(NAPS)—Rachel Oh sat in an office at a military hospital, shifting in her seat and clicking the pen an American Red Cross representative had just given her. It was a day of much anticipation but at that moment, all she felt was nerves.

“I initially joined the Red Cross because I was interested in volunteering at the hospital where my mom worked,” said Oh. “It was straight out of COVID, and I was looking for something productive to do.”

The Red Cross, thanks to its Congressional Charter, which authorizes the organization to provide emergency communication services to deployed service members around the world, is granted unique access to U.S. military installations, military hospitals and veteran care facilities.

Oh lives in Kaiserslautern, Germany. Her mother is a doctor in the oncology department at the largest U.S. military hospital outside of the continental U.S.

“I was always interested in the hospital where my mom worked and wanted to be closer to her.”

But she was too young at the time, so they introduced her to the International Humanitarian Law (IHL) Youth Action Campaign (YAC) instead.

AC is an educational outreach campaign that promotes awareness of and commitment to humanitarian principles in times of war. Outreach like this holds special significance to children of active-duty military parents like Oh, who describes the military as being a part of her life for as long as she can remember.  Continue reading →

Medicare Now Covers Less Invasive Colorectal Cancer Tests

(NewsUSA) – Expanded Screening Coverage Can Reduce Needless Deaths

Colorectal cancer deaths are declining, but shocking regional, racial and ethnic disparities remain. Ac-cording to the American Cancer Society, Latinos in the United States are more likely to die from colorec-tal cancer than those in many Central and South American countries, and death rates among Black men and women are 40% higher than their white counterparts. Rural residents are also far more likely to die from this often-preventable disease than those in urban areas. Much of this is due to lack of screening.

Colorectal cancer care groups, minority healthcare advocates and doctors have long held that virtual colonoscopy, or CT Colonography, can overcome cultural stigmas and anxiety associated with this screening. In January, Medicare began covering virtual colonoscopy – which uses a CT scanner to gen-erate 3D, moving images of the colon that doctors examine for signs of cancer and for precancerous polyps, which can be removed before they become cancers. Continue reading →

(NAPSI)—An estimated 20 million Americans have some form of thyroid disease.1 During January, recognized as Thyroid Awareness Month, YARAL Pharma is raising awareness of thyroid disease, particularly hypothyroidism, a condition in which the thyroid gland does not produce enough thyroid hormone. Despite its prevalence, thyroid disease remains widely misunderstood, with many people unaware of its signs and symptoms.

The Role of the Thyroid

The thyroid, a small butterfly-shaped gland located in the neck, plays a vital role in regulating metabolism, energy levels, and overall hormonal balance. Conditions such as hypothyroidism, hyperthyroidism, and thyroid nodules can significantly impact health and quality of life. However, up to 60% of individuals with thyroid disease are unaware of their condition, often due to a lack of awareness about the signs and symptoms, leading to delays in diagnosis and treatment.1

Signs and Symptoms

Thyroid disorders can manifest in various ways, including fatigue, weight changes, mood fluctuations, and cognitive difficulties. These symptoms often resemble common day-to-day ailments, making them easy to overlook. As a result, many patients live with thyroid conditions for years before seeking treatment. Continue reading →

by Karyne Jones

(NAPSI)—Good news for those Americans over the age of 50 (and the people who care about them): You now have access to vaccines to stop the spread of pneumococcal disease, or pneumonia.

The change comes by way of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, which updated its recommendation for pneumococcal vaccines, dropping the age to 50 from 65.

My Story

I know the importance of being vaccinated against this disease far too well. Continue reading →

(NewsUSA)  – One in three active-duty families of color have turned down military assignments due to concerns about racism or lack of inclusion in local communities, according to research from Blue Star Families’ Campaign for Inclusion. For two-thirds of these service members, declining orders led to negative career impacts — and for 15%, it was career-ending.

“When military families of color turn down assignments due to community concerns, it impacts not just family well-being but our national security,” said Kathy Roth-Douquet, CEO of Blue Star Fami-lies. “With most recruitable U.S. adults projected to be people of color within five years, creating truly inclusive communities isn’t just the right thing to do — it’s essential for maintaining our All-Volunteer Force.”

