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World - KSYL-AM

Prince Louis, accompanied by his parents the Prince William, Duke of Cambridge and Catherine, Duchess of Cambridge, arrive for a settling in afternoon at Lambrook School, near Ascot on Sept. 7, 2022 in Bracknell, England. (Jonathan Brady - Pool/Getty Images)(LONDON) -- Prince Louis, the youngest child of Prince William and Kate, the princess of Wales, and younger sibling of Prince George and Princess Charlotte, is 6.Six years ago, on April 23, 2018, the prince, whose full name is Prince Louis Arthur Charles of Wales, was born at 11:01 a.m., local time.The young prince, a grandson of King Charles III, made his first public appearance just seven hours after his birth, when William and Kate brought him outside St. Mary’s Hospital in London.In the years since, Louis has been known to steal the spotlight at royal events.In 2022, Louis captured the public's eye when he animatedly stood next to his great-grandmother, the late Queen Elizabeth II, on the balcony of Buckingham Palace during her Platinum Jubilee.Later on at the jubilee's Platinum Pageant, Louis' display of facial expressions, waving and even at times screaming, prompted William and Kate to caption a video montage of the event, "We all had an incredible time, especially Louis…," followed by an emoji of watchful eyes.The next year, in 2023, Louis had his turn in the spotlight again at Charles' coronation, where he was seen dancing, waving and, at times, yawning.Just after the coronation, in early May, Louis marked a royal milestone, attending his first royal engagement.The then-5-year-old was seen trying archery and shoveling alongside Kate as they were joined by William, George and Charlotte in helping to renovate a hut for a scout troop during the Big Help Out, a coronation event meant to encourage people to volunteer in their communities.Louis' birthday this year comes at a less celebratory time for the royal family, which has two members battling cancer.Louis' mom, Kate, announced in March that she was diagnosed with cancer and is undergoing chemotherapy.Just one month earlier, in February, Buckingham Palace announced that Charles was diagnosed with cancer and had begun treatment.The palace has not specified Charles' type of cancer, the stage of cancer or the type of treatment.Likewise, Kensington Palace has not shared details on the type of cancer Kate was diagnosed with. She said in a video message that the cancer was discovered in post-operative tests after her planned abdominal surgery in mid-January.In announcing her cancer, Kate asked for privacy for her family. The palace has said only that Kate will return to public duties once she is medically cleared to do so.After taking time off during their children's Easter school holiday, William returned to work on April 18, visiting a food charity in his first royal engagement back since Kate's announcement.Copyright © 2024, ABC Audio. All rights reserved.

Cambridge , Cambridgeshire , United-kingdom , Lambrook , Somerset , London , City-of , Buckingham-palace , Westminster , Jonathan-brady , Louis-arthur-charles , Lambrook-school

