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☆ More people with Down syndrome are living longer, but medical systems aren’t keeping up
▼ + stars: | 2023-04-18 | by ( Tony Leys | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +12 min

Marilyn researched online and learned the University of Kansas Health System has a special medical clinic for adults with Down syndrome. The clinic Marilyn found is in Kansas City, Kansas, 80 miles northwest of the family’s cattle farm in central Missouri. A directory published by the Global Down Syndrome Foundation lists just 15 medical programs nationwide that are housed outside of children’s hospitals and that accept Down syndrome patients who are 30 or older. But she has felt treated like a child by other health care providers, who have spoken to her parents instead of to her during appointments. Advocates and clinicians say it’s crucial for health care providers to communicate as much as possible with patients who have disabilities.

☆ Peruvian archaeologists unearth 500-year-old Inca ceremonial bath
▼ + stars: | 2023-04-14 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

[1/3] Archaeologists work in the remains of an ancient ceremonial Inca bathroom, discovered in a sector known as Inkawasi (House of the Inca), at the archaeological site Huanuco Pampa, in Huanuco, Peru April 5, 2023. Found near the "House of the Inca" in the Huanuco Pampa archaeological zone in central Peru, local archaeologists believe that the bath may have served a religious purpose for high-ranking members of the Inca empire, which 500 years ago extended from southern Ecuador to the center of Chile. The Huanuco Pampa archaeological site is part of the Qhapaq Nan project, a complex 25,000-kilometer-long road network that linked Ecuador, Colombia, Peru, Bolivia and Argentina. The road system was declared a World Heritage Site in 2014. Reporting by Marco Aquino; Writing by Sarah Morland; Editing by Aurora EllisOur Standards: The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles.

☆ Dramatic image shows a 'plasma waterfall' on the sun that's 8 times the size of Earth
▼ + stars: | 2023-04-14 | by ( Marianne Guenot | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +4 min

This is the latest in a string of stunning solar events as our sun nears a peak of activity. The solar plasma 'waterfall' is shown here on the southern hemisphere of the sun on March 9, 2023. About every decade, the sun's magnetic poles flip, which causes havoc with local magnetic fields that are bursting all over our star. NASA Solar Dynamics ObservatoryA massive coronal "hole" in our sun that spewed energy towards the Earth in recent weeks. NASA / Solar Dynamics ObservatorySpace weather is not just prettyScientists don't only look to the sun to see these beautiful structures.

"Weakness continues to develop in commercial real estate office," Wells Fargo Chief Executive Charlie Scharf said on a call with analysts. Stress in the commercial real estate sector could have broad implications for banks and the economy, as losses emanating there can tighten credit availability and exacerbate a downturn. More than $1.4 trillion in U.S. CRE loans will mature by 2027, with some $270 billion coming due this year, according to real estate data provider Trepp. As the epicenter for the technology industry downturn, California's CRE market has been hit hard. Citigroup and Wells Fargo declined to comment for this article.

Mehta pressed him, for example, on if being dominant in search means that Google's search engine will improve faster than its competitors. In particular, he said, Google should not have made agreements with Apple that requires that Google be the default search engine. Google argued in court filings that the payments at issue are legal revenue-sharing deals and not illegal efforts to exclude rivals. Since this lawsuit was filed, Google has been hit with other antitrust complaints. The Justice Department filed a second lawsuit in January accusing the company of abusing its dominance of the digital advertising business.

Mehta pressed him, for example, on if being dominant in search means that Google's search engine will improve faster than its competitors. Google's Schmidtlein replied: "Offering a superior product, winning business on the merits is never unlawful." Google has argued in court filings that the payments at issue are legal revenue-sharing deals and not illegal efforts to exclude rivals. Since this lawsuit was filed, Google has been hit with other antitrust complaints. The Justice Department filed a second lawsuit in January accusing the company of abusing its dominance of the digital advertising business.

Google has argued in court filings that the payments are legal revenue-sharing deals and not illegal efforts to exclude rivals. The case is being heard by Judge Amit Mehta of the U.S. District Court for the District of Columbia. Since this lawsuit was filed, Google has been hit with other antitrust complaints. The Justice Department filed a second lawsuit in January accusing the company of abusing its dominance of the digital advertising business. A group of states led by Texas also sued on ad tech in 2020 while states led by Utah filed a lawsuit in 2021 saying the company broke antitrust law in handling its play store.

