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CNN
13 hours ago
- Health
- CNN
You can slow cognitive decline as you age with lifestyle changes, large study finds
FacebookTweetLink At 62, Phyllis Jones felt trapped in darkness. She was traumatized by her mother's recent death, ongoing pandemic stress and an increasingly toxic work environment. A sudden panic attack led to a medical leave. Her depression worsened until the day her 33-year-old son sadly told her, 'Mom, I didn't think I would have to be your caregiver at this stage in your life.' 'For me, that was the wake-up call,' Jones, now 66, told CNN. 'That's when I found the POINTER study and my life changed. What I accomplished during the study was phenomenal — I'm a new person.' The Protect Brain Health Through Lifestyle Intervention to Reduce Risk, or US POINTER study, is the largest randomized clinical trial in the United States designed to examine whether lifestyle interventions can protect cognitive function in older adults. 'These are cognitively healthy people between the ages of 60 and 79 who, to be in the study, had to be completely sedentary and at risk for dementia due to health issues such as prediabetes and borderline high blood pressure,' said principal investigator Laura Baker, a professor of gerontology, geriatrics and internal medicine at Wake Forest University School of Medicine in Winston-Salem, North Carolina. Approximately one-half of the 2,111 study participants attended 38 structured team meetings over two years in local neighborhoods near Chicago, Houston, Winston-Salem, Sacramento, California, and Providence, Rhode Island. During each session, a trained facilitator provided guidance on how to exercise and eat for the brain, and explained the importance of socialization, the use of brain-training games, and the basics of brain health. The team leader also held the group accountable for logging blood pressure and other vitals. Physical and cognitive exams by a physician occurred every six months. At six team meetings, the other half of the study's participants learned about brain health and were encouraged to select lifestyle changes that best suited their schedules. This group was self-guided, with no goal-directed coaching. These participants also received physical and cognitive exams every six months. The two-year results of the $50 million study, funded by the Alzheimer's Association, were simultaneously presented Monday at the 2025 Alzheimer's Association International Conference in Toronto and published in the journal JAMA. 'We found people in the structured program appeared to delay normal cognitive aging by one to nearly two years over and above the self-guided group — people who did not receive the same degree of support,' Baker said. 'However, the self-guided group improved their cognitive scores over time as well.' Exercise was the first challenge. Like the other groups across the country, Jones and her Aurora, Illinois, team received YMCA memberships and lessons on how to use the gym equipment. Jones was told to use aerobic exercise to raise her heart rate for 30 minutes a day while adding strength training and stretching several times a week. At first, it wasn't easy. The study participants wore fitness trackers that monitored their activity, Jones said. 'After that first 10 minutes, I was sweating and exhausted,' she said. 'But we went slow, adding 10 minutes at a time, and we kept each other honest. Now I just love to work out.' Four weeks later, teams were given a new challenge — beginning the Mediterranean-DASH Intervention for Neurodegenerative Delay, or MIND diet. The diet combines the best of the Mediterranean diet with the salt restrictions of the DASH diet, which stands for Dietary Approaches to Stop Hypertension. 'They gave us a refrigerator chart with foods to limit and foods to enjoy,' Jones said. 'We had to eat berries and vegetables most days, including green leafy veggies, which was a separate item. We had to have 2 tablespoons of extra-virgin olive oil once every day.' Foods to limit included fried food, processed meat, dairy, cheese and butter. Restrictions were also in place for sugary sweets. 'But we could have dessert four times a week,' Jones added. 'That's awesome because you're not completely depriving yourself.' Another pillar of the program was requiring study participants to familiarize themselves with their vital signs, Wake Forest's Baker said. 