Latest news with #Alfonsi
Yahoo
27-02-2025
- Health
- Yahoo
Most people ‘have no idea' that these 4 common medications can increase their risk of skin cancer
You don't want to go from brrrr to burn. Much of the US is getting its first taste of spring after an unusually brutal winter. But before you head outside to soak in the sunshine, you may want to check your medicine cabinet or purse. A dermatology specialist warns that certain medications can increase the skin's sensitivity to sunlight and raise the risk of skin cancer. 'Most people have no idea that their medication could be making them more sensitive to the sun,' Dr. Emily Alfonsi, medical director of Shade Skin in Australia, told The Post. 'They might notice they're burning faster or developing unusual rashes, but they don't immediately connect it to their medication,' Alfonsi added. Alfonsi said she's seen patients develop second-degree sunburns with blistering, unexplained rashes or dark patches of skin, even in indirect sunlight. Photosensitivity is the culprit — it's an exaggerated reaction to UV light. The body absorbs UV radiation, chemically changing medicine in the skin and potentially leading to rashes, blisters, swelling, peeling, burning, itching or long-lasting hyperpigmentation. 'For people on photosensitizing medications, a few minutes in the sun without protection can have serious consequences,' Alfonsi said. She sheds light on four types of medications that can cause photosensitivity and shares four tips to protect yourself if you're on these drugs. While sunscreen is effective, Alfonsi said, 'it's not a free pass to stay in the sun all day.' Alfonsi said tetracyclines and fluoroquinolones, used for bacterial infections, can cause severe sunburns even after brief UV exposure. Doxycycline and minocycline are tetracyclines, while fluoroquinolones include ciprofloxacin (brand name: Cipro) and levofloxacin (Levaquin). Diuretics — also known as 'water pills,' which help the body eliminate excess salt and water — treat high blood pressure and fluid retention. Studies have suggested a link between diuretics like hydrochlorothiazide and an increased risk of squamous cell carcinoma, the second most common skin cancer in the US. Medications like azathioprine, commonly used in transplant patients to prevent organ rejection and to reduce rheumatoid arthritis symptoms, can weaken the skin's natural defenses against UV damage. NSAIDs such as ibuprofen and naproxen (brand name: Aleve) reduce pain, inflammation and fever. Researchers say long-term use can cause sun sensitivity. 'Prevention is key,' Alfonsi said. 'If you're taking a medication that increases sun sensitivity, a few extra precautions can significantly reduce your risk of long-term skin damage and skin cancer.' Apply sunscreen that's SPF 30 or higher every day — even in the winter. Shield yourself from the sun with UV-blocking sunglasses, wide-brimmed hats and other protective gear. Avoid peak sun hours, often 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. Schedule annual dermatologist visits, and monitor your skin for unusual changes.
Yahoo
18-02-2025
- Politics
- Yahoo
German prosecutors tell '60 Minutes' it's a crime to insult people online as government raids offenders' homes
CBS' "60 Minutes" aired a friendly interview Sunday with local German officials as the country's government initiates a nationwide crackdown on offensive speech. CBS' Sharyn Alfonsi juxtaposed how, even as the United States allows "hate-filled or toxic" speech, Germany is "trying to bring some civility to the worldwide web by policing it in a way most Americans could never imagine." Germany has been raiding the homes of those it believes to be making offensive statements online. CBS rode along with six armed officers as they raided a suspect's home and seized his electronics. Alfonsi interviewed state prosecutors, Dr. Matthäus Fink, Svenja Meininghaus and Frank-Michael Laue, who explained that such laws come as a surprise even to German citizens. Vance Jokes About Greta Thunberg As He Goes Scorched Earth On European Censorship Fink said the typical reaction is that "The people are surprised that this is really illegal, to post these kind [sic] of words… They don't think it was illegal. And they say, 'No, that's my free speech,' And we say, 'No, you have free speech as well, but it also has its limits.'" Read On The Fox News App Alfonsi summarized that German law "prohibits any speech that could incite hatred or is deemed insulting" and asked the prosecutors about how this works in practice. "It's illegal to display Nazi symbolism, a swastika, or deny the Holocaust, that's clear," Alfonsi said. "Is it a crime to insult somebody in public?" "Yes," the prosecutors agreed. "And it's a crime to insult them online as well?" Alfonsi asked. "Yes," Meininghaus answered. "The fine could be even higher if you insult someone in the internet," Fink explained. "Because [on the] internet, it stays there. If we are talking face to face, you insult me, I insult you, okay, finish. But if you're [on] the internet, if I insult you or a politician-" "It sticks around forever," Alfonsi said, finishing his sentence. Click Here For More Coverage Of Media And Culture Alfonsi reported that German law also "prohibits the spread of malicious gossip, violent threats, and fake quotes." Meininghaus explained how re-posting or redistributing false information is a violation as well. "In