Latest news with #U.S.ArmySpecialForces
See - Sada Elbalad
6 days ago
- Entertainment
- See - Sada Elbalad
Noah Centineo to Play Rambo in Prequel Movie "John Rambo"
Yara Sameh Noah Centineo has signed on to play a young John Rambo, the role made famous by Sylvester Stallone, in a new 'Rambo' prequel from Millennium Media titled 'John Rambo.' The first 'Rambo' film was based on David Morrell's 1972 novel 'First Blood,' about a troubled Vietnam War veteran and former U.S. Army Special Forces Soldier who is an expert in weaponry, hand-to-hand combat and guerrilla warfare. The five-film franchise, consisting of 'First Blood' (1982), 'Rambo: First Blood Part II' (1985), 'Rambo III' (1988), 'Rambo' (2008), and 'Rambo: Last Blood' (2019), has grossed over $800 million worldwide. Centineo rose to fame for his role on 'The Fosters' before breaking out with a scene-stealing turn as heartthrob Peter Kavinsky in Netflix's 'To All the Boys I've Loved Before' films. He also starred in and executive produced the spy adventure series 'The Recruit' for the streamer. In 2022, Centineo appeared opposite Dwayne 'The Rock' Johnson in 'Black Adam' as Atom Smasher. Most recently, he portrayed gunner Brian Zawi in Ray Mendoza and Alex Garland's 'Warfare' for A24, alongside Joseph Quinn, Kit Connor, Charles Melton and D'Pharaoh Woon-A-Tai. Additional credits include 'Charlie's Angels' and 'Sierra Burgess Is a Loser.' Centineo also helms production banner Arkhum Productions alongside Enzo Marc, which debuted its first feature, 'Our Hero, Balthazar' at Tribeca earlier this year. Written and directed by Oscar Boyson, the film is a black comedy about a wealthy teen who makes social media videos pleading for stricter gun laws as a ploy to get attention, before his life changes when he meets up with an online troll who says he's planning a school shooting. read more New Tourism Route To Launch in Old Cairo Ahmed El Sakka-Led Play 'Sayidati Al Jamila' to Be Staged in KSA on Dec. 6 Mandy Moore Joins Season 2 of "Dr. Death" Anthology Series Don't Miss These Movies at 44th Cairo Int'l Film Festival Today Amr Diab to Headline KSA's MDLBEAST Soundstorm 2022 Festival Arts & Culture Mai Omar Stuns in Latest Instagram Photos Arts & Culture "The Flash" to End with Season 9 Arts & Culture Ministry of Culture Organizes four day Children's Film Festival Arts & Culture Canadian PM wishes Muslims Eid-al-Adha Videos & Features Story behind Trending Jessica Radcliffe Death Video News Israeli-Linked Hadassah Clinic in Moscow Treats Wounded Iranian IRGC Fighters Arts & Culture "Jurassic World Rebirth" Gets Streaming Date News China Launches Largest Ever Aircraft Carrier News Ayat Khaddoura's Final Video Captures Bombardment of Beit Lahia Business Egyptian Pound Undervalued by 30%, Says Goldman Sachs Videos & Features Tragedy Overshadows MC Alger Championship Celebration: One Fan Dead, 11 Injured After Stadium Fall Arts & Culture South Korean Actress Kang Seo-ha Dies at 31 after Cancer Battle Lifestyle Get to Know 2025 Eid Al Adha Prayer Times in Egypt Arts & Culture Lebanese Media: Fayrouz Collapses after Death of Ziad Rahbani
Los Angeles Times
26-06-2025
- Health
- Los Angeles Times
California veterans fight to fast-track study of ‘lifesaving' psychedelic therapy
For years after his service in Afghanistan and Iraq, U.S. Army Special Forces veteran Joe Hudak fought a daily battle against a voice inside his head screaming anxious, dark and dangerous thoughts. He lost multiple team members in combat during his two-decade career in the Green Berets and tried everything he could to treat his post-traumatic stress disorder — talk therapy, group therapy, medication and even swimming with dolphins. But the voice only grew louder, leading Hudak to attempt to take his own life. He survived, but many service members do not. An average of 17.6 veterans died by suicide each day in 2022, the latest year for which data are available. 'I couldn't be happy. I was angry and fearful all the time, white-knuckling it through life,' he said. 