'If at any point we asked them, 'What's your average blood pressure?' they should be able to tell us,' she said. 'We encouraged people to monitor their blood sugar as well.' Later came brain training, via memberships to a popular, Web-based cognitive training app. While some scientists say the benefits of such online brain programs have yet to be proven, Jones said she enjoyed the mental stimulation. Becoming better at socializing was another key part of the program. The researchers tasked teams with assignments, such as speaking to strangers or going out with friends. 'I found my best friend, Patty Kelly, on my team,' Jones said. 'At 81, she's older than me, but we do all sorts of things together — in fact, she's coming with me to Toronto when I speak at the Alzheimer's conference. 'Isolation is horrible for your brain,' she added. 'But once you get to a point where you are moving and eating healthy, your energy level changes, and I think you automatically become more social.' As the study progressed, the researchers reduced check-ins to twice a month, then once a month, Baker said. 'We were trying to get people to say, 'I am now a healthy person,' because if you believe that, you start making decisions which agree with the new perception of yourself,' she said. 'So in the beginning, we were holding their hands, but by the end, they were flying on their own,' Baker added. 'And that was the whole idea — get them to fly on their own.' Because researchers tracked each team closely, the study has a wealth of data that has yet to be mined. 'On any given day, I could go into our web-based data system and see how much exercise someone's doing, whether they've logged into brain training that day, what's their latest MIND diet score, and whether they'd attended the last team meeting,' Baker said. 'We also have sleep data, blood biomarkers, brain scans and other variables, which will provide more clarity on which parts of the intervention were most successful.' Digging deeper into the data is important, Baker says, because the study has limitations, such as the potential for a well-known phenomenon called the practice effect. 'Even though we use different stimuli within tests, the act of taking a test over and over makes you more familiar with the situation — you know where the clinic is, where to park, you're more comfortable with your examiner,' she said. 'You're not really smarter, you're just more relaxed and comfortable, so therefore you do better on the test,' Baker said. 'So while we're thrilled both groups in US POINTER appear to have improved their global cognition (thinking, learning and problem-solving), we have to be cautious in our interpretations.' It's important to note the POINTER study was not designed to provide the more immersive lifestyle interventions needed for people with early stages of Alzheimer's, said Dr. Dean Ornish, a professor of medicine at the University of California, San Francisco. Ornish published a June 2024 clinical trial that found a strict vegan diet, daily exercise, structured stress reduction and frequent socialization could often stop the decline or even improve cognition in those already experiencing from early-stage Alzheimer's disease, not just for those at risk for it. 'The US POINTER randomized clinical trial is a landmark study showing that moderate lifestyle changes in diet, exercise, socialization and more can improve cognition in those at risk for dementia,' said Ornish, creator of the Ornish diet and lifestyle medicine program and coauthor of 'Undo It!: How Simple Lifestyle Changes Can Reverse Most Chronic Diseases.' 'It complements our randomized clinical trial findings which found that more intensive multiple lifestyle changes often improve cognition in those already diagnosed with early-stage Alzheimer's disease,' Ornish said. 'But the US POINTER study showed that more moderate lifestyle changes may be sufficient to help prevent it.' In reality, two years isn't sufficient to track brain changes over time, said study coauthor Maria Carillo, chief science officer of the Alzheimer's Association. 'We really want to make recommendations that are evidence based,' Carillo told CNN. 'That's why we have invested another $40 million in a four-year follow-up, and I believe over 80% of the original participants have joined. 'Brain health is a long game,' she added. 'It's hard to track, but over time, change can be meaningful.'