the days of re-posting, it is a crime as well," the prosecutor said. "Because the reader can't distinguish whether you just invented this or just re-posted it. That's the same for us." "The punishment for breaking hate speech laws can include jail time for repeat offenders," Alfonsi narrated. "But in most cases a judge levies a stiff fine and sometimes keeps their devices." Laue laughed as he described how "shocked" people are when their phones are taken. "It's kind of a punishment if you lose your smartphone. It's even worse than the fine you have to pay." "Because your whole life is typically on your phone now," Alfonsi observed. Cbs Host Blasted For 'Bonkers' Claim That Nazi Germany 'Weaponized' Free Speech CBS noted that there are 16 units with teams of investigators that monitor hate speech across the country. Laue, who leads the lower-Saxony unit, said that his office alone typically handles about 3,500 cases per year. The segment came just days after Vice President JD Vance attended the Munich Security Conference, where he criticized Germany and other European allies for adopting a "Soviet"-style approach to censorship. Elsewhere on the same network, CBS host Margaret Brennan locked horns with Secretary of State Marco Rubio as he defended Vance's speech. The "Face the Nation" host claimed that free speech had been "weaponized" in Nazi Germany to bring about the Holocaust. Rubio pushed back, "Free speech was not used to conduct a genocide… There was no free speech in Nazi Germany. There was none. There was also no opposition in Nazi Germany. They were the sole and only party that governed that country. So that's not an accurate reflection of history."Original article source: German prosecutors tell '60 Minutes' it's a crime to insult people online as government raids offenders' homes
Yahoo
17-02-2025
- Politics
- Yahoo
JD Vance Doubles Down on Lecturing Germany: ‘This Is Orwellian'
JD Vance brought his lecturing of Germans into a second week Monday by slamming laws in the country meant to curb hate speech and the prosecutors who carry them out. The vice president claimed Germany is 'criminalizing speech' and warned that its restrictions on citizens might put 'real strain' on the U.S. ally's relations with the White House. Vance, 40, shared his reaction on X after a clip from CBS News' 60 Minutes went viral highlighting how strict Germany's anti-hate crime laws are, including the possibility of prison for those who merely reshare a post that includes false or hateful speech. 'Insulting someone is not a crime, and criminalizing speech is going to put real strain on European-US relationships,' Vance posted on X. 'This is Orwellian, and everyone in Europe and the US must reject this lunacy.' Vance's latest lashing comes just after he drew the ire of many Europeans with a speech at the Munich Security Conference. There, he scolded continental leaders for allegedly stifling dissent and free speech. He also claimed the NATO nations' enemies were not Russia or China, but rather were the 'enemy within.' Critics slammed Vance for being so brazen in what was his first major speech on the international stage as VP. That outrage drummed up media attention stateside that brought new attention to what 'free speech' looks like across the pond. The German prosecutor Svenja Meininghaus defended his country's laws on 60 Minutes when he was pressed by CBS' Sharyn Alfonsi. 'Is it a crime to insult somebody in public?' Alfonsi asked, which received a simultaneous 'yes' from the panel of prosecutors. Alfonsi followed up by asking if the resharing of another's illegal statement on social media—like hitting 'share' on Facebook, retweeting on X, or 'ReTruthing' on Donald Trump's platform—would be a crime, too. 'In the case of reposting, it is a crime as well, because the reader can't distinguish whether you just invented this or just reposted this,' Meininghaus explained. 'That's the same for us.' Vance's outrage with that interaction came a day after he snapped at the CBS News anchor Margaret Brennan for claiming—during an interview with Secretary of State Marco Rubio, where she discussed Vance's Munich speech—that Nazis 'weaponized' free speech to perpetrate the Holocaust. 'He was standing in a country where free speech was weaponized to conduct a genocide, and he met with the head of a political party that has far-right views and some historic ties to extreme groups,' she said of Vance on Face The Nation. Rubio refuted her comment immediately. Once the clip made its rounds online, other Republicans, including Vance, chimed in to do the same. 'This is a crazy exchange,' he said. 'Does the media really think the holocaust was caused by free speech?' Vance critics, like the ex-MSNBC host Mehdi Hasan, pointed out that Vance was grilling NATO allies for supposedly suppressing free speech while his administration is actively denying White House access to Associated Press reporters because the wire service refuses to refer to the newly-renamed 'Gulf of America' as such in its copy. 'Hey @JDVance, I know you're busy lecturing the Europeans on free speech, but have you seen this?' Hasan posted, quoting an article about the AP's freeze out. Vance responded Monday: 'Yes dummy. I think there's a difference between not giving a reporter a seat in the WH press briefing room and jailing people for dissenting views. The latter is a threat to free speech, the former is not. Hope that helps!'
