Card games have long been a favorite pastime for people of all ages and backgrounds. Whether played with friends and family or in competitive tournaments, card games offer a unique blend of strategy, skill, and luck. With the advent of technology, card games have also found their way onto online platforms, allowing players to play…
Bronx Borough President Vanessa L. Gibson hosts a screening of “The League,” a documentary celebrating the journey of the Negro National baseball league, on Wednesday at the Concourse Plaza Multiplex Cinemas.
The documentary, which premiered last month at the Tribeca Film Festival, was directed by Sam Pollack and executive produced by Ahmir “Questlove” Thompson .
Nearly 100 Bronxites attended the screening along with CEO & Founder of First and Pen, Yussuf Khan and Head of Publicity for Magnolia Pictures, George Nicholis.
“Being able to showcase culturally impactful stories through films like ‘The League’ continues our mission at First and Pen of informing, inspiring and connecting communities through voices of color in sports,” said Khan
The film features archival footage and never-seen before interviews with legendary players and pays tribute to Hall of Famer Andrew “Rube” Foster, who founded the Negro National League in 1920 with his fellow team owners.
“The Negro National League serves as an example of perseverance as they experienced unprecedented racism during their prime but yet were still able to overcome these systemic barriers to achieve greatness in American baseball history,” said Gibson.
So you’ve decided to start streaming on Twitch and build an audience. Congrats! That’s an exciting first step. But now you’re staring at that “0 viewers” label and wondering how to get the ball rolling. Buying viewers and followers is the best option. When you purchase viewers and followers, you’re giving your channel an instant…
WASHINGTON (AP) — Federal regulators on Thursday approved the nation’s first over-the-counter birth control pill in a landmark decision that will soon allow American women and girls to obtain contraceptive medication as easily as they buy aspirin and eyedrops.
The Food and Drug Administration cleared once-a-day Opill to be sold without a prescription, making it the first such medication to be moved out from behind the pharmacy counter. The manufacturer, Ireland-based Perrigo, won’t start shipping the pill until early next year, and there will be no age restrictions on sales.
Hormone-based pills have long been the most common form of birth control in the U.S., used by tens of millions of women since the 1960s. Until now, all of them required a prescription.
Medical societies and women’s health groups have pushed for wider access for decades, noting that an estimated 45% of the 6 million annual pregnancies in the U.S. are unintended. Teens and girls, women of color and those with low incomes report greater hurdles in getting prescriptions and picking them up.
The challenges can include paying for a doctor’s visit, getting time off from work and finding child care.
“This is really a transformation in access to contraceptive care,” said Kelly Blanchard, president of Ibis Reproductive Health, a nonprofit group that supported the approval. “Hopefully this will help people overcome those barriers that exist now.”
Perrigo says Opill could be an important new option for the estimated 15 million U.S. women who currently use no birth control or less effective methods, such as condoms. They are a fifth of those who are child-bearing age.
But how many women will actually gain access depends on the medication’s price, which Perrigo plans to announce later this year. Most older birth control pills cost $15 to $30 for a month’s supply without insurance coverage.
Over-the-counter medicines are generally much cheaper than prescriptions, but they typically aren’t covered by insurance.
Forcing insurers to cover over-the-counter birth control would require a regulatory change by the federal government, which women’s advocates are urging the Biden administration to implement.
The FDA approval gives U.S. women another birth control option amid the legal and political battles over reproductive health, including last year’s reversal of Roe v. Wade, which has upended abortion access across the U.S.
That said, Opill’s approval is unrelated to the ongoing court battles over the abortion pill mifepristone. And anti-abortion groups have generally emphasized that they do not oppose contraceptives, which are used to prevent pregnancies, not end them.
But in the last year, the FDA has faced pressure from Democratic politicians, health advocates and medical professionals to ease access to birth control. The American Medical Association and the leading professional society for obstetricians and gynecologists backed Opill’s application for over-the-counter status.
Birth control pills are available without a prescription across much of South America, Asia and Africa.
Perrigo submitted years of research to FDA to show that women could understand and follow instructions for using the pill. Thursday’s approval came despite some concerns by FDA scientists about the company’s results, including whether women with certain underlying medical conditions would understand that they shouldn’t take the drug.
The FDA’s action only applies to Opill. It’s in an older class of contraceptives, sometimes called minipills, that contain a single synthetic hormone and generally carry fewer side effects than more popular combination hormone pills.