CNN
13 hours ago
- Health
- CNN
You can slow cognitive decline as you age with lifestyle changes, large study finds
At 62, Phyllis Jones felt trapped in darkness. She was traumatized by her mother's recent death, ongoing pandemic stress and an increasingly toxic work environment. A sudden panic attack led to a medical leave. Her depression worsened until the day her 33-year-old son sadly told her, 'Mom, I didn't think I would have to be your caregiver at this stage in your life.' 'For me, that was the wake-up call,' Jones, now 66, told CNN. 'That's when I found the POINTER study and my life changed. What I accomplished during the study was phenomenal — I'm a new person.' The Protect Brain Health Through Lifestyle Intervention to Reduce Risk, or US POINTER study, is the largest randomized clinical trial in the United States designed to examine whether lifestyle interventions can protect cognitive function in older adults. 'These are cognitively healthy people between the ages of 60 and 79 who, to be in the study, had to be completely sedentary and at risk for dementia due to health issues such as prediabetes and borderline high blood pressure,' said principal investigator Laura Baker, a professor of gerontology, geriatrics and internal medicine at Wake Forest University School of Medicine in Winston-Salem, North Carolina. Approximately one-half of the 2,111 study participants attended 38 structured team meetings over two years in local neighborhoods near Chicago, Houston, Winston-Salem, Sacramento, California, and Providence, Rhode Island. During each session, a trained facilitator provided guidance on how to exercise and eat for the brain, and explained the importance of socialization, the use of brain-training games, and the basics of brain health. The team leader also held the group accountable for logging blood pressure and other vitals. Physical and cognitive exams by a physician occurred every six months. At six team meetings, the other half of the study's participants learned about brain health and were encouraged to select lifestyle changes that best suited their schedules. This group was self-guided, with no goal-directed coaching. These participants also received physical and cognitive exams every six months. The two-year results of the $50 million study, funded by the Alzheimer's Association, were simultaneously presented Monday at the 2025 Alzheimer's Association International Conference in Toronto and published in the journal JAMA. 'We found people in the structured program appeared to delay normal cognitive aging by one to nearly two years over and above the self-guided group — people who did not receive the same degree of support,' Baker said. 'However, the self-guided group improved their cognitive scores over time as well.' Exercise was the first challenge. Like the other groups across the country, Jones and her Aurora, Illinois, team received YMCA memberships and lessons on how to use the gym equipment. Jones was told to use aerobic exercise to raise her heart rate for 30 minutes a day while adding strength training and stretching several times a week. At first, it wasn't easy. The study participants wore fitness trackers that monitored their activity, Jones said. 'After that first 10 minutes, I was sweating and exhausted,' she said. 'But we went slow, adding 10 minutes at a time, and we kept each other honest. Now I just love to work out.' Four weeks later, teams were given a new challenge — beginning the Mediterranean-DASH Intervention for Neurodegenerative Delay, or MIND diet. The diet combines the best of the Mediterranean diet with the salt restrictions of the DASH diet, which stands for Dietary Approaches to Stop Hypertension. 'They gave us a refrigerator chart with foods to limit and foods to enjoy,' Jones said. 'We had to eat berries and vegetables most days, including green leafy veggies, which was a separate item. We had to have 2 tablespoons of extra-virgin olive oil once every day.' Foods to limit included fried food, processed meat, dairy, cheese and butter. Restrictions were also in place for sugary sweets. 'But we could have dessert four times a week,' Jones added. 'That's awesome because you're not completely depriving yourself.' Another pillar of the program was requiring study participants to familiarize themselves with their vital signs, Wake Forest's Baker said. 'If at any point we asked them, 'What's your average blood pressure?' they should be able to tell us,' she said. 'We encouraged people to monitor their blood sugar as well.' Later came brain training, via memberships to a popular, Web-based cognitive training app. While some scientists say the benefits of such online brain programs have yet to be proven, Jones said she enjoyed the mental stimulation. Becoming better at socializing was another key part of the program. The researchers tasked teams with assignments, such as speaking to strangers or going out with friends. 'I found my best friend, Patty Kelly, on my team,' Jones said. 'At 81, she's older than me, but we do all sorts of things together — in fact, she's coming with me to Toronto when I speak at the Alzheimer's conference. 'Isolation is horrible for your brain,' she added. 'But once you get to a point where you are moving and eating healthy, your energy level changes, and I think you automatically become more social.' As the study progressed, the researchers reduced check-ins to twice a month, then once a month, Baker said. 'We were trying to get people to say, 'I am now a healthy person,' because if you believe that, you start making decisions which agree with the new perception of yourself,' she said. 'So in the beginning, we were holding their hands, but by the end, they were flying on their own,' Baker added. 'And that was the whole idea — get them to fly on their own.' Because researchers tracked each team closely, the study has a wealth of data that has yet to be mined. 