Doctor Accused of Spreading Deadly Meningitis Arrested in Mexico

Mexican police detained a medical doctor accused of using infected medicines that may have caused a mysterious meningitis outbreak in northern Durango state, after the disease killed at least 35 women in recent months. Another 79 people have been hospitalized with signs of infection. Police arrested the doctor who specializes in anesthesiology early Tuesday morning on charges of illegal practices including the re-use of medications at the private hospitals where he worked. The doctor's full name was not disclosed. Meningitis is typically associated with painful inflammation of the brain and spinal cord, often caused by a virus or in some cases bacteria or a fungal infection. The affected patients in Durango were likely infected by fungal meningitis while having procedures in the same hospitals where the doctor worked, according to Durango state prosecutor Sonia Garza. She told reporters at a news conference on Tuesday in the state capital that the first procedures associated with the infected patients took place last August and that many of them had been administered anesthesia for obstetric procedures. "This specialist carried out procedures with no restraint," said Garza, adding that he brought his own medication for patients, including unauthorized controlled drugs. The outbreak has raised concern in both Mexico and from international bodies after the outbreak's first death was confirmed last November. Garza added that the detained doctor was the only physician who conducted procedures at the four hospitals where the infections have been observed. She said that he denied using his own medications at a hearing before prosecutors. Reuters was not immediately able to request comment from the doctor, or locate his lawyer, but his son, contacted by Reuters, said his father is innocent. "They accused my father without any evidence," he said, declining to provide his name. The meningitis outbreak is confined to private hospitals in the state capital, also known as Durango, according to Mexico's health ministry.

Ex-Twitter Executives to Testify About Hunter Biden Story Before House Panel

Former Twitter employees are expected to testify next week before the House Oversight Committee about the social media platform's handling of reporting on President Joe Biden's son, Hunter Biden. The scheduled testimony, confirmed by the committee Monday, will be the first time the three former executives will appear before Congress to discuss the company's decision to initially block from Twitter a New York Post article regarding Hunter Biden's laptop in the weeks before the 2020 election. Republicans have said the story was suppressed for political reasons, though no evidence has been released to support that claim. The witnesses for the February 8 hearing are expected to be Vijaya Gadde, former chief legal officer; James Baker, former deputy general counsel; and Yoel Roth, former head of safety and integrity. The hearing is among the first of many in a GOP-controlled House to be focused on Biden and his family, as Republicans wield the power of their new, albeit slim, majority. The New York Post first reported in October 2020 that it had received from former President Donald Trump's personal attorney, Rudy Giuliani, a copy of a hard drive of a laptop that Hunter Biden had dropped off 18 months earlier at a Delaware computer repair shop and never retrieved. Twitter initially blocked people from sharing links to the story for several days. Months later, Twitter's then-CEO Jack Dorsey called the company's communications around the Post article "not great." He added that blocking the article's URL with "zero context" around why it was blocked was "unacceptable." The Post article at the time was greeted with skepticism due to questions about the laptop's origins, including Giuliani's involvement, and because top officials in the Trump administration already had warned that Russia was working to denigrate Joe Biden ahead of the 2020 election. The Kremlin had interfered in the 2016 race by hacking Democratic emails that were subsequently leaked, and there were widespread fears across Washington that Russia would meddle again in the 2020 race. "This is why we're investigating the Biden family for influence peddling," Rep. James Comer, chairman of the Oversight committee, said at a press event Monday morning. "We want to make sure that our national security is not compromised." The White House has sought to discredit the Republican probes into Hunter Biden, calling them "divorced-from-reality political stunts." Nonetheless, Republicans now hold subpoena power in the House, giving them the authority to compel testimony and conduct an aggressive investigation. GOP staff has spent the past year analyzing messages and financial transactions found on the laptop that belonged to the president's younger son. Comer has previously said the evidence they have compiled is "overwhelming," but did not offer specifics. Comer has pledged there won't be hearings regarding the Biden family until the committee has the evidence to back up any claims of alleged wrongdoing. He also acknowledged the stakes are high whenever an investigation centers on the leader of a political party. On Monday, the Kentucky Republican, speaking at a National Press Club event, said that he could not guarantee a subpoena of Hunter Biden during his term. "We're going to go where the investigation leads us. Maybe there's nothing there." Comer added, "We'll see." 

