
[Personal] Echoes of October: Notes of Nostalgia


Ashland library to show films critical of fluoride
According to the International Academy of Oral Medicine and Toxicology – a group that provides the DVD that will be shown at the library – the first film, “China’s Battle With Crippling Waters,” is about harmful effects of naturally high levels of fluoride in some drinking water.
Related:
Water fluoridation: what does the rest of the world think?
China embarked upon a pursuit of water fluoridation for about 20 years before backing away entirely from it in the 1980s. Parts of the country have high levels of naturally occurring fluoride, which one study has linked to developmental difficulties in children.
Media Briefings for China CDC Weekly, Vol 6, No. 2, 2024
Read More »Major Health Breakthrough in China — Fluorosis Rates Plummet. In a groundbreaking report, researchers reveal a significant decrease in dental fluorosis among children in China between 2009 to 2022. Once plagued by high fluoride levels in drinking water causing serious dental health issues, China has seen a remarkable turnaround. The detection rate in kids aged 8–12 dropped dramatically, from nearly 35% to just over 10%. The study suggests a shifting landscape of public health priorities, with a demand for revised policies that no longer only target high-incidence areas but include robust monitoring systems and early warning measures to control fluoride exposure. Data sourced from the Chinese CDC’s Endemic Disease Control Center point to a success story in public health with implications that could impact fluorosis prevention worldwide. Despite the improvements, cities like Tianjin remain at high risk, signaling the need for targeted local action. Journalists are encouraged to explore this story of triumph over a longstanding public health issue.
For more information.
Editor’s Note: If you or someone you know is struggling with suicidal thoughts or mental health matters, please call the 988 Suicide & Crisis Lifeline by dialing 988 to connect with a trained counselor, or visit the 988 Lifeline website.
People taking semaglutide, the popular medication for diabetes and weight loss, are more likely to report having thoughts of suicide compared with those taking other drugs, according to a new study of an international drug safety database. But the finding is the latest see-saw of scientific evidence on the risk of depression and suicide tied to the popular medications — and critics say evidence that the drugs cause problems with mood is limited.
A study linking popular weight loss drug to suicide risk again raises long-standing safety questions
Related:
Ian Douglas, London School of Hygiene & Tropical Medicine:
I am an epidemiologist, currently funded by GlaxoSmithKline. I initially studied physiology at BSc and PhD level in Manchester. Since then, I spent several years at the UK Medicines & Healthcare Products Regulatory Agency and in the pharmaceutical industry investigating adverse effects of drugs – both in clinical trials and post-marketing. I completed the MSc in epidemiology at LSHTM in 2005.
Previously:
Medicare to cover obesity drugs, but not for weight loss
Wegovy, Rybelsus, and Ozempic, are the different brand names for Semaglutide. They have a black box warning for Medullary thyroid cancer.* 🤦🏼♀️
Related:
Everything We Learned From Oprah’s Weight Loss Special
Using Mounjaro may increase your risk of developing thyroid cancer.
On Tuesday (18), posts about the intellectual’s alleged death spread in the press and on social media
After rumors about death, Noam Chomsky is discharged from hospital in Brazil
Previously:
Linguist and activist Noam Chomsky hospitalized in his wife’s native country of Brazil after stroke
The 95-year-old famed linguist has not been seen in public since June last year
Noam Chomsky, 95, recovering in hospital in his wife’s native country of Brazil after stroke
Everything We Learned From Oprah’s Weight Loss Special
Related:
Using Mounjaro may increase your risk of developing thyroid cancer.
Medicare to cover obesity drugs, but not for weight loss
“CMS has issued guidance to Medicare Part D plans stating that anti-obesity medications (AOMs) that receive FDA approval for an additional medically accepted indication can be considered a Part D drug for that specific use,” the spokesperson added, specifying that drugs that are FDA-approved for only weight loss do not fall under this consideration.
Wegovy, Rybelsus, and Ozempic, are the different brand names for Semaglutide. They have a black box warning for Medullary thyroid cancer.* 🤦🏼♀️
Related:
Gabon’s opposition leader is accusing the family of the recently ousted president of engineering his removal from power as a way of retaining their control in the oil-rich Central African nation
Gabon Opposition Leader Alleges the Ousted President’s Family Arranged the Coup to Retain Power
Video via The New Tourist
Related:
Disputed election sparks beginning of the end of 56 years of Bongo family rule
Ali Bongo’s presidency has also been marked by a distancing from France. When he first came to power in 2009, Bongo recalled Gabon’s ambassador to Paris after France’s prime minister appeared to question the legitimacy of his election.
“Ali Bongo has never stopped distancing himself from Paris,” said Glaser. “His favourite capital is London and he has very good relations with the Americans, with China and also with Muslim countries, including Morocco. In the post-colonial period, if there’s one [African] country that has truly gone global, it’s Gabon.”
🤨
Nguema heads the Gabonese Presidency’s Republican Guard, the country’s most powerful security unit.
Who is Brice Oligui Nguema, Gabon’s interim leader?
H/T: Liu Sivaya.
Previously:

Elon Musk, the genius behind SpaceX and Tesla Inc., has declared that humanity must embrace the merging of man and machine if we hope to survive in a world dominated by artificial intelligence (AI).
Elon Musk Says Neuralink Is The Only Way To Survive And Compete With AI
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