Latest news with #MarkMcCormick
The Irish Sun
03-08-2025
- Health
- The Irish Sun
I had routine blood test but got out-of-the-blue diagnosis with no signs before 2nd devastating shock 6 months later
PHARMACY technician Mark McCormick went for a routine blood test but went on to get a shock diagnosis that affects thousands of Irish each year, admitting: "It wasn't on my radar." The dad-of-four, originally from Advertisement 4 Mark McCormick was surprised by the results of a routine blood test 4 Although Mark had no symptoms, there are a number of signs to watch out for Mark's diagnosis came totally out of the blue, having gone to his GP for blood tests relating to a totally separate condition. He told the Irish Sun: "I was diagnosed with prostate "I had gone to my GP for a routine six-month blood test for an unrelated medical condition, and I was very surprised when I received a call from my GP to tell me that my PSA or Prostate-Specific Antigen levels were alarmingly elevated. Advertisement "He referred me to the Rapid Action Prostate Cancer Clinic at the Mater Hospital in "I had no symptoms of prostate cancer and it wasn't even on my radar. "Although I was aware of prostate cancer symptoms, they are very subtle, making it hard to detect." Now 58-years-old, Mark is urging men to get "checked regularly" after being "caught off guard" by his diagnosis. He continued: "This is why men need to be proactive and have their PSA levels checked regularly, especially once they reach the age of 50. It completely caught me off guard. Advertisement "At the Rapid Action Clinic, I underwent an MRI which revealed that I had a tumour and two growths in my prostate. This was very surprising. "Following the MRI, I had a biopsy, which confirmed that the tumour and growths were cancerous. In July 2023, I underwent surgery to remove the tumour." Nearly half of men have no idea where the prostate is During the surgery, doctors made another discovery. Mark said: "Unfortunately, it was discovered that the cancer had spread to my tailbone. This was shocking because my PSA levels had been fine just months before. "Thankfully, the care I received was excellent, and things moved quickly. In September 2023, I underwent radiotherapy to treat the cancer in my tailbone." Advertisement 'DEVASTATING SHOCK' However, Mark's scans in December 2023 revealed further complications. He said: "When I saw my oncologist in January 2024, I was informed that the cancer had spread to multiple areas, including my bones, pelvis, and hip. "It was now classified as Stage 4 cancer, which was a devastating shock. "In February 2024, I started chemotherapy, but I had an allergic reaction during the first session and ended up in hospital for a week. "We attempted chemotherapy again in March and April 2024, but I experienced allergic reactions both times, which meant I could no longer proceed with chemotherapy. Advertisement "Since then, I have been on hormone treatment to prevent the spread of the cancer. "This worked well until December 2024, when scans revealed active cancer in my right hip and lower back." Mark continues to undergo treatments aimed at managing the disease and improving his quality of life. He added: "In February 2025, I underwent further radiotherapy to target those areas. "Then in May 2025, I had a procedure called a rhizotomy, which is a nerve block treatment. Advertisement "This was initially done on my hip, followed by my spine a few weeks later. "At the moment, my prostate cancer is being managed, and we're trying to minimise its spread while I get on with life." Despite his diagnosis, Mark told how he likes to keep busy and owns Dodder Park Allcare Pharmacy in Rathfarnham, Dublin. He said: "On a day-to-day basis, I do try to work every day. It's very important for me to keep some normality in my life. "Prostate cancer isn't like some other cancers - you can live for many years with it if it is managed well by your oncology team." Advertisement 'GREAT HELP' Mark also told how he has received "great support" from the Irish Cancer Society. He added: "Their support line and Daffodil Centres are invaluable resources, offering knowledge, counselling, and advice. "They've been a great help to me." SYMPTOMS OF PROSTATE CANCER ACCORDING to the Irish Cancer Society, about 4,000 men are diagnosed with prostate cancer each year in Ireland. This means that one in six men will be diagnosed with prostate cancer during their lifetime. Prostate cancer can be deadly, partly because it often has no noticeable symptoms in the early stages, making it difficult to detect until it has spread. Symptoms usually only appear once the cancer has grown large enough to put pressure on the tube that carries urine from the bladder out of the penis (urethra). There are seven symptoms of the disease - many of which could be overlooked: Needing to pee more frequently, often during the night Needing to rush to the toilet Difficulty in starting to pee (hesitancy) Straining or taking a long time while peeing Weak flow Feeling that your bladder has not emptied fully Blood in urine or blood in semen It's important to note these symptoms don't always mean you have prostate cancer. Many men's prostates get larger as they get older because of a