
Why Morgan Freeman wore a glove at the 2025 Oscars
LOS ANGELES (NEXSTAR) — While not up for an Oscar, actor Morgan Freeman was at the 97th Academy Awards on Sunday to pay tribute to two-time Oscar winner Gene Hackman, who was found dead last week.
As Freeman took the stage Sunday, however, some noticed a simple black glove on his hand.
Freeman, an Oscar winner himself, has been seen wearing a glove on his left hand for several years.
He previously told Esquire that he has fibromyalgia stemming from the nerve damage he suffered in a 2008 car accident.
Fibromyalgia is known to begin after events involving physical trauma, as well as surgery, an infection, and psychological stress, according to the Mayo Clinic. It is believed that fibromyalgia can amplify pain sensations and there is no cure for the condition.
While pain medications and therapy are often used to help minimize the impact of fibromyalgia, Freeman, 87, has opened up about wearing a compression glove as well.
'I suffered nerve damage and it hasn't gotten better,' Freeman told People in 2010, adding that his hand would swell up if he did not move it.
Freeman also wore a glove when he presented at the 2023 Oscars and in his recent role in Paramount+'s 'Special Ops: Lioness.'
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CBS News
18 minutes ago
- CBS News
Asian needle ants with a potentially fatal sting have spread across multiple states. Here's what to know.
The Joro spider, Asian long-horned beetle and spotted lanternfly have company this summer. A "sneaky" invasive species that has a potentially deadly sting continues to spread across the U.S. and can be found in more than a dozen states, according to experts. Asian needle ants were first detected in the U.S. almost a century ago, but the species has continued to expand its reach, primarily throughout the Southeast, and this pest could potentially be deadly to humans, according to Dan Suiter, a professor of urban entomology at the University of Georgia. "It injects venom that can harm you. Its sting can be life threatening," Suiter recently told the university. Suiter added that people who have adverse reactions to bee and ant stings are especially vulnerable and could go into anaphylactic shock from the needle ant's sting. Anaphylaxis is a potentially life-threatening allergic reaction that can occur within seconds of being exposed to something you're allergic to, such as a sting, according to the Mayo Clinic. "If you suffer from anaphylaxis, you should really know what this ant looks like," Suiter says. "And it might be smart to carry an EpiPen." Suiter urged people to be vigilant for these invasive species, especially with ant populations peaking later this summer. What are Asian needle ants? Asian needle ants are technically known as Brachyponera chinensis – roughly translated as "short, wicked ant from China" – but their native range also includes Japan and the Koreas, according to the U.S. Forest Service. The insect was first discovered in the U.S. in 1932 in Georgia, but has only recently started to "cause problems in North America after being relatively unnoticed for many years," the U.S. Forest Service says. Asian needle ants were first detected in the U.S. almost a century ago, but the invasive species has continued to spread, experts say. U.S. Department of Agriculture The pest has now been detected all the way from Washington state to Florida, according to the site as well as Mississippi State University, and the ant is recently getting more attention in Texas. Suiter says Asian needle ants are "sneaky" because they are less than a quarter of an inch long and are adept at hiding. "Unlike many invasive species that tend to colonize areas in the wake of natural or human disturbance, Asian needle ants are capable of invading undisturbed forest areas where they nest under and within logs and other debris, under stones, and in leaf litter," the U.S. Forest Service says. Environmental impacts According to Suiter, Asian needle ants wreak havoc in native environments. "They outcompete other ant species that are important to the ecology of that area," he says. Asian needle ants prey on other insects and are capable of displacing ant species that are critical for seed dispersal, according to the U.S. Forest Service. Researchers have documented large decreases in seed dispersal in forests where Asian needle ants are present. "Thus, this invasive species could have dramatic, long-term negative effects on forest understory," the service says. What should people do if they see Asian needle ants? Asian needle ants are about 0.2 inches in length, and dark brown or black with the end of the antennae and the legs being a lighter orange-brown, the U.S. Forest Service says. Other ant species can look similar, "so it takes an experienced eye to positively identify them," the service says. Suiter says that you can send a photograph or a specimen to a local University of Georgia Extension office, which can help with identification. The public can also contact a professional to come out and bait for the ants, he says. The U.S. Forest Service advises people to avoid the pest and to be especially vigilant in areas with logs and rotting or rocks were the ants can nest. "Unfortunately, as with many invasive species, it appears Asian needle ants are here to stay," the service says.


