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An online debate over foreign workers in tech shows tensions in Trump’s political coalitionPregnant women diagnosed with gestational diabetes may produce breast milk with unique properties that could positively influence infant growth and development, according to a new study. The research, published in JAMA Network Open on Thursday, suggests that breast milk from mothers with gestational diabetes contains distinct metabolites found in higher concentrations that correlate with infant growth patterns, including potential effects on body composition and length. The mothers, aged between 21 and 45 years at the time of delivery, had a pre-pregnancy body mass index (BMI) ranging from 18.5 to 45. All participants had healthy pregnancies, delivered full-term infants, intended to breastfeed for three or more months, and had adequate social support. Among the participants, 53 mothers with an average age of 34 years were diagnosed with GD, while the non-GD group averaged 30.7 years. Milk samples were collected from the mothers one month after giving birth, and researchers measured various infant growth metrics, including the baby’s weight relative to length and overall body composition. The study found that mothers with GD experienced notable changes in nine out of 458 metabolites tested in their milk. Specifically, three metabolites—2-hydroxybutyric acid, stearoylcarnitine, and phenylacetic acid—were linked to growth in babies. 2-Hydroxybutyric acid, which is significantly more prevalent in the breast milk of women with GD, was linked with no change in body fat in babies within the first three months. Stearoylcarnitine, which is reduced in the breast milk of mothers with GD, was linked to rapid weight gain in babies. Furthermore, phenylacetic acid, which was also reduced in the breast milk of mothers with GD, was linked to a child’s change in length as they age. “A baby can die in utero due to uncontrolled gestational diabetes,” Davidov noted. Another risk is that the baby can become very large, a condition called fetal macrosomia, potentially leading to birth injuries during delivery, he added. Also, uncontrolled diabetes, especially earlier in pregnancy, can cause congenital anomalies, chiefly heart disease linked to heart defects, Davidov said. Low blood sugar (hypoglycemia) is another risk to babies born to mothers with GD. It is unknown how an infant’s body processes these metabolites and whether metabolite levels are causally linked to the observed patterns of growth and body composition, the researchers wrote. They added that as this study only “identified candidate metabolites potentially involved in the relationship between GD and infant growth, further work is needed to better understand their role in infant health.”

Trump backers battle online over skilled immigrantsIt’s looking more and more likely the Vikings will be without veteran cornerback Stephon Gilmore for a second straight game. He hasn’t played since suffering a hamstring injury against the Arizona Cardinals a couple of weeks ago. ADVERTISEMENT Though he has an extra 24 hours to prepare this week with the Vikings set to host the Chicago Bears on Monday night at U.S. Bank Stadium, the fact that Gilmore still hasn’t practiced in any capacity isn’t a good sign. After not participating in the walkthrough on Thursday afternoon at TCO Performance Center, Gilmore was listed as a non participant in practice on Friday afternoon. It would make sense for the Vikings to be cautious with Gilmore considering how important he’s been to the secondary this season. They want to make sure he’s back at 100 percent for the playoffs. In the absence of Gilmore, veteran cornerback Fabian Moreau has logged more playing time. There also has been more responsibility placed on fellow cornerbacks Byron Murphy Jr. and Shaq Griffin, with safety Josh Metellus also mixing in at nickel. ADVERTISEMENT It appears that edge rusher Pat Jones II is getting closer to making his return given that he was listed as a full participant in practice on Friday afternoon. He has been working through a knee injury and missed last Sunday’s game against the Atlanta Falcons. Having Jones back would be a major boost for the Vikings on defense, as he has found a role as a situational pass rusher. He has a career high 7.0 sacks this season while showcasing the ability to apply pressure off the edge or up the middle. In response to his philanthropy near and far, safety Cam Bynum has been named the NFLPA Community MVP for Week 15. Not only has Bynum regularly used his platform in the NFL to help with natural disaster relief in the Philippines, he has continued to spread joy in and around the Twin Cities through charitable events hosted by his Bynum Faith Foundation. ADVERTISEMENT The NFLPA will donate $10,000 to his foundation or charity of choice. In turn, Bynum will take part in a special visit to a local school, children’s hospital, or community center. The recognition also makes Bynum eligible for the Alan Page Community Award, the NFLPA’s highest player honor, which includes an additional $100,000 donation to the winner’s charities. The rest of the injury report was good news for the Vikings as running back Aaron Jones (back), tight end Josh Oliver (wrist/ankle), and edge rusher Andrew Van Ginkel (hip) were all listed as full participants. ADVERTISEMENT ______________________________________________________ This story was written by one of our partner news agencies. Forum Communications Company uses content from agencies such as Reuters, Kaiser Health News, Tribune News Service and others to provide a wider range of news to our readers. Learn more about the news services FCC uses here .