UN Nuclear Chief Underscores Importance of Iran Talks

The head of the United Nations nuclear watchdog on Tuesday underscored the urgency of resuscitating diplomatic efforts to limit Iran's nuclear program, saying the situation could quickly worsen if negotiations fail. Rafael Mariano Grossi, director general of the International Atomic Energy Agency, said the diplomatic effort "is not at its best point," but it wasn't his place to declare whether the process was "dead or alive." However, he said progress is not impossible. "I hope to be able to re-set, restore, reinforce that indispensable dialogue," he said during a discussion at the Chatham House think tank. "Without that, things are going to get worse.'' Iran began rebuilding its nuclear stockpile after former U.S. President Donald Trump abandoned a 2015 agreement that limited the Islamic Republic's atomic energy program. Talks on restoring the deal ended in August when Western countries presented the "final text" of a roadmap for progress, which Iran has yet to accept. Grossi warned last month that Iran had enough highly enriched uranium to build several nuclear weapons if it chose to do so. But diplomatic efforts aimed at once again limiting the country's atomic program seem more unlikely than ever as Tehran provides arms for Russia's war in Ukraine and as unrest shakes the Islamic Republic. Grossi said the Middle East has a "unique set of problems" that will be aggravated if diplomatic efforts fail. "I don't see it in anybody's interest that there will be proliferation there. I think we would be aggravating … the already fragile situation,'' he said. "We're not there yet. But we cannot really afford to fail.''

Arkansas Gov. Sanders to Offer Republican Response to State of the Union

Arkansas Governor Sarah Huckabee Sanders, who served as White House press secretary under Donald Trump, will deliver the Republican response to President Joe Biden's State of the Union. Huckabee Sanders, who describes herself as a conservative reformer, will speak from the state capital Little Rock after Biden's remarks on Tuesday before a joint session of Congress. It will be Biden's first State of the Union since Republicans won control of the House of Representatives in November's election. Both addresses could serve as a primer for the 2024 presidential campaign season as Democrats and Republicans seek to shape public perceptions in front of a large television audience. The federal debt limit, social spending, the war in Ukraine and policing in minority communities are among the biggest topics driving political discourse. U.S. House Speaker Kevin McCarthy and Senate Republican leader Mitch McConnell, in a joint announcement last week, heralded Sanders as a rising figure in the party. "Governor Sarah Huckabee Sanders is the youngest governor in the nation and a powerful advocate for the popular, commonsense conservative principles that will put our country back on a better course," McConnell said in the statement. Huckabee Sanders, 40, served as then-President Trump's second press secretary from mid-2017 to mid-2019. She is the daughter of former Arkansas Governor Mike Huckabee, also a Republican. Elected last year, in January, she became the first woman to lead the state of Arkansas.

Coral reefs can store CO2, not just emit it

"We were surprised at how significant a role dust accumulation played in switching coral reefs from a CO2 source to a CO2 sink."

Team finds black hole 'table for two'

"Relatively few dual black holes like this have ever been confirmed. This pair has the closest separation yet measured..."

91% of former NFL players in study had CTE

Researchers have diagnosed 345 former NFL players with chronic traumatic encephalopathy (CTE) out of 376 former players studied, or 91.7%.

Team controls two quantum light sources

"We can now control two quantum light sources and connect them to each other. It might not sound like much, but it's a major advancement..."

Bird genomes hint at survival during climate change

New research on bird trait diversity also identifies the trait-sets most associated with sensitivity to warming climate conditions.

Mask or no mask, babies remember a face

Babies can form memories of faces, even when they're masked, and can recognize those faces when the masks come off.

Minors can consent to STI/HIV care but privacy risks remain

Minor consent laws for STI/HIV services increased across United States, but limitations persist, report researchers.

Fewer sharks worldwide may explain drop in attacks

The number of unprovoked shark attacks worldwide decreased last year. A global decline of shark populations may explain why.

