Global Virus Network monitors spreading avian influenza in Australian mammals

https://www.news-medical.net/news/20260918/Global-Virus-Network-monitors-spreading-avian-influenza-in-Australian-mammals.aspx The Global Virus Network (GVN) is closely monitoring detections of highly pathogenic avian influenza A (H5N1), commonly known as bird flu, in several mammal species in Australia as the virus continues to spread among birds and mammals worldwide. On Sept. 13, Australian authorities confirmed the first detection in an Australian sea lion, an endangered species, at Seal Bay on Kangaroo Island. Australia reported its first confirmed detection in a mammal on Aug. 23, when a long-nosed fur seal found at Beachport in South Australia tested positive. A second long-nosed fur seal near Kangaroo Island was confirmed two days later. Subsequent detections included a red fox in metropolitan Adelaide, a common dolphin at Goolwa and a second fox at Normanville.

A geriatrician explains why AI for older adults deserves careful scrutiny AI can help patients retain independence, but James Deardorff says good outcomes aren’t a given

https://www.statnews.com/2026/09/18/geriatrician-explains-why-ai-for-older-adults-deserves-careful-scrutiny/ By Katie PalmerSept. 18, 2026 Health Tech Correspondent

Why do ‘never-smokers’ get lung cancer? In some cases, rare genetic variant may be a factor Researchers say study of huge dataset ties variant, more common in Southern Appalachia, to increased risk

https://www.statnews.com/2026/09/17/rare-gene-variant-boosts-lung-cancer-risk-25-fold-in-non-smokers/ By Andrew JosephSept. 17, 2026 Europe Correspondent

Trump touts pharma deals to offer cheaper drugs to state Medicaid programs Every state to participate in GENEROUS model for lower drug prices

https://www.statnews.com/2026/09/18/trump-touts-state-participation-generous-medicaid-drug-discount-program/ By John WilkersonSept. 18, 2026 Washington Correspondent

Viewpoint: Why are the less intelligent more likely to be conservative—and smarter people more socially liberal? Aporia | September 18, 2026

https://geneticliteracyproject.org/2026/09/18/viewpoint-why-are-the-less-intelligent-more-likely-to-be-conservative-and-smarter-people-more-socially-liberal/ Smarter people tend to be more socially liberal — less racist, less homophobic, less nationalistic, more supportive of free speech and immigration — and the pattern shows up in study after study, according to a deep dive by Aporia Magazine’s Noah Carl. The observation isn’t new: in an 1866 House of Commons debate, after a Conservative MP accused his party of being “the stupidest party in the State,” the philosopher and Liberal MP John Stuart Mill shot back: “I did not mean that Conservatives are generally stupid; I meant that stupid persons are generally Conservative.”

Child-monitoring apps: When the cure is worse than the harm—and how the technology could be tweaked MIT Technology Review | September 18, 2026

https://geneticliteracyproject.org/2026/09/18/child-monitoring-apps-when-the-cure-is-worse-than-the-harm-and-how-the-technology-could-be-tweaked/ Millions of American parents have turned to apps like Bark that scan their kids’ texts, photos and chats for signs of danger—but new reporting suggests the surveillance itself may be taking a toll, as Kelly Clancy reports for MIT Technology Review.

Vitamin D, omega-3 fish oil and glucosamine supplements could cause brain damage Washington Post | September 18, 2026

https://geneticliteracyproject.org/2026/09/18/vitamin-d-omega-3-fish-oil-and-glucosamine-supplements-could-cause-brain-damage/ Vitamin D, omega-3 fish oil and glucosamine — three of the most popular supplements among older Americans — may do more harm than good to an aging brain, according to Ariana Eunjung Cha at The Washington Post. Separate studies this year linked each supplement to faster cognitive decline or a higher risk of progressing to dementia in adults 55 and older, raising the question of whether products assumed to be harmless behave differently as the brain ages.