Latest news with #McWhorter
Int'l Business Times
10-07-2025
- Health
- Int'l Business Times
A Lost Generation: Anne Delery McWhorter on Long COVID and Its Connection to High-Level Intelligence
Emerging research suggests that Long COVID may exacerbate neurological symptoms in individuals with pre-existing Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD). This connection that intertwines immune dysfunction, neurological symptoms, and genetic predispositions has profound implications for how treatment, access, and advocacy are addressed. Anne Delery McWhorter is one of the few sounding the alarm. As the founder of Quiet Calm, LLC, a company dedicated to developing sensory solutions for individuals with invisible disabilities, McWhorter has always been an advocate for neurodivergent individuals with understanding the constantly evolving genetic links between high intelligence, rare genetic mutations, and how these formerly known as "rare genetic conditions" are disproportionately linked to those battling the life-altering consequences of Long COVID. A former software engineer, geophysicist and sedimentologist, physics lecturer, technical writer, and lobbyist, she brings a multidimensional perspective. McWhorter was nominated for the congressionally mandated presidentially appointed steering committee by the United States Department of Health and Human Services to direct policy and resources on Long COVID. Her resume includes high-level contributions to disaster relief efforts and public health initiatives, notably through her work with the American Red Cross and FEMA. Through her work, she has supported 1.7 million families living with Autism globally and 90,000 families living or surviving domestic violence in the United States. McWhorter's efforts to deliver and educate communities on the use of sensory therapy interventions during natural disasters set a precedent for how neurodivergent needs can and must be integrated into crisis response models. It's worth noting that McWhorter's professional and personal journeys are interwoven with the issues she champions. Self-identifying as neurodivergent and formally diagnosed with autism through genetic testing, she's open about having an IQ score in the top 0.1% of the population. Her early academic trajectory and later professional achievements reflect this. By age 20, while pursuing her undergraduate degree, McWhorter led the Louisiana State University physics tutorial lab, participated in what would later become a Nobel prize-winning particle collider project, and transitioned seamlessly from academia into high-stakes roles in energy, advocacy, and healthcare systems. During this time, she was also the student head of an international geology project under the world-renowned geologist, Dr. Arnold H. Bouma. All of this unfolded while navigating a rare genetic immune deficiency. Because the deficiency was not diagnosed, she was unaware that she had children, and her son was born with the same condition. This incurable condition requires them to undergo monthly antibody infusions derived from tens of thousands of plasma donors, simply to maintain a functioning immune system. Her path, then, isn't just one of advocacy. It's survival. It's hardly surprising that COVID-19 changed McWhorter's health forever. "After contracting the virus, I experienced brain lesions, temporary loss of speech, novel blood clots, loss of swallowing, and debilitating neurological symptoms," McWhorter shares. "They're so severe that creating a grocery list was impossible for me." Eventually, her own pursuit of experimental treatments helped restore higher-level cognitive functions. However, her infection continued to come at a cost. McWhorter's body's thermoregulation failed, a side effect linked to the hypothalamus, meaning that even mild overheating can now trigger a full-blown crisis. "I still have to constantly self-regulate my environment to stay alive and functional," McWhorter states. She had to do whatever was needed to push forward with research, speaking engagements, and policy work. This lived experience makes her one of the most important figures speaking on the overlap between Long COVID and neurodivergence. Previously, very rare genetic conditions are no longer considered rare, and are forever linked to neurodivergence and Long COVID. "Very rare diseases," such as Mast Cell Activation Syndrome (MCAS) and Ehlers-Danlos Syndrome, are now so well known that they commonly appear on social media. Knowing these implications are staggering for the long-term response and dedication of resources, nationally and internationally, she aims to share her insights regarding the matter. Emerging studies now confirm what McWhorter began observing years ago. People with autism and those with other neurodivergent conditions like ADHD are disproportionately affected by Long COVID. The symptoms in neurodivergent individuals tend to be more severe, more persistent, and more difficult to treat. Researchers suggest this may be due to shared factors such as immune dysregulation, baseline inflammation, and complex neurological and developmental profiles, which are traits already prevalent among individuals with autism. McWhorter also points to the correlation between higher IQ and increased likelihood of autistic traits. "These same genetic and neurological profiles that drive