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His face was pale and gaunt, his legs were wrapped in a blanket, and his eyes never seemed to make contact with the family members huddled around him. But on Tuesday, Jimmy Carter was there, in the front row of a church in Atlanta, just a few feet from the coffin holding Rosalynn Carter, his wife of 77 years. Mr. Carter, 99, was some 164 miles from his home in Plains, Ga., where he had been in hospice care since February. He was brought into the church in a wheelchair, as the crowd of mourners at the memorial service looked on, many of them catching their first glimpse of him in nine months. That he would make such a trek in his condition was, to some, shocking — and, to his family, worrisome.

Persons: gaunt, Jimmy Carter, Rosalynn Carter, Carter, Mr Locations: Atlanta, Plains , Ga

☆ Japan's Daisaku Ikeda, longtime Soka Gakkai lay Buddhist leader, dies at 95
▼ + stars: | 2023-11-18 | by ( Anton Bridge | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +3 min

Ikeda died on Wednesday evening from natural causes at age 95, Soka Gakkai said in a statement on its website. Soka Gakkai, founded in 1930, says it has 12 million members in 192 countries and territories worldwide. He also founded Soka Gakkai's umbrella organisation, Soka Gakkai International, in 1975, where he served as honorary president from 1979 until his death. But those dropped off in recent years leading to some speculation about his health and role in Soka Gakkai International. In 1947 he met Josei Toda, then leader of the Soka Gakkai organisation, who was to become his mentor.

Persons: Daisaku Ikeda, Ikeda, Zhou Enlai, Mikhail Gorbachev, Arnold Toynbee, Polly Toynbee, Ichi, Josei Toda, Succeeding Toda, Kaneko, Hiromasa, Takahiro, Anton Bridge, David Dolan, William Mallard aand Kim Coghill Organizations: Soka Gakkai, Kyodo, Rights, Soviet, government's, Soka, Soka Gakkai International, SGI, Thomson Locations: Tokyo, Japan, British

☆ Alphabet-backed GoCardless considers takeovers as CEO expects a barrage of consolidation
▼ + stars: | 2023-11-14 | by ( Ryan Browne | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +5 min

Hiroki Takeuchi, GoCardless chief executive, on the MoneyConf Stage, attends Web Summit 2021 in Lisbon, Portugal. Last year, GoCardless acquired the Latvian open banking startup Nordigen in its first major acquisition. Open banking is one thing and definitely something we think is really important." GoCardless' technology allows firms to collect direct debit payments from consumers. What is open banking?

Persons: Hiroki Takeuchi, Harry Murphy, We're, GoCardless, Takeuchi, Rapyd, they're, we've, Nordigen Organizations: Sportsfile, Getty, GV, CNBC, Tink, PayU GPO, GoCardless Locations: Lisbon, Portugal, British, Latvian, Britain, Statista, London

☆ Who will care for older adults? We’ve plenty of know-how but too few specialists
▼ + stars: | 2023-11-02 | by ( Judith Graham | Kff Health News | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +7 min

Research suggests each geriatrician should care for no more than 700 patients; the current ratio of providers to older patients is 1 to 10,000. In some respects, geriatrics has been remarkably successful in disseminating principles and practices meant to improve the care of older adults. Under this model, older adults with acute but non-life-threatening illnesses get care at home, managed closely by nurses and doctors. In July 2019, the American College of Surgeons created a program with 32 standards designed to improve the care of older adults. The bright lights, noise, and harried atmosphere in hospital emergency rooms can disorient older adults.