But women’s health advocates hope the decision paves the way for more over-the-counter birth control options and, eventually, for abortion pills to do the same.
An outside panel of FDA advisers unanimously voted in favor of the switch at a hearing in May where dozens of public speakers called for Opill’s approval.
Dyvia Huitron was among those who presented, explaining how she has been unable to get prescription birth control more than three years after becoming sexually active. The 19-year-old University of Alabama student said she still isn’t comfortable getting a prescription because the school’s health system reports medical exams and medications to parents.
“My parents did not let me go on the pill,” Huitron said in a recent interview. “There was just a lot of cultural stigma around being sexually active before you’re married.”
While she uses other forms of contraception, “I would have much preferred to have birth control and use these additional methods to ensure that I was being as safe as possible.”
Huitron spoke on behalf of Advocates for Youth, one of the dozens of groups that have pushed to make prescription contraceptives more accessible.
The groups helped fund some of the studies submitted for Opill, and they encouraged HRA Pharma, later acquired by Perrigo, to file its application with the FDA.
Advocates were particularly interested in Opill because it raised fewer safety concerns. The pill was first approved in the U.S. five decades ago but hasn’t been marketed here since 2005.
“It’s been around a long time, and we have a large amount of data supporting that this pill is safe and effective for over-the-counter use,” Blanchard said.
Newer birth control pills typically combine two hormones, estrogen and progestin, which can help make periods lighter and more regular. But their use carries a heightened risk of blood clots, and they shouldn’t be used by women at risk for heart problems, such as those who smoke and are over 35.
Opill has only progestin, which prevents pregnancy by blocking sperm from reaching the cervix. It must be taken around the same time daily to be most effective.
In its internal review published in May, the FDA noted that some women in Perrigo’s study had trouble understanding the drug’s labeling information. In particular, the instructions warn that women with a history of breast cancer should not take the pill because it could spur tumor growth.
And women who have unusual vaginal bleeding are instructed to talk to a doctor first, because it could indicate a medical problem.
Common side effects include bleeding, headaches, dizziness, nausea and cramps, according to the FDA. The label also cautions that certain drugs can interfere with Opill’s effectiveness, including medications for seizures, HIV and hypertension.
Perrigo executives said the company will spend the rest of the year manufacturing the pill and its packaging so it can be available in stores early next year.
The Associated Press Health and Science Department receives support from the Howard Hughes Medical Institute’s Science and Educational Media Group. The AP is solely responsible for all content.egnancies, not end them.
The Trust for Governors Island today announced the schedule of free events for the July 2023 THIRD Saturday, to be held on Governors Island on Saturday, July 15, 2023. Held the third Saturday of every month through October, this Governors Island Arts initiative features special indoor and outdoor programs from the two dozen nonprofit organizations…
NYC Health + Hospitals today announced all 11 of its hospitals were again recognized by the American Heart Association for their commitment to quality care in heart failure. Hear attack, stroke, diabetes, and resuscitation. Every 40 seconds, someone in the U.S. has a stroke or heart attack, and heart disease and stroke are the No. 1…
NYC Mayor Eric Adams, NYC Corporation Counsel Sylvia O. Hinds-Radix, and New York City Department of Consumer and Worker Protection (DCWP) Commissioner Vilda Vera Mayuga today announced an agreement with L’Officiel USA. A media company, to resolve a 2021 lawsuit brought by the city over the company’s failure to pay freelancers on time, fully, or at all, in…
The National Basketball Players Association (NBPA) Foundation launched the inaugural NBPA Foundation Las Vegas Golf Invitational at the iconic Las Vegas Country Club. Current and former NBPA members, including Matt Barnes, Devon Dotson, Marc Eversley, Langston Galloway, Kevin Garnett, Alonzo Mourning, Paul Pierce, Jalen Rose, Reggie Theus, Garrett Temple, Dylan Windler, Mike Woodson, together with Tamika Tremaglio, the…
In the vibrant year of 1971, El Museo del Barrio witnessed a seminal moment as it welcomed its first significant art donation. The exquisite collection known as La estampa puertorriqueña. This carefully curated ensemble of prints, hailing from the San Juan-based Centro de Arte Puertorriqueño (CAP), emerged with a profound purpose: to breathe new life…
LOS ANGELES (AP) — LeBron James will play another season for the Los Angeles Lakers.
The 38-year-old superstar announced his intentions on stage at The ESPYS on Wednesday night after accepting the record-breaking performance award for becoming the NBA’s career scoring leader.