Business - KSYL-AM

This photograph taken Feb. 6, 2024 shows a laboratory technician monitoring the progress of lab-grown diamond seeds at Greenlab Diamonds manufacturing firm on the outskirts of Surat. (Sam Panthaky/AFP via Getty Images)(NEW YORK) -- The natural diamond industry has been fueled by a glittering marketing strategy for decades, but is the sustainability of modern, lab-grown diamonds as clear-cut as consumers believe?Since De Beers Group's 1940s "a diamond is forever" advertising campaign, dubbed by Advertising Age as the "slogan of the 20th century" in 1999, the natural diamond industry exploded into a multi-billion-dollar industry and cemented itself into modern culture."Diamonds are very ingrained in our culture," Paul Zimnisky, a leading diamond industry analyst, told ABC News. "I think, as humans, we just desire these rare, precious gemstones and metals. It's not practical, but it makes us feel good."In 2022, the global natural diamond market was valued at $100.4 billion and is projected to reach $155.5 billion by 2032, according to Allied Market Research.However, the natural, mined diamond industry has been disrupted by a just as shiny and substantially less expensive competitor -- lab-grown diamonds.General Electric first produced lab-grown diamonds in 1954, according to the International Gem Society (IGS), using a high-pressure belt press to subject small seed crystals to temperatures of 2,912 Fahrenheit and atmospheric pressures of 100,000 atm.Over the next several decades, researchers in the United States, China and Russia adopted varied methods of the initial GE patent to create lab-grown diamonds that exceed mined, natural diamonds in carat size, color and clarity, according to IGS.Demand for lab-grown diamonds has increased every year but gained mainstream attention in 2017, according to Zimnisky."Production has just absolutely skyrocketed," Zimnisky said. "The production technologies in the production capacity have rapidly advanced in just the last three, four years. And because of that, the cost of production is dropped, and the cost to the consumer has dropped."To the naked eye, lab-grown diamonds are identical to their mined counterparts but cost 40% to 50% less. A one-carat lab-grown diamond costs about $1,200, depending on quality, while a similar natural diamond can cost $4,200, according to The Diamond Pro.In 2022, the global lab-grown diamonds market was valued at $24 billion and is projected to reach $59.2 billion by 2032, according to Allied Market Research.How are lab-grown diamonds made?Lab-grown diamonds share identical chemical and physical properties with natural diamonds, Dr. Ulrika D’Haenens-Johansson, senior manager of Diamond Research at the Gemological Institute of America, told ABC News, the difference is the origin in which they were made: In a lab vs. being mined after forming 150 miles below the Earth's surface."Laboratory-grown diamonds have the same composition and crystal structure as natural diamonds, resulting in essentially the same physical, chemical and optical properties," D’Haenens-Johansson said. "While laboratory-grown and natural diamonds may appear identical to the naked eye, they fundamentally differ in several ways: their age, the way that they grew, and the environment in which they formed."Lab-grown diamonds mimic the conditions natural diamonds are formed in, where carbon is compressed due to extreme temperatures and pressures.The manufactured stones are created in two ways: through high pressure/high temperature (HPHT) and chemical vapor deposition (CVD) processes, according to IGS.Both HPHT and CVD lab-grown diamond productions require recreating temperatures over 1,472 Fahrenheit and atmospheric pressures up to 70,000 atm, according to IGS.Are lab-grown diamonds sustainable?The variation in the production of lab-grown diamonds is where the sustainability of the man-made product comes into question, according to Zimnisky, who notes, "Man-made diamonds require an enormous amount of energy.""You could go to a producer that's using coal-fired, grid power, or a producer that's using hydropower or solar power," Zimnisky said. "Obviously, the environmental impact is going to be different depending on the source of energy."The production of laboratory-grown diamonds is an energy-intensive process, according to D’Haenens-Johansson, who notes, many -- if not most -- lab-grown diamond producers use electricity from fossil fuels such as coal.Additionally, D’Haenens-Johansson explained that the raw materials that are used for lab-grown diamond growth, such as methane gas and graphite are "generally intrinsically tied to mining processes."On average, producing one polished carat of lab-grown diamond releases approximately 511 kg of greenhouse gases, according to IGS.Amid the lab-grown diamond industry boom, China and India have risen as the top-producing and exporting countries, relying largely on coal to produce lab-grown diamonds, according to the Natural Diamond Council.Over 60% of lab-grown diamonds are produced in China and India where 63% and respectively 74% of grid electricity results from coal, the council said in its 2023 analytical report."India and China right now are by far the largest producers of the man-made diamond," Zimnisky said. "I expect them to continue to be the largest producers."In 2019, the Federal Trade Commission (FTC) warned eight jewelry marketers that some of their online advertisements of jewelry made with lab-grown diamonds "may deceive consumers," in violation of the 2018 FTC Act -- updated Guides for the Jewelry, Precious Metals, and Pewter Industries.According to the FTC press release, "the companies in question advertised their jewelry as 'eco-friendly,' 'eco-conscious,' or 'sustainable,' and that such terms can be interpreted to imply certain specific environmental benefits."The FTC "admonished" the companies, saying it's "highly unlikely that they can substantiate all reasonable interpretations of these claims," according to the release.Environmental and ethical impact of mined diamondsMined diamonds are collected through open-pit, underground and marine mining, which can disrupt ecosystems and release carbon and other greenhouse gases into the atmosphere, according to IGS.Clean Origin compares the environmental footprint between mined and lab-grown diamonds, claiming one carat of mined diamond equates to nearly 100 square feet of disturbed land and nearly 6,000 pounds of mineral waste.Meanwhile, one carat of lab-grown diamond disrupts just 0.07 square feet of land and results in 1 pound of mineral waste, according to Clean Origin.Diamond mines are also dangerous for workers, with the mines being vulnerable to collapse and explosions, according to Clean Origin, which notes increased cancer risk, hearing loss, lung problems and other health issues are associated with diamond mining.The term "blood diamonds," also known as conflict diamonds, originated in the African countries Angola, the Democratic Republic of the Congo and Sierra Leone in the 1990s, according to Britannica.Rebel groups used forced labor in lucrative diamond mining war zones to finance armed conflicts, which led to widespread human rights abuse, according to Britannica.In 2003, the Kimberly Process was enacted to stop the illegal trade of conflict diamonds and protect the legitimate diamond trade, according to Britannica, which notes the agreement involves 49 participating countries including the European Union.Why brands and consumers believe in lab-grown diamondsAlexander Weindling, a third-generation diamond jeweler and CEO of Clean Origin, a completely lab-grown diamond company, told ABC News the ethos and affordability of lab-grown diamonds motivate his business.Weindlings says a one-carat mined diamond can retail for $4,000 or $5,000, while Clean Origin offers what appears to be an identical stone for under $1,000.However, regarding the sustainability and environmental effect of the industry,

Russia , India , Democratic-republic-of-the-congo , Angola , United-states , Sierra-leone , Surat , Gujarat , China , California , America , Sam-panthaky

