Latest news with #SarahMorris
Politico
15-07-2025
- Health
- Politico
HIV prevention gets an AI upgrade
WORLD VIEW Artificial intelligence chatbots could help with the introduction of a twice-yearly shot that can help prevent HIV, experts said at the International AIDS Society conference on HIV science in Rwanda on Monday. How so: Chatbots that answer people's questions on sex, health and other issues; help them self-test and interpret results and then connect them with health providers for prevention and treatment options are being tested in countries like South Africa to increase HIV prevention and treatment. 'We see these tools as demand-generation engines,' said Sarah Morris, chief product officer at Audere, a Seattle-based digital health company that's been involved in creating and testing such chatbots. Why it matters: 'They can help people in a private safe space with counseling, help them understand why testing or [pre-exposure prophylaxis] might be right for them, and we're hoping that this lays a really nice glide path for [lenacapavir] introduction,' she said referring to Gilead's HIV prevention shot just approved by the FDA. HIV experts believe the drug will be transformative in decreasing the number of new HIV infections if made available at scale globally. AI companions aren't judgmental and don't gossip, but they can provide access to confidential advice and support, said Shawn Malone, HIV/AIDS project director at the global health nonprofit PSI, who's worked on another chatbot in South Africa. Malone stressed that the AI tool 'is in no way meant to replace face-to-face care,' but 'we are hoping that we can take some pressure off providers so that they can use the very limited time they have in a way that's most meaningful, that's most impactful.' WELCOME TO FUTURE PULSE This is where we explore the ideas and innovators shaping health care. Ancient Greek philosopher Plato would see AI as 'intriguing and persuasive – but misleading, and far from the truth,' said former Greek Prime Minister George Papandreou, Euronews reports. Share any thoughts, news, tips and feedback with Danny Nguyen at dnguyen@ Carmen Paun at cpaun@ Ruth Reader at rreader@ or Erin Schumaker at eschumaker@ Want to share a tip securely? Message us on Signal: Dannyn516.70, CarmenP.82, RuthReader.02 or ErinSchumaker.01. WORKFORCE President Donald Trump's Federal Trade Commission is considering whether to defend a Biden-era rule that would ban employers from requiring workers to sign agreements that would bar or restrict them from quitting and joining rivals. President Joe Biden's FTC approved the rule in 2024, but before it could go into effect, courts blocked it on the grounds that the agency had overstepped its authority. On Thursday, the deadline to decide whether to back the rule, the FTC requested a 60-day extension. Earlier that week, Sen. Chris Murphy (D-Conn.) urged the Trump administration to stand behind the rule. 'I would love for the Trump administration to defend the rule,' Murphy said during a livestream on social platform X last week. 'It's a pro-worker rule, it's a pro-startup, pro-entrepreneurship rule, and just because it has Biden's fingerprints on it shouldn't mean it's not worth pursuing.' Washington watch: With Sens. Todd Young (R-Ind.), Tim Kaine (D-Va.) and Kevin Cramer (R-N.D.),Murphy has introduced bipartisan legislation to limit the use of noncompete agreements except in certain circumstances. 'We'll continue to pursue our bipartisan legislation,' Murphy said. 'If we want to do something about wages in this country, we've got to stop this gimmick.' Why it matters for doctors and hospitals: Hospital administrators have said they rely on such contracts to protect their businesses from cutthroat competition for talent. Both the American Hospital Association and the Federation of American Hospitals are among the hospital groups that have lobbied for an exemption. Doctors would benefit from a noncompete ban: A large share of them — 45 percent in group practices and likely many more in other areas of medicine — are bound by the contract provisions. In the states: While a handful of states have laws that limit noncompete agreements, Florida is taking a different approach by expanding them. This spring, state legislators passed the CHOICE Act, which permits agreements of up to four years instead of two. Kevin Paule, an attorney who handles noncompete agreements and business divorce cases at the Florida-based law firm Hill Ward Henderson, described the law as unusual, but noted it's not an across-the-board extension since it applies only to workers with an income above a certain threshold. It also includes a carveout for licensed health care providers. 'In some respects, there's a limiting component of this, but it definitely draws out the period that somebody would have to sit on the sidelines,' Paule told Erin. 'This gives employers a lot more teeth to put in their employment agreements if they want to.' What's next: Since Florida doesn't have a pocket veto, the CHOICE Act became law on July 1 without GOP Gov. Ron DeSantis signing the bill. Nationally, the FTC's new deadline to decide whether to back the noncompetes rule is Sept. 8.