☆ Factbox: What's next for France's pension reform?
▼ + stars: | 2023-04-13 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

Here is why this matters and what could happen:VERDICT ON THE PENSION BILL* The Council can strike down the bill altogether if it considers it breaches the Constitution. Opposition parties have asked it to do so, for choosing to tack the pension reform onto a social security budget bill, setting a tight deadline on debates and then bypassing a final vote in parliament. REFERENDUMEven if the Constitutional Council gives its green light - with or without caveats - this may not be the end of the road. Opposition Parliament members want to organise a so-called citizens' referendum on capping the retirement age at 62. If the threshold is met, the Senate and Assembly have six months to examine the proposal to cap the retirement age to 62.

☆ People Can't Get Ozempic, New Weight-Loss Drugs Because of Broken Healthcare System
▼ + stars: | 2023-04-13 | by ( ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +15 min

Wegovy is just one of a wave of revolutionary weight-loss drugs, which also includes the buzzy Ozempic, that represents a watershed moment for obesity treatment. Demand for weight-loss drugs is surgingDoctors and healthcare professionals searched for a healthy, safe, and effective weight-loss solution for years before the drugs, known collectively as GLP-1 agonists, exploded on the scene. If there is one key that could unlock access to expensive weight-loss drugs for Americans, it's Medicare. Expanding coverage for Ozempic and other weight-loss drugs for just a small segment of the population could cost Medicare up to $26.8 billion a year. Patients lose outYears from now, patients may have an easier time getting their hands on weight-loss drugs.

Fox has argued in legal filings that Dominion’s $1.6 billion damages request is “untethered from reality” and designed to enrich the company’s investors. In Delaware, attorneys are not allowed to speak directly with potential jurors. The streamlined process allows for jury selection to happen more quickly than it does in some other states: Davis has allotted two days. But it also means both sides will have a harder time trying to identify prospective jurors’ political views, which could be relevant in this case, said Gomez. “Will the facts of the case actually matter to them if they have that underlying belief?”The questions are limited to prospective jurors’ experience rather than their attitudes.

☆ France to witness 12th nationwide strike against Macron's pension law
▼ + stars: | 2023-04-13 | by ( Ingrid Melander | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +3 min

[1/2] Protesters hold a drawing depicting a portrait of French President Emmanuel Macron during a demonstration as part of the tenth day of nationwide strikes and protests against French government's pension reform in Paris, France, March 28, 2023. "I'm not that optimistic about the Constitutional Council's decision," far-right leader Marine Le Pen told BFM TV, who is against the pension bill. Macron and his government argue the law is essential to ensure that France's generous pension system does not go bust. Unions say this can be done by other means, including taxing the rich more, or making deeper changes to the pension system. However, the CGT union called for a walkout at all refineries on Thursday as part of the nationwide strike.

April 13 (Reuters) - U.S. telehealth abortion providers scrambled on Thursday to keep their services available after a federal appeals court ruled that the abortion pill mifepristone could be distributed amid ongoing litigation but with significant restrictions. Mifepristone is used with another drug called misoprostol to perform medication abortion, which accounts for more than half of U.S. abortions. Jayaram Brindala, founder of Abortion Telemedicine, said the provider would "no longer be able to send the mifepristone medication by mail anywhere." Brindala added the company would still send the misoprostol-only regimen to states that allow it. Other telehealth practices that provide abortion medication said they were waiting to see what happens next in court before announcing any changes in policy.

MEMPHIS, Tennessee, April 12 (Reuters) - Local government officials in Memphis, Tennessee, voted on Wednesday to return the second of two Democratic state lawmakers who were expelled last week for protesting gun violence on the chamber floor. Seven of the board's 13 councilors were present for the meeting, and all seven voted in favor of Pearson's return. He is expected to return to the State Capitol in Nashville on Thursday to be sworn back in. Democrats in the U.S. Senate have asked the U.S. Department of Justice to investigate whether the expelled lawmakers' constitutional rights were violated. Before marching with supporters to the commissioners' meeting, Pearson, joined by Jones and Johnson, addressed a crowd of about 500 outside the National Civil Rights Museum in Memphis.

☆ Warner Bros Discovery unveils revamped 'Max' in push for streaming growth
▼ + stars: | 2023-04-12 | by ( Dawn Chmielewski | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +4 min

Warner Bros Discovery eliminated "HBO" from the name of the streaming service, which for some viewers connotes bespoke series but repels others. He repudiated his predecessor's COVID-19 era strategy of releasing new movies simultaneously in theaters and in the home, via HBO Max. Instead, Warner Bros films would enjoy a traditional theatrical release and reap box office proceeds before becoming available on the streaming service. It licensed some of these shows to other streaming services, as Warner Bros Discovery looked for new ways to monetize its film and television libraries. Like other media companies, Warner Bros Discovery has yet to turn a profit on its HBO Max and Discovery+ streaming services, though the company has reduced losses from them.