exceptional intelligence increase vulnerability to Long COVID," she states. "If we lose this segment of the population, we're decimating our future inventors, scientists, engineers, artists, the people who solve problems others can't. And I'm not exaggerating. It's economics." McWhorter is a systems thinker who has learned from years of legislative work that ethical arguments, while valid, rarely move policy on their own. What moves policy is return on investment. "Failing to treat and accommodate neurodivergent individuals with Long COVID is both immoral and economically disastrous for all of humanity," she adds. The conversation becomes even more urgent. Recent proposals to cut insurance reimbursements for certain medical treatments that represent some of the most promising interventions for both Long COVID and autism could have catastrophic ripple effects. "I've done the math. Of the 17 services listed in the proposed national cuts, at least five are currently among the best available treatments for a variety of different conditions that disproportionately affect neurodivergent individuals and Long COVID," McWhorter states. McWhorter stresses how devastating this is. "We're not talking about discomfort," she says. "We're talking about whether someone can swallow food, regulate pain, or even remain conscious throughout the day." She goes further to argue that cuts to these treatments could set back public health by decades and lead to long-term economic stagnation. "A society that fails to support its most vulnerable is a society that fails everyone," she remarks. Currently, the average waiting list to see a specialist is about 2-3 years, and an average Long COVID patient needs to see 8-9 separate specialists, and then even then, the interventions between patients are still within the same 5-7 protocols. In this case, what's the solution? McWhorter proposes fast-tracking training programs designed specifically to treat Long COVID. "I'm not suggesting a full medical school overhaul," she clarifies. "I'm talking about targeted certification programs that can rapidly produce specialists who understand how to treat these complex cases." These programs would be autism-informed, neurodiversity-competent, and medically rigorous. McWhorter argues that funding for such programs would pay for itself within 6 months to a year by reducing disability rates, restoring people to the workforce, and enabling the very innovation the world depends on. McWhorter shares a message of warning and hope: "We have the opportunity right now to lead the world in treating Long COVID. If we act fast, we can save lives and build a healthier, more resilient population. If we don't, we risk losing an entire generation and the brilliance that comes with it." Within this lost generation, the potential to affect another generation is there as Anne will continue to fight not just for herself, but for her genius-level, academically brilliant, immunodeficient, neurodivergent son. "All that I do, all that I have done, is for my son."
Mint
16-06-2025
- Politics
- Mint
Pronouns have become extremely divisive
Pronoun Trouble: The Story of Us in Seven Little Words. By John McWhorter. Avery; 240 pages; $28 One of the most effective television ads last year during Donald Trump's campaign for president warned voters: 'Kamala is for they/them, not you." Less than two weeks after taking office in January, Mr Trump ordered federal employees to remove their preferred pronouns from their email signatures. Videos of lawmakers deliberately addressing their peers with the wrong pronouns subsequently went viral. Parts of speech that used to star mainly in grammar lessons have become controversial political lightning rods. A new book gives a timely and engaging tour of an overlooked patch of linguistic history. John McWhorter, the author, is a linguist at Columbia University, columnist for the New York Times and author of more than 20 books on language and culture. This book's title, along with Mr McWhorter's heterodox views and pugnacity (he is an old-school liberal and has been outspoken on the excesses of the woke left), might lead readers to expect some culture-war bomb-throwing. Instead, he delivers an erudite jaunt in five chapters, one each for: 'I", 'you", 'we", 'he/she/it" and 'they". These words carry a heavy load. Other languages, for instance, have separate words for 'me and you", 'me and them" and 'me and those three"; English has just 'we". Unlike many other languages, English has no second-person plural. Words such as 'y'all", 'youse" or the lovely western Pennsylvania 'yinz" remain spoken and informal. 