At the end of last season, in which he surpassed Kareem Abdul-Jabbar’s mark, James had said he wasn’t sure if he would be back.
“In that moment I’m asking myself if I can still play without cheating the game. Can I give everything to the game still? The truth is I’ve been asking myself this question at the end of the season for a couple years now. I just never openly talked about it,” James said.
“I don’t care how many more points I score or what I can and cannot do on the floor. The real question for me is can I play without cheating this game? The day I can’t give the game everything on the floor is the day I’ll be done. Lucky for you guys that day is not today.”
The crowd at the Dolby Theatre in Hollywood let out a huge cheer.
“So yeah, I still got something left,” James said. “A lot left.”
He was presented his trophy by wife Savannah, sons Bronny and Bryce and daughter Zhuri. In her introductory remarks, Savannah said, “I think LeBron James is the baddest …”
She began to say an expletive but cut herself off as Zhuri exclaimed, “Mom!”
James later returned and was joined by Chris Paul and Dwyane Wade to honor Carmelo Anthony, who recently retired after a 19-year career.
Earlier, Chicago White Sox reliever Liam Hendriks told the audience that he pitched much of the 2022 season with non-Hodgkin lymphoma before being diagnosed with an advanced stage of the disease.
He accepted the Jimmy V Award for Perseverance. The 34-year-old Australian was declared cancer-free in late April and returned to the mound a month later.
“That was an eye-opener. I didn’t feel too many symptoms but I had some lumps around. It just shows you the power of the mind. When you don’t think anything’s wrong and you believe that you can do anything, you can do anything,” Hendriks said.
“I was throwing 100 miles per hour while going through Stage 4 lymphoma and then coming back after doing eight rounds of chemotherapy and four rounds of immunotherapy and was able to get out there and throw 96 miles per hour. That isn’t physically who I am. That’s all this, that’s all mental.”
The U.S. women’s soccer team was honored with the Arthur Ashe Award for Courage for its fight to receive equal pay. The players sued U.S. Soccer in 2019 and last year reached agreement on a deal that splits men’s and women’s pay equally.
Briana Scurry, goalkeeper for the national team from 1994-2008, saluted the 1985 team.
“They are the foundation of this entire community of giants,” she said.
The Buffalo Bills training staff received the Pat Tillman Award for Service, honored for saving the life of safety Damar Hamlin, who went into cardiac arrest at a game in Cincinnati in January.
The staff was greeted by a standing ovation. They huddled around Hamlin on stage, hugging him and patting his back. With his back to the audience, Hamlin bent his head and appeared to break down. He has since recovered and plans to play this fall.
“Damar, first and foremost, thank you for staying alive, brother,” said Nate Breske, head trainer for the Bills.
“We’re not used to having the spotlight on us. We were just doing our job, but the idea of service is definitely something that is engrained in our profession and that we take great pride in,” he told the audience.
Breske urged support for funding for automated external defibrillators and CPR training, especially in underserved communities, as well as for athletic trainers in youth sports.
“Learn CPR and how to use an AED because they save lives,” he said.
Patrick Mahomes was honored as best men’s sports athlete, while skier Mikaela Shiffrin received the women’s sports honor.
The Kansas City Chiefs quarterback has won two Super Bowls in his five seasons and was named MVP of the game each time, including this past February. He turns 28 in September.
“It was an incredible season. There was many ups, many downs,” Mahomes said. “I appreciate my teammates, my coaches, the guys that are here. I go back to camp next Tuesday, so this is a great award. But we’re going to do this thing again, we’re going to keep this thing rolling.”
Shiffrin won her 87th World Cup race in March, breaking the mark set by Ingemar Stenmark for the most such wins by any skier. She went on to win an 88th Cup race, as well as the overall season title.
“This season was absolutely incredible and there was a lot of talk about records and it got me thinking, why is a record actually important?” Shiffrin said. “I just feel like it’s not important to break records or re-set records. It’s important to set the tone for the next generation, to inspire them.”
Sports talk host Pat McAfee handled the opening monologue in his first major public appearance since joining ESPN in May.
The show didn’t have its usual celebrity host as a result of the Hollywood writers strike. McAfee offered a series of hints that comedian Kevin Hart had been set for the gig but that Hart instead chose to support the Writers Guild of America.
An ESPN spokeswoman said a production team worked with presenters on their introductory remarks. The usual pre-taped comedy sketches were absent.