Business - KSYL-AM

ABC NewsCorporate America took notice four years ago when Larry Fink, CEO of investment giant BlackRock, declared climate change a top concern. “Climate risk is investment risk,” Fink wrote in an annual letter popular in C-suites.His latest letter, released last month, spans well over 100 paragraphs before the first mention of “climate.” Whereas Fink mentioned “climate” a total of 29 times in the 2020 letter, he wrote it just four times in the missive last month.The shift in Fink’s letters has coincided with an apparent wider chill of momentum behind climate action among many of the world’s largest companies, which have faced a conservative backlash against sustainable business practices derided as “woke capitalism,” experts told ABC News.Many firms have struggled to follow through on ambitious, years-old climate pledges, in part due to high interest rates that make funding more expensive, the experts added, noting that some environmentally conscious companies have bucked the trend.“BlackRock is still considering climate risk but boy has their message changed,” Mindy Lubber, chief executive of environmental advocacy group Ceres, which examines corporate conduct, told ABC News.“The pushback has been fierce and severe, and we’re seeing things slow down,” Lubber added.BlackRock did not respond to ABC News’ request for comment.In a statement on its website, BlackRock says a worldwide transition to net-zero carbon emissions by 2050 would "benefit the global economy and our clients in aggregate." In turn, BlackRock encourages clients to develop "robust transition plans" by 2030, the statement adds, noting the limitations of BlackRock's role as an asset manager."BlackRock’s role in the transition is as a fiduciary to our clients," the statement says. "Our role is to help them navigate investment risks and opportunities, not to engineer a specific decarbonization outcome in the real economy."A little over half of the world’s largest 2,000 companies have adopted pledges to achieve net-zero carbon emissions, according to data from research firm Net Zero Tracker reviewed by ABC News. Net zero marks the point at which a given firm offsets its emissions by removing the same amount of carbon from the atmosphere.The number of companies with net-zero pledges has jumped 40% over the past 16 months, the data showed. However, the vast majority of the company pledges lack credibility, Net Zero said, noting that only one out of every 20 commitments meets United Nations guidelines for what constitutes a quality pledge.To meet the U.N. threshold for a quality pledge, a company must adopt a plan to address all forms of carbon emissions, present intermediate goals for emissions cuts by 2030 and align its government lobbying with the objective of net zero, among other criteria.“There is unequivocally a massive lack in the quality of these plans,” John Lang, the project lead at Net Zero Tracker, told ABC News. “We just haven’t seen momentum or movement on that.”“It’s easy to set a target,” Lang said. “It’s much harder to create a robust plan to meet that target.”Dave White, director of the Global Institute of Sustainability and Innovation at Arizona State University, said the evidence of major companies fulfilling climate pledges is “mixed at best.”“We’ve seen important progress but many of these companies are realizing they’re meeting only a small fraction of the aspirational goals they've made,” White said.Experts who spoke with ABC News attributed the corporate difficulties to a surge of conservative criticism over sustainable business practices as well as high interest rates, which make it more costly for companies to pursue capital-intensive climate initiatives.Conservatives have directed much of their ire at environmental, social and governance investing, or ESG, a type of investing that takes into account non-financial information about a company, such as its climate impact and staff diversity.Prominent Republican politicians, such as Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis, have assailed ESG as a portfolio strategy that prioritizes liberal goals over investor returns. Eighteen states have adopted anti-ESG legislation -- and all but one features a Republican governor, law firm K&L Gates found in July."When it comes to things like these Wall Street banks, what they're doing to try to impose an agenda is something that's very, very troubling," DeSantis said last May upon signing a law that prohibits state officials from investing state money to further ESG goals.Some on the left have questioned the rigor of ESG funds, warning that they establish insufficient standards for companies seeking to qualify.ESG investing, meanwhile, has sharply declined. Funds worldwide categorized as "responsible investing" received $68 billion of net new deposits in 2023 through November, according to data from financial firm LSEG Lipper. That amount had fallen dramatically from $158 billion for all of 2022 and $558 billion for all of 2021.The backlash from conservatives, White said, has hampered corporate conduct beyond ESG, including carbon emissions commitments.“The politicization of this area in some cases is providing cover for corporations to backslide on their commitments,” White said.To be sure, some companies have continued to achieve progress toward achieving net-zero emissions, some experts said, noting that the recent hiccup in climate action owes more to the scale of the task than the reluctance of the corporations.“The transition to a carbon neutral economy that we’re experiencing is really a transition on the scale of the great industrial revolution,” George Georgiev, a professor at Emory University School of Law, told ABC News.“I don’t think it’s a retrenchment -- it’s more of a professionalization of the function within companies and them being more careful,” he added. “We’re probably not moving fast enough but that doesn’t mean we can’t adjust course.”Copyright © 2024, ABC Audio. All rights reserved.

Blackrock , Arizona , United-states , Florida , America , Dave-white , John-lang , Ron-desantis , George-georgiev , Larry-fink , Global-institute-of-sustainability , United-nations

