Latest news with #Siegel
Egypt Independent
5 days ago
- Politics
- Egypt Independent
‘It haunts me daily:' Freed Israeli hostages fear for those still held captive by Hamas
Gazit, Israel CNN — Keith Siegel has been free for nearly four months, but he is still pained by vivid images of his 484 days as a Hamas hostage and of those still held in Gaza's tunnels. 'It haunts me daily,' Siegel, a dual US-Israeli citizen, told CNN. 'Everything that they're experiencing is very difficult for me to think about. I can't get those thoughts out of my mind.' Siegel isn't just talking about the physical and psychological abuse he was subjected to by his captors or the suffocating conditions and malnutrition he faced in tunnels deep underground. He's also terrified that Israel's intensifying bombardment and ground offensive will kill the remaining living hostages – or drive Hamas to execute them. Hamas and other militant groups kidnapped 251 people from Israel during the October 7, 2023 terror attacks. As Israel marks 600 days since the war began, Siegel and dozens of former hostages and relatives are renewing their call for a deal that will end the conflict and secure the release of all 58 still held captive, living and dead. Protesters blocked roads in Tel Aviv on Wednesday and gathered in Hostage Square and in front of the US embassy to put pressure on the Israeli government to make a deal with Hamas and return the remaining hostages. Omer Shem Tov is welcomed during his arrival at Logan Airport in Boston, on May 15. Charles Krupa/AP For Omer Shem Tov, among the last of the hostages to be released before the ceasefire collapsed in March, there is an ever-present feeling of guilt. Every time he eats, he thinks about the hostages not eating. Every time he showers, he knows those still captive in Gaza cannot. 'I can feel it here,' he says, pointing at his throat. 'I feel like I'm being choked.' Like many other released hostages, Siegel and Shem Tov have dedicated much of their newfound freedom to advocating for the release of those left behind. Shem Tov, 22, considers the hostages his brothers and sisters, after everything they have endured. 'I will fight for my family,' he told CNN. 'They're going through hell. And time is critical.' Most of the Israeli public wants to see a ceasefire deal to bring the remaining hostages home, according to numerous polls, but as those who survived captivity, the freed hostages are the movement's most powerful voices. They see their advocacy as a near-sacred obligation to those still in Gaza. 'The hostages' lives are now more critical than eliminating Hamas,' said Shem Tov. An Israeli military helicopter transporting Omer Shem Tov lands at Beilinson Schneider medical complex in Petah Tikva, Israel, on February 22, following Shem Tov's and fellow hostage Eliya Cohen's release from Hamas captivity. Ilia Yefimovich/Picture Alliance/DPA/AP Meanwhile, Siegel has raised awareness about the horrific conditions of captivity he endured and the dangers the remaining hostages face. Speaking from his daughter's home in northern Israel, Siegel looked healthier than when he was released in February. He has regained some of the weight he lost in captivity, color has returned to his face and he has been spending time with his family and out in nature. But his mind is never far from the tunnels of Gaza and thoughts of Matan Angrest, a 22-year-old Israeli soldier, and Omri Miran, a 48-year-old father-of-two, with whom he was held. 'I think about them every day. Many times a day. And I worry about them – and I miss them,' Siegel said. Siegel and Miran were held together for nearly five months, until July 2024, passing the time by talking about their shared taste in music and their love for their families. Miran has two daughters – Alma and Ronni, now aged 2 and 4 – whose names easily rolled off Siegel's tongue. 