This Washington Black Man Would Be Dead Without AI, Here's What We Know
According to the New York Times, Coates had been suffering from POEMS syndrome, a blood disorder that hurts your nerves and other parts of your body. In the case of the 37-year-old Coates, his hands and feet became numb and he had an enlarged heart and kidneys that were failing.
Thinking there was nowhere else to turn, Tara Theobald, Coates' girlfriend, reached out to Dr. David C. Fajgenbaum, a professor at the University of Pennsylvania Perelman School of Medicine.
But, Dr. Fajgenbaum didn't use his own brain to discover a way to treat Coates' rare blood disorder, he used artificial intelligence.
More from the New York Times:
In labs around the world, scientists are using A.I. to search among existing medicines for treatments that work for rare diseases. Drug repurposing, as it's called, is not new, but the use of machine learning is speeding up the process — and could expand the treatment possibilities for people with rare diseases and few options.
Thanks to versions of the technology developed by Dr. Fajgenbaum's team at the University of Pennsylvania and elsewhere, drugs are being quickly repurposed for conditions including rare and aggressive cancers, fatal inflammatory disorders and complex neurological conditions.
Dr. Fajgenbaum used AI to come up with a unique solution using steroids, chemotherapy, and other untested treatments to help Coates' disorder. Although there were initial worries that the treatment might worsen his life, it did the opposite and made him recover faster than anyone would've hoped.
It was so successful that four months later he was approved for the stem cell treatment that would improve his condition and currently, the 37-year-old is in remission.
For the latest news, Facebook, Twitter and Instagram.
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
USA Today
an hour ago
- USA Today
5 dead, 108 sickened in New York City Legionnaires' disease outbreak
The death toll in New York City's Legionnaires' disease outbreak has risen to five with more 100 cases confirmed across five ZIP codes in Central Harlem, local health officials announced. Since the outbreak began on July 25, the New York City Health Department has reported 108 cases of Legionnaires' disease in Central Harlem — a historically Black neighborhood in Upper Manhattan. The latest death was reported on Aug. 18 after health officials concluded that a person with the disease who died before mid-August was associated with the Central Harlem cluster. "Based on epidemiological evidence, remediation efforts have been effective as new cases continue to decrease," Dr. Michelle Morse, acting commissioner of the city health department, said in a statement on X. "The Health Department is continuing our investigation." As of Aug. 19, the city health department said 14 people with the disease were currently hospitalized as officials continued investigating the community cluster of the disease in ZIP codes: 10027, 10030, 10035, 10037, and 10039. The city health department reiterated that the risk to most residents in these ZIP codes remains low but urged those who work or live in the area to immediately see a health care provider if they are experiencing flu-like symptoms. Legionnaires' disease is a severe pneumonia caused by a type of bacteria called Legionella, which grows in warm or hot water, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Symptoms, which can develop up to 14 days after exposure, include cough, fever, chills, headaches, muscle aches, and shortness of breath. NYC Legionnaires' disease outbreak: An obscure disease keeps spreading through air conditioning Where does the Legionnaires' disease outbreak stem from? The outbreak in Central Harlem has been linked to cooling towers in the area, according to the city health department. Cooling towers are heat exchangers that use fans and water to cool down buildings. In an update on Aug. 19, the city health department said it has sampled and tested water from all cooling towers in the five ZIP codes. On Aug. 14, health officials confirmed that 12 cooling towers in the area had positive results for the Legionella bacteria. Remediation of the towers have since been completed. Health officials have noted that the outbreak is not related to buildings' hot or cold water supply, and that the plumbing system was separate from the cooling tower system. People should continue to use air conditioning, including window units, and other appliances that use water, the city health department said. "Any cooling towers with initial positive results for Legionella bacteria have completed the treatment required by the Health Department," according to to the the city health department. "We are continuing to monitor and let buildings know if additional treatment is needed." USA TODAY previously reported that the Central Harlem cluster is already the largest