USA Today
23-06-2025
- USA Today
Why scooters and e-bikes are the newest travel hazard you didn't see coming
Sarah Morris used to love riding an e-scooter. Until her accident. Morris, a tour guide from Seattle, lost control of her rental last year and wiped out. "The handlebars came back at me and hit me square in the face, knocking me unconscious," she remembered. "I fell to the ground and slashed my chin and forehead open on the gravel." The accident left her with 60 stitches to her head, a traumatic brain injury, and a new perspective on motorized scooters. "Now, I have zero tolerance for them," she said. Check out Elliott Confidential, the newsletter the travel industry doesn't want you to read. Each issue is filled with breaking news, deep insights, and exclusive strategies for becoming a better traveler. But don't tell anyone! That's becoming a popular opinion. Many major tourist destinations, such as New York, Paris and Madrid, have either banned or strictly limited e-scooters. Many more are on the verge of going scooter-free. I agree with Morris. I've traveled around the world, and there seems to be one constant: the ever-present motorized scooters and bikes on the sidewalks, weaving between pedestrians. It's time to put an end to the madness. "There are a lot of reasons travelers should remain very aware of their surroundings, but the popularity of e-bikes and scooters in tourist destinations definitely adds urgency to that," said John Gobbels, chief operating officer of Medjet, a membership program that provides air medical transport and travel security services. Flying mistakes you'll wish you didn't make; from bad seat swaps to spilled drinks How dangerous are e-bikes and scooters to tourists? Medjet has seen an uptick in transport calls related to e-bike and scooter accidents from both sides – the rider getting hurt and someone who got hit by the e-bike or scooter. A recent national study by the University of California at San Francisco found that accident rates were soaring in the United States, with e-bicycle injuries doubling every year from 2017 to 2022 and e-scooter injuries rising by 45% each year. In rare cases, the incidents can seriously injure travelers. For example, a hit-and-run with a motorized scooter in West Hollywood left one woman with a fractured skull and brain swelling. And an American visiting Sydney was struck by an e-bike while crossing a path where cycling was not allowed, sending him to the hospital with a serious brain injury. Rental companies are aware of the problems and say they are working to make their scooters safer. Lime, one of the largest scooter rental companies, told me that it's developing rider education and on-vehicle technology. It also shares its rider data with cities to determine where infrastructure improvements like protected bike lanes would be most valuable. 'Safety is at the core of our mission at Lime, and the foundation for successful micromobility programs," says Lime spokesman Jacob Tugendrajch. He noted that 99.99% of Lime trips end without any reported incident. Yet most run-ins between visitors and these new mobility devices go unreported. Even if they're just close calls or clips, they can really affect the visitor experience in that they leave people stunned and frightened. And, to be fair, it's often tourists who do it to each other. They rent an e-scooter or bike for a few hours and race it around town, sometimes taking the vehicle for a joyride on the sidewalk. What's the problem with scooters and e-bikes? So what's wrong with these popular urban mobility vehicles? Nothing – and everything. Nothing, in the sense that they are not inherently dangerous. A scooter or e-bike operated carefully in a dedicated bike lane can get you from point A to point B quickly and safely. Problem is, a mobility lane isn't always available. "In the street, e-scooter riders feel unsafe because of cars, which can easily kill an e-scooter rider," said Ralph Buehler, a professor of Urban Affairs and Planning at Virginia Tech. "On sidewalks, e-scooter riders feel that they are endangering pedestrians, and they can't move freely." But that's not all. E-bikes are bulkier and faster than conventional bikes, and they can easily reach speeds of 30 miles per hour. And the newest e-scooters, though a bit slower, are built like a tank. In the wrong hands, they're a menace to pedestrians. Tourists are afraid of e-bikes and scooters Travelers don't really think about the safety of a pedestrian walkway until they're actually standing on it. But if you ask them about the threat of scooters, they're not shy about sharing their opinions. Jenna Rose Robbins, a web consultant who lives in Los Angeles, said Miami is pretty awful when it comes to scooters. "The scooters and e-bikes are a nuisance," she said. "I was nearly hit on numerous occasions, and there was a certain lawlessness to it all -- no signs saying not to ride them on sidewalks, piles of scooters on almost every corner." Morris, the tour guide from Seattle, told me her "zero tolerance" attitude toward e-bikes and scooters wasn't just the result of her collision. Her experience of showing visitors Seattle cemented her position. "I've personally been clipped multiple times just walking down the sidewalk," she said. "Riders often don't realize that walking tours stop, move, and change direction, which leads to frequent close calls." What should you do about the dangerous streets? I'm currently in Christchurch, New Zealand, where pedestrians have to be extra careful. In fact, I just returned from a walk through town and counted three close calls – one e-bike, two scooters. They were all on the sidewalk. I asked Chris