Maryland is suing the company that produces the waterproof material Gore-Tex often used for raincoats and other outdoor gear, alleging its leaders kept using “forever chemicals” long after learning about serious health risks associated with them. The complaint, which was filed last week in federal court, focuses on a cluster of 13 factories in northeastern Maryland operated by Delaware-based W.L. Gore & Associates. It alleges the company polluted the air and water around its facilities with , jeopardizing the health of surrounding communities while raking in profits. The lawsuit adds to other claims filed in recent years, including a class action on behalf of Cecil County residents in 2023 demanding Gore foot the bill for water filtration systems, medical bills and other damages associated with decades of harmful pollution in the largely rural community. “PFAS are linked to cancer, weakened immune systems, and can even harm the ability to bear children,” Maryland Attorney General Anthony Brown said in a statement. “It is unacceptable for any company to knowingly contaminate our drinking water with these toxins, putting Marylanders at risk of severe health conditions.” Gore spokesperson Donna Leinwand Leger said the company is “surprised by the Maryland Attorney General’s decision to initiate legal action, particularly in light of our proactive and intensive engagement with state regulators over the past two years.” “We have been working with Maryland, employing the most current, reliable science and technology to assess the potential impact of our operations and guide our ongoing, collaborative efforts to protect the environment,” the company said in a statement, noting a Dec. 18 report that contains nearly two years of groundwater testing results. But attorney Philip Federico, who represents plaintiffs in the class action and other lawsuits against Gore, called the company’s efforts “too little, much too late.” In the meantime, he said, residents are continuing to suffer — one of his clients was recently diagnosed with kidney cancer. “It’s typical corporate environmental contamination,” he said. “They’re in no hurry to fix the problem.” The synthetic chemicals are especially harmful because they’re nearly indestructible and can build up in various environments, including the human body. In addition to cancers and immune system problems, exposure to certain levels of PFAS has been linked to increased cholesterol levels, reproductive health issues and developmental delays in children, according to the Environmental Protection Agency. Gore leaders failed to warn people living near its Maryland facilities about the potential effects, hoping to protect their corporate image and avoid liability, according to the state’s lawsuit. The result has been “a toxic legacy for generations to come,” the lawsuit alleges. Since the chemicals are already in the local environment, protecting residents now often means installing complex and expensive water filtration systems. People with private wells have found highly elevated levels of dangerous chemicals in their water, according to the class action lawsuit. The Maryland facilities are located in a rural area just across the border from Delaware, where Gore has become a longtime fixture in the community. The company, which today employs more than 13,000 people, was founded in 1958 after Wilbert Gore left the chemical giant DuPont to start his own business. Its profile rose with the , a lightweight waterproof material created by stretching polytetrafluoroethylene, which is better known by the brand name Teflon that’s used to coat nonstick pans. The membrane within Gore-Tex fabric has billions of pores that are smaller than water droplets, making it especially effective for outdoor gear. The state’s complaint traces Gore’s longstanding relationship with , arguing that information about the chemicals' dangers was long known within both companies as they sought to keep things quiet and boost profits. It alleges that as early as 1961, DuPont scientists knew the chemical caused adverse liver reactions in rats and dogs.By MICHELLE L. PRICE WEST PALM BEACH, Fla. (AP) — An online spat between factions of Donald Trump’s supporters over immigration and the tech industry has thrown internal divisions in his political movement into public display, previewing the fissures and contradictory views his coalition could bring to the White House. The rift laid bare the tensions between the newest flank of Trump’s movement — wealthy members of the tech world including billionaire Elon Musk and fellow entrepreneur Vivek Ramaswamy and their call for more highly skilled workers in their industry — and people in Trump’s Make America Great Again base who championed his hardline immigration policies. The debate