Teresa Giudice was admitted to the hospital Wednesday night and underwent an “emergency medical procedure,” Page Six can exclusively confirm.
“She is in recovery, currently resting, and she thanks everyone for their prayers and well-wishes,” Giudice’s rep tells us, noting that Thursday morning’s surgery was “non-cosmetic.”
She is set to be released from the hospital “within the next 24 hours,” the rep says.
Eldest daughter Gia Giudice revealed on her Instagram Story Thursday afternoon that the “Real Housewives of New Jersey” star, 49, had been in the emergency room.
“Such a trooper. I love you,” the 21-year-old wrote over a selfie of her mom wearing a face mask while in a hospital bed.
“Pray for a speedy recovery,” Gia then asked her followers alongside a prayer-hands emoji before reiterating, “I love you @teresagiudice.”
Gia Giudice posted this selfie of Teresa Giudice in a hospital bed, breaking the news that her mom had been admitted._giagiudice/Instagram
Teresa’s other family members, including brother Joe Gorga, sister-in-law Melissa Gorga, fiancé Luis Ruelas and her three younger daughters, Gabriella, 17, Milania, 16, and Audriana, 12, have not commented on the hospitalization on social media.
The reality star’s most recent Instagram post was shared Tuesday and was a shout-out to her co-stars from Season 1 of “Real Housewives Ultimate Girls Trip,” which premiered on Peacock and is airing on Bravo.
She captioned the picture of the cast on a boat, “I can’t believe The Ultimate Girls Trip is coming to an end tonight! I had such a blast on this trip Hope you guys all enjoyed it!”
Teresa had not recently complained to the public about any health issues and leads a pretty healthy lifestyle that has included yoga workouts and weightlifting.
She told Us Weekly at the time, “This is the most confident I’ve felt after my kids. This is the best I’ve ever felt since having Gia.”
Teresa has four daughters from her marriage to ex-husband Joe Giudice.Getty Images
The mother of four added, “My body drastically changed because of yoga, but this was even more extreme. It debunks the myth that if you’re over 40, you can’t look good.”
In February, Teresa shared on Instagram that she had a minor procedure done to help reduce the appearance of varicose veins but noted at the time, “My legs look and feel great.”
The Bravolebrity’s most recent in-person appearance was on “Watch What Happens Live” last week, in which she revealed Melissa, 43, would not be one of the bridesmaids at her summer wedding to Ruelas.
“FREEDOM!! Crew-4 will fly to the International Space Station in a new Dragon capsule named ‘Freedom,'” he wrote. “The name celebrates a fundamental human right, and the industry and innovation that emanate from the unencumbered human spirit.”
Lindgren continued to say that SpaceX and NASA have “restored a national capability” and that Crew-4 honors the ingenuity and hard work of those involved in the effort.
“Alan Shepard flew on Freedom 7 at the dawn of human spaceflight. We are honored to bring Freedom to a new generation!” he said.
The Freedom 7 mission took place in May 1961. Shepard, one of the original Mercury 7 astronauts, piloted the first U.S. human spaceflight.
Lindgren, the Crew-4 mission commander, is joined by NASA pilot Bob Hines and mission specialist Jessica Watkins, as well as European Space Agency mission specialist Samantha Cristoforetti.
NASA said the earliest targeted launch date for the mission is April 19, 2022.
According to an agency blog post, the date was adjusted “allow appropriate spacing for operations and post-flight data reviews between human spaceflight missions and to allow for multiple consecutive launch attempts based on the orbital mechanics for arrival to the space station.”
“The current no earlier than launch date is Tuesday, April 19, pending completion of program reviews expected early next week to formalize the new target. Crew-4 will carry an international crew of four astronauts to the orbital complex on a new Dragon spacecraft and flight proven Falcon 9 rocket for a science expedition mission,” it said.
Freedom will lift off in a Falcon 9 rocket from NASA’s Florida-based Kennedy Space Center.
Sara Parsons is a retired speech therapist based in the Rio Grande Valley who helped launch a local support group for parents of trans children after her daughter came out as trans six years ago.
