Latest news with #UniversityofTexasatAustin
Yahoo
5 hours ago
- Business
- Yahoo
Texas lawmakers voted to ban consumable THC products. Will Gov. Greg Abbott sign — or veto — the bill?
Gov. Greg Abbott is facing intense political pressure over a bill that would ban products containing tetrahydrocannabinol, or THC, as hemp industry leaders mount a full-court press urging the governor to veto the measure while Lt. Gov. Dan Patrick and his allies urge Abbott to sign it into law. The issue has sparked backlash from both sides of the aisle, including from conservatives ordinarily supportive of Patrick's hardline agenda. An April statewide survey by the Texas Politics Project at the University of Texas at Austin found that 55% of Republicans believe Texas' marijuana and cannabis laws should be less strict or left as they are now, compared to 40% who said they should be stricter. Less than one-third of voters of all political persuasions said the state should stiffen its THC laws. Yet, should he break out the veto pen, Abbott would likely incur the wrath of Patrick, the powerful Senate leader who made the ban one of his top priorities, calling THC-infused products — such as gummies, beverages and vapes — a 'poison in our public.' In a sign of the intense fallout since lawmakers approved the ban, Patrick called a news conference last week to renew his criticism of the hemp industry and the products they are pushing, which he said are designed to appeal to children. Patrick, brandishing a THC-infused lollipop and standing before a table covered in cannabis products, said, 'You might go into a store and buy 'em and not even know that you're getting your kid high on drugs and hooked for life.' The hemp industry supported an alternative to the ban that would have restricted THC products to Texans 21 and older, barred sales within a certain distance of schools and outlawed marketing the products in ways that are 'attractive to children,' which they said would make people less likely to develop a dependency on the drug. Asked if he was calling the news conference over concerns about an Abbott veto, Patrick said he was 'not worried about the governor.' 'I'm worried about the pressure on the media and the general public to try to keep this going in some way and bring it back,' Patrick said, adding, 'I'm not going to speak for the governor. He will do what he is going to do. I have total confidence in the governor.' Meanwhile, as the Legislature prepared to gavel out for the session on Monday, hemp industry leaders held their own news conference to call for Abbott to veto the bill — underscoring the competing pressures now facing the governor. Abbott has three options for how to handle the THC ban, known as Senate Bill 3. He has 20 days after the end of the session to sign or veto the measure. If he does neither, it will become law without his signature. An Abbott spokesperson declined Monday to say what he would do, saying only that the governor 'will thoughtfully review any legislation sent to his desk.' On Monday, the Texas Hemp Business Council reported that it delivered 5,000 letters to Abbott's office, along with a petition signed by some 120,000 people, urging the governor to veto the bill. The group organized a news conference in which industry leaders, business owners and a sixth-generation Texan farmer — along with a pair of military veterans — blasted lawmakers who pushed the ban, accusing them of putting politics and power above sensible policy. Dave Walden, a Texas VFW senior vice commander who served multiple combat deployments in more than a decade with the U.S. Army, shared a story about how his life was saved by a veteran-founded company that makes THC gummies. The cannabis helps Walden manage the chronic pain and PTSD that's plagued him since he returned from service, he said. "I live with the scars that you can see and the ones that you can't and like thousands of us, I went through the government's solution: a never-ending parade of pills," Walden said. "Those drugs nearly destroyed me." Thanks to the legal, hemp-derived consumable products he found, Walden said that he has not touched an opioid since 2018. "THC gummies brought me back," he said. "Let's stop pretending this is about public safety. This is about control and veterans are caught in the crossfire." Industry leaders, meanwhile, tried to appeal to Abbott by arguing that a ban would hurt Texas' business-friendly reputation and weaken its border security by giving rise to a black market in place of legal dispensaries. State Sen. Charles Perry, the Lubbock Republican who authored the THC ban, said those businesses were 'forewarned,' when lawmakers approved 2019 legislation authorizing the sale of consumable hemp, that the measure was only intended to boost agriculture. 'If you're doing hemp that ultimately ended up as a Delta 8 or a Delta 10 [product], going forward, you're out of business,' Perry said. 'And you should be.' Disclosure: University of Texas at Austin has been a financial supporter of The Texas Tribune, a nonprofit, nonpartisan news organization that is funded in part by donations from members, foundations and corporate sponsors. Financial supporters play no role in the Tribune's journalism. Find a complete list of them here. First round of TribFest speakers announced! Pulitzer Prize-winning columnist Maureen Dowd; U.S. Rep. Tony Gonzales, R-San Antonio; Fort Worth Mayor Mattie Parker; U.S. Sen. Adam Schiff, D-California; and U.S. Rep. Jasmine Crockett, D-Dallas are taking the stage Nov. 13–15 in Austin. Get your tickets today!
