Donald Trump said he planned to hit goods from China with a new 10% tariff, the latest salvo in the US president's steadily escalating trade fights. Imports from China already face taxes at the border of at least 10%, after a Trump tariff order that went into effect earlier this month. China's ministry of foreign affairs said it "strongly" expressed its "dissatisfaction and resolute opposition" to the plans. Trump also said on Thursday he intended to move forward with threatened 25% tariffs on imports from Canada and Mexico, which are set to come into effect on 4 March. Trump's comments came as officials from Mexico and Canada were in Washington for discussions aimed at heading off that plan. Trump had announced the plans for 25% tariffs on Mexico and Canada for 4 February unless the two nations increased border security. He paused the measures for a month at the last minute after the two countries agreed to increase border funding and talk more about how to combat drug trafficking. On social media on Thursday, Trump wrote that he did not think enough action had been taken to address the flow of fentanyl to the US. "Drugs are still pouring into our Country from Mexico and Canada at very high and unacceptable levels," he wrote, adding that "a large percentage" of the drugs were made in China. Mexican President Claudia Sheinbaum, at a press conference from the country's National Palace, said in response: "As we know, [Trump] has his way of communicating." She added: "I hope we can reach an agreement and on 4 March we can announce something else." Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau also said his country was working hard to reach a deal, warning tariffs from the US would prompt an "immediate and extremely strong response". Trump's threats against Mexico and Canada have raised widespread alarm, as the North American economy is closely connected after decades of operating under a free trade agreement. Leaders of the two countries have previously said they would impose retaliatory tariffs on the United States if the White House went ahead with its plans. Tariffs are a tax collected by the government and paid for by the business bringing the goods into the country. China, Mexico and Canada are America's top three trade partners, together accounting for more than 40% of imports into the US last year. Economists have warned tariffs on goods from the three countries could lead to higher prices in the US on everything from iPhones to avocados. Trump's call for an additional 10% levy on goods from China - which he said would also go into effect on Tuesday - had not been previously announced, though during his presidential campaign he backed border taxes on Chinese products of as much as 60%. A spokesperson for China's ministry of foreign affairs, Lin Jian, said that Trump was using the issue of the drug fentanyl entering the US from China as an "excuse" to threaten tariffs, adding it had one of the "strictest" drug control policies in the world. "Pressure, coercion, and threats are not the correct way to deal with China," he said. Liu Pengyu, spokesperson for the Chinese Embassy, had earlier said that his country was already working with the US to address the concerns about fentanyl, and had made "visual progress" in areas such as information exchange, case cooperation and online advertisement cleanup. "Reducing domestic drug demand and strengthening law enforcement cooperation are the fundamental solutions," he said in a statement, which warned that Trump's tariff moves were "bound to affect and undermine future counternarcotics cooperation between the two sides". "The unilateral tariffs imposed by the US will not solve its own problems, nor will it benefit the two sides or the world." Trump's comments, which called for drug flow to stop or be "severely limited", seemed to set the stage for Mexico and Canada to negotiate, said trade expert Christine McDaniel, a senior research fellow at the Mercatus Center at George Mason University. On Thursday, as tariff talks intensified, two imprisoned alleged leaders of the violent Zetas cartel long sought by the US - Miguel Angel Trevino Morales and his brother Oscar - were extradited. Mexican media said they were part of a larger group of drug lords sent from Mexico to the US - a major step in terms of US-Mexico security relations. Ms McDaniel said Trump's demands of China were less clear, raising the likelihood that those measures will come into effect. Trump's initial round of tariffs on China was eclipsed by his threats against Canada and Mexico. But the potential for further duties raises questions about how businesses will respond. Ms McDaniel said she expected the hit to be felt more in China. "It's not costless for the US, but so far it seems more costly for China," she said. The impact of tariffs, if they go into effect, is expected to be felt more in the Canadian and Mexican economies, which count on the US as a key export market. But analysts have warned that the threat of the levies, even if they are never imposed, is still likely to have a chilling effect on investment, including in the US. China has already responded to the first round of tariffs from the US with its own tariffs on US products, including coal and agricultural machinery. Trump has dismissed fears about damage to the American economy.