'You" was once plural, but with the decline of 'thou", once the second-person singular, it now assumes both roles. Mr McWhorter is no stickler for propriety—a linguist, in his view, describes rather than prescribes—and he delights in slaying sacred cows. He argues, for instance, that the prohibition against saying 'Joe and me went to lunch" is 'English's fakest rule", because pronouns do not split into subjects and objects as neatly as rule-makers believe. Consider the answer to 'Who left the door open?" It might sound odd to say 'I" rather than 'Me", even though 'I" is the subject pronoun. He also revels in pointing out the randomness of linguistic development. The familiar 'she" could have just as easily been 'hoo", 'oo", 'sho" or 'shoo" had English gone down a slightly different path. Dominant languages tend to simplify as they absorb speakers of other languages—a process doubtless helped by the de facto standardisation imposed by film, television and other forms of mass communication—but superficial simplicity can mask subtlety. The first-person plural in 'We're going out tonight", said to a friend, is not the same thing as a waiter asking, 'And what will we be having tonight?" The former is warm and inclusive, the latter faux-friendly and cloying. Unlike nouns and verbs, pronouns usually evolve glacially. Anglophones have been using their tidy little set for centuries. But change is not impossible. In Sweden 'hen", a gender-neutral pronoun, jumped from academic circles to general use around ten years ago. Near the end of the book, Mr McWhorter breaks his own rule against prescription and argues staunchly in favour of adopting the singular, gender-neutral 'they". He points out that it has been around for centuries: Geoffrey Chaucer used it, as did Jane Austen. The context is new; the usage is old. Some may grumble at the change, but some grumbled at the loss of 'thou" several centuries back, and people eventually got used to it. The most enjoyable part of reading this romp through tiny words is the obvious joy Mr McWhorter takes in telling it. In discussing the most staid words in English, he touches on music and wine. In asides, footnotes and parentheses, he is informal and catty: the effect is of listening to a delightful dinner-party guest. As for his subject, he reminds readers at the end that the story of pronouns, and of language more broadly, is never complete: 'Pronouns are the latest stage in something always changing…Our job is to adjust to the inevitable awkwardness of change, in our pronouns as in ourselves." For more on the latest books, films, TV shows, albums and controversies, sign up to Plot Twist, our weekly subscriber-only newsletter
Yahoo
03-06-2025
- Business
- Yahoo
Four Republicans, one Democrat running in House District 12 special election
Members of the Alabama House of Representatives vote on a local bill on May 1, 2025 at the Alabama Statehouse in Montgomery, Alabama. The lights in each name represent how a member of the House voted. Green is for yes; blue is for abstention. Abstaining on local bills is common for representatives not from the area that will be affected by the bill. A special election will be held to fill the Cullman County area House District 12 seat on Oct. 28, with the primary on July 15.(Brian Lyman/Alabama Reflector) Four Republicans and one Democratic candidate qualified for the Alabama House District 12 special election in Cullman County. Republican voters will have the choice between Heather Doyle, Clint Hollingsworth, Dan McWhorter and Cindy Myrex on July 15. The lone Democratic candidate, Matt Glover, will advance to the general election on Oct. 28 against the winner of the special election primary. If one Republican candidate does not receive 50% of votes, the special runoff election will take place on Aug. 12. Former Rep. Corey Harbison, R-Cullman, resigned in April after he was absent for much of the 2025 legislative session. All interviewed candidates said they are running for office for Cullman County representation in Montgomery. 'You didn't ask how anybody that lives there, how they felt about it,' Doyle said. 'This is our community, like we live there. This is going to affect us.' 'My plan is to represent the folks in this district like I have my constituents with the city,' Hollingsworth said. 'I'm gonna work hard for them, just like what I've done for the last 17 years on the city council, for the folks here that voted for me.' 'I didn't think we were getting much representation on the issues that I thought were important, so I figured I'd get involved,' McWhorter said. Efforts to schedule an interview with Myrex were not successful. Doyle, Glover and McWhorter also expressed opposition to SB 322, sponsored by Sen. Jabo Waggoner, R-Vestavia Hills. It was signed by Gov. Kay Ivey on May 7 and allowed the City of Cullman to annex a resort on Smith Lake in Cullman County, a dry county, for the resort to serve alcohol. 'I mean, there's nothing I can do about that, even though I know that's the main concentration for the election. I just think it's wrong,' Doyle said. 'We're exploring what it would take to rescind the legislation,' McWhorter said. Glover's first priority in his campaign is giving the people more power, which he said was not present when the legislation passed. The Republican primary Doyle, 43, is a former teacher and realtor in the Smith Lake area of Cullman County. She wants to reform the court system, inspired by an ongoing custody battle in her personal life that she declined to explain because of potential implications in the litigation. 'I think we just need a better system, like something for inmates to even go to rehab,' she said in an interview Monday. 'I just think we need to do something better.' She also wants to reduce wasteful spending and government overreach by reviewing where state taxpayer dollars are going. 'I think we need to look closer at the budget and what we're spending and the programs,' she said. Finally, she wants to improve education in the state and be a voice for children in education and in custody battles. 