'It was very difficult for Omri to think about his daughters growing up without their dad and how hard it was for him to think about him missing their growing-up, their development milestones,' Siegel said. Miran called out directly to Siegel in a hostage video released by Hamas last month. Siegel said his fellow former captive looked like 'a different person… in a negative way.' Aviva Siegel and Keith Siegel attend a protest calling for the end of the war and the release of the remaining hostages at Hostages' Square in Tel Aviv, on March 18. Gil Cohen-Magen/AFP/Getty Images Siegel hesitates to describe his relationship with Angrest as one of a father and his son, but it's clear they built a special bond during the 67 days they were locked in a very small room, sharing a single bed. Angrest helped Siegel improve his Arabic, talked about his love of the Maccabi Haifa soccer team and day-dreamt about sharing a meal together at his parents' home and seeing a match once they're free. Siegel said he, Angrest and Miran used to pray that the Israeli military would rescue them in a daring operation. But that all changed in August when Hamas executed six hostages as Israeli troops closed in on their location. Siegel learned about it in captivity and his dreams quickly turned into nightmares. 'I was afraid that the IDF might try to rescue me and that I might be killed by the captors,' Siegel recalled. 'It's something that worries me in regards to the hostages that are still there.' He added that he believes Israel's expanding military operations now increase the threats to the hostages' lives, even as the Israeli military has pledged to take precautions to avoid harming the remaining captives. 'Hostages were killed from the war,' Siegel said. 'I think this can be avoided by getting all of the hostages back. That's the solution, to get them back – to reach an agreement that will bring them back.' People watch as smoke billows into the sky, following an Israeli strike in Jabalia, in the northern Gaza Strip on May 25. Bashar Taleb/AFP/Getty Images Shem Tov echoed his fears. The scariest moments in captivity, he said, were when Israeli bombs fell around him, weapons he knew were powerful enough where 'your life can be taken in every moment.' 'I was scared of dying from my own people, from my own brothers,' said Shem Tov. Siegel and Shem Tov have met with US President Donald Trump and Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and called on both to prioritize reaching a deal to free the hostages. While the Israeli prime minister has made clear he believes defeating Hamas is more important than freeing the hostages, many hostage advocates are placing their hopes in Trump's hands. 'I am home because of his efforts,' Siegel said. 'I believe that he wants to do this and it's important to him. He has told us that. I ask him to do whatever he can and to do it as soon as possible to get an agreement secured and to get them all back.' President Donald Trump speaks next to Keith Siegel and Aviva Siegel during the National Republican Congressional Committee dinner at the National Building Museum in Washington, DC, on April 8. Nathan Howard/Reuters Shem Tov also believed he was freed because of Trump's efforts. During their meeting in the Oval Office at the White House in March, Shem Tov said Trump told him 'that I have a good future ahead of me.' Shem Tov lost most than 50 pounds in captivity, he said. His food dwindled from just two pitas and some cheese daily at the beginning to a single biscuit. However, he said his treatment at the hands of Hamas improved after Trump's election, including receiving more food. Hamas also 'stopped cursing me, stopped spitting on me,' he said. He frequently talked politics with his captors and said they wanted Kamala Harris to win the US election. 'As soon as Donald Trump was elected, they understood that he wants to bring the hostages back home,' Shem Tov said.