NDTV
4 days ago
- Health
- NDTV
This Wireless E-Tattoo Decodes Brainwaves To Monitor And Predict Mental Strain
Mental well-being has become a crucial concern in today's fast-paced world, with rising stress and lifestyle demands impacting nearly every aspect of life. Now, researchers have developed a groundbreaking temporary tattoo that can measure mental strain by decoding brainwaves, offering a lightweight, wireless alternative to bulky headgear. Published May 29 in the Cell Press journal Device, the study introduces a non-permanent wireless forehead e-tattoo that decodes brainwaves to measure mental strain without bulky headgear. This technology may help track the mental workload of workers like air traffic controllers and truck drivers, whose lapses in focus can have serious consequences. "Technology is developing faster than human evolution. Our brain capacity cannot keep up and can easily get overloaded," says Nanshu Lu, the study's author, from the University of Texas at Austin (UT Austin) in a statement."There is an optimal mental workload for optimal performance, which differs from person to person." Humans perform best in a cognitive Goldilocks zone, neither overwhelmed nor bored. Finding that balance is key to optimal performance. Current mental workload assessment relies on the NASA Task Load Index, a lengthy and subjective survey participants complete after performing tasks. The e-tattoo offers an objective alternative by analysing electrical activity from the brain and eye movement in processes known as electroencephalography (EEG) and electrooculography (EOG). Unlike EEG caps that are bulky with dangling wires and lathered with squishy gel, the wireless e-tattoo consists of a lightweight battery pack and paper-thin, sticker-like sensors. These sensors feature wavy loops and coils, a design that allows them to stretch and conform seamlessly to the skin for comfort and clear signals. "What's surprising is those caps, while having more sensors for different regions of the brain, never get a perfect signal because everyone's head shape is different," says Lu. "We measure participants' facial features to manufacture personalised e-tattoos to ensure that the sensors are always in the right location and receiving signals." The researchers tested the e-tattoo on six participants who completed a memory challenge that increased in difficulty. As mental load rose, participants showed higher activity in theta and delta brainwaves, signalling increased cognitive demand, while alpha and beta activity decreased, indicating mental fatigue. The results suggest that the device can detect when the brain is struggling. The device didn't stop at detection. It could also predict mental strain. The researchers trained a computer model to estimate mental workload based on signals from the e-tattoo, successfully distinguishing between different levels of mental workload. The results show that the device can potentially predict mental fatigue.
Yahoo
4 days ago
- Health
- Yahoo
New face tattoo protects your brain from working too hard, scientists say
A newly developed face tattoo can see when the brain is working too hard – which it probably is, according to the researchers who developed it. The new electronic device sits on the face and is able to measure mental strain, without the bulky headgear that might traditionally be used. The researchers who created it suggest that the technology could be used to track the mental workload of air traffic controllers, trick drivers and others who are required to keep intense concentration for long periods of time. Everyone works best by balancing the intensity of their thinking, ensuring that they are neither overwhelmed or bored. But it can be difficult to find that balance, and current work depends largely on a long study taken by participants after they have completed a task. "Technology is developing faster than human evolution. Our brain capacity cannot keep up and can easily get overloaded," said Nanshu Lu, the study's author, from the University of Texas at Austin (UT Austin). 'There is an optimal mental workload for optimal performance, which differs from person to person.' Researchers hope the 'e-tattoo' can help. It works by analysing electrical activity from the brain and eye movements. Doing so usually requires a complex cap attached by dangling wires, but the tattoo is a lightweight battery pack and sensors that stick to the skin. The thin and stretchy nature of the sensors means that they can fit around face shape of the person wearing it. That could mean that the results are actually better than those complicated and bulky caps, the creators say. 'What's surprising is those caps, while having more sensors for different regions of the brain, never get a perfect signal because everyone's head shape is different,' said Lu. 