Latest news with #Covid
Scoop
17 minutes ago
- Business
- Scoop
Could Bitcoin Finally Be ‘Mooning'?
By Paul Quickenden, Chief Commercial Officer, Easy Crypto Let's be real… if you told a crypto fan six months ago that Bitcoin would go through its halving (which usually kicks off a major price run), get the green light on those shiny new ETFs (so big investors can pile in easily), and STILL be moving sideways in price, they'd probably look at you like you'd just downed three craft beers before midday. But fast-forward to this weekend and we finally broke through with multiple new all-time highs. Cue the headlines, 'hopium' and hallelujah memes. Still…the question lingers: why did it take so long? Because in crypto, the map doesn't always match the land. The on-chain data has been flashing bull-mode for months, but macro conditions - think tight liquidity, sticky interest rates and geopolitical curveballs - have made this one of the weirdest climbs we've seen. So what's really going on under the surface? What's holding things back (or not)? And is this the lift-off or just another short-term tease? Here's a look at the current terrain, what's happening under the surface and what might be coming next. It's not just the memes (but also, yeah... the memes!) This cycle started strong, then something weird happened: meme coins exploded and they soaked up a ridiculous amount of investor capital and attention. This wasn't new money; in most cases it was the same crowd with the same pool of funds spread across a thousand meme projects with animal names and quite often, questionable roadmaps. This caused a kind of liquidity dilution (not a crash, just a splatter). That alone might've been fine, but then the macro fog rolled in… We've got oil shocks, trade scuffles and a political backdrop that looks like a badly written reboot of 2020 (mask, anyone?). And did we mention a sitting U.S. President who can swing Bitcoin 10% with a tweet! Suddenly, we're in choppy waters. And let's not forget: crypto is no longer the Wild West. In the background, Crypto has been growing up. Regulation is here or is coming (slowly, awkwardly, but it's here). That changes how the game is played and who's playing it. Why M2 matters…and what happens when it gets skinny You'll hear traders throw around terms like 'M2 is expanding as if everyone has done their PhD in central bank lingo. Let's decode that. M2 is basically the global measure of how much cash and near-cash (like savings accounts and short-term deposits) is moving around the global financial system. To fight off the inflation caused by the central banks splurge during Covid, we found many central banks going into restrictive mode. That meant central banks were literally pulling liquidity (money supply) out of the system to cool inflation. It's the monetary version of hitting the brakes and it means there's less easy money floating around looking for a home… including in crypto. The good news is we appear to be past now and global M2 has been expanding. When that meaningfully flows through, there is more money to spend, more risk appetite and as a result people feel flush and they turn to investments. As a result, crypto rallies. Global Macro Investor calls this a leading indicator for Bitcoin What could push us higher from here? If you're looking for a spark, don't look at the halving chart…look to the infrastructure being built beneath the price. Let's talk stablecoins… These are quietly becoming the new internet plumbing. All that money we talked about (the M2 we mentioned) is looking for a home and stablecoins is one of them (supply is up 28% in 2025). Think cheaper, faster digital dollars moving through the digital economy in real time. And when the whole world figures out they can settle payments without bank fees or delays - that's when this thing scales. Let's talk regulatory certainty …. Some investors care about this stuff. And when the SEC and other regulators were going after crypto it spooked them. But we have major changes of the guard going on now and that means permission; and with permission… Well, you do your own research. Let's talk ETFs… These are regulated, publicly listed products that allow everyday investors including retirees and boomers who aren't wiring funds to crypto exchanges to get exposure to Bitcoin without touching a wallet. That's a big deal because it's slow-moving but powerful money. (Billions have already flown in, which means even the suits on Wall Street are no longer just watching - but they trade around macro events, not hedge against them. This messes with the normal rhythm.) And the sleeper trend is tokenised stocks… These real-world assets like gold, shares and maybe even property - wrapped into tradable crypto tokens - are sitting at the grown-up table and it's filling up fast. The bottom line is the rails are being laid and once global liquidity loosens (i.e., the money printers slowly warm back up), the assets ready to scale will move first and the fastest. Read the map, but watch your step This cycle is evolving daily. That makes it harder to predict but also way more interesting to play. Zoom out and pay attention to who's building, not just who's shouting. Stay nimble, too, because just like in real exploration, the conditions on the ground will beat your map every time.