outbreak of the disease in the city in a decade. Typically, clusters have been concentrated in lower-income and non-White communities. The city saw its largest recent outbreak in 2015, when 138 cases and 16 deaths were linked to a single cooling tower in the South Bronx. In 2022, the Highbridge neighborhood of the Bronx had a cluster of 30 people diagnosed with the disease, according to a city health department report. What is Legionnaires' disease? The disease takes its name from a 1976 outbreak at a state convention of the American Legion veterans organization in a Philadelphia hotel. More than 180 people contracted the disease, and 29 died. Though it is considered a rare disease, the American Lung Association says Legionnaires' disease is a growing health concern. It has steadily become more common nationwide in recent decades, according to the CDC, and research has shown that hotter, more humid temperatures have contributed to the increase of cases. Legionnaires' disease is a type of pneumonia caused by consuming water or breathing in water vapor contaminated with Legionella bacteria, according to the CDC. The disease can be caused by plumbing systems where conditions are favorable for bacteria growth, such as cooling towers, whirlpool spas, hot tubs, humidifiers, hot water tanks, and evaporative condensers of large air-conditioning systems. Legionnaires' disease cannot be spread from person to person and can be treated with antibiotics, the CDC says. Most healthy people who get infected usually get better, but about one in 10 people who get the disease die due to complications from it. The best way to prevent Legionnaires' disease is by cleaning pipes and devices that use water, according to the CDC. And health officials have urged people at higher risk — including those ages 50 and older, cigarette smokers, and people with chronic lung disease or compromised immune systems — to immediately seek medical care if they have symptoms. "Legionnaires' disease can be effectively treated if diagnosed early, but New Yorkers at higher risk, like adults aged 50 and older and those who smoke or have chronic lung conditions, should be especially mindful of their symptoms and seek care as soon as symptoms begin," Morse said in a statement on Aug. 4. Contributing: Eduardo Cuevas and Melina Khan, USA TODAY
Yahoo
7 hours ago
- Yahoo
UMWA calls continued delay of silica dust rule a ‘death sentence' for coal miners in WV and beyond
A new federal rule aimed at reducing coal miners' exposure to silica dust, a significant driver of black lung disease, has been delayed again. (Getty Images) Representatives with the United Coal Workers of America have condemned a federal court's decision to continue delaying the implementation of a federal rule to lower coal miners' exposure to dangerous silica dust, calling the pushback 'bureaucratic cowardice.' The silica dust rule — finalized under the U.S. Department of Labor and the Mine Safety and Health Administration last year — should have gone into effect on Monday after being delayed for the first time in April. But now the rule has yet again been pushed back to at least October due to a previous temporary injunction issued by the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Eighth Circuit in response to a request from the National Sand, Stone and Gravel Association to block the rule's implementation completely. The rule would have gone into effect on Monday only for coal mines; the NSSGA — along with several other industry groups who joined the organization in its request — would not have been impacted by the new regulations until 2027, per the rule. Meanwhile, as the rule is delayed, more and more coal miners are working in dusty conditions known to cause and exacerbate black lung disease. 'This is bureaucratic cowardice, plain and simple,' said UMWA International Secretary-Treasurer Brian Sanson. 'We've buried too many friends, too many fathers, and too many sons because of black lung. Bowing to corporate interests doesn't solve the problem; it puts more miners at risk. The science is clear, the rule is needed, and the delay is shameful.' Other industries have had similar protections in place for their workers for years due to settled science showing the dangers posed by constant exposure to silica dust. 'This delay is simply a death sentence for more miners,' said UMWA International President Cecil E. Roberts. 