National - KSYL-AM

WLS-TV(CHICAGO) -- A Chicago police officer heading home from his shift early Sunday was shot and killed, the "victim of the type of crime he was working against," the Chicago police superintendent said.The slain 30-year-old officer was shot multiple times and had his car taken, Chicago Police Department Superintendent Larry Snelling said during a news conference Sunday morning.Chicago Mayor Brandon Johnson identified the slain officer as Luis M. Huesca, saying his death was the result of "an act of unconscionable gun violence in our city.""I met with Officer Huesca’s mother and uncle this morning and assured them that they have my full support as they deal with this unspeakable loss. Our city is grieving, and our condolences go out to their entire family as well as Luis’ fellow officers and community," Johnson said in a post Sunday on X.The mayor said Huesca worked in the police department's 5th District as a member of the Priority Response Team.Huesca was taken to the University of Chicago Medical Center, where he was pronounced dead, officials said.Snelling said detectives are working to determine if the officer was gunned down during a carjacking."We can't confirm that right now, but detectives are working through it. What we do know is that the officer's vehicle was taken," Snelling said. "But to get to the total motive of what happened, we need more information and the detective division is working on that."No arrests were announced.The shooting unfolded around 2:53 a.m. on West 56th Street near South Kedzie Avenue in the Gage Park neighborhood, according to a police statement. Officers responding to a gunshot detection alert found the mortally wounded officer lying outside on the ground suffering from several gunshot wounds, according to the statement.Snell said the officer, a six-year veteran of the CPD, was in his uniform, but with a jacket over it at the time he was shot."Our officer was headed home after his tour of duty," Snelling said. "While returning home, the officer was shot multiple times."CPD said the shooting happened in the 8th Police District on the Southwest Side of the city."He was working hard out there to keep communities and to keep people safe, and today that officer was a victim of the type of crime that he was working against to keep people safe in this city," Snelling said. "There's a lot of violent crime out here and there are people who are brazen and cowardly in the way they go about their days and carry out these violent acts against the decent hardworking people of this city, who are just trying to live their lives the right way. It has to stop."Snelling said the officer is survived by his mother and an uncle."He was just a great officer, a great human being and his family is dealing with a lot right now. My condolences go out to the family. We really need to keep the family, his mother in our prayers," Snelling said. "These are senseless, senseless crimes that are taking the lives of our community members. Today, one of our officers."Copyright © 2024, ABC Audio. All rights reserved.

Chicago , Illinois , United-states , Gage-park , University-of-chicago , Brandon-johnson , Luism-huesca , University-of-chicago-medical-center , Priority-response-team , Chicago-police-department-superintendent-larry-snelling , Police-district , Mayor-brandon-johnson

Entertainment - KSYL-AM

Marvel StudiosOn Monday morning, Marvel Studios dropped a second trailer to Deadpool & Wolverine, and it's packed with both Easter Eggs and f-bombs.Hugh Jackman's Logan is seen at a bar when Ryan Reynolds' titular motormouth shows up. "Hi, Peanut," he says, referencing Ant-Man's name for his daughter. "I'm gonna need you to come with me right now." Logan replies, "Look, lady: I'm not interested." After Wade physically tries to pick him up, Logan attempts to deploy his claws, only to suffer a performance issue, as seen in 2016's Logan. "It's quite common in Wolverines over 40," Deadpool quips.Long story short, in the timeline Wade enters to meet his idol, this version of Logan "let down the entire world," according to Matthew Macfadyen's Paradox, and Logan can't live with the guilt. Deadpool tries to motivate him to jump into his world to save it — but that comes after much, much fighting between the would-be allies.The pair trade blows against a wasteland decorated with the wreckage of the 20th Century Fox logo — a reference to the studio, and both the Deadpool and Wolverine characters, now being under the umbrella of ABC News' parent company, Disney."I don't know anything about saving worlds, but you do," DP implores, as Madonna's "Like A Prayer" begins, marking Logan's change of heart."Let's f****** go," DP says, echoed by Wolvie, and the pair are seen jumping through a portal together.Emma Corrin plays the heavy this time around, Cassandra Nova, an extremely powerful mutant and counterpart to her twin brother, Charles Xavier. Wolverine's metal claws are no threat: She simply uses her powers to puppeteer him. "Boys are so silly," she says.Deadpool & Wolverine opens July 26.Copyright © 2024, ABC Audio. All rights reserved.

Hugh-jackman-logan , Charles-xavier , Cassandra-nova , Emma-corrin , Ryan-reynold , Disney , Marvel-studios , Easter-eggs , Matthew-macfadyen , Century-fox , Talkradio , Ouisiana

