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PULSE POINTS:
❓What Happened: A study published in the Canadian Journal of Cardiology suggests moderate Champagne consumption may reduce the risk of sudden cardiac arrest.
👥 Who’s Involved: Researchers analyzed data from over 500,000 individuals; commentary provided by cardiologists and nutrition experts, including Bradley Serwer, MD, and Michelle Routhenstein, RD.
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📍 Where & When: Study findings published in the Canadian Journal of Cardiology last month.
💬 Key Quote: “Moderate consumption of alcohol may exhibit cardioprotective effects, yet it often poses risks to the liver, stomach, and mental health,” said Bradley Serwer, MD.
⚠️ Impact: While moderate Champagne or white wine consumption may correlate with reduced cardiac arrest risk, excessive alcohol use remains linked to significant health risks, including liver damage and disrupted sleep.
IN FULL:
A recent study published in the Canadian Journal of Cardiology has identified a potential link between moderate Champagne consumption and a reduced risk of sudden cardiac arrest. Researchers analyzed data from over 500,000 individuals, examining 56 non-clinical risk factors such as lifestyle, socioeconomic status, and physical health. The study concluded that 40–63 percent of sudden cardiac arrest cases could have been prevented by addressing a few modifiable factors.
Among the findings, moderate consumption of white wine and Champagne, combined with a healthy diet and positive lifestyle habits, was associated with a lower risk of cardiac arrest. “Moderate consumption of alcohol may exhibit cardioprotective effects, yet it often poses risks to the liver, stomach, and mental health,” said Bradley Serwer, MD, an interventional cardiologist.
Experts suggest the heart-health benefits of Champagne may stem from its polyphenol content, which improves vascular function, reduces inflammation, and raises HDL cholesterol, explained Michelle Routhenstein, RD, a preventative cardiology dietitian. Additionally, both white wine and Champagne contain protocatechuic acid, an antioxidant that combats free radicals linked to chronic illness and heart disease.
Red wine, similarly, offers potential cardiovascular benefits due to its high levels of resveratrol, a polyphenol that may lower blood pressure and reduce blood clots. However, medical professionals caution against excessive alcohol consumption, which can lead to liver damage, cognitive decline, and other health issues.
The findings did not specify optimal consumption levels, but “moderate consumption” is generally defined as up to two drinks daily for men and one for women, according to Laura Catena, MD. She insisted that drinking less is always better for overall health.
The World Health Organization (WHO) maintains that no alcohol consumption is entirely safe. At the same time, the National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine have noted lower mortality rates among moderate drinkers compared to abstainers.
Ultimately, healthcare professionals advise individuals to weigh the risks and benefits of alcohol consumption carefully. For those with chronic illnesses or substance use risks, abstinence is recommended. “If there are questions whether alcohol may be beneficial, I recommend sitting down with your healthcare team to determine if it’s right for you,” Serwer advised.
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has announced the elimination of Hamas Gaza chief Mohammad Sinwar, the younger brother of the group’s deceased leader Yahya Sinwar.
Speaking at the Knesset, Netanyahu declared, “We have eliminated Mohammed Deif, Yahya Sinwar, and Mohammed Sinwar,” marking another blow to the terrorist organization responsible for the October 7, 2023, massacre.
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The announcement underscores Israel’s relentless campaign to dismantle Hamas, a mission aligned with President Donald J. Trump’s unwavering support for America’s key ally in the Middle East.
Mohammad Sinwar’s killing comes seven months after the death of his brother Yahya, known as the architect of the October 7 attack, who was taken out on October 17, 2024, in Rafah, Gaza.
This story is developing…
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Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has announced the elimination of Hamas Gaza chief Mohammad Sinwar, the younger brother of the group’s deceased leader Yahya Sinwar. show more
PULSE POINTS:
❓What Happened: New analysis suggests only a concerningly small number of Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE) cuts can actually be reviewed and verified.
👥 Who’s Involved: Elon Musk, DOGE, the Trump administration, critics of DOGE, and Open the Books auditors.
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📍 Where & When: The analysis was published by Open the Books on Tuesday, May 27, 2025.
💬 Key Quote: “DOGE is an advisory group; we are doing the best we can as an advisory group. We do not make the laws, nor do we control the judiciary, nor do we control the Executive Branch.” – Elon Musk.
⚠️ Impact: Transparency concerns persist regarding the verification of claimed savings by DOGE, with taxpayers struggling to confirm many of the savings figures.
IN FULL:
New analysis suggests that many of the claimed cuts to nondiscretionary spending enacted by the Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE) cannot be easily reviewed or verified. The external audit of DOGE data is raising concerns about a lack of transparency behind the advisory agency’s methodology and claims, as it appears to be largely winding down its mission ahead of Elon Musk’s possible departure as a special government employee.
The Trump administration has credited DOGE with saving taxpayers $160 billion by targeting wasteful spending through canceled grants, contracts, and other measures. However, critics, including some on the right, dispute the validity of those savings. Open the Books, an independent watchdog, analyzed DOGE’s claims and found that only 42 percent of contracts and 27 percent of grants could be easily verified through public records.
According to Open the Books, the discrepancies largely stem from a lack of real-time transparency in government spending systems, such as USASpending.gov and the Federal Procurement Data System (FPDS). For instance, DOGE claimed savings of $32,366 on a State Department grant to a Chilean university, but public records show no corresponding outlay to confirm the figure. Similarly, a Department of Defense grant to the University of Wisconsin showed conflicting values between DOGE’s data and FPDS records.
Other problems faced by those trying to review and understand the DOGE data include federal contracts listed as Indefinite Delivery Vehicles (IDV). According to Open the Books, “This type of contract allows the government to sign a contract for a certain value, but pay for goods or services over time and negotiate those costs separately per instance.”
The watchdog group gives an example of a contract “…between the Department of Energy and Kumono Government Services, LLC [which] is for security and safety trainings at the DOE’s National Training Center in Albuquerque. Both DOGE and the FPDS roughly agree on the contract value. DOGE has it at $179,000,000 even, which FPDS says the total contract value is $179,637,339.14.”
“DOGE says they saved taxpayers $15,652,636.00 on this contract. But the FPDS shows a smaller current contract value of $31,303,271.64. It also reflects a total order value, presumably money already spent, of $117,901,211. Regardless of how one parses those numbers, it’s impossible to verify the $15.6M of savings,” Open the Books explains.
Another area of contention is that many of the recommended DOGE cuts are to non-discretionary spending, which will need to be codified either through rescissions enacted by Congress or through appropriations cuts enacted by lawmakers later this year. While fiscal conservative activists have tried to claim that Congress can enact DOGE cuts in the current reconciliation bill, these claims are actually untrue. Senate rules stipulate that budget reconciliation legislation can only address discretionary spending, of which the bill makes $1.6 trillion in cuts over the 10-year budget window.
Despite the transparency concerns raised by Open the Books, Elon Musk, who has served as the informal chief of the DOGE initiative, still claims that the group has largely accomplished its goals. During an interview at the Qatar Economic Forum, Musk stated: “We do not make the laws, nor do we control the judiciary, nor do we control the Executive Branch. We are simply advisors. In that context, we are doing very well.”
“We cannot take action beyond that because we are not some sort of imperial dictator of the government,” Musk said.
To better open the DOGE cutting process to public scrutiny, Open the Books is advocating that the public be allowed access to a modified version of the Treasury Payment System, which would allow those interested to track spending in real time. This mechanism could also help voters to better influence their elected officials as to what cuts they would want to see prioritized.
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