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The House Rules Committee late on Tuesday, in the first procedural vote on the contentious legislation, cleared the measure for debate in the full House on Wednesday. The solid Democratic opposition is not necessarily indicative of how the party would vote on the bill itself. "We are certainly punching above our weight," she told her fellow House Republicans. [1/4] U.S. House Speaker Kevin McCarthy (R-CA) returns to his office from the House floor at the U.S. Capitol ahead of an expected vote in the U.S. House of Representatives on a bill raising the federal government's $31.4 trillion debt ceiling, in Washington, U.S., May 31, 2023. White House Budget Director Shalanda Young, who was one of Biden's lead negotiators, urged Congress to pass the bill.

Persons: Kevin McCarthy's, Joe Biden's, McCarthy, Biden, Chip Roy, Roy, Erin Houchin, Kevin McCarthy, Julia Nikhinson, Republican Mitt Romney, Dick Durbin, Shalanda Young, Biden's, Young, White, David Morgan, Richard Cowan, Moira Warburton, Julio, Cesar Chavez, Scott Malone, Rosalba O'Brien, Alistair Bell Organizations: U.S . House, Kevin McCarthy's Republicans, Twitter, Democratic, Treasury, Republican, White, Senate, Republicans, Office, ., U.S, Capitol, REUTERS, Senators, National Institutes of Health, Internal Revenue Service, Thomson Locations: U.S, Washington , U.S, Washington

The House Rules Committee late on Tuesday, in the first procedural vote on the contentious legislation, cleared the measure for debate in the full House on Wednesday. The solid Democratic opposition is not necessarily indicative of how the party would vote on the bill itself. "We are certainly punching above our weight," she told her fellow House Republicans. A successful House vote would send the bill to the Senate, where debate and voting could stretch into the weekend, especially if any one of the 100 senators try to slow its passage. White House Budget Director Shalanda Young, who was one of Biden's lead negotiators, urged Congress to pass the bill.

Persons: Kevin McCarthy's, Joe Biden's, McCarthy, Biden, Chip Roy, Roy, Erin Houchin, Republican Mitt Romney, Dick Durbin, Shalanda Young, Biden's, Young, White, David Morgan, Richard Cowan, Moira Warburton, Julio, Cesar Chavez, Scott Malone, Himani Sarkar, Rosalba O'Brien Organizations: U.S . House, Kevin McCarthy's Republicans, Twitter, Democratic, Treasury, Republican, White, Senate, Republicans, Office, Senators, National Institutes of Health, Internal Revenue Service, Thomson Locations: U.S, Washington

The solid Democratic opposition is not necessarily indicative of how the 213-member party caucus would vote on the bill itself. But reflecting party divisions, Representative Erin Houchin countered that despite Democratic control of the White House and Senate, the bill would achieve significant Republican spending cuts. "We are certainly punching above our weight," she told her fellow House Republicans. White House Budget Director Shalanda Young, who was one of Biden's lead negotiators, urged Congress to pass the bill. A successful House vote would send the bill to the Senate, where debate and voting could stretch into the weekend, especially if any one of the 100 senators try to slow its passage.

Persons: Kevin McCarthy's, Joe Biden's, Biden, Chip Roy, Roy, Erin Houchin, Republican Mitt Romney, McCarthy, Dick Durbin, Shalanda Young, Biden's, Young, White, Richard Cowan, Moira Warburton, David Morgan, Scott Malone, Himani Organizations: U.S . House, Kevin McCarthy's Republicans, Democratic, Treasury, Republican, White, Senate, Republicans, Office, National Institutes of Health, Internal Revenue Service, Thomson Locations: U.S, Washington

☆ Sleep apnea linked to smaller brain volume, study finds
▼ + stars: | 2023-05-31 | by ( Sandee Lamotte | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +7 min

However, people who snore heavily or who have sleep apnea can experience hundreds of mini-arousals per night — even though they don’t realize it. The study group underwent brain scans, memory tests that were repeated at about 21 months, and an overnight sleep study done at their homes. Severe sleep apnea was associated with worrisome changes in the brains of middle-aged and older adults, a July 2018 study found. “We surmise that hypoxia may also have a deleterious effect on the volume of the regions of the medial temporal lobe. Studies such as these reinforce the need to be assessed by a sleep specialist and treated for sleep apnea.