World - KSYL-AM

Palestinian medics rush to the site of an Israeli strike on al-Bureij camp in the central Gaza Strip on April 22, 2024, amid ongoing battles between Israel and the militant group Hamas. (AFP via Getty Images)(NEW YORK) -- Israel launched a retaliatory strike against Iran early Friday morning local time, a senior U.S. official told ABC News.The strike followed Iran's attack on Saturday, when Tehran sent a volley of more than 300 drones and missiles toward targets in Israel, according to Israeli military officials. All but a few were intercepted by Israel and its allies, including the United States, officials said.Iran's weekend attack came more than six months after Hamas terrorists invaded Israel on Oct. 7, after which the Israeli military began its bombardment of Gaza.Here's how the news is developing:Apr 22, 5:36 AMIsraeli intelligence chief resigns over Oct. 7Maj. Gen. Aharon Haliva, the head of Israel’s Military Intelligence Directorate, has submitted his resignation in the wake of the Oct. 7 surprise terror attack, the Israel Defense Forces said on Monday."The Chief of the General Staff thanked Major General Aharon Haliva for his 38 years of service in the IDF, during which he made significant contributions to the security of the State of Israel as both a combat soldier and commander," IDF officials said in a post on social media.Apr 22, 5:19 AMUS drops 50,000 meals over Northern GazaThe U.S. military on Sunday dropped 50,688 ready-to-eat meals into northern Gaza, Central Command said.The humanitarian aid, which was dropped from four Air Force aircraft, brings the total U.S. assistance supplied by air to about 1,001 tons, CENTCOM said."The DoD humanitarian airdrops contribute to ongoing U.S. and partner-nation government efforts to alleviate human suffering," CENTCOM said on social media. "These airdrops are part of a sustained effort, and we continue to plan follow-on aerial deliveries."Apr 22, 3:29 AMThree injured in 'ramming terror attack' in Jerusalem, police sayThree people were "lightly" injured after being struck by a vehicle in a "ramming terror attack," Israeli police said on Monday morning. The two suspects allegedly fled the scene.The pedestrians were struck at about 8 a.m. on Mordechai Tekhelet Street, police said."Immediately afterward, two terrorists emerged from the vehicle armed with 'Carlo' type weapon, and attempted to open fire, unsuccessfully," police said.Investigators recovered a weapon from the area following the incident, police said.Apr 21, 6:09 PMIsraeli Defense Minister responds to potential US sanctions on IDF battalionIsrael's Minister of Defense Yoav Gallant held a discussion with IDF Chief of the General Staff Lt. Gen. Herzi Halevi regarding the developing report on U.S. intentions to impose sanctions against the IDF’s Netzach Yehuda battalion, an Israeli military unit operating in the West Bank."Any attempt to criticize an entire unit casts a heavy shadow on the actions of the IDF, which operates to protect the citizens of Israel," Gallant said in a statement. "Damage to one battalion, affects the entire defense establishment – this is not the right path for partners and friends."Gallant urged the U.S. not to impose sanctions on the unit."Our friends and our enemies are closely watching the ties between Israel and the United States, now more than ever," Gallant said. "I call on the U.S. Administration to withdraw its intention to impose sanctions on the Netzach Yehuda battalion."Amid reports of possible sanctions, Gallant recently completed a call with U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken. Earlier today, Minister Gallant also held a discussion with the U.S. Ambassador to Israel, Jack Lew.Apr 21, 1:38 PM22 reported dead in strikes on Rafah: Hamas-run Gaza Health MinistryTwo strikes were launched on the southern Gaza town of Rafah, killing 22 people, including 18 children, according to the Hamas-run Gaza Health Ministry.At least one blast occurred at the Al-Shabora refugee camp in Rafah, a spokesperson for the Kuwait Hospital in Rafah told ABC News.The hospital spokesperson told ABC News doctors were able to rescue an unborn baby whose mother was killed in the blast at Al-Shabora camp. Officials identified the mother as Sabreen Mohamed Al-Sakani.The Israel Defense Forces confirmed the strikes, telling ABC News, "At the given times, the IDF struck several military targets of the terrorist organizations in Gaza including military compounds, launch posts and armed terrorists."Apr 21, 11:23 AM14 'terrorists' killed in dayslong West Bank raid: IDFIsraeli forces have withdrawn after a dayslong raid in the Nur Shams area of the Tulkarm camp in the West Bank left 14 "terrorists" dead, according to the Israel Defense Forces.Israel Border Police forces "completed extensive counterterrorism activity based on IDF and ISA (Israel Security Authority) intelligence in the area of Nur Shams," the IDF said in a statement.During the raid, which began Friday, "the forces eliminated 14 terrorists in close-quarters combat, apprehended 15 wanted suspects, seized numerous weapons, and destroyed dozens of explosive devices as well as two terror explosives laboratories," according to the IDF statement.The IDF said all of the terrorists were killed during fire exchanges with Israeli forces.Since the raid started, nine IDF soldiers and an Israel Border Police officer were "lightly to moderately" injured in the fighting, according to the IDF.The Palestine Red Crescent Society, the first responder service in the West Bank, also said 14 people were killed as a result of the raid.Apr 20, 6:05 PMNetanyahu responds after Blinken says US may impose sanctions on IDFU.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken said the department will be announcing his determinations regarding the Israel Defense Forces under the Leahy Law -- which empowers the secretary of state to withhold funding from units of a foreign military accused of human rights violations -- "in the coming days."The State Department could announce sanctions against the IDF and withhold aid to the military."I think it's fair to say that you'll see results very soon. I've made determinations, you can expect to see them in the days ahead," he told press gathered for G7 meetings.Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu posted a statement on X saying sanctions must not be imposed on the IDF."In recent weeks, I have been working against the imposition of sanctions on Israeli citizens, including in my conversations with senior American government officials. At a time when our soldiers are fighting the monsters of terror, the intention to impose a sanction on a unit in the IDF is the height of absurdity and a moral low," Netanyahu said Saturday.Copyright © 2024, ABC Audio. All rights reserved.