More than half of sleep sessions end with the snooze button, with people sneaking in an extra 11 minutes on average, a new study reveals — but experts say it may not be a good idea. Researchers from Mass General Brigham analyzed data from the Sleep Cycle app, which included sleep habits from more than 21,000 people globally. Among the more than three million sleep sessions tracked, nearly 56% ended with the snooze button. MOST SLEEP-DEPRIVED CITIES IN US REVEALED IN REPORT: WHERE DOES YOURS RANK? The heaviest users of the snooze button — who used it for more than 80% of the mornings included in the study — slept an average of 20 extra minutes. These heaviest snoozers were also shown to have "more erratic sleep schedules" than those who used the snooze button less often, the researchers found."Unfortunately, the snooze alarm disrupts some of the most important stages of sleep," said lead author Rebecca Robbins, PhD, in the Division of Sleep and Circadian Disorders Medicine at Brigham and Women’s Hospital, in a press release. "The hours just before waking are rich in rapid eye movement sleep. Hitting the snooze alarm will interrupt these critical stages of sleep and typically only offer light sleep in between snooze alarms."
Proper handwashing could save a million lives a year, according to an expert — and yet many people are doing it improperly, often due to misconceptions surrounding the practice. Doctors recommend washing with soap and water for at least 20 seconds to reduce the spread of infectious diseases. The NFID 2025 State of Handwashing Report, recently released by the National Foundation for Infectious Diseases, provides details on Americans' handwashing habits (and mistakes). WHY YOUR LAUNDRY COULD BE MAKING YOU SICK AND WHAT TO DO ABOUT IT The report is based on a survey of 3,587 U.S. adults, conducted in November and December 2024 and March 2025."We have to recognize that there are a number of important infections that hand sanitizers are not effective at preventing," Hopkins said. One example is norovirus, a highly contagious stomach virus that is common on cruise ships and is also spread seasonally. The virus cannot be killed with hand sanitizer, but is "easily destroyed" with soap and water, according to Hopkins.Certain viruses are "encapsulated" and can be destroyed with either soap and water or hand sanitizer, the expert said. However, there is also an "unencapsulated" type of virus, which has an outer coat that does not break down from the alcohol in hand sanitizer. Using soap and water is a more effective way to kill the germs, the doctor noted. 2. Just coughing into your sleeve When people cough or sneeze into their sleeve, they could still spread germs afterward. "If you cough into your sleeve … go ahead and wash your hands with soap and water as well," Hopkins advised. COMMON MEDICAL TEST LINKED TO 5% OF CANCERS, STUDY SUGGESTS: ‘USE THEM WISELY’ "We also have to recognize that we often bring our hands up close to our face, touch our nose, our glasses, other parts of our face," noted the doctor, who is based in Arkansas. "If we have bacteria or viruses on our hands, we can introduce them into our mucous membranes, where we can get infections."
Note the time delay "The [cortisol] decline is different for everyone but typically occurs one-and-a-half to two hours after you wake," Zumpano said. That's the best time to have coffee, Zumpano said. SLEEP EXPERT REVEALS TOP FOODS AND DRINKS KEEPING YOU UP AT NIGHT That way, "you can rely on your body's natural alert system - cortisol - and when it declines, then you use caffeine to provide the boost.""There is no specific time that's best to drink caffeine," the dietitian added. "[It's] based on when you wake and your natural rise and drop in cortisol." Yet adhering to the body's natural wake-up processes can help sustain energy levels by avoiding one big cortisol, caffeinated crash. COFFEE CREAMER HEALTH RISKS: WHAT TO KNOW, WHAT TO CHOOSE INSTEAD Fox News Digital previously reported on smart ways to consume coffee, with an expert noting that coffee drinking should be tailored to each individual. "For some people, waking up and having a glass of water to rehydrate and then having coffee works well – but for others the morning ritual of having a cup of coffee first thing upon awakening is just too good to give up," said Wendy Troxel, a Utah-based sleep expert and senior behavioral scientist at the RAND Corporation.