Persons: ”, Géraldine Rauchs, ” Rauchs, “, Rudy Tanzi, ” Tanzi, Tanzi, Rauchs Organizations: CNN, National Institute of Health, Medical Research, Harvard Medical School, Massachusetts General Hospital Locations: Caen, France, Boston, Massachusetts

☆ Honoring the Body Donors Who Are a Medical Student’s ‘First Patient’
▼ + stars: | 2023-05-31 | by ( April Rubin | ) www.nytimes.com time to read: +2 min

Similar scenes played out across the country this spring as medical, dental and physical therapy students assembled to offer tributes to whole-body donors and their families. At the ceremonies, students perform music, light candles, read letters and share art. Sometimes a tree designation or an offering of flowers to a donor’s family is included. Even with the introduction of elaborate 3-D visualization software, dissection remains a cornerstone of a medical education for most first-year students, as it has for centuries. Students spend months methodically studying the structures of the body, including organs, tendons, veins and tissue.

Persons: Bree Zhang, Diana Cervantes, Joy Balta, “ You’re, you’ve, ”, Balta Organizations: Columbia, The New York Times, American Association for, Anatomy Learning, Point Loma Nazarene University Locations: Columbia, United States, Point, San Diego

☆ SpaceX Axiom 2 mission returns from space station
▼ + stars: | 2023-05-30 | by ( Jackie Wattles | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +7 min

This mission, dubbed Axiom Mission 2, or AX-2, launched from Florida on May 21. The SpaceX Crew Dragon capsule carrying Axiom Mission 2's four-person crew splashed down off the coast of Panama City, Florida, at 11:04 p.m. A company called Space Adventures brokered several such missions to the space station in the early 2000s, booking rides for wealthy thrill seekers on Russia’s Soyuz spacecraft. The SpaceX capsule transported the AX-2 crew back to Earth after a weeklong mission at the International Space Station. Axiom is one of several US companies gunning to create a new, privately owned space station.

Persons: Rayyanah Barnawi, Peggy Whitson, Whitson, I’m, ” Whitson, John Shoffner, Ali AlQarni, “, ” Barnawi, Barnawi, AlQarni, “ That’s, I’ve, ”, Prince Sultan bin Salman, Biden, axiomspace, Derek Hassmann, it’s, gunning Organizations: CNN, SpaceX, NASA, International, Houston, Crew, Dura, Line Corp, Royal Saudi Air Force, United Arab Emirates Space Agency, Russian Soyuz, Saudi, Space, Soyuz, Government Locations: Panama City , Florida, Gulf of Mexico, Florida, Saudi Arabia, American, Russian, United States

☆ How to watch SpaceX Axiom 2 launch
▼ + stars: | 2023-05-21 | by ( Jackie Wattles | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +7 min

Explore the universe with news on fascinating discoveries, scientific advancements and more.CNN —SpaceX is set to launch four passengers — including three paying customers — toward a weeklong stay aboard the International Space Station. The Axiom Ax-2 Prime crew members, from left to right: John Shoffner, Rayyanah Barnawi, Peggy Whitson, and Ali Alqarni, will launch aboard a SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket and Dragon spacecraft to the International Space Station. Axiom brought that business model to the United States, partnering with SpaceX to establish a framework for getting an array of customers to the space station. Axiom is one of several US companies gunning to create a new, privately owned space station. The AX-2 crew will work alongside the professional astronauts on the space station, though they will operate under different schedules.

☆ SpaceX mission lifts off with former NASA astronaut, three paying customers
▼ + stars: | 2023-05-21 | by ( Jackie Wattles | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +7 min

The AX-2 crew is being led by former NASA astronaut Peggy Whitson, 63, now an Axiom employee. After the Crew Dragon capsule docks early Monday, the AX-2 crew will join seven astronauts already aboard the space station. The first was Prince Sultan bin Salman, who spent about a week on a NASA space shuttle mission in 1985. Axiom is one of several US companies gunning to create a new, privately owned space station. The AX-2 crew will work alongside the professional astronauts on the space station, though they will operate under different schedules.

