Latest news with #cognitiveability
Wall Street Journal
28-05-2025
- Health
- Wall Street Journal
Yes, You Should Stand Up Straight—for All Sorts of Reasons
I had a second-grade teacher who used a ruler to poke slouching students between the shoulder blades to get them to stand up straight. While you might find fault with her tactics—and indeed as little kids we wished all manner of cartoonish calamities would befall her—she wasn't wrong in her concern about our carriage. Beyond basic aesthetics, good posture—an erect, balanced bearing—determines the ease and efficiency with which you move your body. Less well-known is that good posture is also essential for optimal circulation, respiration, digestion and bladder function. Increasing evidence suggests it also improves cognitive ability and enhances your mood.
Yahoo
24-05-2025
- Politics
- Yahoo
Jon Stewart, 'Pod Save America' question Biden's health in wake of 'Original Sin' book
The hosts of "Pod Save America" and Jon Stewart are questioning former President Joe Biden's mental acuity following the release of Jake Tapper and Alex Thompson's book, "Original Sin." "So everybody goes on television and goes, 'You don't understand," Jon Stewart said during a Thursday episode of his podcast, "The Weekly Show with Jon Stewart," discussing how people would try to frame concerns about Biden's health. "I sit with this guy. He's the smartest one in the room. I can't keep up with him. I'm exhausted. I went to a meeting, and he was using words I didn't even know were words! They were fantastic! I had to look them up. He's the smartest man in the world.'" On Tuesday, "Original Sin," which looks in part at the efforts made by top Biden aides and allies to hide the truth about Biden's mental and physical health, providing a depiction of a president who was routinely confused and disorientated during his term, was released. Biden Insider Was Reportedly 'Amazed' At The Media Coverage They Were Able To Spin During his podcast Thursday, Stewart talked about how he thinks those in Biden's circle tried to control what the public saw. "You know, Kamala Harris comes out, 'I sit with this man. You don't understand,'" Stewart said. "You don't see it.' And I'm like, 'Oh, has anyone filmed that? Because you should show that.' Because it was a very simple case to puncture. People are saying, 'I'm a little concerned about his stamina and cognitive ability. Here's how we can dispel that.' Just put him out there and let him show us how f---ing smart – and they wouldn't do it. Because they knew they couldn't." Read On The Fox News App Jon Favreau, former President Barack Obama's head speechwriter from 2005-2013, said that the people closest to Biden were not honest about his decline. "Throughout Biden's term, you had it with the age issue, you also had it with inflation, right," Favreau said. "In the Biden administration, a lot of elected Democrats were like, 'Oh, look at all the statistics and the numbers,'" he added. "And then poll after poll and focus group after focus group would have people be like, 'No, prices are high and it's really bothering me.' And we'd just be like, 'That's just the media.' Or 'That's just Republicans.' And I think the same thing happened around Joe Biden's age. The closer you got to Joe Biden, the closer the adviser or the family member, the more I think they were not just lying to the American people, but lying to themselves." Favreau also said that he thinks Democrats struggle with accepting and telling the truth. "I think a big problem with the Democratic Party over the last several years, decade maybe, maybe even back to the Iraq war, we have a hard time hearing hard truths and admitting hard truths to ourselves," Favreau said. "And then we have a hard time telling hard truths to the voters." Favreau is featured in "Original Sin" in an anecdote where he and his "Pod Save America" co-hosts Dan Pfeiffer and Jon Lovett met with Biden at the White House on April 26, 2024. The book described them as "deeply disturbed" after their discussions with Biden that night, with the authors describing the president as rambling and "incoherent." Flashback: White House Press Sec Karine Jean-pierre Laughs Off Question On Biden's Health In 2022 However, in a Feb. 13, 2024 episode of "Pod Save America," Favreau seemed to downplay concerns about Biden's health. "The number one concern that people have had about Joe Biden is his age. Those concerns have predated Robert Hur, they have predated anything Trump has said … it is not just about people who see like out of context clips or that the Republicans put out, or crazy TikToks or whatever else," he said. This discussion with his "Pod Save America" hosts came days after Special Counsel Robert Hur's report was released on Feb 5, 2024, looking at the former president's handling of classified documents. "If you watch Joe Biden speak, often times he sounds frail, and he sounds more frail