Do traffic signals need a fourth light for self-driving cars?

An extra light on traffic signals could let self-driving cars control traffic flow and give a heads up to human drivers.

Time to get rid of your gas stove?

An expert explains the risks of gas stoves and what you can do to protect your health even if you can't switch to electric.

Austin Visit to Philippine Base Highlights Benefits of U.S-Philippine Alliance > U.S. Department of Defense > Defense Department News

Secretary of Defense Lloyd J. Austin III visited Camp Navarro in Mindanao, Philippines, where U.S. and Philippine service members are working closely together to ensure long-term prosperity of the region.

U.S.-Philippine Alliance Strengthens as it Enters New Phase > U.S. Department of Defense > Defense Department News

U.S. service members will be doing a lot more training and exercises alongside their Philippine allies, as the defense alliance between the two nations continues to grow. 

U.S. Tracking High-Altitude Surveillance Balloon > U.S. Department of Defense > Defense Department News

An intelligence-gathering balloon, most certainly launched by China, is currently floating above the United States, the Defense Department announced.

General Says Chinese Surveillance Balloon Now Over Center of U.S. > U.S. Department of Defense > Defense Department News

The maneuverable Chinese surveillance balloon, which was over Montana yesterday, is now at an altitude of about 60,000 feet and poses no risk to commercial aviation, military assets or people on the ground.

Air Defense Systems, Long-Range Fires Capability to be Sent to Ukraine > U.S. Department of Defense > Defense Department News

The Defense Department announced a new package of security assistance for Ukraine.  

F-22 Safely Shoots Down Chinese Spy Balloon Off South Carolina Coast > U.S. Department of Defense > Defense Department News

A U.S. Air Force fighter safely shot down a Chinese high-altitude surveillance balloon, Secretary of Defense Lloyd J. Austin III said in a written statement. 

U.S. Navy Collecting Surveillance Balloon Debris > U.S. Department of Defense > Defense Department News

The U.S. military began collecting the remnants of a Chinese high-altitude surveillance balloon shot down off the coast of South Carolina by an Air Force fighter over the weekend.

Chemical, Biological Defense Community Names Top Performers for 2022 > U.S. Department of Defense > Defense Department News

The Office of the Deputy Assistant Secretary of Defense for Chemical and Biological Defense named top performers for 2022 during its second annual awards ceremony at the Pentagon.

Medal of Honor Monday: Navy Rear Adm. Robert Cary Jr. > U.S. Department of Defense > Story

Navy Rear Adm. Robert W. Cary Jr.'s calm demeanor helped save lives during an explosion and earned him the Medal of Honor.

If It Is Worth Dying for, It Is Worth Living for > U.S. Department of Defense > Story

The Defense Department and the Department of Veterans Affairs are among numerous agencies and organizations that are here to help veterans suffering through a mental health crisis.

Thunderbirds Soar Into 70 > U.S. Department of Defense > Story

The Thunderbirds, the Air Force flight demonstration squadron, took to the skies during the team's inaugural winter training trip at Spaceport America, New Mexico.

Medal of Honor Monday: Army Col. Gordon Johnston > U.S. Department of Defense > Story

Army Col. Gordon Johnston had a remarkable career that spanned multiple continents and conflicts and was marked by many triumphs, including actions that earned him the Medal of Honor.

Sesame Workshop Rolls Out Self-Care Content for Military Families > U.S. Department of Defense > Story

Sesame Workshop has launched new digital resources for military parents and children that offer simple strategies for mental health and self-care.

Face of Defense: Delivering Smiles From Souda Bay > U.S. Department of Defense > Story

Navy Petty Officer 2nd Class Calvin Thomas enjoys island living and making people smile, so working in the post office at Fleet Logistics Center Souda Bay, Greece, is a natural fit.

Medal of Honor Monday: Army Sgt. 1st Class Eugene Ashley Jr. > U.S. Department of Defense > Story

Army Sgt. 1st Class Eugene Ashley Jr. gave his life to save others in a fierce fight during the Vietnam War, earning him the Medal of Honor.

More lunar missions means more space junk around the Moon – two scientists are building a catalog to track the trash