'We measure participants' facial features to manufacture personalized e-tattoos to ensure that the sensors are always in the right location and receiving signals.' To test the system, researchers put the tattoo on six participants who were then set a memory challenge that got progressively harder. As it did so and their mental load increased, the researchers could see the effects: theta and delta brainwaves increased, suggesting they were experiencing cognitive demand, and alpha and beta activity increased in line with their fatigue. Researchers hope those same methods can be used to understand when the brain is struggling. It might also be able to predict when that is happening, by helping train a computer model that can predict the load of a given activity. The research is described in a new paper, 'A Wireless Forehead E-tattoo for Mental Workload Estimation', published in the journal Device. Error in retrieving data Sign in to access your portfolio Error in retrieving data Error in retrieving data Error in retrieving data Error in retrieving data
India.com
22-05-2025
- Business
- India.com
Meet Udit Madan, brain behind Amazon's massive supply chain, saved company during times like…, helps CEO Andy Jassy in…
When the Covid-19 pandemic affected Amazon's operations in 2020 Udit Madan was given a critical job to get hundreds of thousands of masks from other countries for Amazon warehouse workers, and also conduct the employee vaccine program. Madan was just in his 30s and working as vice president in Amazon. He was one of the youngest working on the position in the company at that time. He didn't have experience of performing the task given to him especially during critical times like Covid-19 pandemic. But Madan was a fast learner. He figured it out and performed the task given to him very well. Amazon CEO Andy Jassy promoted the 38-year-old Madan recently to senior vice president at the company. He is working as Amazon's chief supply chain officer and handling a global employee base north of 1 million warehouse and logistics employees. Recently after once again proved himself after Donald Trump's tariff chaos which affected Amazon's movement of goods across the globe. He also oversees tens of thousands of trucks, 100 cargo airplanes, and 2,000-plus warehouses in more than 24 countries. But in an interview with Fortune , Madan said that he and his teams are trained for this tasks and also had experience operating the company's warehouse and transportation during Covid-19 pandemic. 'The last five years as a team helped us build a lot of resilience in how we operate and also prompted us to invest in building more flexibility in our logistics network to handle a bit more inherent variability that we're seeing happen quite frequently,'' Madan told Fortune in an interview. Who Is Udit Madan? Madan grew up in Hyderabad. He did schooling in New Delhi, and then moved to the US to attend the University of Texas at Austin. He was considering becoming a doctor, and also an investment took a degree in computer science and economics and joined Amazon as a software engineer in 2008.
Yahoo
22-05-2025
- General
- Yahoo
Norman's Neighborhood: North Little Rock senior being a role model to youth just like Officer Norman
LITTLE ROCK, Ark. – The term 'role model' is defined as a person looked to by others as an example to be imitated. That definition certainly fits Officer Tommy Norman. It also fits Kayden, a senior at North Little Rock High School, whose known Officer Norman since she was 4 years old. Norman's Neighborhood: Mother of 9 kids thankful to have Officer Norman in the community Kayden will graduate on May 27 and will be attending the University of Texas at Austin, where she will major in biology. 'Never forget North Little Rock, central Arkansas, because these kids are still going to need you when you're gone,' Officer Norman said. Kayden has touched hundreds of kids' lives with her non-profit called Mad Science Lab. Mad Science Lab is aimed at encouraging excitement for kids to learn about STEM and literacy, something Kayden had as a kid 'A lot of the children there didn't have that same excitement and joy,' Kayden said, and she wanted to change that. This mission, taken on by Kayden, started with just trying to rack up some volunteer hours at the library to graduate with honors. All she needed was 75 hours, but now she has 'about 300,' she said. Norman's Neighborhood: Celebrating Mother's Day with Officer Norman's mom While volunteering and spearheading her impact on the youth, Kayden says she tries to channel her inner Officer Norman by connecting personally with the kids who attend her program. 'I always feel like Officer Norman is going to personally get to know you,' Kayden said. As Kayden continues to leave an impact, Officer Norman says it feels almost like the passing of the torch. 'Kayden has many more years of public service than I do,' Officer Norman said. 'All it takes is for someone to have a really big heart and you have a big heart,' Officer Norman told Kayden. Norman's Neighborhood: 4 siblings form Officer Norman's All-Star Crew Norman says seeing Kayden form into a young lady who's uplifting the younger generation to create a better tomorrow is a surreal feeling. 'It makes me realize that I did something right,' Norman said. Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