The Pandemic Agreement, just adopted by the World Health Organization (WHO), is a landmark for global public health. Had such an agreement been in place before 2020, the COVID-19 pandemic would have looked very different. The agreement now means that when the next pandemic begins brewing, the world will be much better equipped to mitigate or even prevent it. What exactly will the agreement do? In a nutshell, 124 countries have pledged to prevent, prepare for, and respond to future pandemics. The countries that formally ratify the agreement will be bound to uphold a number of commitments including investing in health infrastructures, sharing intellectual property, and engaging in technology transfer. Advertisement One of the biggest benefits promises to be the Pathogen Access and Benefit-Sharing System. This will require U.N. member states to share information and data about potential pandemic viruses, including sequencing of new viruses or variants, as well as share relevant vaccines, therapeutics, and diagnostic technologies. Vaccine manufacturers in participating countries will be expected to provide 20% of pandemic vaccines in real time to the WHO to distribute globally, including to poorer countries and those most in need of them. Of these vaccines, member countries will donate 10% of them for free. Such an arrangement would have saved many lives during the COVID-19 pandemic. In the first few years, the unequal access to vaccines was one of the biggest challenges, with one study finding that up to half the COVID-19 deaths in many lower income countries could have been avoided with a more equitable supply of vaccines. Read More: Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus: Global-Health Architect Conspicuously absent from the agreement is the U.S., which has historically played a key role in global health, from HIV/AIDS to malaria and beyond. Although 11 countries abstained from voting, the U.S.'s omission due to its decision to withdraw from the WHO is notable. COVID-19 taught us that the health of people on the other side of the world is inexorably tied to our own. Isolationism doesn't work when it comes to infectious disease. Even countries that took the most drastic measures to contain COVID-19, like China, eventually succumbed to rapid and extensive spread of the virus when they relaxed international travel or strict lockdowns and social-distancing measures. Preventing the next pandemic will require us to ensure that all countries, including low- and middle-income ones, have the necessary resources to prevent outbreaks from happening and to quash them before they spread. Advertisement The agreement also proves that multilateralism and a desire for global cooperation are still shared goals among most countries. Some critics of the agreement, including U.S. Health Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr, have argued that it would be a threat to national sovereignty or freedom, in that it would compromise countries’ ability to make pandemic-related health policy decisions. This is not the case. The agreement states that it “does not prejudice the sovereign right” of countries to consider it in accordance with their own national constitutions. Global agreements or treaties of this nature are rare. But when they do come about, they are far from being tokenistic documents full of legalese. Although the Pandemic Agreement is less formal and legally binding, several U.N. global treaties have already saved millions of lives. The Framework Convention for Tobacco Control, the first WHO treaty, has reduced tobacco use by one-third over the past 20 years and has saved lives with policies like indoor smoking bans.
The Israeli military fired warning shots at a large delegation of European and Arab diplomats on an official visit near the Jenin refugee camp in the occupied West Bank on Wednesday, drawing swift international condemnation. Delegations from more than 20 countries, including the United Kingdom, France, Canada and others, were on an official mission to see the humanitarian situation around the besieged camp, according to the Palestinian Authority’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs, which called the incident a “deliberate and unlawful act.” Video from the incident shows Israeli soldiers firing toward the delegation as it backs away from a gate blocking the road. At least seven shots can be heard in the video. One member of the delegation cautions the group, “be close to the wall, be close to the wall,” as they walk away from the scene. “The ministry holds the Israeli occupying government fully and directly responsible for this criminal assault and affirms that such acts will not pass without accountability,” the Palestinian Authority’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs said in a statement. The Israel Defense Forces (IDF) said the visit to the camp - the site of a major ongoing military operation that has destroyed more than 100 buildings and impacted thousands of families - was coordinated in advance. The military said it launched an initial investigation once it became clear that the group was a diplomatic delegation. “The delegation deviated from the approved route and entered an area where they were not authorized to be,” the military said in a statement Wednesday. “IDF soldiers operating in the area fired warning shots to distance them away.” The IDF said it will reach out to the delegations about the findings of the initial inquiry and “regrets the inconvenience caused.” The Palestinian Authority said the visit was announced 10 days in advance and that the group had been at the gate for more than 15 minutes before Israeli soldiers started shooting. Roland Friedrich, the director of the United Nations Relief and Works Agency in the West Bank, refuted the Israeli military’s version of events, saying that its explanations “do not fully capture the severity of today’s event.” “This incident is a stark reminder of the lax use of excessive force routinely deployed by Israeli security forces in the West Bank, often with lethal consequences,” Friedrich said. “This