EPA Plans to Ditch Linchpin Climate Policy, Washington Post Says
The so-called ' endangerment finding,' published in 2009, has been the legal basis of a wide range of climate rules under the Clean Air Act. A draft proposal to formally abandon the policy is being considered by the EPA, though is still subject to change, the newspaper reported, citing two sources familiar with the details which it didn't name.
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Gizmodo
8 minutes ago
- Gizmodo
FDA's New Drug Approval AI Is Generating Fake Studies: Report
Robert F. Kennedy Jr., the Secretary of Health and Human Services, has made a big push to get agencies like the Food and Drug Administration to use generative artificial intelligence tools. In fact, Kennedy recently told Tucker Carlson that AI will soon be used to approve new drugs 'very, very quickly.' But a new report from CNN confirms all our worst fears. Elsa, the FDA's AI tool, is spitting out fake studies. CNN spoke with six current and former employees at the FDA, three of whom have used Elsa for work that they described as helpful, like creating meeting notes and summaries. But three of those FDA employees told CNN that Elsa just makes up nonexistent studies, something commonly referred to in AI as 'hallucinating.' The AI will also misrepresent research, according to these employees. 'Anything that you don't have time to double-check is unreliable. It hallucinates confidently,' one unnamed FDA employee told CNN. And that's the big problem with all AI chatbots. They need to be double-checked for accuracy, often creating even more work for the human behind the computer if they care about the quality of their output at all. People who insist that AI actually saves them time are often fooling themselves, with one recent study of programmers showing that tasks took 20% longer with AI, even among people who were convinced they were more efficient. Kennedy's Make America Healthy Again (MAHA) commission issued a report back in May that was later found to be filled with citations for fake studies. An analysis from the nonprofit news outlet NOTUS found that at least seven studies cited didn't even exist, with many more misrepresenting what was actually said in a given study. We still don't know if the commission used Elsa to generate that report. FDA Commissioner Marty Makary initially deployed Elsa across the agency on June 2, and an internal slide leaked to Gizmodo bragged that the system was 'cost-effective,' only costing $12,000 in its first week. Makary said that Elsa was 'ahead of schedule and under budget' when he first announced the AI rollout. But it seems like you get what you pay for. If you don't care about the accuracy of your work, Elsa sounds like a great tool for allowing you to get slop out the door faster, generating garbage studies that could potentially have real consequences for public health in the U.S. CNN notes that if an FDA employee asks Elsa to generate a one-paragraph summary of a 20-page paper on a new drug, there's no simple way to know if that summary is accurate. And even if the summary is more or less accurate, what if there's something within that 20-page report that would be a big red flag for any human with expertise? The only way to know for sure if something was missed or if the summary is accurate is to actually read the report. The FDA employees who spoke with CNN said they tested Elsa by asking basic questions like how many drugs of a certain class have been approved for children. Elsa confidently gave wrong answers, and while it apparently apologized when it was corrected, a robot being 'sorry' doesn't really fix anything. We still don't know the workflow being deployed when Kennedy says AI will allow the FDA to approve new drugs, but he testified in June to a House subcommittee that it's already being used to 'increase the speed of drug approvals.' The secretary, whose extremist anti-vaccine beliefs didn't keep him from becoming a public health leader, seems intent on injecting unproven technologies into mainstream science. Kennedy also testified to Congress that he wants every American to be strapped with a wearable health device within the next four years. As it happens, President Trump's pick for Surgeon General, Casey Means, owns a wearables company called Levels that monitors glucose levels in people who aren't diabetic. There's absolutely no reason that people without diabetes need to constantly monitor their glucose levels, according to experts. Means, a close ally of Kennedy, has not yet been confirmed by the Senate. The FDA didn't respond to questions emailed on Wednesday about what the agency is doing to address Elsa's fake study problem. Makary acknowledged to CNN that Elsa could 'potentially hallucinate,' but that's 'no different' from other large language models and generative AI. And he's not wrong on that. The problem is that AI is not fit for purpose when it's consistently just making things up. But that won't stop folks from continuing to believe that AI is somehow magic.