“I have friends that have already been reported,” Parsons said from Harlingen, her Cameron County hometown on the border.
The reports Parsons referred to are Child Protective Services (CPS) investigations into the parents and families of trans children.
In February, Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton issued a non-binding legal opinion that argued that gender-affirming health care treatments for children constituted child abuse. Later that month, Gov. Greg Abbott directed the Texas Department of Family and Protective Services (DFPS), under which CPS operates, to begin investigating any reports of these types of treatments.
A Texas appeals court reinstated an injunction early this week to pause the investigations with the intention of making a decision in July. However, Paxton brought an appeal to the Texas Supreme Court just two days later.
The ongoing litigation has left an unclear course of action for state employees and legal questions for parents.
On the Texas-Mexico border, Parsons said she began to hear about local CPS investigations through her support group network.
“I have friends here in the Valley that have already been notified by CPS, but with caution,” explained Parsons. “CPS has investigated and gone to the school. The school has said, ‘We have wonderful parents here.’ You know, everything is good. But the gist of the whole matter is that they were still investigated and they’re still under investigation.”
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Texas Public Radio
Sara Parsons, a retired speech therapist based in the Rio Grande Valley, launched a local support group for parents of trans children after her daughter came out as trans six years ago.
When TPR contacted Region 11 DFPS media specialist John Lennan for comment, he said the agency “could not comment on individual investigations as litigation continues.”
Parsons says that after cases began to spring up in the region, some members of the parent support group she helps lead became more careful about their online presence and have avoided speaking to the media.
“A lot of people in our group now are just way too afraid, intimidated, to go out to show their faces. One of my friends said, ‘I just can’t do it. I’m afraid because they haven’t come after me, but I know I’m targeted. And I can’t do it. I can’t put my name. I can’t put my face out there.’”
Parsons explained that she agreed to speak to TPR only because her daughter came out as trans after her 18th birthday.
With legal cases ongoing, the extended family and legal counsel of members of Parsons’ support group also expressed concern about the unknown consequences of being identified and possibly reported.
“They’ve been advised by family members and by their attorneys, ‘Don’t give interviews. Don’t have your picture taken. They’re coming for you.’”
Madeleine Croll has previously served on the executive board of the Hidalgo County Democratic Party and is currently president of the Rio Grande Valley-based advocacy organization Gender Equality Network of Texas, or GENTex.
She said that Abbott’s directive and the resulting CPS investigations locally had a chilling effect on civic participation in the region. Families are so concerned that some have opted out of participating in political public events over the past few weeks.
“We have some very active parents of trans kids,” Croll told TPR during a trans rights political action that she organized last week at Edinburg City Hall.
“Unfortunately, under the current directive, they don’t feel as comfortable bringing out their kids,” she explained. “Now, Greg Abbott has declared open season, and is telling people to file CPS complaints against them for loving their kids and respecting their kids for who they really are.”
Pablo De La Rosa
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Texas Public Radio
Trans rights advocates gather at Edinburg City Hall in The Rio Grande Valley in March to protest Gov. Abbott’s directive to investigate gender-affirming care as child abuse.
Other states with Republican-controlled legislatures have recently mimicked Abbott’s actions on proposed legislation targeting trans individuals.
The LGBTQ+ advocacy group Human Rights Campaign (HRC) tracked 38 proposed bills in the U.S. introduced this year alone that seek to deny gender-affirming care to trans children.
Some Republicans have openly signaled these bills as good politics for the GOP, such as Abbott political strategist Dave Carney, who told reporters, “This is a winning issue. Texans have common sense. This is why the Democrats across the country are out of touch.”
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Texas Public Radio
Madeleine Croll has served on the executive board of the Hidalgo Democratic Party and is president of the trans advocacy nonprofit Gender Equality Network of Texas (GENTex) in the Rio Grande Valley.
Elias Cantu is the president of LULAC Rio Grande Valley Rainbow Council and serves on the national LULAC LGBT Task Force.
He said he’s spoken with several advocacy organizations in the region about the ramifications of Abbott’s directive. While the cases have sparked fear, activist leaders in the Rio Grande Valley said they are cautious but unsurprised at Abbott’s actions.