raises serious concerns over the way rules of engagement are applied to unarmed civilians.” Kaja Kallas, the European Union’s High Representative for Foreign Affairs, said after the incident that “any threats on diplomats’ lives are unacceptable.” “We definitely call on Israel to investigate this incident and also hold those accountable who are responsible for this,” Kallas said at a press conference Wednesday. Italy’s foreign ministry summoned Israel’s ambassador in Rome for an official clarification. “The threats against diplomats are unacceptable,” the country’s Foreign Minister Antonio Tajani added in a social media post on X. French Foreign Minister Jean-Noël Barrot said that Israel’s ambassador to France would also be summoned following the incident, calling it “unacceptable,” while Spain’s Foreign Minister José Manuel Albares said that his government summoned the head of the Israeli embassy in Madrid. Canada’s Foreign Minister Anita Anand confirmed on social media that four Canadian personnel were part of the delegation that was shot at, adding that she has asked officials to summon Israel’s Ambassador to convey “Canada’s serious concerns.” Canadian Prime Minister Mark Carney told a news conference in Ottawa that Canada expected a full and immediate explanation of what happened. “It’s totally unacceptable,” he said. “It’s some of many things that are totally unacceptable that’s going on in the region.” On Wednesday evening, Finnish Foreign Minister Elina Valtonen told CNN’s Isa Soares that her country will be summoning the Israeli ambassador to Finland in response to the military’s actions. “Any deviation of any route – it is not an excuse,” Valtonen said. “It is prohibited to open fire against civilians, even under the laws of war. And, of course, these people were also under diplomatic protection.” A host of officials from other European nations condemned the shooting, including representatives from Ireland, Belgium, Slovenia, Portugal, Germany, the Netherlands, Norway, Denmark and the United Kingdom. Foreign ministries from countries including Jordan, Egypt, Turkey and Qatar also strongly condemned the incident. “This attack, which endangered the lives of diplomats, is yet another demonstration of Israel’s systematic disregard for international law and human rights,” Turkey’s foreign ministry said. “The targeting of diplomats constitutes a grave threat not only to individual safety but also to the mutual respect and trust that form the foundation of inter-state relations. This attack must be investigated without delay, and those responsible must be held accountable,” it added. Clarification: This story has been updated to reflect the shooting incident occurred near the Jenin refugee camp, not within the camp.
Britain’s government has been temporarily blocked from concluding its deal to transfer the Chagos Islands to Mauritius, PA Media reported, after an 11th-hour injunction by a High Court judge. Prime Minister Keir Starmer intends to return the islands to the African country, while maintaining control of the US-UK Diego Garcia military base, and it had been expected that the deal would be signed off on Thursday.
Two weeks after entering the Kentucky Derby as the favorite only to finish second, Journalism appeared beaten again entering the final straightaway at Saturday’s Preakness Stakes, the middle leg of horse racing’s Triple Crown. Once trailing by as many as five lengths, Journalism was still far behind Gosger at the top of the homestretch as it squeezed between Clever Again and Goal Oriented — the horses so close they and their jockeys rubbed together — before finally finding open ground. From there, with jockey Umberto Rispoli urging him on, Journalism ran down Gosger at the post, needing all of the course’s 1 3/16th miles to author a stunning comeback victory at the 150th Preakness at Baltimore’s Pimlico Race Course. It was the second Preakness victory for Journalism's trainer, Michael W. McCarthy, who previously won in 2021 with Rombauer. As the gap between the leader and Journalism widened, McCarthy said he was resigned to a loss. “My initial thought was, ‘Proud of the horse,’” McCarthy said. “‘Great effort, just gonna come up a little bit short.’” Except, the race was far from over. Gosger finished second, with Sandman third. “The horse is a champion,” Aron Wellman, a co-owner of Journalism, said on NBC in the winner’s circle. “Our jockey Umberto Rispoli is a champion. Our trainer Michael McCarthy is a champion.” Rispoli became the first jockey from Italy to win a Triple Crown race. “I wish everybody over there are proud of me,” Rispoli said. Journalism outlasted eight other competitors, a small field that did not include Derby winner Sovereignty, after trainer Bill Mott withdrew the horse due to the short turnaround between races. It marked the third time in the last four years that the Derby winner skipped the Preakness. The Triple Crown, Mott said earlier this month, is “not something we’re not going to think about.” It was the fifth time in the last seven years that the Preakness started without a true shot at the Triple Crown, a trend that has sparked a debate about whether the two-week turnaround between Triple Crown races has become antiquated. The field of nine horses was still anticipated as the trainers — including Bob Baffert and his record eight Preakness victories, and D. Wayne Lukas, who has won seven times at Pimlico over 44 years — had amassed a combined 19 previous Preakness victories. Journalism was still considered the favorite following the Derby and opened with 8-5 odds Saturday morning. By race time, it had become an even bigger favorite at 6-5. Yet its path to victory was made difficult only a quarter of a mile in Saturday, as Clever Again led entering the first turn, followed closely by Gosger and River Thames, with Journalism sixth. Both Rispoli, the jockey, and McCarthy, the trainer, said in post-race interviews they believed their horse was in trouble and might run hard, only to come in second, as at the Derby. Yet Journalism was in first at the end, right on deadline.
