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Germany Decides to Leave History in the Past and Prepare for War
Source: BBC News - Top HeadlinesGermany's military, the Bundeswehr, recently got the all-clear for a massive increase in investment after parliament voted to exempt defense spending from strict rules on debt. The country's top general has told the BBC that cash is urgently needed because Russian aggression won't stop at Ukraine. "We are threatened by Putin," General Carsten Breuer says. He warns that NATO should be braced for a possible attack in as little as four years.
AI Models Miss Disease in Black and Female Patients
Source: ScienceFrom programs designed to detect irregular heartbeats in electrocardiograms to software that tracks eye movements to diagnose autism, artificial intelligence is helping physicians fine-tune the care they provide patients. But for all the technology's potential for automating tasks, a growing body of evidence also shows that AI can be prone to bias that disadvantages already vulnerable patients. A new study, published in Science Advances, adds to...
Judge Blocks Texas A&M's Drag Show Ban
Source: United Press International - Health NewsA federal judge has blocked the Texas A&M University System from enforcing a drag show ban, handing a victory to an LGBTQ+ student group. The lawsuit was filed by the Texas A&M Queer Empowerment Council after the university system's Board of Regents voted to ban drag shows because they "likely create or contribute to a hostile environment for women... as these events often involve unwelcome and objectively offensive conduct based on sex."
Osaka High Court Rules Same-Sex Marriage Ban "Unconstitutional"
Source: United Press International - Health NewsJapan's Osaka High Court ruled Tuesday that the country's ban on same-sex marriage is unconstitutional. The court's ruling is the fifth decision to call Japan's same-sex marriage ban a violation of the country's constitution, following similar rulings in the high courts of Sapporo, Tokyo, Fukuoka, and Nagoya. Japan is currently the only International Group of Seven country that does not recognize same-sex marriage.
First Therapy Chatbot Trial Suggests AI Can Provide "Gold-Standard" Care
Source: Science Daily - Top HealthResearchers conducted the first clinical trial of an AI-powered therapy chatbot and found that, on average, people with diagnosed mental disorders experienced clinically significant improvements in their symptoms over eight weeks, according to new results. Users engaged with the software, known as Therabot, through a smartphone app and reported that interactions were comparable to working with a mental-health professional.
Columbia University President Steps Down Amid Trump's Crackdown
Source: BBC News - AmericasColumbia University's interim president has resigned her role just one week after the Ivy League university agreed to change several policies to satisfy demands from the Trump administration. Katrina Armstrong had led the university since August, after the previous president resigned over her handling of protests against Israel's military operation in Gaza. Columbia has drawn ire from Donald Trump, who claims that it's been too tolerant of...
Ambush of Tufts Student Sparks Concern Over Immigration Crackdown
Source: Google News - HealthThe arrest of a Tufts University student by hooded Homeland Security agents in plain clothes—caught on video—is raising new questions about the Trump administration's aggressive crackdown on immigrants over the opinions they've expressed. The administration's push to detain and deport college students with pro-Palestinian views has stunned civil libertarians, who say it violates American traditions of free speech and due process under the law.
Utah First U.S. State to Ban Pride Flags in Schools, Government Buildings
Source: United Press International - Health NewsUtah became the first state in the U.S. to ban flying the LGBTQ Pride flag in all public school and government buildings, after Republican Governor Spencer Cox let the bill pass into law by neither signing it nor vetoing it. The Flag Display Amendments legislation "prohibits a government entity or employee of a government entity from displaying a flag in or on the grounds of government property except certain exempted flags."
Trump Team Revokes $11 Billion for Addiction and Mental Health Care
Source: Google NewsU.S. state and county public health departments and nonprofit groups are reeling after the Trump administration abruptly announced the cancellation and revocation of roughly $11.4 billion in funding for grants linked to addiction, mental health, and other programs. "Services will be dropped in the middle. Bang, the clinic is closing. It's a brutal way to make these cuts," said Keith Humphreys, an addiction policy researcher at Stanford...
James Pennebaker and the Power of Physical Markers in Social Research
Source: Association for Psychological ScienceJames Pennebaker has always been curious about people. He attended Eckerd College as an undergraduate with the intention of eventually going to law school, but psychology diverted his attention. "There was something about it, especially social psychology, that intrigued me," he remembered during an interview with the APS Observer. "Why are we sometimes unbelievably cruel and vicious and other times altruistic and really good?"