CNET
8 minutes ago
- CNET
Trump's Chronic Venous Insufficiency: Potential Causes and Symptoms, According to a Vein Specialist
In a July 17 memo from Dr. Sean P. Barbabella, the president's doctor, Trump was diagnosed with chronic venous insufficiency or CVI. According to Barbabella, this diagnosis is common, especially in older adults over the age of 70 (Trump is 79), and "benign." While Barbabella's memo concluded that "President Trump remains in excellent health," we wanted to know more about CVI and if it's as benign as it's been made to seem. To learn more about chronic venous insufficiency's potential causes, symptoms and treatment, we reached out to Khanh Nguyen, DO, chief medical officer of the Center for Vein Restoration. What is chronic venous insufficiency? Chronic venous insufficiency is when your legs' veins don't work as well as they should. "Normally, veins have small valves that help keep blood flowing back up toward the heart," explains Nguyen, who is not involved in Trump's case but has treated patients for CVI. "But if those valves become weak or damaged, blood can start to pool in the legs instead of moving upward like it should." Chronic venous insufficiency causes The most common causes of CVI, according to Nguyen, are: Aging : "As we get older, our veins and valves naturally weaken." : "As we get older, our veins and valves naturally weaken." Family history : "If close family members have vein problems, you're more likely to develop them, too. Genetics play a significant role in developing venous disease." : "If close family members have vein problems, you're more likely to develop them, too. Genetics play a significant role in developing venous disease." Being overweight : "Extra weight puts more pressure on the veins in your legs." : "Extra weight puts more pressure on the veins in your legs." Sitting or standing for long periods : "This makes it harder for blood to move out of the legs, especially without movement. Blood is constantly fighting against gravity to return to the heart, so walking and activating the calf muscle helps the blood to be pumped back." : "This makes it harder for blood to move out of the legs, especially without movement. Blood is constantly fighting against gravity to return to the heart, so walking and activating the calf muscle helps the blood to be pumped back." Pregnancy : "Increased blood volume and hormone changes can put a strain on the venous system. In addition, the enlarged fetus and uterus also put pressure on the abdomen and pelvis, compressing the veins and impeding blood return, further increasing venous hypertension." : "Increased blood volume and hormone changes can put a strain on the venous system. In addition, the enlarged fetus and uterus also put pressure on the abdomen and pelvis, compressing the veins and impeding blood return, further increasing venous hypertension." Previous blood clots: "A history of deep vein thrombosis (DVT) can damage vein valves and puts a patient at higher risk for developing venous disease." DVT occurs when a blood clot forms in one or more of the body's deep veins, typically in the legs. These various factors can cause an increase in pressure in the leg veins over time, contributing to venous insufficiency. However, Nguyen states that early treatment and lifestyle changes can help manage symptoms and prevent worsening conditions. Chronic venous insufficiency symptoms While CVI symptoms can vary, Nguyen lists common ones as: leg swelling, heaviness, aching, throbbing, restless legs and cramping. Many patients also notice varicose veins and skin changes like darkening or itching around the ankles. In advanced cases, you may even see venous ulcers or open wounds near the lower legs. "Symptoms often worsen after prolonged periods of standing or sitting and improve with leg elevation and the use of compression stockings," states Nguyen. PonyWang/Getty Images Is chronic venous insufficiency 'benign'? Though Dr. Sean P. Barbabella, Trump's doctor, claims CVI is "benign," Nguyen says that's not the full picture. "While CVI is often labeled 'benign' because it's not life-threatening like arterial disease, it's not a harmless condition," he says. "Left untreated, it can significantly impact quality of life and lead to complications like chronic pain, skin changes, venous ulcers and potentially blood clots." In other words, chronic venous insufficiency isn't something you should ignore. "It's a medical issue that warrants expert attention and treatment, particularly because early intervention can help prevent its progression," Nguyen explains. Chronic venous insufficiency diagnosis "CVI is typically diagnosed by taking a thorough history and performing a physical examination followed by a duplex ultrasound, a noninvasive imaging test that visualizes blood flow and evaluates the function of the veins and their valves," says Nguyen. This test allows doctors to confirm venous reflux (when veins struggle to circulate blood back to the heart) and rule out other conditions like deep vein thrombosis. Chronic venous insufficiency treatment Nguyen reports that CVI is treated with a combination of the following: compression therapy, lifestyle changes and minimally invasive procedures that close off or redirect blood flow from malfunctioning veins. "Today's advanced outpatient treatments typically take under an hour to complete, require little to no downtime, and are covered by insurance when medically necessary," he explains. "Patients can return to their normal routine immediately, with few restrictions." Early CVI diagnosis and treatment are key According to Nguyen, one of the biggest challenges with CVI is that people ignore early symptoms, writing them off as fatigue or aging. This is especially concerning because CVI is treatable, thanks to modern therapies that are effective, safe and fast. "If you're experiencing leg discomfort, swelling or visible veins, don't wait -- early diagnosis and treatment can make a tremendous difference in your longterm leg health and comfort," concludes Nguyen.