touched off this week when Laura Loomer , a right-wing provocateur with a history of racist and conspiratorial comments, criticized Trump’s selection of Sriram Krishnan as an adviser on artificial intelligence policy in his coming administration. Krishnan favors the ability to bring more skilled immigrants into the U.S. Loomer declared the stance to be “not America First policy” and said the tech executives who have aligned themselves with Trump were doing so to enrich themselves. Much of the debate played out on the social media network X, which Musk owns. Loomer’s comments sparked a back-and-forth with venture capitalist and former PayPal executive David Sacks , whom Trump has tapped to be the “White House A.I. & Crypto Czar.” Musk and Ramaswamy, whom Trump has tasked with finding ways to cut the federal government , weighed in, defending the tech industry’s need to bring in foreign workers. It bloomed into a larger debate with more figures from the hard-right weighing in about the need to hire U.S. workers, whether values in American culture can produce the best engineers, free speech on the internet, the newfound influence tech figures have in Trump’s world and what his political movement stands for. Trump has not yet weighed in on the rift, and his presidential transition team did not respond to a message seeking comment. Musk, the world’s richest man who has grown remarkably close to the president-elect , was a central figure in the debate, not only for his stature in Trump’s movement but his stance on the tech industry’s hiring of foreign workers. Technology companies say H-1B visas for skilled workers, used by software engineers and others in the tech industry, are critical for hard-to-fill positions. But critics have said they undercut U.S. citizens who could take those jobs. Some on the right have called for the program to be eliminated, not expanded. Born in South Africa, Musk was once on an a H-1B visa himself and defended the industry’s need to bring in foreign workers. “There is a permanent shortage of excellent engineering talent,” he said in a post. “It is the fundamental limiting factor in Silicon Valley.” Related Articles National Politics | Should the U.S. increase immigration levels for highly skilled workers? National Politics | Trump threat to immigrant health care tempered by economic hopes National Politics | In states that ban abortion, social safety net programs often fail families National Politics | Court rules Georgia lawmakers can subpoena Fani Willis for information related to her Trump case National Politics | New 2025 laws hit hot topics from AI in movies to rapid-fire guns Trump’s own positions over the years have reflected the divide in his movement. His tough immigration policies, including his pledge for a mass deportation, were central to his winning presidential campaign. He has focused on immigrants who come into the U.S. illegally but he has also sought curbs on legal immigration , including family-based visas. As a presidential candidate in 2016, Trump called the H-1B visa program “very bad” and “unfair” for U.S. workers. After he became president, Trump in 2017 issued a “Buy American and Hire American” executive order , which directed Cabinet members to suggest changes to ensure H-1B visas were awarded to the highest-paid or most-skilled applicants to protect American workers. Trump’s businesses, however, have hired foreign workers, including waiters and cooks at his Mar-a-Lago club , and his social media company behind his Truth Social app has used the the H-1B program for highly skilled workers. During his 2024 campaign for president, as he made immigration his signature issue, Trump said immigrants in the country illegally are “poisoning the blood of our country” and promised to carry out the largest deportation operation in U.S. history. But in a sharp departure from his usual alarmist message around immigration generally, Trump told a podcast this year that he wants to give automatic green cards to foreign students who graduate from U.S. colleges. “I think you should get automatically, as part of your diploma, a green card to be able to stay in this country,” he told the “All-In” podcast with people from the venture capital and technology world. Those comments came on the cusp of Trump’s budding alliance with tech industry figures, but he did not make the idea a regular part of his campaign message or detail any plans to pursue such changes.By MICHELLE L. PRICE WEST PALM BEACH, Fla. (AP) — An online spat between factions of Donald Trump’s supporters over immigration and the tech industry has thrown internal divisions in his political movement into public display, previewing the fissures and contradictory views his coalition could bring to the White House. The rift laid bare the