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U.S. Government Cuts 1 in 10 Workers at Mental Health Agency
Source: CBS News - HealthMore than 10% of the staff working for the federal Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration were fired this month as part of the U.S. government-wide cuts ordered by Elon Musk's Department of Government Efficiency, or DOGE, task force. The cuts amounted to around 100 staff members, including those working on projects related to the 988 hotline for people facing mental health crises, which the agency oversees.
World's First Openly Gay Imam Gunned Down in South Africa
Source: BBC News - AfricaThe execution-style killing in South Africa of the first openly gay imam, Muhsin Hendricks, has left LGBTQ+ South Africans fearful for their safety but also determined to forge ahead with the campaign to end their marginalization in religious circles. The 57-year-old was shot dead in what appeared to be a hit on Saturday in the small coastal city of Gqeberha as he was traveling to officiate the marriages of two interfaith heterosexual couples.
Anti-Muslim Hate at Record Level in United Kingdom, Report Says
Source: BBC News - UK NewsAnti-Muslim hate in the UK surged to record levels last year, a charity tracking Islamophobia has found. Almost 6,000 cases were confirmed by it as anti-Muslim incidents—more than double the number two years ago—with men targeted more than women for the first time since the charity was founded in 2012. In its report, the group said there had been a "surge in rhetoric that falsely portrays Muslims as terrorists" following the Israel-Gaza conflict.
Normal Vitamin B12 Levels May Not Be Enough to Avoid Brain Decline
Source: Science Daily - Top HealthMeeting the minimum requirement for vitamin B12—needed to make DNA, red blood cells, and nerve tissue—may not actually be enough for good brain health, especially if you are older. A new study, published February 10 in the Annals of Neurology, found that healthy volunteers with low but normal B12 levels showed signs of neurological and cognitive deficiency, and that low B12 levels were associated with more damage to the brain's white matter.
Leonard Peltier Released After Biden's Commutation in FBI Case
Source: CBS News - U.S. NewsIndigenous activist Leonard Peltier was released from a Florida prison Tuesday after former President Joe Biden commuted his life sentence for the 1975 killings of two FBI agents, a decision that elated Peltier's supporters while angering others who believe in his guilt. For nearly half a century, Peltier's imprisonment has symbolized systemic injustice to Native Americans across the country. Peltier, now 80 years old, was released to home...
EEOC Seeks to Drop Transgender Discrimination Cases
Source: CBS News - U.S. NewsSignaling a major shift, the U.S. agency that enforces workplace anti-discrimination laws has moved to dismiss six of its own cases on behalf of workers alleging gender identity discrimination, arguing that the cases now conflict with a recent executive order issued by President Trump, court documents say. The move by the U.S. Equal Employment Opportunity Commission sharply departs from its prior conclusion that civil rights law protects...
"Smart Jacket" Uses AI to Keep You Comfortable
Source: Science Daily - Top HealthElectronic textiles, such as heating pads and electric blankets, can keep the wearer warm and ease aches and pains. However, prolonged use of these devices could potentially cause heat-related illnesses, such as hyperthermia or burns. Recently, researchers designed and tested a "smart jacket" equipped with environmental sensors, heat-generating and color-changing yarns, and artificial intelligence to control temperature and prevent overheating.
Transgender References Removed From Stonewall Monument Website
Source: BBC News - AmericasThe Trump administration has erased references to transgender people from New York's Stonewall National Monument website. On the National Park Service website, the acronym LGBTQ+ has been shortened to LGB, standing for lesbian, gay and bisexual. Other government websites have also been changed after President Trump signed an order recognizing only two sexes—male and female. Activists denounced the move on Friday and held a protest at the site.
APS Calls for Bipartisan Support for Psychological Science
Source: Association for Psychological ScienceScientific research and education in the United States has long enjoyed bipartisan support. Recent administrative actions, however, have seriously disrupted and damaged the U.S. scientific enterprise. In response, on February 7, 2025, the Association for Psychological Science began sharing a statement with federal lawmakers in Congress calling on them to continue bipartisan investment in scientific research.
VA Bans Gay Pride Flags in Offices, Staff Cubicles, and More
Source: United Press International - Health NewsLGBTQ pride flags are banned at Veteran's Administration facilities, according to a Wednesday memo posted by VA Secretary Douglas Collins. The memo said, "This guidance rescinds the Secretary's Flying The Flag During Pride Month Memorandum, dated May 24, 2024." The ban includes individual offices, cubicles, office buildings, recreational areas, medical centers, kitchens, and restrooms.The pride flag is the only flag singled out for banning in...
