Holiday heart risk: Overindulgence, stress, cold increase heart attacks

BALTIMORE — Eat, drink and enjoy the outdoors and family gatherings — in moderation, say those who see an increase in heart emergencies during the holiday season.

Cardiac emergencies spike 30% on Christmas Eve, according to American Medical Response, which provides emergency medical services in the Baltimore and Washington, D.C., region.

“Throughout the holidays, we often see people ignore warning signs of heart trouble because they don’t want to disrupt family celebrations,” Dr. Ed Racht said in a press release. Racht is the Chief Medical Officer of Global Medical Response, the parent company of American Medical Response.

“Whether it’s chest pain, a racing heartbeat, or a sudden collapse, these symptoms could signal a heart attack, dangerous arrhythmia, or even cardiac arrest,” he added in the statement. “Time is critical in these emergencies. If you notice any of these signs in yourself or a loved one, don’t wait—call 911 right away.”

—The Baltimore Sun

Why even unsubsidized Californians could pay more for health insurance

SACRAMENTO, Calif. — At first glance, it sounds like a problem that shouldn’t exist.

Since Congress allowed enhanced federal health insurance subsidies to expire, you might expect only people who receive those subsidies to be hurt. After all, Californians who don’t receive federal premium subsidies already pay full price for their coverage.

But research from the University of California shows that assumption is wrong. Because Congress failed to act, everyone who buys insurance on California’s individual market will pay more, including roughly 740,000 Californians who receive no subsidies at all.

The reason has nothing to do with politics and everything to do with how insurance works. In the individual insurance market, premiums aren’t set person by person. They’re set for a pool — and who’s in that pool changes when coverage gets more or less affordable.

—The Sacramento Bee

Tulsi Gabbard's remarks on Dearborn, 'Islamist ideology' rile residents, activists

DETROIT — Director of National Intelligence Tulsi Gabbard's recent comments about Dearborn and Muslims stirred concerns among some residents and activists with ties to the city who say the community and the beliefs of those living there have not been depicted accurately.

Gabbard said at Turning Point USA’s AmericaFest conference Sunday in Phoenix that "Islamist ideology ... fuels terrorist groups like al-Qaida and ISIS and Al-Shabab and Hamas and Boko Haram and others."

Turning Point USA was founded by conservative activist Charlie Kirk, who was fatally shot on Sept. 10 at Utah Valley University in Orem, Utah. He was 31. Its annual four-day AmericaFest conference features speeches from national leaders. This year's event was the nonprofit group's first major event since Kirk's death.

The former congresswoman also said: "In places like Dearborn, Michigan, and Minneapolis, Minnesota, Islamist clerics are openly pushing this Islamist ideology, trying to recruit and radicalize young people."

—The Detroit News

Syria army, Kurdish forces clash days before planned unification

Clashes erupted between Syria’s army and a U.S.-backed Kurdish group on Monday in the country’s north, an escalation that undermines their planned unification by the end of the year.

The government in Damascus and Kurdish-led armed group Syrian Democratic Forces accused each other of instigating the fighting in the Aleppo province. At least two civilians were killed and 15 people including members of the Syrian security forces were wounded, state news agency Sana reported.

Syria’s central government said later it stopped firing on the Kurdish group known as SDF, but clashes highlight how difficult it has been to integrate the U.S.-backed militia into Syria’s national army under an accord signed in March. Members of the Turkish government, which supported the unification deal, arrived in Syria’s capital Damascus hours before the fighting began. Ankara is trying to disarm Kurdish rebel forces on its own territory.

Turkey has been a key supporter of Syrian President Ahmed Al-Sharaa, who led the ouster of Syrian dictator Bashar al-Assad a year ago, following a civil war that lasted more than a decade and left millions of Syrians displaced.

—Bloomberg News