Tag Archives: health

FDA Faces Scrutiny Over Mifepristone Decision: A Threat to Women’s Health

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The U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA), in charge of safeguarding the safety of our food and drugs, finds itself embroiled in a legal battle as the U.S. Supreme Court prepares to hear arguments in a lawsuit against the agency. At the heart of this legal dispute lies the FDA’s decision regarding mifepristone, a high-risk drug used in medication abortion procedures. This decision, made despite acknowledged inadequacies in the supporting data and studies, has raised serious concerns about the welfare of hundreds of thousands of Americans impacted by its ramifications.

Mifepristone’s FDA-approved label warns of its potential dangers, with approximately one in 25 women facing the prospect of ending up in the emergency room after taking the drug. Recognizing these risks, the FDA initially instituted stringent safety measures, including mandatory in-person medical care with a licensed physician before and after taking the drug. These precautions aimed to detect life-threatening conditions like ectopic pregnancy and monitor for complications such as severe bleeding and infections.

However, in both 2016 and 2021, the FDA controversially eliminated these requirements, allowing for the distribution of mifepristone without ongoing in-person medical supervision. This decision came despite the drug’s Black Box warning highlighting the potential for “serious and sometimes fatal infections and bleeding.” What’s alarming is that the FDA based its decision on data and studies it openly admitted were unreliable and inadequate.

The FDA’s reliance on its Adverse Event Reporting System (FAERS) database to justify the removal of in-person requirements raises serious questions. The agency itself acknowledges that FAERS data alone are insufficient to determine a drug’s safety profile. Additionally, the FDA’s failure to address the absence of reporting requirements for non-fatal serious adverse events leaves a critical gap in monitoring and responding to potential risks associated with mifepristone use.

Moreover, the FDA’s reliance on studies evaluating mail-order dispensing of abortion drugs, despite their limitations and red flags, further undermines the credibility of its decision-making process. These studies revealed alarming rates of hospitalization and unplanned clinical encounters associated with mail-order dispensing, directly contradicting the FDA’s rationale for removing in-person requirements.

In light of these deficiencies, the FDA’s decision to authorize self-administration of mifepristone poses a grave risk to women’s health, exposing them to serious and life-threatening complications without adequate medical oversight. The agency’s failure to engage in reasoned decision-making, as required by the Administrative Procedure Act, highlights a troubling disregard for public safety.

The lawsuit challenging the FDA’s actions, supported by Alliance Defending Freedom attorneys and a coalition of doctors and medical associations, underscores the urgency of holding the agency accountable. These healthcare professionals, who witness firsthand the harms inflicted by the FDA’s recklessness, are advocating for the restoration of common-sense health and safety standards.

As the case heads to the Supreme Court, the American people deserve a federal government committed to evidence-based decision-making and prioritizing public health above all else. The FDA must not be allowed to jeopardize women’s health with insufficiently supported conclusions and inadequate rationales. It’s time to ensure that no agency is above the law, and that the FDA fulfills its duty to protect and promote the well-being of all Americans.

Watch below. Thoughts?

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Dr. Dre Opens Up About Three Strokes Following Brain Aneurysm Scare

Dr. Dre to Receive Star on Hollywood Walk of Fame

Three years after his harrowing experience with a brain aneurysm, music producer and rapper Dr. Dre has revealed that he also suffered three strokes while in the hospital. In a candid interview on SiriusXM’s This Life of Mine with James Corden, Dre reflected on the ordeal and how it transformed his perspective on life.

Recalling the onset of the ordeal, Dr. Dre described waking up with a strange sensation behind his right ear, which quickly escalated into excruciating pain. Despite initially attempting to brush it off and rest, he soon found himself rushed to the hospital by his son’s friend. Opting for an urgent care facility first, Dre was swiftly redirected to the hospital as doctors deemed his condition critical.

During his two-week stay in the ICU, Dre experienced moments of consciousness interspersed with blackouts, a testament to the severity of his condition. Reflecting on the experience, he recounted hearing doctors remark on his luck, emphasizing the gravity of the situation.

At the time, Dre wrestled with questions about whether the aneurysm could have been prevented through better focus on his physical health. Despite his dedication to fitness, including weightlifting and running, he was blindsided by the diagnosis of high blood pressure, a condition often termed the “silent killer” due to its asymptomatic nature.

Ultimately, Dre learned that the aneurysm was hereditary and beyond his control, underscoring the importance of regular health check-ups, particularly for conditions prevalent in Black men like high blood pressure.