Medscape
2 hours ago
- Medscape
Novel Gene Risk Score Predicts Outcomes After RYGB Surgery
A novel gene risk score, informed by machine learning, predicted weight-loss outcomes after Roux-en-Y gastric bypass (RYGB) surgery, a new analysis showed. The findings suggested that the MyPhenome test (Phenomix Sciences) can help clinicians identify the patients most likely to benefit from bariatric procedures and at a greater risk for long-term weight regain after surgery. 'Patients with both a high genetic risk score and rare mutations in the leptin-melanocortin pathway (LMP) had significantly worse outcomes, maintaining only 4.9% total body weight loss [TBWL] over 15 years compared to up to 24.8% in other genetic groups,' Phenomix Sciences Co-founder Andres Acosta, MD, PhD, told Medscape Medical News . The study included details on the score's development and predictive capability. 'More Precise Bariatric Care' The researchers recently developed a machine learning-assisted gene risk score for calories to satiation (CTSGRS), which mainly involves genes in the LMP. To assess the role of the score with or without LMP gene variants on weight loss and weight recurrence after RYGB, they identified 707 patients with a history of bariatric procedures from the Mayo Clinic Biobank. Patients with duodenal switch, revisional procedures, or who used antiobesity medications or became pregnant during follow-up were excluded. To make predictions for 442 of the patients, the team first collected anthropometric data up to 15 years after RYGB. Then they used a two-step approach: Assessing for monogenic variants in the LMP and defining participants as carriers (LMP+) or noncarriers (LMP-). Then they defined the gene risk score (CTSGRS+ or CTSGRS-). The result was four groups: LMP+/CTSGRS+, LMP+/CTSGRS-, LMP-/CTSGRS+, and LMP-/CTSGRS-. Multiple regression analysis was used to analyze TBWL percentage (TBWL%) between the groups at different timepoints, adjusting for baseline weight, age, and gender. At the 10-year follow-up, the LMP+/CTSGRS+ group demonstrated a significantly higher weight recurrence (regain) of TBW% compared to the other groups. At 15 years post-RYGB, the mean TBWL% for LMP+/CTSGRS+ was -4.9 vs -20.3 for LMP+/CTSGRS-, -18.0 for LMP-/CTSGRS+, and -24.8 for LMP-/CTSGRS-. Further analyses showed that the LMP+/CTSGRS+ group had significantly less weight loss than LMP+/CTSGRS- and LMP-/CTSGRS- groups. Based on the findings, the authors wrote, 'Genotyping patients could improve the implementation of individualized weight-loss interventions, enhance weight-loss outcomes, and/or may explain one of the etiological factors associated with weight recurrence after RYGB.' Acosta noted, 'We're actively expanding our research to include more diverse populations by age, sex, and race. This includes ongoing analysis to understand whether certain demographic or physiological characteristics affect how the test performs, particularly in the context of bariatric surgery.' The team also is investigating the benefits of phenotyping for obesity comorbidities such as heart disease and diabetes, he said, and exploring whether early interventions in high-risk patients can prevent long-term weight regain and improve outcomes. In addition, Acosta said, the team recently launched 'the first prospective, placebo-controlled clinical trial using the MyPhenome test to predict response to semaglutide.' That study is based on earlier findings showing that patients identified with a Hungry Gut phenotype lost nearly twice as much weight on semaglutide compared with those who tested negative. Overall, he concluded, 'These findings open the door to more precise bariatric care. When we understand a patient's biological drivers of obesity, we can make better decisions about the right procedure, follow-up, and long-term support. This moves us away from a one-size-fits-all model to care rooted in each patient's unique biology.' Potentially Paradigm-Shifting Onur Kutlu, MD, associate professor of surgery and director of the Metabolic Surgery and Metabolic Health Program at the Miller School of Medicine, University of Miami, Miami, commented on the study for Medscape Medical News . 'By integrating polygenic risk scores into predictive models, the authors offer an innovative method for identifying patients at elevated risk for weight regain following RYGB.' 'Their findings support the hypothesis that genetic predisposition — particularly involving energy homeostasis pathways — may underlie differential postoperative trajectories,' he said. 