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Midwives can be an Rx to America’s maternal mortality crisis

July 11, 2024 by WDNY Radio

(NEW YORK) — Ashley Watts is getting ready to become a first-time mom.

“This pregnancy ride has been very fulfilling,” Watts, 32, told ABC News.

For Watts, this pregnancy journey is different. She has previously suffered five pregnancy losses, telling ABC News that she now suffers from hospital anxiety after feeling dismissed and unsupported by her doctors as she tried to navigate those losses and pursue motherhood.

When she learned of her most recent pregnancy, Watts decided she wanted to work with a midwife and dreamed of welcoming her baby into the world at a birthing center. The cost of midwifery care, however, was a barrier in allowing Watts access to the care she felt was better suited to her needs.

A 2021 study published in the International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health found that midwife-assisted home births in the United States cost an average of $4,650. In many cases, insurance does not cover these births, according to the study.

After going to a consultation appointment with midwife Allegra Hill at Kindred Space LA, Watts learned of birthFUND, a new initiative by Elaine Welteroth, an author and former Teen Vogue editor-in-chief, that provides need-based grants to expectant mothers and families to use for holistic perinatal care and midwifery birth support services.

“I really don’t believe that quality, holistic, safe maternal health care should be seen as a luxury in one of the wealthiest countries in the world,” Welteroth told ABC News. “And there is something we can do about it.”

Welteroth launched birthFUND in April of this year during Black Maternal Health week, inspired by her own experience seeking care during her first pregnancy.

“I thought, how hard could it be to find a doctor? You know, I live in LA, I have resources, I have a great network,” Welteroth said. “And I just had bad experience after bad experience.”

Discouraged and nearing her third trimester, Welteroth found Kim Durdin, midwife and co-founder of Kindred Space LA.

“As a new mom, giving life in a country that’s in a surging maternal mortality crisis, I thought I should be able to ask questions about my health, about my body, about the kinds of decisions that I could make throughout the process, and midwives embrace that, they encourage that,” Welteroth said.

“I think I came out of my birth experience feeling this deep conviction to pay it forward,” she said. “I just felt like if there is anything I can do to help make sure that midwifery care is accessible to families who want this kind of care, then, like, that’s my calling.”

Dr. Laurie Zephyrin, a board-certified OB-GYN and the senior vice president for Advancing Health Equity at The Commonwealth Fund, told ABC News that there are a lot of misconceptions around midwifery care, adding that there needs to be a lot more education about the benefits and opportunities involved with using a midwife.

Midwives are also clinicians, trained to help guide people through the birthing process, she said.

“There’s definitely data that shows that people that have a midwife during their care have improved outcomes,” Zephyrin said.

Zephyrin is one of the authors in a recent study by The Commonwealth Fund that analyzed maternal mortality data in the United States and 13 other high-income nations, finding that maternal mortality rates in the U.S. continue to far exceed that of other high-income nations.

According to the latest report by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), the maternal mortality rate in the U.S. fell in 2022 after three years of continuous increase. Findings by The Commonwealth Fund’s study suggest two-thirds of all maternal-related deaths in the United States happen postpartum and are frequently the result of high blood pressure, severe bleeding, infection and cardiomyopathy.

“One of the advantages of what we saw when we compared to other high-income countries is that there’s someone that comes to your home and sees you during the postpartum period, they check on you, they help answer questions,” Zephyrin said.

“And that continues throughout the postpartum period, and that leaves an opportunity so that things don’t fall through the cracks,” she continued.

For Black women like Watts, who are at a higher risk of dying from pregnancy-related complications in the United States, access to midwifery care can be even more critical.

Despite the decrease, the rate of maternal deaths for Black women in the United States remained significantly higher than other racial groups, the CDC report found. In 2022, an average of 19 white women died per 100,000 live births, while an average of 49 Black women died for every 100,000 live births.

