The White House has called for former Vice President Mike Pence to apologize for a joke he made about Transportation Secretary Pete Buttigieg's parental leave at the annual Gridiron Club dinner. The joke has been deemed offensive and inappropriate, as it treated women suffering from postpartum depression as a punchline. Karine Jean-Pierre, White House press secretary, has stated that Pence should apologize to women and LGBTQ people for the joke.
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Novo Nordisk, a Danish pharmaceutical firm, has announced that it will reduce the U.S. list price of some of its insulin products by up to 75%, effective January 1, 2024. This follows a similar move by Eli Lilly earlier this month, and is part of a larger effort to make insulin more affordable for people with diabetes. The price cuts are expected to provide relief to those who rely on insulin to manage their condition.
At least 100 people have been killed and scores injured after Cyclone Freddy battered southern Africa over the weekend. Malawi authorities have declared a state of disaster and confirmed 99 deaths, while the full extent of the damage in Mozambique is not yet clear. The World Meteorological Organization has said that Cyclone Freddy could be the longest-lasting tropical cyclone ever recorded.
On Sunday, a man was hospitalized after being attacked and bitten by a zebra at a home in Circleville, Ohio. The deputy on the scene used his air horn and sirens to scare the animal away and apply a tourniquet to the man's arm, but the zebra continued to act aggressively and was eventually shot and killed. The man was taken to a nearby hospital for treatment, and the Pickaway County Sheriff’s Office is continuing to investigate.
China is reopening its borders to foreign tourists for the first time in three years, allowing travelers with multi-year visas issued before March 28, 2020 to use them. The country has implemented a number of safety measures, including face masks, temperature checks, and contact tracing, as well as a “green channel” for travelers from certain countries. It is hoped that this move will help to revive the country’s tourism industry and boost the economy.
Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell has been discharged from the hospital after being treated for a concussion and a rib fracture. He will now go to an inpatient rehabilitation facility for physical therapy before returning home, and his concussion recovery is progressing well. McConnell is the longest-serving U.S. Senator in Kentucky's history and is the most senior Republican in the Senate.
A new study published in Pediatrics has revealed an unexpected jump in unexplained deaths in Black infants during the first year of the coronavirus pandemic, with the rate of sudden infant death syndrome (SIDS) increasing by 15%. The overall infant mortality rate dropped to a record low in 2020, but the rate for Black babies in particular spiked, widening an already stark disparity. Dr. Marian Willinger noted that the pandemic has had a disproportionate impact on Black communities and could be a factor in the increase in SUID rates. The CDC is urging parents to practice safe sleep habits and seek medical care for their babies if they have any concerns.
A new study has found that men who actively monitored their low- to intermediate-risk prostate tumors had a lower risk of life-altering complications such as incontinence and erectile dysfunction, compared to those who underwent surgery or radiation. The study followed 8,000 men over 15 years, and showed that active monitoring is a safe and effective option for men with localized prostate cancer. However, decisions should be made on an individual basis.