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Eric Adams signs executive order adopting Holocaust remembrance group's definition of antisemitism

Eric Adams signs executive order adopting Holocaust remembrance group's definition of antisemitism

Yahoo09-06-2025

Mayor Eric Adams signed an executive order Sunday adopting the International Holocaust Remembrance Alliance's definition of antisemitism, as he vowed to ramp up the city campaign to combat Jew hatred.
He also introduced legislation urging the City Council to approve the IHRA definition, which would make it official law.
The IHRA definition is considered by many Jewish leaders to be the standard in fighting antisemitism.
'Antisemitism is a certain perception of Jews, which may be expressed as hatred toward Jews. Rhetorical and physical manifestations of antisemitism are directed toward Jewish or non-Jewish individuals and/or their property, toward Jewish community institutions and religious facilities,' the IHRA definition states.
Adams announced the order during a discussion with Dr. Phil Sunday night at the Tribeca Synagogue.
It comes as he faces re-election and plans to run as an independent on an 'End Semitism' ballot line.
'Antisemitism is a vile disease that's been spreading across our nation and our city. What's worse, since Hamas' terror attacks on October 7, 2023, we have seen this hateful rhetoric become normalized on our campuses, in our communities, and online as antisemitic propaganda far too often masquerades as 'activism,'' Adams said.
More than half of the hate crimes reported in the city in March victimized Jews, even though they account for just 11 percent of the population, the mayor noted.
'We know this moment demands bold, decisive action to crack down on anti-Jewish hatred,' Adams said.
'Today, we signed a landmark executive order to adopt an internationally recognized definition of antisemitism, but we must go further. I am calling on the City Council to join this commitment to target antisemitism everywhere it exists and immediately pass a bill to codify this definition into law. It's time we all come together to eradicate this hatred from our city, once and for all.'
At the state level, former Gov. Andrew Cuomo — who's also running for mayor — issued an order barring state entities from doing business with firms that back the boycott, divestment and sanctions movement against Israel before his resignation. Gov. Kathy Hochul has retained the policy.
State Comptroller Tom DiNapoli has his own pro-Israel policy.
In 2021, he announced that he pulled $111 million in investments out of the firm that owns Ben & Jerry's because of the ice cream maker's boycott of Israel's occupied territories.
DiNapoli is the sole manager of the $274 billion state Common Retirement Fund.

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Israel warns Hezbollah to stay out of its fight against Iran: ‘Leader hasn't learned from his predecessors'
Israel warns Hezbollah to stay out of its fight against Iran: ‘Leader hasn't learned from his predecessors'

New York Post

time37 minutes ago

  • New York Post

Israel warns Hezbollah to stay out of its fight against Iran: ‘Leader hasn't learned from his predecessors'

Israel's defense minister on Friday warned Hezbollah to stay out of its fight against Iran, saying that the terror group's leader 'hasn't learned from his predecessors.' 'I suggest that the Lebanese proxy be careful, and understand that Israel has lost patience with the terrorists who threaten it,' Israeli Defense Minister Israel Katz said after Hezbollah leadership condemned Israel's airstrikes on Iran, according to the Times of Israel. 'The Hezbollah leader hasn't learned from his predecessors and is threatening to act against Israel,' he said about the Iranian proxy groups' former leader, Hassan Nasrallah, who was killed by Israeli airstrikes in September. 5 Lebanon's Hezbollah deputy leader, Sheikh Naim Qassem, speaks during a rally supporting Palestinians in Gaza, amid the ongoing conflict between Israel and the Palestinian Islamist group Hamas, in Beirut, Lebanon, on Oct. 13, 2023. REUTERS Hezbollah's leader, Naim Qassem, who succeeded Nasrallah in October, said Thursday that the terror group would 'act as we see fit' reading the conflict between Israel and Iran. The group declared it was standing in full solidarity with Iran and that threats against Iran's Supreme Leader, Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, would lead to 'disastrous consequences.' 'Threats to assassinate [Khamenei] are foolish and reckless, and will have disastrous consequences… Merely uttering them is an offense to hundreds of millions of believers and those connected to Islam, and it is utterly reprehensible. Today, we are more determined and united around him,' Hezbollah declared. Israel began to conduct airstrikes on Iranian nuclear sites and its missile capabilities on June 13 after fears that their longtime enemy, which has repeatedly called for the destruction of the Jewish state, was close to creating a nuclear weapon. Iran retaliated with a barrage of missiles and drone strikes on Israel — fully igniting the deadly conflict between the two Middle Eastern nations. 5 Israel's Foreign Affairs Minister, Israel Katz, listens during a meeting of the United Nations Security Council on the war in Gaza, on March 11, 2024. AP On Thursday, Iran launched a missile barrage that damaged the Soroka Medical Center in the southern city of Beersheba and hit a high-rise and several other residential buildings near Tel Aviv. At least 240 people were wounded by the Iranian missiles, four of them seriously, Israel's Health Ministry said. Early Friday morning, Israeli officials warned of an incoming barrage of missiles from Iran, with at least one making a strike on the nation's largest southern city, Beersheba. 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PCP Toolkit for Treating Patients With Respiratory Diseases
PCP Toolkit for Treating Patients With Respiratory Diseases