Jerusalem , Israel-general- , Israel , Rafah , Gaza-strip-general- , Gaza-strip , Gaza , West-bank , United-states , Tehran , Iran , Bureij

Health - KSYL-AM

Thir Sakdi Phu Cxm / EyeEm/Getty Images(NEW YORK) -- Jazmin Evans is one of more than 14,000 Black kidney transplant candidates who found out that an outdated medical test may have inappropriately calculated their need for a transplant.Evans, 29, was diagnosed with chronic kidney disease in January 2012. She started dialysis and was put on the kidney transplant waitlist in 2019."I just remember feeling, like, this is never gonna happen for me," she said, speaking with ABC News.The U.S. faces a dire kidney organ shortage, meaning patients with kidney failure must meet certain criteria to be considered good candidates for a transplant.One of those considerations is a test called the "eGFR" calculation, which is a measure of a person's kidney function. This metric takes into account factors like age, sex, body weight and -- until recently -- a person's race. The decision to include race was based on outdated studies that relied on an assumption that Black patients had differences in kidney function compared to other groups.In many cases, the use of a race-based score may have contributed to Black patients being placed lower on the waitlist."That really was problematic, but it was very widely accepted," said Martha Pavlakis, former chair of the kidney committee with the Organ Procurement and Transplantation Network, an organization that administers the transplant system in the U.S. and maintains transplant policies. "It was what we were taught. It was what we turned around and taught other people."In 2020, the National Kidney Foundation and American Society of Nephrology established a national task force to reassess how race is taken into account when diagnosing kidney related illnesses. The task force's final report outlined guidance stating that race variables shouldn't be applied to kidney transplant candidates, which the Organ Procurement and Transplantation Network later implemented.As a result, some people suddenly found themselves higher on the waitlist.In January 2023, the algorithm evaluating kidney disease changed, eliminating race as a factor.Evans said she was shocked when she received notice of her movement up the transplant list in 2023. She shared the news on TikTok at the time, showing a letter stating that she was eligible for a "waiting time modification.""My original wait time started April of 2019," she says in the TikTok video. "With the new calculation for Black Americans, my 'start date' would have started [in] 2015.""At this point, I am eight years on the transplant list," she continues. "For my blood type, the average waiting time is about four to five years. I could've [had] a kidney already."Evans' story is just one of many examples of health inequities historically ingrained in the kidney transplant system."Everyone says, you know, we live in this post-racial society here in America, but that's really not the truth," Evans said, speaking with ABC News.The 29-year-old, who finally received a new kidney in July 2023, has since dedicated her TikTok account to kidney health advocacy and education.Michelle Josephson, former president at American Society of Nephrology, called the inclusion of race factors in the previous kidney transplant waitlist evaluations inappropriate."Race is a social construct and it should not be included in these [tests]," she said. "It's not appropriate."Dr. Samira Farouk, a transplant nephrologist and volunteer at the National Kidney Foundation, echoed that sentiment, stating that race is not a risk factor for kidney disease."One risk factor that is related to race is the racism," Farouk said, "so, thinking about decreased access to care and decreased access to medications, decreased access to optimal diabetes, and high blood pressure control."Carole Johnson, administrator at the Health Resources and Services Administration, said the agency had long heard from families and people in the transplant field that there was room for improvement in the evaluating systems."Families were waiting too long and individuals were struggling with the system," she said. "It is absolutely unacceptable that there would be anything in the algorithm for allocating organs that would in any way be weighted based on race, without the science to support that."As a result of the evaluation changes, 14,280 Black kidney transplant candidates were moved up the waitlist between January 2023 and mid-March 2024, according to Organ Procurement and Transplantation Network data. Of that group, nearly 3,000 have received a kidney transplant.Experts say this is an example of identifying the inappropriate use of race in medical care."We not only attempted to eliminate it from influencing care, but [can look at it] and say, for those people for whom it may have impacted their care, can we fix that?" Pavlakis said.The inequities don't end with kidney transplant waitlists, nephrologists pointed out. Racial biases also exist in calculations for the kidney donor profile index, which determines the quality of a donor kidney for a transplant."It really goes back to this initial assumption that race is a biological variable [which isn't accurate]," Farouk said.A new mandate is in the works which would omit the race bias in calculations for kidney donor allocations. An Organ Procurement and Transplantation Network vote to change the biased donor test is set for June."There's a lot of issues in medicine and many other parts of our culture that speak to our very challenging history. And I think this is one of them," Josephson said. "The good news is that we have pulled race out and we've tried to rectify some of the inequities that occurred because of it."Evans, too, said she feels "hopeful" for the future, adding that she hopes the changes end up "bringing more equity to the donation process or the transplant process."Copyright © 2024, ABC Audio. All rights reserved.