than he used to even in 2019 and 2020," Favreau said. "Now that may, and I think it doesn't have anything to do with how sharp he is mentally, but the voice sounds frail and he shuffles more because of the arthritis in his back so for most people in the country who are just watching him be president what do they see when they turn on the television? They see him shuffle and they hear him and he is swallowing a lot more of his words now – obviously he's had a stutter but it doesn't sound like the stutter did even in 2020 – he's just soft-spoken and quiet." Co-host Tommy Vietor, who worked for Obama for almost a decade, appeared to agree with Favreau's dismissiveness. "All the commentary about the age and Biden's memory which seemed unfair or ad hominem at worst, and then second there is a debate about Biden's age and fitness for office that was already happening. This just kicked it up and focused the media's attention on it in a very damaging way via this DOJ report," Vietor said during the February 2024 episode. On Sunday, Biden's prostate cancer diagnosis was announced, with his spokesperson telling Fox News days later that the last time he received a blood test that screens for prostate cancer was in article source: Jon Stewart, 'Pod Save America' question Biden's health in wake of 'Original Sin' book
Fox News
24-05-2025
- Politics
- Fox News
Jon Stewart, 'Pod Save America' question Biden's health in wake of 'Original Sin' book
The hosts of "Pod Save America" and Jon Stewart are questioning former President Joe Biden's mental acuity following the release of Jake Tapper and Alex Thompson's book, "Original Sin." "So everybody goes on television and goes, 'You don't understand," Jon Stewart said during a Thursday episode of his podcast, "The Weekly Show with Jon Stewart," discussing how people would try to frame concerns about Biden's health. "I sit with this guy. He's the smartest one in the room. I can't keep up with him. I'm exhausted. I went to a meeting, and he was using words I didn't even know were words! They were fantastic! I had to look them up. He's the smartest man in the world.'" On Tuesday, "Original Sin," which looks in part at the efforts made by top Biden aides and allies to hide the truth about Biden's mental and physical health, providing a depiction of a president who was routinely confused and disorientated during his term, was released. During his podcast Thursday, Stewart talked about how he thinks those in Biden's circle tried to control what the public saw. "You know, Kamala Harris comes out, 'I sit with this man. You don't understand,'" Stewart said. "You don't see it.' And I'm like, 'Oh, has anyone filmed that? Because you should show that.' Because it was a very simple case to puncture. People are saying, 'I'm a little concerned about his stamina and cognitive ability. Here's how we can dispel that.' Just put him out there and let him show us how f---ing smart – and they wouldn't do it. Because they knew they couldn't." Jon Favreau, former President Barack Obama's head speechwriter from 2005-2013, said that the people closest to Biden were not honest about his decline. "Throughout Biden's term, you had it with the age issue, you also had it with inflation, right," Favreau said. "In the Biden administration, a lot of elected Democrats were like, 'Oh, look at all the statistics and the numbers,'" he added. "And then poll after poll and focus group after focus group would have people be like, 'No, prices are high and it's really bothering me.' And we'd just be like, 'That's just the media.' Or 'That's just Republicans.' And I think the same thing happened around Joe Biden's age. The closer you got to Joe Biden, the closer the adviser or the family member, the more I think they were not just lying to the American people, but lying to themselves." Favreau also said that he thinks Democrats struggle with accepting and telling the truth. "I think a big problem with the Democratic Party over the last several years, decade maybe, maybe even back to the Iraq war, we have a hard time hearing hard truths and admitting hard truths to ourselves," Favreau said. "And then we have a hard time telling hard truths to the voters." Favreau is featured in "Original Sin" in an anecdote where he and his "Pod Save America" co-hosts Dan Pfeiffer and Jon Lovett met with Biden at the White House on April 26, 2024. The book described them as "deeply disturbed" after their discussions with Biden that night, with the authors describing the president as rambling and "incoherent." However, in a Feb. 13, 2024 episode of "Pod Save America," Favreau seemed to downplay concerns about Biden's health. "The number one concern that people have had about Joe Biden is his age. Those concerns have predated Robert Hur, they have predated anything Trump has said … it is not just about people who see like out of context clips or that the Republicans put out, or crazy TikToks or whatever