Make sure you stay on top of your health—that’s the true wealth.

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[WATCH] Jadakiss Shows Off Gymnastic Skills While In Trench Coat

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The L.O.X. has always shown an acute interest in managing their health, especially Styles P and Jadakiss. This was seen last week when Jadakiss showed off his gymnastic skills, balancing better than most on the gym rings.

Jada is known for pulling off unexpected physical feats, including doing pull-ups in Timbs on the NYC streets and doing almost perfect windmills showing off his breakdancing skills. Emphasizing the importance of health, he stated on an episode of his Facebook Watch show, “The Pull Up,” with guest Lil Cease, “I think healthy is gangsta. Everybody wanna be tough guys and this and that, and rich. If you not healthy, you can’t be alive to spend your money.”

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Exclusive: Power to the Patients Co-Founder Kevin Morra Discusses Uniting Hip-Hop to Impact American Healthcare System

Kevin Morra

A group of renowned hip-hop artists, including Fat Joe, Rick Ross, Busta Rhymes, Method Man, French Montana, and Chuck D, have joined forces with the national nonprofit organization Power to the Patients. This collaboration, led by filmmaker Kevin Morra, aims to advocate for transparency in the American healthcare system.

Hip Hop PSA PTTP

Power to the Patients, co-founded by Kevin Morra, entrepreneur Cynthia Fisher, and filmmaker Paul J. Morra, has been dedicated to achieving systemwide price transparency in healthcare. Their mission supports legislative efforts at all levels of government, holds healthcare institutions and insurers accountable for complying with federal transparency rules, and educates Americans about their right to know actual healthcare prices.

The current federal transparency rules are often disregarded by hospitals and insurers without facing the consequences, raising concerns about the effectiveness of these regulations in ensuring transparency in healthcare pricing.

In the newly released PSA, the hip-hop legends urge elected officials to commit to a healthcare system characterized by transparency, echoing Kevin Morra’s commitment to driving change.

In conversation with The Source, Morra details how the PSA campaign came together, the goal of the PSA, and more.

THE SOURCE: Can you tell us more about the recent PSA campaign where Power To The Patients collaborated with hip-hop legends like Fat Joe, Rick Ross, and others? What was the inspiration behind this collaboration?

Kevin Morra: As Hip Hop turned 50, some of the culture’s most legendary icons joined Power to the Patients to fight for price transparency in healthcare, which is an absolutely critical issue for every single person and community across the country. Their support for this issue brings so much gravitas. Hospitals and Insurance companies have egregiously rigged our healthcare system for their enormous profits at the expense of our paychecks and financial stability, putting at risk both our health and our lives. Because we are dealing with people’s well-being, this is not just an economic issue, it’s also a humanitarian one. The combined effort from Fat Joe, Method Man, Chuck D, Busta Rhymes, Rick Ross and French Montana to step up and lend their voices, their platform, and their passion against this healthcare injustice only proves the maturity, responsibility, and the continued resistance so engrained into the fabric of Hip Hop culture. As discussed with Chuck D on-set, the early roots of our activism, including the very spark for Power to the Patients, is prominently bred from rebellious art and culture, protest music, and key influences like Public Enemy. To challenge an enormous system like healthcare, we do need powerful inspiration and so it’s very apropos to have these types of legendary voices joining a movement of this nature. This series of Hip Hop PSAs fighting for healthcare price transparency showcases the commitment Hip Hop maintains and possesses for meaningful political, social, and economic improvements. This entire movement is for the people. 

Kevin Morra and Fat Joe with Hakeem Jeffries
Kevin Morra and Fat Joe with Hakeem Jeffries

How did you manage to get all these hip-hop icons together?

My brother Paul and I are filmmakers and Fat Joe and Terror Squad member Raul have been friends of ours for over twenty years now, originally meeting through a television show we Produced for MTV. The Terror Squad has always been the real deal and always willing to stand on principle and fight the good fight. So, when we shared with them the mission for “Power to the Patients,” they immediately jumped on board and, together, we filmed a very poignant PSA (Public Service Announcement) on a rooftop in the South Bronx, which is an area especially devastated by out of control healthcare costs and overcharges at hospitals. In fact, the Bronx is one of the many communities where people often refuse to enter a hospital, no matter what, out of a justified fear that the resulting hospital bill could destroy the financial security for themselves and their family. It’s all so tragic. We love our nurses and we need our doctors, but the big business of American healthcare is a totally corrupt and unconscionable system rigged by the venture capitalists and healthcare profiteers who run our hospitals and insurance companies and hide their prices in order to create historic corporate profits. As a result of this greed, they are quite literally destroying people’s lives.