“We did meet virtually in several meetings. I am a part of several other organizations. Basically what we’re hearing is the same,” said Cantu. “This is all during election season. This is all for votes. And at what cost? It could cost someone. You know, a trans child–a trans child’s life.”
While Cantu and other leaders see a predictable and detached play for votes from Republicans, Parsons believed the intention behind recent directives targeting trans people may be more personal.
She explained that her negative experiences with those outside the trans community and the recent anonymously initiated CPS reports by persons presumably close to the families now under investigation led her to look deeper.
“I would love to say that it’s all political. But I don’t think that was first and foremost in (Abbott’s) mind,” Parsons said. “The previous presidential administration gave everyone permission to not only speak their mind, but dig deep down into themselves. They now have the freedom to say it out loud.”
Parsons said the governor’s directive has caused not just a chilling effect on public participation in politics, but an uneasiness in the private life of the community as well.
“They’ve all said the same thing,” said Parsons about recent sentiments shared within her parent network. “‘We don’t know who turned us in.’ And those are the words – ’turned us in’. Basically they’ve been criminalized.”
“We don’t know if the school called CPS, we don’t know if it was our physician’s office. And so you’re talking about the people that you entrust with your child’s life. I had a friend who said, ‘I can’t accept this. My God doesn’t make mistakes.’”
“So I think it’s way beyond political. It’s just become a one track mind to eliminate the odd, the different. The fact that they think that my child and people like her don’t belong.”
Croll said that the recent injunction on investigations gave her some cautious hope moving forward, but she warned that the outcome of rulings on these cases concern more than just trans advocacy organizations.
“The actions of the governor and attorney general are far beyond the scope of their power of office,” she said. “It’s good that the courts saw they were without merit.”
She added: “But this is a dangerous action. We want people to be aware of the fact that actions taken in removing the liberty and rights of transgender people can easily be turned upon other groups.”
New Yorkers ordering a ride on the Uber app will soon be able to choose a yellow taxi under a new partnership between the ride-hailing giant and two taxi technology companies.
Starting later this spring for anyone in New York City, the deal will enable Uber riders to pay roughly the same price for a yellow taxi as they would for a standard individual Uber ride, known as UberX, the company said.
They will get a price upfront in the app before they request the trip, as they currently do with all Uber rides.
Yellow cabdrivers who respond to Uber app hails will also see a ride’s pricing upfront and under the deal will have the option to accept or reject it.
The Uber-taxi partnership is the first such large-scale deal in the United States. and comes as New York City’s embattled yellow taxi industry has been decimated by the coronavirus pandemic, with many people still working from home and many tourists staying away.
The partnership is also something of an about-face for Uber, which has clashed with taxi groups for years as it has attempted to take over markets around the world. But Uber has discovered more recently that partnering with taxi companies instead of fighting them can turbocharge its business, especially overseas. Partnerships with taxi fleets and technology companies in other countries allow Uber riders to order taxis on the app, as will be the case in New York.
Those agreements, combined with the New York partnership, “would seem to reflect a new page or a new stance in Uber being willing to work more closely with the industry that it was once trying to disrupt,” said Tom White, a senior research analyst with the financial firm D.A. Davidson.
Being “a little more friendly” with taxi companies could help Uber “curry favor and smooth Uber’s relationships with legislators and policymakers” in those cities, he added.
Uber said it had integrated with more than 2,500 taxis in Spain, partnered with the taxi service TaxExpress in Colombia, acquired the local HK Taxi app in Hong Kong last year, begun a partnership with SK Telecom in South Korea and also worked with taxis in other countries, including Germany, Austria and Turkey.
Uber’s new partnership with the taxi industry in New York, which was reported earlier by The Wall Street Journal, will generate more revenue for the company since it receives a fee on every ride ordered through its app.
Before the pandemic, taxi drivers in New York were losing fares to Uber’s and Lyft’s ride-app services and facing financial ruin after taking out loans to buy medallions — city-issued permits required to own a yellow cab — at inflated prices.
