w

How does Altuve rank on Top 100 Right Now?

The 2019 MLB season feels so close now. Spring Training has begun. Players are taking the field. So it's time to rank the best of the best.




w

Cole: Arb win a bigger victory for players to come

By winning his arbitration case against the Astros, pitcher Gerrit Cole stands to make $2,075,000 more this season than if he'd lost. That's a significant victory for Cole, who will double his salary this year and make $13.5 million, and a significant victory for other players to come, the veteran pitcher said.




w

Back in rotation, McHugh able to draw on relief

With Dallas Keuchel and Charlie Morton leaving in free agency and Lance McCullers Jr. on the mend following Tommy John surgery, Collin McHugh is returning to his roots this year and is back in the Houston rotation. He said his experience as a reliever will only help him evolve as a starter.




w

Whitley throws first bullpen session of spring

All eyes were on right-hander Forrest Whitley, MLB Pipeline's top pitching prospect, when he threw in the bullpen for the first time Friday in Major League camp. Astros manager AJ Hinch, assistant general manager Brandon Taubman and director of player development Pete Putila were all watching intently as Whitley threw 21 pitches -- fastballs, changeups and cutters.




w

Bregman progressing from elbow surgery

Astros third baseman Alex Bregman continues to progress from the arthroscopic elbow surgery he had a month to remove bone chips.




w

Winter ball: Snowy offseason ideal for Sneed

The question would come shortly after Cy Sneed would write his name on the chalkboard. A young hand would rise into the air, and Sneed would brace himself for the chuckles that were sure to soon fill the classroom. "Are you a lumberjack?"




w

The Astros' Spring Training battle to watch

The next five weeks will see lots of shuffling on Major League rosters. Here are the most intriguing positional battles on each of the 30 MLB clubs.




w

Astros' notes: Reddick, Marisnick, Dawson

Astros outfielder Josh Reddick vows to start hitting to the opposite field more this year, which is something he did well in 2017, but not '18. Reddick hit .242 with 17 homers and 47 RBIs last year after hitting .314 with 13 homers and 82 RBIs to help the Astros to the World Series title in '17.




w

Raising HD awareness personal for Smith, wife

They wrestled with the decision to start a family for five years. It's something most young couples discuss at some point. Timing is important, and considering their busy lives, even more so for Astros pitcher Joe Smith and his wife, TV sports reporter Allie LaForce. The issue facing the couple is far more momentous than most others have to deal with -- one that's a matter of life and death.




w

Hall of Famer Biggio visits camp, shares wisdom

The first Hall of Famer to join the Astros at Spring Training is Craig Biggio, who was in uniform for morning workouts on Tuesday and will remain with the team throughout the week.




w

'Great swing': Bregman tweet thrills young fan

It took only two words for Alex Bregman to send 9-year-old Jax Nystrom into a frenzy, but this kind of reaction -- young people freaking out at the slightest bit of attention from him -- has become commonplace for the Astros' All-Star third baseman.




w

Uber to lay off 3,700 workers, CEO to waive salary

NEW YORK (AP) — Uber is cutting 3,700 full-time workers and its CEO will give up his base salary with the nation largely still in lockdown. The San Francisco company said Wednesday that the layoffs and related costs like severance will reach...




w

UN leader says one billion people with disabilities hard hit by virus

UNITED NATIONS (AP) — The United Nation’s leader said Wednesday the world’s one billion people living with disabilities are among the hardest hit by the coronavirus and called for them to have equal access to prevention and...




w

Rastafarian inmate who sued to wear dreadlocks released from confinement

HARRISBURG, Pennsylvania (AP) — A Pennsylvania inmate whose dreadlocks violated a jail’s haircut policy has been released from solitary confinement after more than a year, although his federal lawsuit is still pending. A federal...




w

Rogue tourists arrested as Hawaii tries to curb virus spread

HONOLULU (AP) — Hawaii authorities are cracking down on rogue tourists who are visiting beaches, riding personal watercraft, shopping and generally flouting strict requirements that they quarantine for 14 days after arriving. A newlywed...




w

Rare inflammatory condition affects some children with COVID-19

Dozens of United States children have been hospitalised with a serious inflammatory condition possibly linked with the coronavirus and first seen in Europe. New York authorities announced Wednesday that 64 potential cases had been reported to...




w

Netanyahu gets backing to form new gov’t

JERUSALEM (AP): Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu formally received the support of a majority of lawmakers to lead a new government yesterday, paving the way for a controversial power-sharing deal with rival-turned-partner Benny Gantz....




w

TV network fights closure with court petition

MANILA (AP): The Philippines’ largest TV and radio network, which was shutdown this week by a government regulator, asked the Supreme Court on Thursday to allow it to return to the air amid an uproar over its closure. ABS-CBN Corp said in its...




w

South Africa parliament video call hacked with pornography

JOHANNESBURG (AP) — A virtual meeting of South African lawmakers has been disrupted by hackers who flooded the video call with pornographic images. In the incident on Thursday, the hackers also hurled racial and sexual insults at the meeting...