According to the World Health Organization, including midwifery in family planning could help avert more than 80% of all maternal deaths, stillbirths and neonatal deaths. Zephyrin’s team found that the U.S. has the second lowest number of midwives for every 1,000 births, and that most countries with the lowest mortality rates rely heavily on midwives.

According to data projections by the National Center for Health Workforce Analysis, the United States is predicted to face an OB-GYN shortage, with an estimated 5,000 obstetricians expected to leave the workforce in the next 12 years. Making midwifery care more accessible can help alleviate the need for OB-GYN care providers while allowing expectant families access to holistic, perinatal care.

While approximately 3.66 million live births happen in the United States annually, there are currently about 12,650 registered midwives, according to data by the CDC and the National Center for Health Workforce Analysis.

“I really believe that people need to be educated more about what midwives can do and the opportunities for midwifery care in this country,” Zephyrin said. “Midwives are clinical providers, and they can provide this holistic aspect of care that’s really critical in what people want in our maternal health care system.”

Gunman at large after ambushing, killing deputy following assault on pizza worker over wrong order: Officials

July 11, 2024 by WDNY Radio

(HOUSTON) — A manhunt is underway in Houston for the gunman who ambushed and killed an on-duty deputy overnight, authorities said.

The incident began just after 10 p.m. Wednesday when Harris County deputies responded to an aggravated assault at a Little Caesars pizza shop, Harris County Sheriff’s Office Chief Deputy Mike Lee said at a news conference.

“What happened is senseless,” Lee said early Thursday. “The suspect came into the location to pick up a pizza that he had ordered.”

“He was upset because the order was incorrect,” Lee said.

The suspect allegedly verbally assaulted the employee, “then produced a firearm and pistol-whipped the employee and then fled the location,” Lee said.

“The employee at Little Caesars was able to identify the getaway car by make and model, color and license plate,” Lee said.

A deputy spotted the suspect’s car, Lee said. The deputy then “had a phone conversation with one of the other detectives to let him know he did have the suspect vehicle in sight,” Lee said.

While on the phone, “our deputy apparently was ambushed” and shot multiple times, Lee said.

Other detectives rushed the 28-year-old deputy to the hospital where he died from his injuries, Lee said.

The slain deputy, who has not yet been identified, was a five-year veteran of the department, Harris County Sheriff Ed Gonzalez said.

He was a “member of a very elite task force, the violent persons task force,” Lee said.

“None of us are ever prepared for such an untimely death and our members need your prayers and support,” the sheriff wrote on social media. “Our thoughts are with his family as they come to terms with this horrible news. An active investigation is underway to identify and apprehend his killer. We will not rest until we do!”

Lee said that investigators “have a good idea who the suspect is,” adding that the department expects to find him in “a timely manner.”

Lee noted the slaying comes as “everybody’s on edge” in the Houston area, with more than one million still without power in the state in the wake of Hurricane Beryl, which struck on Monday.

Inflation cooled in June, outperforming economists’ expectations

July 11, 2024 by WDNY Radio

(WASHINGTON) — Consumer prices rose 3.0% in June compared to a year ago, extending a monthslong stretch of progress in the fight to slow price increases. The latest inflation reading outperformed economists’ expectations.

Inflation has cooled for four consecutive months, reversing a surge in prices that took hold at the outset of 2024.

Price increases have slowed significantly from a peak of more than 9%, but inflation remains more than a percentage point higher than the Fed’s target rate of 2%.

The prices increases last month marked a slowdown from the 3.3% rate recorded in May.

Despite the cooldown of prices in recent months, the Federal Reserve has opted to keep its benchmark interest rate highly elevated. The Fed Funds rate remains between 5.25% and 5.5%, matching its highest level since 2001.

A further reduction of inflation could heighten pressure on the Fed to move forward with a set of interest rate cuts that the central bank forecasted late last year.

Speaking to House members in Washington, D.C., on Wednesday, Fed Chair Jerome Powell touted “modest further progress” in the fight to slow price hikes over recent months.

Still, he added, the Fed will not lower interest rates until it has “gained greater confidence that inflation is moving sustainably toward 2%.”