non-cancerous condition called benign prostate enlargement. Mark is urging Irish men to take control of their health through regular PSA testing. He said: "Prostate cancer is a growing issue, and men need to become more proactive in getting their PSA levels checked every six months once they reach the age of 50. It's such a simple blood test, but it's vital. Advertisement "The first test establishes a baseline, which helps your GP monitor any changes over time. "Early detection is key, as prostate cancer is very treatable when caught early." Mark believes a nationwide screening programme would help to combat the disease. He said: "There is a pilot screening programme for prostate cancer in Tallaght and St Vincent's hospitals. However, I believe this should be rolled out nationwide. "The Irish Cancer Society is lobbying the government with a pre-budget submission to make this happen. Advertisement "A national screening programme, similar to breast screening and bowel screening programmes, could prevent many cancers from developing. "Men in Ireland need help, and this campaign is essential. "Prostate cancer awareness and screening are crucial, and I strongly believe that a nationwide programme could make a significant difference." Former US president He was seen by doctors after suffering urinary symptoms, with a prostate nodule, or firm area, later being found. Advertisement He was then diagnosed with prostate cancer on May 16, with the cancer cells having spread to the bone. While it is a more "aggressive" form of the disease which is "likely to grow quickly", the cancer appears to be hormone-sensitive, meaning there is the prospect of "effective management". 4 Former US president Joe Biden was diagnosed with the illness in May Credit: � 2024 PA Media, All Rights Reserved 4 Prostate cancer is the fourth most common cancer worldwide, and the second in men Credit: Getty
Bloomberg
27-06-2025
- Business
- Bloomberg
Dollar's Next Risk Is Canadian Pension Fund Hedging, TD Says
The US dollar is poised to tumble further as Canadian investors — among the largest holders of American stocks — face pressure to raise their currency hedges against the greenback, according to TD Securities. 'The loss of the dollar's safety appeal since the start of the year has increased the need for these funds to hedge their long US asset exposure,' a TD Securities team including Jayati Bharadwaj, Mark McCormick and Linda Cheng wrote in a Friday report. More losses for the US currency 'will give Canadian investors a greater push to adapt their hedging policies which can create further downward pressure on the cross.'
Agriland
02-06-2025
- General
- Agriland
Concerns grow over re-wilding impact on land value in parts of Northern Ireland
Concerns have been expressed that re-wilding could soon become a reality in many upland parts of Northern Ireland in the not-too-distant future, at the . Driving this process is the lack of succession currently taking place within the farming industry. James McHenry farms close to Glenariffe in north Co. Antrim. He has been a sheep farmer for many years and fears that his way of life could soon become a thing of the past. 'Young people, for the most part, do not see hill farming as an attractive career option,' he said. 'The next few years will see the current generation of farmers passing on. 'In many cases I can predict that the assets of these businesses with a meaningful value will be sold off and the land let go back to nature.' These are issues that have not gone unnoticed amongst policy staff members of the Royal Society for the Protection of Birds (RSPB) Northern Ireland. A heathland flower growing on the Garron Plateau in Co. Antrim They want to see meaningful supports made available to hill and upland farmers in recognition of the public good they can deliver in terms of peatland restoration and the encouragement of grazing systems that maximise biodiversity. These debates are taking place at a time when Northern Ireland's Environmental Farming Scheme (EFS) is about to be replaced by new farm support measures. RSPB's Mark McCormick commented: 'Hill farmers must be allowed to invest in the future of their businesses. And this means allowing them to make sustainable incomes. 'The potential of these farm businesses to deliver for the public good is immense. And they must be supported accordingly by central government.' According to the RSPB representative, peatland management and the introduction of bespoke, conservation-friendly grazing systems are equally valuable within a hill farming scenario. He believes that hill farming must be made an attractive career option for young farmers. If this is not achieved then the momentum to maintain the conservation value associated with large swathes of Northern Ireland will be lost. Re-wilding bog walk RSPB Northern Ireland staff recently hosted a visit to the Garron Plateau area of Co. Antrim for members of the Guild of Agricultural Journalists. This area of outstanding natural beauty is home to a significant number of farmers currently accessing the support monies made available through the EFS. And they are deeply concerned that funding has been withdrawn from the scheme for new entrants while replacement measures are agreed.