Saurabh Mukherjea says that the current cyclical downturn has probably been sharper than anticipated. Here are details of his top bets, key markets and important levels to watch. The markets have been rather muted in the past few sessions but the worst may not be over yet. That’s what Saurabh Mukherjea, Founder & CIO, Marcellus warns investors about. According to him, we are only halfway through busting the midcap bubble and expects another 30-40% correction in small and midcaps. He highlighted that household debt in India is at an all-time high and investors need to diversify investments, especially in US. In an exclusive conversation with FinancialExpress.com, Mukherjea highlighted the top sectors to bet on at the moment and his big ‘Avoids’. How are you reading the markets currently? Basically just before the elections, the economy started softening, and therefore in our small and midcap portfolios, we started moving into cash from August last year. We’ve kept increasing the cash allocations. Even today we have 30% of our small and midcap portfolios in cash and the corporate earnings slowdown has continued. I think the fourth quarter will probably be the weakest quarter of corporate earnings growth in India. If you leave aside Lehman and Covid-19, I think you probably have to go back 25 years to see something like what we’ll see in the fourth quarter earnings. How do you see tariff impacting markets over the medium term? I think the worst of the Trump tariff is behind us. Most countries including Japan, Europe and India are likely to strike a deal with America. Even with China, on tech and mobile and semiconductor related stuff, America doesn’t seem to be keen to pick a fight and therefore you’re only left with one small piece or relatively small piece which is China non-tech. All trade partners will try to give America something, so that the President can claim victory vis-à-vis his domestic constituency, the people who voted him in, and beyond that, I think trade and business will resume relatively normally by the end of the summer. What exactly will be the impact for the stock markets in the near term or over the long-term? We are invested around the world. We are strongly urging our clients to allocate more to our global portfolio because we think European and American small and midcaps are significantly undervalued and look very attractive. They are trading at a 30-40% discount to the Nifty 50 with far better earnings growth. Our reading is that they’re inexpensive, earnings prospects are reasonably undiminished in spite of Trump’s rhetoric. Back home, we are very worried about the small and midcaps. We have 30% in cash in our midcap portfolio. We think Indian midcaps still have plenty of room to run in terms of correction. I think a 30-40% correction is long overdue in midcaps. I wouldn’t advise anybody to accumulate small and midcaps at these valuations. Indian large caps seem reasonably valued. They might be 10% overvalued, but I don’t think they have a massive overvaluation issue. I think large caps will fall a bit further but I am not expecting a big correction in large caps. But small and midcaps on the other hand is where there is a massive bubble. We are halfway through busting the small and midcap bubble. What are your top three ideas for investors in the market, in the current market conditions? I think global diversification is a must. The S&P 500 has delivered better returns with lower volatility and is available cheaper right now than the Nifty, so it makes sense to diversify. In addition, most brokerages now make it very easy for Indians to access global equities through their broking apps. India and America have the lowest correlation amongst the world’s big markets. Secondly, if you are utterly insistent that you want to invest only in India and nowhere else, then within India, diversify across asset classes. Have precious metals, liquid funds and FDs alongside stocks. Thirdly,within equities go towards those sectors which are similar to holding cash today, such as FMCG, such as IT. That will reduce your risk of getting portfolio pounded in what looks to be a fairly deep economic cyclical downturn. Why is this cyclical slowdown turning out to be so dramatic? I think the cyclical downturn has probably been sharper than even I had anticipated. Consumption and Capex are basically the main engines of the Indian economy and they are muted, and I think that’s driving the intensity of the slowdown. Household debt, especially for the middle-class, debt is at an all-time high. If you leave aside home loans, we’re amongst the most indebted nations in the world and obviously with that high level of debt, it’s difficult now for households to incrementally drive consumption. The second is all kind of capex-private and public – now has throttled off. Private Capex has been modest for many years, but government Capex has tailed-off sharply in FY24. The last two months of FY25 suggests that even FY26 would be weak from a government Capex perspective. I think in another year we will be seeing tangible signs of a recovery, but for that to come through, we need heavy rate cuts from the RBI. My reckoning is we need another 150 bps of rate cuts from the RBI. What are the hardest lessons that you have learnt as a fund manager? In the five years ending December 2021, we beat the market by 7 percentage points. By December 21, we thought we were walking on water and that our style of investing in great companies was a great way to invest. But 2022 and 2023 taught us a lesson. Specifically, the Russian invasion of Ukraine, the inflation which followed thereafter, and the 500 bps rate hike by the US Fed in 12-13 months led to a massive pullback in expensive stocks around the world. In India, we got hit in those 15 months ending in the summer of 2023. The value of the portfolios we manage fell by about 15%. In response, in