Time of India
an hour ago
- Health
- Time of India
7 hosp projects to turn into superspecialty ICU centres
New Delhi: Chief minister Rekha Gupta on Monday announced that seven previously incomplete Delhi govt hospital projects across the city will be redeveloped into superspecialty ICU centres. Each facility will focus on the treatment of specific critical illnesses such as cancer, transplants and high-risk deliveries. Inaugurating a private hospital in north Delhi's Model Town, Gupta said the initiative aimed to address the acute shortage of ICU beds and ensure that no citizen is denied treatment due to a lack of infrastructure or financial constraints. In 2021, as the pandemic raged across the country, AAP govt had promised to set up seven Covid hospitals within six months. However, they are still incomplete. You Can Also Check: Delhi AQI | Weather in Delhi | Bank Holidays in Delhi | Public Holidays in Delhi Pointing to legacy challenges faced by Delhi's healthcare sector, Gupta said that poor planning and corruption during the previous govt's tenure had left the system with many deficiencies. "Across 38 govt hospitals, there were only six MRI machines and 12 CT scan machines, which is alarming for a city of this scale," she said, and assured that Delhi govt is now working to modernise and upgrade the healthcare infrastructure. by Taboola by Taboola Sponsored Links Sponsored Links Promoted Links Promoted Links You May Like Si tu presión es de 140/90, limpia los vasos sanguíneos. ¡Lee! Corazex Undo With a requirement of nearly Rs 9,000 crore for the completion of 11 under-construction hospitals and the need for the creation of 42,000 additional posts of medical, paramedical, administrative and support staff, Delhi govt is likely to explore the possibility of completion, commissioning, operation and maintenance of these upcoming health facilities on a public-private partnership (PPP) model. While four multi-specialty general hospitals are coming up in Jwalapuri, Madipur, Hastsal and Siraspur, seven exclusive ICU-bedded hospitals are being built in Shalimar Bagh, Kirari, Sultanpuri, Sarita Vihar, Raghubir Nagar, and in the existing premises of Chacha Nehru Bal Chikitsalaya in Geeta Colony and GTB Hospital in Dilshad Garden. The 11 new health facilities were taken up for construction in 2020 and 2021 after the Covid-19 outbreak. While the construction of four general hospitals started between Sept and Nov 2020, the seven ICU-bedded health facilities were sanctioned in Sept 2021. All the hospitals were to be built on priority, but missed several deadlines due to a paucity of funds. The finance department of Delhi govt flagged a serious "resource crunch" in Sept 2024. CM Gupta emphasised that Delhi govt is not just expanding the reach of healthcare, but also making the system more accessible, transparent and people-centric. "Our govt is encouraging collaboration between public and private sectors to develop Delhi as a model healthcare system. Our aim is not only to provide world-class treatment to Delhi citizens, but also to establish the capital as a medical destination where people from India and abroad can come," she said.
NZ Herald
an hour ago
- Health
- NZ Herald
Vaccine hesitancy growing in at-risk communities, providers blame social media misinformation
'[We've even had] community teams lurking in bushes, waiting to ambush mums coming home from shopping,' she said wryly. In a league table of primary health organisations (PHOs) published by Health NZ, Ngā Mataapuna Oranga has the highest decline rate, with 25% of families refusing immunisation. As a small PHO, with just four general practices, it only took a handful of families to decline immunisation to drop its rates below target, Davis pointed out. However, she admitted it was up against persistent anti-vaccination propaganda, which spread like contagion via social media. 'I guess their promotion is just as good as our promotions are, so they counter a lot of the work we do.' Nationally, 79.3% of 2-year-olds were fully vaccinated in the first three months of the year – marginally better than at the same time last year. In some regions, however, rates were much lower: Northland had just 66.4% coverage, while in Tairāwhiti/Gisborne and Bay of Plenty, it was around 68%. Davis said the Covid pandemic damaged trust in the health system and it was taking time to rebuild those relationships. 'I think too that we have to balance our attempts at immunisation in relation to our relationships with our families. 'To put it bluntly, sometimes we're going two or three times to the same families. And at the end of the day, from their perspective, they're over us.' Decline rates threaten 95% target – expert Infectious disease expert Professor Peter McIntyre, from Otago University, said before Covid, decline rates for childhood immunisation were around 5%. However, for about one in three PHOs in those Health NZ figures, the decline rate was now more than 10%. 'This substantial increase in the proportion of families declining, effectively makes that impossible.' Unfortunately, vaccine distrust had got a stronger hold among Māori and Pacific communities, which already had more 'delayed' immunisations, he said. 'What the decline figures are telling is that these are people who are indicating they just don't intend to get their child immunised full stop, which is a development that's really worrying, because decline is a whole lot worse than delay.' Full coverage remained a worthy goal, he said. 'But if we really have to choose – which maybe at this stage we do – we want to focus on: How good is our protection against measles? What's that looking like? What do we have to do about it? And maybe whooping cough as well. And meningococcal B.' More younger parents and caregivers vaccine sceptical Ngāti Porou Oranga in Tairāwhiti recorded the lowest coverage, with just 38.5% of 2-year-olds fully vaccinated in the first three months of the year. No one from the PHO was available to comment. Eastern Bay Primary Health Alliance in Bay of Plenty said its figures had improved: 58.4% of enrolled tamariki were fully immunised as of July 1, up from 52.5% in the previous quarter. Chief executive Katarina Gordon said, however, it was also seeing a growing number of whānau 'expressing hesitancy or choosing to decline immunisation'. 