☆ US union opposes driverless trucks waiver for Waymo, Aurora
▼ + stars: | 2023-04-11 | by ( David Shepardson | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

Aurora and Waymo instead want to use warning beacons mounted on the truck cab to avoid needing human drivers. Waymo and Aurora say that without an exemption driverless trucks would need a human on board, which would "undermine the efficiency potential of autonomous CMVs." Waymo responded that the "exemption we put forward would permit compliant autonomous trucking operations while maintaining a high standard of safety." In the joint filing, Aurora said it maintains 28 Class 8 self-driving trucks that run on public roads, primarily in Texas, while Waymo listed 48 Class 8 trucks. Legislation to speed the deployment of self-driving vehicles and ease hurdles has been stalled for more than five years in Congress.

☆ Union opposes driverless trucks exemption for Waymo, Aurora
▼ + stars: | 2023-04-11 | by ( David Shepardson | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

Aurora and Waymo instead want to use warning beacons mounted on the truck cab to avoid the need for human drivers. It urged the safety board to ensure "rigorous oversight and standards" before widespread deployment of such new technologies. Waymo and Aurora say that without an exemption driverless trucks would need to have a human on board, which would "undermine the efficiency potential of autonomous CMVs." Legislation to speed the deployment of self-driving vehicles and ease hurdles has been stalled for more than five years in Congress. A bill to advance self-driving cars approved by the U.S. House in 2017 applied to vehicles under 10,000 pounds -- but not large commercial trucks.

NASHVILLE, Tennessee, April 10 (Reuters) - Tennessee state Representative Justin Jones returned to the state House on Monday, pumping his fist and declaring "power to the people" as a Nashville-area council restored him to office following his expulsion over a gun protest. The Metropolitan Council of Nashville and Davidson County voted 36-0 on Monday to make Jones, 27, the interim representative. REUTERS/Cheney Orr 1 2 3 4 5"I want to welcome the people back to the people's house," Jones said in brief remarks upon being reseated. Addressing supporters before the vote, Jones accused the Republicans of operating "plantation politics" and abuse of power. Before the vote, the spokesperson said the House would seat whomever the county legislatures appoint "as the constitution requires."

☆ Nashville board reinstates Black lawmaker expelled from Tennessee House
▼ + stars: | 2023-04-10 | by ( Omar Younis | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +5 min

NASHVILLE, Tennessee, April 10 (Reuters) - A Nashville-area county council on Monday voted to reinstate Representative Justin Jones to the Tennessee House of Representatives, reversing Republican lawmakers who ousted Jones and another young, Black legislator last week for staging a gun control protest on the House floor. The Metropolitan Council of Nashville and Davidson County voted 36-0 to make Jones, 27, the interim representative. Before the vote, the spokesperson said the House would seat whomever the county legislatures appoint "as the constitution requires." Jones and Pearson, 28, have both said they hoped to be reappointed and that they would run again in special elections. Republicans also targeted Gloria Johnson, who is white, for expulsion, as she joined Jones and Pearson in the floor protest.

☆ U.S. Tyson Foods workers strike at Arkansas chicken plant set to close
▼ + stars: | 2023-04-10 | by ( Tom Polansek | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

CHICAGO, April 10 (Reuters) - About 150 employees of a Tyson Foods Inc (TSN.N) chicken plant in Arkansas went on strike on Monday for better treatment before the company shuts the facility, an organizer said. Tyson plans to close the plant in Van Buren, Arkansas, on May 12, eliminating jobs for 969 non-union employees, as it seeks to improve performance in its chicken business. Some employees quit after Tyson announced the plant would close, leaving more work for fewer employees, Licolli said. Tyson has offered to transfer plant workers to another facility in Texas, with compensation for relocating, but many do not want to uproot their lives or their families, Licolli said. Tyson said in an email that it is offering employees relocation support to work at other facilities in Arkansas as well.

NEW YORK/WASHINGTON, April 10 (Reuters) - A Goldman Sachs & Co (GS.N) unit has agreed to pay $15 million to settle U.S. Commodity Futures Trading Commission (CFTC) charges that it failed to make proper disclosures and communicate fairly to swap customers, the regulator saidon Monday. In 2015 and 2016, Goldman opportunistically sold clients on so-called "same-day" swaps at times that financially benefited the bank and hurt the customers, the CFTC said in a settled order. The firm did not disclose key marks to customers for assessing the swap's value and did not communicate to them in a fair and balanced manner, the regulator said. By depriving clients of transparency into the relative value of the swaps it was offering, Goldman violated CFTC's business conduct standards for swap dealers, the regulator said. The "CFTC will aggressively pursue swap dealers that violate these business conduct standards" that promote fairness in the swaps market, enforcement director Ian McGinley said in a statement.