'They don't get like issues that are going on with the court system, with kids, it's just not a man thing. They're not worried about kids, and they're not worried about women,' she said. 'And I just think we've got a lot of things going on with juveniles in the court system that I think just needs to be handled differently.' The first-time candidate said she is the best for the job because she will not rely on the politics of lawmaking to pass legislation. 'Nobody's going to be able to bribe me, I don't owe anybody a favor,' she said. 'I really think this is how politics work.' Hollingsworth, 47, owns a used car dealership in Cullman. He said in an interview on May 27 that he is prioritizing education and work force development. 'Investing in public education and job training programs is vital to prepare our students for future employment opportunities,' he said. He also said he wants the state to support volunteer fire departments more. There are 983 volunteer fire departments in the state, 23 of which are in Cullman County, according to the Alabama Forestry Commission. 'There's 17 in this district that I'm running for, and I want to help with funding and training and just trying to get people willing to serve and help their community,' Hollingsworth said. He also said he wants to improve transportation infrastructure. 'Reliable transportation is essential for employment, education and our health care,' he said. 'Not just the county roads, but even 65 and interstate highways just need upgrades for sure.' The former Cullman County City Councilman said he is the best candidate because of his tenure on city council, which he has served on since 2008. 'It's a new challenge for me, but it encompasses areas that I'm already kind of used to,' he said. 'I'm just looking forward to helping and serving more people.' McWhorter, 68, has been a sales manager for Innovative Analytical Solutions in Bremen, Alabama, for a decade. McWhorter said in an interview on May 21 that his main priority is to implement a property tax cap for property owners who are at least 65 years old. 'Property ownership is either a right or it's a privilege,' McWhorter said. 'So if it's a right, we don't tax free speech, right? So why are you taxing my property?' Aside from that, McWhorter also wants a 'clean lottery bill' that would fund two years of tuition at technical colleges. The legislature failed to pass a comprehensive gaming bill in 2024, and the House rejected any attempts at another from the Senate this year. 'The second one is a clean lottery bill that'll fund two-year college tuition, or two years of college tuition for any high school graduate with a C average,' he said. Lastly, McWhorter wants to completely eliminate the tax on overtime, which is set to expire on June 30. He also mentioned eliminating daylight savings time as a goal. House Speaker Nathaniel Ledbetter, R-Rainsville, an original supporter of the bill, has said the exemption created a larger hole in the Education Trust Fund (ETF) than expected. President Donald Trump has advocated for a national exemption in his second term. The lone Democrat Glover, 40, served on the Good Hope City Council from 2012-2016. He wants to prioritize local power. 'Returning power to local communities, like just trying to wrestle away some of the power that the state government has taken from like local cities and towns, which plays in with SB 322,' Glover said in an interview on May 23. He also said he opposes HB 445, sponsored by Rep. Andy Whitt, R-Harvest, which was signed into law on May 14. The bill requires testing and labeling for all consumable hemp products and caps at 10 milligrams per individually wrapped product and 40 milligrams per package. It will require the Alcoholic Beverage Control (ABC) Board to license retailers of these products, restrict retail establishments selling hemp products and impose an excise tax on consumable hemp products. 'With the amount of jobs that I think that's going to cost, and the amount of like, government overreach that is involved with it is pretty disgusting,' he said. Finally, Glover wants to advocate for direct ballot initiatives in order for Alabamians to have a say in a state lottery. Nineteen states have direct ballot initiatives, which allow citizens to propose constitutional amendments. 'A lot of that goes back to us not being able to get the lottery amendment on the ballot, like sports gambling, any number of things, but where they just won't pass it in Montgomery to allow the citizens to vote,' he said. Glover said he is running for office to show the people of the district that there are Democrats and that they deserve to be represented. 'We still exist. And I think there's just a lack of enthusiasm and motivation,' he said. 'When you see a statewide ballot with no Democrats running, it makes people less likely to turn out, and then it looks like that they're just not there.' Meet the Candidates Age: 43 Residence: Cullman Occupation: Realtor, former teacher Education: Associates degree, Accounting, Snead State Community College, 2006; Bachelor's degree, elementary education, Athens State University, 2010; Master's degree, instructional leadership, Athens State University, 2024 Party: Republican Previous political experience: first-time candidate Age: 47 Residence: Cullman Occupation: self-employed at a used car dealership Education: Bachelor's degree, K-12 physical education, Athens State University, 1999 Party: Republican Previous political experience: Cullman City Council since 2008 Age: 40 Residence: Cullman Occupation: Parts manager at a poultry plant Education: High school diploma, Good Hope High School, 2002 Party: Democrat Previous political experience: Good Hope City Council 2012-2016 Age: 68 Residence: Cold Springs Occupation: Sales manager at Innovative Analytical Solutions Education: Associates's degree, electronics, National Institute of Technology, 1984 Party: Republican Previous political experience: first-time candidate SUPPORT: YOU MAKE OUR WORK POSSIBLE