'On any given day, I could go into our web-based data system and see how much exercise someone's doing, whether they've logged into brain training that day, what's their latest MIND diet score, and whether they'd attended the last team meeting,' Baker said. 'We also have sleep data, blood biomarkers, brain scans and other variables, which will provide more clarity on which parts of the intervention were most successful.' Digging deeper into the data is important, Baker says, because the study has limitations, such as the potential for a well-known phenomenon called the practice effect. 'Even though we use different stimuli within tests, the act of taking a test over and over makes you more familiar with the situation — you know where the clinic is, where to park, you're more comfortable with your examiner,' she said. 'You're not really smarter, you're just more relaxed and comfortable, so therefore you do better on the test,' Baker said. 'So while we're thrilled both groups in US POINTER appear to have improved their global cognition (thinking, learning and problem-solving), we have to be cautious in our interpretations.' It's important to note the POINTER study was not designed to provide the more immersive lifestyle interventions needed for people with early stages of Alzheimer's, said Dr. Dean Ornish, a professor of medicine at the University of California, San Francisco. Ornish published a June 2024 clinical trial that found a strict vegan diet, daily exercise, structured stress reduction and frequent socialization could often stop the decline or even improve cognition in those already experiencing from early-stage Alzheimer's disease, not just for those at risk for it. 'The US POINTER randomized clinical trial is a landmark study showing that moderate lifestyle changes in diet, exercise, socialization and more can improve cognition in those at risk for dementia,' said Ornish, creator of the Ornish diet and lifestyle medicine program and coauthor of 'Undo It!: How Simple Lifestyle Changes Can Reverse Most Chronic Diseases.' 'It complements our randomized clinical trial findings which found that more intensive multiple lifestyle changes often improve cognition in those already diagnosed with early-stage Alzheimer's disease,' Ornish said. 'But the US POINTER study showed that more moderate lifestyle changes may be sufficient to help prevent it.' In reality, two years isn't sufficient to track brain changes over time, said study coauthor Maria Carillo, chief science officer of the Alzheimer's Association. 'We really want to make recommendations that are evidence based,' Carillo told CNN. 'That's why we have invested another $40 million in a four-year follow-up, and I believe over 80% of the original participants have joined. 'Brain health is a long game,' she added. 'It's hard to track, but over time, change can be meaningful.'
CNN
13 hours ago
- Health
- CNN
You can slow cognitive decline as you age with lifestyle changes, large study finds
At 62, Phyllis Jones felt trapped in darkness. She was traumatized by her mother's recent death, ongoing pandemic stress and an increasingly toxic work environment. A sudden panic attack led to a medical leave. Her depression worsened until the day her 33-year-old son sadly told her, 'Mom, I didn't think I would have to be your caregiver at this stage in your life.' 'For me, that was the wake-up call,' Jones, now 66, told CNN. 'That's when I found the POINTER study and my life changed. What I accomplished during the study was phenomenal — I'm a new person.' The Protect Brain Health Through Lifestyle Intervention to Reduce Risk, or US POINTER study, is the largest randomized clinical trial in the United States designed to examine whether lifestyle interventions can protect cognitive function in older adults. 'These are cognitively healthy people between the ages of 60 and 79 who, to be in the study, had to be completely sedentary and at risk for dementia due to health issues such as prediabetes and borderline high blood pressure,' said principal investigator Laura Baker, a professor of gerontology, geriatrics and internal medicine at Wake Forest University School of Medicine in Winston-Salem, North Carolina. Approximately one-half of the 2,111 study participants attended 38 structured team meetings over two years in local neighborhoods near Chicago, Houston, Winston-Salem, Sacramento, California, and Providence, Rhode Island. During each session, a trained facilitator provided guidance on how to exercise and eat for the brain, and explained the importance of socialization, the use of brain-training games, and the basics of brain health. The team leader also held the group accountable for logging blood pressure and other vitals. Physical and cognitive exams by a physician occurred every six months. At six team meetings, the other half of the study's participants learned about brain health and were encouraged to select lifestyle changes that best suited their schedules. This group was self-guided, with no goal-directed coaching. These participants also received physical and cognitive exams every six months. The two-year results of the $50 million study, funded by the Alzheimer's Association, were simultaneously presented Monday at the 2025 Alzheimer's Association International Conference in Toronto and published in the journal JAMA. 'We found people in the structured program appeared to delay normal cognitive aging by one to nearly two years over and above the self-guided group — people who did not receive the same degree of support,' Baker said. 