'The fact that an industry association with no stake in coal mining can hold up lifesaving protections for coal miners is outrageous. The Department of Labor and MSHA should be fighting to implement this rule immediately, not kicking enforcement down the road yet again. Every day they delay, more miners get sick, and more miners die. That's the truth.' Black lung has no cure. Experts say the most effective way to stop the disease from forming or from evolving into a more complicated case is to limit exposure to silica dust. The finalized silica dust rule, if implemented, would cut the exposure limits for coal miners in half for the first time ever. It would also impose new penalties for mines that operate out of compliance and require companies to offer free medical monitoring for their workers with the hope of detecting black lung and other respiratory diseases earlier. Coal miners and advocates for people with black lung have been directly fighting since at least 2009 for industry protections against the disease. Rebecca Shelton, director of policy for the Appalachian Citizens' Law Center, said the continued delay of the rule shows that 'the Trump Administration and the coal companies are seemingly working hand-in-hand to slow down the process and weaken future protections.' 'These delays and efforts to weaken the rule are a disgrace, and undermine the claims of anyone in the Trump Administration who claims to be on the side of coal miners,' Shelton said. While the rule is being continuously delayed, President Donald Trump has called for the country to increase coal production. But coal miners in Central Appalachia and beyond are already seeing higher rates of black lung than any time in the previous 25 years, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. The disease is also hitting coal miners at younger ages than ever before due to a lack of easily accessible coal. Today, miners must cut through more layers of silica-rich sandstone to reach the coal that remains in existing seams, creating dustier conditions that increases their risk of developing black lung. 'Every American worker deserves to come home from work with their lungs intact, miners included,' Roberts said. 'It's as simple as that.' SUPPORT: YOU MAKE OUR WORK POSSIBLE
The Intercept
7 hours ago
- The Intercept
Bari Weiss's Free Press Wants You to Know Some Kids Being Starved by Israel Were Already Sick
Starving Palestinian children line up for meals at the Nuseirat refugee camp in Deir al-Balah, Gaza, on Aug. 18, 2025. Photo: Moiz Salhi/Anadolu via Getty Images What killed Anne Frank? The Nazis killed Anne Frank. To suggest that any other cause was primary in her vastly premature death is tantamount to vile Holocaust denialism — which is why Holocaust denialists do indeed point out that Frank died of typhus in the Bergen-Belsen concentration camp. This is precisely the logic that Israel's apologists in the media have deployed in recent days when it comes to the deliberate starvation of the population of Gaza. The right-wing Free Press published a story on Sunday, framed as an investigative exposé, revealing that at least 12 of the Palestinian children featured in viral images depicting the state of Israel-induced famine were not only starving, but … were also sick. The supposed gotcha is that children with disabilities and preexisting health conditions, who cannot get the treatment and nutrition they need because of Israel's genocidal siege, are not representative of the population. And — the horror! — photographs of these non-representative children are prompting global outrage. The idea is we are supposed to be less horrified by the fact that children with disabilities like cerebral palsy and cystic fibrosis are starving to death under the deliberate siege policies of a wealthy, occupying nation-state and its backers. The Free Press, helmed by former New York Times columnist Bari Weiss, is suggesting that in failing to either emphasize or mention the children's health conditions as well as the Israel-induced malnutrition that is killing them, Western media sources using the images are unfairly maligning Israel — despite the fact that it is Israel's genocidal actions that have brought the children to a condition of bare life. It is the very nature of genocide to involve the destruction of conditions necessary for sustaining life, such that sickness as well as direct slaughter destroys, in part or whole, the targeted population. 'This information does not change the fact that the children depicted in this story are suffering from malnutrition due to the difficulties they face accessing aid in Gaza, as reported,' a CNN spokesperson told the Free Press, after the publication informed the network that Hajjaj, a 6-year-old girl featured in a CNN story about starvation in Gaza, was not only starving but also had an 'esophagus condition.' Founded in 2021 by former New York Times writer Bari Weiss, the Free Press pitches itself as home for 'heterodox' thinking, but it has been a reliable platform for the anti-woke, anti-trans, and pro-Israel talking points of mainstream American conservatism. Weiss, who has dedicated her professional life to anti-Palestinian animus and unwavering support for Israel, is reportedly in talks with CBS's new parent company Skydance about buying the online outlet for $250 million. The Free Press is actively stoking genocide denial, but it's not the first media