'Then, out of the blue, a buddy from the counterterrorism unit called me up one day and was like, 'Hey would you be interested in trying psychedelics?'' A few weeks later, Hudak was en route from San Diego to Mexico to participate in a Stanford observational study using a psychedelic called ibogaine to treat post-traumatic stress disorder, anxiety and depression among Special Forces veterans. After just one dose, Hudak experienced what he had desperately been searching for — silence. 'That voice in my head was gone. It [ibogaine] saved my life,' he said. 'And I don't mean that flippantly; I mean that, legitimately, it saved my life.' A month after the treatment, study participants experienced on average an 88% reduction in PTSD symptoms, 87% reduction in depression symptoms and 81% reduction in anxiety symptoms. 'The before and after difference was just so striking,' said Dr. Ian Kratter, a Stanford neuropsychiatrist who co-led the study. Hudak's trip was sponsored by nonprofit organization Veterans Exploring Treatment Solutions, which has helped more than 1,000 veterans access psychedelic therapy abroad. Buoyed by the positive results in Mexico, the organization is spearheading legislative solutions to help make these treatments available in the U.S. In California, VETS is currently advocating for Assembly Bill 1103, which would help fast-track the approval of academic studies on psychedelics. Psychedelics such as ibogaine, ayahuasca, psilocybin, LSD and MDMA have all shown promising results in treating mental health conditions including PTSD, traumatic brain injury and treatment-resistant depression. But they currently have no federally approved medical uses. 'We realized that the only way to really get ahead of the veteran suicide epidemic is through research and policy change,' said Amber Capone, who co-founded VETS with husband Marcus Capone, a former Navy SEAL who also credits ibogaine with saving his life. In 2023, Gov. Gavin Newsom vetoed a bill that would have decriminalized the possession of psychedelics, asking lawmakers to first focus on establishing regulations for their therapeutic use. Sen. Scott Wiener (D-San Francisco), responded by proposing a 2024 bill to legalize psychedelic-assisted therapy, but it died in session. AB 1103 is more narrow in scope and would focus on changes to the Research Advisory Panel of California, which is responsible for approving any Food and Drug Administration-approved studies involving the administration of Schedule I and II drugs. This state-level regulatory burden, which does not exist outside of the California, can delay the start of studies. Delays have real consequences, as more veterans are dying by suicide in America on a daily basis than died each day during the Vietnam or Gulf wars, said Khurshid Khoja, VETS policy director, who helped draft AB 1103. 'It is such an extraordinarily high number that if it were happening in a battlefield, there would be mass protests, but instead this is happening quietly,' he said. 'If help comes in time for one veteran, to us it's worth it.' California's Research Advisory Panel was established in the late 1960s to vet studies on controlled substances for safety and legitimacy and help them move forward without law enforcement concerns. In 1970, Congress passed the Controlled Substances Act, which dictated the steps researchers across the country had to take to use controlled substances in their research. California never eliminated the advisory panel and thus ended up with both a state and federal approval process. Issues with the advisory panel became apparent last year when it did not meet for 11 months due to a tussle over a state law requiring government meetings to be held in public. A state bill that VETS supported last legislative session helped get meetings running again, but for almost a year no new research proposals involving psychedelics could move ahead in California. AB 1103 seeks to establish a permanent solution by allowing studies on Schedule I and II drugs to be approved without having to wait for a meeting of the full advisory panel. Under the bill, researchers who can show that their FDA-approved study is already compliant with California law would be eligible to have their proposal approved by a smaller group of panel members within a matter of days. The bill, which is sponsored by Assemblymember Christopher Ward (D-San Diego), cleared the state Assembly last month and is now awaiting approval in the state Senate. Although there have been debates over whether the Research Advisory Panel should be nixed entirely, VETS supports reforming and keeping the panel, saying that it plays a helpful role in ensuring the safety of these pioneering studies. Ibogaine, for example, can cause heart complications if the patient's cardiac health is not properly assessed before administration. Psychedelics can trigger psychosis in individuals with underlying mental health conditions and, in rare occasions, can cause seizures. Interest in the therapeutic use of psychedelics is now surging across the nation, and veterans are playing an important role in making inroads among conservative groups who have previously opposed pursuing legalization of these substances. When one thinks of a stereotypical psychedelics supporter, an image of a tie-dye-clad hippie living on a commune in California and protesting against war may come to mind. Army veterans are a different population. Many come from the South and Midwest, tend to lean right and often hold conservative values. This can give them a powerful voice when speaking to both sides of the aisle and helping pass bipartisan legislation. Earlier this month, Texas passed a VETS-sponsored bill creating a $50-million state fund for drug development trials for ibogaine — the largest publicly funded psychedelic research initiative launched by any government worldwide. One of the biggest champions of the bill was Rick Perry, the former Texas governor and an Air Force veteran. 'I've heard the stories, studied the research, and looked these Veterans and warfighters in the eye — men who came back from ibogaine treatment in Mexico healed and finally whole,' Perry said in a statement on the bill's passage. 'Ibogaine gave them peace when nothing else could.' Ibogaine is a psychoactive compound from the root bark of a West African shrub and has been used by Indigenous people for medical and spiritual purposes for hundreds of years. Ingesting it brings on an intense introspective psychedelic trip that researchers say can help people process trauma or emotional pain underlying their substance abuse or mental health disorders. Another veteran who participated in the Stanford study said he experienced life-changing effects within days of undergoing ibogaine treatment. 'I had no desire to drink, no desire to chew tobacco, no suicidal ideation. I just felt whole again,' said Sean, who asked that his last name to be withheld due to employment concerns. Sean also experienced significant improvements on memory and cognition tests after returning from Mexico. Some researchers have reported that ibogaine may be able to help repair areas of the brain by increasing levels of molecules called trophic factors that encourage brain cells to foster new connections, said Kratter, the Stanford researcher. 'If this is the way it works, it may help the brain rewire itself in a healthier manner,' he said. Kratter said the results of the Stanford observational study were 'very encouraging' and that they demand replication in larger controlled trials. Three years after undergoing ibogaine treatment, Sean remains sober and has an excellent relationship with himself and his family, he said. 'I became something of an evangelist for it, because it's lifesaving,' he said. 'I have six people I worked with very closely in the military that have committed suicide. If we can get this out there and save lives, it's huge.'
Epoch Times
21-05-2025
- Politics
- Epoch Times
New US Ambassador to Mexico, a Former CIA Official, Welcomed in Mexico's National Palace
The new U.S. ambassador to Mexico, Ronald Johnson—a former CIA official for more than 20 years and former Green Beret in the U.S. Army Special Forces—arrived in Mexico this week for his first meeting with Mexican President Claudia Sheinbaum. Johnson, who was President Donald Trump's U.S. ambassador to El Salvador from 2019 to 2021, presented his credentials to Sheinbaum in a ceremony at the National Palace in Mexico City on May 19, which he attended with his wife, Alina Johnson, alongside other newly appointed ambassadors to Mexico.