else," he said. This discussion with his "Pod Save America" hosts came days after Special Counsel Robert Hur's report was released on Feb 5, 2024, looking at the former president's handling of classified documents. "If you watch Joe Biden speak, often times he sounds frail, and he sounds more frail than he used to even in 2019 and 2020," Favreau said. "Now that may, and I think it doesn't have anything to do with how sharp he is mentally, but the voice sounds frail and he shuffles more because of the arthritis in his back so for most people in the country who are just watching him be president what do they see when they turn on the television? They see him shuffle and they hear him and he is swallowing a lot more of his words now – obviously he's had a stutter but it doesn't sound like the stutter did even in 2020 – he's just soft-spoken and quiet." Co-host Tommy Vietor, who worked for Obama for almost a decade, appeared to agree with Favreau's dismissiveness. "All the commentary about the age and Biden's memory which seemed unfair or ad hominem at worst, and then second there is a debate about Biden's age and fitness for office that was already happening. This just kicked it up and focused the media's attention on it in a very damaging way via this DOJ report," Vietor said during the February 2024 episode. On Sunday, Biden's prostate cancer diagnosis was announced, with his spokesperson telling Fox News days later that the last time he received a blood test that screens for prostate cancer was in 2014.
Daily Mail
22-05-2025
- General
- Daily Mail
If 70 is the new 53, what does that mean for your money and retirement? ANDREW OXLADE
At 51, there are mornings when I feel closer to 70. I therefore couldn't help feeling slight amusement to read that 70 is apparently the new 53. Research cited in the IMF's World Economic Outlook, based on samples in 41 countries, suggested the average 70-year-old in 2022 had the same cognitive ability as a 53-year-old in 2000. It is a remarkable improvement for such a short period. The report, published last month, suggested such improvements mean those employed at 70 see a 30 per cent uplift in earnings. John Shipton is an extreme and inspiring example of embracing later life work. At 93, he loves his job at Waitrose in Exeter. He joined at 80 and was immediately put on the tills, a decision he thought 'a bit remarkable'. Today, customers queue for a chance to be served by him. It's an inspiring example of finding purpose beyond our usual working lives. Not everyone can do it. Our careers can end due to ill health, or we may struggle to find the right work - the best fit - to work on. But the figures suggest that despite the dramatic increase in later life acuity, there is no mass inclination to work longer. Men exit the workforce at 65.3, only a smidgen higher than 63.3 in 2000, according to the Office for National Statistics. For women it has risen from 61.2 years to 64.5. But work can give purpose and it can offer a social network. The evidence shows these are health and life-giving factors - maintaining them can help us live longer and live well. I wrote about this on This is Money last summer. I shared my 37-year plan for surviving the 100-year life, and then 'CHILL' - my 'movement' to encourage people to relax about retiring early and find a career that gives them longevity. The acronym - Career Happiness Inspires Longer Lives - prompted some angry responses from the FIRE movement (who advocate obsessive saving to get out of the rat race). The FIRE group on Reddit even invented a spicy new acronym for me, which can't be repeated here. But these trends are not going away. With '70 the new 53', it may be time for a rethink, at any age. Age 25? Start your 'optionality fund' (and thinking) In Antifragile, financial author Nassim Taleb argues that a focus on giving yourself options allows you to outperform the average in an unpredictable world. Such optionality, I argue, can also extend your working live. Your life will, after all, likely be a long life. One in five girls born today can expect to live to 100. For 25-year-olds, average life expectancy is now 85 for men or 88 for women. They may well work to 70 or later. Even for me at 51, the expectation is 84, according to the ONS calculator. Live long and prosper: People may need to accept that longer lives mean more working years Five decades of work warrants a different approach - a longevity plan. This might include a career break, perhaps to travel. That may help you maintain your appetite and stamina to work longer. Or you could plan in a break to hone your work skills or to retrain - to enable a rotation to a career you've always wanted. It could be set up as a freelancer or to become a business founder. It could even merely to spend an extended period to focus on your family - children, parents or even grandparents. Employers are more inclined to support sabbaticals than a