organ to take this odious tack of minimization. In late July, the New York Times cravenly appended a lengthy editor's note and update on a story featuring the image of emaciated 18-month-old Muhammad Zakariya Ayyoub al-Matouq to include the fact that he had other health issues 'affecting his brain and his muscle development.' Even if Israel's siege were only leading to the death of Palestinians with preexisting health issues and disabilities, we would still have on our hands a case of intolerable, eugenic slaughter — as if Palestinian sick children's lives are worth less. Needless to say, Israel's project of genocide and ethnic cleansing takes aim at all Palestinians. The Free Press goes as far as to admit, 'It's not that there isn't hunger in Gaza. There is.' It's a gross understatement. As is well documented and widely recognized, Israel is deliberately starving the population of Gaza. This has been made clear in both intent — as expressed by Israeli government ministers — and effect, as evident in the mounting starvation-based death toll of a reported 266 people from malnutrition-related causes, likely a significant underestimate. Reports from health care workers and international humanitarian groups, the desperate direct pleas of thousands and thousands of Palestinians in Gaza, and the exorbitant prices of barely available basic ingredients all confirm the same. Israeli troops, and perhaps security contractors hired by an Israeli-backed aid group, have killed over 1,400 Palestinians attempting to get food at aid sites since May. Palestinians continue to try to access these death traps daily, simply because there is not enough food elsewhere — all by Israeli design. As the historian Adam Tooze pointed out in a recent newsletter, the purposeful starvation of Gaza by Israel is exceptional. There are 11 places in the world currently where more people are at serious risk of hunger than in Gaza, including Yemen and Sudan, but Tooze pointed out that Gaza is unique: 'Being the result of deliberate policy by a powerful state, commonly regarded as belonging to the exclusive club of 'advanced economies', the mass starvation in Gaza in the summer of 2025 is quite unlike that anywhere else in the world.' Tooze added that, while around half of the populations of Yemen, Sudan, South Sudan, and Haiti are at risk of famine, 100 percent of Palestinians in Gaza are. In Gaza, he writes, the 'risk of famine is total.' Read our complete coverage If a person can, after nearly two years of genocidal onslaught, witness the scenes and testimonies from Gaza — of which the images of these malnourished children are just a tiny slice — and find the main problem is that not enough people know that some of the most vulnerable in Israel's genocide have preexisting health conditions, then we are are not speaking from a framework of shared humanity. I dare say there is nothing such a person could see of Palestinians suffering that would permit them to shift their worldview at this point, because the humanity of Palestinians has been a priori excluded from it. The fact that the Free Press story's authors and publishers do not see that their claim is the modern-day equivalent to suggesting that Frank primarily died of typhus makes all too clear that they do not see Palestinians as fully human. It is a supremacist, eugenicist lens that is beneath contempt, yes, but also beneath debate. A worldview that holds Israel's righteousness firmly at its center resists destabilization — even by images of systematically starved and slaughtered children and babies. After all, Zionist propaganda has for decades had to account for the fact that Israel maims, imprisons, and slaughters children. Images of dead Palestinian children and babies did not only start circulating in this genocidal phase of the ongoing Nakba. A decade ago, the late Charles Krauthammer — a Zionist Washington Post columnist — wrote a column titled 'Moral clarity in Gaza,' praising Israel's actions during its 2014 Gaza assault, which killed over 2,000 Palestinians including over 500 children. Atrocity images circulated then, too, including photos of the mangled, limp frames of four Palestinian kids killed on a Gaza beach by Israeli missiles. Krauthammer described the children as 'telegenically killed' — a line that Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu himself then picked up to blame Hamas for using the 'telegenically dead.' Netanyahu admits that Israel's victims are often telegenic — young children tend to be — but relies on dehumanization of Palestinians so inflexible that even the worst scenes of massacred and starved babies can be consumed without compelling immediate action against Israel as génocidaires. The Free Press's so-called corrections are a ghoulish reminder: It is not a problem of insufficient evidence, it is not a problem of knowledge, that continues to fuel, with support and funds, this genocide.
