Author: PolitCens

Sports teams in former U.S. President Jimmy Carter’s home state of Georgia expressed their condolences Sunday, honoring a former leader who also served as the state’s governor and had an extensive record as an athlete and sports fan. 

The Atlanta Falcons football team held a moment of silence before their game Sunday night. 

The team’s owner, Arthur Blank, called Carter “a great American, a proud Georgian and an inspirational global humanitarian.” 

The Atlanta Hawks basketball team said Carter “represented all the best of Georgia.” 

“From his rural upbringing that he never strayed from, to his passion for Atlanta sports, Carter was proud of his home state and left a legacy for Georgians to be proud of, too,” the team said in a statement. 

Carter was most known for being a fan of the Atlanta Braves baseball team, whose games he and his wife, Rosalynn, attended for decades. 

The team celebrated his 100th birthday in October, and on Sunday it said Carter “served both his country and home state with honor his entire life.” 

“While the world knew him as a remarkable humanitarian and peacemaker, we knew him as a dedicated Braves fan and we will miss having him in the stands cheering on his Braves,” the team said in a statement. 

Carter was in attendance in 1974 when Braves player Hank Aaron set the Major League Baseball record for most career home runs. 

In 1995, Carter threw out the ceremonial first pitch before the sixth game of the World Series, which the Braves won to capture their first championship since moving to Atlanta, Georgia, in 1966. 

As an athlete himself, Carter was fond of playing softball, including during his time as president. 

While in the White House, Carter was also part of a boom in running in the United States that saw recreational running rapidly expand during the 1970s. 

His competitive running career included time on the U.S. Naval Academy cross-country team. 

Carter also enjoyed playing tennis and watching car racing, and he participated in the presidential tradition of welcoming championship sports teams to the White House. 

Some information for this story was provided by The Associated Press
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Officials assessed the damage on Sunday after a strong storm system moved across the southern United States over the weekend, spawning tornadoes and killing at least four people. 

There were at least 45 reports of tornado damage across Texas, Louisiana, Mississippi, Alabama and Georgia, said Brian Hurley, a meteorologist with the National Weather Service’s Weather Prediction Center. Crews will do damage surveys to confirm tornadoes. 

The storms during busy holiday travels caused some treacherous road conditions along with delays or cancellations at some of the busiest U.S. airports. As of Sunday afternoon, there were over 600 flight delays affecting Hartsfield-Jackson Atlanta International Airport in the southern state of Georgia, according to flight tracker FlightAware. 

“It’s not unheard of, but it is fairly uncommon to have a severe weather outbreak of this magnitude this late in the year,” said Frank Pereira, a meteorologist with the Weather Prediction Center. 

In the area of Houston, Texas, National Weather Service storm survey crews confirmed that at least five tornadoes hit north and south of the city on Saturday. 

At least one person died. The 48-year-old woman was found about 30 meters from her home in the Liverpool area south of Houston, said Madison Polston of the Brazoria County Sheriff’s Office. She said the exact cause of death wasn’t immediately known. 

Four other people in Brazoria County had injuries that weren’t considered critical, said Polston, adding that at least 40 homes and buildings were significantly damaged. 

In Montgomery County, north of Houston, about 30 homes were destroyed and about 50 others sustained major damage, county official Jason Smith said. 

In the state of North Carolina, a 70-year-old man was killed Sunday in Statesville, just north of Charlotte, when a tree landed on the pickup truck he was driving. Highway Patrol Trooper DJ Maffucci said “it was just a freak accident” and he believed Matthew Teeple, of Cleveland, North Carolina, was killed instantly. 

“It’s very sad, just terrible timing,” Maffucci said, adding that the storms were responsible for a number of downed trees and “quite a few wrecks.” 

Two people were killed in storms in Mississippi, officials said. An 18-year-old died after a tree fell on her home Saturday night in Natchez in Adams County, said Emergency Management spokesperson Neifa Hardy. Two other people in the home were injured. 

Another person died in Lowndes County and at least eight more were injured across the state, officials said. 

The National Weather Service said two tornadoes hit around Bude and the city of Brandon, ripping roofs from several buildings. 

Storm damage also was reported in the northern Alabama city of Athens, northwest of Huntsville. 

Holly Hollman, spokeswoman for the city, said most of the damage from the early Sunday morning storms occurred downtown. She said it hurled large HVAC units from the tops of building and ripped the roof off a bookstore. A full-sized, stripped-down military helicopter was toppled from a pole where it was on display, she added. 

“I stepped out on my porch and I could hear it roar,” she said of the storm. “I think we are extremely lucky that we got hit late at night. If it had hit during the busy hours, I think we might have had some injuries and possibly some fatalities.” 

As of Sunday afternoon, more than 40,000 people were still without power in Mississippi, according to electric utility tracking website PowerOutage.us. Texas, Alabama, North Carolina and Georgia each had about 10,000 customers without power, it said. 

The storms closed some roads in western North Carolina, a region broadly devastated by Hurricane Helene this fall. That included part of U.S. 441, also known as the Great Smoky Mountains Expressway, which closed north of Bryson City due to high winds. 

In Bumpus Cove, Tennessee, Justin Fromkin, president of Raising Hope Disaster Relief, worked Sunday to save what he could from the organization’s supply tent — filled with clothes and food — after about 152 millimeters of rain fell. 

He’s spent the past few months delivering aid to areas in western North Carolina and eastern Tennessee that are still reeling from Helene. The ground in some parts of the mountains is still unstable from Helene, Fromkin said, and Sunday’s downpour adds to the problem. 
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Asian shares were mixed on Monday after stocks fell broadly on Friday as Wall Street closed out a holiday-shortened week on a down note. 

U.S. futures were lower while oil prices were little changed. 

In Asia, South Korea’s Kospi added 0.6% to 2,418.80. But shares of Jeju Air Co. lost 8.8% after one of the company’s jets skidded off a runway, slammed into a concrete fence, and burst into flames Sunday in South Korea as its landing gear failed to deploy. 179 people died in the crash. 

Political turmoil continued as South Korean law enforcement officials requested a court warrant on Monday to detain impeached President Yoon Suk Yeol. They are investigating whether his martial law decree on December 3 amounted to rebellion. 

Tokyo’s Nikkei 225 index lost 0.9% to 39,914.21 as the dollar gained against the Japanese yen, trading at 157.83 yen, up from 157.75 yen. The Tokyo market will wrap up trading for 2024 with a year-end ceremony as Japan begins its New Year holidays, the biggest festival of the year. 

The Hang Seng in Hong Kong shed 0.3% to 20,030.63 while the Shanghai Composite index was up 0.3% at 3,408.72. Australia’s S&P/ASX 200 dipped 0.9% to 8,191.50. 

On Friday, the S&P 500 fell 1.1% to 5,970.84. Roughly 90% of stocks in the benchmark index lost ground, but it managed to hold onto a modest gain of 0.7% for the week. 

The Dow Jones Industrial Average fell 0.8% to 42,992.21. The tech-heavy Nasdaq composite fell 1.5%, to 19,722.03. 