'However, the self-guided group improved their cognitive scores over time as well.' Exercise was the first challenge. Like the other groups across the country, Jones and her Aurora, Illinois, team received YMCA memberships and lessons on how to use the gym equipment. Jones was told to use aerobic exercise to raise her heart rate for 30 minutes a day while adding strength training and stretching several times a week. At first, it wasn't easy. The study participants wore fitness trackers that monitored their activity, Jones said. 'After that first 10 minutes, I was sweating and exhausted,' she said. 'But we went slow, adding 10 minutes at a time, and we kept each other honest. Now I just love to work out.' Four weeks later, teams were given a new challenge — beginning the Mediterranean-DASH Intervention for Neurodegenerative Delay, or MIND diet. The diet combines the best of the Mediterranean diet with the salt restrictions of the DASH diet, which stands for Dietary Approaches to Stop Hypertension. 'They gave us a refrigerator chart with foods to limit and foods to enjoy,' Jones said. 'We had to eat berries and vegetables most days, including green leafy veggies, which was a separate item. We had to have 2 tablespoons of extra-virgin olive oil once every day.' Foods to limit included fried food, processed meat, dairy, cheese and butter. Restrictions were also in place for sugary sweets. 'But we could have dessert four times a week,' Jones added. 'That's awesome because you're not completely depriving yourself.' Another pillar of the program was requiring study participants to familiarize themselves with their vital signs, Wake Forest's Baker said. 'If at any point we asked them, 'What's your average blood pressure?' they should be able to tell us,' she said. 'We encouraged people to monitor their blood sugar as well.' Later came brain training, via memberships to a popular, Web-based cognitive training app. While some scientists say the benefits of such online brain programs have yet to be proven, Jones said she enjoyed the mental stimulation. Becoming better at socializing was another key part of the program. The researchers tasked teams with assignments, such as speaking to strangers or going out with friends. 'I found my best friend, Patty Kelly, on my team,' Jones said. 'At 81, she's older than me, but we do all sorts of things together — in fact, she's coming with me to Toronto when I speak at the Alzheimer's conference. 'Isolation is horrible for your brain,' she added. 'But once you get to a point where you are moving and eating healthy, your energy level changes, and I think you automatically become more social.' As the study progressed, the researchers reduced check-ins to twice a month, then once a month, Baker said. 'We were trying to get people to say, 'I am now a healthy person,' because if you believe that, you start making decisions which agree with the new perception of yourself,' she said. 'So in the beginning, we were holding their hands, but by the end, they were flying on their own,' Baker added. 'And that was the whole idea — get them to fly on their own.' Because researchers tracked each team closely, the study has a wealth of data that has yet to be mined. 'On any given day, I could go into our web-based data system and see how much exercise someone's doing, whether they've logged into brain training that day, what's their latest MIND diet score, and whether they'd attended the last team meeting,' Baker said. 'We also have sleep data, blood biomarkers, brain scans and other variables, which will provide more clarity on which parts of the intervention were most successful.' Digging deeper into the data is important, Baker says, because the study has limitations, such as the potential for a well-known phenomenon called the practice effect. 'Even though we use different stimuli within tests, the act of taking a test over and over makes you more familiar with the situation — you know where the clinic is, where to park, you're more comfortable with your examiner,' she said. 'You're not really smarter, you're just more relaxed and comfortable, so therefore you do better on the test,' Baker said. 'So while we're thrilled both groups in US POINTER appear to have improved their global cognition (thinking, learning and problem-solving), we have to be cautious in our interpretations.' It's important to note the POINTER study was not designed to provide the more immersive lifestyle interventions needed for people with early stages of Alzheimer's, said Dr. Dean Ornish, a professor of medicine at the University of California, San Francisco. Ornish published a June 2024 clinical trial that found a strict vegan diet, daily exercise, structured stress reduction and frequent socialization could often stop the decline or even improve cognition in those already experiencing from early-stage Alzheimer's disease, not just for those at risk for it. 'The US POINTER randomized clinical trial is a landmark study showing that moderate lifestyle changes in diet, exercise, socialization and more can improve cognition in those at risk for dementia,' said Ornish, creator of the Ornish diet and lifestyle medicine program and coauthor of 'Undo It!: How Simple Lifestyle Changes Can Reverse Most Chronic Diseases.' 'It complements our randomized clinical trial findings which found that more intensive multiple lifestyle changes often improve cognition in those already diagnosed with early-stage Alzheimer's disease,' Ornish said. 'But the US POINTER study showed that more moderate lifestyle changes may be sufficient to help prevent it.' In reality, two years isn't sufficient to track brain changes over time, said study coauthor Maria Carillo, chief science officer of the Alzheimer's Association. 'We really want to make recommendations that are evidence based,' Carillo told CNN. 'That's why we have invested another $40 million in a four-year follow-up, and I believe over 80% of the original participants have joined. 'Brain health is a long game,' she added. 'It's hard to track, but over time, change can be meaningful.'