Davlantes, an emergency room physician, what to do about this problem. Davlantes, a concussion expert and senior medical director for Abbott's point of care diagnostics business, has some firsthand experience. He was recently riding an e-scooter and collided with a pedestrian who wandered into the bike lane. The pedestrian was fine, but Davlantes went airborne and suffered a concussion, bilateral nasal bone fractures, two broken bones in his right wrist and a broken finger on his left hand. "Always be attentive," he said. "Especially when crossing the street at an intersection – and even if you have the right of way." Read between the lines: Stay off your phone and watch where you're going. Never step into the bike lane unless you first look both ways. And be aware that e-bikes and scooters are fast and heavy – and very quiet. He added that if you're in an accident and hit your head, you should get checked out even if you feel OK. "When it comes to concussions, it's never best to wait and see," he warned. "For your best chance at a full recovery, seek professional medical help immediately." The sidewalk should be off-limits to e-bikes and scooters But what about the problem of e-bikes and scooters on the sidewalk? If you're traveling anywhere this summer, you should assume that you'll be sharing the pedestrian walkway with fast-moving vehicles, and they won't always be on their best behavior. This is not a difficult problem, and it's not a controversial solution. These vehicles should never be allowed on the sidewalk, ever. And e-bikes should probably be on the road, since they are practically mopeds, anyway. I used to think pickpockets and tourist traps were the biggest threats to visitors, but those are usually easy to avoid. E-bikes and scooters, not so much. Be careful out there. Christopher Elliott is an author, consumer advocate, and journalist. He founded Elliott Advocacy, a nonprofit organization that helps solve consumer problems. He publishes Elliott Confidential, a travel newsletter, and the Elliott Report, a news site about customer service. If you need help with a consumer problem, you can reach him here or email him at chris@
Yahoo
02-04-2025
- Sport
- Yahoo
Success for both islands at de Putron quiz final
There were wins for both Guernsey and Jersey in the final round of an annual quiz between the islands' schools. After a number of knock-out stages four teams remained in the 2025 de Putron challenge, which took place at Les Cotils in Guernsey on Tuesday. Guernsey's Blanchelande College came first in the year 8 competition beating Jersey's St Michael's Prep School. In the year 6 round, Jersey's Victoria College came out top ahead of the team from Guernsey's Melrose school. Despite not winning, the Melrose team were pleased with their performance. Charlotte, 11, said: "It feels really good because we are the best school on Guernsey. "So even if we didn't win the whole thing it feels really good to get into the final." Their teacher Sarah Morris was also impressed: "I felt frazzled and I was sat on a chair and I wasn't having to answer it in front of everyone. "They did really well and I'm very, very proud," she said. Follow BBC Guernsey on X and Facebook. Follow BBC Jersey on X and Facebook. Send your story ideas to Two schools make it to Channel Islands quiz final De Putron Challenge
BBC News
05-03-2025
- Sport
- BBC News
Two Guernsey schools make it to Channel Islands quiz final
Two schools in Guernsey will be taking part in the final of an annual quiz for pupils from the Channel Guernsey heat of the 2025 de Putron challenge took place on Tuesday at Beau Sejour Leisure Centre in Guernsey for Year 6 and Year 8 school in the island took part, with Year 6s from Melrose School and Year 8s from Blanchlande School chosen to compete in the Jersey heat will take place at the Jersey Royal Showground on 18 March. Melrose School teacher Sarah Morris said she was "bursting with pride" after the Year 6 team's achievement, adding it involved "a lot of preparation".Ms Morris added the team would be "heads down preparing for the final". 'Absolutely elated' Melrose School pupil Ava, 10, said: "It was quite nerve-racking. "But it was really fun and exciting."Sienna, 11, also a Melrose School pupil, said: "I felt really nervous but when I found out we got into the final I was absolutely elated."Charlotte said there were some tough questions. The teams will compete at the inter-island final in Guernsey this year at Les Cotils on 1 April.
Yahoo
16-02-2025
- Health
- Yahoo
From breast cancer to HIV, how AI is set to revolutionise healthcare
This week's artificial intelligence summit in Paris highlights the potential for use of the technology in healthcare, with AI offering new diagnostic tools and treatment options – although experts stress it will not replace human expertise, and caution there is still work to do in how it is implemented. Among the AI projects being showcased beneath the glass roof of the Grand Palais is a robot that could help to break down barriers in healthcare. "Our AI will provide practical, tailored answers to questions about sexual health and HIV prevention, which are still very taboo subjects. Our users can ask all the questions they want, and our AI will guide them through self-testing and, if necessary, put them in touch anonymously with clinicians," said Sarah Morris, marketing manager for South African-American company Audere, which produces this robot. Why the African continent has a role to play in developing AI While this week's AI Action Summit in Paris is a showcase for future developments in the sphere, AI is already being used to support healthcare professionals. Read more on RFI English
