Writer Mick Wall has written books on Led Zeppelin, Black Sabbath, Guns N' Roses, Metallica, Eagles and more

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The Straits of Hormuz have never been closed. The last time it was an issue was in the late 1980s when Iran and Israel were in a nasty war. It spilled over into the Persian Gulf so that 450 tankers were attacked. It was dubbed the Tanker War. There was a massive escalation in war […] The post Dr. Mercogliano: Why Iran Will Never Close the Straits of Hormuz appeared first on www.independentsentinel.com.

The vice mayor of Cudahy, a city in southeast LA County, Cynthia Gonzalez, posted a video to social media in which she seems to call for 18th Street and Florencia 13 gang members in LA to defend their territory from ICE. She even urges gang leadership to “get your fucking members in order.” “Not for […] The post LA City Mayor Seems to Encourage Gangs to Defend Their Territory from ICE appeared first on www.independentsentinel.com.

BY THE OPTIMIST DAILY EDITORIAL TEAM In a historic shift for both public health and LGBTQIA+ rights, Australia is lifting long-standing restrictions that effectively barred many gay and bisexual men from donating blood and plasma. Beginning in July, the country will become the first in the world to remove all sexual activity-based restrictions on plasma donation. The change follows years of advocacy and research, and is expected to significantly expand Australia’s donor pool. According to Lifeblood, the country’s national blood donation service, an estimated 625,000 more people will now be eligible to donate. “Australian lives will be saved by this overdue and important decision,” said Rodney Croome, a spokesperson for the Let Us Give campaign, which has long advocated for lifting the discriminatory restrictions. From exclusion to eligibility Under previous guidelines, any men or transgender women who had sex with men in the prior three months were barred from donating blood or plasma. The policy also restricted sex workers and women who had sex with bisexual men, citing concerns about HIV transmission risk. Now, individuals in a monogamous relationship of six months or more regardless of gender or sexuality will be eligible to donate blood. More significantly, Australia will no longer restrict plasma donation based on sexual activity at all, marking a global first. “Blood safety is and always will be our top priority,” said Dr. Joanne Pink, Lifeblood’s Chief Medical Officer. “But we know the current donation rules have been very difficult for many people in the LGBTQIA+ community… and we know that they’ve contributed to the stigma faced by [them].” Instead of blanket bans, the new screening process will ask all potential donors if they’ve had anal sex with new or multiple partners. If they have, they will need to wait three months before donating blood. However, they can still donate plasma during that time. The updated approach also allows individuals taking the HIV prevention medication PrEP to donate plasma, though they remain restricted from donating blood. A science-backed change The shift in policy has been approved by Australia’s health products regulator, the Therapeutic Goods Administration (TGA), and is based on extensive scientific research. Lifeblood collaborated with the Kirby Institute at the University of New South Wales to ensure that the new criteria maintain high safety standards. Research confirmed that the changes would not compromise the safety of the blood and plasma supply. Plasma donations undergo pathogen inactivation, a process that removes viruses and bacteria, greatly reducing the risk of transmitting infections. Dr. Pink called the development “a significant milestone” for both donors and recipients. As global demand for plasma hits record highs and continues to rise in Australia, the expanded eligibility could offer a timely and much-needed boost to national supply. Looking ahead: optimism with caution The new rules for plasma donation will come into effect on 14 July 2025. The updated guidelines for blood donation will be implemented in 2026, allowing time for education and logistical preparation. While many advocates have praised the changes, some believe there is still progress to be made. Sharon Dane, a researcher with Let Us Give, welcomed the move but noted it falls short of best global practices. “It appears Lifeblood and the TGA are taking a more conservative approach to whole blood donation, relative to other countries like the UK, Canada and the US,” she said. In those countries, only three months of a monogamous relationship is required for those engaging in anal sex, versus Australia’s proposed six months. Still, the mood among public health experts and LGBTQIA+ advocates is largely optimistic. The reform signals a critical shift away from stigma-based policy and toward evidence-based, inclusive healthcare. With the doors opening to hundreds of thousands of new donors, Australia is positioning itself not just as a leader in health equity, but also as a model for scientifically grounded policy reform.The post New rules allow thousands more Australians to donate plasma, regardless of sexuality first appeared on The Optimist Daily: Making Solutions the News.

BY THE OPTIMIST DAILY EDITORIAL TEAM Your daily cup of coffee might be doing more than waking you up; it could be helping you age more healthfully. According to a sweeping new study from Harvard University, moderate coffee consumption during midlife is linked to better mental and physical health later in life. Researchers followed nearly 50,000 women over a 30-year period and found that each 8-ounce (340-ml) cup of coffee per day was associated with a 2 to 5 percent increase in markers of healthy aging. And no, tea, decaf, or cola didn’t make the cut. A long brew: 30 years of data The study, presented at the Nutrition 2025 conference, analyzed data from 47,513 women in the long-running Nurses’ Health Study. Starting in 1984, researchers tracked participants’ diet, lifestyle, and health every four years. By 2016, 3,706 women had reached the study’s definition of “healthy aging.” So what counts as aging well? In this study, it meant being at least 70 years old without major chronic diseases, cognitive impairments, mobility issues, or memory complaints. Participants who met those criteria were grouped as “healthy agers.” Dr. Sara Mahdavi from the Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health highlighted the study’s scope: “In addition to the large sample size and 30 years of follow-up, we assessed several different aspects of longevity and healthy aging, as well as comprehensive information on nutritional and lifestyle habits.” Coffee comes out on top The majority of caffeine consumed by the healthy aging group came from coffee—about 315 mg per day, or roughly three small cups (1.5 large ones by today’s standard). Researchers found that for every 80 mg of caffeine consumed daily, which amounts to approximately one small cup of coffee, health markers improved by two to five percent. Interestingly, other caffeinated drinks didn’t share the same glow. Tea and decaf coffee had no significant association with better aging outcomes. Even worse, caffeinated cola took a dive. Each 12-ounce (355-ml) glass of cola per day was linked to a 20 to 26 percent drop in the likelihood of aging healthfully. “While past studies have linked coffee to individual health outcomes, our study is the first to assess coffee’s impact across multiple domains of aging over three decades,” Mahdavi said. “The findings suggest that caffeinated coffee—not tea or decaf—may uniquely support aging trajectories that preserve both mental and physical function.” Don’t ditch your dumbbells yet Before you grab a fifth espresso in the name of science, it’s worth noting that the effects, while encouraging, are relatively modest. And as always, correlation doesn’t mean causation. Genetic differences in caffeine tolerance and other lifestyle factors also play major roles. “Moderate coffee intake may offer some protective benefits when combined with other healthy behaviors such as regular exercise, a healthy diet and avoiding smoking,” Mahdavi explained. “These results, while preliminary, suggest that small, consistent habits can shape long-term health.” Next up, researchers plan to dive deeper into how specific compounds in coffee might influence the biological pathways of aging. So while coffee isn’t a magic longevity potion, your daily brew may be doing more for you than just fueling your to-do list. Sip, smile, and maybe skip the cola.The post Brewing better health: Harvard study explains what coffee has to do with aging well first appeared on The Optimist Daily: Making Solutions the News.

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