Medscape

time40 minutes ago

  • Medscape

PCP Toolkit for Treating Patients With Respiratory Diseases

Primary care physicians (PCPs) regularly encounter respiratory issues, from the common cold to asthma, chronic obstructive pulmonary disease ( COPD), and more. These conditions can, at times, be diagnosed fairly quickly and easily. But sometimes, ubiquitous symptoms can make differentiating diagnoses difficult. Lung diseases can range from very minor to critical, so you don't want to waste any time in the diagnostic process. It's important, then, to know what tools PCPs have at hand and how to best apply them. This is especially true as many lung diseases also have comorbidities. 'Patients with COPD often also have high blood pressure, high cholesterol, and left-sided heart disease,' said Jeffrey Marshall, MD, pulmonologist at University of Maryland Baltimore Washington Medical Center in Glen Burnie, Maryland. It's also common for patients with respiratory diseases to experience concomitant mental health struggles, according to Marshall. For instance, high rates of anxiety are often found in patients with advanced lung disease. 'All these comorbid conditions can both exacerbate the patient's underlying pulmonary disease or be confused as an exacerbation of that pulmonary disease,' he said. Respiratory complaints — like difficulty breathing and chest pain — are among the most common reasons patients visit the emergency room. While these complaints may fall within respiratory illnesses, there are often other explanations for a patient's symptoms. Learning to discern these differences can be an important skill set as a PCP. That said, it's also important to know when to refer to a specialist. 'Early recognition and timely referral can significantly improve patient outcomes,' said Tejaswini Kulkarni, MD, associate professor of medicine and director of the Interstitial Lung Disease Program at The University of Alabama at Birmingham. Here's what you need to know to treat and guide your patients presenting with respiratory issues. PCP Toolkit The first step to having a handle on respiratory issues with your patients is taking a comprehensive medical history. For patients who have been already diagnosed with a respiratory condition, 'it's important to reinforce proper disease management and medication adherence,' said Marshall. 'Exposures, triggers, prior personal history, and a detailed family history are all important components of understanding a patient's pulmonary condition.' Tobacco use is a primary example of this — patients who currently smoke or have smoked in the past are going to be more susceptible to respiratory conditions of all kinds. 'Though cigarette use has declined in most places across the country, tobacco use still has a significant impact on our nation's health,' said Marshall. 'Tobacco use contributes to many diseases, including asthma, COPD, heart disease, and, of course, cancer. Current and former smokers are also at a significantly increased risk of infections, namely the development of pneumonia.' In addition, patients with a history of smoking are more likely to be hospitalized and die from pneumonia, he said. Physicians should also consider their patients' work history, hobbies, and current occupation. Patients who work in certain occupations, like construction, for instance, may have exposure to harmful substances, like asbestos or certain paints. Chronic exposure may lead to complications and can be a good starting point for diagnosis. Even living in an area with high pollution and poor air quality can be a contributing factor. Patients will present with both acute and chronic symptoms, ranging from cough to shortness of breath, exercise-induced asthma, allergies, and sleep apnea. After taking a comprehensive history, physicians can utilize a variety of tools for further diagnosis — one of which could include pulse oximetry. 'Though patients typically present with symptoms prior to ever becoming hypoxemic, it may be helpful to get a walking pulse oximetry to understand the degree of changes in SpO2 and heart rate with exertion,' said Marshall. 