Persons: Jerry Gurwitz, “, ” Gurwitz, What’s, “ There’s, ”, geriatrician Gregg Warshaw, geriatrics, Michael Harper, Thomas Robinson, geriatricians, Dr, Sanjay Gupta, Lisa Walke, Harper Organizations: CNN, University of Massachusetts Chan Medical, National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, Medicine, American Geriatrics Society, University of North Carolina School of Medicine, University of California, Seniors, American College of Surgeons, Initiative, Geriatric, American College of Emergency Physicians, Centers, Medicare, Medicaid Services, UCLA, Indiana University, Johns Hopkins University, UCSF, Get CNN, CNN Health, Penn Medicine, University of Pennsylvania, KFF Health, Kaiser Health, KFF Locations: United States, San Francisco

☆ Love in Harsh Times and Other Coping Mechanisms - The New York Times
▼ + stars: | 2023-11-02 | by ( David Brooks | ) www.nytimes.com time to read: +2 min

In response, they adopted a tragic sensibility. You can try to avoid thinking about the dark realities of life and naïvely wish that bad things won’t happen. Or you can confront these realities and develop a tragic mentality to help you thrive among them. This tragic sensibility prepares you for the rigors of life in concrete ways. Third, this tragic mentality encourages caution.

Persons: Ralph Waldo Emerson, Hal Brands, Charles Edel, Thucydides, Matt Gaetz Organizations: Hamas, Republicans

☆ Review: ‘Next to Normal’ Is Back, With Extra Pathos
▼ + stars: | 2023-08-31 | by ( Matt Wolf | ) www.nytimes.com time to read: +1 min

A Broadway alumna of “Hair” and “Frozen,” Levy from the start pulls you into her character’s increasing confusion. We see at the outset the difficulty Diana faces in simply making sandwiches, the bread laid out before her as if as if this routine domestic task were an unusual challenge. From there, the musical darkens to embrace shock therapy, attempted suicide and multiple hallucinations, the specifics of which are best left unrevealed. Several references move the world of the show on from a decade ago. (The London-based American performer Trevor Dion Nicholas ably doubles as the two doctors struggling to diagnose Diana’s condition.)

Persons: ” Levy, Diana, Chloe Lamford’s, Trevor Dion Nicholas Organizations: Twitter Locations: London

[1/4] A damaged vehicle is pictured in the fire ravaged town of Lahaina on the island of Maui in Hawaii, U.S., August 15, 2023. Joseph Schilling, 66, enjoyed hunting for bullet shells and was known by his loved ones for making delicious sugar toast. Both died last week in the wildfires that scorched Maui and were among the first victims identified by authorities and family members in the heart-wrenching days afterward. As names of the dead are shared, an early pattern has emerged: Many who perished were over the age of 65. The other victims identified so far by officials are Melva Benjamin, 71; Robert Dyckman, 74; Buddy Jantoc, 79; Alfredo Galinato, 79; and Virginia Dofa, 90.

Persons: Mike Blake, Donna Gomes, Joseph Schilling, Schilling, Joe, Akiva Bluh, Bluh, Gomes, Tehani Kuhaulua, Benjamin, Robert Dyckman, Buddy Jantoc, Alfredo Galinato, Virginia Dofa, Galinato, KITV, Joshua Galinato, He's, Daniel Trotta, Brendan O'Brien, Don Durfee, Cynthia Osterman, Jonathan Oatis Organizations: REUTERS, U.S . Fire Administration, Research, National Institute of Standards, Technology, Fire Administration, ABC, Thomson Locations: Lahaina, Maui, Hawaii, U.S, Virginia

☆ Jell-O’s new look emphasizes its ‘jiggly goodness’
▼ + stars: | 2023-07-27 | by ( Jordan Valinsky | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +4 min

The jiggly snack’s logo and packaging are getting a whole new look, their first in a decade, as owner Kraft Heinz looks to revitalize the dowdy brand. Jell-O's current look on the left and new look, on the right. The “O” in the Jell-O logo is getting a bolder look because it’s an “ownable, playful aspect” of the brand. Jell-O sales fell 19% from 2009 to 2013 to $753 million, the Associated Press reported at the time. Last year, the company teased that it was giving the brand a refresh look and increasing its advertisement spend.