the second half of 2023, we changed the tools and analytics we used to invest and that’s brought about handsome results for us over the last 12 months. As a result, our midcap fund has beaten the market by 5 percentage points over the last 12 months. Our small cap product has held its value over the past 12 months in stark contrast to most other Smallcap portfolios. Our global compounders product has beaten its benchmark (the S&P500) by 2 percentage points over the past 12 months. Our Quant product has beaten the benchmark over the 12 months by 7 percentage points. So, the valuation discipline that we injected into our investment process in the second half of 23 has worked nicely for us. I find it interesting that the mistakes that we made in 2021 are the same mistakes we avoided in 2024. In 2025, I can sit and talk about it comfortably. What are the top sectors that you’re betting on? If you take IT services right, like the big IT services companies haven’t done much in terms of stock price over the last 2-3 years, but given where the Western economic cycle is today and given where the valuations of the IT services companies are, we are fairly comfortable holding some of the larger IT services names. Similarly, the FMCG companies haven’t done much over the last three years, but given where the economy is today, we are fairly comfortable holding on to the FMCG names. Similarly, the Agri sector seems to us to be relatively insulated from the economic downturn. The stuff that we regret having is capital goods and industrials. I wish we had a little less of that. Which are the sectors that according to you are a strict avoid at the moment? Well, I would say industrials. I think the extent of the downturn is going to hit investors. I think real estate would be a sector where there will be plenty of pain. The third sector would be low quality private sector lenders. I think they will also get bound in the next 12 months. Several of the smaller banks will really suffer both in terms of asset quality and in their difficulty in raising savings deposits. What books would you recommend for investors at the moment? The book, India Before the Ambanis: A History of Indian Business, Money, and Economy written by Lakshmi Subramaniam is a great read because it gives you a sense of just how vibrantly entrepreneurial we were at the height of the Mughal Raj and in the first 150 years of British rule. Only in the decades prior to the British leaving the country, we started losing our entrepreneurial zeal as the British bounded us, and then obviously after 1947, we became a socialist country. So, it almost feels like the last 15-20 years, we’ve really discovered our entrepreneurial zeal that we’ve always had in our blood. I’m also reading Capitalism in America by Alan Greenspan, and I think Adrian Wooldridge. Alan Greenspan obviously is the famous former US Fed Chief and Woolridge a columnist and author. The reason I’m reading that is, I wanted to understand whether there are historical antecedents to what Trump is doing. Every 40-50 years America tends to get a President who comes to power convincing the public that if they thrash the foreigners, life will be much better. Both interesting reads and about the world’s 2 best performing stock markets and also the world’s two largest free market democracies, and I don’t think that’s an accident.
Dr. Jay Bhattacharya is President Trump’s pick to lead the National Institutes of Health (NIH), which has traditionally been the largest funder of biomedical research in the world. On March 5, the Stanford University professor of health policy will face questions from the Senate Health, Education, Labor and Pensions committee as he attempts to get confirmed to lead one of the country’s most powerful health agencies. Here’s what to know about Bhattacharya. Advertisement He's the son of immigrants Bhattacharya was born in Kolkata, India and said in a podcast interview that his mother came from a slum, while his father, an electrical engineer, was part of the country’s middle class. In the 1970s, his family immigrated to the U.S., settling first in Massachusetts and then in California, outside of Los Angeles. When he was 18, Bhattacharya converted from Hinduism to become a Presbyterian. He's interested in health economics Bhattacharya earned four degrees at Stanford: a bachelor's degree, master's, MD, and PhD. He worked as an economist at the RAND Corporation before returning to Stanford to join the faculty. Bhattacharya has researched health economics and studied the the U.S.'s vulnerable populations, analyzing how the country's health care system and government policies affect the health of these groups.
The 49ers and linebacker Fred Warner are reportedly on the verge of agreeing to a new contract. Warner’s camp and the team are very close to finalizing a multi-year contract extension, according to Jennifer Lee Chan of NBCSportsBayArea.com. Warner said on Saturday that after tight end George Kittle and quarterback Brock Purdy got new deals this offseason, he feels good about the direction the 49ers are heading in with getting deals done now so that they can focus on football during football season. “I think it’s obviously worked out really well being able to knock those things out earlier,” Warner said. “Allowing us to focus just purely on ball and getting better as a team, so things are moving in the right direction.” The 28-year-old Warner was a 2018 third-round draft pick of the 49ers who has been chosen as a first-team All-Pro in four of his seven seasons in San Francisco. Warner still has two seasons remaining on his five-year, $95 million contract, but he has a $29.2 million salary cap hit this season, and it would make sense for both sides to structure an extension so that Warner gets more money in future years while lowering his cap number for this year. That deal should get done soon.