tensions between the newest flank of Trump’s movement — wealthy members of the tech world including billionaire Elon Musk and fellow entrepreneur Vivek Ramaswamy and their call for more highly skilled workers in their industry — and people in Trump’s Make America Great Again base who championed his hardline immigration policies. The debate touched off this week when Laura Loomer , a right-wing provocateur with a history of racist and conspiratorial comments, criticized Trump’s selection of Sriram Krishnan as an adviser on artificial intelligence policy in his coming administration. Krishnan favors the ability to bring more skilled immigrants into the U.S. Loomer declared the stance to be “not America First policy” and said the tech executives who have aligned themselves with Trump were doing so to enrich themselves. Much of the debate played out on the social media network X, which Musk owns. Loomer’s comments sparked a back-and-forth with venture capitalist and former PayPal executive David Sacks , whom Trump has tapped to be the “White House A.I. & Crypto Czar.” Musk and Ramaswamy, whom Trump has tasked with finding ways to cut the federal government , weighed in, defending the tech industry’s need to bring in foreign workers. It bloomed into a larger debate with more figures from the hard-right weighing in about the need to hire U.S. workers, whether values in American culture can produce the best engineers, free speech on the internet, the newfound influence tech figures have in Trump’s world and what his political movement stands for. Trump has not yet weighed in on the rift, and his presidential transition team did not respond to a message seeking comment. Musk, the world’s richest man who has grown remarkably close to the president-elect , was a central figure in the debate, not only for his stature in Trump’s movement but his stance on the tech industry’s hiring of foreign workers. Technology companies say H-1B visas for skilled workers, used by software engineers and others in the tech industry, are critical for hard-to-fill positions. But critics have said they undercut U.S. citizens who could take those jobs. Some on the right have called for the program to be eliminated, not expanded. Born in South Africa, Musk was once on an a H-1B visa himself and defended the industry’s need to bring in foreign workers. “There is a permanent shortage of excellent engineering talent,” he said in a post. “It is the fundamental limiting factor in Silicon Valley.” Related Articles National Politics | Should the U.S. increase immigration levels for highly skilled workers? National Politics | Trump threat to immigrant health care tempered by economic hopes National Politics | In states that ban abortion, social safety net programs often fail families National Politics | Court rules Georgia lawmakers can subpoena Fani Willis for information related to her Trump case National Politics | New 2025 laws hit hot topics from AI in movies to rapid-fire guns Trump’s own positions over the years have reflected the divide in his movement. His tough immigration policies, including his pledge for a mass deportation, were central to his winning presidential campaign. He has focused on immigrants who come into the U.S. illegally but he has also sought curbs on legal immigration , including family-based visas. As a presidential candidate in 2016, Trump called the H-1B visa program “very bad” and “unfair” for U.S. workers. After he became president, Trump in 2017 issued a “Buy American and Hire American” executive order , which directed Cabinet members to suggest changes to ensure H-1B visas were awarded to the highest-paid or most-skilled applicants to protect American workers. Trump’s businesses, however, have hired foreign workers, including waiters and cooks at his Mar-a-Lago club , and his social media company behind his Truth Social app has used the the H-1B program for highly skilled workers. During his 2024 campaign for president, as he made immigration his signature issue, Trump said immigrants in the country illegally are “poisoning the blood of our country” and promised to carry out the largest deportation operation in U.S. history. But in a sharp departure from his usual alarmist message around immigration generally, Trump told a podcast this year that he wants to give automatic green cards to foreign students who graduate from U.S. colleges. “I think you should get automatically, as part of your diploma, a green card to be able to stay in this country,” he told the “All-In” podcast with people from the venture capital and technology world. Those comments came on the cusp of Trump’s budding alliance with tech industry figures, but he did not make the idea a regular part of his campaign message or detail any plans to pursue such changes.