Winnipeg Free Press
5 days ago
- Winnipeg Free Press
Peru seizes record 4-ton mercury shipment in fight against illegal gold mining
BOGOTA, Colombia (AP) — Peruvian customs officials have seized a record-breaking shipment of illegal mercury, exposing a cross-border smuggling network that is fueling one of the Amazon's most destructive criminal economies: illicit gold mining. The 4-ton haul — the largest mercury seizure ever made in an Amazon country and one of the world's largest — was discovered in June at the port of Callao, hidden inside gravel-filled bags on a cargo ship bound for Bolivia. Though labeled as crushed stone, the shipment was flagged by customs agents based on international intelligence sharing. 'This crushed stone was laced with mercury,' said Jorge Gallo Alvarado, head of customs enforcement at SUNAT, Peru's tax and customs agency. 'It's a restricted substance because it's used in illegal alluvial mining.' The container, which originated in Mexico, was singled out for inspection by SUNAT's risk analysis team. U.S. specialists later confirmed the presence of mercury embedded in the gravel — a tactic increasingly used to avoid detection at ports. The seized goods are valued at roughly $500,000, SUNAT said. High-value illicit trade Authorities say the bust marks a turning point in efforts to dismantle the supply chains behind the Amazon's illicit gold trade. Mercury, a powerful neurotoxin banned or tightly restricted in many countries, remains essential to the process used by illegal miners across the rainforest to extract gold from river sediment. The method is simple but dangerous: miners mix mercury with gold particles to form an amalgam, then burn it off, releasing toxic vapor into the air. The leftover mercury often flows into rivers, where it transforms into methylmercury — its most dangerous form — and builds up in fish and aquatic life. 'This is a very important seizure,' said Luis Fernandez, a research professor and mercury expert at Wake Forest University in North Carolina, who traveled to Lima to assess the find. 'We don't often see mercury seizures at this scale, especially not in transit through formal customs points,' he said. Fernandez estimated the mercury could have been used to produce roughly 1,600 kilograms (3,527 pounds) of gold — worth more than $172 million at current prices. 'This isn't subsistence mining,' he said. 'It's organized, high-value illicit trade with serious environmental and public health consequences.' A 'gold-mercury-drug trifecta' In Peru's Madre de Dios region, an epicenter of illegal mining, mercury contamination has been detected in drinking water, fish and even breast milk. Long-term exposure to methylmercury can cause irreversible damage to the brain and nervous system, particularly in children and pregnant women. Indigenous and riverine communities that rely on fish for food are especially vulnerable. Peruvian authorities say much of the mercury entering the country is smuggled from Mexico, where it's mined in central states such as Querétaro. Prices have surged in recent years due to booming global demand for gold, reaching as high as $330 per kilogram of mercury — and more than $3,500 per ounce of gold — earlier this year. Some of the mercury seized in June is believed to have originated in small, artisanal mines inside a UNESCO ‑protected biosphere reserve. While the Environmental Investigation Agency, a nonprofit watchdog that investigates environmental crime, has documented that at least 30 tons of mercury have been trafficked annually from Mexico to countries like Peru and Colombia by a single criminal network, the real volume is likely higher. Soaring gold prices and a 400% markup on mercury in the Amazon compared to Mexico have made smuggling increasingly lucrative. Seizures and monitoring suggest flows rose to an estimated 56 tons in 2024, with further increases expected this year. Colombia remains one of the highest per capita emitters of mercury worldwide, with total annual releases reaching up to 150 tons, much of it tied to illegal gold mining. EIA's latest investigation, released in tandem with Peru's announcement, describes a growing 'gold-mercury-drug trifecta' linking illegal mining to transnational crime and environmental degradation. The group's investigators documented how organized criminal groups — including Mexico's Jalisco New Generation Cartel — are now involved in mercury mining and trafficking. 