Persons: New York CNN —, Kraft Heinz, ”, Neil Saunders, It’s, ” Saunders, Bill Cosby, “, ” Rachel Herz, Saunders Organizations: New, New York CNN, Shoppers, GlobalData, CNN, White, Associated Press, IRI Locations: New York

☆ In older adults, a little excess weigh may be OK
▼ + stars: | 2023-07-14 | by ( Judith Graham | Kff Health News | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +9 min

For years, experts have debated what to advise older adults in this situation. Only 27% to 44% of older adults meet these guidelines, according to various surveys. Epidemiologic research suggests that the ideal body mass index (BMI) might be higher for older adults than younger adults. The study’s conclusion: “The WHO healthy weight range may not be suitable for older adults.” Instead, being overweight may be beneficial for older adults, while being notably thin can be problematic, contributing to the potential for frailty. Indeed, an optimal BMI for older adults may be in the range of 24 to 29, Carl Lavie, a well-known obesity researcher, suggested in a separate study reviewing the evidence surrounding obesity in older adults.

Persons: they’ve, ”, Mitchell Lazar, we’re, John Batsis, Anne Newman, —, Carl Lavie, Lavie, “, ” Lavie, Newman, you’re, Dinesh Edem, Dennis Kerrigan, Katie Dodd Organizations: CNN, US Centers for Disease Control, Institute for Diabetes, University, Pennsylvania’s Perelman, of Medicine, University of North Carolina School of Medicine, Center for Aging, Health, University of Pittsburgh School of Public Health, BMI, World Health Organization, WHO, University of Pittsburgh, University of North, University of Arkansas, Medical Sciences, Henry Ford Health, Kaiser Health, KFF Locations: —, Chapel Hill, New Orleans, University of North Carolina, Michigan

☆ Opinion: Indiana Jones passes his mantle to the queen of millennial side-eye
▼ + stars: | 2023-07-05 | by ( Opinion Holly Thomas | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +6 min

Yet for all his lack of tree trunk biceps, Indiana Jones was always vivacious: outrunning boulders, sparring countless Nazis, and sprinting across collapsing rope bridges. Thomas Kretschmann and Mads Mikkelsen in Indiana Jones and the Dial of Destiny (2023). Walt Disney PicturesIt’s a mantle-passing in every sense: From Jones to his younger relative, and from a Hollywood legend to the queen of millennial side-eye. Age, and its careworn figurehead Indiana Jones, is chastened. Join us on Twitter and FacebookSo much of the adrenaline of the original Indiana Jones trilogy derived from their massive, intricate sets and intensely choreographed scenes that these days are largely replaced by green screens.

Persons: Holly Thomas, Katie Couric, CNN — Harrison Ford isn’t, Harrison Ford, Indiana Jones, ”, he’s, “, Holly Thomas Holly Thomas Ford’s, Steven Spielberg’s, Arnold Schwarzenegger, Sylvester Stallone, brawn, He’s, goddaughter Helena, Phoebe Waller, Archimedes, Thomas Kretschmann, Mads Mikkelsen, Jones, Waller, Helena, we’ve, ’ —, ’, there’s, Tom Cruise, Indiana, Ford, it’s Organizations: Katie Couric Media, CNN, Indy, Walt Disney Pictures, Marvel, Twitter, Indiana Jones Locations: London, “, Indiana

☆ Being overweight not linked to dying early, study says, but questions remain
▼ + stars: | 2023-07-05 | by ( Sandee Lamotte | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +9 min

CNN —Being overweight as defined by the body mass index rating scale is not linked to an increase in death when considered separately from other health issues, a new study found. “The use of the word ‘overweight’ is misleading here, as it excludes anyone with a BMI above 30. “This paper found an unequivocal association between BMI and mortality, before and after adjustment for risk factors,” said Leurent, who was not involved in the study. Being overweight may not lead to an early death, but may add to the risk of chronic disease, experts say. While the study did control for smoking and a variety of other diseases linked to early death, that information was only gathered once for each person in the survey.