In April of this year, Busta Rhymes, French Montana, Rick Ross, and Fat Joe joined us for a performance at what became one of the most incredible live musical performance events Washington, D.C. has ever seen. This Power to the Patients event kicked off the beginning of the White House Correspondents’ Dinner week and our audience was largely made up of Members of Congress and Capitol Hill staffers as well as leaders and staff from the White House. It was a truly remarkable night to behold and each artist passionately advocated for the transparency effort in between performing hit after hit after hit. We have since been blessed to add Chuck D and Method Man to this advocacy mix and each are featured through this current PSA series. Suffice to say, the Power to the Patients movement is growing!  

Could you explain the specific issues related to healthcare transparency that the campaign addresses, such as hospitals and insurance companies providing “estimates” rather than “actual prices”? How does this affect patients and the healthcare industry? <combined> Power To The Patients has been advocating for healthcare transparency for some time now. Could you share some of the challenges you’ve faced in this journey and the progress you’ve made so far?

The American healthcare system is not just broken, but it’s intentionally rigged for tremendous profits at the heavy cost and potential devastation of every single person who relies on its services and procedures, which is all of us. Hospitals and Insurance companies have been getting away with hiding their prices so they can prevent consumerism, stifle competition, and completely deflect all accountability for their overcharges and inconsistent billing.  We founded Power to the Patients, a non-profit, non-commercial advocacy group, to fight this corporate greed and corruption in order to create a more equitable, accessible, and affordable healthcare system, which will benefit everyone across the nation. In order to achieve this, healthcare price transparency is mandatory across the entire industry. Basically, for healthcare to work fairly in America, hospitals and insurance companies must show us their prices. Without seeing prices up front, hospitals and insurers will continue to charge us whatever they want and there will never be a competitive market to keep prices affordable, honest, or equitable. As Fat Joe has stated, “They’re robbing us.” When you dissect the egregious behavior of hospitals and insurers, including the non-profit and tax-exempt ones, you easily recognize just how deliberately they have created a profit model totally void of decency, responsibility, and ethics for their patients and their communities. It’s impossible to not understand the severity and urgency for price transparency when you realize that medical debt is the leading cause of personal bankruptcy in this country and you hear the countless stories, like we do, from patient after patient fighting for their lives while being issued liens on their homes from hospitals, or the real life impact that rising healthcare costs has on reducing take home pay, the continuous increase of union fees, or people’s outright refusal to seek medical care in the first place. Healthcare in this country is quite literally stomping out the American dream. Demanding prices in healthcare is an effort we all should insist upon because it’s absolutely essential that citizens are provided fair, equitable, and affordable healthcare. Without access and affordability, people suffer immensely, both financially and from deferring necessary procedures associated with health disorders, injuries, and preventative check-ups. Even for those that advocate for Universal healthcare, without price transparency first, healthcare costs will continue to be out of control, irrespective of whether it’s paid by individuals, by employers, or by the government. 

When hospitals avoid transparency, they perpetuate a rigged system that eliminates consumerism and competition for patients and their families and stifles fair planning and negotiations for unions, employers and even local, state and federal governments. We need transparency so that we all have the opportunity to compare the prices of services and procedures in order to make logical decisions on where we seek our care. Essentially, we are fighting for decency and basic economic principles for healthcare in America. It, of course, should be totally illegal for hospitals and insurance companies to hide their prices or obfuscate actual prices by using gimmicky terms like “estimates,” or “average prices,” or “percentages of prices.” Those are just meaningless terms to substitute for providing actual prices.

Your efforts in New York City led to the signing of the Healthcare Accountability and Consumer Protection Act. Can you tell us more about the impact of this act and how it serves as a model for other cities or states to improve healthcare transparency?

In June of this year, with Fat Joe in attendance, New York City Mayor Adams, alongside City Council Members, labor union representatives and activists from Power to the Patients, signed into law a hospital price transparency bill, which will require all New York City hospitals to post all of their prices so that people, patients, employers, unions, and even the government itself can finally see and understand hospital prices upfront. This is an incredible development that will absolutely protect New Yorkers from overcharges and price gouging and it will create, for the first time ever, a free market economy like every other industry, where people will be able to decide which hospitals they enter based on prices of services and procedures. The result of this will be lower medical bills, more trust and accountability in the New York healthcare system, and more equitable care across every borough and neighborhood in the city. It’s an enormously positive development and a model we are pushing to replicate in other major metropolitan areas and states across the country. Of course, the most effective development will be to codify consumer protections and price transparency laws in healthcare at the federal level, so we can protect everyone, all at once. And we will accomplish this!

