
Healthy Living Helps the Aging Brain
That might sound obvious. Eat well, exercise, challenge yourself mentally, have an active social life and you'll be better off for it. Yet researchers are just starting to offer concrete data to support the theory that making conscientious lifestyle changes can lower the risk of dementia, which is estimated to affect some 6 million Americans.
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Yahoo
17 minutes ago
- Yahoo
This Video Of Mariah Carey Finding Out That Katy Perry Went To Space Is The Funniest Thing I've Seen All Week, And You Need To Watch It
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Yahoo
17 minutes ago
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RFK Jr. pulls funding for mRNA vaccines as scientists pursue breakthrough treatments for HIV, cancer, the flu and more
Health Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. announced Tuesday that the federal government is canceling nearly $500 million in funding for the development of mRNA vaccines, a revolutionary new technology that was first put into widespread use during the COVID-19 pandemic. In a video explaining the decision posted to social media, Kennedy said that the Department of Health and Human Services has determined that 'mRNA technology poses more risk than benefits' for respiratory viruses like COVID-19. He also claimed that the pandemic showed 'mRNA vaccines don't perform well against viruses that affect the upper respiratory tract.' That statement runs counter to a wide body of research finding that COVID vaccines saved millions — if not tens of millions — of lives over the course of the pandemic. A total of 22 projects funded by a government agency called the Biomedical Advanced Research and Development Authority (BARDA) will be affected by the funding freeze, according to the department. A few projects that are in their final stages will be allowed to continue, but 'no new mRNA-based projects will be initiated.' 'This isn't just about vaccines. It's about whether we'll be ready when the next crisis hits. Cutting mRNA development now puts every American at greater risk,' Rick Bright, who directed BARDA in the early stages of the pandemic before being reassigned by the Trump administration, told NBC News. The decision doesn't mean that research into mRNA vaccines will stop entirely, but it does cut off a major source of funding that helped the vaccines become a reality in the first place. By the time the pandemic had started, the government had already given an estimated $337 million in grants for research into mRNA vaccines. That support over the course of decades put scientists in a position to make COVID vaccines available to the public at a record-shattering pace of less than a year. How do mRNA vaccines work? The 'm' in mRNA stands for messenger. 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The vaccines carry a snippet of mRNA that instructs the body to produce a small portion of a virus, usually a protein on its outer membrane, which is enough to trigger the same type of immune response that is prompted by traditional vaccines. The quicker process also means that existing mRNA vaccines can be modified more rapidly when viruses evolve. Despite Kennedy's claims, mRNA-based COVID vaccines have been found to be just as effective at preventing severe infections and death as vaccines made using other methods. After the vaccines became widely available, unvaccinated people were 11 times more likely to die of COVID than those who were fully vaccinated, according to data from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Two researchers who helped achieve early breakthroughs in mRNA vaccines were awarded the Nobel Prize in 2023. Applications beyond COVID The introduction of COVID vaccines didn't just mark a turning point in the deadliest pandemic in modern history. 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Miami Herald
19 minutes ago
- Miami Herald
SNAP beneficiaries in Florida will no longer be allowed to buy these popular foods
SNAP (Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program) beneficiaries in Florida will no longer be able to purchase a range of foods considered to have low nutritional value starting January 2026. Sugary drinks like sodas and energy drinks are included in the list of prohibited foods for SNAP beneficiaries in Florida. Candy and prepared desserts will also not be purchasable with the EBT card, which is automatically reloaded each month with SNAP assistance. The federal program, administered by the states and benefiting nearly 42 million low-income Americans, already prohibited the purchase of prepared meals, personal care products, alcoholic beverages, cigars and tobacco with SNAP benefits. In response to criticism that the program allows the purchase of 'junk food,' the Department of Agriculture granted 12 states permission to approve waivers and expand the list of foods that cannot be bought with SNAP. The first to make the waivers were Nebraska, Iowa, Indiana, Arkansas, Idaho and Utah. Florida, Texas, Oklahoma, Louisiana, Colorado and West Virginia joined on July 4, as announced by Agriculture Secretary Brooke L. Rollins, alongside Robert F. Kennedy Jr., Secretary of Health and Human Services. The USDA is providing states with greater flexibility to manage their programs through the approval of SNAP Food Restriction Waivers, which restrict the purchase of non-nutritious products like sodas and sweets, according to the Department of Agriculture's website. These waivers are a crucial step to ensure taxpayer dollars provide nutritious options that improve health outcomes within SNAP. In Florida, the SNAP program assists 3 million low-income individuals. The average monthly benefit for each user is $184. In Miami-Dade County, nearly a quarter of households rely on SNAP to pay for their groceries –- the fifth highest rate of any county in Florida, according to Census Bureau data. The One Big Beautiful Bill includes cuts to SNAP benefits totaling $287 billion over the next 10 years. It also expands work requirements for older beneficiaries and some parents.