Yahoo
30-05-2025
- Business
- Yahoo
Michigan football aims to flip Georgia's 2026 wide receiver during Ann Arbor visit
Michigan football already has one commitment in 2026 from a high school north of Atlanta who appeared to prefer an SEC school. Now the Wolverines are working on snagging another from just nine miles away from the other. It was something of a shock when the maize and blue were able to get a pledge from lifelong Alabama fan, four-star interior offensive lineman Bear McWhorter. McWhorter hails from White (Ga.) Cass, which is just nine miles from Cartersville -- the high school that produced Clemson standout Trevor Lawrence. Years removed from Lawrence's tenure, there's a four-star wide receiver committed to another SEC school that the Wolverines are working hard to flip. Georgia-committed wideout set to visit Ann Arbor Michigan is set to host official visitors for the annual spring-summer slate beginning on Friday, and On3's Ethan McDowell confirmed that the maize and blue are pulling something of a coup. 6-foot-1, 183-pound wide receiver Brady Marchese, from the aforementioned Cartersville, has been committed to Georgia since March, but it appears that he'll be on campus in Ann Arbor this weekend, starting on Saturday. Marchese is rated highest by ESPN, which has him as the No. 62 player in the country and eighth-best wide receiver and player from the state of Georgia. He also plans to visit the Bulldogs and Florida officially. Seeking wideouts in 2026 Michigan football already has one wide receiver committed in 2026 in Dallas (Tx.) Parish Episcopal three-star Jaylen Pile, who has been pledged to the Wolverines since fall 2024. But the maize and blue are targeting multiple other big names, with Miami (Fla.) Northwestern five-star Calvin Russell being the biggest target, but the maize and blue are also in a good spot with Chesapeake (Va.) Oscar Smith four-star Travis Johnson, Mansfield (Tx.) four-star Zion Robinson, and Rochester (N.Y.) James Monroe four-star Messiah Hampton. Advertisement The Wolverines excelled at flipping targets last cycle -- particularly within the SEC -- with Bryce Underwood coming from LSU, Shamari Earls coming from Georgia, Nate Marshall coming from Auburn, and Ty Haywood coming from Alabama. This article originally appeared on Wolverines Wire: Michigan football targets another 2026 star committed to SEC school
USA Today
30-05-2025
- Sport
- USA Today
Michigan football aims to flip Georgia's 2026 wide receiver during Ann Arbor visit
Michigan football aims to flip Georgia's 2026 wide receiver during Ann Arbor visit Michigan football already has one commitment in 2026 from a high school north of Atlanta who appeared to prefer an SEC school. Now the Wolverines are working on snagging another from just nine miles away from the other. It was something of a shock when the maize and blue were able to get a pledge from lifelong Alabama fan, four-star interior offensive lineman Bear McWhorter. McWhorter hails from White (Ga.) Cass, which is just nine miles from Cartersville -- the high school that produced Clemson standout Trevor Lawrence. Years removed from Lawrence's tenure, there's a four-star wide receiver committed to another SEC school that the Wolverines are working hard to flip. Georgia-committed wideout set to visit Ann Arbor Michigan is set to host official visitors for the annual spring-summer slate beginning on Friday, and On3's Ethan McDowell confirmed that the maize and blue are pulling something of a coup. 6-foot-1, 183-pound wide receiver Brady Marchese, from the aforementioned Cartersville, has been committed to Georgia since March, but it appears that he'll be on campus in Ann Arbor this weekend, starting on Saturday. Marchese is rated highest by ESPN, which has him as the No. 62 player in the country and eighth-best wide receiver and player from the state of Georgia. He also plans to visit the Bulldogs and Florida officially. Seeking wideouts in 2026 Michigan football already has one wide receiver committed in 2026 in Dallas (Tx.) Parish Episcopal three-star Jaylen Pile, who has been pledged to the Wolverines since fall 2024. But the maize and blue are targeting multiple other big names, with Miami (Fla.) Northwestern five-star Calvin Russell being the biggest target, but the maize and blue are also in a good spot with Chesapeake (Va.) Oscar Smith four-star Travis Johnson, Mansfield (Tx.) four-star Zion Robinson, and Rochester (N.Y.) James Monroe four-star Messiah Hampton. The Wolverines excelled at flipping targets last cycle -- particularly within the SEC -- with Bryce Underwood coming from LSU, Shamari Earls coming from Georgia, Nate Marshall coming from Auburn, and Ty Haywood coming from Alabama.