While the economy has proven resilient this year, recent performance suggests that high interest rates have begun to slow activity.

A jobs report released on Friday showed that the economy added a robust 206,000 jobs in June. However, downward revisions for hiring over the previous two months brought the three-month average to its lowest level since January 2021. The unemployment rate has ticked up this year from 3.7% to 4.1%.

Economic output has slowed markedly at the outset of 2024, though it has continued to grow at a solid pace.

Interest rate cuts would lower borrowing costs for consumers and businesses, potentially triggering a burst of economic activity through greater household spending and company investment.

But the Fed risks a rebound of inflation if it cuts interest rates too quickly, since stronger consumer demand and higher wages could lead to an acceleration of price increases.

On the other hand, recent data suggesting an economic slowdown heightens the risk of keeping interest rates too high for too long, since the borrowing costs could ultimately tip the economy into a recession.

The Fed is guided by a dual mandate to keep inflation under control and maximize employment. Addressing lawmakers at the Capitol on Wednesday, Powell said recent progress in the fight against inflation has allowed the central bank to bring greater attention to its role in employment.

“Elevated inflation is not the only risk we face,” Powell told lawmakers on Wednesday. If the Fed opts to lower interest rates “too late or too little,” he added, it could “unduly weaken economic activity and employment.”

Fire breaks out on cathedral spire in France’s Normandy region

July 11, 2024 by WDNY Radio

(LONDON) — A fire broke out and was extinguished on Thursday on the spire of a cathedral in Rouen, France, the capital of the Normandy region, local emergency officials said.

Fire officials said the blaze had been put out, saying it appeared from an initial investigation that it had been the plastic canopy that covered the spire that was on fire.

The gothic cathedral had been evacuated, and more than 60 firefighters were at the scene, police officials in Normandy said.

Black smoke and flames could be seen in photos taken midday Thursday. The section where the cathedral’s spire appeared to be on fire had been wrapped in scaffolding.

Fire officials said they would check on the stability of the scaffolding, along with possible water damage to the interior of the cathedral.

Pfizer targets obesity with new once-daily Danuglipron drug

July 11, 2024 by WDNY Radio

(NEW YORK) — Pfizer announced early Thursday morning that it has selected its preferred once-daily modified release formulation of danuglipron, a move that it said was a significant milestone in the obesity drug’s development.

Danuglipron, an oral glucagon-like peptide-1 (GLP-1) receptor agonist, will undergo dose optimization studies in the second half of 2024 as Pfizer seeks to evaluate multiple doses of the formulation which they hope will inform the registration-enabling studies.

“Obesity is a key therapeutic area for Pfizer, and the company has a robust pipeline of three clinical and several pre-clinical candidates. The most advanced of them, danuglipron, has demonstrated good efficacy in a twice-daily formulation, and we believe a once-daily formulation has the potential to have a competitive profile in the oral GLP-1 space,” said Mikael Dolsten, MD., PhD., chief scientific officer & president, Pfizer Research and Development. “Following a thorough analysis of our previous Phase 2b data and trial design, we believe that with the preferred modified release formulation and future trial design optimization, we can advance a competitive oral GLP-1 molecule into registration enabling studies, with the goal of addressing the present and persistent medical needs of people living with obesity.”

Participants in the study so far have included healthy adults aged 18 years or older and the results thus far have shown a profile that supports once-daily dosing, which is consistent with previous danuglipron studies. Notably, there have been no liver enzyme elevations observed among the more than 1,400 study participants.

Danuglipron is an investigational medicine that is taken as a tablet by mouth and is currently not approved for use by health authorities.

Current popular FDA approved weight loss medications Wegovy and Zepbound are weekly injections.

Pfizer will still need to do large scale clinical trials to produce the data necessary to show it’s safe, effective and tolerable and then submit to FDA — a process which is still likely much further down the line.

Nearly 200 cases of dengue virus reported in New York and New Jersey: CDC

July 11, 2024 by WDNY Radio

(NEW YORK) — Nearly 200 people have been infected with dengue in the states of New York and New Jersey so far this year, according to data from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.