Yahoo
13-05-2025
- Politics
- Yahoo
New Kansas antisemitism law takes aim at free speech, does nothing to protect Jewish people
Rabbi Moti Rieber (right) sits beside author and activist Mark McCormick at a March 25, 2025, Statehouse hearing. (Sherman Smith/Kansas Reflector) In February, I testified against House Bill 2299, a bill to put the International Holocaust Remembrance Alliance's definition of antisemitism into statute, focused on university campuses and punishable by prosecution by the state's attorney general, Kris Kobach. A watered-down version (Senate Bill 44), which took out most of the enforcement provisions, passed at the end of the session. Both versions were aimed squarely at the University of Kansas, which had a pro-Palestinian encampment last year and which according to some has become a hotbed of antisemitism. The new law focuses on protest (no masks used 'to harass Jewish students') and curriculum (banning 'incorporating or allowing funding of antisemitic curriculum or activities in any domestic or study abroad programs or classes'). Leaving aside the fact that it is impossible to study Western history and not encounter antisemitism, this language is extremely broad and could and probably would be used to suppress pro-Palestinian speech by students, visiting speakers, or in Muslim or Arab studies classes. This points to the main problem with the IHRA definition of antisemitism: it equates anti-Zionism — opposition to Israel's actions or even Israel itself — with antisemitism, a racialized hatred of Jewish people. This is a popular position among traditional Jewish communal organizations. Kansas City's JCRB/AJC testified in favor of the original bill, which I remind you would have allowed Kobach to identify and prosecute 'antisemitism.' Anti-Zionism and antisemitism can and do overlap — people could hide their antisemitism behind expressions of anti-Zionism, for instance, or they can accuse random Jews of being responsible for Israel's actions — but they are not the same. The many young Jews who took part in campus protests last year can attest to that. (For the rest of this column I will refer to politicized accusations of antisemitism as 'antisemitism.' Actual antisemitism — hatred of Jews — will remain without quotation marks.) The bill raised two questions. First, why didn't it address the explosion of antisemitism from the political right, from the poisonous discourse on the former Twitter to neo-Nazis at the Jan. 6, 2021, riot (now pardoned, of course) to white supremacists in close proximity, or even in the Trump administration (including, of course, Donald Trump himself). Second, why is antisemitism on college campuses so unique and terrible that it requires special legislation addressing it, when allowing anti-Black racism on college campuses is practically a MAGA platform plank? This question was raised on the floor of the House, but it wasn't answered. Criminalizing speech critical of Israel in this way has become a significant problem. Campus protests were suppressed last year. Since the start of the second Trump term, people who have criticized Israel's actions in Gaza — without necessarily attacking Israel's 'right to exist' — have been arrested and set for deportation for political speech, a clear violation of the First Amendment. Two of the most prominent examples are Columbia University's Mahmoud Khalil, a leader of pro-Palestine protests there, and Tufts University's Rumeysa Ozturk, who appears to have only co-written an op-ed in a student newspaper. Both columns and protests are political speech protected by the First Amendment. Yes, even for noncitizens. There is no evidence that either of these people have been involved in any actual Jew-hatred, and as I will explain in a moment, protesting Israel's actions in Gaza is justifiable. Accusations of rampant 'antisemitism' in universities is also the cudgel Trump is using to attack their funding and governance. This crackdown is largely a project of the Christian right, as spelled out in the Heritage Foundation's Project Esther, which focuses exclusively on antisemitism on the left and advocates for increased censorship and suppression of protest. 