The latest research from Blue Star Families’ Campaign for Inclusion examined how communities can better support diverse military families through case studies of three distinct military communities: Hill Air Force Base (Utah), San Antonio (Texas, “Military City USA”), and Hampton Roads (Virginia).

Key findings reveal that both formal systems (like community resources and programs) and informal networks (neighbors and local connections) are foundational for military families developing a sense of belonging. Having multiple shared identities — from military affiliation to cultural background — strengthens these connections. Continue reading →

(NewsUSA)  – The United States is poised for global leadership in the area of AI and robotics as discussed at the AI+ Robotics Summit hosted by the Special Competitive Studies Project (SCSP), a nonprofit and nonpartisan initiative with a goal of making recommendations to strengthen America’s long-term competitiveness in AI. The sessions highlighted significant technological advancements and outlined ways to achieve and maintain global leadership, said SCSP in a recent newsletter.

Key takeaways regarding AI and robotics identified at the summit include:

Continue reading →

(NAPSI)—In 2022, Lisa Reed was eagerly anticipating her 70th birthday. She had plans to travel to Italy and was looking forward to spending more quality time with her grandchildren. But a persistent cough, worsened by a bout of COVID-19, led her to the emergency room in her hometown of Sante Fe. There, a series of tests, including a high-resolution chest CT of her lungs, revealed something unexpected: pulmonary fibrosis (PF).

Symptoms of PF, such as chronic dry cough, fatigue and shortness of breath, can often be confused with other more common illnesses, making it difficult to diagnose. In Reed’s case, her chest CT showed the presence of white tissue on her lungs—a characteristic sign of scarring and inflammation.

Like many others diagnosed with PF, Reed had never heard of the disease. Her internet search was startling, revealing that PF causes progressive and irreversible scarring in the lungs. It is part of a family of over 200 interstitial lung diseases (ILD) that affect more than 250,000 Americans.  Continue reading →

(NAPSI)—Shopping for the holidays is more expensive than ever. With Americans carrying more debt than ever before, many are expected to spend $18.5 billion using third-party buy now, pay later (BNPL) services for holiday purchases according to data firm Adobe Analytics.

Today’s shoppers want and need meaningful ways to save money without having to completely sit out the holiday season or being able to participate in the merriment of gift giving.

To help, here are six tips for saving on essentials that can let you put your hard-earned money toward thoughtful holiday gifts for friends and family:

Tip 1: Make a list and check it three times—Take the time before you start surfing the Internet or leave the house to jot down your gift ideas and keep an eye out for Black Friday and Cyber Monday sales, which can help spread out the shopping and hit to your bank account.  Continue reading →

(NAPSI)—Behind every sip of Anheuser-Busch’s industry-leading beers is a farmer who worked hard to grow the high-quality rice, barley, corn, or hops inside that beer. This National Farmer’s Day, Anheuser-Busch is raising a toast to the more than 700 farmers across the country who make our beers possible.

For more than 165 years, Anheuser-Busch has been proudly connected with and committed to American farmers, many of whom it has worked with for generations. As the nation’s leading brewer and a major American manufacturer, Anheuser-Busch is a significant purchaser of U.S. agricultural products, spending more than $700 million annually to source nearly all their ingredients from farmers across the United States. This includes 100% of the rice and corn and 99% of the barley in their iconic American beers.  Continue reading →

(NAPSI)—With millions of U.S. high school students beginning a new school year, many have their sights set on the future as they prepare for college admissions. As part of a holistic admissions process, students use the SAT® to show their strengths and be seen by colleges and scholarships.

The SAT is valuable because it’s a strong predictor of college success, and colleges are increasingly asking students to submit test scores at the point of enrollment. In fact, after experimenting with test-optional policies during the COVID pandemic, many schools, including Dartmouth, MIT, Caltech, and Purdue, are reinstating testing requirements for admissions. And those remaining test-optional continue to use scores for critical decisions about admissions, student support, and class placement.

A wealth of recent research found that amid all the components of a college application—grades, essays, extracurricular activities—test scores are among the most useful in identifying students ready to succeed. When viewed within the context of where a student lives and learns, test scores can help confirm students’ grades or can even show their strengths beyond what their high school grades show.

Students are taking the SAT more than any other admissions exam, including the ACT. The new digital SAT meets the needs of today’s students by providing a shorter test, with more time per question, and an overall streamlined testing experience as compared to the ACT: Continue reading →