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Tuesday, June 5, 2012

The following is the seventh in a monthly series chronicling the U.S. 2012 presidential election. It features original material compiled throughout the previous month after a brief mention of some of the month’s biggest stories.

In this month’s edition on the campaign trail, the leading candidates for the Americans Elect presidential nomination respond to a major announcement from that organization’s board of directors, two presidential candidates in favor of same-sex marriage react to President Barack Obama’s announcement of support for the practice, and Wikinews interviews the newly-selected Libertarian Party vice presidential nominee.

Monday, September 22, 2008

Several mainstream news outlets have misstated and overstated a possible link between cellular phone use and decreased fertility in men. A single experiment, which has not yet been published in any peer reviewed journal or replicated by other scientists, observed an average decrease in sperm motility and an increase in free radicals among laboratory sperm samples that were exposed to radiation similar to the radiation produced by cellular phone use.

Dr. Ashok Agarwal of the Cleveland Clinic estimates the overall health impact of cellular phones as “very safe” and reassured a Cable News Network reporter that the research was too premature to advise lifestyle changes for the public. “Our study has not provided proof that you should stop putting cell phones in your pocket. There are many things that need to be proven before we get to that stage.” He noted that his own cell phone was in his trouser pocket while he was giving the interview. Dr. Agarwal is the lead researcher for the study and Director of the Center for Reproductive Medicine at the Cleveland Clinic.

Cell phone industry spokesman Joe Farren agreed with Dr. Agarwal’s assessment about the devices’ overall safety: “The weight of the published scientific evidence, in addition to the opinion of global health organizations, shows that there is no link between wireless usage and adverse health effects.”

The controlled experiment used sperm samples from thirty-two donors: twenty-three healthy men and nine men who had fertility problems. Sperm were then exposed to radiation for one hour at 850 megahertz, the most common frequency for cell phones in the United States. Dr. Agarwal’s study raises a possible concern that cell phones kept on belts or trouser pockets and used in conjunction with wireless bluetooth earpieces “could cause harmful effects due to the proximity of the phones and the exposure that they are causing to the gonads.” He also noted that follow-up research is needed to determine whether the body’s skin and other tissue affords protection from the potential damage.

Several news sources ran misleading reports that overstated the risk.

The Los Angeles Times asserted a fallacious causal relationship that Dr. Agarwhal had not drawn and ignored his opinions that cellular phones are safe and no change in phone use is necessary. Instead, the piece opened by ordering men to stop keeping cell phones in their pockets:

“Attention male cellphone users of reproductive age: Take that phone out of your pocket. Information published today suggests that the radio-frequency energy released by cellphones decreases sperm quality in men.”

Ciol News ran a similar account:

“Beware men! Do you have the habit of keeping your mobile phone in the pockets of your trousers while talking on hand-free? Or do clip the mobile to your belt while talking? If so you are doing that at the cost of your fertility, warns a recent study.”

Mobile Magazine went a step further, also alluding to previous media exaggerations about cellular phone dangers:

“Oh no! It seems that mobile phones are getting even more problematic than ever. After getting linked to everything from migraines to cancer, it seems that the radiation from cell phones is now being connected to stupid sperm. Yes, I’m talking about the little swimmers that lead into a conversation about the birds and the bees.”

Mobile Magazine also ended in a misleading manner with “I wonder if it’s healthier to put your phone in your shirt pocket instead,” failing to mention that Dr. Agarwal had addressed that concern and had called it an unnecessary precaution.

Not all news sources overplayed the findings. CNN and United Press International ran balanced reports that did not suggest dangers or precautions beyond the lead researcher’s conclusions.

Thursday, December 23, 2010

China has said it is prepared to support eurozone countries during the financial crisis that has hit the sixteen member states. The country’s foreign ministry spokesperson Jiang Yu said: “We are ready to support the eurozone to overcome the financial crisis and realise economic recovery.”

Several of the eurozone’s member states have been impacted with increasing debt levels. The International Monetary Fund (IMF) and European Union (EU) have signed deals to hand a €110bn aid package to Greece, and an €85bn rescue package to Ireland. Industry commentators have said there are fears Portugal and Spain may soon also have to accept assistance from the IMF.

Jiang said China had an interest in supporting the region, saying eurozone member states would, in the future, become “a major market” for Chinese foreign exchange investments. China reportedly has massive reserves of foreign currency, mostly made up of United States dollars. Analysts have suggested China plans to purchase more euros in the future. Other reports suggest China is preparing to buy between four and five billion euros to help Portugal fend off pressure in bond markets.