Yahoo
5 days ago
- General
- Yahoo
American honeymoon hotspot hit by highly contagious illness, health officials warn
While cases of measles continue to spread throughout the U.S., Hawaii is reporting a new type of infectious spread. Pertussis, also known as whooping cough, is on the rise at a "worrying rate" in the Aloha State, the State of Hawaii Department of Health (DOH) confirmed last week in a news release. As of May 15, there have been 108 cases of pertussis reported, already exceeding the 84 total cases in 2024. Cdc Removes Covid Vaccine Recommendation For Healthy Children And Pregnant Women The DOH labeled pertussis a "highly contagious respiratory disease" that spreads through the air when an infected individual coughs or sneezes. Symptoms often resemble a cold but can progress to "intense coughing fits." Read On The Fox News App For children, these coughing fits can be followed by a "deep breath" that makes a "whooping" sound. "Health complications can be serious and even life-threatening, especially for infants and young children who are not fully vaccinated," the DOH warned. Complications can include pneumonia, seizures, apnea, encephalopathy (a disease of the brain) and death. Doctors Warn Of 'Trifecta' Of Chronic Illnesses Plaguing Americans After Maha Report The most effective way to prevent pertussis is through vaccination, according to the DOH. The DTaP (diphtheria, tetanus and pertussis) vaccine is administered to children under 7 years old and the Tdap (tetanus, diphtheria and pertussis) vaccine is for older children and adults. Multiple doses are generally recommended for infants, children and adults. "High vaccination rates protect individuals and communities and prevent cases from becoming outbreaks," the agency noted. "However, vaccination rates for all routinely recommended vaccinations for school entry – including those for measles, pertussis, polio and varicella (chickenpox) – have declined nationally and in Hawaii since 2019." Measles Outbreaks Emerge Across Us: See Which States Have Reported Cases Fox News senior medical analyst Dr. Marc Siegel confirmed that Hawaii is below the national average in terms of childhood vaccines, noting that the DTaP vaccine is "highly effective" in children, with close to 100% protection with appropriate dosages. "Pertussis is insidious, and can be easily mistaken for other respiratory diseases, including viruses," Siegel told Fox News Digital. "Pertussis, which is a bacteria, can be treated with antibiotics like doxycycline but is easily missed. The best protection is vaccination, including repeated boosters in teens and adults." Siegel explained that the "characteristic whoop" sound among children is caused by clogged airways that are not yet well-developed. Is Mmr Vaccine Safe For Kids? Dr. Nicole Saphier Addresses Concerns As Measles Cases Rise About one-third of babies under 1 year who contract whooping cough are at risk of hospitalization, according to the doctor. "The best protection is for everyone around them to be vaccinated," he said. "Pertussis outbreaks are now connected to a drop-off in early childhood vaccination." Neha Pathak, MD, WebMD chief physician editor, echoed that pertussis is "still a significant public health threat," especially for infants and people with weakened immune systems. "The DTaP (diphtheria, tetanus, pertussis) vaccine offers strong protection to children — about 98 out of 100 children are protected for at least a year after the fifth dose, and about 70% are still protected for up to five years," she said in an interview with Fox News Digital. While vaccines like measles, mumps and rubella (MMR) can provide lifelong protection, pertussis immunity decreases over time, which means boosters are necessary for adolescents and adults, Pathak noted. Click Here To Sign Up For Our Health Newsletter "The uptick in pertussis cases is concerning, but not surprising given what we are seeing with vaccine hesitancy," she commented. "Pregnant women should also get the Tdap vaccine during their third trimester to pass antibodies to their newborns, protecting them before they can be vaccinated," the doctor suggested. Hawaii confirmed two cases of measles in early April and concluded there was no further community spread. Despite the current situation being under control, the health department warned that measles exposure is still a threat among travelers. For more Health articles, visit "Measles cases in the United States continue to rise, with more than 1,000 cases already reported across 30 states this year," the department noted. "The risk remains high for future travel-related measles cases reaching Hawaii, and DOH recommends continued vigilance and efforts to increase the MMR vaccination rate." The DOH stressed its "strong" recommendation for children and adults to stay up to date with recommended vaccinations for disease article source: American honeymoon hotspot hit by highly contagious illness, health officials warn
Fox Sports
20-05-2025
- Automotive
- Fox Sports
Nolan Siegel Brings Winning Mindset to '500' from 2024 Lessons
