Free Republic

New research has found that being overworked can physically alter the brain. Researchers in South Korea set out to understand how working long hours impact the cognitive and emotional health of employees. The study, published in the journal Occupational & Environmental Medicine, assessed the brain volume of 110 healthcare workers who were classified by the categories of overworked — working greater than or equal to 52 hours per week — and non-overworked. […] The increased brain volume as observed was found in regions associated with executive functions, (study co-author Wanhyung) Lee said, such as memory, decision-making and attention — as...

WASHINGTON — President Trump was formally nominated for the Nobel Peace Prize on Tuesday for his efforts in securing the Israel-Iran cease-fire. In a letter to the Norwegian Nobel Committee, Rep. Buddy Carter (R-Ga.) recommended Trump for the prestigious prize “in recognition of his extraordinary and historic role in brokering an end to the armed conflict between Israel and Iran and preventing the world’s largest state sponsor of terrorism from obtaining the most lethal weapon on the planet.” “President Trump’s influence was instrumental in forging a swift agreement that many believed to be impossible,” added Carter, who has represented the...

The suspect arrested in connection to the bombing at a fertility clinic in Palm Springs, California has died in jail. Daniel Park, 32, was found unresponsive inside the Metropolitan Detention Center in Los Angeles Tuesday morning. He was pronounced dead at the hospital. His cause of death is unclear. Park, of Seattle, Washington, was accused of supplying 180lbs of explosives to Guy Edward Bartkus, the bomber who died in the May 17 explosion at the American Reproductive Centers. He was taken into custody at New York's JFK Airport by the FBI and Port Authority Police on June 3 following the...

Mount Lewotobi Laki-laki erupted on Tuesday and Wednesday (June 17 and 18), unleashing gigantic ash plumes and showering villages with volcanic debris. A volcano in Indonesia sent gigantic ash plumes into the sky during two eruptions on Tuesday (June 17) and Wednesday (June 18). Mount Lewotobi Laki-laki first erupted at 5:35 p.m. local time (5:35 a.m. ET) on Tuesday, unleashing a mushroom-shaped ash cloud measuring more than 6 miles (10 kilometers) high, Indonesia's Ministry of Energy and Mineral Resources said in a translated statement. The cloud was visible up to 95 miles (150 km) from the volcano and showered nearby...

So apparently Bengal Village in East London has the "hottest curry in London." It features 72 types of chilis, including the Carolina Reaper, scotch bonnet, bird's eye, naga and snake chilis, so it's pretty spicy stuff. They do a challenge with this dish -- a challenge which you have to sign a waiver to attempt. And if you can't tell by this next video, it's pretty intense. Watch: London’s hottest curry makes a man leave the restaurant and think about what he just ate @Bengal_Village pic.twitter.com/SvNWtZOOUq— UB1UB2 West London (Southall) (@UB1UB2) June 19, 2025I feel bad for the guy, but...

In a study conducted at São Paulo State University involving 80 women over the age of 45, low-dose vitamin D supplementation nearly doubled the rate of treatment response. A study conducted at the Botucatu School of Medicine at São Paulo State University (FMB-UNESP) in Brazil found that low-dose vitamin D supplementation can improve the effectiveness of chemotherapy in women with breast cancer. The findings suggest that vitamin D may serve as an alternative to other drugs designed to boost chemotherapy response, especially those that are difficult to access. The research, supported by FAPESP, included 80 women over the age of...

President Trump's second-term agenda has been careful not to cast doubt on his signature first-term achievement, the development of COVID-19 vaccines through Operation Warp Speed, which congressional Republicans continue to laud and even claim was sabotaged by Pfizer to deny Trump a consecutive term despite his base souring on the therapeutics. A new preprint study on mRNA COVID vaccines in early pregnancy, coauthored by top advisers to Trump's Food and Drug Administration and Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, may fuel the splintering of the Make America Healthy Again movement as the jabs' opponents ramp up pressure on Health and...

A healthy man was struck by a life-threatening inflammation of his brain and spinal cord after just one dose of a Covid vaccine. The unnamed 60-year-old sought help from medics in Paris, France after suddenly developing walking problems and mental confusion, four weeks after receiving a dose of AstraZeneca's Covid jab. Brain scans revealed he was suffering from meningoencephalitis—a life threatening swelling of the brain and the tissue surrounding the brain and spinal cord—according to doctors who shared his tale in a medical journal.

Mick Ralphs, a guitarist, singer, songwriter and founding member of the classic British rock bands Bad Company and Mott the Hoople, has died. A statement posted to Bad Company’s official website Monday announced Ralphs’ death at age 81. Ralphs had a stroke days after what would be his final performance with the band at London’s O2 Arena in 2016, and had been bedridden ever since, the statement said. No further details on the circumstances of his death were provided. Ralphs is set to become a member of the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame as a member of Bad Company...

CONGRATULATIONS TO EVERYONE! It has been fully agreed by and between Israel and Iran that there will be a Complete and Total CEASEFIRE (in approximately 6 hours from now, when Israel and Iran have wound down and completed their in progress, final missions!), for 12 hours, at which point the War will be considered, ENDED! Officially, Iran will start the CEASEFIRE and, upon the 12th Hour, Israel will start the CEASEFIRE and, upon the 24th Hour, an Official END to THE 12 DAY WAR will be saluted by the World. During each CEASEFIRE, the other side will remain PEACEFUL and...