Persons: ”, Aayush, Rutgers Robert Wood, ’, Baptiste Leurent, Leurent, Robert H, Shmerling, “, Soko, Visaria, Naveed Sattar, ” Sattar, Tom Sanders, Beth, they’ve, It’s, ” Visaria, it’s, University of Glasgow’s Sattar Organizations: CNN, BMI, US Centers for Disease Control, Rutgers, Rutgers Robert Wood Johnson Medical School, University College London, Harvard Health Publishing, Harvard Medical School, Rutgers School of Public Health, University of Glasgow, King’s College London, Beth Israel Deaconess Medical, “, American Heart Association, American Medical Association, University of Glasgow’s Locations: New Brunswick , New Jersey, Boston, Scotland, “

☆ Putin: Bizarre and chaotic 36 hours in Russia feels like the beginning of the end for Kremlin leader
▼ + stars: | 2023-06-25 | by ( Nick Paton Walsh | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +6 min

These were 36 hours that provided a glimpse of the end of Russian President Vladimir Putin’s rule. Two hours earlier, Wagner were at the gates of the capital (almost), and then suddenly everything is forgiven. Did he accept entering the capital would leave his men vulnerable, even to a weak Russian military response? While on the surface, Prigozhin’s climbdown makes him appear weak, even finished, he has been the decision-maker over the past 36 hours. The most optimistic assessment you could make is that Russian military morale must have felt a hiccup while watching its commander-in-chief and most prominent military figure engage in a 24-hour game of chicken.

Persons: Vladimir Putin’s, Prigozhin, Alexander Lukashenko, Putin, Yevgeny Prigozhin, Dmitry Peskov, Wagner, climbdown, he’s, didn’t, Putin’s, – Organizations: CNN, Kremlin, Justice, NATO, NATO – Locations: Moscow, Belarus, Minsk, Ukraine, Kazakhstan, Iran, Russia, Russian

☆ Analysis: Moscow is at risk of losing its iron grip on power in Russia. The next 24 hours are critical
▼ + stars: | 2023-06-24 | by ( Nick Paton Walsh | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +5 min

CNN —This just does not happen in Vladimir Putin’s Russia. This is now an existential choice for Russia’s elite – between the president’s faltering regime, and the dark, mercenary Frankenstein it created to do its dirty work, which has turned on its masters. Among the Russian rich, Friday’s events will remove any question about whether they should doubt Putin’s grip on power. The 1917 removal of Tsar Nicholas II in Russia turned into the Bolshevik Revolution, Lenin and then the Soviet Empire. But it is impossible to imagine Putin’s regime will ever go back to its previous heights of control from this moment.

Persons: Vladimir Putin’s, he’s, fratricide, –, Putin, Wagner, Yevgeny Prigozhin’s, Prigozhin, Frankenstein, Stringer, Tsar Nicholas II, Lenin Organizations: CNN, Russian Ministry of Defense, Prigozhin, NATO, Southern Military District, Reuters, Kremlin, Bolshevik Locations: Vladimir Putin’s Russia, Russian, Moscow, Rostov, Russia, Don, CNN Ukraine, Soviet, Ukraine

☆ 'What is there to be afraid of?' Ukrainians in frontline town hopeful about counteroffensive
▼ + stars: | 2023-06-10 | by ( Vasco Cotovio Frederik Pleitgen William Bonnett Darya Tarasova | Vasco Cotovio | Frederik Pleitgen | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +6 min

The town in the Zaporizhzhia region sits just five kilometers away from a frontline where Ukrainian forces have been making a recent push. “The town is shelled every 24 hours.”And with the Zaporizhzhia frontline becoming more active because of an anticipated Ukrainian counteroffensive, aid deliveries may become more rare. CNN has been able to geolocate the videos to the Zaporizhzhia region but is unable to verify when they were shot. And nothing happens around town without them being well aware of it, even if that is a top-secret Ukrainian counteroffensive. She straps the food box to the back of her bike and – just before she cycles away – Ukrainian forces somewhere outside of town are heard firing a shell towards Russian positions.