The losses were made worse by sharp declines for the Big Tech stocks known as the “Magnificent 7,” which can heavily influence the direction of the market because of their large size. 

A wide range of retailers also fell. Amazon fell 1.5% and Best Buy slipped 1.5%. The sector is being closely watched for clues on how it performed during the holiday shopping season. 

The S&P 500 gained nearly 3% over a 3-day stretch before breaking for the Christmas holiday. On Thursday, the index posted a small decline. 

Despite Friday’s drop, the market is moving closer to another standout annual finish. The S&P 500 is on track for a gain of around 25% in 2024. That would mark a second consecutive yearly gain of more than 20%, the first time that has happened since 1997-1998. 

The gains have been driven partly by upbeat economic data showing that consumers continued spending and the labor market remained strong. Inflation, while still high, has also been steadily easing. 

A report on Friday showed that sales and inventory estimates for the wholesales trade industry fell 0.2% in November, following a slight gain in October. That weaker-than-expected report follows an update on the labor market Thursday that showed unemployment benefits held steady last week. 

The stream of upbeat economic data and easing inflation helped prompt a reversal in the Federal Reserve’s interest rate policy this year. Expectations for interest rate cuts also helped drive market gains. The central bank recently delivered its third cut to interest rates in 2024. 

Even though inflation has come closer to the central bank’s target of 2%, it remains stubbornly above that mark and worries about it heating up again have tempered the forecast for more interest rate cuts. 

Inflation concerns have added to uncertainties heading into 2025, which include the labor market’s path ahead and shifting economic policies under incoming President Donald Trump. Worries have risen that Trump’s preference for tariffs and other policies could lead to higher inflation, a bigger U.S. government debt, and difficulties for global trade. 

In other dealings early Monday, U.S. benchmark crude oil picked up 1 cent to $70.61 per barrel. Brent crude, the international standard, lost 1 cent to $73.78 per barrel. 

The euro fell to $1.0427 from $1.0433. 
…

World leaders and U.S. politicians reacted to news that former U.S. President Jimmy Carter, who as president brokered peace between Israel and Egypt and later received the Nobel Peace Prize for his humanitarian work, has died at age 100.

US President Joe Biden and first lady Jill Biden

“Today, America and the world lost an extraordinary leader, statesman and humanitarian.

Over six decades, we had the honor of calling Jimmy Carter a dear friend. But what’s extraordinary about Jimmy Carter, though, is that millions of people throughout America and the world who never met him thought of him as a dear friend as well.”

US Vice President Kamala Harris

“Throughout his life, President Carter was strengthened by the love and support of his partner of 77 years, First Lady Rosalynn Carter, whose life President Biden and I had the opportunity to celebrate in Georgia last year. After leaving office, President Carter continued his fight for peace, democracy, and human dignity through the Carter Center.

I had the privilege of knowing President Carter for years. I will always remember his kindness, wisdom, and profound grace. His life and legacy continue to inspire me — and will inspire generations to come. Our world is a better place because of President Carter.”

US President-elect Donald Trump

“The challenges Jimmy faced as president came at a pivotal time for our country and he did everything in his power to improve the lives of all Americans. For that, we all owe him a debt of gratitude.

Melania and I are thinking warmly of the Carter Family and their loved ones during this difficult time. We urge everyone to keep them in their hearts and prayers.”

US Vice President-elect JD Vance

“Jimmy Carter dedicated his life to serving this country. Our thoughts and prayers go out to his loved ones. May he Rest in Peace.”

Former US President Barack Obama

“Elected in the shadow of Watergate, Jimmy Carter promised voters that he would always tell the truth. And he did — advocating for the public good, consequences be damned. He believed some things were more important than reelection — things like integrity, respect, and compassion. Because Jimmy Carter believed, as deeply as he believed anything, that we are all created in God’s image. …

Maranatha Baptist Church will be a little quieter on Sundays, but President Carter will never be far away — buried alongside Rosalynn next to a willow tree down the road, his memory calling all of us to heed our better angels. Michelle and I send our thoughts and prayers to the Carter family, and everyone who loved and learned from this remarkable man.”

Former US President George W. Bush

“Laura and I send our heartfelt condolences to Jack, Chip, Jeff, Amy, and the entire Carter family.

James Earl Carter, Jr., was a man of deeply held convictions. He was loyal to his family, his community, and his country. President Carter dignified the office. And his efforts to leave behind a better world didn’t end with the presidency. His work with Habitat for Humanity and the Carter Center set an example of service that will inspire Americans for generations.”

Former US President Bill Clinton and former Secretary of State Hillary Clinton

“From his commitment to civil rights as a state senator and governor of Georgia; to his efforts as President to protect our natural resources in the Arctic National Wildlife Refuge, make energy conservation a national priority, return the Panama Canal to Panama, and secure peace between Egypt and Israel at Camp David; to his post-Presidential efforts at the Carter Center supporting honest elections, advancing peace, combating disease, and promoting democracy; to his and Rosalynn’s devotion and hard work at Habitat for Humanity — he worked tirelessly for a better, fairer world.”

Egyptian President Abdel-Fattah el-Sissi 

“In this moment of sorrow, I extend my heartfelt condolences to the family of former American President Jimmy Carter, as well as to the President and the people of the United States of America. 

His significant role in achieving the peace agreement between Egypt and Israel will remain etched in the annals of history, and his humanitarian work exemplifies a lofty standard of love, peace, and brotherhood. His enduring legacy ensures that he will be remembered as one of the world’s most prominent leaders in service to humanity.”   

US Secretary of State Antony Blinken 

“Throughout decades of public service, President Carter embodied integrity, compassion, and a commitment to advancing the freedom, security, and welfare of others. 

He channeled that spirit in his foreign policy, from negotiating the return of the Panama Canal to its host nation, to developing arms control agreements with the Soviet Union. And he brought it to his every exchange and conversation, from heads of state to ordinary citizens. 

President Carter also showed us what can be achieved through tireless and principled diplomacy, mediating a landmark deal with Israel and Egypt that helped forge peace between two nations that had spent decades at war. His efforts are an important reminder of what’s possible, especially amidst renewed conflict and suffering in the region.” 

Britain’s King Charles 

“It was with great sadness that I learned of the death of former President Carter. He was a committed public servant and devoted his life to promoting peace and human rights. 

His dedication and humility served as an inspiration to many, and I remember with great fondness his visit to the United Kingdom in 1977. 

My thoughts and prayers are with President Carter’s family and the American people at this time.”   

Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau 

“Jimmy Carter’s legacy is one of compassion, kindness, empathy, and hard work. He served others both at home and around the world his entire life — and he loved doing it. He was always thoughtful and generous with his advice to me. My deepest condolences to the Carter family, his many loved ones, and the American people who are mourning a former President and a lifelong humanitarian. May his selfless service continue to inspire us all for years to come.” 