Uber has faced its own challenges during the pandemic. Early on, with demand for rides plummeting and drivers worried about contracting the coronavirus, many left the platform.
As the U.S. economy rebounded and cities relaxed restrictions, customers flocked back to Uber and Lyft apps but found that drivers had not returned in the same numbers, leading to drastically higher fares and long wait times for trips.
Both companies last year acknowledged that they were struggling to attract enough drivers to keep up with demand, and they offered incentives like cash bonuses to get drivers back. The companies say the problem is easing, and Uber said the number of drivers on its platform was at its highest level since February 2020.
Gridwise, an app that helps drivers track their earnings and tallies data, has found that driver earnings on ride-hail apps have also risen in recent months.
Antonio Cruz, 50, a Brooklyn resident who drives for Uber two days a week, said he was concerned that the new Uber-taxi partnership could mean more competition from yellow cabs, especially on the days when he works in Manhattan. “We could lose business,” he said.
Bruce Schaller, a former city transportation official, said the short-term benefit of the deal was to provide Uber with access to more drivers.
“If they’re saying they’re fine with drivers now, fine, I just don’t buy it,” Mr. Schaller added. “With the pandemic plus gas prices, more drivers is always good. Even if they have ‘enough,’ having a bigger base of drivers out there is good for Uber.”
At Uber’s investor day in February, Andrew Macdonald, Uber’s senior vice president of mobility and business operations, said the company wanted every taxi in the world on its platform by 2025 and that it had already added 122,000 taxis to the app last year.
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Uber’s deal with taxi companies in New York could also put pressure on its rival, Lyft, to respond.
“I would expect Lyft to make a similar deal — in fact I expect them to make the exact same deal,” Mr. Schaller said. Lyft did not immediately respond to a request for comment.
The new Uber-taxi partnership in New York did not require the approval of the city’s Taxi and Limousine Commission, which oversees the taxi industry, city officials said, though the agency will still have oversight of the rules covering all for-hire drivers.
“We are always interested in innovative tools that can expand economic opportunities for taxi drivers,” said the agency’s acting commissioner, Ryan Wanttaja. “We are excited about any proposal to more easily connect passengers with taxis and look forward to learning more about this agreement between Uber and the taxi apps and ensuring it complies with TLC rules.”
New Yorkers can still wave down yellow taxis in the street or order them through two taxi apps, Curb and Arro, which offer upfront pricing like with Uber rides.
The city’s 13,587 yellow taxis are equipped with technology systems from Curb or Creative Mobile Technologies, which operates the Arro app. The systems also provide driver and passenger information monitors in each vehicle, take credit card payments from riders and pay drivers.
When a rider requests a yellow taxi through the Uber app, the trip will be referred to Curb or CMT, which will use Uber’s pricing and payment structures. Both Uber and the taxi company will receive fees from the rides. Taxi drivers will continue to be paid through the Curb and CMT systems.
It is hard to say how the deal will affect passengers and drivers, in part because trip costs and driver payments are controlled by algorithms that vary depending on the app, the length and distance of a trip, the time of day riders request cars and other factors.
In some cases, riders may pay more for a taxi that they order through the Uber app than for a taxi they hail on the street, but that may not always be true. Similarly, drivers may receive more for a metered trip than a trip ordered through the Uber app, but that may not always be true, either. Uber said it would be providing more details about the taxi option in the coming months.
Bhairavi Desai, the head of the Taxi Workers Alliance, a group that represents cabdrivers, said she believed that drivers accepting trips from the Uber app would earn less than if they picked someone up off the street and took them to the same place.
She urged drivers to negotiate better fares from Uber, noting that the agreement was struck “at a moment when the companies need this deal more than the drivers do” because Uber is “hemorrhaging drivers.”
“We’re going to seize it as an opportunity to negotiate proper terms for the drivers,” she said.
Others expressed more optimism.
Mr. Schaller said that if the new system was implemented properly, following existing regulations, it should benefit both drivers and customers.
“I’ve always expected there would eventually be a convergence of yellow cabs and ride-hail apps, but I wouldn’t have predicted 2022 if you asked me in 2019,” Mr. Schaller added.