United-states , America , American , Americans , Samira-farouk , Jazmin-evans , Martha-pavlakis , Carole-johnson , Michelle-josephson , National-kidney-foundation , Services-administration , Transplantation-network

National - KSYL-AM

Douglas Sacha/Getty Images/STOCK(GREENBELT, Md.) -- Five teenagers were injured after gunfire rang out at a large gathering of high school students taking part in a senior skip day in Maryland, police said.Officers from several law enforcement agencies were responding to help control a crowd of 500 to 600 students who had gathered in Schrom Hills Park in Greenbelt Friday afternoon when they heard multiple shots ring out, according to Greenbelt Police Chief Richard Bowers.Five male victims ranging between the ages of 16 and 18 were located with gunshot wounds, Bowers said. All five victims were transported to local hospitals.Three victims were released from the hospital and the sole victim listed as critical has been upgraded to stable condition, Greenbelt Police said Saturday.A suspect in the shooting is believed to have fled the park when the crowd dispersed following the gunfire and has not been located at this time, Bowers said. Police believe there was only one shooter, he said.The police chief called the shooting a "horrible, tragic, senseless act.""These were kids on senior skip day who were looking to have a good time in a local park, and to have something like this occur is just maddening," Bowers said.The students had initially gathered in Bowie, Maryland, for senior skip day and were asked to disperse by local law enforcement, a Greenbelt Police Department spokesperson told ABC News. Many of those students then moved to Schrom Hills Park, where they participated in a large water gun fight prior to the shooting, police said.Greenbelt Mayor Emmett Jordan said the gathering was "informally organized" on social media."We don't condone skipping school, but it's the senior skip day," Bowers said. "It's just a tragedy."Students from multiple high schools in the area are believed to have been at the park, the chief said.A motive remains unclear.The shooting remains under investigation. Bowers urged anyone with footage from the incident to reach out to police. Investigators will also be looking over body-worn camera footage, he said."We know that the person involved is definitely on a camera somewhere," Bowers said.Copyright © 2024, ABC Audio. All rights reserved.

Maryland , United-states , Richard-bowers , Douglas-sacha-getty , Greenbelt-police-department , Greenbelt-police , Schrom-hills-park , Greenbelt-friday , Greenbelt-police-chief-richard , Mayor-emmett-jordan , Talkradio , Ouisiana

National - KSYL-AM

ABC News(PARKLAND, Fla.) -- Last month, Vice President Kamala Harris toured Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School in Parkland, Florida, site of a 2018 mass shooting, with families of the 17 victims of the massacre and vowed to do more to curb gun violence.Fred Guttenberg, who lost his daughter Jaime in the shooting, was one of the parents who pushed for elected officials to take the tour and meet with the families about tackling gun violence.He spoke with ABC News' Rachel Scott shortly after the visit.ABC NEWS LIVE: I do want to start with you telling me about your push to get the vice president here. Where did that come from?FRED GUTTENBERG: I guess about 10 months ago, when the building was turned over from the state attorney to the school district, one of the other dads, Max Schachter, had this idea of walking through political people to see what's happening in that building, or what happened in that building.The blood is still there, the DNA is still there. The shards of glass are still there, the books and all the coursework, it's still out there on the desks as if the kids just went out for a fire drill. It's all still there. And we wanted to walk people through so that they could receive the lessons of why something like this happened. And a day of mass carnage, leading to 17 dead and 17 injured, but not only why it happened [but also] what kinds of things can we do to stop the next one.And I reached out to the Office of Gun Violence Prevention folks, which are an amazing group of people, and the vice president's office, and I told them what we were doing. And I said, "I'd really like you all to come."This was scheduled to be a three-hour day. She was here, not three hours, [but] almost five.Because she wanted to know about those we lost. She wanted to know about the work that we're doing.Today was an incredibly consequential, meaningful day.ABC NEWS LIVE: You told me that this building is going to be demolished.GUTTENBERG: Yeah.ABC NEWS LIVE: And that this was sort of the final chapter.GUTTENBERG: The final lesson.ABC NEWS LIVE: The final lesson.GUTTENBERG: Yeah.The vice president can now go forward and talk specifically about what she saw in this building and relate it to what she needs to do [and] what we need to do as a country. Whether it's on gun safety policy, whether it's on school construction, any of those things. She saw it today. She can talk about it now.ABC NEWS LIVE: What do you believe needs to be done? We know that the president signed the most comprehensive gun safety legislation into law in decades. But still, that did not go as far as the president and the vice president were hoping.GUTTENBERG: I wish we could have gone further. And I hope people vote in the next election to ensure we get to go further. But it went, and it got a lot of things done. I'll give you this. I'll just tell you this, for the first time in months, the homicide rate related to gun violence, for the first time in years, is trending down. I was just at the FBI facility in West Virginia, where they conduct threat assessment and background checks last month. And they're doing the new enhanced under 21 background checks which are a part of that legislation. And they were talking about the abundance of young people now that they've been able to stop from getting a weapon because of that new enhanced under-21 background check.Red flag laws save lives. Let me be clear, had a red flag law been in place in Florida before February 14, 2018, in all likelihood, this shooting never happens. Had a red flag law been in place before February 14, 2018, I'd be visiting my daughter at the University of Florida, not at a cemetery.ABC NEWS LIVE: I do want to ask you about your daughter and just what we should know about her and how you have been able to cope with the loss of a daughter so young.GUTTENBERG: My daughter will forever be the toughest person I ever knew. And if you saw the way she died on the third floor, running down the hallway for her life, because she got locked out of a room – knowing there was a shooter at her back with an AR-15. And she made it to within 1 second of her life, turning into the stairwell.It does not surprise me that she was fighting for her life that way. She's the toughest person I've ever known. I get through every day because she stands on my shoulders pushing me forward. I get through every day because I know no matter how hard this fight is, I will never ever, ever have anything as hard as what she did running down that hallway.I am her voice now. My daughter was 14 when she was killed. Forever 14. She should be 20 now.And I have a dream now of ending gun violence in America and I'm dedicating my life to it.ABC NEWS LIVE: You've been through that building. You've walked that hall. What was that like for you?GUTTENBERG: When you walk through it, you see the blood of the victims still there. You see DNA of the victims. It's still there.I sat in the spot where my daughter took her last breath. And for me, it's something I'll never ever get over, I'll never comprehend how it was possible. I'll never forgive those who failed to deal with the reality of gun violence, because we were listening to too many of the wrong people. And I will do everything I can to ensure we fire every single elected person who continues to fail on this issue. All I want to do is stop the next one.ABC NEWS LIVE: We are now in a critical election year. What do you want Americans to know heading into this election year?GUTTENBERG: What I want America to know is there is only one president and vice presidential candidate – they're the ones running for re-election, President [Joe] Biden and Vice President Harris, who stand for doing something about gun violenceSo here's what I want America to know. This is not an election to sit home. If you're any of the many people across this country who think I'm gonna stay home on my couch, I don't need to vote. Yes, you do. Let me be clear: If there's anybody in your life that you love, and because of that, you want to reduce gun violence, you know how to vote and you know you need to vote.Copyright © 2024, ABC Audio. All rights reserved.