CASPER, Wyo. — The first surgeries using the new da Vinci 5 surgical system for robotic-assisted surgery have been performed at Banner Wyoming Medical Center, the first hospital in Wyoming to use the system. “We are thrilled to become first hospital in Wyoming with the latest, greatest da Vinci 5,” said Lance Porter, chief executive officer of Banner Wyoming Medical Center. “Surgeons who operate at Banner Wyoming Medical Center have a great deal of experience in robotic-assisted, minimally invasive surgery and this new tool reflects our commitment to providing access to high-quality, excellent care for our patients.” The da Vinci 5 is designed to enhance surgeon precision with the goal of improving patient outcomes. More than 150 new enhancements have been developed to support surgeon autonomy and care team efficiency. Banner Wyoming Medical Center was the first hospital in Wyoming to use any da Vinci robotic system, beginning with the da Vinci S in 2008. The S model was replaced with the da Vinci Xi system in 2017. “We have been using da Vinci technology at Banner Wyoming Medical Center for many years, and the da Vinci 5 will help us expand our surgical program and provide advanced surgical care for our patients,” said Dr. Aimee Gough, the robotic surgery champion for Banner Wyoming Medical Center and surgeon at Wyoming Surgical Associates in Casper. “We’ll continue to use our existing da Vinci system alongside the new da Vinci 5.” Joy Anderson was the first patient to have a procedure done with Gough on Dec. 2. She moved to Casper from Rock Springs about four years ago and is impressed with the level of technology offered at Banner Wyoming Medical Center. “I didn’t expect Casper to have something like this,” she said. “I feel like it majorly improved my recovery time. I literally have no pain since I left the hospital. I feel like I could go run a marathon, even though I know I shouldn’t.” The new system complements the hospital’s existing robotic surgery technology, which enables surgeons to make smaller incisions which may decrease recovery time. Dr. Gough and several other surgeons began training on the system in November. It will be used across many specialties, including general surgery, urology, gynecology and more. "It's not so different to learn, just a lot of refinements," Gough said. "I'm pretty excited, it's been a big team effort, and all came together quickly." This system enables surgeons to feel more and see more during procedures with a next-generation 3D display and image processing. The da Vinci 5 provides new surgeon controllers, making their movements smoother and more precise. In addition, the new system has innovative features that help streamline surgeon and care team workflow with an optimized user interface. “As a Level II Trauma Center, we care for everyone from complex traumas to major cardiac events and everything in between,” Porter said. “We look forward to using the new system to continue our mission to care for Wyoming.” As with previous da Vinci models, the da Vinci 5 can be used across a wide spectrum of minimally-invasive surgical procedures. Patient benefits may include reduced trauma to the body, shorter hospital stays, reduced blood loss, less post-operative pain and discomfort, less risk of infection and less scarring. “This system is a step forward in robotic surgery,” Gough said. “I am excited to be the first team in Wyoming to have this technology available to our patients.” We're always interested in hearing about news in our community. Let us know what's going on! Get the latest local business news delivered FREE to your inbox weekly.