Key Points Novo Nordisk said it is ending its collaboration with Hims & Hers due to concerns about the telehealth company’s sales and promotion of cheaper knock-offs of the weight loss drug Wegovy. Novo Nordisk in April said it would offer Wegovy through several telehealth companies, such as Hims & Hers, to expand access to the blockbuster injection now that it is no longer in short supply in the U.S. But Novo Nordisk said Hims & Hers has “failed to adhere to the law which prohibits mass sales of compounded drugs” and accused the telehealth company of “deceptive” marketing that...

ChatGPT can harm an individual’s critical thinking over time, a study released this month suggests. Researchers at MIT’s Media Lab asked subjects to write several SAT essays and separated subjects into three groups — using OpenAI’s ChatGPT, using Google’s search engine and using nothing, which they called the “brain‑only” group. Each subject’s brain was monitored through electroencephalography (EEG), which measured the writer’s brain activity through multiple regions in the brain. They discovered that subjects who used ChatGPT over a few months had the lowest brain engagement and “consistently underperformed at neural, linguistic, and behavioral levels,” according to the study. The...

Iran’s Ayatollah Ali Khamenei has chosen a secret list of three potential successors if he succumbs to the same fate as his growing list of valued lieutenants — another handful of whom were killed in overnight Israeli strikes Saturday. Khamenei, 86, the Islamic Republic’s supreme leader since 1989, believes that either Israel or the US will try to kill him and crafted the list while holed up in a bunker, ordering his nation’s Assembly of Experts — the clerical body responsible for appointing the supreme leader — to choose from his handpicked pool should his enemies be successful, officials told...

Results from a new clinical trial suggest that a high-fiber plant-based diet could benefit patients at risk of developing multiple myeloma, the second most common type of blood cancer. Multiple myeloma is often preceded by early, non-cancerous conditions involving abnormal plasma cells. Having a high body weight, a poor-quality diet and an unhealthy balance of gut bacteria have been shown to increase the risk of developing these conditions and progressing to multiple myeloma. The pilot study, which is part of the NUTRIVENTION Trials, included 20 patients at risk of developing multiple myeloma due to precursor conditions and an elevated body...

Patients with colon cancer who consumed an anti-inflammatory diet during a Phase III clinical trial showed longer overall survival post-treatment compared to those on a proinflammatory diet, according to analysis. Engaging in higher levels of physical activity may amplify the positive influence on survival. The median 5-year survival for patients with stage III colon cancer is around 80%. The CALGB/SWOG 80702 (Alliance) trial was initiated in 2010 to reduce the risk of cancer recurrence. Patients in the trial were treated with surgery followed by either three or six months of chemotherapy, with or without celecoxib, an anti-inflammatory drug. Of 2,526...

A newly discovered mechanism that leads to liver dysfunction may be a key factor in type 2 diabetes and other metabolic disorders in individuals with obesity, according to a new study. The dysfunction identified—dysregulated hepatic coenzyme Q metabolism—leads to excessive reactive oxygen species (ROS) produced by mitochondria at a single specific site in an enzyme called complex I. Mitochondria metabolize nutrients and generate the building blocks needed to maintain metabolic homeostasis. During this process, mitochondria also generate ROS—molecules that, in small, controlled amounts, are essential to support normal body functions, but that can be harmful when produced in large quantities....

First-line treatment with the triplet combination of encorafenib, cetuximab and mFOLFOX6 significantly improved survival compared to the standard of care in patients with BRAF V600E-mutated metastatic colorectal cancer, according to data from the Phase III BREAKWATER trial. The findings demonstrated significantly longer progression-free survival (PFS) and overall survival (OS) compared to standard chemotherapy-based regimens. The median PFS was 12.8 months with the triplet combination compared to 7.1 months in the standard-of-care group, and the median OS was 30.3 months compared with 15.1 months, respectively. "The latest data from the BREAKWATER trial further confirms that targeting the BRAF V600E mutation up...

The American Medical Association's new president Dr. Bobby Mukkamala said the ruling was "harmful government interference." The American Medical Association (AMA), the largest medical association in the United States, is coming out against the Supreme Courts ruling in United States v. Skrmetti, arguing that irreversible and damaging transgender procedures for minors are necessary treatments. “The American Medical Association is disappointed in today’s decision that opens the door to further intrusion into patient care and harmful government interference into the practice of medicine,” AMA President Dr. Bobby Mukkamala said in a statement after the ruling came down. The court ruled on...

GREEN BAY, WI — In preparation for an early work day, local man David Miles drank a cup of coffee so that, in addition to feeling tired, he could also be irritable. "The caffeine really helps," Miles said as he prepared for a busy day at the office. "Now, I don't just feel tired, but also jittery and easily frustrated by everything all day." Miles, who works at a major insurance firm in the area, has been described by his managers as a loyal employee who frequently shows up to work on time despite being tired and irritable. "About...

Car burglars fired at least 30 shots at a 27-year-old man who confronted them during a vehicle break-in... If you discover a theft in progress, do not exit the house to confront an offender. Instead, fire your home defense weapon out a barely opened window while crouched down low. A rifle would work best in terms of accuracy, but a shotgun loaded with slugs would be as good. Handguns are an iffy proposition in these types of events. If it's a catalytic converter thief, try for the lookout first....or the getaway driver. Those are the ones who might shoot back....