generation ago, but not all can do this. And sabbaticals are rarely paid. An 'optionality fund' can help make these dreams a possibility. Such a fund can sit aside from retirement savings. Consider a 25-year-old who puts aside £200 a month, into an Isa (the maximum allowance is a much bigger £20,000 a year). By age 45, it would have grown to £72,216, based on 5 per cent annual returns, with a 1.2 per cent charge incorporated, our sums show. The outcomes can be quite different - at a low growth rate of 3 per cent it would grow to £52,589 and at high return of 8 per cent it would be £100,922. These are powerful amounts. A fund of £72,000 opens up choice - it buys optionality. But the optionality mindset is as important the money. And it can start at any age, but the earlier the better - a conscious focus on developing the right skills can take you to a more fulfilling career. Taleb talks about a barbell strategy, keeping a core of safe work alongside more speculative punts. He cites the example of a lecturer earning a stable income in the day job but dedicating time to speculative ventures like writing books, consulting, or small-scale investing in start-ups. One of these might take off. For longevity, all the better if these areas match your passions. Taleb urges a focus on versatile, generalist skills, such as learning coding basics rather than narrow specialisations, such as becoming expert in a single software type. He also recommends networking without immediate return. Attend community events, informal dinners, or industry meetups without specific objectives. They may lead to unexpected opportunities at a later stage. This is about money - and thinking - that can buy you a different sort of freedom to the conventional aim of full stop retirement. I follow a Facebook group called 'The Epic Retirement Club'. Its members celebrate the merits of retirement, often early. But many tell the other side - a need to return to the fulfilment of some work. Which will you be? Sticking with the job will get easier Mastering optionality can unlock a new career. But perhaps you've already found one you love. Fortunately, it is becoming easier to remain in work. The Default Retirement Age was removed in 2012, banning compulsory retirement. More recently, flexible working is becoming more common. Working fewer days can help delay full retirement. Incidentally, this can also move the dial on your pension sums. If you thought you needed £500,000 to retire at 65, then working one day a week would mean you'd need a fifth less - £400,000. It's a crude assumption but it makes a point. Further policies may follow to encourage later life work - the government needs to undo an alarming trend. In the 1970s, 42 per cent of our lives was spent in economic activity, according to the International Longevity Centre, where I serve as a trustee. The most recent figures show it had dwindled to 38.5 per cent, despite decades of women increasing paid employment. If people aged 50 to 64 worked in the same proportions as those aged 35 to 49, GDP would grow by more than 5 per cent. ILC research also suggests the UK could face a shortfall of 2.6 million workers by 2030. More carrots could be waved at the legions of 60 and 70-somethings to carry on working and apply that retained cognitive ability. But governments tend to combine sticks with carrots… Will the pension age have to rise by more? Raising state pension ages is unpopular but it is a lever with a win-win effect for public finances and the economy. Costs are reduced and older people are more likely to continue working. The state pension age is 66 for both men and women and will steadily rise to 68 by 2044-46, affecting those born after April 1977. However, the plans may change. The timing of the rise to 68 is due to be looked at by an independent review within the next year. It will come back with recommendations that the government accepts or rejects. The last review in 2022 recommended an increase to 68 in 2041-43 and mooted a rise to 69 in 2046-48. An earlier review suggested 68 by 2037-39. The age you can access your own work and private pensions is also rising. It will increase from 55 to 57 in 2028, affecting anyone born on or after 6 April 1973. This coincides with the state pension increase to 67 and, in theory, the private pension age will then track 10 years below the state pension. This is another stick available to policymakers. Optionality can help future-proof you from the stick of rising pension ages. And it is always good to have options, as you don't know how you will feel about life and work in the future. Our Waitrose worker John Shipton lost his wife four years ago and his job has been a help and a comfort. He sums up the CHILL approach better than I can: 'It's the pleasure of being with other people, the pleasure of working. Interactions with other people are so important in your life. It stops you going completely bananas.'
