Author: IQ TIMES MEDIA

NEW YORK (AP) — U.S. Health Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. on Tuesday announced that COVID-19 vaccines are no longer recommended for healthy children and pregnant women — a move immediately questioned by several public health experts.In a 58-second video posted on the social media site X, Kennedy said he removed COVID-19 shots from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention’s recommendations for those groups. No one from the CDC was in the video, and CDC officials referred questions about the announcement to Kennedy and the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services.No other details were released, and HHS officials…

OXON HILL, Md. (AP) — Rudveep Randhawa’s three kids competed in eight consecutive Scripps National Spelling Bees from 2016 to 2024, with four appearances by daughter Aisha and two each by daughter Lara and son Avi. Yet when Avi’s spelling journey concluded in last year’s semifinals, Randhawa, a pediatric endocrinologist who goes by “Dr. Happy,” was decidedly grumpy.His gripe? At unexpected and critical moments, the spelling bee transforms into a geography bee.Scripps has begun relying on obscure geographical terms to winnow down the field of spellers in the later rounds. While the words are included in the Merriam-Webster Unabridged dictionary,…

GAINESVILLE, Fla. (AP) — The University of Florida’s board of trustees on Tuesday approved Santa Ono to be the next leader of Florida’s flagship university, though one more vote is required before it becomes official.Ono, the past president of the University of Michigan, needs approval by the governing body of the state university system before he becomes the 14th president of the University of Florida.“The energy here at the University of Florida is palpable, and I am eager to join the wonderful students, faculty and staff of the Gator Nation,” Ono said in a statement.The school’s board of trustees selects…

SACRAMENTO, Calif. (AP) — The governing board for California high school sports is changing its competition rules at this weekend’s state track-and-field championships to allow more girls to take part amid controversy over the participation of a trans student-athlete.The California Interscholastic Federation said it was extending access for more “biological female” athletes to participate in the championship meet. The group announced the change Tuesday after President Donald Trump posted on his social media site about the participation of a trans athlete in the competition.“Under this pilot entry process, any biological female student-athlete who would have earned the next qualifying mark…

PITTSBURGH (AP) — Mason Rudolph has been in the NFL for more than half a decade now. And like any quarterback that has figured out a way to stick around, he’s gotten pretty good at guessing where the pressure might be coming during a given play.During the Pittsburgh Steelers’ first workout of voluntary organized team activities, that pressure didn’t come from any of the yellow-clad defenders on the practice field, but from someone who wasn’t there.Yes, Rudolph is well aware of Pittsburgh’s very public courtship of Aaron Rodgers. It took all of 90 seconds for Rudolph to be asked about…

CNN  —  Demi Lovato had a very eventful weekend. The singer and actress tied the knot with Jordan “Jutes” Lutes, a songwriter and recording artist, on Sunday in California, Lovato shared with Vogue. She wore a white gown designed by Vivienne Westwood. “When I was thinking about [what dress style I wanted] I often found myself coming back to Vivienne’s designs—specifically how the silhouettes really compliment the curves in your body, and her use of corsets,” Lovato said. She and Lutes reportedly met in January 2022, while working together on Lovato’s album, “Holy Fvck.” Lutes proposed the following year. Lovato’s…

WASHINGTON (AP) — The Trump administration is asking federal agencies to cancel remaining contracts with Harvard University, a senior administration official said Tuesday.The government already has canceled more than $2.6 billion in federal research grants for the Ivy League school, which has pushed back on the administration’s demands for changes to several of its policies. Cuts to contracts could take away millions more from Harvard’s budget. A draft letter from the General Services Administration directs agencies to review contracts with the university and seek alternate vendors. The administration is planning to send a version of the letter Tuesday, the official…

Facebook Tweet Email Link Phil Robertson, outdoorsman, businessman and patriarch of the family featured on the A&E reality show “Duck Dynasty,” has died, his family said in a statement. He was 79. “We celebrate today that our father, husband, and grandfather, Phil Robertson, is now with the Lord,” the statement, posted by his daughter-in-law Korie Robertson said. “Thank you for the love and prayers of so many whose lives have been impacted by his life saved by grace, his bold faith, and by his desire to tell everyone who would listen the Good News of Jesus. We are grateful for…

With a shaky IPO market, tariff uncertainty, and stock market jitters, these are not easy times to be the chief financial officer of a late-stage tech company.Against that precarious backdrop, I sat down last week with the CFOs of Mercury, Vercel, and Cribl at the San Francisco office of CRV, one of Silicon Valley’s oldest venture firms and an early investor in all three startups.”I’m expecting a lot more uncertainty,” said Daniel Kang, CFO of Mercury, a fintech banking startup that recently doubled its valuation to $3.5 billion after raising $300 million in its latest funding round. “There’s a lot…

CNN  —  Christie Brinkley and Billy Joel have been the friendly exes and that is on display after his recently shared medical diagnosis. The “Piano Man” star has normal pressure hydrocephalus (NPH), a condition that causes pressure on the brain. Joel has canceled upcoming tour dates as a result. Over the weekend, Brinkley, who was married to Joel from 1985 to 1994, posted a video of one of the legendary singer’s performances, writing, “The whole Brinkley gang is sending you lots of love and good wishes for a full and speedy recovery.” The two are parents of daughter Alexa Ray…