The joint advocacy by Power To The Patients and the hip-hop icons comes after several meetings with lawmakers and visits to The White House. What has been the response from policymakers and elected officials regarding your efforts and concerns about the healthcare system?

Meeting with dozens of Congressional Members at the U.S. Capitol and various leaders at the White House, all the way up to Vice President Harris, has been an unbelievable experience and we have been largely encouraged with the response. Without a doubt, the politicians also enjoyed meeting with such a dynamic personality as Fat Joe and hearing his genuine enthusiasm for price transparency warmed many-a-room. It’s quite clear that there is a groundswell of support for this issue, but the reality is, we are fighting the American healthcare cartel, which currently generates over $4 trillion annually and is very slick at buying the support of many of our elected officials to maintain the existing crooked system.  That part is deeply concerning because we have put these officials in place to represent us, and yet, many are so easily compromised. Despite this, we are indeed winning this battle. When Power to the Patients first began in early 2021, only 4% of hospitals in this country complied with the current federal price transparency rules. Today, roughly two years later, thanks to the relentless work by a number of advocacy groups, spirited activists, uncompromised elected officials and an army of concerned citizens including our Hip Hop participants, we are now at 36% of U.S. hospitals complying with the current federal transparency rule. In other words, 36% of hospitals are now posting their prices (data published by Patient Rights Advocate semi-annual report). While we certainly still have a long way to go, that percentage will continue to grow and we won’t stop until we have real price transparency for a more equitable, accessible and affordable healthcare system across the country.

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Rapper Ice-T Calls Jamie Foxx Clone Theorists ‘Weirdos’

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Over the weekend comedian Jamie Foxx finally shared a video on social media thanking his fans for their prayers and support after suffering from an undisclosed medical emergency. Foxx said he decided to stay out of the public eye because he didn’t want people to see him in his undisclosed condition. Despite his daughter announcing her dad as recovering and playing pickleball, critics called foul.

Fans still questioned the video saying Jaime ‘looked and sounded different’ despite rumors that he recovered from a severe stroke. Now legendary Rapper Ice-T is calling out the so-called Jamie Foxx conspiracy theorists claiming that the real Jamie is gone and the new Jamie is a clone.

People would rather believe that Jamie is now a Clone or Ai, than the man was just seriously sick and damn near died… Cause he doesn’t look EXACTLY the same??? YOU look different after a bad cold! Smh weirdos..

Thoughts?

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Justin Combs Hit With Two Misdemeanors In DUI Case

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Last month Sean ‘Diddy’ Combs and Misa Hylton’s 29-year-old Justin Combs, was arrested in Beverly Hills on DUI charges. Misa posted a series of angry posts following his arrest subliminally mentioning Diddy. She wrote, “How do you go from the greatest to ever do it to, to making all your money off of alcohol and suing the damn alcohol company.” Now Justin is facing two misdemeanor charges for drinking and driving.
Radar Online reports:

According to court records, on June 27, a criminal case was filed against Justin Combs. He was hit with 2 misdemeanor charges for driving under the influence and for having a blood alcohol content (BAC) higher than 0.08% or more.

A pretrial hearing date has been set for August 10.

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John Boyega Reveals He Spoke With Jaime Foxx Directly

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The movie premier for ‘They Cloned Tyrone,’ featuring Jaime Foxx brought all the stars together–except Foxx. Conflicting reports about his health began to circulate causing social media to wonder if Foxx was really on his way to recovery.  His co-star actor John Boyega admitted his phone calls to Jamie had gone unanswered in the wake of his mysterious medical emergency.

John just revealed he has made direct contact and producer Datari Turner said “He’ll be back to work very soon.”

People Magazine reports:

John Boyega is sending his well wishes to co-star Jamie Foxx.

The Breaking actor, 31, discussed missing Foxx at the Hollywood premiere of their film They Cloned Tyrone, and revealed to PEOPLE that he recently chatted with the 55-year-old actor — who has been recovering after experiencing a “medical complication” — on the phone.

“He finally picked up the phone. Thank you, bro,” Boyega told PEOPLE Tuesday night. “He’s doing well. And then, you know, we just giving him the privacy, and we can’t wait for his return.”

“I gave him the well wishes directly,” the actor added. “I gave him all the well wishes. So I’m just gonna be waiting until he comes back out here. So take your time, Jamie. We love you, bro.”