Health issues always present themselves with tell-tale signs and warnings. In the case of ovarian cancer, for instance, there are some “subtle signs and symptoms“, says Dr Niti Raizada, director, medical oncology and hemato oncology, Fortis Hospital, Richmond Road, Bangalore.
She explains that ovarian cancer begins in the female organs which produce eggs known as the ovaries. This form of cancer is the third common among womenin India, with 46,000 new cases each year. “Family history of cancer forms an important part of evaluation,” she says.
According to the doctor, presentation of ovarian cancer includes:
– Often asymptomatic – Abdominal bloating – Change in bowel habits, indigestion, or nausea – Fluid in abdomen known as ascites – Weight loss and generalised fatigue – Pelvic discomfort – Backache – Increased frequency of urination – Irregular menstruation, difficulty eating, and urinary issues are just a few signs of the later stages of ovarian cancer, when it has spread to the pelvis and the abdomen.
“Unfortunately, there are no symptoms in the early stages. When the cancer is contained to the ovaries, it is the easiest to treat. Any woman who has ovaries is at risk of ovarian cancer, although there are some factors that increase this risk,” Dr Raizada explains.
How to reduce the risk of ovarian cancer
The doctor suggests the following tips:
1. Diet and exercise
Weekly exercise regime and a healthy diet are important. Plenty of fruits, vegetables and food rich in vitamin D are some of the dietary measures. Working out 30-40 minutes every day can reduce the risk by up to 20 per cent. Have an active lifestyle.
2. Oral contraceptives
Oral contraceptive intake among women is studied to have up to a 50 per cent lower risk of developing ovarian cancer, but one requires medical consultation prior. Length of intake also has some association.
Ovarian cancer begins in the female organs which produce eggs known as the ovaries. (Photo: Getty/Thinkstock)
3. Avoiding carcinogens
Carcinogens are substances that are capable of causing cancer. Substances such as talcum powder (baby powder, vaginal deodorants and makeup) are known to have some uncertain association.
4. Pregnancy and breastfeeding
Women who have birthed at least one child, especially before the age of 30, have a lower risk of developing ovarian cancer and even breast cancer. Breastfeeding is also known to lower the risk.
5. Healthy lifestyle
Avoiding the use and exposure of tobacco products can not only lower your risk of ovarian cancer, but many other types of cancers as well. Along with it, limiting your alcohol consumption is best.
6. Genetic Link
Some ovarian cancers are linked to genetic changes and run-in families with several cases of breast and ovarian cancer. One such important mutation is called BRCA1 (breast cancer gene 1) and BRCA2 (breast cancer gene 2). Identifying such families and their genetic risks will help implement risk-reduction strategies.
It is important to identify high-risk groups which can be subjected to screening for ovarian cancer. These screening methods include a trans-vaginal ultrasound and serum Ca125 (blood test). Screening tools are generally non-invasive.
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A grand jury in Brazoria County in Texas is considering evidence related to a 10th accusation of sexual misconduct against Deshaun Watson, the former Houston Texans quarterback who was traded to the Cleveland Browns just days ago, according to a lawyer for the complainant.
A grand jury in Harris County, Texas, where Houston is, rejected nine criminal cases against Watson earlier this month. But a 10th criminal complaint filed with the Houston Police Department described an alleged incident outside the jurisdiction of the Harris County District Attorney’s Office.
The case, in Brazoria County, south of Houston, is the last criminal case pending against Watson. The complainant told police that Watson ejaculated on her in a November 2020 massage appointment. Her lawyer, Tony Buzbee, said he expects the grand jury to deliberate and issue a decision on Thursday or Friday. Neither the Browns nor Rusty Hardin, Watson’s lawyer, were immediately available for comment.
The publicly available police report was heavily redacted but said that the complainant told police that Watson “touched her with his penis and ejaculated causing semen to touch her arm and hand.”
The complainant, whose name was redacted in the criminal complaint, is one of the 22 plaintiffs who are suing Watson in civil court for sexual misconduct during massage appointments.