Panamanian President Jose Raul Mulino 

“I offer my condolences to the family and to the people and Government of the United States on the death of former President Jimmy Carter. His stint in the White House was marked by difficult times, and were crucial for Panama in negotiating and signing the Torrijos-Carter Treaties in 1977, which transferred the (Panama) Canal into Panamanian hands and made our country truly sovereign. May his soul rest in peace.”   

Venezuelan Government of President Nicolas Maduro 

“The Bolivarian Republic of Venezuela regrets the death of former President of the United States of America, Jimmy Carter, and extends its most sincere condolences to his family and friends. 

Former President Carter was a man of proven commitment to peace and dialog. His contributions to global politics and his dedication to peace have left an indelible mark on the world.” 

French President Emmanuel Macron

“Throughout his life, Jimmy Carter has been a steadfast advocate for the rights of the most vulnerable and has tirelessly fought for peace. France sends its heartfelt thoughts to his family and to the American people.”

Australian Prime Minister Anthony Albanese 

“President Carter rose from humble beginnings to leave a remarkable legacy. Beyond being elected to the Presidency or being awarded the Nobel Peace Prize, Jimmy Carter’s legacy is best measured in lives changed, saved and uplifted.” 

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy 

“We express our heartfelt condolences to the American people and to the family of former U.S. President Jimmy Carter on his passing. He was a leader who served during a time when Ukraine was not yet independent, yet his heart stood firmly with us in our ongoing fight for freedom. 

He devoted his life to promoting peace in the world and defending human rights. Today, let us remember: peace matters, and the world must remain united in standing against those who threaten these values.” 

Cuban President Miguel Diaz-Canel 

“Condolences to the people and the government of the U.S., and especially the family of President James Carter. Our people remember with gratitude his efforts to better relations, his visits to #Cuba and his speaking out in favor of the release of the Five.” 

US Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer

“Today, we mourn the loss of one of our most humble and devoted public servants, President Jimmy Carter.

President Carter personified the true meaning of leadership through service, through compassion, and through integrity.

From his legacy as president, to his dedication to improving human rights across the globe, and his tireless efforts alongside his wife Rosalynn, in building a better world through Habitat for Humanity, he inspired millions with his unwavering commitment to justice and equality.”

British Prime Minister Keir Starmer

“I was very sorry to hear of President Carter’s passing and I would like to pay tribute to his decades of selfless public service.

His presidency will be remembered for the historic Camp David Accords between Israel and Egypt, and it was that lifelong dedication to peace that saw him receive the Nobel Peace prize.

Motivated by his strong faith and values, President Carter redefined the post-presidency with a remarkable commitment to social justice and human rights at home and abroad.”

US Senator Mitch McConnell

“Elaine and I join the Senate and the nation in mourning the passing of our 39th president, Jimmy Carter.

“President Carter served during times of tension and uncertainty, both at home and abroad. But his calm spirit and deep faith seemed unshakeable. Jimmy Carter served as our commander-in-chief for four years, but he served as the beloved, unassuming Sunday school teacher at Maranatha Baptist Church in Plains, Georgia for forty. And his humble devotion leaves us little doubt which of those two important roles he prized the most.”

US House Speaker Mike Johnson

“Today, the thoughts of Americans and the prayers of Congress are lifted up on behalf of the Carter family. President Carter’s story was one of humble beginnings, and his life is a testament to the boundless opportunities available in this great nation. Because of his work in brokering the Camp David Accords and his advocacy with Habitat for Humanity, the world is a more peaceful place, and more Americans have a place to call home. No one can deny that President Carter led an extraordinary life of service to his country. May he rest in peace.”

US Representative Mike Turner

“I am deeply saddened to learn about the death of President Jimmy Carter. President Carter was a man of integrity who was guided by his faith. I join all Americans in saluting President Carter for his lifetime of service, first as a naval officer, then as a senator in the Georgia State Senate, then as Governor of Georgia, and, finally, as President of the United States. I would like to extend my heartfelt condolences to the Carter family.”

US Senator Mark Warner

“President Carter will be remembered by what he built and left behind for us – a model of service late into life, a tireless devotion to family and philanthropy, and a more peaceful world to call home.”

US Senate Majority Whip Dick Durbin

“Jimmy Carter proved that excellence in public service can extend beyond the White House. His life was an inspiration to those of us who aspire to lead a life of service.”
…

Highlights from the life of the 39th U.S. president who died Dec. 29, 2024, in his home in Plains, Georgia.
…

Jimmy Carter’s 1977-1981 presidency included successes like the Camp David peace accords, but also enough controversy for U.S. voters to see him as weak — and send him packing after only one term.

Carter’s legacy, however, was largely built on his post-presidency, the longest in U.S. history.

Here are a few key moments in the life of Carter, who died Sunday at the age of 100.

The Panama Canal

During his first year in office, Carter went back on a campaign promise and decided to hand back management of the Panama Canal — which had been in U.S. military control since its construction at the start of the 20th century.

“Fairness, and not force, should lie at the heart of our dealings with the nations of the world,” he said at the signing of the canal treaties with Panamanian leader Omar Torrijos on September 7, 1977.

Carter was ridiculed for the move, which gave Panama control over the canal linking the Atlantic and Pacific Oceans at the end of 1999.

History, however, has looked upon the deal as a deft bit of diplomacy.  

Giving Panama a meatier role in the canal’s management in the run-up to the transfer allowed for stability and broke with America’s image as an overbearing imperialist power in Latin America.

Morality in politics

Upon his arrival in the Oval Office, Carter looked to distance himself from the realpolitik practiced by his predecessors — a vestige of the Cold War — and placed human rights at the heart of his agenda.

“Our principal goal is to help shape a world which is more responsive to the desire of people everywhere for economic well-being, social justice, political self-determination and basic human rights,” he said in a 1978 speech at the U.S. Naval Academy.

In concrete terms, Carter notably signed the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights in 1977. It was eventually ratified by the United States in 1992 after being blocked for years by the Senate.

Camp David Accords  

In September 1978, Carter invited Israeli Premier Menachem Begin and Egyptian President Anwar Sadat to Camp David, the presidential retreat outside Washington.

After 13 days of secret negotiations under Carter’s mediation, two accords were signed that ultimately led to a peace treaty the following year.  

The diplomatic triumph was cited when Carter was awarded the Nobel Peace Prize.

Crisis of confidence

In the summer of 1979, the economy rocked by inflation and his approval rating in free fall, Carter addressed the American people in a nationwide televised speech on July 15.

In that half-hour, he responded to his critics on his lack of leadership, instead laying the blame on a national “crisis of confidence.”

“The erosion of our confidence in the future is threatening to destroy the social and the political fabric of America,” he said.

The speech was poorly received and would come back to haunt him. Five cabinet members resigned that week.

Iran hostage crisis

The hostage crisis — more than 50 Americans were held for 444 days at the U.S. Embassy in Tehran from November 1979 to January 1981 — was the death knell for Carter’s presidency.

A failed military rescue mission in April 1980 all but extinguished his chances of reelection later that year.