INDYCAR The way Nolan Siegel approached last year's Last Chance Qualifying session for the 108th Running of the Indianapolis 500 presented by Gainbridge left a lasting impression on veteran driver Graham Rahal, even though Siegel crashed and failed to qualify. Siegel's commitment to pushing the No. 18 Dale Coyne Racing Honda to its limits, even at the risk of failure, resonated with Rahal, who expressed admiration for Siegel's fearless attitude and bright future in the NTT INDYCAR SERIES. In the final qualifying attempt, Siegel lost control in Turn 1, causing the car to spin and crash into the Turn 2 SAFER Barrier. 'Nolan (Siegel) is a young kid,' Rahal said last year. 'He has a bright future, and I expect to see him back here and doing great things. He may be a new name to a lot of people, but he's a name that you are going to become familiar with. He's won at every level. He's won at everything he's done. He'll be here.' Siegel, 20, returned this year not just as a participant, but as a contender. Now driving the No. 6 Arrow McLaren Chevrolet, he comfortably made the field and will start 24th on the grid, sharing Row 8 with legend Helio Castroneves (No. 06 Cliffs Honda) and Kyle Kirkwood (No. 27 Siemens Honda), winner of the 2025 Acura Grand Prix of Long Beach. Siegel credits last year's struggle with making him a better driver. 'That's helped me this year, for sure,' Siegel said. 'I'm a better driver now than I was then. That experience made a difference.' Last year, Siegel and Dale Coyne Racing knew early that qualifying would be challenging. Despite their best efforts, the car lacked the raw speed needed to compete. The morale drop was steep, and each session was a grind. 'Every outing last year was so much more difficult,' Siegel said. 'It just kind of wears on you after a while.' Siegel believes there's a stark contrast between the two teams, as Arrow McLaren is one of the series' power teams and DCR is one of its smallest. Winning is a focus and an expectation, which has given Siegel a mental boost. 'There's a lot more motivation when everyone around you is here to win,' he said. 'It's just a way different feeling.' After last year's '500,' which Siegel said he watched from a suite at IMS, he returned to his INDY NXT by Firestone season with HMD Motorsports June 2 on the streets of Detroit. A week later, he was called into action to substitute for Agustin Canapino with Juncos Hollinger Racing at Road America. The next week, he was part of the United Autosports entry for the 24 Hours of Le Mans and helped the team, along with drivers Oliver Jarvis and Bijoy Garg, win the LMP2 class. Siegel then signed with Arrow McLaren in late June to drive the final 10 races of the 2024 season and full time in 2025. He enters Sunday's '500' 18th in points but is ascending after a ninth-place finish May 4 at Barber Motorsports Park and finishing 13th in the Sonsio Grand Prix on May 10 that opened Month of May racing activities at Indianapolis Motor Speedway. 'I'm hungry for it after last year,' Siegel said. 'I've been waiting to come back, and I've wanted to be here and not just be here to be in the show. I want to be here to compete and try to win the race. It's a different feeling now, and I want to show people that I can be competitive here.' recommended
Indianapolis Star
20-05-2025
- Automotive
- Indianapolis Star
He broke both wrists, then 'kicked everyone's a--.' How Nolan Siegel became rising star
INDIANAPOLIS — Nolan Siegel sat in an ambulance with two broken wrists after his kart sandwiched between drivers and flipped over during a practice heat at SKUSA SuperNats in Las Vegas. There were no tears in the 11-year-old's eyes, just a broad smile. That same attitude and resilience would be required nine years later. Siegel's car hit the wall and flipped over on Fast Friday in 2024, leaving him with a backup vehicle heading into qualifying weekend for the 2024 Indianapolis 500. Qualifying produced the same fate: another crash. Siegel learned from the accidents and, with the 109th rendition of the Indy 500 race approaching, the 20-year-old is determined to redeem himself. 'This year it's way more exciting because instead of the goal being to qualify for the race, the goal is to win the race and that's a way better position to be in,' Siegel told IndyStar. 'Rather than dread going back on track after last year, I'm really excited to be competitive this year.' Siegel said his experience last year taught him how to stay positive in unfortunate situations. His biggest challenge was staying motivated during a time when he felt like 'every day there was something tough to work through.' Before Siegel ran the qualifying race, he told his father, Mark Siegel, that he would crash because of the car's poor downforce, and he did, causing him to miss last year's 500. Mark said it was for his son to accumulate experience and he believes the crashes helped Siegel's confidence. 'That crash was very character-building,' Mark said, seated in his son's infield trailer. 