Latest news with #BlackFamilies
Yahoo
4 days ago
- Health
- Yahoo
About a third of pregnant women in the US lack sufficient vitamin D to support healthy pregnancies − new research
Children whose mothers had higher vitamin D levels during pregnancy scored better on tests of memory, attention and problem-solving skills at ages 7 to 12 compared with those whose mothers had lower levels. That is a key finding of a new peer-reviewed study that my colleagues and I published in The American Journal of Clinical Nutrition. While vitamin D has long been known for its role in maintaining bone health, scientists have since uncovered its importance in regulating immune function, reducing inflammation and protecting the nervous system. Now, growing evidence – including our new findings – suggest it may also support brain development beginning in the womb. My team and I found that the link between prenatal vitamin D levels and childhood cognition was strongest among Black families, who also face higher rates of vitamin D deficiency. This suggests that vitamin D supplementation may be a promising, low-cost strategy to support brain development while reducing racial disparities. Our study also suggested that vitamin D levels early in pregnancy may be most important for childhood cognitive development, highlighting the importance of early action by health care providers. We analyzed more than 900 mother-child pairs across the U.S. who participated in a large national study called ECHO, short for Environmental influences on Child Health Outcomes. We measured vitamin D in the mothers' blood during pregnancy and assessed children's cognitive abilities using a standardized test battery. We also accounted for other important factors that shape childhood development such as the mother's education, neighborhood conditions and the child's age and sex. This new study builds on our earlier findings that higher vitamin D levels during pregnancy are linked to higher IQ in early childhood and with reduced behavioral problems in middle childhood. Collectively, these studies suggest that vitamin D plays a crucial role in brain development during pregnancy, with lasting benefits for children's cognitive and behavioral outcomes. Why it matters Vitamin D deficiency is a common global problem. In the U.S., about 42% of adults have vitamin D levels below 20 nanograms per milliliter, or ng/ml, a commonly used cutoff for deficiency. About a third of U.S. pregnant women are deficient, and the rates are even higher among Black pregnant women, with 80% found to be deficient. This racial difference is partly due to differences in skin pigmentation, as melanin pigment reduces the skin's ability to produce vitamin D from sunlight. Although we can get vitamin D both from sun exposure and our diets, deficiency is common because these sources don't meet everyone's needs. Sunlight isn't always a reliable source, especially for people with darker skin, those living in northern climates or those who often wear sunscreen or sun-protective clothing. Natural food sources such as fatty fish, egg yolks and certain mushrooms contain some vitamin D, and fortified products such as milk and breakfast cereals help, but not everyone eats enough of these foods to maintain healthy vitamin D levels. That's why supplements are often necessary and are recommended in many cases by the Dietary Guidelines for Americans. Although current guidelines recommend that pregnant women consume 600 international units, or IUs, of vitamin D daily, higher doses of at least 1,000 to 2,000 IU are often needed to correct deficiency. On average, U.S. women consume only 168 IU from food and beverages, and many prenatal vitamins provide just 400 IU. This highlights an important opportunity for clinicians to improve screening and support around vitamin D supplementation both before and during pregnancy. If a simple, low-cost strategy such as prenatal vitamin D supplementation can help support brain development, it may yield lasting benefits for children. Long-term studies have shown that higher cognitive scores in childhood are linked to better memory and reasoning in older age, as well as longer lifespan. What still isn't known While our studies have linked higher vitamin D levels in pregnancy to improved cognitive and behavioral development in children, we cannot yet prove that vitamin D is the direct cause. Therefore, studies called randomized controlled trials – the gold standard of research – are needed to confirm these findings and determine how best to translate them into clinical practice. These studies will be essential for determining the optimal target levels for vitamin D to support brain development in pregnancy. The Research Brief is a short take on interesting academic work. This article is republished from The Conversation, a nonprofit, independent news organization bringing you facts and trustworthy analysis to help you make sense of our complex world. It was written by: Melissa Melough, University of Delaware Read more: Prenatal supplements fall woefully short in providing crucial nutrition during pregnancy – and most women don't even know it Prenatal supplements largely lack the recommended amount of omega-3 fatty acids to help prevent preterm birth − new research Dietary supplements and protein powders fall under a 'wild west' of products that necessitate caveats and caution Melissa Melough receives funding from the National Institutes of Health (NIH). Solve the daily Crossword