Operation Eagle Claw was thwarted by sandstorms and mechanical problems — eventually, the mission was aborted. In the subsequent withdrawal, two American aircraft collided, killing eight servicemen.

In the following days, then secretary of state Cyrus Vance resigned, and the mission’s failure symbolized Carter’s inability to resolve the crisis.

The hostages were eventually freed on the same day that Republican Ronald Reagan took office, after thumping Carter at the polls in November 1980.

The Carter Center

Carter remained extremely active into his 90s despite his retirement from political life.

In 1982, he founded the Carter Center, which has focused on conflict resolution, promoting democracy and human rights, and fighting disease.

Carter — often viewed as America’s most successful former president — traveled extensively, supervising elections from Haiti to East Timor, and tackling thorny global problems as a mediator.

The Elders

Carter was also a member of The Elders, a group of former world leaders founded by Nelson Mandela in 2007 to promote peace and human rights.

Fellow Nobel peace laureates South African Archbishop Desmond Tutu (who died in 2021), former Liberian President Ellen Sirleaf Johnson and the late U.N. Secretary-General Kofi Annan also belonged to the group.
…

The following are a few key dates in the life of former U.S. President Jimmy Carter, whose one term in office ran from 1977 to 1981:  

 — October 1, 1924: Jimmy Carter is born in the small town of Plains, Georgia

 — 1946: Graduates from the U.S. Naval Academy

 — July 7, 1946: Marries Rosalynn Carter shortly after graduation

 — 1970: Elected governor of Georgia. The Democrat would go on to serve in that office from January 1971 until January 1975, when his White House campaign kicked into high gear

 — November 2, 1976: Defeats Republican incumbent Gerald Ford in the presidential election

 — January 20, 1977: Inaugurated as the 39th president of the United States

 — September 17, 1978: Signing of the Camp David Accords under Carter’s mediation, which would lead to a peace treaty between Israel and Egypt

 — November 1980: Defeated by Republican challenger Ronald Reagan in the presidential election

 — January 20, 1981: Leaves office, succeeded by Reagan

 — 1982: Founds the Carter Center, a non-governmental organization that focuses on conflict resolution and health initiatives

 — 2002: Awarded the Nobel Peace Prize

 — December 29, 2024: Dies at home in Plains, Georgia, at age 100
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Houston, Texas — A strong storm system threatened to whip up tornadoes in parts of the U.S. Southeast on Sunday, a day after severe weather claimed at least two lives as twisters touched down in Texas and Mississippi. 

The National Weather Service’s severe storm tracker indicated the system was moving east through Alabama into Georgia shortly before 4 a.m. The agency issued severe thunder storm warnings with the possibility of tornadoes in western Georgia, the northwestern tip of Florida and elsewhere. 

On Saturday, one person died in the Liverpool area, located south of Houston, Texas. Four people suffered injuries that were not considered critical, according to Madison Polston of the Brazoria County Sheriff’s Office. 

There were “multiple touchdown points” in the county between Liverpool, Hillcrest Village and Alvin. Officials knew of around 10 damaged homes but were working to determine the extent of the damage, Polston said. 

In Mississippi, one person died in Adams County and two people were injured in Franklin County, according to the Mississippi Emergency Management Agency. 

The National Weather Service said two tornadoes hit around Bude and the city of Brandon, ripping roofs from several buildings. 

It appeared at least six tornadoes touched down in the Houston area, though more may be discovered when crews go out to survey the damage. There was damage in the area from both tornadoes and straight-line winds, according to Josh Lichter, meteorologist with the National Weather Service. 

North of Houston, mobile homes were damaged or destroyed in Katy and Porter Heights, where the doors of a fire station were blown in, the weather service said. 

Storm damage has been reported in the northern Alabama town of Athens, just northwest of Huntsville. A National Weather Service survey team was expected to begin assessing damage Sunday morning, said meteorologist Chelly Amin. 

Also Sunday, the National Weather Service issued severe thunderstorm warnings across portions of the Deep South as the line of storms barreled east through Alabama, Georgia and into South Carolina. Wind gusts of 60 mph (97 kph) were expected in the Spartanburg, South Carolina, area. Damage to trees and powerlines was expected in a number of counties, while a tornada watch was in effect for some parts of the state. 

At 9 a.m. Sunday ET, nearly 65,000 customers were without power in Mississippi, down from 93,000 around 1 a.m., according to electric utility tracking website PowerOutage.us. Some 54,000 customers were without power in Georgia; 36,000, Alabama; 20,000, Louisiana; and 13,000, Texas.
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New york — If you’re planning on ringing in the new year quietly at home, you’re not alone.

A majority of U.S adults intend to celebrate New Year’s Eve at home, according to a new poll by The Associated Press-NORC Center for Public Affairs Research.

“As I’ve gotten older over the last few years, it’s like if I don’t make it to midnight, it’s not a big deal, you know?” says Carla Woods, 70, from Vinton, Iowa.

Nearly 2 in 10 will be celebrating at a friend or family member’s home, and just 5% plan to go out to celebrate at a bar, restaurant or organized event, the poll found.

But many U.S. adults will celebrate the new year in a different way — by making a resolution. More than half say they’ll make at least one resolution for 2025.

There’s some optimism about the year ahead, although more than half aren’t expecting a positive change. About 4 in 10 say 2025 will be a better year for them personally. About one-third don’t expect much of a difference between 2024 and 2025, and about one-quarter think 2025 will be a worse year than 2024.

Relaxed New Year’s Eve plans for many

Kourtney Kershaw, a 32-year-old bartender in Chicago, often fields questions from customers and friends about upcoming events for New Year’s Eve. She said this year is trending toward low-key.

“A majority of who I’ve spoken to in my age range, they want to go out, but they don’t know what they’re going to do because they haven’t found anything or things are just really expensive,” she said. “Party packages or an entry fee are like a turnoff, especially with the climate of the world and how much things cost.”

As expected, younger people are more interested in ringing in the new year at a bar or organized event — about 1 in 10 U.S. adults under 30 say they plan to do that. But about 3 in 10 older adults — 60 and above — say they won’t celebrate the beginning of 2025 at all.

Anthony Tremblay, 35, from Pittsburgh, doesn’t usually go out to toast the arrival of the new year, but this year he’s got something special cooked up: He and his wife will be traveling through Ireland.

“I don’t do anything too crazy for New Year’s, usually. So this is definitely a change,” he said. “I wanted to do something unique this year, so I did.”

Woods will be working New Year’s Eve and New Year’s Day. She answers calls on The Iowa Warmline, a confidential, noncrisis listening line for people struggling with mental health or substance use issues.

“Holidays are really hard for people, so I don’t mind working,” she said. “I’m passionate about it because I have mental health issues in the family and so being able to help people is rewarding to me.”

Younger Americans are more likely to make a resolution

Every New Year’s also triggers the eternal debate about resolutions. A majority of U.S. adults say they intend to make a New Year’s resolution of some type, but millennials and Gen Z are especially likely to be on board — about two-thirds expect to do so, compared to about half of older adults. Women are also more likely than men to say they will set a goal for 2025.