'This approach has the potential to shift the paradigm from reactive to proactive management of weight recurrence.' Because current options for treat weight regain are 'suboptimal,' he said, 'prevention becomes paramount. Preoperative identification of high-risk individuals could inform surgical decision-making, enable earlier interventions, and facilitate personalized postoperative monitoring and support.' 'If validated in larger, prospective cohorts, genetic risk stratification could enhance the precision of bariatric care and improve long-term outcomes,' he added. 'Future studies should aim to validate these genetic models across diverse populations and explore how integration of behavioral, psychological, and genetic data may further refine patient selection and care pathways.' The study presented at Digestive Disease Week (DDW) 2025 was funded by Mayo Clinic and Phenomix Sciences. Gila Therapeutics and Phenomix Sciences licensed Acosta's research technologies from the University of Florida and Mayo Clinic. Acosta declared receiving consultant fees in the past 5 years from Rhythm Pharmaceuticals, Gila Therapeutics, Amgen, General Mills, BI, Currax, Nestle, Phenomix Sciences, Bausch Health, and RareDiseases, as well as funding support from the National Institutes of Health, Vivus Pharmaceuticals, Novo Nordisk, Apollo Endosurgery, Satiogen Pharmaceuticals, Spatz Medical, and Rhythm Pharmaceuticals. Kutlu declared having no conflicts of interest.


The Hill
a day ago
- The Hill
Lyme-disease isn't the only tick-borne threat. Doctors warn these other diseases are spreading
(NEXSTAR) – You've likely heard public health officials' repeated pleas to check yourself, your kids and your pets for tick bites, which can spread serious diseases. While Lyme disease gets the most attention – and affects the most people – there are other tick-borne bacteria and diseases that have also been found spreading in the U.S. Just last month, Connecticut researchers said they identified the first case of a longhorned tick infected with a pathogen called ehrlichia chaffeensis. Infections can give people fever chills, headaches, muscle aches and stomach issues. 'We also worry about a parasite called Babesia, which causes a disease called Babesiosis,' said Nicole Baumgarth, a professor of molecular microbiology and immunology at the Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health, in a recent briefing on tick-borne illnesses. The same ticks that carry the bacteria that cause Lyme disease can carry this parasite, which then infects people's red blood cells, causing anemia and other 'very serious consequences,' Baumgarth said. Some people infected by the parasite may feel flu-like symptoms, explains the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, while others may have no symptoms at all. That's a problem if people live with the parasite and then donate their infected blood, which can cause harm to the people who receive it as a transfusion. Baumgarth also warned of viruses that can be spread by ticks, such as tick-borne encephalitis. It's an infection that can cause inflammation of the brain and spinal cord. It's a bigger problem in Europe than in the U.S., she said, but here we have Heartland virus and Powassan virus to contend with. 'Both viruses are still very rare, but we have seen our first case of Heartland virus in Maryland last year, and the fact that we are now seeing these virus infections in areas that we haven't seen them before, it probably indicates the tip of the iceberg,' said Baumgarth. Because these viruses are rarer, and their symptoms can be non-specific, doctors don't usually think to test for them, Baumgarth explained. Many cases of Heartland and Powassan virus could be left uncounted as a result. 'So it would be rare that we diagnose it because we are not looking hard enough for it right now,' she said. Both viruses can present with generic first symptoms like fever, headache and vomiting, but can cause serious illness if left unchecked. Powassan virus could lead to seizures, loss of coordination and confusion in severe cases where the brain and spinal cord are impacted. Yet another concern is the tick that can cause people to become allergic to red meat if they're bitten. It's called alpha-gal syndrome and is caused by bites from the Lone Star tick, first identified in Texas. However, this type of tick is 'very aggressively' moving north and becoming a problem in other regions of the country, according to Baumgarth. Some of these rare viruses don't have a treatment or cure, so prevention is what's most important, the CDC says. You should avoid ticks by wearing long sleeves and pants in bushy and wooded areas, using bug repellent, and doing a thorough tick check after spending time outside.