The Guardian
10-07-2025
- General
- The Guardian
Black people in England four times as likely to face homelessness, study finds
Black people in England are almost four times as likely to face homelessness as white people and substantially less likely to get social housing, according to the first major study into homelessness and racism in more than two decades. A three-year research project by academics at Heriot-Watt University found that ethnicity affects a person's risk of homelessness, even when controlling for factors such as geography, poverty and home ownership rates. They recorded evidence of people resorting to changing their name, accent and hairstyle to try to gain access to housing and other services, and being told by housing officers to be grateful because 'you don't have this back in your country'. The report's lead author, Prof Suzanne Fitzpatrick, said: 'There are long-term forms of structural disadvantage, rooted in historic racism, which are impacting on risks of homelessness. But the data indicates present-day discrimination is also playing a role. We heard reports of really overt racism from private landlords – refusing to house people because they're black, particularly if they're refugees, or imposing rules or restrictions on them that they don't impose on other tenants.' The team from the university's Institute for Social Policy, Housing and Equalities Research analysed 750,000 household outcome records from official homelessness data from 2019-20 to 2021-22 and found that 10% of black families in the statutory homelessness system gained access to social housing, compared with 24% of white families. They also found 11% of migrant-headed households accessed social housing, compared with 17% of all households. Analysis of English Housing Survey data found that Pakistani-Bangladeshi households were more than seven times more likely and black households six times more likely to be overcrowded than white households. Data obtained via freedom of information requests by Shelter found black-headed households were more likely to be stuck in temporary accommodation (TA) for long periods of time. They found 43% of black-headed households in TA had been there for more than two years, compared with 25% of white-headed households. Almost a fifth (18%) of black-headed households in TA had been there for more than five years, compared with 8% of white-headed households. Mairi MacRae, the director of campaigns and policy at the charity, said inequality 'remains hardwired into our housing system'. She said: 'The evidence is clear – devastatingly, Black people are more likely to become homeless and less likely to have a safe and secure home. Racial stereotyping, culturally insensitive communication and unjust treatment from housing officers, as well as excessive questioning around eligibility in the application process, leave Black people feeling unheard, neglected and dehumanised.' Shelter's separate report, My Colour Speaks Before Me, describes people's experiences of stereotyping, judgment and stigma, and facing an 'uneven burden of proof', with excessive questioning and heightened scrutiny when applying for social housing. Black social housing applicants reported being treated more poorly than white applicants, facing longer delays and receiving support that was not culturally aware. One of the report's 16 peer researchers, Uchenna Eneke, 43, spent 15 years living in a one-bedroom flat with her children while bidding for a social home in east London, and struggled to get basic maintenance repairs or speak to housing officers. 'It makes you question everything – is it because I'm black? Is it because I'm a woman? Is it because I'm a single mum? I was seeing people getting rehoused around me, and I came before them,' she said. 'Especially with a name like mine. Sometimes I had to change my name to an English name – I used to call myself Gillian – just to get through to speak to someone.' Her children, now 17 and 10, spent most of their childhoods sharing a room with their mother, and one developed chronic rhinitis due to persistent mould in the property. 'I tried asking for help but nothing happened. You just keep to yourself, keep your head down, don't get your kids taken off you. I ended up having a bit of a nervous breakdown,' she said. She now volunteers with Shelter and advocates on behalf of other people struggling with housing. 'We need the laws to change because people are going crazy. People are losing their lives, losing their families, losing their jobs,' she said. 'Imagine someone being homeless but still having a job at the same time. That's not normal.' Fitzpatrick said their research was designed to 'fill a longstanding gap in knowledge about race and homelessness in the UK', particularly after the widely condemned Sewell report on racial disparity in 2021, which made little reference to housing. She said their recommendations included using the private rented sector landlord ombudsman proposed in the renter's rights bill to tackle racism by landlords, and rejecting ethnicity-blind approaches in housing departments. 'It's really unacceptable that people who are already in a crisis situation are sometimes traumatised by their treatment at the hands of local authority homelessness officers that are there to assist them,' Fitzpatrick said. 'If you've got people coming into a system with structural disadvantage, you have to be aware of that.'
