Latest news with #whiteAmericans
Yahoo
12-05-2025
- Health
- Yahoo
UGA study shows links between hypertension, diabetes with dementia diagnoses
A new study on dementia diagnoses in Georgia and the larger United States shows new, more prevalent links between hypertension, diabetes and other co-morbidities with dementia. According to the study by the University of Georgia, 'diabetes and hypertension could have a domino effect for future health problems like dementia,' particularly among Black Americans. The study showed that the dementia statistics were separate from Alzheimer's Disease-related dementia, meaning that heart conditions and diabetes were impacting Black Americans with higher rates of cognitive decline and at earlier ages than white Americans. [DOWNLOAD: Free WSB-TV News app for alerts as news breaks] 'Uncovering physical conditions that accelerate this is crucial for improving quality of life and health outcomes,' the UGA researchers said. For patients who reported having both diabetes and hypertension between the ages of 45 to 55, the UGA study found that there were elevated levels of dementia biomarkers, or signs of the condition. TRENDING STORIES: Georgia AG announces Brookhaven woman convicted in $305K Medicaid fraud scheme Defendants in Georgia 'Cop City' case say they are in limbo as trial delays continue A woman says 'the nicest young man' sat by her on a flight. She didn't realize he was Travis Hunter The UGA research showed that while a single diagnosis did not mean you'd have a 'dramatic neurological effect,' having both diagnoses was a strong indicator of dementia risks. 'Taking steps early to control high blood pressure and diabetes may help protect African Americans from brain degeneration and lower their risk of dementia,' Karlo Lei, co-author of the study and an associate professor in the Franklin College of Arts and Sciences, said. Researchers also highlighted that many of the study participants reported both cardiovascular issues and low incomes, with nearly 20% having less than a 12th grade education. 'Health inequities like the ones that we're exploring are not inevitable. They are very systemic, and they're potentially preventable. Just as crucial as early screening and treatment is the need for change that addresses the structural inequities putting Black Americans at higher risk in the first place,' Rachael Weaver, corresponding author of the study and a graduate student in the UGA Franklin College of Arts and Sciences department of sociology, said. The study authors said their findings suggest health practitioners should focus more on heart health as an indicator of risk for dementia, especially among Black Americans. [SIGN UP: WSB-TV Daily Headlines Newsletter]
Yahoo
09-05-2025
- Yahoo
How Chattanooga jury impacted verdict in Tyre Nichols' case
MEMPHIS, Tenn. — Hamilton County, Tennessee, is 358 miles from Memphis. Attorneys traveled there to find a jury for the 3 officers on state trial in the Tyre Nichols beating death. Defense attorneys wanted the change of venue over concerns that an impartial jury couldn't be found near Shelby County because of so much publicity about the Tyre Nichols case. 'There was a motion filed by the defense to change venue, and there was study done in the amount of publicity in the very large cities in Tennessee and it was found that Chattanooga had the lowest amount of pre-trial publicity with regard to this case. And so that's why it was chosen,' said Paul Hagerman, prosecutor in the Tyre Nichols case. Hamilton County has a population of around 380,000, and 76% are White and 20% are Black. While we are WREG is not sure about the demographics of the full jury pool that was called for the Tyre Nichols case, the final 12 jurors that decided it were all white. Jury finds three ex-officers not guilty in Tyre Nichols death trial 'They did not look like Mr. Nichols. They did not not look like the officers that were charged, and we are supposed to be judged by what? People that are our own peers,' said a friend of the Nichols' family. 'But this jury was not reflective of the city of Memphis, and I think that was a big win for the defense, because I think the jurors tend to be more conservative from places like Chattanooga and East Tennessee, other parts of East Tennessee, Knoxville, which they're going to be more friendly to the police, and I think that's what you saw here this week,' said Art Horne, Memphis Attorney. WREG asked long time attorney Art Horne, who was not involved in the Tyre Nichols trial, if attorneys could have done more to get a diverse set of jurors. Unfortunately, it doesn't work like that. You get a pool of you get a list of people, and they're randomly selected. And so basically, when they're selected, they have to answer questions. 'I'm sure one of the questions was, had they seen the video in Tyree Nichols' case, and disproportionately, I'm sure, African Americans saw that video more than probably white Americans, and so I think that hampered the ability to get diversity and minorities on that jury,' said Horne. Tyre Nichols' mother: Verdict a 'devastating blow' Hamilton County and Chattanooga are worlds apart when it comes to issues facing the communities. Memphis is in a crime fight, that's become well know around the region. And it even played into defense attorney Martin Zummach's closing arguments as he read crime headlines to the jury. 'CNN Headlines. Memphis Mayor meets with gang members to request a ceasefire,' said Martin Zummach, Justin Smith's attorney. He stressed what police, like those on trial, face every day. 