'Antisemitism' has become today's equivalent of McCarthy-era 'communism' — the accusation itself is condemnatory. No further evidence (or thought) is needed. That traditional Jewish communal organizations — particularly the Anti-Defamation League and JCRB/AJC — have allied themselves with this effort in the name of protecting Israel should be an embarrassment. This politicization of 'antisemitism' doesn't do Jews any favors. Not only have we consistently voted, by large majorities, for Democrats, but our very place in this society is built on the foundation of liberal democracy, especially freedom of expression and religion. Jews have prioritized Bill of Rights protections for more than 100 years, including helping found the ACLU. It is a cruel irony indeed that these pillars of Jewish freedom in American society are being dismantled in the name of protecting Jews. To which I say, no thanks. Fortunately it appears that (some) people are catching on to the ruse: Several of the main liberal Jewish denominational bodies recently issued a joint statement 'rejecting the false choice between confronting antisemitism and upholding democracy.' It's a good statement, and it doesn't assume the legitimacy of the 'universities are hotbeds of antisemitism' framing. Other, similar statements have been released. But as the 'Antisemitism Awareness Act' working its way through the U.S. Congress makes clear, this problem will get worse before it gets better. In a moment that pulled back the curtain, a clause was added to that bill that would protect the 'right' to say that 'the Jews' killed Jesus — a calumny that has caused untold injury and death to Jews throughout history and is the very definition of actual antisemitic speech. (Kansas Sen. Roger Marshall, R-MAGA, sounded sympathetic last year.) To be clear: People are criticizing Israel because it is committing significant human rights violations against Palestinians in the West Bank and especially Gaza, and not out of Jew-hatred. Jews are involved in every level of the Palestinian solidarity movement, including encampments. There are already laws to protect people from harassment and violence; Jews don't require special protection. Claiming otherwise has real consequences for real people, including dividing Jews between 'good Jews' who support Israel's actions (and Trump) and 'bad Jews' who don't and should be suppressed. Where antisemitism exists on the left and in the pro-Palestine movement, it should be criticized and condemned, but we shouldn't deploy state power to slay dragons that aren't really there. Policing Trumped-up, politicized charges of 'antisemitism' is something that Christian nationalists, including Kobach and the Heritage Foundation, should not be empowered to do. Rabbi Moti Rieber is executive director of Kansas Interfaith Action, a statewide, multifaith issue-advocacy organization that works on a variety of social, economic and climate justice issues. He writes this column in his private capacity. Through its opinion section, Kansas Reflector works to amplify the voices of people who are affected by public policies or excluded from public debate. Find information, including how to submit your own commentary, here.
Bloomberg
02-04-2025
- Business
- Bloomberg
Stocks Dip On ‘Tariff Day' Tension, TikTok Sale Deadline Nears
US equity futures dip as uncertainty lingers ahead of President Trump's Rose Garden announcement of his latest package of tariffs. The President is also planning a final proposal for divesting TikTok's US operations from its Chinese parent company ByteDance ahead of a sale deadline. Walmart pushes suppliers to keep costs down despite impending levies. "Vibes need to match the data," says TD Bank's Mark McCormick, commenting on deteriorating sentiment. PIIE President Adam Posen calls tariffs an inefficient form of consumption tax, which may cost American families up to $1500 per year.'Bloomberg Brief' delivers the market news, data and analysis you need to set your agenda. (Source: Bloomberg)