Watson has denied all wrongdoing, and Hardin has said that any sexual acts that occurred during massage appointments were consensual.
After the grand jury in Harris County declined to bring charges on March 11, Hardin said in a statement that “the criminal investigations have been completed.” N.F.L. teams viewed the decision in Harris County as a green light to pursue Watson via trade, and the Browns gave Watson a guaranteed five-year, $230 million contract, a record for a guaranteed deal. They structured the deal to mitigate Watson’s financial penalty if the N.F.L. suspends him for a violation of its personal-conduct policy by setting his 2022 base salary at just over $1 million, minimizing each potential missed game check.
The Browns said in a statement on Sunday that they undertook a “comprehensive evaluation process” before trading for Watson and did “extensive” investigative, legal and reference work. The statement acknowledged that “some legal proceedings” were still ongoing, but it was unclear whether the Browns were aware that a case would be brought before the Brazoria County grand jury this week.
The N.F.L.’s investigation into the allegations against Watson is ongoing. A person who identified himself as a security representative for the N.F.L. requested information from the Houston Police Department on March 15, including witness statements and phone records or social-media messages, and also asked for interviews with the police investigators who worked the case, according to police records.
Watson invoked his Fifth Amendment right against self-incrimination in civil depositions given before the decision by the Harris County grand jury, but waived that right and answered questions under oath in depositions last week and this week, Buzbee said.
Before the deal with the Browns, Watson also met with the Atlanta Falcons, Carolina Panthers and New Orleans Saints last week.
A British man developed a flesh-eating disease that infected his genitals after undergoing a minor medical procedure during a recent business trip to Costa Rica, according to a report.
Colin Graw, 47, who traveled to the Central American country to pursue a business opportunity, underwent the operation and was discharged the same day, but soon developed intense pain, LancsLive reported.
Four days later, doctors told him he was suffering from necrotising fasciitis, a rare but serious flesh-eating bacterial infection that affects the tissue under the skin and surrounding muscles and organs.
Making matters worse, he contracted Fournier’s gangrene, a form of necrotizing fasciitis that affects the scrotum, penis or perineum, according to the outlet.
Graw underwent grueling surgeries to remove the infected tissues and was left with multiple wounds and intense pain.
He has been put on antibiotics to fight off the flesh-eating disease but is susceptible to more infections and goes to the hospital three times a week to prevent them, according to LancsLive.
Colin Graw underwent the operation and was discharged the same day, but soon developed intense painFamily handout
“It’s been absolutely horrific for him, he is in exceptional amounts of pain, he can’t sit properly — he only had a 30 percent chance of survival because it’s such a rare bacterial infection and there aren’t many antibiotics that can treat these types of infections,” his sister Tanja Wilis, 49, told the outlet.
“He is in Costa Rica, he’s in the public hospital there, he’s got no family, he’s got his girlfriend but he was weeks in hospital where very few people spoke English, absolutely no visitors allowed, no family around dealing with what was a near-death experience fighting for his life for week. It’s just been awful,” the resident of Parbold in the UK added.
In late January, Willis flew to Costa Rica to be at Graw’s side but was only allowed a brief opportunity to hold her brother’s hand.
Colin Graw has been put on antibiotics to fight off the flesh-eating disease.Family handout
“They’re still trying to fight off infections that are highly resistant to antibiotics. He is too ill to travel so we’re not in a position to get him home,” she told LancsLive.
“Since the visit, I’ve been in contact with Katya, his partner who he is now at home with, and we communicate via Whatsapp and social media so that I can get regular updates on his progress and treatments,” Willis said.
“I think he was exceptionally unlucky to contract bacteria like that. He was on the beach one day, and three days later he was in hospital fighting for his life, it happened so quickly,” she said.
The GoFundMe has raised about $14,000 of its goal of $210,000 as of Thursday.
“It was just supposed to be a day procedure. He just got an infection and it literally escalated from something minor to him being lying on his death bed,” the sister added.
The medical costs have so far amounted to about $105,000 but with the additional treatment required, it has been estimated the total will be as high as about $200,000, according to a GoFundMe account she has set up.