New York has reported 143 cases and New Jersey has reported 41.

Dengue transmission is typically common in tropical and subtropical areas of the world, according to the CDC.

Over 2,500 people have been infected in the U.S. so far this year, about five times higher than the same time last year. Puerto Rico currently makes up the bulk of those cases — with over 1,700 reported. The U.S. territory declared a public health emergency back in March.

The CDC issued a health alert last month warning health care providers of an increased risk of dengue virus infection this year. Globally, new cases of dengue have been the highest on record, according to the CDC.

Dengue viruses spread through mosquito bites. The most common symptom is a fever with aches and pains, nausea, vomiting and rash. Symptoms usually begin within two weeks after being bitten by an infected mosquito and last 2-7 days. Most people recover after about a week.

The best way to prevent dengue is to avoid mosquito bites, according to the CDC.

New study raises questions about tampon safety for women

July 11, 2024 by WDNY Radio

(NEW YORK) — A new study that detected variable levels of heavy metals, including lead, in tampons currently on the market is being reviewed by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration, a spokesperson for the agency told ABC News.

The study published in Environmental International by researchers at the University of California, Berkeley, evaluated the levels of 16 types of metals, including lead as well as mercury, arsenic and iron, in 30 tampons from 14 different brands obtained in the U.S., Greece and England.

Differing levels of metals were found on materials of all 30 tampons, which included both organic and non-organic brands, according to the study, published July 3.

The study’s authors noted that it is not clear whether the metal levels found in the tampons would contribute any negative health effects to users but called for more research to be done.

“Despite this large potential for public health concern, very little research has been done to measure chemicals in tampons,” the study’s lead author, Jenni A. Shearston, a postdoctoral scholar at the UC Berkeley School of Public Health and UC Berkeley’s Department of Environmental Science, Policy, & Management, said in a statement. “To our knowledge, this is the first paper to measure metals in tampons.”

Shearston added, “I really hope that manufacturers are required to test their products for metals, especially for toxic metals. It would be exciting to see the public call for this, or to ask for better labeling on tampons and other menstrual products.”

The FDA noted in a statement that the study has “limitations” but said the agency is reviewing its findings.

“The FDA is reviewing the study. All studies have limitations. While the chemical method used indicates these metals are present in the tampons tested in the laboratory, the study does not assess whether any metals are released from tampons when used in the body,” the agency said in a statement Tuesday. “It also does not address whether any metal, if released, can be absorbed into the vaginal lining or, subsequently into the bloodstream.”

The statement continued, “We plan to evaluate the study closely, and take any action warranted to safeguard the health of consumers who use these products.”

In their findings, the study’s authors acknowledged that the types of metals detected are commonly found in the environment and could come in contact with tampon materials in a variety of ways. Possibilities include through water, air or soil, by nearby contamination or during the manufacturing process but more research is needed to understand exactly how this is happening.

Experts say it is important to note that the study only measured the levels of metals in materials of the tampons. It did not measure any levels of these metals in the blood to correlate with human health.

Dr. Stephanie Widmer, an emergency medicine physician and medical toxicologist, echoed the study’s authors in saying more research needs to be done.

“We have no understanding of the absorption, if there is any, or if this has any impact on human health,” Widmer, who was not involved with the study, told ABC News. “More research needs to be done and this study fails to provide any evidence that women who use tampons are walking around with higher than normal, or even higher levels of heavy metals in their blood than women who do not use tampons.”

China responds to NATO accusations saying Beijing is ‘enabler’ of Russian war

July 11, 2024 by WDNY Radio

(HONG KONG and LONDON) — A Chinese official rejected on Thursday an accusation from NATO members, who said that Beijing has become a “decisive enabler” of Russia’s war in Ukraine.

A spokesperson for China’s Mission to the European Union said a declaration issued on Wednesday by NATO members was “filled with Cold War mentality and belligerent rhetoric.”