CBS News
07-07-2025
- General
- CBS News
Eaton Fire survivor remains hopeful his community will rebuild 6 months after losing everything
Six months after the Eaton Fire erupted in the Pasadena and Altadena communities, residents are still mourning the loss of their homes and a place they once called home. For Donny Kincey, it's the absence that echoes. The leveled landscape makes the neighborhood he's known all his life in some ways feel unfamiliar. "It's hard coming up here. It's hard seeing what used to be here. It was easier when I could actually see like burned things but now that everything is gone it really hurts," he said. On Jan. 7, the family home that he shared with his sister was destroyed, as well as his childhood home where his parents lived just a mile away. Kincey recalled his two-car garage that used to stand on the property. "This was all my parents' hard work," he said while looking at the empty lot. His grief seems to grow with every memory of the happy moments that used to fill those spaces. "Most of my issues have been mental health issues, financially you know it's, it's crazy losing everything and having all of your finances you know like stay the same, your job is still there, your bank account is still there, it didn't burn, you know it's not like you lost everything, but you lost everything," Kincey said. An artist and grade school teacher, Kincey put his life on the line to save his family's legacy. Two homes and four generations were raised within the homes. Altadena was one of the few where Black families could buy houses in the redlined Los Angeles of the 1950s. For hours he was a one-man fire company fighting to save history from an inferno. "Every night I think about it and it just doesn't go away. It's, I feel really guilty. You know because I didn't save. I feel like I didn't save anything," Kincey said about how often he replays what happened that night. With each day, remorse is matched by the resolve to move past the pain, that, as the flames did, threatens to consume him. His family is among the fortunate ones who can and will rebuild while others lack the insurance, the capital, or even the will to stay through a long, expensive recovery. "It's sad to think that this place will change but it will. It's never gonna look the same," he said. "Our neighbors are all gonna be different and there's no blame there. There's no, you know, hard feelings for people leaving." Kincey explained that he feels it is his duty to take care of the property and make sure future generations of his family are able to benefit from it all. Even though the home is no longer physically standing, Kincey said it still feels like he's at home.
Yahoo
30-06-2025
- Entertainment
- Yahoo
Nelly Defends Performing At Trump Event, Slams Kamala Harris And 'White Husband'
Nelly had words for fans critiquing his decision to perform at official events for President Donald Trump. Speaking on Hot97 with radio host Ebro Darden, the St. Louis native explained that he was never 'pro Donald Trump.' 'Where did you get pro-Donald?' he clarified. 'What you had was respect for office.' He continued, 'It's great how people spin narratives to things that I think best fit whatever they're against. You know what I'm saying, instead of giving a brother the exact fundamental of what he did, what he said. Nobody's doing that anymore.' 'It's amazing how you can do something, but if you don't agree with everything that somebody does, which I plainly said that. I dont agree with everything my wife does…I never endorsed any president.' The 50-year-old furthered his stance in the comment section on The Shade Room. Leaving a note for critics of both himself and Snoop Dogg, Nelly called out former Vice President Kamala Harris. 'I'll put whatever up me and Snoop do more in the community and have been doing for over 20+ years against any of you that are on here just talking trash and have no stats to back up what you mean to the community .. from the Black families that we employ to the black children that we help every day and all year through our nonprofits,' the reality tv star wrote. 'And on top of that we are 'Black men' married to beautiful Black women with Black children .. should be inspiring to most but some of y'all have a problem with because 'the prosecutor who has probably locked up more Black than we've helped woman of color with the white husband did not win the election .. again I reiterate, I did not campaign for anyone. I do not tell people who to vote for. I respect and love our country from top to bottom good and bad,' he continued. Earlier this year, the 'Hot In Herre' rapper came under fire for taking the stage at Trump's Liberty Inaugural Ball, a first-of-its-kind event. At the time, he declared that 'it is an honor for me to perform for the president of the United States, regardless of who is in office.' Sports commentator Stephen A. Smith defended Nelly and Snoop, as well as Ice Cube and Soulja Boy, for their Trump affiliations. Rapper Jim Jones also made the case for his Hip-Hop peers. 'The president still the president. It was a race. Somebody lost the race. Somebody won the race. What do they expect us to do? Disrespect the president because that person didn't win? No, he's still the president of the United States so we still have to show that much respect to the President of the United States. That's how I feel about it. And, I'm not political and sh*t like that. I didn't vote for anybody,' detailed the Harlem native. Still, not everybody was down with the decision. After Nelly's performance, Janelle Monáe shared her disdain for his values while at an event at Anderson .Paak's Andy's in West Hollywood following the 67th Grammy Awards. 