Ozempic patients may face dangerous risks during surgery, doctors warn

Patients who are taking GLP-1 medications such as Ozempic, Wegovy, Mounjaro and others could face complications during surgery, recent research has shown.

In one study led by UTHealth Houston, more than half of patients taking GLP-1s had "significant gastric contents" before going into surgery, even if they had followed pre-op fasting protocols, according to a press release on the university’s website.

This could lead to a potentially life-threatening condition called pulmonary aspiration, when food or liquid is inhaled into the lungs.

 

A diet high in fruits and vegetables may reduce your heart and kidney disease risk, study says

Eating a couple more apples (and broccoli florets, cucumbers, bananas or green beans) may really help keep the doctor away — especially for people with high blood pressure at risk for heart and kidney disease, according to new research.

“Patients with high blood pressure, the two big problems that they get is heart disease and kidney disease,” said lead study investigator Dr. Donald Wesson, professor in the department of internal medicine at Dell Medical School at the University of Texas at Austin.

“The study tested whether or not reducing the amount of acid in our diet reduces the kidney disease- and heart disease-related complications of high blood pressure

 

Trump quiet on markets after stock rebound robs him of ‘Kamala Crash’ attack line

• Donald Trump and his Republican allies who saw the market’s global sell-off as an opportunity to attack Vice President Kamala Harris’ economic record were noticeably quieter as stocks gained back some of their losses.
• Stocks plunged Monday on investors’ recessionary fears spurred by a weak jobs report and worries that the Federal Reserve has kept interest rates high for too long.
• Trump has repeatedly used the stock market as a campaign talking point, attempting to take credit when stocks swing up and to blame his opponents when they go down.

 

Nicolai Tangen runs Norway’s $1.7 trillion investment fund. Can he use that leverage to change business’s bad habits?

Oslo, with its neatly painted houses and serene waterfront, is not known for high drama. But in 2020, Norway’s capital erupted in controversy over one spectacularly wealthy investor, a splashy event in Philadelphia—and the biggest sovereign wealth fund on the planet. 

That spring, Nicolai Tangen, the Norwegian founder of London hedge fund AKO Capital, was picked by Norway’s central bank to be the next CEO of its gargantuan oil-and-gas-financed investment fund, whose value had soared above $1 trillion. It soon emerged that months before his selection, Tangen had flown a private-planeload of guests to a gathering he had organized with his alma mater, the University of Pennsylvania’s Wharton School. The event featured seminars, fancy dinners, and a $1 million performance by Sting—all at Tangen’s expense. The then CEO of the oil fund, Norway’s trade minister, and the country’s attorney general had all

 

Harris and VP pick Walz hold first campaign rally as Democratic ticket

• The Tuesday appearance marked the first opportunity for both Walz, a relatively unknown politician on the national scale, and Harris to share his story with voters across the country, from his upbringing in rural Nebraska to his record as governor of the North Star State.
• The pair used their remarks to portray the Minnesota governor as a Midwestern everyman, a high school teacher turned swing-district lawmaker who advanced key Democratic policies since being elected to his state’s top office in 2018.
• The governor described following in the footsteps of his late father — a former educator who served in the Army — first as a member of the Army National Guard and later as a teacher.

Mutual praise:

• Walz and Harris both commended each other’s records during Tuesday’s rally. Harris said she “found such a leader” in Walz and outlined why she chose him as her running mate. She pointed out his experience coaching high school football, saying that it will influence his ability to serve the country as vice president and that Walz is “more than a governor.”
• Walz thanked Harris for “the trust you put in me” as well as for “bringing back the joy.” He said he is “thrilled to be on this journey” with Harris, as well as her husband, first gentleman Doug Emhoff.

Promises made:

• Harris pledged that she and Walz will save the Affordable Care Act, and that they’d pass a bill restoring nationwide abortion rights.
• On the economy, perhaps the stickiest issue she will face, Harris promised to fight for the middle class and to bring down prices.

Attacks on Trump and Vance:

• Walz said Donald Trump is “too busy serving himself” to serve others and argued that the former president would take the country backward, echoing Harris’ popular stump speech line: “We’re not going back.” Walz also slammed Trump’s record on Covid-19, the economy, abortion and crime.
• Walz referenced Ohio Sen. JD Vance’s Ivy League education and declared that he “can’t wait” to debate Trump’s running mate. He repeated his now-familiar line, calling Vance and other Republicans “weird as hell.”

 

‘House of the Dragon’ Hits Season 2 Viewership High With Finale’s Nearly 9 Million Viewers, But Down From Season 1 Ender

“House of the Dragon” hit a Season 2 high in viewership with Sunday’s finale, which drew 8.9 million multiplatform viewers across HBO and Max, per Warner Bros. Discovery.

That’s up 14% from the Season 2 premiere night, which garnered 7.8 million viewers. However, it is down from the audience size for the first season finale of “House of the Dragon” in 2022.

After premiering with 10 million viewers in June 2022, “House of the Dragon” Season 1 hit its peak with Episode 2, reaching 10.2 million. Exact data was not made available for Episodes 3-9, but Episode 10 closed the season with 9.3 million viewers.

 

Apple iPhone 16, iPhone 16 Pro Release Date: New Report Reveals Extraordinary Strategy

Updated August 5 with more reports that double down on the release date, and suggest iPhone 16 Pro Max pricing.

Exactly when will Apple unveil the iPhone 16 series, launch pre-orders and put them on sale? You can read my full details of all these steps here, and now an industry heavyweight, Bloomberg’s Mark Gurman, has set out what they think Apple’s thinking is, and when the phones will be announced. It’s a surprising theory.

Updated August 5 with more reports that double down on the release date, and suggest iPhone 16 Pro Max pricing.

Exactly when will Apple unveil the iPhone 16 series, launch pre-orders and put them on sale? You can read my full details of all these steps here, and now an industry heavyweight, Bloomberg’s Mark Gurman, has set out what they think Apple’s thinking is, and when the phones will be announced. It’s a surprising theory.