Persons: “, Olga Shumska, unfazed, I’m, ” Shumska, Vasco Cotovio, CNN “, Nina Sokol, we’ll, they’re, Vitaliy Kubushka, you’d, ” Sokol, ” Organizations: Southern, Southern Ukraine CNN, CNN, Sokol, Global Empowerment, Howard Buffet Foundation, Ukraine, Ukrainian, Journalists, Ministry of Defense Locations: Southern Ukraine, Orikhiv, Zaporizhzhia, Zapoprizhzhia, Ukrainian, Moscow, Kyiv, Shumska, Ukraine

☆ Strong leg muscles may be linked with better outcomes after heart attack, study suggests
▼ + stars: | 2023-05-29 | by ( Jacqueline Howard | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +5 min

CNN —Growing evidence shows that building muscle strength can have benefits for your heart, even leading to better outcomes after a heart attack. Kamiya said that after a heart attack, medically known as a myocardial infarction, the heart can go through a process called myocardial remodeling or cardiac remodeling, in which fibrous tissue accumulates, causing an enlargement of the heart. But emerging evidence suggests that exercise-based cardiac rehabilitation can alter the course of such remodeling in a way that improves heart function. “Cardiac remodeling is the main cause of the onset of heart failure after myocardial infarction,” Kamiya said. But more can be learned about why some people may be more affected after a heart attack than others, said Dr. Shaline Rao, director of heart failure services at NYU Langone Hospital-Long Island, who was not involved in the new study.

☆ Lab-grown breast milk startup Biomilq aims to change infant nutrition — if it can release a product
▼ + stars: | 2023-05-20 | by ( Natasha Piñon | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +11 min

Biomilq, the company behind the breakthrough, had been working for nearly a decade to replicate the process of making human milk — but outside of the body. While the crisis has highlighted the importance of a resilient formula supply, human milk experts, milk bank advocates and Biomilq all stress the same message: Breast milk is best. The startup will likely take a "gradual approach" to introducing its science via "an early-life nutrition product in partnership with one of these bigger companies," Strickland explained. Breast milk is woefully understudied — to the point that it's difficult "to even say what human milk is from a nutritional standpoint," Perrin explained. The company is researching which aspects of human milk its system is best suited to produce.

☆ Analysis: Investment banking faultlines trigger European job shake-up
▼ + stars: | 2023-05-19 | by ( Sinead Cruise | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +5 min

Applications for financial services roles globally rose by 67% in the first quarter of 2023 against the same period last year, according to eFinancialCareers. Britain has already said it will scrap a cap on bank bonuses under plans to attract global financial sector talent. Worries about possible contagion triggered by the frailty of the U.S. regional banking system have also put some bank staff on a quest for more secure employment, sources say. Duncan Finlayson, managing director of the FinTech & Financial Services practice at Raines International, said some wanted meetings with chief financial officers to better understand the financial health of prospective employers. "Without a doubt some of the more established financial services platforms are under more heavy scrutiny," he said.

☆ Opinion | The Flaws of Perfection
▼ + stars: | 2023-05-19 | by ( Warren Zanes | ) www.nytimes.com time to read: +3 min

Mr. Springsteen’s prior release, “The River,” was his first No. “Nebraska” was dirty, kind of mumbled in sections, its hushed tones punctuated by a few screams; it told scary stories. Warren Zanes is the author of “Deliver Me From Nowhere: The Making of Bruce Springsteen’s ‘Nebraska’” and “Petty: The Biography.” A former member of the Del Fuegos, he teaches at N.Y.U. and continues to write and record music, sometimes with the poet Paul Muldoon’s Rogue Oliphant band, sometimes on his own. Follow The New York Times Opinion section on Facebook, Twitter (@NYTopinion) and Instagram.

REUTERS/Lisa Marie DavidANTIPOLO, Philippines, April 2 (Reuters) - Thousands of Filipino Catholics attending church on Palm Sunday marked the beginning of Holy Week with prayers for the health of Pope Francis as they presented palm fronds to be blessed. At a church in Antipolo City about 20 km (12.4 miles) east of Manila, hundreds of devotees attended morning mass and waved palm fronds as a sign of discipleship and remembrance of Jesus Christ. Filipino Catholics this year offered prayers for Pope Francis, who was hospitalised on Wednesday after complaining of difficulty breathing. The pope was discharged from hospital on Saturday after successful treatment for a severe bout of bronchitis and attended a Palm Sunday service in St Peter's Square. "We should all continue praying for our Pope Francis this Lenten season.