w

No imminent lockdown restrictions in hard-hit UK

LONDON — Britain’s minister for the environment, food and rural affairs says Prime Minister Boris Johnson won’t be announcing immediate changes to the country’s coronavirus lockdown when he addresses the nation on Sunday....




w

Brathwaite for Tallawahs

The Jamaica Tallawahs have wasted little time in finding a replacement for the ‘Universe Boss’ Chris Gayle, as they have snapped up the captain of the St Kitts and Nevis Patriots, Carlos Brathwaite. The Gleaner has been reliably informed that...




w

Ramdin among new Patriots signings

BASSETERRE, St Kitts (CMC): ST KITTS AND Nevis Patriots have made some significant changes to their line-up for the upcoming Caribbean Premier League (CPL) season. Captain Carlos Brathwaite has gone to the Jamaica Tallawahs, while the Patriots have...




w

Harriott urges caution with RSPL decision

Portmore United captain Rosario Harriott says the Premier League Clubs Association shouldn’t rush to call off this season of the Red Stripe Premier League (RSPL) because of the COVID-19 pandemic. The league was stopped indefinitely in mid-March...




w

Deepening the pool - Western Jamaican swim clubs seek government development and new pool in region to foster training

Western Bureau: A number of swimming officials in western Jamaica say that the region’s struggles with underdevelopment will continue even if the COVID-19 pandemic is brought under control. They say this is because they still lack proper pools to...




w

Caymanas Track operations resume tomorrow

Supreme Ventures Racing and Entertainment Limited, operators of Caymanas Track, has announced the re-opening of the main track, effective tomorrow. The company said in a press release on Thursday evening that the track will be opened for two days...




w

Windies players lack commitment – Benjamin

BRIDGETOWN, Barbados (CMC): Former Windies fast bowler Kenny Benjamin says that cricket in the Caribbean is suffering from players’ lack of loyalty and commitment and that intervention is required to save the sport. The Antiguan called for coaches...




w

Late Lattimore described as ‘crowd-pleaser’

Former national footballer Arthur Lattimore passed away after a long battle with throat cancer. Lattimore, who represented Jamaica’s football team through­out the 1970s, died at his home in Florida, leaving behind five children, grandchildren, and...




w

Hexed - JFF finds possible World Cup ­Qualifying structure changes ­‘disadvantageous’

Jamaica Football Federation (JFF) general secretary Dalton Wint says that any potential changes to the Concacaf hexagonal round for the FIFA World Cup qualifiers could present challenges to the nation’s aim of qualifying for Qatar 2022. Wint’s...




w

Great leap backwards - austerity measures are hitting the vulnerable hardest

The UK’s austerity programme has disproportionately affected children and people with disabilities, says David Taylor-Robinson, a senior clinical lecturer in public health at the University of Liverpool. He joins us to discuss why the evidence shows the vulnerable are hit hardest by the cuts to public services, despite the UN conventions on...




w

Operating theatre time, where does it all go?

Waiting times in theatre can be a source of friction – but is the delay due to mandatory anaesthetic faff around time (MAFAT), or AWOL surgeons? Elizabeth Travis, and orthopaedic house officer in New Zealand and colleagues, have been trying to create and evidence base to argue the toss, and she joins me now to discuss her study, Operating...




w

WHO needs exercise?

Philipe de Souto Barreto argues that, to reduce premature mortality, policies should focus on getting fully inactive people to do a little physical activity rather than strive for the entire population to meet current physical activity recommendations. Read the full analysis paper: http://www.bmj.com/content/350/bmj.h23




w

Patient spotlight - How can we get better at providing patient centred care?

Participants in our discussion on person centred care in January agreed that a change in culture and better use of technology could benefit both patients and doctors. At the roundtable: Fiona Godlee (chair), editor in chief, The BMJ Tessa Richards, senior editor, patient partnership, The BMJ Rosamund Snow, patient editor, The BMJ Navjoyt Ladher,...




w

Has the balance of screening for AAA tipped towards harm?

Abdominal aortic aneurysms (AAA) are usually asymptomatic until they rupture, which is fatal in more than 80% of cases. Screening aims to detect the aneurysm before it ruptures, enabling preventive surgery and hence reducing morbidity and mortality. However, preventive surgery has a mortality of 3.9-4.5%. As the prevalence of risk factors, ie...




w

Katherine Henderson A and E consultant - lack of ward beds is hitting A and E the hardest

Katherine Henderson is the clinical lead of the emergency department at St Thomas's hospital in London. She worries that lack of ward space is having a domino effect throughout A and E and is the cause of increased waiting time for both patients and ambulances. If you would like to contribute to this collection, please email a brief audio...




w

Health apps for well people - problematic or panacea?