Tremblay hopes to lose some weight and focus more on self-care — more sleep, meditation and breathing exercises. “It’s probably a good year to focus on mental health,” he said.

Many others agree. About 3 in 10 adults choose resolutions involving exercise or eating healthier. About one-quarter said they’ll make a resolution involving losing weight and a similar number said they’ll resolve to make changes about priorities of money or mental health.

Woods’ resolutions are to stay social and active. As a mental health counselor, she knows those are key to a happy 2025 and beyond: “Probably one of my biggest resolutions is trying to make sure I stay social, try to get out at least once a week — get out and either have coffee or do something with a friend. That’s not only for the physical but also for the mental health part.”

Kershaw, the bartender, says weight loss and better health are the top resolutions she hears people make. “Mental health is the new one, but I think it’s high up there as well as with regular health,” she said.

She prefers more goal-oriented resolutions and, this time, it’s to do more traveling and see more of the world: “I don’t know if that’s really a resolution, but that’s a goal that I’m setting.”

And how will she welcome the arrival of 2025? Usually, she takes the night off and stays home watching movies with plenty of snacks, but this year Kershaw has a different plan, maybe one of the most Chicago things you can do.

This die-hard sports fan will be at Wrigley Field on Tuesday watching the Chicago Blackhawks take on the St. Louis Blues. “Hockey’s my favorite sport. So I will be watching hockey and bringing in the new year,” she said.
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SEOUL, SOUTH KOREA — North Korean leader Kim Jong Un said he will implement the “toughest” anti-U.S. policy, less than a month before Donald Trump takes office as U.S. president, the country’s state media reported Sunday.

Trump’s return to the White House raises prospects for high-profile diplomacy with North Korea. During his first term, Trump met Kim three times for talks on the North’s nuclear program. Many experts however say a quick resumption of Kim-Trump summitry is unlikely as Trump would first focus on conflicts in Ukraine and the Middle East. North Korea’s support for Russia’s war against Ukraine also poses a challenge to efforts to revive diplomacy, experts say.

During a five-day plenary meeting of the ruling Workers’ Party that ended Friday, Kim called the U.S. “the most reactionary state that regards anti-communism as its invariable state policy.” Kim said that the U.S.-South Korea-Japan security partnership is expanding into “a nuclear military bloc for aggression.”

“This reality clearly shows to which direction we should advance and what we should do and how,” Kim said, according to the official Korean Central News Agency.

It said Kim’s speech “clarified the strategy for the toughest anti-U.S. counteraction to be launched aggressively” by North Korea for its long-term national interests and security.

KCNA didn’t elaborate on the anti-U.S. strategy. But it said Kim set forth tasks to bolster military capability through defense technology advancements and stressed the need to improve the mental toughness of North Korean soldiers.

The previous meetings between Trump and Kim had not only put an end to their exchanges of fiery rhetoric and threats of destruction, but they developed personal connections. Trump once famously said he and Kim “fell in love.” But their talks eventually collapsed in 2019, as they wrangled over U.S.-led sanctions on the North.

North Korea has since sharply increased the pace of its weapons testing activities to build more reliable nuclear missiles targeting the U.S. and its allies. The U.S. and South Korea have responded by expanding their military bilateral drills and also trilateral ones involving Japan, drawing strong rebukes from the North, which views such U.S.-led exercises as invasion rehearsals.

Further complicating efforts to get North Korea to rid itself of nuclear weapons is its deepening military cooperation with Russia.

According to U.S., Ukrainian and South Korean assessments, North Korea has sent more than 10,000 troops and conventional weapons systems to support Moscow’s war against Ukraine. There are concerns that Russia could give North Korea advanced weapons technology in return, including help to build more powerful nuclear missiles.

Russia and China, locked in separate disputes with the U.S., have repeatedly blocked U.S.-led pushes to levy more U.N. sanctions on North Korea despite its repeated missile tests in defiance of U.N. Security Council resolutions.

Last month, Kim said that his past negotiations with the United States only confirmed Washington’s “unchangeable” hostility toward his country and described his nuclear buildup as the only way to counter external threats. 
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For Makenzie Gilkison, spelling is such a struggle that a word like rhinoceros might come out as “rineanswsaurs” or sarcastic as “srkastik.” 

The 14-year-old from suburban Indianapolis can sound out words, but her dyslexia makes the process so draining that she often struggles with comprehension.

“I just assumed I was stupid,” she recalled of her early grade school years. 

But assistive technology powered by artificial intelligence has helped her keep up with classmates. Last year, Makenzie was named to the National Junior Honor Society. She credits a customized AI-powered chatbot, a word prediction program and other tools that can read for her. 

“I would have just probably given up if I didn’t have them,” she said. 

New tech; countless possibilities

Artificial intelligence holds the promise of helping countless  students with a range of visual, speech, language and hearing impairments to execute tasks that come easily to others. Schools everywhere have been wrestling with how and where to incorporate AI, but many are fast-tracking applications for students with disabilities. 

Getting the latest technology into the hands of students with disabilities is a priority for the U.S. Education Department, which has told schools they must consider whether students need tools like text-to-speech and alternative communication devices. New rules from the Department of Justice also will require schools and other government entities to make apps and online content accessible to those with disabilities. 

There is concern about how to ensure students using it — including those with disabilities — are still learning. 

Students can use artificial intelligence to summarize jumbled thoughts into an outline, summarize complicated passages, or even translate Shakespeare into common English. And computer-generated voices that can read passages for visually impaired and dyslexic students are becoming less robotic and more natural. 

“I’m seeing that a lot of students are kind of exploring on their own, almost feeling like they’ve found a cheat code in a video game,” said Alexis Reid, an educational therapist in the Boston area who works with students with learning disabilities. But in her view, it is far from cheating: “We’re meeting students where they are.” 

Programs fortify classroom lessons 

Ben Snyder, a 14-year-old freshman from Larchmont, New York, who was recently diagnosed with a learning disability, has been increasingly using AI to help with homework. 

“Sometimes in math, my teachers will explain a problem to me, but it just makes absolutely no sense,” he said. “So if I plug that problem into AI, it’ll give me multiple different ways of explaining how to do that.” 

He likes a program called Question AI. Earlier in the day, he asked the program to help him write an outline for a book report — a task he completed in 15 minutes that otherwise would have taken him an hour and a half because of his struggles with writing and organization. But he does think using AI to write the whole report crosses a line. 

“That’s just cheating,” Ben said. 

Schools weigh pros, cons 

Schools have been trying to balance the technology’s benefits against the risk that it will do too much. If a special education plan sets reading growth as a goal, the student needs to improve that skill. AI can’t do it for them, said Mary Lawson, general counsel at the Council of the Great City Schools. 

But the technology can help level the playing field for students with disabilities, said Paul Sanft, director of a Minnesota-based center where families can try out different assistive technology tools and borrow devices. 

“There are definitely going to be people who use some of these tools in nefarious ways. That’s always going to happen,” Sanft said. “But I don’t think that’s the biggest concern with people with disabilities, who are just trying to do something that they couldn’t do before.” 