Florida , United-states , West-virginia , University-of-florida , America , Americans , Fred-guttenberg , Rachel-scott , Kamala-harris , Max-schachter , Marjory-stoneman-douglas-high-school-in-parkland , Office-of-gun-violence-prevention

Business - KSYL-AM

Elijah Nouvelage/Getty Images(CHATTANOOGA, Tenn.) -- In a seismic union election Friday evening, Volkswagen workers in Chattanooga, Tennessee, voted to join the United Auto Workers Union.The workers voted 2,628 to 985 for union representation, according to a spokesperson for the National Labor Relations Board."There were seven challenged ballots that won’t be counted, because they aren’t determinative to the outcome of the election. There were three void ballots. The total number of eligible voters was 4,326," according to a statement from the NLRB.The employer will begin "bargaining in good faith" with the union, with parties having five days to file objections to the election.The vote to unionize has the potential to supercharge organizing in the nation's auto sector and demonstrate the strength of a resurgent labor movement through a victory in the South, a region typically resistant to unions.Workers began casting ballots this week in the most significant test for the UAW since a strike last fall against the Big 3 U.S. carmakers that delivered substantial gains and a burst of interest from employees at non-union firms."Workers in America are fed up with being left behind and unions are the path to dignity on and off the job," UAW president Shawn Fain said in February in a post on X, after having met with workers at the Volkswagen facility.The labor agreements at the Big 3 last year prompted some non-union competitors to offer pay increases and other benefits, putting their employees in closer alignment with UAW members. Honda, Nissan and Tesla are among the companies that raised wages for U.S. employees after the UAW deal.The breakthrough also triggered a wave of UAW organizing, the union says. Over 10,000 non-union auto workers have signed cards in support of the UAW in recent months and organizing campaigns have broken out at more than two dozen facilities, the union said in a statement last month.The election at the Volkswagen plant in Chattanooga offered a difficult test, even as the union appears poised for growth. The UAW suffered narrow defeats in two elections at the facility over the past decade.Governors of six southern states, including Tennessee Gov. Bill Lee, issued a joint statement this week criticizing the UAW and voicing general opposition toward unions."As Governors, we have a responsibility to our constituents to speak up when we see special interests looking to come into our state and threaten our jobs and the values we live by," they wrote.For its part, Volkswagen has remained publicly neutral toward the union drive. In a statement, the company told ABC News that it supports the union election process."We respect our workers' right to a democratic process and to determine who should represent their interests," Volkswagen said."We fully support an NLRB vote so every team member has a chance to a secret ballot vote on this important decision. Volkswagen is proud of our working environment in Chattanooga that provides some of the best paying jobs in the area," the company addedA union victory would help bolster the UAW's membership, which has dropped steadily from a peak of 1.5 million workers in 1970 to 370,000 last year.The opportunity for membership expansion at the UAW, just months after its high-profile strike against the Big 3, exemplifies a wider trend in the U.S. labor movement.More than 500,000 workers went out on strike nationwide in 2023, more than doubling the figure recorded a year earlier, according to Cornell University's School of Industrial and Labor Relations.The uptick in activity, however, failed to translate into union membership gains. Only 10% of U.S. workers belonged to unions last year, little changed from the year prior, U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics data showed.The election in Chattanooga will test whether the headline-grabbing labor strikes can translate into a resurgence of union growth, said Stephen Silvia, a professor at American University and the author of "The UAW's Southern Gamble.""Historically, unionization has proceeded in waves," Silvia said. "Is this a wave? That's what we'll see."Copyright © 2024, ABC Audio. All rights reserved.

United-states , Chattanooga , Tennessee , America , Elijah-nouvelage-getty , Bill-lee , Shawn-fain , Stephen-silvia , Volkswagen , Us-bureau-of-labor-statistics , Nissan , Honda