BIAS IN CANCER DIAGNOSIS
A new study published yesterday in Jama found that a test used to diagnose patients with lung cancer had a built-in racial bias. The algorithm in the software used to diagnose patients assumed that Black people had naturally weaker lung capacity, raising the threshold for recommending care and making it less likely that they would be prescribed medication. According to the study, up to 40 percent more Black men would have been diagnosed with breathing problems if the bias had been corrected. The study also pointed out that this specific test isn't the only place where racial bias affects medicine. Prejudices and assumptions about racial differences affect patients looking for heart and kidney care as well.
WARNING ABOUT PAYMENT APPS
There's a new warning for people who store money in payment apps like Paypal, Venmo, and Cash App. The Consumer Financial Protection Bureau (CFPC) said that the funds may not be secure in the case of a crisis, because while traditional bank accounts are secured up to $250,000, money held in a payment app doesn't have the same protections. So if one of these companies ever had a funding issue or was forced to close, customers could lose their money.
Spring Hill General Motors workers picket outside of the plant in Spring Hill, Tenn., after United Auto Workers Local 1853 announced a strike after 44 days of negotiations with GM, Sunday, Oct. 29, 2023. (Nicole Hester/The Tennessean via AP)
Two local law enforcement chiefs told The Associated Press that a statewide alert was sent in mid-September to be on the lookout for Army reservist Robert Card because of threats he made against his base and fellow soldiers.
The Israeli military intensified airstrikes in Gaza on Sunday, including near its largest hospital, and another hospital was damaged by bombardment close by.
The Gaza Health Ministry said the death toll among Palestinians passed 8,000, mostly women and minors, as Israeli tanks and infantry pursued what Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu called a “second stage” in the war ignited by Hamas’ brutal Oct. 7 incursion.
How to enjoy NYC without breaking the bank.
Google's head of search testified at the company's trial Thursday as it started presenting its defense. The Justice Department in several states alleged that Google violated antitrust law to achieve its dominance in search.
Florida Gov. Ron Desantis said he has arranged to send drones, weapons, and ammunition to Israel.
An Idaho woman is suing her one-time fertility doctor saying he used his own sperm to inseminate her 34 years ago.
Police have recaptured a suspect wanted in connection with the murder of a Washington, DC man, nearly six weeks after the suspect escaped from a local hospital.