Another risk is that AI will track students into less rigorous courses of study. And, because it is so good at identifying patterns, AI might be able to figure out a student has a disability. Having that disclosed by AI and not the student or their family could create ethical dilemmas, said Luis Perez, the disability and digital inclusion lead at CAST, formerly the Center for Applied Specialized Technology. 

Schools are using the technology to help students who struggle academically, even if they do not qualify for special education services. In Iowa, a new law requires students deemed not proficient — about a quarter of them — to get an individualized reading plan. As part of that effort, the state’s education department spent $3 million on an AI-driven personalized tutoring program. When students struggle, a digital avatar intervenes. 

Educators anticipate more tools 

The U.S. National Science Foundation is funding AI research and development. One firm is developing tools to help children with speech and language difficulties. Called the National AI Institute for Exceptional Education, it is headquartered at the University of Buffalo, which did pioneering work on handwriting recognition that helped the U.S. Postal Service save hundreds of millions of dollars by automating processing. 

“We are able to solve the postal application with very high accuracy. When it comes to children’s handwriting, we fail very badly,” said Venu Govindaraju, the director of the institute. He sees it as an area that needs more work, along with speech-to-text technology, which isn’t as good at understanding children’s voices, particularly if there is a speech impediment. 

Sorting through the sheer number of programs developed by education technology companies can be a time-consuming challenge for schools. Richard Culatta, CEO of the International Society for Technology in Education, said the nonprofit launched an effort this fall to make it easier for districts to vet what they are buying and ensure it is accessible. 

Mother sees potential

Makenzie wishes some of the tools were easier to use. Sometimes a feature will inexplicably be turned off, and she will be without it for a week while the tech team investigates. The challenges can be so cumbersome that some students resist the technology entirely. 

But Makenzie’s mother, Nadine Gilkison, who works as a technology integration supervisor at Franklin Township Community School Corporation in Indiana, said she sees more promise than downside. 

In September, her district rolled out chatbots to help special education students in high school. She said teachers, who sometimes struggled to provide students the help they needed, became emotional when they heard about the program. Until now, students were reliant on someone to help them, unable to move ahead on their own. 

“Now we don’t need to wait anymore,” she said. 
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The Native American Church is considered the most widespread religious movement among the Indigenous people of North America. It holds sacred the peyote cactus, which grows naturally only in some parts of southern Texas and northern Mexico. Peyote has been used spiritually in ceremonies, and as a medicine by Native American people for millennia.

It contains several psychoactive compounds, primarily mescaline, which is a hallucinogen. Different tribes of peyote people have their own name for the cactus. While it is still a controlled substance, U.S. laws passed in 1978 and 1994 allow Native Americans to use, harvest and transport peyote. However, these laws only allow federally recognized Native American tribes to use the substance and don’t apply to the broader group of Indigenous people in the United States.

The Native American Church developed into a distinct way of life around 1885 among the Kiowa and Comanche of Oklahoma. After 1891, it began to spread as far north as Canada. Now, more than 50 tribes and 400,000 people practice it. In general, the peyotist doctrine espouses belief in one supreme God who deals with humans through various spirits that then carry prayers to God. In many tribes, the peyote plant itself is a deity, personified as Peyote Spirit.

Why was the Native American Church incorporated?

The Native American Church is not one unified entity like, say, the Catholic Church. It contains a diversity of tribes, beliefs and practices. Peyote is what unifies them. After peyote was banned by U.S. government agents in 1888 and later by 15 states, Native American tribes began incorporating as individual Native American Churches in 1918.

In order to preserve the peyote ceremony, the federal and state governments encouraged Native American people to organize as a church, said Darrell Red Cloud, the great-great grandson of Chief Red Cloud of the Lakota Nation and vice president of the Native American Church of North America.

In the following decades, the religion grew significantly, with several churches bringing Jesus Christ’s name and image into the church so their congregations and worship would be accepted, said Steve Moore, who is non-Native and was formerly a staff attorney at the Native American Rights Fund.

“Local religious leaders in communities would see the image of Jesus, a Bible or cross on the wall of the meeting house or tipi and they would hear references to Jesus in the prayers or songs,” he said. “That probably helped persuade the authorities that the Native people were in the process of transformation to Christianity.”

This persecution of peyote people continued even after the formation of the Native American Church, said Frank Dayish Jr. a former Navajo Nation vice president and chairperson for the Council of the Peyote Way of Life Coalition.

In the 1960s, there were laws prohibiting peyote in the Navajo Nation, he said. Dayish remembers a time during that period when police confiscated peyote from his church, poured gasoline on the plants and set them on fire.

“I remember my dad and other relatives went over and saved the green peyote that didn’t burn,” he said, adding that it took decades of lobbying until an amendment to the American Indian Religious Freedom Act in 1994 permitted members of federally recognized Native American tribes to use peyote for religious purposes.

How is peyote used in the Native American Church?

Peyote is the central part of a ceremony that takes place in a tipi around a crescent-shaped earthen altar mound and a sacred fire. The ceremony typically lasts all night and includes prayer, singing, the sacramental eating of peyote, water rites and spiritual contemplation.

Morgan Tosee, a member of the Comanche Nation who leads ceremonies within the Comanche Native American Church, said peyote is utilized in the context of prayer — not smoked — as many tend to imagine.

“When we use it, we either eat it dry or grind it up,” he said. “Sometimes, we make tea out of it. But, we don’t drink it like regular tea. You pray with it and take little sips, like you would take medicine.”

Tosee echoes the belief that pervades the church: “If you take care of the peyote, it will take care of you.”

“And if you believe in it, it will heal you,” he said, adding that he has seen the medicine work, healing people with various ailments.

People treat the trip to harvest peyote as a pilgrimage, said Red Cloud. Typically, prayers and ceremonies take place before the pilgrimage to seek blessings for a good journey. Once they get to the peyote gardens, they would touch the ground and thank the Creator before harvesting the medicine. The partaking of peyote is also accompanied by prayer and ceremony. The mescaline in the peyote plant is viewed as God’s spirit, Red Cloud said.

“Once we eat it, the sacredness of the medicine is inside of us and it opens the spiritual eye,” he said. “From there, we start to see where the medicine is growing. It shows itself to us. Once we complete the harvest, we bring it back home and have another ceremony to the medicine and give thanks to the Creator.”
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SEOUL, SOUTH KOREA — North Korean leader Kim Jong Un held a key policy-setting meeting of the country’s ruling party last week ahead of the new year, state media KCNA reported on Sunday. 

The meeting of party and government officials decided that North Korea would launch the “toughest” strategy to counteract the United States for its security and national interests, the report said, without elaborating. 

The alliance between South Korea, the U.S. and Japan has expanded to a “nuclear military bloc” and South Korea has become an “anti-communist outpost” for the U.S., the KCNA report added. 

“This reality clearly shows to which direction we should advance and what we should do and how,” it said. 