Healthy Eating in Midlife Linked to Overall Healthy Aging
Source: Science Daily - Top HealthMaintaining a healthy diet rich in plant-based foods, with low to moderate intake of animal-based foods and lower intake of ultra-processed foods, was linked to a higher likelihood of healthy aging—defined as reaching age 70 free of major chronic diseases and with cognitive, physical, and mental health maintained, according to a new study. The study is among the first to examine multiple dietary patterns in midlife in relation to overall...
Record Payout for World's Longest-Serving Death Row Inmate
Source: BBC News - AsiaA Japanese man who spent nearly 50 years on death row before being acquitted of murder will be compensated 217 million yen ($1.45 million) in what his lawyers say is the country's largest-ever payout in a criminal case. Iwao Hakamata, 89, was found guilty in 1968 of killing his boss, his boss's wife, and their children, but was acquitted last year after a retrial. His lawyers successfully argued that 47 years in detention took a toll on his...
Columbia University Agrees to Trump Administration's Demand for Mask Ban
Source: BBC News - Top HeadlinesColumbia University has agreed to several demands from the Trump administration after $400 million in federal funding was cut over accusations the school failed to fight antisemitism on campus. Columbia says face masks used for the purpose of concealing identity will no longer be allowed, and protesters, when asked, will need to present university identification—one of nine items required before the administration said it would reconsider the...
Island Nations Call for Ecocide to Become an International Crime
Source: Canadian Broadcasting Company - Top Stories NewsEnvironmental destruction should be on the same level as genocide and war crimes, contends a group of island nations. The South Pacific country of Vanuatu, backed by Fiji and Samoa, is pushing to have ecocide recognized by the International Criminal Court, the independent court that prosecutes individuals charged with the gravest crimes. Ecocide is defined as the destruction of large areas of the natural environment as a consequence of human...
Colleges Cut Ties with the PhD Project, Nonprofit Targeted Over DEI
Source: PBS EducationUntil recently, it was a little-known program to help Black and Latine students pursue business degrees. But in January, conservative strategist Christopher Rufo flagged the program known as "The PhD Project" in social media posts that caught the attention of Republican leaders. The program is now at the center of a White House campaign to end diversity, equity, and inclusion programs in higher education, and some schools are complying by...
ABLE Accounts Allow Americans with Disabilities to Save and Invest
Source: CBS News - HealthPaul Safarik, 32, has worked in the food industry since he was 21. With his earnings, Safarik, who has Down syndrome, helped cover the cost of braces for his teeth. That's unusual, financially speaking, and it's thanks in part to a little-known savings account called an ABLE account, which lets U.S. citizens with disabilities save money beyond the $2,000 asset limit that's linked to benefits like Supplemental Security Income and Medicaid.
Recent Studies Seek to Reclassify Psychopathology
Source: Association for Psychological ScienceResearchers are looking for ways to better conceptualize mental illnesses and reflect the natural variance clinicians see, rather than relying on traditional categories. These approaches allow researchers to study differences both between individuals and within individuals, and they may be able to help people who are subclinically anxious or depressed, potentially permitting interventions with young children before diagnoses would traditionally...
Hungary Bans LGBT Pride Marches
Source: BBC News - EuropeHungary has passed a law banning LGBTQ+ pride marches, sparking outrage in and out of the country. Parliament voted for the measure just a day after the bill was submitted Monday, in a process fast-tracked by Prime Minister Viktor Orban's right-wing party. Orban praised the ban, alleging that LGBTQ+ marches harm children, saying: "We won't let woke ideology endanger our kids." Pride marches had been held in Hungary for the past 30 years.
U-Penn Loses $175M in Federal Funds Over Transgender Sports Policy
Source: United Press International - Health NewsThe University of Pennsylvania's policy allowing transgender women to compete in women's sports caused the Trump administration to withhold $175 million in funding for the Ivy League school. "The Trump administration has 'paused $175 million in federal funding from the University of Pennsylvania' over its policy forcing women to compete with men in sports," White House officials said in a post on its "Rapid Response" X account.
Google Agrees to Pay $28 Million in Racial Bias Lawsuit
Source: BBC News - BusinessGoogle has agreed to pay $28 million to settle a lawsuit that claimed White and Asian employees were given better pay and career opportunities than workers from other ethnic backgrounds. The technology giant confirmed it had "reached a resolution" but rejected the allegations made against it. Earlier this year, Google joined other U.S. companies that dropped commitments to diversity, equity, and inclusion in their recruitment policies.

Psychology in the News