'He went out in the backup car after the initial crash and said, 'I know this thing is slow, but I'm going to give it 100% no matter what.' Having gone through the worst day in his racing life, that goes in the experience bank and it's something where if you can get through that, you can get through anything.' A month after the qualifying-day crash, Siegel responded with a victory at the 24 Hours of Le Mans. The 2023 Indy NXT Firestone Rookie of the Year signed a multi-year deal with Arrow McLaren three days after his victory in France, joining a team consisting of drivers Pato O'Ward and Christian Lundgaard. Siegel compared the group to a 'family that travels together.' He said the trio combines their different experiences to make their cars faster and help one another discern the best ways to build each other up. After practice Thursday, O'Ward likened Siegel's incident to when he crashed during an Indy 500 practice session in 2019. 'I told him after he got bumped, you're lucky you actually got bumped because it's miserable to drive out here with a car that sucks. I would much rather not be in the race than have to do the 200 laps with a car that is miserable,' O'ward said. 'This year, he's with a team that gives him room to showcase what he's got in speed. He's in good hands in that regard.' Arrow McLaren elevated O'Ward's previous performance engineer Kate Gundlach to Siegel's race engineer. Eric Hestekin was promoted to Siegel's performance engineer over the offseason as well. Former Indy 500 Rookie of the Year JR Hildebrand joined Arrow McLaren mid-May as a driver advisor. Hildebrand believes Siegel put last year's crash 'behind him' and called the California native 'cerebral,' praising him for his ability to receive feedback. 'That's such a big part of being able to be successful here. It's a complicated thing that we're doing, so the other side of that is if you've got the bandwidth to consume more information, that allows us to work through the program a little bit more quickly,' Hildebrand said. 'I've been really impressed with just his ability to take things. You see the outcome of that on track.' Siegel met Arrow McLaren team principal Tony Kanaan after his crash in May 2024. Kanaan praised the team for how they support Siegel and the former Indianapolis 500 champion said he chose Siegel with the goal to develop him. 'I think he's going to bring us some podiums for sure,' Kanaan told IndyStar. 'Having such a young kid that wants to learn so much, telling him your little tricks and then seeing him say, 'Wow that's how you did it,' … it's been rewarding for me. It reminds me how (Alex) Zanardi did it for me. 'We met here last year under very different circumstances so seeing him grow and make it to almost all Q2s and him having a decent month makes me feel confident that I'm able to pass through my experience to him. Now that he's here, he wants more. He closed the gap fast but that last bit is going to take experience which I can't buy or explain for him.' Winning was part of Kanaan's racing experience. It's also been part of Siegel's. On Annette's office desk in her Palo Alto home rests an 8.5 by 11 picture of an elated Siegel holding a trophy half the size of his body. For his 14th birthday, Annette and Mark Siegel let their son participate in the RoK Sonoma Series. 'He just kicked everyone's ass,' Annette told IndyStar. 'That for me is the moment when I went, 'OK, I think this is it.'' In the picture, a broad Siegel smile — similar to the one when he broke both wrists. Annette said mothers called him 'easy rider' when he was in grade school because of his tranquil demeanor. Through trial and triumph, the 20-year-old doesn't change. 'He keeps an incredibly cool head through it all,' said Siegel's sister, Sophia. 'The thing that I admire most about Nolan is that he's had a tough break, but also has had a lot of success. Success is a kind of thing that could give a kid a big ego and he has so much humility.' As for his perseverance over the last 12 months, his big sister takes credit. 'I would like to think that my tough love as a kid has instilled in him a sense of resilience and fortitude against hardship that has helped him today,' Sophia said. Sophia, 23, participated in the 2024 Fédération Equestre Internationale World Cup finals. She said Siegel attempted to ride a horse three times when he was younger, but fell each time. He settled for hijacking Sophia's pink toy convertible car. 'We had a Thomas the Train that would go around the little tracks and Nolan loved that,' Sophia said. 'He was always into anything with an engine and a motor, which is kind of funny to think about.' Siegel's brown labradoodle, Otis, rests his body on a couch. Across from Otis, Sophia's black Icelandic sheepdog, Baila, lies down on the floor underneath the table where Mark and Annette sit in Siegel's blue-and-white RV. Relaxed dogs, laughter and smiles dominate the atmosphere on Fast Friday morning as parents discuss their son's journey on a small patch of land on a lot at the Indianapolis Motor Speedway. For a brief moment at the end of their conversation with IndyStar, the smiles and laughter dissipated. Mark's eyes started to water as he shared what about his son, now a young man, makes him proud. 'The character, the grit, the persistence,' he said. 'I get emotional just talking about it. What more do you want from a kid?' Before her husband could utter another word, Annette interjected. The smiles returned.