The December 23-27 meeting also reviewed the handling of floods earlier this year, including the plan that brought those affected to Pyongyang, the capital, according to the report. 

The reclusive state also vowed to promote relations with “friendly” countries during the meeting. 

Kim also called for progress in defense, science and technology to bolster the country’s war deterrence.  

Such meetings often last a few days and have been used in recent years to make key policy announcements. 

In a reshuffle, Pyongyang named Pak Thae Song, a party secretary, as a new premier to replace Kim Tok Hun. 

Foreign Minister Choe Son Hui was named a member of the powerful Politburo of the party’s Central Committee. 

The 11th plenary session of the eighth central committee of the Workers’ Party of Korea wraps up a year in which Russian President Vladimir Putin held a summit with Kim and signed a deal that included a mutual defense pledge. 

Washington and Seoul have criticized the two countries’ military cooperation, including what they say is a dispatch of North Korean troops to fight for Russia in its war against Ukraine. 
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Abortion has become more common despite bans or deep restrictions in most Republican-controlled states, and the legal and political fights over its future are not over yet.

It’s now been two and a half years since the U.S. Supreme Court overturned Roe v. Wade and opened the door for states to implement bans.

The policies and their impact have been in flux ever since the ruling in Dobbs v. Jackson Women’s Health Organization.

Here’s a look at data on where things stand:

Abortions are more common than before Dobbs

Overturning Roe and enforcing abortion bans has changed how woman obtain abortions in the United States.

One thing it hasn’t done is put a dent in the number of abortions being obtained.

There have been slightly more monthly abortions across the country recently than there were in the months leading up to the June 2022 ruling, even as the number in states with bans dropped to near zero.

“Abortion bans don’t actually prevent abortions from happening,” said Ushma Upadhyay, a public health social scientist at the University of California San Francisco.

For women in some states, there are major obstacles to getting abortions — and advocates say that low-income, minority and immigrant women are least likely to be able to get them when they want.

For those living in states with bans, the ways to access abortion are through travel or abortion pills.

Pills become bigger part of equation — and legal questions

As the bans happened, abortion pills became a bigger part of the equation.

They were involved in about half the abortions before Dobbs. More recently, it’s been closer to two-thirds of them, according to research by the Guttmacher Institute.

The uptick of that kind of abortion, usually involving a combination of two drugs, was underway before the ruling.

But now, it’s become more common for pill prescriptions to be made by telehealth. By the summer of 2024, about 1 in 10 abortions were via pills prescribed via telehealth to patients in states where abortion is banned.

As a result, the pills are now at the center of battles over abortion access.

This month, Texas sued a New York doctor for prescribing pills to a Texas woman via telemedicine. There’s also an effort by Idaho, Kansas and Missouri to roll back their federal approvals and treat them as “controlled dangerous substances,” and a push for the federal government to start enforcing a 19th-century federal law to ban mailing them.

Travel for abortion has increased

Clinics have closed or halted abortions in states with bans.

A network of efforts to get women seeking abortions to places where they’re legal has strengthened and travel for abortion is now common.

The Guttmacher Institute found that more than twice as many Texas residents obtained abortions in 2023 in New Mexico as New Mexico residents did. And as many Texans received them in Kansas as Kansans.

Abortion funds, which benefitted from “rage giving” in 2022, helped pay the costs for many abortion-seekers. But some funds have had to cap how much they can give.

The ban that took effect in Florida this year has been a game-changer

Florida, the nation’s third most-populous state, began on May 1 enforcing a ban on abortions after the first six weeks of pregnancy.

That immediately changed the state from one that was a refuge for other Southerners seeking abortions to an exporter of people looking for them.

There were about 30% fewer abortions there in May compared with the average for the first three months of the year. And in June, there were 35% fewer.

While the ban is not unique, the impact is especially large. The average driving time from Florida to a facility in North Carolina where abortion is available for the first 12 weeks of pregnancy is more than nine hours, according to data maintained by Caitlin Myers, a Middlebury College economics professor.

Clinics have opened or expanded in some places

The bans have meant clinics closed or stopped offering abortions in some states.

But some states where abortion remains legal until viability – generally considered to be sometime past 21 weeks of pregnancy — have seen clinics open and expand.

Illinois, Kansas and New Mexico are among the states with new clinics.

There were 799 publicly identifiable abortion providers in the U.S. in May 2022, the month before the Supreme Court reversed Roe v. Wade. And by this November, it was 792, according to a tally by Myers, who is collecting data on abortion providers.

Myers said some hospitals that always provided some abortions have begun advertising it. So, they’re now in the count of clinics – even though they might provide few of them.

Lack of access to abortions during emergencies threatens patients’ lives

How hospitals handle pregnancy complications, especially those that threaten the lives of the women, has emerged as a major issue since Roe was overturned.

President Joe Biden’s administration said hospitals must offer abortions when they’re needed to prevent organ loss, hemorrhage or deadly infections, even in states with bans. Texas is challenging the administration’s policy and the U.S. Supreme Court this year declined to take it up after the Biden administration sued Idaho.

More than 100 pregnant women seeking help in emergency rooms were turned away or left unstable since 2022, The Associated Press found in an analysis of federal hospital investigative records.

Among the complaints were a woman who miscarried in the lobby restroom of Texas emergency room after staff refused to see her and a woman who gave birth in a car after a North Carolina hospital couldn’t offer an ultrasound. The baby later died.

“It is increasingly less safe to be pregnant and seeking emergency care in an emergency department,” Dara Kass, an emergency medicine doctor and former U.S. Health and Human Services official told the AP earlier this year.
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WEST PALM BEACH, FLORIDA — President-elect Donald Trump on Saturday sided with key supporter and billionaire tech CEO Elon Musk in a public dispute over the use of the H-1B visa, saying he fully backs the program for foreign tech workers opposed by some of his supporters. 

Trump’s remarks followed a series of social media posts from Musk, the CEO of Tesla and SpaceX, who vowed late Friday to “go to war” to defend the visa program for foreign tech workers. 

Trump, who moved to limit the visas’ use during his first presidency, told The New York Post on Saturday he was likewise in favor of the visa program. 

“I have many H-1B visas on my properties. I’ve been a believer in H-1B. I have used it many times. It’s a great program,” he was quoted as saying.  

Musk, a naturalized U.S. citizen born in South Africa, has held an H-1B visa, and his electric-car company Tesla obtained 724 of the visas this year. H-1B visas are typically for three-year periods, though holders can extend them or apply for permanent residency. 

The altercation was set off earlier this week by far-right activists who criticized Trump’s selection of Sriram Krishnan, an Indian American venture capitalist, to be an adviser on artificial intelligence, saying he would have influence on the Trump administration’s immigration policies. 

Musk’s tweet was directed at Trump’s supporters and immigration hard-liners who have increasingly pushed for the H-1B visa program to be scrapped amid a heated debate over immigration and the place of skilled immigrants and foreign workers brought into the country on work visas. 

On Friday, Steve Bannon, a longtime Trump confidante, critiqued “big tech oligarchs” for supporting the H-1B program and cast immigration as a threat to Western civilization. 