☆ Biden Nominates Monica Bertagnolli to Run National Institutes of Health
▼ + stars: | 2023-05-15 | by ( Liz Essley Whyte | ) www.wsj.com time to read: 1 min

Dr. Monica Bertagnolli, a surgeon by training, previously taught at Harvard Medical School. Photo: Jeff Chiu/Associated PressPresident Biden nominated Dr. Monica Bertagnolli to head the National Institutes of Health and steer the federal government’s pursuit of cutting-edge medical research. The Wall Street Journal in April first reported the White House’s pick. Monday’s nomination would end a 17-month search to find a scientist to head an agency, with a $47 billion yearly budget, that plays an important role conducting and funding disease, drug and vaccine research.

CNN —Hundreds of jewels once owned by late Austrian billionaire Heidi Horten have fetched a combined 176 million Swiss francs ($196 million) to become the most expensive private jewelry collection ever to appear at auction. Heidi Horten pictured wearing the Briollete of India necklace, which sold for 6.3 million Swiss francs ($7 million). The most valuable lot, a ruby and diamond Cartier ring that is “pigeon blood” in color, fetched just over 13 million Swiss francs ($14.5 million), despite Christie’s expecting bids as high as 18 million Swiss francs ($20 million). A 90-carat “Briolette of India” diamond necklace by jeweler Harry Winston also came in below estimate, selling for 6.3 million Swiss francs ($7 million). courtesy Christie'sElsewhere, however, a Bulgari diamond ring more than doubled its high estimate to fetch 9.1 million Swiss francs ($10.1 million).

CNN —President Joe Biden will nominate Dr. Monica Bertagnolli, who currently leads the National Cancer Institute, to be the next director of the National Institutes of Health, the White House announced on Monday. Biden called Bertagnolli “a world-class physician-scientist whose vision and leadership will ensure NIH continues to be an engine of innovation to improve the health of the American people,” in a statement Monday. She would lead the country’s medical research agency, overseeing 27 research institutes and centers focused on different areas of medical research, such as cancer, the human genome, as well as allergy and infectious diseases. The nomination to lead NIH marks a fast ascent within the Biden administration for Bertagnolli. In this August 2022 photo, Monica Bertagnolli, newly appointed director of the National Cancer Institute, stands for recognition during remarks by President Joe Biden.

☆ Biden to nominate cancer surgeon Monica Bertagnolli to lead National Institutes of Health
▼ + stars: | 2023-05-15 | by ( Spencer Kimball | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +1 min

Dr. Monica Bertagnolli speaks during a visit from first lady Jill Biden to the University of California San Francisco Helen Diller Family Comprehensive Cancer Center in San Francisco, Oct. 7, 2022. President Joe Biden will nominate Dr. Monica Bertagnolli, a cancer surgeon, to lead the National Institutes of Health, the White House announced Monday. Bertagnolli is currently the director of the National Cancer Institute and is the first woman to lead the organization. The NIH, which has a budget of about $45 billion, funds medical research across the U.S. and around the world. The agency played a pivotal role in developing the messenger RNA technology that underlies the Covid-19 vaccine made by Moderna.

☆ As Covid Emergency Ends, U.S. Response Shifts to ‘Peacetime’ Mode
▼ + stars: | 2023-05-10 | by ( Sheryl Gay Stolberg | Noah Weiland | ) www.nytimes.com time to read: +1 min

On Thursday, three years and 100 days after the Trump administration declared the coronavirus a public health emergency, the Biden administration will allow the emergency declaration to expire, ushering in a new era when the government will treat Covid-19 like any other respiratory ailment. If the coronavirus pandemic was a war, the United States is about to officially enter peacetime. State health officials, tasked with tracking the coronavirus, are burned out, their departments understaffed. President Biden’s coronavirus response team will soon disband. But the officials say they are operating on a tight budget; Congress has refused to give the administration any new money for the pandemic response.