Viral AI Video Depicts Celebrities Protesting Ye's Antisemitic Remarks
Source: CBS News - U.S. NewsAn AI-generated video depicting celebrities—including Scarlett Johansson, Jerry Seinfeld, and Adam Sandler—protesting Ye's antisemitic comments has gone viral online, prompting criticism from Johansson over the "misuse of AI," regardless of its message. The video depicts more than a dozen celebrities wearing a T-shirt featuring a middle finger with a Star of David inside it and "Kanye" below, referring to Kanye West, who now goes by Ye.
Education Department Urges NCAA to Erase Records Set by Trans Athletes
Source: United Press International - Health NewsThe U.S. Department of Education urged the NCAA and the NFHS on Tuesday to restore female athletes' records and awards that were "wrongfully erased" by biological males, who "unfairly competed" in women's sports. The letter, sent to the National Collegiate Athletic Association and the National Federation of State High School Associations, comes one week after President Trump signed an executive order to ban transgender women from competing in...
Satire May Be More Damaging to Reputations Than Direct Criticism
Source: APA Press ReleasesIn our digital times, satire seems to be everywhere, but it can be more damaging to people's reputations than direct criticism, according to research published by the American Psychological Association. Why should that be? Satire can dehumanize people and reduce them to caricatures, the study found. To counter this effect, imagining a brief positive interaction with the targets of satire or criticism can humanize them, thereby reducing negative...
Military Implements Trump's Ban on Trans Recruits, Gender-Affirming Care
Source: United Press International - Health NewsConsistent with an executive order made by President Donald Trump 13 days earlier, U.S. Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth ordered an immediate pause on gender-affirming medical care for all active-duty service members and said the military will no longer accept transgender recruits with gender dysphoria. About 15,000 transgender individuals are currently serving in the U.S. military, including active duty and reserve forces.
Physician's Medical Decisions Benefit From Chatbots, Study Finds
Source: Science Daily - Top HealthArtificial intelligence-powered chatbots can be quite accurate when diagnosing diseases, but how do they perform when guiding treatment after the diagnosis? For example, how long before surgery should a patient stop taking prescribed blood thinners? A study published in Nature Medicine found that AI chatbots alone outperformed doctors when making complex clinical decisions, but when doctors are supported by AI tools, they perform as well as...
Indigenous Group Flees As Climate Change Slowly Swallows Island
Source: BBC News - Top Headlines"If the island sinks, I will sink with it," Delfino Davies says. Then there is silence, except for the swish of his broom across the floor of the small museum he runs documenting the life of his community in Panama. "Before, you could hear children shouting… music everywhere, neighbors arguing," he says, "but now all the sounds have gone." His community, on the tiny island of Gardi Sugdub, is the first in Panama to be relocated because of...
Trump Order Ends a Cancer Researcher's Gender-Related Grant
Source: ScienceLast week, cancer researcher Mandi Pratt-Chapman received a shocking phone call. Because of an executive order by President Trump related to gender, she and her colleagues were ordered to immediately stop work on a large-scale cancer study funded by the U.S. National Institutes of Health. The project, which explores how best to gather information the gender identity of cancer patients, was already one-third of the way through data collection.
Trump Signs Order Imposing Sanctions on International Criminal Court
Source: Google News - HealthPresident Donald Trump signed an executive order imposing sanctions on the International Criminal Court over investigations of Israel, a close U.S. ally. Neither the U.S. nor Israel is a member of or recognizes the court, which has issued an arrest warrant for Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu for alleged war crimes over his military response in Gaza after the Hamas attack against Israel in October 2023.
Is It Safe to Use CBD During Pregnancy?
Source: Science Daily - Top HealthCannabidiol (CBD), the component in cannabis often used for therapeutic treatments, is increasingly being used during pregnancy as a means of managing symptoms such as nausea, anxiety, and sleep. Though the public perception is that CBD—particularly when consumed orally—a new study has found that oral cannabis during early to mid-pregnancy is linked to impaired fetal growth as well as changes in aggression and learning ability in offspring.
EPA Puts 168 Environmental Justice Workers on Administrative Leave
Source: Google News - HealthThe Environmental Protection Agency said on Thursday it placed on leave 168 employees who worked on addressing pollution facing communities of color and low-income and rural areas, which have historically borne a disproportionate share of the country's pollution. The move is the latest and most sweeping action by EPA to implement President Donald Trump's agenda targeting diversity, equity, and inclusion activities across the federal government.

Psychology in the News