pandemic closures, Rousmery Negrón and her 11-year-old son both noticed a change: School seemed less welcoming. Parents were no longer allowed in the building without appointments, she said, and punishments were more severe. Everyone seemed less tolerant, more angry. Negrón’s son told her he overheard a teacher mocking his learning disabilities, calling him an ugly name. Her son did not want to go to school anymore. And she did not feel he was safe there. He would end up missing more than five months of sixth grade. Across the country, students have been absent...

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