☆ Human genome reboot better reflects global population
▼ + stars: | 2023-05-10 | by ( Will Dunham | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +5 min

The new genome rundown may help clarify the contribution of genetic variation to health and disease, improve genetic testing, and guide drug discovery. "A pangenome is not just one reference genome, but a whole collection of diverse genomes. Researchers in 2003 unveiled what was billed as the complete sequence of the human genome, though about 8% of it had not been fully deciphered. That reference genome was a mosaic drawn from about 20 people, including 70% from one individual of mixed European and African ancestry. The first complete human genome, based on a single European individual, was published last year after scientists filled in the gaps.

☆ Do antidepressants prescribed for chronic pain work?
▼ + stars: | 2023-05-09 | by ( Katie Hunt | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +6 min

CNN —Around one-third of people globally live with chronic pain — pain experienced for more than three months — and millions of people are prescribed antidepressants to relieve the condition. However, a new review of prior research published Tuesday has found that most antidepressants used to relieve chronic pain are being prescribed without sufficient reliable evidence of their effectiveness. The studies mainly investigated three types of chronic pain: fibromyalgia, nerve pain and musculoskeletal pain. The most commonly prescribed antidepressant for chronic pain globally was amitriptyline, the study said. Anyone taking antidepressants for chronic pain relief should speak to their doctor before stopping their medication due to concerns over the new report, the authors stressed.

The membership of the panel at Musk’s company, Neuralink, raises questions about potential violations of conflict-of-interest regulations aimed at protecting research integrity, a dozen animal-research and bioethics experts told Reuters. Autumn Sorrells has chaired an oversight board approving animal experiments by Elon Musk’s brain-chip startup, Neuralink, and also run the company’s animal care program. Reuters couldn’t determine the compensation terms of the Neuralink IACUC members who are also company employees. The independence of such boards, Nicolelis said, is critical to protecting the integrity of animal research that could impact humans in future clinical trials. These institutions generally prohibit people with direct financial interests from serving on IACUCs or voting on animal experiments.

☆ A deep tech investor predicts these 3 AI startups will become the decacorns of this decade with valuations of over $100 billion
▼ + stars: | 2023-05-01 | by ( Amir Khan | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +7 min

Amir Khan is a deep tech investor who's known about ChatGPT for 10 years. OwkinA health tech startup called Owkin, based in Paris, France, is working to build an AI model in partnership with top academic researchers and data scientists. MotionalMotional is a Boston-based autonomous tech startup that is gaining traction by successfully running the world's first robotaxi pilot program. If you've seen the old Batman movies, you would know self-driving vehicles were promised to us in the early 2000s. NexarNexar, a New York-based startup, is also a company working to realize our self-driving car dreams.

☆ Exercise can help addiction treatment, study shows
▼ + stars: | 2023-04-26 | by ( Madeline Holcombe | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +6 min

CNN —One key to fighting addiction may be exercise, according to a new study. “It’s very beneficial to do physical activity in addition to the treatments.”There are limitations to the findings. Physical activity can also help boost self-esteem and lower anxiety and depression, experts said. What exercise doesMost people can benefit from engaging in physical activity, Kandola said. The current Physical Activity Guidelines for Americans does recommend that adults get 150 minutes of moderate-intensity physical activity and two days of muscle-strengthening activity.

☆ Could Certain Foods Help With Hot Flashes?
▼ + stars: | 2023-04-20 | by ( Alisha Haridasani Gupta | ) www.nytimes.com time to read: +1 min

For a phenomenon that affects roughly 75 percent of menopausal American women, hot flashes are still surprisingly mysterious, with little known about how they work or what to do about them. But what triggers that process and why? How are hot flashes connected with other health issues, like cognitive concerns and cardiovascular disease? Treatment options are limited to hormones and just one non-hormonal drug approved by the Food and Drug Administration. All of which, Dr. Sholes-Douglas added, is a clear reflection of the scant attention and little funding devoted to medical research into this phase of a woman’s life.