'Crime has continued to go nuts. It's a matter of public record. It's a matter of your own knowledge in your own head when you come to Shelby County,' said Zummach. Sen. Brent Taylor calls out D.A. Mulroy after 'not guilty' verdicts in Tyre Nichols case 'Think that really, really had an impact on this jury, who was not from here, and who probably looks a lot of people across the state of Tennessee, as you know, kind of look at Memphis as the armpit of the state, and we're very different,' said Art Horne, Memphis Attorney. 'It was masterful. I think he did a great job for his client. I think he did a great job for his client. I think he knew the audience that he was catering to, and they played right into the hands of those jurors from Hamilton County,' said Horne. It worked for the defense. Attorney's got the verdicts they wanted from a jury they pushed for, and prosecutors left to deal with the outcome. 'I think it's a testimony to the fairness of our criminal justice center that we bent over backwards to get a jury from another jurisdiction to assure the defendants were given a fair trial. Beyond that, I don't think I should comment,' said Steve Mulroy, Shelby County District Attorney. Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
New York Times
07-02-2025
- Politics
- New York Times
Hegseth Uses His First Town Hall to Attack Diversity
Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth gave his first public address to the Pentagon work force on Friday, spending much of the session defending his efforts to dismantle diversity and inclusion policies. Mr. Hegseth opened his remarks by saying 'all glory to God,' and said that President Trump had asked him not to maintain 'the status quo.' 'We're going to take unconventional approaches,' he said. Speaking to a room filled with African Americans, Asian Americans, Latinos and white Americans, both men and women, he offered a full-throated attack on the military's decades-long efforts to diversify. 'I think the single dumbest phrase in military history is 'our diversity is our strength,'' said Mr. Hegseth, who served in the U.S. Army National Guard from 2001 to 2021 and is a former Fox News host. He later added that he dismantled diversity, equity and inclusion policies at the Pentagon because they 'served a purpose of dividing the force as opposed to uniting the force.' The U.S. military, which was racially segregated until 1948, has at times made an effort to be more inclusive to women and minorities, though it stood firmly against allowing gay men and women to serve openly until forced to do so in 2011. The issue of allowing transgender men and women to serve in the military has become a culture war flashpoint. Mr. Trump banned their service during his first administration, and President Joseph R. Biden Jr. reversed that decision, only to have Mr. Trump issue a broad executive order on Jan. 28 that is likely to ban transgender troops from serving once again. In recent years, the Pentagon has sought to increase the numbers of women and racial minorities in the military's officer corps, so that it could become more representative of the enlisted force it leads. Mr. Hegseth has said such policies are unfair. On Friday, Mr. Hegseth touched on some matters of national security, promising 'accountability' for 'what occurred in Afghanistan' without explaining what that meant. He also pledged the same for the Hamas attack on Israel on Oct. 7, 2023, as well as for 'the war that was unleashed in Ukraine,' a military invasion ordered by President Vladimir V. Putin of Russia. But in his view, Mr. Hegseth told the attendees, military deterrence begins 'with our own southern border.' 'It starts with the defense of our homeland,' he said. 'I think in some ways, this department over time has felt like that's somebody else's mission.' Shortly after taking office a second time, Mr. Trump signed an executive order that gave the military an explicit role in immigration enforcement and directed the Defense Department to come up with a plan 'to seal the borders.' Thousands of troops have already been sent to the southern border as a result, and more are expected to follow. Mr. Hegseth said he had visited the Army's Sergeants Major Academy at Fort Bliss, Texas, near El Paso during a trip to the southern border this past week, noting that as the most senior enlisted soldiers in the service, sergeants major are responsible for maintaining standards among their troops. 'It starts with the basic stuff, right?' Mr. Hegseth said. 'It's grooming standards and uniform standards and training standards, fitness standards, all of that matters.' As a civilian, he is often seen wearing an American flag pocket square in his suit coat, as he was during his Senate confirmation hearing last month, and sporting a full-color American flag belt buckle, as he did when Vice President JD Vance swore him into office as defense secretary and again onstage at the Pentagon on Friday. Wearing the American flag as an article of clothing is prohibited by the U.S. Flag Code, which establishes proper and improper ways of respecting the national ensign. The Defense Department's own website reiterates that in a 2019 article posted during the first Trump administration. Mr. Hegseth acknowledged his role as the standard-bearer for more than a million active-duty troops and hundreds of thousands of civilian employees at the Defense Department. 'I spent a lot of my career in the military, which is not as much as so many of you, trying to run away from the flagpole as quick as possible,' he said, using a military euphemism for troops avoiding their leaders. 'Now, it appears I am the flagpole.' He promised the audience that he would be 'more transparent with the American people and with you.' As soon as the question-and-answer portion of the event began, the Pentagon cut the video feed.