'Until mercury mines are no longer in operation, traffickers will leave no stone unturned to smuggle the metal,' the report states. Growing calls to close mercury mines Traffickers often disguise mercury shipments with false paperwork and front companies, allowing them to slip through customs. Once across the border, the metal is sold to illegal mining camps — often in protected forests or Indigenous territories — where it becomes almost impossible to trace. In Colombia, security sources say armed groups such as the National Liberation Army and the Gulf Clan play a central role in the mercury-for-gold trade. Similar dynamics have been reported in Brazil and Bolivia, where enforcement is weak and black-market demand is high. Although Peru ratified the Minamata Convention on Mercury in 2013, enforcement has struggled to keep up with the pace and adaptability of trafficking networks. 'These networks are agile,' Fernandez said. 'As gold prices rise, they adapt quickly. Customs authorities need tools, training, and resources to keep pace.' Adam Dolezal, extractive industries campaigner at EIA, said the seizure shows what is possible when customs systems are properly resourced and coordinated — but warned that enforcement alone won't stop the trade. 'Unless mercury production is shut down at the source, this toxic trade will continue,' Dolezal said. Calls are growing to close remaining mercury mines in Mexico and reform global controls on the metal. The issue is expected to take center stage at the upcoming Conference of the Parties to the Minamata Convention later this year, where advocates hope to eliminate legal loopholes that allow mercury to be traded for small-scale mining. ____ Follow Steven Grattan on Instagram: @ ____ The Associated Press' climate and environmental coverage receives financial support from multiple private foundations. AP is solely responsible for all content. Find AP's standards for working with philanthropies, a list of supporters and funded coverage areas at
Yahoo
5 days ago
- Sport
- Yahoo
Former Wake Forest University basketball player thrown from car in multi-vehicle crash
FRANKLIN COUNTY, Ga. (WGHP) — A former Wake Forest University basketball player is recovering in the hospital after being thrown from his car after a three-vehicle crash. From one basketball mom to another, Maria Reid made sure to check on her friend Irene Cosby after her son, former Alabama and Wake Forest University basketball player Davin Cosby Jr., was involved in a car crash in Georgia. 'Always respectful when I would see him at the game. Always had the good word for anybody. Just a great young man. Just a great young person, and I know he's going to have an impact on this world,' Reid said. According to the Georgia State Patrol, on July 13, around 3 p.m., the 20-year-old was driving north on Interstate-85 in Franklin County, Georgia. Officials say he was following a vehicle too closely and hit it. He then overcorrected, causing his vehicle to flip and hit another car. 'The car flipped over three times … He actually went through the sunroof,' Reid said. He survived and is recovering in a Georgia hospital with his mother by his side. She told FOX8 he's undergone two surgeries. He can't remember much from the wreck, but he did give Reid a phone call, thanking her for helping his family. 'He said, 'Thank you, Ms. Reid, so much for all you're doing,' and he sounded good … He was very grateful and very thankful that people would help his mom through this time,' Reid said. Though it could be a long time before Davin gets back on the basketball court, Reid said his mom is asking for prayers. 'I told her my God is awesome. He will move mountains … He will hide you from the rain. I told her this … was not his time to go,' Reid said. According to the Georgia State Patrol, Davin was cited for hitting one of the vehicles in the crash. A GoFundMe has been set up. Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed. Solve the daily Crossword