As of Thursday, it has raised about $14,000 of its goal of $210,000.
President Biden’s trip to Europe includes a rare day of three back-to-back global summits on Thursday as the world’s leaders gather in a variety of forums to discuss their response to Russia’s war in Ukraine.
NATO: On Thursday morning, Mr. Biden was joining leaders of the 30 countries that make up the North Atlantic Treaty Organization, a group formed after World War II to promote a common defense. On the agenda: Whether, and how, to provide more robust weapons to Ukraine and how to shore up NATO’s own defenses in Poland and along the eastern front with Russia.
Mr. Biden and the others were also to discuss the grim scenarios of a possible further expansion of Russian attacks into NATO countries, and how the alliance would respond.
G7: After the NATO gathering, Mr. Biden will join the leaders of the Group of 7, the world’s largest wealthy democracies, to continue the discussion about Ukraine. The meeting, which includes the leaders of Britain, Canada, France, Germany, Italy, Japan and the United States, was called by Chancellor Olaf Scholz of Germany, who is the current president of the G7.
The group is expected to confront the refugee crisis sparked by millions of Ukrainians fleeing Russia’s forces, and to discuss what more the world can do to punish President Vladimir V. Putin for his aggression.
European Council: Mr. Biden will then cross Brussels to join the 27 leaders of European Union member states. The summit, known as a European Council, was the long-planned regular meeting of E.U. leaders that happens every quarter, but Mr. Biden was invited in view of the bloc’s close coordination with the United States on sanctions and all other measures responding to Russia’s invasion of Ukraine.
The group is likely to focus on expanding sanctions as well as a push by Mr. Scholz to enhance enforcement measures to ensure that Russia is not able to evade the pain of the sanctions. The E.U. leaders will continue their meeting on Friday, after Mr. Biden has left for Poland.
Overlapping memberships: NATO and the European Union both have their headquarters in Brussels and their origins in the years after World War II, but the differences between them are important. NATO was built as a military bulwark against Soviet power, while the European Union is a political and economic bloc that grew from efforts to unite the formerly warring nations of Western Europe through trade.
Twenty-one countries now belong to both, including a swath that once fell under the Soviet sphere of influence. But the 27 E.U. members include several countries that have stayed outside NATO, often because of traditions of neutrality, like Austria, Ireland and Sweden. The 30 NATO members include the United States, by far its dominant military partner, and Canada, alongside several countries that have left or declined to join the European Union (Britain, Iceland, Norway) or have applied to join it (Albania, Montenegro, North Macedonia, Turkey).
The Group of 7, meanwhile, was formed during the economic upheavals of the 1970s to facilitate discussions between the leaders of the Western world’s most powerful economies; it now includes European Union leaders, alongside those from Britain, Canada, France, Germany, Italy, Japan and the United States.
iFixit has gotten its grubby mitts on Apple’s new Mac Studio computer and Studio Display, and has taken both apart to learn more about them — including how easily they can be repaired or even upgraded. The Mac Studio in particular has generated some controversy because its SSDs don’t appear to be user-upgradable, despite being fairly easy to access and remove.
There’s one piece of good news from iFixit’s teardown, which is that it does appear to be possible to swap out the SSD in a Mac Studio for one of the same size in case the drive fails. But despite there being a second SSD slot accessible, it doesn’t appear to be possible to simply insert an additional second drive to easily upgrade the Studio’s storage yourself. As for whether it could ever be possible for an end-user to upgrade a Mac Studio’s storage? “The jury’s still out,” says iFixit.
These difficulties have prompted speculation that Apple is implementing some kind of software block to prevent end-user SSD upgrades. But as ArsTechnica explains, it probably has more to do with the fundamental design of the storage in Apple Silicon Macs. While PC SSDs typically include both NAND flash chips and an SSD controller on the same (removable) module, Apple’s recent Macs have separated them. The NAND stays on the SSD module itself, but the SSD controller is built into Apple’s chips.