“We never provide lethal weapons to either party of the conflict, and exercise strict export control on dual-use goods including civilian drones,” the spokesperson said in published remarks.

NATO members, who are in Washington for a summit, had included the accusations against China as part of a wide-ranging declaration. The document said China’s international ambitions and efforts “continue to challenge our interests, security and values.”

The declaration also included direct references to what NATO members described as China’s “deepening strategic partnership” with Russia.

That relationship, which NATO said was “mutually reinforcing attempts to undercut and reshape the rules-based international order,” was a cause “for profound concern,” the 32-member alliance wrote in the declaration published Wednesday.

“The PRC has become a decisive enabler of Russia’s war against Ukraine through its so-called ‘no limits’ partnership and its large-scale support for Russia’s defence industrial base,” the declaration said, using an acronym for the People’s Republic of China. “This increases the threat Russia poses to its neighbours and to Euro-Atlantic security.”

NATO members said China supplied Russia with dual-use materials, including components used for building weapons. China also supplied equipment and raw materials that “serve as inputs for Russia’s defence sector,” the declaration said.

“The PRC cannot enable the largest war in Europe in recent history without this negatively impacting its interests and reputation,” the declaration said.

China, using language similar to its previous statements, characterized its trade with Russia as “normal.” The spokesperson said the NATO declaration included “obvious lies and smears,” which China was “firmly” rejecting.

“The normal trade flows between China and Russia does not target any third party, nor should it be subject to disruption or coercion,” the Chinese spokesperson said.

Biden’s solo, unscripted news conference a pivotal moment in debate rebound effort

July 11, 2024 by WDNY Radio

(WASHINGTON) — President Joe Biden, facing a political crisis as Democrats question the viability of his campaign and mental fitness, will be put to the test on Thursday when he holds his first solo news conference of the year.

The high-stakes moment is an opportunity for Biden to change the narrative after his poor debate performance triggered a drumbeat of concerns in his own party that he might be too weakened to win against Donald Trump this November.

But any stumbles in the unscripted setting could add fuel to the fire, despite Biden’s repeated attempts to rebuff his critics and his insistence that he is staying in the race.

Many Democrats have said they need to see Biden clearly answer questions without faltering or losing his train of thought — what so alarmed them about his debate showing with Trump two weeks ago.

The news conference will come after Biden concludes hosting a NATO summit in Washington.

Biden kicked that off with a strong speech on the strength of the alliance, which is marking its 75th anniversary, and an announcement of new air defense capabilities for Ukraine in its fight against Russia.

But overshadowing the international gathering was Biden’s domestic political fate amid debate over his ability to lead the U.S. for another four years and the possibility of a second Trump presidency threatening NATO policy on Ukraine — and the alliance itself.

Those questions have been top of mind for congressional Democrats this week as they returned to Washington after the holiday weekend and have been huddling behind closed doors to discuss the path forward.

Biden tried to preemptively block criticism in a defiant letter to Democrats on Monday, in which he said it was time to “come together” and that he is “firmly committed” to staying in this race to the end.

But there are now nine House Democrats and one Democratic senator who have called on Biden to resign. Privately, many have expressed concern about the possibility of not only losing the presidency but also the House and Senate if Biden remains atop of the ticket.

House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries, D-N.Y., told his colleagues he plans to relay their concerns about Biden’s campaign to Biden himself, multiple people familiar with his comments told ABC News.

Jeffries and Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer have publicly backed Biden. Schumer simply told reporters, “I’m with Joe” when he was peppered with questions on Biden’s candidacy.

But seeming doubt from one of the most prominent Democrats in Washington, former House Speaker Nancy Pelosi, prompted a fresh wave of outcry and concern.

When asked during an appearance on MSNBC if Biden had her support, Pelosi said it was “up to the president to decide if he is going to run” and that she wants him to “do whatever he decides to do.”

In the whirlwind days following the debate, Democrats urged Biden to do more public appearances and off-the-cuff exchanges.