Yahoo
19-05-2025
- Health
- Yahoo
Medical expert 'absolutely shocked' by timing of Biden's prostate cancer diagnosis
Former President Joe Biden's advanced prostate cancer diagnosis has left Fox News senior medical analyst Dr. Marc Siegel "absolutely shocked" by the timing. "It has to get really pretty far advanced usually before you could have urinary symptoms leading to urinary retention," Siegel explained Monday on "Fox & Friends." "Thank God they found it. [Biden is] a fighter. He's been through a tremendous amount in his life… with his son, with [his] wife, with [his] daughter. Two aneurysms, atrial fibrillation. He's been through a lot health-wise, but I am absolutely shocked that they didn't find this earlier." The former president was diagnosed with prostate cancer with metastasis to the bone after experiencing "increasing urinary symptoms," his office confirmed on Sunday. Biden Speaks Out For First Time Since Cancer Diagnosis Siegel said prostate cancer diagnoses typically occur before symptoms begin, meaning the former president likely had the condition for "months and months" and his stunningly late diagnosis is more than a personal health concern, but rather is a wake-up call concerning screening protocols. Read On The Fox News App "[It's] really, really surprising that it's this advanced at the time of diagnosis," he said. "Now, you can miss prostate cancer, but most of the time, regular screening picks it up." Siegel finds the diagnosis especially alarming for a recently-sitting president, who would likely receive advanced screenings while in office, including a routine PSA (prostate-specific antigen) test. Biden Battling 'Most Aggressive Type' Of Prostate Cancer With Bone Metastasis, Medical Expert Says The PSA test would detect such cancers most of the time, but Biden's diagnosis came after a small nodule was discovered in his prostate gland. "If he's diagnosed by somebody feeling a nodule, that's not – these days – the way we do it most of the time," Siegel shared. Biden's office revealed the "aggressive" cancer is "hormone-sensitive," allowing for effective management. This anti-testosterone-type therapy, Siegel explained, can come in either oral or injectable form now, and Biden will likely receive that treatment. "He should get personalized treatment, too. There's a lot of debate about whether you should do surgery, whether you should do radiation, [or] what you should [do] to that bone metastasy [sic]… the fact that there's only one [metastasy] is better than if there was more than that. That's good. He has to be monitored very, very closely," he added. The cancer's Gleason score of nine – in Siegel's words – signals it's "quite aggressive" and "moving pretty fast," so doctors will need to begin with anti-hormone therapy in hopes of shrinking the nodule and perhaps employ more focused radiation on the bone lesion to decrease its size and reduce pain. Still, the prognosis is less than ideal. "Over the last five years, the entire treatment for prostate cancer has changed, but still, his five-year survival rate might be under 50%, even with all of that," Siegel added. "But the key here is early response. Will he have early response? They're gonna see in the first six months how he does with his initial therapy. But I can't emphasize enough… personalized approach. I might say hormone therapy, [and] they [the doctors] might be saying hormone therapy, but with a former president, they might do a smattering of things. And two, early diagnosis is key." "For everyone out there, every male out there over the age of 45, get your prostate checked, and I personally don't say a certain age is too old. I say keep going."Original article source: Medical expert 'absolutely shocked' by timing of Biden's prostate cancer diagnosis