In response, Musk and many other tech billionaires drew a line between what they view as legal immigration and illegal immigration. 

Trump has promised to deport all immigrants who are in the U.S. illegally, deploy tariffs to help create more jobs for American citizens, and severely restrict immigration. 

The visa issue highlights how tech leaders such as Musk — who has taken an important role in the presidential transition by advising on key personnel and policy areas — are now drawing scrutiny from his base. 

The U.S. tech industry relies on the government’s H-1B visa program to hire foreign skilled workers to help run its companies, a labor force that critics say undercuts wages for American citizens.  

Musk spent more than a quarter of a billion dollars helping Trump get elected in November. He has posted regularly this week about the lack of homegrown talent to fill all the needed positions in American tech companies. 
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WASHINGTON — Changes are coming to the cold and cough aisle of your local pharmacy: U.S. officials are moving to phase out the leading decongestant found in hundreds of over-the-counter medicines, concluding that it doesn’t actually relieve nasal congestion.

Phenylephrine is used in popular versions of Sudafed, Dayquil and other medications, but experts have long questioned its effectiveness. Last month the Food and Drug Administration formally proposed revoking its use in pills and liquid solutions, kicking off a process that’s likely to force drugmakers to remove or reformulate products.

It’s a win for skeptical academics, including researchers at the University of Florida who petitioned the FDA to revisit the drug’s use in 2007 and again in 2015. For consumers it will likely mean switching to alternatives, including an older decongestant that was moved behind the pharmacy counter nearly 20 years ago.

Doctors say Americans will be better off without phenylephrine, which is often combined with other medicines to treat cold, flu, fever and allergies.

“People walk into the drugstore today and see 55,000 medicines on the shelf and they pick one that is definitely not going to work,” said Dr. Brian Schroer of the Cleveland Clinic. “You take away that option and it will be easier for them to self-direct toward products that really will help them.”

Why is FDA doing this now?

The FDA decision was expected after federal advisers last year voted unanimously that oral phenylephrine medications haven’t been shown to relieve congestion.

Experts reviewed several recent, large studies indicating that phenylephrine was no better than a placebo at clearing nasal passageways. They also revisited studies from the 1960s and 1970s that supported the drug’s initial use, finding numerous flaws and questionable data.

The panel’s opinion only applied to phenylephrine in oral medications, which account for roughly $1.8 billion in annual U.S. sales. The drug is still considered effective in nasal sprays, though those are much less popular.

Phenylephrine wasn’t always the top choice for cold and allergy products. Many were originally formulated with a different drug, pseudoephedrine.

But a 2006 law required pharmacies to move pseudoephedrine products behind the counter, citing their potential to be processed into methamphetamine. Companies such as Johnson & Johnson and Bayer decided to reformulate their products to keep them readily available on store shelves — and labeled many of them as “PE” versions of familiar brand names.

What are some alternatives for congestion?

Consumers who still want to take pills or syrups for relief will probably need to head to the pharmacy counter — where the pseudoephedrine-containing versions of Sudafed, Claritin D and other products remain available without a prescription. Purchasers need to provide a photo ID.

Beyond those products, most of the other options are over-the-counter nasal sprays or solutions.

Saline drops and rinses are a quick way to clear mucus from the nose. For long-term relief from seasonal stuffiness, itching and sneezing, many doctors recommend nasal steroids, sold as Flonase, Nasacort and Rhinocort.

“These medicines are by far the most effective daily treatment for nasal congestion and stuffiness,” Schroer said. “The biggest issue is they’re not great when used on an as-needed basis.”

Nasal steroids generally have to be used daily to be highly effective. For short-term relief, patients can try antihistamine sprays, such as Astepro, which are faster acting.

Phenylephrine-based sprays will also remain on pharmacy shelves.

Why doesn’t phenylephrine work when taken by mouth?

The experts who challenged the drug’s effectiveness say it’s quickly broken down and rendered ineffective when it hits the stomach.

“This is a good drug, but not when it’s swallowed,” said Leslie Hendeles, professor emeritus at the University of Florida’s College of Pharmacy, where he co-authored several papers on the ingredient. “It’s inactivated in the gut and doesn’t get into the bloodstream, so it can’t get to the nose.”

When Hendeles and his colleagues first petitioned the FDA on phenylephrine, they suggested a higher dose might be effective. But subsequent studies showed that even doses 400% higher than those currently recommended don’t treat stuffiness.

The FDA and other researchers concluded that pushing the dosage even higher might carry safety risks.

“If you’re using very high doses, the risk is raising blood pressure so high that it could be hazardous to patients,” said Randy Hatton, a University of Florida professor who co-led the research on phenylephrine.

Because of its cardiovascular effects, the drug is sometimes used to treat dangerously low blood pressure during surgery, Hatton noted.

What happens next?

Oral phenylephrine medicines will still be with us for a while.

Government regulators must follow a public, multistep process to remove the ingredient from FDA’s list of drugs approved for over-the-counter decongestants.

For six months, the FDA must take comments on its proposal, including from consumers and companies. Then, the FDA must review the feedback before writing a final order. Even after that decision is finalized, companies will likely have a year or more to remove or reformulate products.

Drugmakers could further delay the process by requesting additional FDA hearings.

For now, the Consumer Healthcare Products Association — which represents medicine makers — wants the products to stay available, saying Americans deserve “the option to choose the products they prefer for self-care.”

Hatton says he and his colleagues disagree: “Our position is that choosing from something that doesn’t work isn’t really a choice.” 
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A genetic analysis suggests the bird flu virus mutated inside a Louisiana patient who contracted the nation’s first severe case of the illness, the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention said this week.

Scientists believe the mutations may allow the virus to better bind to receptors in the upper airways of humans — something they say is concerning but not a cause for alarm.

Michael Osterholm, a University of Minnesota infectious-disease researcher, likened this binding interaction to a lock and key. To enter a cell, the virus needs to have a key that turns the lock, and this finding means the virus may be changing to have a key that might work.

“Is this an indication that we may be closer to seeing a readily transmitted virus between people? No,” Osterholm said. “Right now, this is a key that sits in the lock, but it doesn’t open the door.”

The virus has been causing sporadic, mostly mild illnesses in people in the United States; nearly all of those infected worked on dairy or poultry farms.

The patient in the U.S. state of Louisiana was hospitalized in critical condition with severe respiratory symptoms from bird flu after coming in contact with sick and dead birds in a backyard flock. The person, who has not been identified, is older than 65 and has underlying medical problems, officials said earlier this month.

The CDC stressed there has been no known transmission of the virus from the Louisiana patient to anyone else. The agency said its findings about the mutations were “concerning,” but the risk to the general public from the outbreak “has not changed and remains low.”

Still, Osterholm said, scientists should continue to follow what’s happening with mutations carefully.

“There will be additional influenza pandemics, and they could be much worse than we saw with COVID,” he said. “We know that the pandemic clock is ticking. We just don’t know what time it is.”
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