Said Datari Turner, who co-produced the film alongside Foxx, “He’s doing amazing. I promise you. Doing really, really good. [Director] Juel [Taylor] talked to him yesterday. John Boyega talked to him yesterday. He’s in really, really good shape and spirits. And he’ll be back on the screen. He’ll be back to work very soon.”

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Pop Singer Madonna Rushed To The Hospital After A ‘Bacterial Infection’

2021 MTV Video Music Awards Show

64-Year Old Pop Singer Madonna was rushed to a New York City Hospital and is now expected to recover.

Page Six reports:

Madonna was found unresponsive and rushed to a New York City hospital Saturday, Page Six can exclusively reveal.

We hear the “Material Girl” singer, 64, was intubated for at least one night before having the tube removed — and she is now alert and recovering.

We’re also told that her daughter Lourdes Leon was by her side throughout the ordeal.

Madonna’s longtime manager, Guy Oseary, shared on Instagram Wednesday that his client had “developed a serious bacterial infection which led to a several day stay in the ICU.”

While a source tells us the Queen of Pop is now “out of the ICU,” Oseary explained in his post, “She is still under medical care. A full recovery is expected.”

Prayers to Madonna and her family.

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Biology Professor Says He Was Fired For Teaching Students ‘Sex Is Determined By X/Y Chromosomes’

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A biology professor at a community college in San Antonio says he was fired for teaching students that sex is determined by X and Y chromosomes. He said he was told his lessons were ‘offensive and unacceptable to homosexuals and transgenders’.

Dr. Johnson Varkey claims he was terminated by St. Philip’s College for “religious preaching” after his lecture about the human reproductive system on Nov. 28, 2022.

Varkey is being represented in a possible wrongful termination lawsuit by conservative law firm The First Liberty Institute.

“The college fired him for teaching basic and widely accepted concepts of biology. We’re asking the college to immediately reinstate Dr. Varkey to his position and clear his record of any wrongdoing,” the law firm said in a statement.

Varkey’s lecture led to four students walking out of the lecture hall. The four students reportedly complained about the professor’s “religious preaching, discriminatory comments about homosexuals and transgender individuals, anti-abortion rhetoric, and misogynistic banter,” First Liberty said.

“In two decades of teaching these basic, unremarkable concepts, no other students complained,” the law firm said, according to The NY Post.

Varkey has taught human anatomy and physiology to more than 1,500 students since 2003, according to First Liberty Institute.

“During Dr. Varkey’s 20-year employment as a biology professor at St. Philip’s College, he consistently received exemplary performance reviews and was never subject to discipline. Throughout that time, he never discussed with any student his personal views — religious or otherwise — on human gender or sexuality.”

The law firm said public colleges and universities can’t fire professors “for teaching actual science. It’s harmful to academic freedom. It’s also harmful to religious liberty, as the college is sending a message that people of faith are not welcome and need not apply.”

First Liberty added: “Dr. Varkey is the latest example of an everyday American who lost his job to a toxic cancel culture that is infecting employers across the country.”

Watch the video below.

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Young Thug Co-Defendant in YSL Rico Case To Be Tried Separately Due to Schizophrenia Diagnosis

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Another chapter has been added to the Young Thug/YSL RICO case after it has been determined that one of the co-defendants in the case will be tried separately after being diagnosed with schizophrenia, according to a report from The Atlanta Journal-Constitution.

Fulton County Judge Ural Glanville ruled on Monday (May 8) that Jayden Myrick, aka Set Trip, must be tried separately from the rest of his YSL defendants after a mental evaluation was conducted, which uncovered that Myrick hadn’t taken his psychiatric medication since December.

In April, Myrick told the court that he received legal advice from former President Donald Trump and current President Joe Biden.

“I’m not the regular inmate. I be with Joe Biden and Donald Trump and they are talking to me,” Myrick said. “Donald Trump is going to get me out.”

Myrick’s charges in the RICO case include attempted murder, possession of a weapon by an incarcerated individual, participation in criminal street gang activity, and conspiracy to violate the Racketeer Influenced and Corrupt Organizations (RICO) Act. He was also one of two individuals accused of stabbing YFN Lucci last February while behind bars in Fulton County Jail. Prosecutors allege that Young Thug sanctioned the attack.

The indictment named initially 28 co-defendants, now withered down to just ten.

Young Thug remains behind bars on eight charges, including conspiracy to violate the RICO Act, participation in criminal street gang activity, and various weapons and drug offenses.

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