Victims of the car attack that left 11 people dead at a festival in Vancouver, Canada, on Saturday have not yet been named by police, but they are now being identified online by family and colleagues. The victims, nine females and two males, range in age from a five-year-old girl to a 65-year-old man. More than two dozen other people were injured, according to police. Up to 100,000 revellers were celebrating the Lapu-Lapu festival in Canada's largest west coast city when the attack occurred. A 30-year-old man has been arrested and is facing multiple murder charges. Officials have not yet released a motive, but say the case is not being treated as terrorism. Seven victims in hospital were in a critical condition, according to Vancouver police spokesman Sgt Steve Addison. Three others were in a serious condition. Here's what we know about some of those who have been identified in social media posts and on fundraising pages by family and colleagues. The Le family - ages 5, 30 and 47 Katie Le, five, was the youngest person to die in the attack. She was killed along with her father, Richard Le, 47, and mother Linh Hoang, 30. Her 16-year-old brother, who stayed home from the festival to do homework, is the family's sole survivor, a relative wrote on a GoFundMe page. "This event was meant to be a joyful community gathering, celebrating unity and the strength of a connected people," wrote Richard Le's brother, Toan Le. Katie was about to graduate from kindergarten, and was "vibrant, joyful, and full of life". Toan Le remembered his brother Richard Le as "a dedicated father, badminton and tennis coach, and real estate professional". "He devoted his life to teaching young people the values of sportsmanship and team spirit. He served his community and clients with pride and always went out of his way to help others," he wrote. Linh Hoang "was known for her kindness and gentle spirit", and had recently been planning a trip to visit family in Vietnam. Toan Le told CTV News the 16-year-old survivor was still in shock. "He's still trying to absorb the situation, and I don't think he is fully comprehending what has happened," he said, adding that the boy was in the care of family. Kira Salim Kira Salim, a teacher and counsellor at Fraser River Middle School and New Westminster Secondary School, was among those killed. "Kira was a valued member of our community whose wisdom and care for our middle and secondary school students had a powerful impact," school officials Maya Russell and Mark Davidson wrote in a statement. "The loss of our friend and colleague has left us all shocked and heartbroken," they added. "We recognize Kira's passing may be difficult to process," the school district's statement said. "We are a small but mighty community. This is one of the qualities of New Westminster that Kira loved the most," they wrote. Salim is described in a LinkedIn page as a mental health provider and educator. "My personal mission is facilitating and guiding youth and marginalized communities to thrive in their lives while creating a diverse and equitable environment that uplifts different strengths and personalities while providing customized and innovative solutions to support patients," Salim wrote. Salim wrote in a post that it "is a dream come true" after taking a job at Frazer River Middle School nine months ago. New West Pride, an LGBT advocacy group, memorialised Salim with a photo. "They were an epic drag king, a wonderful exuberant contributer [sic] to our local community, volunteer, activist, local educator, mental health worker," the group wrote. "Kira will be deeply missed."