Regardless of the reasoning, it’s still frustrating not being able to easily upgrade your own computer’s storage. Instead, you’ll have to pay Apple’s (often exorbitant) prices for its higher storage configurations as a safeguard.
Elsewhere, there’s both good and bad news for the Mac Studio’s repairability. The good news is that most components are held together with screws, and that the computer’s ports are modular and should be relatively easy to replace if they break. But actually getting into the computer requires peeling off a sticky rubber foot ring, its RAM is soldered on, and its cooling mechanism — while beefy — looks like it’ll be a nightmare to dust when the time comes. Overall, iFixit gives the Mac Studio a 6/10 score for repairability, same as the old Mac Mini.
Finally, iFixit also took the opportunity to take apart the new Studio Display, which it says “opens like an iMac, and inside looks… a lot like an iMac.” Although the company teases that it’ll have more to say about the display at a later date, it confirms that the Studio Display’s webcam appears to use the same camera sensor as what was found in the iPhone 11. Which makes it even more confusing that the monitor’s webcam offers such shocking quality. Here’s hoping Apple’s promised software update improves things.
And Jodie Turner-Smith shocked fans on Wednesday as she revealed she’d shaved off her eyebrows.
The 35-year-old actress, who is mother to daughter Janie, 23 months, with husband Joshua Jackson, took to Instagram to document the process.
New look: Jodie Turner-Smith shocked fans on Wednesday as she took to Instagram to reveal she’d shaved off her eyebrows
She filmed herself getting her brow shaved off by a razor, and captioned the post: ‘Bye bye brows’.
Her skin glowed and she looked relaxed as she underwent the surprising makeover.
The shocking new look comes after Jodie gave a candid interview for AnOther magazine, about motherhood.
When discussing what life is like as a new mother, Jodie revealed that she loved to see the world through her daughter’s eyes.
Before: The 35-year-old actress took to Instagram to document the process (pictured left earlier this month and right during the shaving)
‘It’s incredible to watch a person gain an understanding of the world and be beside them as they conceive of every single thing’.
She continued: ‘It’s like experiencing life again, because you are seeing them discover a tree, the ocean, a shark. We were looking at sharks in the water today – we’re in the Bahamas’.
‘One of the best parts about parenting is that you get to learn everything again because you see the world anew through innocent, fresh eyes. It’s humbling and beautiful and exciting – and it’s really emotional’.
The British actress, who is now based in the U.S with her young family, also spoke own mother’s influence in the intimate chat.
New parents: It comes after Jodie detailed her ‘humbling and beautiful’ journey through motherhood with her daughter Janey (pictured with her husband Joshua Jackson)
‘I feel so lucky that I have my Mom with me to not only just be there for my daughter, but to teach me how to be a Mom’.
The Anne Boleyn actress continued: ‘My mother is a really, really good mother. And now I have her teaching me how to mother my daughter’.
‘I never had a close relationship with my grandmas. So the fact that my daughter is really close with her grandma literally makes me cry every time I think about it’.
‘To me, the concept of someone being close to their grandma was like a movie and TV thing. It wasn’t real life. I’m just happy to create that world for my daughter. It really does take a village. And I have so many people helping me make it happen’.
During the glamorous shoot Jodie can be seen looking sensational in a number of different avant garde outfits.
Wow: AnOther SS/22 is on sale globally from Thursday 24 March
In one shot she sports a block coloured ostrich feathered ensemble with statement earrings and one striking PVC glove.
In a purple chiffon gown, which clings to her gorgeous frame, Jodie lets the wind raise the long cape high into the air covering her face.
The raven haired beauty was speaking ahead of the release of her new movie After Yang where stars alongside Colin Farrell.
The Sci-fi movie, which has been lauded by critics, sees Jodie play a mother who attempts to repair her unresponsive robotic child.
After being a hit at film festivals around the world, the film will be available to stream in the coming months.
AnOther SS/22 is on sale globally from Thursday 24 March.
Movie: The raven haired beauty was speaking ahead of the release of her new movie After Yang where stars alongside Colin Farrell
Ovarian cancer begins in the female organs which produce eggs known as the ovaries. (Photo: Getty/Thinkstock)