"We are taking notes from Zelenskiy," a senior Taiwan security official said, referring to Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskiy's strong presence on social media. "We can't even fix sea cables on our own," the official said. "What if one day all 14 of Taiwan's undersea cables connecting us to the outside world break? Taiwan's military has long prepared back-up plans, including a fibre-optic network for communications within Taiwan, satellites, high-frequency radio, and microwave systems. "So the first step (for China) - with about 99 percent likelihood - is to cut our sea cables," Huang said.

ISLAMABAD, Jan 24 (Reuters) - Pakistan's energy ministry said on Tuesday it had restored its national power grid nearly 24 hours after a breakdown triggered the worst outage in months, highlighting the frailty of the aid-dependant nation's infrastructure. All 1,112 grid stations were back online, a senior government official told Reuters, adding that electricity would be fully restored across the country once power generation units were back up. The outage, which began on Monday morning during the peak winter season, is the second major grid failure to hit the nation of 220 million people since October, though there are partial blackouts almost daily. Residents in major cities said they now had electricity, but some areas of the country were still without power. China has invested in its power sector as part of a $60 billion infrastructure scheme that feeds into Beijing's "Belt and Road" initiative.

☆ Chelsea earn scrappy 1-0 win over Palace to ease pressure
▼ + stars: | 2023-01-15 | by ( Clare Lovell | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +3 min

It was only the second league win in 10 matches for the home side who remain in an unaccustomed 10th place half-way through the season. Today we had five young players in the starting 11, they are doing a really good job at the moment." "Today we are happy for the three points," said Potter, who took over from Thomas Tuchel in September. Palace are in 12th place, six points behind Chelsea. Before kickoff, former Chelsea players who had been coached by or appeared alongside Gianluca Vialli joined the teams to pay tribute to the former Italy international and Chelsea player-manager who died 10 days ago.

☆ Pope marks New Year as Vatican prepares to mourn Benedict
▼ + stars: | 2023-01-01 | by ( Associated Press | ) www.nbcnews.com time to read: +2 min

Pope Francis prayed for his predecessor’s passage to heaven as he presided over a special New Year’s Day Mass Sunday in St. Peter’s Basilica, a day after Pope Emeritus Benedict XVI died in retirement at the Vatican. Benedict, 95, died Saturday morning in the Vatican where he had lived since retirement. He departed briefly from reading his homily, with its emphasis on hope and peace, to pray aloud for Benedict. “Today we entrust to our Blessed Mother our beloved Pope Emeritus Benedict XVI, so that she may accompany him in his passage from this world to God,” he said. “At the beginning of this year, we need hope, just as the Earth needs rain,” Francis said.

Of particular importance is information about how many seniors die, develop disabilities, can no longer live independently, or have a significantly worsened quality of life after major surgery. “What older patients want to know is, ‘What’s my life going to look like?’” Cooper said. Invasive procedures that take place in operating rooms with patients under general anesthesia were counted as major surgeries. Two years ago, Gill’s team conducted research that showed 1 in 3 older adults had not returned to their baseline level of functioning six months after major surgery. This includes assessing older patients three times a day for delirium (an acute change in mental status that often afflicts older hospital patients), getting patients moving as soon as possible, and using non-narcotic pain relievers.

☆ Biden Turns 80, Eyeing Six More Years
▼ + stars: | 2022-11-19 | by ( The Editorial Board | ) www.wsj.com time to read: 1 min

As he turns 80 years old on Sunday, President Biden the man of Catholic faith might be reflecting on a few lines from the Psalmist. Yet what Mr. Biden needs to ask himself, and preferably soon, is whether two years from today he will really want “four more years,” as the crowds would chant in 2024. Not to be rude, but the job of President of the United States is not exactly an early bird special at Denny’s. On his first day in the Oval Office, Mr. Biden set the record for the oldest President in history. He’d be 86 at the end of a second term.

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