Saturday, October 3, 2020

Very early yesterday morning, the United States President Donald Trump reported he and his wife First Lady Melania Trump tested positive for COVID-19. Officials said the Trumps’ 14-year-old son Barron tested negative as did First Family and Senior Advisors Jared Kushner and Ivanka Trump.

Trump took to social media, posting at 12:54 am local time (0454 UTC) on Twitter, “Tonight, [Melania] and I tested positive for COVID-19. We will begin our quarantine and recovery process immediately. We will get through this TOGETHER!” Yesterday afternoon Marine One landed on the White House’s South Lawn flying Trump to Walter Reed National Military Medical Center (WRNMMC) in Bethesda, Maryland.

Reports said both were showing “mild symptoms”. Senior administration officials were tested as people were informed of the positive test. Senior advisor Hope Hicks had tested positive on Thursday.

Presidential physician Sean Conley issued a statement saying Trump has been given zinc, vitamin D, Pepcid and a daily Aspirin. Conley also gave a single dose of the experimental polyclonal antibodies drug from Regeneron Pharmaceuticals.

According to official statements, Trump, now operating from the WRNMMC, is to continue performing his duties as president during a 14-day quarantine. In the event of Trump becoming incapacitated, Vice President Mike Pence could take over the duties of president via the 25th Amendment of the US Constitution. The Pence family all tested negative as of yesterday and there were no changes regarding Pence’s campaign events.

Wednesday, January 18, 2017

Eugene Cernan, former NASA astronaut and the most recent human to walk on the Moon, died on Monday aged 82, according to a NASA statement. Cernan, who commanded the Apollo 17 mission to the Moon in 1972, was in Houston, Texas, at the time of his death.

Cernan, who was born in Chicago, Illinois, on March 14, 1934, earned engineering degrees from Purdue University in 1956 and the Naval Postgraduate School in 1963. He was an aviator in the United States Navy and logged more than 200 landings on aircraft carriers before becoming an astronaut in 1963. He flew in space for the first time aboard Gemini 9 in 1966. In 1969 Cernan flew aboard Apollo 10, a flight to the Moon that rehearsed a descent but purposefully did not land in preparation for the Apollo 11 landing. Cernan’s final flight into space was as commander of Apollo 17, the final lunar landing mission of the Apollo program, in which he spent three days exploring the lunar surface along with Harrison Schmitt.

Following Apollo 17, Cernan worked on the Apollo-Soyuz project before retiring from NASA and the Navy in 1976. In his later years he became an executive and consultant, wrote an autobiography, and advocated for returning to the Moon along with Neil Armstrong, the first human to walk on the Moon, who died in 2012.

“Truly, America has lost a patriot and pioneer who helped shape our country’s bold ambitions to do things that humankind had never before achieved,” NASA Administrator Charles Bolden said in a statement.

Monday, December 31, 2007

What would you tell your grandchildren about 2007 if they asked you about it in, let’s say, 20 year’s time? If the answer to a quiz question was 2007, what would the question be? The year that you first signed on to Facebook? The year Britney Spears and Amy Winehouse fell apart? The year author Kurt Vonnegut or mime Marcel Marceau died, both at 84?

Let’s take a look at some of the international stories of 2007. Links to the original Wikinews articles are in bold.

Thursday, September 25, 2008

On October 14, 2008, Canadians will be heading to the polls for the federal election. New Democratic Party incumbent Wayne Marston is standing for re-election in the riding of Hamilton East—Stoney Creek.

Marston ran in the former federal riding Hamilton East three times, in 1993 and 1997 election and 1996 by-election, losing to prominent Liberal Shelia Copps. Prior to his winning election campaign in 2006, Marston was President of the Hamilton and District Labour Council, serving for 11 years. He was also a School Board Trustee (Ward 5) for the Hamilton-Wentworth District School Board from 2000 to 2006.

Wikinews contacted Wayne, to talk about the issues facing Canadians, and what they and their party would do to address them. Wikinews is in the process of contacting every candidate, in every riding across the country, no matter their political stripe. All interviews are conducted over e-mail, and interviews are published unedited, allowing candidates to impart their full message to our readers, uninterrupted.

This riding consists of the part of the Hamilton lying north of the Niagara Escarpment and east of Ottawa Street. It was formed in 2003 from parts of the old ridings Hamilton East and Stoney Creek. Wanting to take Marston’s seat from his are Liberal Larry Di Ianni, Green David William Hart Dyke, and Conservative Frank Rukavina. A candidate from the newly formed Progressive Canadian party, Gord Hill, as well as independent Sam Cino are also running.

For more information, visit the campaign’s official website, listed below.