'F**k you Nelly!' she yelled while on the microphone. 'I used to like Nelly… but then he went to perform for Donald Trump. F**k that ni**a. I don't give a f**k. I'm with my family ain't nobody gonna hate on us. I care about women.' As the crowd cheered, she rapped, 'Nelly, you sold out. I used to think you was cool. Now you look like a motherf**king fool. I might be a little tipsy, but I know everything I'm saying. F**k you ni**a. Get a new attitude.' More from Charlamagne Tha God Reflects On Nelly Having Him "Shook" During A Heated Interview Nelly Says He'll Have As Many Kids As Ashanti Wants, As Long As They Do This One Thing Ashanti, Nelly Peacock Series Trailer Shares Special Look Into Their Parenthood Balancing Act
RNZ News
21-05-2025
- Politics
- RNZ News
US abandons police reform accords sought over deaths of George Floyd and Breonna Taylor
By Sarah N Lynch , Reuters People gather against the Child Protective Services (CPS) in Lafayette Square in Washington, DC, USA, on 11 May, 2025, to condemn policies that target and separate Black families. Photo: Aashish Kiphayet / NurPhoto / NurPhoto via AFP The US Justice Department is abandoning efforts to secure court-approved settlements with Minneapolis and Louisville, despite its prior finding that police in both cities routinely violated the civil rights of Black people, a senior official said on Wednesday. Harmeet Dhillon, the assistant attorney general for the department's Civil Rights Division, said her office will seek to dismiss the pending litigation against the two cities and retract the department's prior findings of constitutional violations. "Overbroad police consent decrees divest local control of policing from communities where it belongs, turning that power over to unelected and unaccountable bureaucrats, often with an anti-police agenda," Dhillon said in a statement. She also announced that the department will be closing out investigations and retracting prior findings of wrongdoing against the police departments in Phoenix, Arizona, Memphis, Tennessee, Trenton, New Jersey, Mount Vernon, New York, Oklahoma City, Oklahoma and the Louisiana State Police. The move comes four days before the 25 May five-year anniversary of the death of George Floyd, a Black man who was murdered by Derek Chauvin, a white police officer who knelt on his neck as Floyd repeatedly pleaded that he couldn't breathe. Floyd's killing, as well as the killing of Breonna Taylor who was shot to death by Louisville Police executing a no-knock warrant, sparked worldwide protests about racially-motivated policing practices during the final year of President Donald Trump's first term in office. Louisville and Minneapolis were the two most high-profile cities to be investigated during former Democratic President Joe Biden's administration for systemic police abuse, and were the only two cities that agreed in principle to enter into a court-approved settlement with the DOJ known as a consent decree. Minneapolis also separately entered a similar type of settlement with the state of Minnesota to reform its police practices. Congress authorised the Justice Department to conduct civil investigations into constitutional abuses by police, such as excessive use of force or racially-motivated policing, in 1994, as a response to the beating of Rodney King, a Black man, by white Los Angeles police officers. During Biden's presidency, the Civil Rights Division launched 12 such "pattern or practice" investigations into police departments including Phoenix, New York City, Trenton, Memphis and Lexington, Mississippi. But during those four years it failed to enter into any court-binding consent decrees, an issue that legal experts warned could put the department's police accountability work at risk of being undone. Under Dhillon's leadership, the Civil Rights Division has lost more than 100 of its attorneys through deferred resignation agreements, demotions and resignations. "Over 100 attorneys decided that they'd rather not do what their job requires them to do, and I think that's fine," Dhillon told Glenn Beck on his podcast on 26 April. Last month, Dhillon demoted senior attorneys who handled police abuse investigations to other low-level assignments, such as handling public records requests or adjudicating internal discrimination complaints. Those moves are part of a broader effort by the Trump administration to upend the Civil Rights Division's traditions of pursuing cases to protect the civil rights of some of the country's most vulnerable and historically disenfranchised populations. Since January, it has paused probes of alleged police abuse, launched its first investigation into whether Los Angeles violated gun rights laws, and following Trump's lead, changed the department's stance on transgender rights and probed alleged antisemitism at US colleges involving pro-Palestinian protesters. The department also recently ended a decades-old school desegregation order in Louisiana that came about in the wake of the Supreme Court's Brown v Board of Education case. - Reuters