'Simply walking a patient with a pulse oximeter can provide helpful information regarding exercise tolerance and whether that patient needs oxygen.' Physicians might also want to try a handheld spirometer, which is simple to use and provides a good deal of information regarding patients' pulmonary and respiratory health. 'Spirometers can provide you with a basic set of numbers right in the office,' said Orlando Ruiz-Rodriguez, MD, a pulmonologist at Orlando Health in Orlando, Florida. A basic stethoscope can also help in diagnosing pulmonary issues. 'Listening to lungs is part of the standard of care,' said Ruiz-Rodriguez. 'Make sure there are no abnormal sounds, like wheezing, crackling, or decreased breathing. Today's generation of stethoscopes are electronic and a much-improved tool at the primary care level.' There are other tests PCPs can explore before deciding it's time to seek out a specialist. 'To expedite workup and management of patients with lung diseases, pulmonologists typically prefer certain baseline tests before a referral,' said Kulkarni. 'These commonly include pulmonary function tests to assess airflow obstruction or restriction, chest imaging (chest x-ray or high-resolution CT if interstitial lung disease is suspected), and basic lab work such as CBC [complete blood count], CMP [comprehensive metabolic panel], and BNP [B-type natriuretic peptide test].' To help reduce diagnostic delays and improve patient outcomes, it's best to move with caution when considering a pulmonary fibrosis diagnosis, said Kulkarni. Pulmonary fibrosis is often challenging to diagnose because clinical presentation mimics common conditions like coronary artery disease and COPD, 'but it has worse clinical outcomes with delays in treatment,' she said. Beyond diagnostics, one consideration to keep in your toolkit, said Marshall, is vaccines. 'Patients with underlying respiratory or pulmonary conditions are at a higher risk of developing and becoming sick from respiratory illnesses,' he said. 'We now have several extraordinary vaccines available to our patients to help reduce the burden of infectious respiratory disease.' When to Refer While PCPs can treat respiratory issues in office to the best of their ability, there are times when referring to a pulmonologist is essential. 'Your local neighborhood pulmonologist is your friend,' said Marshall. 'Referrals to a pulmonologist should be considered whenever there is diagnostic uncertainty, when initial therapeutics are not working, or when more complex interventions or therapeutics are necessary in the workup and management of your patient.' A few common reasons to refer to a pulmonologist include treating or diagnosing unremitting cough or chronic refractory, he said. There are certain times when immediate referral is appropriate, according to Kulkarni. These include rapidly progressive dyspnea, hypoxia, hypercapnia, hemoptysis, suspected lung cancer, and large pleural effusions. For cases of symptom progression, she recommends referring with chronic coughs lasting over 8 weeks, unexplained or worsening dyspnea, frequent asthma or COPD exacerbations despite treatment, recurrent pneumonia, and signs of pulmonary hypertension. Referring should not be considered a last resort, either, said Ruiz-Rodriguez. 'Some primary care doctors want to do as much as possible before referring,' he said. 'But know the limitations of what you have available to you. If your patient has symptoms, abnormal test results, or even a complicated medical history, send them to us. Even sleep apnea with a complicated history is a cue to move on to a specialist.'

Biden Diplomat: American Public Not Ready for Iran Intervention
Biden Diplomat: American Public Not Ready for Iran Intervention

Bloomberg

timean hour ago

  • Bloomberg

Biden Diplomat: American Public Not Ready for Iran Intervention

"There's no question that the American public is not ready, has not been prepared, by the president or his administration for the prospect of US military intervention in Iran," says Barbara Leaf, former US Assistant Secretary of State for Near Eastern Affairs. Leaf suggests the fear is now that Israel's war aims have shifted from destroying Iran's nuclear program and attriting its military to regime change. "That opens up a Pandora's box of possibilities," she adds. (Source: Bloomberg)

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