Richard Parsons, one of corporate America's most prominent Black executives who held top posts at Time Warner and Citigroup, died Thursday. He was 76. Parsons, who died at his Manhattan home, was diagnosed with multiple myeloma in 2015 and cited "unanticipated complications" from the disease for cutting back on work a few years later. The financial services company Lazard, where Parsons was a longtime board member, confirmed his death. Parsons' friend Ronald Lauder told The New York Times that the cause of death was cancer. Parsons stepped down Dec. 3 from the boards of Lazard and Lauder's company, Estée Lauder, citing health reasons. He had been on Estée Lauder's board for 25 years. "Dick was an American original, a colossus bestriding the worlds of business, media, culture, philanthropy, and beyond," Ronald Lauder said in a statement on behalf of the Lauder family. David Zaslav, the CEO of Time Warner successor Warner Bros. Discovery, hailed Parsons as a "great mentor and friend" and a "tough and brilliant negotiator, always looking to create something where both sides win." "All who got a chance to work with him and know him saw that unusual combination of great leadership with integrity and kindness," Zaslav said, calling him "one of the great problem solvers this industry has ever seen." Parsons, a Brooklyn native who started college at 16, built a track record of steering big companies through tough times. He returned Citigroup to profitability after turmoil from the global financial crisis and helped restore Time Warner after its much-maligned acquisition by internet provider America Online. Parsons was named to the board of CBS in September 2018 but resigned a month later because of illness. Parsons said in a statement at the time that he was already dealing with multiple myeloma when he joined the board, but "unanticipated complications have created additional new challenges." He said his doctors advised him to cut back on his commitments to ensure recovery. "Dick's storied career embodied the finest traditions of American business leadership," Lazard said in a statement. The company, where Parsons was a board member from 2012 until this month, praised his "unmistakable intelligence and his irresistible warmth." "Dick was more than an iconic leader in Lazard's history — he was a testament to how wisdom, warmth, and unwavering judgment could shape not just companies, but people's lives," the company said. "His legacy lives on in the countless leaders he counseled, the institutions he renewed, and the doors he opened for others." Parsons was known as a skilled negotiator, a diplomat and a crisis manager. Although he was with Time Warner through its difficulties with AOL, he earned respect for the company and rebuilt its relations with Wall Street. He streamlined Time Warner's structure, pared debt and sold Warner Music Group and a book publishing division. He also fended off a challenge from activist investor Carl Icahn in 2006 to break up the company and helped Time Warner reach settlements with investors and regulators over questionable accounting practices at AOL. Parsons joined Time Warner as president in 1995 after serving as chairman and chief executive of Dime Bancorp Inc., one of the largest U.S. thrift institutions. In 2001, after AOL used its fortunes as the leading provider of Internet access in the U.S. to buy Time Warner for $106 billion in stock, Parsons became co-chief operating officer with AOL executive Robert Pittman. In that role, he was in charge of the company's content businesses, including movie studios and recorded music. He became CEO in 2002 with the retirement of Gerald Levin, one of the key architects of that merger. Parsons was named Time Warner chairman the following year, replacing AOL founder Steve Case, who had also championed the combination. The newly formed company's Internet division quickly became a drag on Time Warner. The promised synergies between traditional and new media never materialized. AOL began seeing a reduction in subscribers in 2002 as Americans replaced dial-up connections with broadband from cable TV and phone companies. Parsons stepped down as CEO in 2007 and as chairman in 2008. A year later AOL split from Time Warner and began trading as a separate company, following years of struggles to reinvent itself as a business focused on advertising and content. Time Warner is now owned by AT&T Inc. A board member of Citigroup and its predecessor, Citibank, since 1996, Parsons was named chairman in 2009 at a time of turmoil for the financial institution. Citigroup had suffered five straight quarters of losses and received $45 billion in government aid. Its board had been criticized for allowing the bank to invest so heavily in the risky housing market. Citigroup returned to profit under Parsons, starting in 2010, and would not have a quarterly loss again until the fourth quarter of 2017. Parsons retired from that job in 2012. In 2014 he stepped in as interim CEO of the NBA's Los Angeles Clippers until Microsoft CEO Steve Ballmer took over later that year. "Dick Parsons was a brilliant and transformational leader and a giant of the media industry who led with integrity and never shied away from a challenge," NBA Commissioner Adam Silver said. Parsons, a Republican, previously worked as a lawyer for Nelson Rockefeller, a former Republican governor of New York, and in Gerald Ford's White House. Those early stints gave him grounding in politics and negotiations. He also was an economic adviser on President Barack Obama's transition team. Parsons, whose love of jazz led to co-owning a Harlem jazz club, also served as Chairman of the Apollo Theater and the Jazz Foundation of America. And he held positions on the boards of the Smithsonian National Museum of African American History and Culture, the American Museum of Natural History and the Museum of Modern Art in New York City. Parsons played basketball at the University of Hawaii at Manoa and received his law degree from Albany Law School in 1971. He is survived by his wife, Laura, and their family.AMMO, Inc. Announces Preferred Stock Dividend