Biden sat down for his first post-debate television interview with ABC News anchor George Stephanopoulos in an effort to course correct, during which he largely dismissed broader concerns about his fitness and said he would only drop out if “Lord Almighty” told him to.

Thursday’s news conference will be Biden’s first solo one since November, though he’s held joint news conferences with various world leaders four times since then. The White House, while not stating how many questions Biden will take, said it will be more than what is allotted during a joint presser.

“He’s looking forward to it,” White House press secretary Karine Jean-Pierre told reporters. “And he will be taking your questions. So, that’ll be a good thing.”

Biden and Trump tied despite debate, as 67% call for president to drop out: POLL

July 11, 2024 by WDNY Radio

(NEW YORK) — Two-thirds of Americans in a new ABC News/Washington Post/Ipsos poll — including a majority of Joe Biden’s own supporters — say he should step aside as his party’s presumptive nominee for president given his debate performance two weeks ago. That’s even as Biden continues to run evenly with Donald Trump, with no meaningful post-debate change in vote preferences.

Americans divide 46-47% between Biden and Trump if the election were today, almost identical to a 44-46% ABC/Ipsos poll result in April. Among registered voters (though there’s plenty of time to register) it’s an absolute tie, 46-46%.

Were Vice President Kamala Harris to replace Biden as the Democratic nominee, vote choices are 49-46%, Harris-Trump, among all adults (and 49-47% among registered voters). Harris’ 49% is slightly better than Biden’s 46%, although she doesn’t have a statistically significant lead over Trump.

Click here to see a PDF with the full results from the poll

This doesn’t mean Biden didn’t take on damage from the debate. Sixty-seven percent overall say he should withdraw from the race. More, 85%, now say he is too old for a second term, a new high, up from an already-broad 81% in April and 68% just more than a year ago.

Further, the poll, produced for ABC by Langer Research Associates with fieldwork by Ipsos, finds Trump leading Biden by 30 percentage points, 44%-14%, in being seen as having the mental sharpness it takes to serve effectively as president. Trump’s lead is about as wide in being seen as having the physical health to serve, and his advantages on both have widened since April.

As the horse race shows, those views may not be determinative. Biden’s job approval rating is stable, albeit at a weak 36%. Though neither is broadly popular, Biden continues to have a better personal favorability rating than Trump. And Biden leads Trump by 17 points, 39%-22%, in being seen as more honest and trustworthy, essentially unchanged from the spring.

Both candidates face a high degree of scorn. About 4 in 10 Americans say neither has the mental sharpness or the physical health to serve effectively, and as many say neither is honest and trustworthy. Sixty percent say Trump is too old for a second term, also a new high, up from 44% in spring 2023. And in a sign of the nation’s political polarization, 50% say that given his debate performance, Trump should step aside in favor of another nominee — although, in contrast with Biden, very few of Trump’s own supporters say so.

It’s clearly Biden who suffered more reputational harm from the debate. Half of Americans say it left them with a less favorable opinion of him, versus 22% who say that about Trump’s performance. Twenty-seven percent see Trump more favorably because of the debate, versus just 7% for Biden on this measure.

Even among people who say they’ll vote for Biden in November, 81% say he is too old for another term and just 44% say he should continue in the race; 54% say he should step aside. Among Democrats and Democratic-leaning independents, more — 62% — say he should go. (For comparison, just 16% of Republicans and GOP leaners say Trump should withdraw.)

Should Biden withdraw — and he maintains he won’t — just 44% of Americans overall say they’d be satisfied with Harris as the Democratic nominee, with 53% dissatisfied. Among Democrats and Democratic-leaning independents, however, satisfaction with Harris reaches 70%, and it’s 76% among current Biden supporters.

Taken another way, in an open-ended question, Democrats and Democratic leaners were asked whom they’d like to see take Biden’s place if he withdrew. Twenty-nine percent named Harris, easily the leading choice in this group, with all others in the single digits. Still, demonstrating fragmentation, more than 30 potential candidates were named.

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