'We're seeing a steady increase in vaccine hesitancy, particularly among younger parents and caregivers. 'Some are actively declining, but many are simply unsure or misinformed. Social media misinformation, past experiences of the health system, and general mistrust all contribute to this hesitancy.' Many whānau were living in rural or remote areas, with limited access to transport, housing instability and economic hardship, which meant day-to-day needs often took priority over preventive healthcare like immunisations, she said. Health providers were struggling themselves with limited clinic availability, workforce shortages (especially nurses and outreach staff) and high demand, which meant some whānau faced long wait times or limited options for appointments. 'Mobile outreach services help, but capacity is stretched, and funding is not always available and or sustainable.' Despite these challenges, Eastern Bay Primary Health Alliance continued to work with its practice network, outreach teams, Hauora Māori partners, the National Public Health Service and Te Whatu Ora Health NZ to boost immunisation rates. 'We remain committed to ensuring all interactions with whānau are timely, respectful, and culturally safe.' -RNZ
NBC News
2 hours ago
- Politics
- NBC News
Pam Bondi dismissed charges in alleged Covid scam after the case had passed review for 'weaponization'
WASHINGTON — Trump administration officials had already reviewed a criminal case against a Utah doctor accused of selling fake Covid vaccination cards and allowed it to proceed before Attorney General Pam Bondi suddenly intervened over the weekend and ordered the case dismissed, a defense attorney said. Dr. Michael Kirk Moore was on trial last week in a case involving claims that more than $28,000 in Covid-19 vaccinations were destroyed as part of an alleged scheme involving the issuance of fake vaccine cards. Moore was indicted on the charges in 2023. On Saturday, Bondi announced on the platform X that she was ordering the charges against Moore dismissed, writing that the doctor "gave his patients a choice when the federal government refused to do so." Bondi said the dismissal 'would not have been possible' without Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene, R-Ga., and thanked Sen. Mike Lee, R-Utah. Moore's attorney, Kathy Nester, told NBC News that she submitted information about the case for review by Justice Department leadership earlier this year after Bondi announced the formation of a " Weaponization Working Group" to investigate claims of federal law enforcement being used against Trump allies and advocates. 'As an advocate for my client, I just wanted to try anything we could to help him,' Nester said. 'I thought the weaponization committee was interesting and new and might fall under the type of cases they would be interested in reviewing.' As first reported by Bloomberg Law, Nester submitted the case to the Justice Department group back in April and asked for it to be reviewed. A counsel for the office of Deputy Attorney General Todd Blanche told her they declined to move to end the prosecution. "When I got the word they were not going to intervene, I just started getting ready for trial and did not pursue any more political avenues," Nester said. Bondi's decision to drop the case over the weekend came at a time when the attorney general is facing blowback from Trump supporters over the Justice Department not releasing more information about the Jeffrey Epstein case. It's unclear if there will be additional fallout from the Moore case. Acting U.S. Attorney Felice John Viti signed paperwork to have the case dismissed. Other career prosecutors who had worked on the case did not sign onto the dismissal filing. On Friday, Bondi fired numerous Justice Department employees who had previously worked with former Special Counsel Jack Smith on the investigations into Trump over his handling of classified documents and his efforts to overturn his 2020 election loss.
The Irish Sun
3 hours ago
- Entertainment
- The Irish Sun
TV doctor Ranj Singh reveals he now suffers from anxiety after being trolled online by shamed GP
TELLY doctor Ranj Singh has revealed his torment at the hands of a shamed GP who has been struck off for trolling him. He was branded a 'paedophile sympathiser'' and 'scum'' by Dr David Cartland over his support for Covid vaccines. 2 TV doc Ranj Singh has revealed his torment at the hands of a shamed GP who has been struck off for trolling him Credit: Rex 2 Dr David Cartland violently hit out at Dr Singh on social media over his support for the Covid vaccine Credit: Cavendish He reported him to the General Medical Council over further online abuse. Strictly star Dr Ranj, 46, told a panel: 'I suffer anxiety due to abhorrent things Dr Cartland said about me. This has been a horrific experience.' Cartland, of Redditch, Worcs, claimed that X was a place for 'rigorous debate'. READ MORE ON TV He apologised and admitted: 'I have reacted unwisely online.' He was struck off over fears he 'would behave in a similar way in future'. Medical Practitioners Tribunal Service chairman Claire Lindley said: ''The Tribunal was concerned about the persistent, threatening and abusive harassment of four separate complaints, over a sustained period of time. Dr Cartland has not shown any recognition of the extent of the impact and his conduct demonstrates a blatant disregard for good medical practise. 'Given the marked lack of insight and remediation, the Tribunal was concerned that Dr Cartland would behave in a similar way in future. '' Most read in News TV Dr. Ranj Singh took part in Strictly Come Dancing in 2018, making it to week 7 before being eliminated. He qualified as a doctor in 2003 and works as a children's doctor. This Morning star rushed to hospital after nasty accident as he reveals stitches in his HEAD
