Author: Karen Givens

Childhood obesity rates are climbing even as adult obesity trends edge the other direction, creating a new set of public health puzzles and concerns. Childhood obesity is serious. Adults may ooh and ahh and pinch chubby cheeks, remarking how cute kids are, but the extra weight can lead to a lifetime of health problems. A recent study showed that obesity in children has reached record highs, while adult obesity appears to be declining in some groups. The gap between rising childhood rates and falling adult rates raises questions about how lifestyles and environments have shifted for different generations. Kids today…

The People’s Forum, one of two leftist domestic groups identified by the State Department as linked to China, called Saturday for holding mass protests against the U.S.-Israeli attack on Iran. The first thing to note is how unsettling it is that a domestic organization flagged by the State Department for ties to China is publicly mobilizing people over foreign policy. That raises obvious questions about influence, motives, and who benefits from stirring unrest here at home. From a Republican viewpoint, that combination deserves scrutiny and straightforward answers. When an organization with alleged foreign links urges mass demonstrations, that is not…

FBI Director Kash Patel has dismissed multiple bureau employees linked to the August 2022 Mar-a-Lago search, a move that follows revelations about the agency’s internal handling of that probe and the secret collection of phone records from his circle during the prior administration. Kash Patel has moved to remove agents and staff tied to the Mar-a-Lago operation, a personnel shakeup that Republicans view as overdue accountability. At least six agents who participated in the raid were fired at Patel’s direction, with three sources telling NBC that the total reached at least ten employees when support staff and supervisors were included.…

An injured mother manatee and her calf were rescued this week from a river in Florida and taken to SeaWorld Orlando for rehabilitation, officials said. The pair are now under veterinary care while teams assess injuries and plan treatment. Recovery will focus on stabilizing the adults while ensuring the calf receives appropriate nourishment and care. The rescue teams found an injured adult manatee with a dependent calf in a Florida river, and both were transported to SeaWorld Orlando for rehabilitation, officials said. Vets will evaluate the mother’s wounds and overall health, while also checking the calf for signs of trauma…

President Joe Biden traveled to Columbia, South Carolina, to attend a reception tied to his unexpectedly strong 2020 primary showing, where state Democrats gathered to thank him for nearly 50 years in public life. President Biden showed up in Columbia for a reception that celebrated his surprising 2020 primary victory, a moment his party chose to mark as a kind of milestone. The event brought together state Democratic officials and local supporters who framed the gathering as gratitude for a long career. Republicans watching see a different message — this feels like a farewell tour more than a routine political…

Scouting America will change several policies after a request from Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth, including a rule that members use “biological sex at birth and not gender identity.” Scouting America is set to revise its membership rules following a concrete request from Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth, and one of the explicit changes mandates that members be identified by “biological sex at birth and not gender identity.” That quoted language remains central to the announced policy shift and frames how the organization plans to define membership moving forward. The change reflects a deliberate effort to set a clear, consistent standard for…

Slight uptick in weekly unemployment claims, while layoffs stay at relatively healthy levels. Last week saw a small rise in the number of Americans filing for unemployment benefits, a nudge that caught attention without sounding an alarm. The uptick was modest and came against a backdrop where layoffs overall are still at relatively healthy levels. That mix suggests the labor market is adjusting rather than collapsing. Observers are watching closely for whether this is noise or the start of a trend. Weekly jobless claims are a snapshot, not the full movie, and they can move for many reasons from seasonal…

Federal courts have stepped back after Air Force members who lost jobs and pay for refusing the 2021 COVID vaccine mandate pressed their claims, leaving unresolved questions about religious liberty, back pay, and accountability. The Supreme Court declined to take up petitions from service members removed for refusing the vaccine in Poffenbarger v. Meink and Doster v. Meink, effectively closing the courthouse door on their fight for back pay and vindication of religious liberty. The petitions asked whether the government can avoid review by declaring cases moot after imposing punitive policies. The Court’s quiet refusal leaves those questions unanswered. First…

Democrats have surged in early voting one week into the Texas primary on March 3, even after the state secured a redistricting win that favored Republicans and survived a US Supreme Court challenge, with the Texas Secretary of State reporting early returns as of Feb. 24. One week into early voting for the March 3 Texas primary, Democrats are posting unexpectedly strong numbers compared with Republican turnout. That trend is happening despite a high-stakes redistricting fight that ultimately favored Republicans and reached the US Supreme Court. As of Feb. 24, the Texas Secretary of State reported early voting totals that…

Snow piled two feet deep on a docked 113-foot historic whaling ship demanded careful, hands-on work to protect both the vessel and the people clearing it, and the effort mixed preservation concerns, physical labor, and improvisation by crew and volunteers. Clearing 2 feet of snow from a driveway is backbreaking enough. Clearing it from a 113-foot-long historic whaling ship docked in the river is something else entirely. The ship’s length, exposed timbers, and riverside location turn an ordinary chore into a preservation challenge. Snow load matters for old ships because weight and moisture can stress decks, rigging, and hull fittings…