☆ Pentagon explains the mysterious Russian tank at a truck stop in Louisiana — saying it was disarmed and is going to an Army training center
▼ + stars: | 2023-04-19 | by ( Sophia Ankel | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +2 min

A Russian T-90A tank was left at a casino and travel center in Roanoke, Louisiana last week. The Pentagon claimed ownership of the tank on Tuesday, The War Zone reported. It said it was on its way to a US Army training center when the truck carrying it broke down. "I've been here seven years," Valerie Mott, the assistant manager of the casino and travel center, told The War Zone. Its website says that the training center is "responsible for numerous technical achievements in military intelligence, medical research, engineering, and computer technology."

☆ Uganda: Leading scientists urge President Museveni to veto anti-LGBT bill
▼ + stars: | 2023-04-19 | by ( Catherine Nicholls | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +3 min

CNN —A group of leading global scientists and academics have signed an open letter urging Ugandan President Yoweri Museveni to veto a hardline bill criminalizing homosexuality in the country. The Anti Homosexuality Bill 2023, which was passed by Ugandan lawmakers in March, is set to be either signed into law or vetoed by the president on Thursday. Before the bill was passed almost unanimously last month, President Museveni called on scientists to establish whether homosexuality was natural or learned. The letter has been signed by 15 leading scientists around the world, from countries including South Africa, the United States, Canada, the UK, Kenya, and Australia. Under the Anti Homosexuality Bill 2023, it would be a crime to even identify as lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, or queer.

☆ Factbox: What's in Republican McCarthy's debt-limit spending cut package
▼ + stars: | 2023-04-19 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +4 min

At that point, Congress would have to address the issue again, as the 2024 presidential campaign heats up. Those caps would effectively serve as spending cuts, as they would not keep up with projected inflation and population growth. Congress agreed to similar spending caps in 2011 during another debt-ceiling standoff, though it often did not adhere to them in the following years. CLAW BACK UNSPENT COVID-19 FUNDSThe plan would cancel the remaining pots of money from the $5.2 trillion Congress approved between 2020 and 2022 to fight COVID-19. According to the White House, the remaining money amounted to less than $80 billion in January and is likely lower now.

☆ Factbox: What's in Republican McCarthy's debt-limit spending cut package?
▼ + stars: | 2023-04-19 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +4 min

SPENDING RESTRAINTSThe plan would cut a wide swath of government spending to last year's levels, a decrease of about 9%. It is not clear how the spending caps would affect specific government operations, from air traffic control to housing to the military. The caps would reduce spending in real terms as they would not keep up with projected inflation and population growth. CLAW BACK UNSPENT COVID-19 FUNDSThe plan would cancel the remaining funds from the $5.2 trillion Congress approved between 2020 and 2022 to fight COVID-19. TIGHTEN WORK REQUIREMENTSThe plan would stiffen work requirements for participants in some antipoverty programs.

REUTERS/Brian Snyder/File PhotoWASHINGTON, April 17 (Reuters) - The U.S. Supreme Court on Monday declined to hear Novartis Pharmaceuticals Corp's (NOVN.S) bid to revive a key patent on its blockbuster multiple sclerosis drug Gilenya that was invalidated amid a legal dispute with China's HEC Pharm Co Ltd (1558.HK). Novartis sued HEC and more than a dozen other generic drugmakers for patent infringement in Delaware federal court after they applied for FDA approval of Gilenya generics. Novartis settled with some of the drugmakers, allowing for some Gilenya generics before a key patent's 2027 expiration. The Supreme Court in October rejected a Novartis emergency bid to pause the decision. HEC responded that the Federal Circuit "followed its own rules," and that "no Federal Circuit judge - including the dissenter - suggested any procedural concern" with the decision.

☆ DeepMind's CEO said there's a chance that AI could become self-aware in the future
▼ + stars: | 2023-04-17 | by ( Sawdah Bhaimiya | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +3 min

The CEO of Alphabet's DeepMind said there's a possibility that AI could become self-aware one day. DeepMind is an AI research lab that was co-founded in 2010 by Demis Hassabis. The CEO of Alphabet-owned AI research lab, DeepMind Technologies, spoke about the potential of artificial intelligence in an interview with CBS' "60 Minutes," which aired on Sunday. DeepMind CEO Demis Hassabis told CBS that he thinks that AI might one day become self-aware. Hassabis told CBS that he believes AI is "the most important invention that humanity will ever make."

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