USA Today
05-02-2025
- Entertainment
- USA Today
Kultida Woods, mother of Tiger Woods, dies: 'She was my biggest fan'
Kultida Woods, the mother of 15-time major champion Tiger Woods, has died, her son announced on social media. She was 80. No cause of death is known at this time. "It is with heartfelt sadness that I want to share that my dear mother, Kultida Woods, passed away early this morning," Tiger shared on social media Tuesday morning. "My Mom was a force of nature all her own, her spirit was simply undeniable. She was quick with the needle and a laugh. She was my biggest fan, greatest supporter, without her none of my personal achievements would have been possible. She was loved by so many, but especially by her two grandchildren, Sam and Charlie. Thank you all for your support, prayers and privacy at this difficult time for me and my family. Love you Mom." Kultida was born in Thailand. She first met Earl Woods in the 1960s during the Vietnam War. Earl, a soldier in the U.S. Army Special Forces, was deployed to the same base in Thailand where Kultida was a secretary. Kultida followed Earl back to New York, where they got married before moving to Cypress, California. In 1975, they welcomed Eldrick Tont Woods. Earl and Kultida were married for 37 years until Earl died in May 2006 at their home in Cypress. She has been a common figure at many of Tiger's biggest events in the golfing world, including at his World Golf Hall of Fame induction ceremony and his latest major, the 2019 Masters. In recent weeks, she even made appearances at her son's newest venture, the TGL. Woods, 49, is set to host the Genesis Invitational next week at Torrey Pines, relocated from its original site of Riviera Country Club in Los Angeles due to the wildfires. He hasn't officially committed to the field, though it's assumed he will tee it up if able.
Yahoo
04-02-2025
- Entertainment
- Yahoo
Kultida Woods, mother of Tiger Woods, dies at 80
Tiger Woods announced Tuesday that his mother Kultida Woods had died. She was 80. Woods said in a post to social media that his mom died early Tuesday. He said she 'was a force of nature all her own, her spirit was simply undeniable. She was quick with the needle and a laugh. She was my biggest fan, greatest supporter, without her none of my personal achievements would have been so possible.' It is with heartfelt sadness that I want to share that my dear mother, Kultida Woods, passed away early this morning. My Mom was a force of nature all her own, her spirit was simply undeniable. She was quick with the needle and a laugh. She was my biggest fan, greatest supporter,… — Tiger Woods (@TigerWoods) February 4, 2025 Born in the province of Kanchanaburi in Thailand in 1944, Kultida Punsawad was working as a civilian receptionist at a U.S. Army outpost in Bangkok during the Vietnam War when she met Earl Woods, a member of the U.S. Army Special Forces. The pair married in 1969, and later moved to Brooklyn and then California. She gave birth to Eldrick "Tiger" Woods on Dec. 30, 1975. In tribute to his mother, Woods has always characterized himself as half-Thai. Woods paid frequent tribute to his mother's sacrifices and tenacity. Upon his induction into the World Golf Hall of Fame in 2022, he described what Kultida did for his career in its earliest days. "We didn't know that we were going to have enough money for me to go to college or a top college or be recruited," he recalled. "So my family made a tough decision, and at the age of 14 1/2 we took out a second mortgage so I could go out and play the AJGA Tour. Mom stayed at home. Dad traveled. And I went out and played the AJGA Tour on our second mortgage." While Earl Woods trained the young Tiger to be both mentally tough and physically superior, Kultida remained in the background, a stern, iron-willed presence watching over her son's best interests with a keen eye and a lacerating tongue. 'As we said in our family, my mom was the hand, and my dad was the voice," Woods wrote in the book The 1997 Masters: My Story. "I could negotiate with him, but not with my mom. There was no middle ground with Mom." While Kultida was a frequent presence in the galleries as Woods played, she remained almost completely out of public view otherwise, shunning advertisements and interviews. She remained steadfastly in Woods' corner, publicly supporting him during his early-2010s scandals. "My mom was the enforcer. My dad may have been in the Special Forces, but I was never afraid of him," Woods told USA Today in 2017. "My mom's still here, and I'm still deathly afraid of her. She's a very tough, tough old lady, very demanding. She was the hand, she was the one, I love her so much, but she was tough." Her last appearance came just last week at the fourth installment of TGL, the indoor golf league Woods co-founded. Cameras caught him cheerfully calling out to her during the event, still a son anxious to please his mother. Positive vibes only from @TigerWoods 😂📺: ESPN/ESPN+ — PGA TOUR (@PGATOUR) January 28, 2025 The last time Kultida saw her son play, he won.