Some apps have the potential to encourage healthier habits and are accessible to most people, argues Iltifat Husain, but Des Spence notes the lack of any evidence of effectiveness and the potential for encouraging unnecessary anxiety. Read more about in our head to head "Can healthy people benefit from health apps?" -...




w

QOF, what is it good for?

Martin McShane, medical director of long term conditions at NHS England, questions the validity of the Quality and Outcomes Framework and suggests how it should change in the future. Read the related article: http://www.bmj.com/content/350/bmj.h2540




w

Time to target older women for cervical cancer screening?

Cervical screening programmes in many countries stop at around the age of 65 and much of the focus is often on younger women. However, comparatively little attention has been given to older women despite the fact that they account for about a fifth of cases each year and half of deaths. In this podcast Susan Sherman, a senior lecturer in...




w

GI bleeding, slow to diagnose, slow to treat

The National Confidential Enquiry into Patient Outcome and Death (NCEPOD) has been examining the treatment of acute GI bleeds in England's NHS. Two of the authors, Martin Sinclair, consultant surgeon, and Simon McPherson, consultant vascular radiologist, join us to talk about their findings. Read the full...




w

Open Doors For Sex Workers

Following on from the clinical review "Caring for sex workers", we spoke to the team at Open Doors, a sex worker outreach clinic in east London, run from the Homerton University Hospital NHS Foundation Trust. Kim Leveret and Anca Doczi join us to give practical advice on reaching out to sex workers, what barriers exist to them accessing care, and...




w

How scientific are US dietary guidelines?

They have a big impact on the diet of American citizens, and those of most Western nations, so why does the expert advice underpinning US government dietary guidelines not take account of all the relevant scientific evidence asks Nina Teicholz. Read the full investigation: http://www.bmj.com/content/351/bmj.h4962




w

What it's like to receive cardiac rehabilitation

With improved survival and and ageing population, the number of people living with coronary heart disease in the UK has increased to an estimated 2.3 million. There is increasing evidence that cardiac rehabilitation benefits these patients, and as such it has been included in international clinical guidelines. ​In this podcast, we're joined by...




w

Why do the Scottish do fewer knee arthroscopies?

The “correct” rates of discretional interventions are difficult to define. However, David Hamilton and Colin Howie point out that discrepancies in usage of knee arthroscopy within the UK suggest the organisation of the care pathway may be an important determinant Read their full analysis: http://www.bmj.com/content/351/bmj.h4720




w

This house believes that medicine is the best career in the world.

Medicine has long been a rewarding career, but doctors say the profession needs to overcome the frustrations of working in the NHS to ensure it remains so. During the Big Debate at BMJ Live in London last week six speakers argued for and against the motion, “This house believes that medicine is the best career in the world.” After presentations...




w

Unexpected findings, with uncertain implications, in research imaging

When healthy volunteers are scanned as part of a research project, unexpected findings, with uncertain implications, can be thrown up. Joanna Wardlaw, professor of applied neuroimaging and honorary consultant neuroradiologist at the University of Edinburgh, joins us to discuss how her group deals with these incidental findings, and what...




w

Sarah Wollaston - obesity, not a sugary drinks tax, is regressive

The UK Parliament's Health Select Committee's recent report on childhood obesity says 1 in 5 children are obese by the time they leave school. The committee calls for legislation to turn the tide by taxing sugary drinks, a pre-watershed ban on junk food advertising, and investment in public health. We joined Sarah Wollaston, conservative MP for...




w

What is vaginal seeding - and is it safe?

How should health professionals engage with this increasingly popular but unproved practice? Aubrey Cunnington, a consultant paediatrician from Imperial College London joins us to discuss. Read the full editorial: http://www.bmj.com/content/352/bmj.i227




w

"It's the workforce, stupid" - is the NHS workforce in crisis?

As the junior doctors in England strike, concerns for the workforce are foremost in the minds of those running the NHS. A summary is available here: http://www.bmj.com/content/352/bmj.i1510 In The BMJ roundtable, recorded at the Nuffield Trust Health Policy Summit on Friday 4 March 2016, we asked our participants if they think the NHS is in...




w

"We're pulling the rug out from under the feet of [GPs]"

Gareth Iacobucci talks to Candace Imison, director of policy at The Nuffield Trust, about the problems facing GPs, and how primary care could be changed. "5 minutes with... Candace Imison": http://www.bmj.com/content/352/bmj.i1378




w

"I thought I was the worst person with type I..." - Self management of diabetes

Nick Oliver, consultant diabetologist at Imperial Healthcare NHS Trust and Philippa Cooper, who has type I diabetes, join us to explain how structured education works for patients, and give tips on self management. Read the full review: http://www.bmj.com/content/352/bmj.i998




w

Should doctors boycott working in Australia’s immigration detention centres?

However well intentioned, working in detention centres amounts to complicity in torture, says David Berger, a district medical officer in emergency medicine at Broome Hospital in Australia. However, Steven Miles, chair in bioethics at the University of Minnesota thinks that they play an important role in telling the world about conditions in...