Author: IQ TIMES MEDIA

Ginny Murray says she and her husband, Chaz, are out of options for health insurance. In January, their premiums are expected to rise higher than they’ve ever gone up before, putting the cost out of reach.The Arkansas couple plan to drop their coverage, betting their savings will be enough if unexpected illness strikes.“Our plan is to keep putting the money we’re already paying towards health care in savings,” said Murray, whose insurance is covered through the Affordable Care Act, “and really just hoping that we don’t have a stroke or we don’t have a heart attack.”They’re part of a broader…

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Antidepressants, medications used to treat depression, anxiety and other health conditions, can cause a wide range of physiological side effects depending on which one you take, according to a new study.In the study, published Tuesday in the journal The Lancet, researchers analyzed more than 58,000 participants to compare 30 antidepressants with a placebo for an average of eight weeks, finding “clinically significant” differences between the drugs’ effect on blood flow and metabolism.The differences noted in the study include weight change, heart rate, blood pressure and total cholesterol.For weight change, researchers found some antidepressants, including maprotiline and amitriptyline, were associated with…

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An outbreak of hand, foot, and mouth disease (HFMD) has hit Tennessee, affecting dozens of schools in Shelby County, which includes the city of Memphis.The county health department said cases were first identified in August, but health officials were not notified until early September.Since then, 31 schools and three child care centers have been affected and at least 178 students and staff members have fallen ill, according to an update from the Shelby County Health Department (SCHD). What is hand, foot and mouth disease?SCHD said it is working closely with schools and child care providers to monitor cases and prevent…

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BRUSSELS/PARIS (Reuters) -Belgium has ordered that all poultry be kept indoors from Thursday following the detection of a bird flu outbreak, the federal food safety agency said on Wednesday, as Europe faces a strong resurgence of the disease.The spread of bird flu raised concerns among governments and the poultry industry after it killed or led to the culling of hundreds of millions of poultry in recent years, disrupting supply, fuelling higher food prices and raising the risk of a new pandemic.Neighbouring France took a similar decision to Belgium on Tuesday and the Netherlands last week.An outbreak of highly pathogenic avian…

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This as-told-to essay is based on a conversation with Sam Struan, a 36-year-old consultant and résumé writer based in Scotland. Struan went viral when he worked at an Apple store in Vancouver, using his birth name, Sam Sung. He left the job due to a career switch. His words have been edited for length and clarity.Growing up, I received a few silly comments or playground chants about my name, Sam Sung, but nothing like what happened in my early 20s.During that time, I worked at an Apple store in Glasgow, Scotland. There were friendly jokes about Sam Sung working for…

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WASHINGTON (AP) — The University of Virginia has agreed to abide by White House guidance forbidding discrimination in admissions and hiring, becoming the latest in a growing list of campuses striking deals with the Trump administration as the college tries to pause months of scrutiny by the U.S. Justice Department.The agreement was announced by the Justice Department, which began investigating the admissions and financial aid processes at the Charlottesville campus in April. Federal officials accused Virginia’s president of failing to end diversity, equity and inclusion practices President Donald Trump has labeled as unlawful discrimination.The mounting pressure prompted James Ryan to…

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General Motors will add a conversational AI assistant powered by Google Gemini to its cars, trucks, and SUVs starting next year, the U.S. automaker said Wednesday during an event in New York City.  The Google Gemini rollout is one of several tech-centric announcements made at the automaker’s GM Forward event, and it will be one of the first to get into consumers’ hands. Others, including an overhaul of its electrical architecture and computing platform and an automated driving feature that allows drivers to keep their hands off the wheel and eyes off the road, aren’t coming to GM brands until…

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Meta’s chief AI officer, Alexandr Wang, wrote in a memo to staff on Wednesday that the company will cut about 600 jobs from its superintelligence lab, according to a report from Axios. Meta declined to comment, but told TechCrunch that Axios’ reporting is accurate. As Meta, OpenAI, Anthropic, Google, and other companies race to build the most powerful AI systems, Meta had a busy summer on the hiring front. The company poached more than 50 researchers from its competitors by offering multimillion-dollar pay packages, though OpenAI CEO Sam Altman claimed that “none of [OpenAI’s] best people” took the offers. “By…

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General Motors said it plans to launch an automated driving system in 2028 that will allow drivers to keep their eyes off the road and hands off the wheel, starting with the Cadillac Escalade IQ. The announcement, made Wednesday at its GM Forward event in New York City, comes a year after TechCrunch first reported that the automaker was working on the system. GM said its hands-off advanced driver assistance system, known as Super Cruise, is the foundation of this future, more capable product. Super Cruise, which launched in 2017 and is now available in 23 vehicle models, can be…

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Only 5 days left until TechCrunch Disrupt 2025 takes over Moscone West in San Francisco from October 27-29, bringing together 10,000+ leaders, VCs, operators, and innovators shaping the future of tech. To celebrate the final countdown, we’re giving you one last chance to save big: Buy your pass and save up to $444, plus get 60% off a second ticket for your co-founder, partner, friend, or team member. This offer at these low rates ends when doors open on October 27 — lock in your two discounted passes now. Image Credits:Kimberly White / Getty Images Disrupt 2025 ticket types made for your growth journey Industry stage programming: 5 stages For Attendee, Founder, Investor,…

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