CNN
9 minutes ago
- CNN
HHS recommends to remove thimerosal from all flu vaccines in the United States
The US Department of Health and Human Services has adopted a recommendation to remove thimerosal from all influenza vaccines distributed in the United States, even though there is no clear evidence of harm from the mercury-based preservative. On Wednesday, the department announced that HHS Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. has formally signed the recommendation, which was made last month by the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention's Advisory Committee on Immunization Practices (ACIP). Kennedy's signature means that the recommendation is now federal health policy. 'After more than two decades of delay, this action fulfills a long-overdue promise to protect our most vulnerable populations from unnecessary mercury exposure,' Kennedy said in the HHS announcement Wednesday. 'Injecting any amount of mercury into children when safe, mercury-free alternatives exist defies common sense and public health responsibility. Today, we put safety first.' Other recommendations from ACIP's June meeting are currently under review, according to HHS. Thimerosal was largely removed from most vaccines about 25 years ago. The US Food and Drug Administration asked manufacturers to remove it out of an abundance of caution, not because of evidence of harm, according to the CDC. All vaccines routinely recommended for young children are now available in doses that don't have the preservative, which contains a form of mercury. Flu vaccines drawn from multidose vials still contain thimerosal in order to prevent bacterial contamination. Only about 4% of flu vaccines given in the United States last year contained thimerosal as a preservative. When ACIP voted in June to endorse thimerosal-free flu vaccines, it was among the panel's first actions taken as a new committee that was appointed by Kennedy after he dismissed the previous panel, claiming that they had conflicts of interest. In a series of three votes, the new ACIP panel voted 5-1, with one member abstaining, to recommend that only single-dose flu vaccines be given to children, adults and pregnant women in the United States. Single-dose shots are free of thimerosal. Drs. Robert Malone, Joseph Hibbeln, Martin Kulldorff, Retsef Levi and Joseph Pagano voted yes on the thimerosal recommendations. Dr. Cody Meissner voted no. Dr. Vicky Pebsworth, volunteer director of research and patient safety at the National Vaccine Information Center, a group that emphasizes risks around vaccines while downplaying their benefit, abstained from the vote because she objected to its wording. Vaccines with thimerosal are still approved by the FDA, but ACIP recommendations are tremendously influential in how vaccines are used in the US, with implications for insurance coverage and state policies. In justifying his vote, Meissner, a professor of pediatrics at the Dartmouth Geisel School of Medicine, said at the time that he was worried that expressing a preference for single-dose vials might keep people from getting doses from multidose formulations in situations in which those shots may be the only option. 'That might limit the availability of the influenza vaccine for some people,' he said. 'My point is, the risk from influenza is so much greater than the nonexistent — as far as we know — risk from thimerosal, so I would hate for a person not to receive the influenza vaccine,' Meissner said. 'I find that very hard to justify.' Some public health experts said that they were puzzled to see thimerosal included in ACIP's meeting agenda for a vote. 'I actually don't know any pediatric practices that even use that multidose influenza vaccine,' Dr. Sean O'Leary, a pediatrician at Children's Hospital Colorado and former liaison to the CDC's Advisory Committee on Immunization Practices, or ACIP, for the American Academy of Pediatrics, said at the time. In that same ACIP meeting, six committee members voted to continue to recommend that everyone 6 months and older receive an annual flu vaccine. Pebsworth abstained.