All they could grab were stuffed animals, toothbrushes, Barbie dolls and blankets. Their bunk beds, cleats and clothes burned with their houses. The New York Times interviewed 10 children and their parents about what it was like to flee the fires in Los Angeles. They talked about what they are worried about, and what is helping them feel better. Ivy and Ruby Van Kline are twin sisters who just turned 6 this week. They are in kindergarten at Aveson School of Leaders, a charter school in Altadena, Calif. Their house and school both burned down, so the family moved in with their grandparents. Advertisement SKIP ADVERTISEMENT Jet Crawford, 6, was also in kindergarten at Aveson. He is living in a new house with his mom and his sister, Ilana, 3, after their house in Altadena burned. Their new town is about 20 minutes away from home.Kurtis Odom, 9, is in fourth grade at McKinley School of the Arts in Pasadena, Calif. His sister, Kayla Odom, is 12 and in middle school. They are living in a vacation rental after their house burned down, and doing school online. Phoebe Hanelin, 10, is also in fourth grade. Her school, Marquez Charter Elementary, burned down in the Palisades fire. Her home, which was just across the street, is gone. Phoebe’s older sister, Abigail Hanelin, is a sophomore at Palisades Charter High School. Part of her school burned, and now all their classes are online. Lily Yadegar, Alessandra Santini and Yasmine Santini are friends who also go to Pali High. Lily is 14. Alessandra and Yasmine, both 17, are twins. Their homes survived, but they spent more than a week evacuated, staying in hotels and rented houses. The three girls wanted to do something for their friends and neighbors, so they started a GoFundMe to help rebuild their school and a donation drive to help their classmates. What was it like leaving home? Ivy said it was “very, very scary” when the fire came. The power went out. Then the cats started meowing. “My dad said that our house wouldn’t burn on fire,” Ivy said. “But I just knew right before our house would go on fire, because it looked like the fire was, like, right next to our backyard.” Kurtis left his house in Altadena in the middle of the night with his mom, older brother and older sister. He could see the fire getting bigger and bigger. Later, they learned that their house was gone.“I went back to sleep. I woke up. My whole life broke,” Kurtis said. “I thought we were going to be OK.” Though Yasmine and Alessandra are twins, the teens responded differently the night of the Palisades fire. Alessandra cried. She packed baby photos and her perfume collection. She also got the clothes. “We share our clothes majority of the time, even though she doesn’t ask me, and sometimes I don’t ask her,” Alessandra said. Yasmine brought stuff she thought everyone else would forget about, like medicine and food. “And then I brought my baby blanket and my baby stuffed elephant that I’ve always had,” she said. What are your days like right now? Ivy, Ruby and their parents are staying with their grandparents in West Los Angeles. They like that the house is big and has stairs. “You can go down them and up them, and I could even do splits down them,” Ruby said. Kurtis and Kayla are doing school online. Their mom decided to keep them home while she figures out where they are going to live. When Kurtis isn’t doing school work, he plays cards with his family and talks to his friends on his tablet.Jet is staying in a new house with donated furniture. His school remains closed, and his mom is worried. He has autism and had been doing well with the help of his teachers. Phoebe and her sisters have moved twice since their house burned down. And they know they’re going to have to move again. Abigail is worried about where they’ll go next. How are you feeling? Kurtis worries about everything his family lost. “Everything is burned down,” he said. He wonders how his mom can afford to replace his soccer cleats and other sports equipment. His sister, Kayla, says she is shy and worries that she might have to go to a new school. “It’s just going to be awkward for me,” she said. Ivy and Ruby were excited about their 6th birthday party at Chuck E. Cheese this weekend, where they hoped to see friends from their old school. And Ruby is looking ahead to a milestone at her new school: “Going outside in the big kid area when I’m a big kid and going on the monkey bars.”Jet’s mom says he has been really upset. When she asked him about the fire, he buried his head in the cushions of their new couch. “It’s broken,” he said. “Mommy’s house.” Lily misses driving to school with Alessandra and Yasmine, and stopping at Starbucks along the way. “Our whole lives, we’ve been looking forward to going to high school together,” Lily said. “It’s just sad.” Remote learning reminds Abigail of the pandemic, when she was in middle school. This time, it feels worse. Back then, middle schoolers all across the country were in the same boat. “It was fine in Covid because it was everybody. But now it’s just one school,” she said. What was special about your home and your school? Kurtis will miss the house where he got to know his grandma. His grandparents bought it about 50 years ago after moving to California from Haiti. Phoebe used to walk to school by herself sometimes. Now she can’t. She likes her new school, but it’s not the same. “Their yard is so small, our yard was giant, so big,” she said.At Pali High, Lily says everyone knew each other. “I’ve only been there for a semester, and it already feels like a second home to me,” she said. Ivy and Ruby’s school had a “ginormous playground,” a garden, chickens named Sunshine and Marshmallow and a rabbit named Mr. Fluff. “I don’t know if they brought the chickens or the bunny,” Ivy said. Ivy and Ruby’s house was 99 years old. Their dad told them that it had magic from all the people who had lived there and could even grant their wishes. “But it died, so we have to celebrate it,” Ruby said. Did you bring anything with you? Phoebe and Abigail didn’t have time to grab much. Abigail, who loves to read, took only two books and has already finished them. But they were able to get all their pets: a dog, two cats, a beta fish, a dwarf hamster and Turbo the tortoise.“I only brought two stuffies,” Ivy said. “And we brought our toothpaste and toothbrushes and we got our blankets, and we got some of our pillows, and that’s all I brought.” Ruby brought Barbie dolls. But she is sad because “my bunk bed slide that was ours burned down.” Kurtis brought his school Chromebook and a tablet he can use to talk to his friends. “The crazy part is that the trampoline was still standing,” Kurtis said. “And you know what, if the trampoline is standing, I don’t know why the house ain’t standing.”