Fox News
08-05-2025
- Politics
- Fox News
Joe and Jill Biden fire back on 'The View' against accusations of health cover-up, call stories 'wrong'
Former President Joe Biden and former First Lady Jill Biden fired back on "The View" Thursday against stories about his mental decline behind the scenes at the White House, with Jill Biden cutting in at one point as the ex-president trailed off while defending his record. Asked by co-host Alyssa Farah Griffin about Democratic sources in new books who said there was a "dramatic decline" in the president's cognitive abilities toward the end of his term, Joe Biden flatly said they were incorrect before segueing into criticism of the prior Trump administration. "They are wrong," he said. "There's nothing to sustain that, number one. Number two, you know, think of what we left with. We left with a circumstance where we had an insurrection when I started, not since the Civil War. We had a circumstance where we were in a position that we – well, the pandemic, because of the incompetence of the last outfit, end up over a million people dying, a million people dying. And we're also in a situation where we found ourselves unable to deal with a lot of just basic issues, which I won't go into in the interest of time. And so we went to work, and we got it done and, you know, one of the things that – well, I'm –" That's when his wife jumped in. "Alyssa, one of the things I think is that the people who wrote those books were not in the White House with us," Jill Biden said. "And they didn't see how hard Joe worked every single day. I mean, he'd get up. He'd put in a full day, and then at night he would – I'd be in bed, you know, reading my book, and he was still on the phone, reading his briefings. Working with staff. I mean, it was nonstop." She praised her husband for working hard and said, based on the state of things now under President Donald Trump, "give me Joe Biden any time," leading to loud applause from the audience. Griffin also pressed Biden about his dramatic departure from the 2024 race under pressure from fellow Democrats like Nancy Pelosi. Biden said he exited because he didn't want a divided Democratic Party, while again insisting during the show he could have beaten Trump. "I thought it was better to put the country ahead of my interests, my personal interests. I'm not being facetious. I'm being deadly earnest about that," he said. "And I think that we still – let me put it this way. I had six more months. Did a pretty good job in six months." He acknowledged concerns about his age – he would have been 86 at the end of a second term and was already the oldest American president in history – but said he got plenty done when "I supposedly lost my cognitive capability." Co-host Whoopi Goldberg, a fervent Biden supporter, suggested that his poor showing at the debate last year started the whole concern over his fitness for office. "Why do you think people bought into it, especially the Democrats?" Goldberg asked. Biden said he hadn't lost many debates but acknowledged he had a "bad night" while also saying he was sick that evening. His wife said he admitted it to her afterward – and he used a colorful term for "screwed up" – but she didn't want those 90 minutes to define his presidency. "We all saw it, it was terrible," she said of her husband's debate performance. In actuality, Republicans and some Democrats had been raising concerns before the debate for years and especially throughout 2024 about his mental fitness, through such moments as the Robert Hur report that mentioned his failing memory, a bombshell Wall Street Journal story about behind-the-scenes concerns, and various viral videos of Biden appearing to freeze up or seem confused that the White House dismissed as "cheap fakes." However, the debate's fallout was unmistakable. Although Biden held on at first, he succumbed to party pressure and exited the contest on July 21, endorsing Vice President Kamala Harris, who went on to lose the general election to Trump. Co-host Sara Haines put heat on Jill Biden over concerns she may have been too close to the situation to impartially gauge whether her husband could handle a second term. "I was with Joe day and night," she said. "I saw him more than any other person … I did not create a cocoon around him. I mean, you saw him in the Oval Office. You saw him making speeches. He wasn't hiding somewhere. I didn't have him, you know, sequestered in some place." Asked about the idea she was a "Lady MacBeth," a reference to the scheming Shakespeare character who wields nefarious influence behind the scenes, she responded that such rhetoric was "very hurtful, especially from some of our so-called friends." Jill Biden has previously said she was disappointed in Pelosi's role in pushing her husband out of the race. "We were friends for 50 years," she told the Washington Post. "It was disappointing."