☆ Nashville-area board may return lawmaker expelled from Republican-controlled statehouse
▼ + stars: | 2023-04-10 | by ( Daniel Trotta | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +5 min

April 10 (Reuters) - A Nashville-area county council meeting on Monday may vote to return to the statehouse one of two Democratic Tennessee lawmakers who were expelled from the chamber last week after participating in a gun control protest. Returning Jones would send a pointed message to the Republicans who expelled him. A Memphis-area board of commissioners plans on Wednesday to consider reappointing Pearson on an interim basis to the seat from which he was removed. U.S. Vice President Kamala Harris flew to Nashville on Friday to support the three Tennessee lawmakers targeted for expulsion. Jones, 27, was elected to Tennessee's House of Representatives last year.

BUENOS AIRES, April 10 (Reuters) - Argentina has patched up its wobbly economy with a so-called "soy dollar" preferential exchange rate to boost grains exports and bring in much-needed foreign currency, which analysts said would give the government breathing room, at least temporarily. "The 'farm dollar' will not create extra foreign currency, but at least will accelerate it coming in and so provide temporary relief," said economist Gustavo Ber, adding that foreign currency reserves had hit "critical levels." Reuters Graphics Reuters GraphicsThe so-called "soy dollar" was used twice last year and did help create a boost in exports, at least in the short-term helping ease availability of foreign currency. "This new measure aims to buy two months, which in the current context is not insignificant," Geretto told Reuters. Reporting by Walter Bianchi and Anna-Catherine Brigida; Editing by Adam Jourdan and Aurora EllisOur Standards: The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles.

☆ U.S. IRS to hire nearly 20,000 staff over two years with $80 bln in new funds
▼ + stars: | 2023-04-07 | by ( David Lawder | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +4 min

[1/2] Signage is seen at the headquarters of the Internal Revenue Service (IRS) in Washington, D.C., U.S., May 10, 2021. But a significant portion of these new hires will replace the nearly 12,000 IRS employees expected to retire over the next two years -- including more than 4,700 enforcement staff, a U.S. Treasury official said. Those audit targets include wealthy individuals, corporations and complex partnerships, which have grown in number while IRS audit staff has shrunk by nearly half over the past decade, new IRS Commissioner Danny Werfel told reporters. REPUBLICAN BACKLASHThe plan drew fresh complaints from Republicans who want to repeal the IRS funding as part of their demands for raising the $31.4 trillion federal debt ceiling. He said that the percentage of Criminal Investigation staff would not change from its current proportion of about 3% of the IRS workforce.

☆ Companies That Went Public via SPACs Log Billions of Dollars in Goodwill Write-Downs
▼ + stars: | 2023-04-07 | by ( Mark Maurer | ) www.wsj.com time to read: +1 min

Cryptocurrency platform Bakkt Holdings, which listed on the New York Stock Exchange in October 2021 after merging with a special-purpose acquisition company, recorded a $1.51 billion pretax goodwill impairment for the following year. Companies that went public through mergers with special-purpose acquisition companies in recent years booked billions of dollars in goodwill write-downs in 2022, reflecting in part a reckoning of the heady premiums paid to secure deals during the SPAC boom. Some of the biggest goodwill impairments in 2022 came from SPAC-backed companies like cryptocurrency platform Bakkt Holdings Inc., business-services provider Advantage Solutions Inc., 3-D printing firm Fathom Digital Manufacturing Corp., self-driving vehicle startup Aurora Innovation Inc. and now-bankrupt bitcoin miner Core Scientific Inc., according to financial and risk advisory firm Kroll LLC. Each of these five companies’ pretax impairments exceeded $1 billion last year.

☆ Pension protests to bring 'maximum' workers in France after government, union talks fail
▼ + stars: | 2023-04-06 | by ( Silvia Aloisi | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +3 min

Labour groups vowed to dig in their heels after talks with Prime Minister Elisabeth Borne on Wednesday - which lasted just an hour - failed to calm the situation. They said the only way out of the crisis was for the legislation to be pulled, an option which Borne flatly rejected. "After this meeting, I am calling for a maximum of workers, men and women, to join the marches across France tomorrow," Laurent Berger, head of the country's biggest union CFDT, said on Wednesday. Strikes are still disrupting operations at oil refineries and nuclear plants, while garbage collectors have vowed to resume their protest from next week. Polls show a wide majority of French oppose the pension legislation and the government's decision to push it through parliament without a vote.

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