Via Remix News,

In line with its review of all troops stationed around the world, the U.S. could cut 30 percent of forces in Europe, according to sources close to the Pentagon cited by Politico. The Do Rzeczy news portal asks what this will mean for Poland.

President Trump has already announced his intention to seriously revamp America’s military strategy and presence, with final conclusions from the Global Posture Review expected this September.

Reasons given have included the need to focus on new initiatives, budgetary concerns, and tensions in the Indo-Pacific region.

New priorities are a big turnaround from the U.S.’s previous commitment to Ukraine, and on the chopping block are some 20,000 troops who deployed to the continent after that war began. 

Between 90,000 and 100,000 U.S. troops are currently stationed across Europe, with the largest contingent (35,000 troops) in Germany, home to the Ramstein Air Base, the center for U.S. air operations and satellite communications, and Grafenwöhr, the largest U.S. training ground outside of Poland.

But given the size of the reduction cited, American forces in the CEE could also be sent home or elsewhere. 

Back in April, there were concerns regarding possible U.S. troop relocation in Poland, specifically from the base in Jasionka, which serves as the epicenter from which all transports are sent to Ukraine.

Now, it seems even more likely that Trump may want to shift focus from the war there.

The timing could not be worse for those who believe Putin is looking to potentially attack inside NATO territory. 

There is, however, also the concern from the U.S., specifically Trump’s circle, that European countries must up their own military capabilities and spending.

Secretary of Defense Pete Hegseth has said, “The United States cannot be the long-term guarantor of the entire continent’s security,” as he calls on European allies to increase defense budgets and expand their armed forces within NATO.

Read more here…

Prayer is one of the most common forms of spiritual expression worldwide. Yet, how often people pray varies widely across cultures, religions, and regions.

This chart, via Visual Capitalist’s Niccolo Conte, ranks countries by the number and share of people who pray daily, using data from a survey by the Pew Research Center and population figures from the World Bank.

The dataset covers 35 countries and represents around 50% of the global population, excluding countries where data was unavailable (such as China).

Where Prayer is Most Common

Daily prayer is woven into the social and cultural fabric of many predominantly religious countries across Asia, Africa, and Latin America. In contrast, people in secular Western nations tend to pray less often.

Here’s a look at the countries where people pray the most:

Generally, countries where most people pray daily are middle- and low-income or developing countries.

Indonesia tops the list, with 95% of its population—269 million people—praying daily. However, India is at the top in absolute numbers, with more than 1 billion people saying they pray daily, representing 71% of its population.

In Africa, Kenya and Nigeria have the highest rates of daily prayer. Other highly devout countries include Malaysia, the Philippines, and Bangladesh, where Islam and Christianity are dominant religions.

Overall, these countries are also highly religious. For example, 100% of Indonesians and 99% of Indians are affiliated with a religion. These percentages are much lower in developed Western nations.

Although most Western nations see low levels of daily prayer, the U.S. stands out with over 149 million Americans, or 44% of the population praying daily, with a diverse religious landscape. On the other hand, in secular European nations like Sweden, France, and Germany, less than 20% of the population prays daily.

If you enjoyed today’s post, check out The Global Religious Composition Landscape on Voronoi, the new app from Visual Capitalist.

As part of the U.S.-EU trade deal agreed over the weekend, the EU committed to purchasing a mindblowing $750 billion worth of US energy products over three years ($250 per year) including LNG, oil, and nuclear fuel (again this is very big picture: neither side has detailed what was included in the energy deal – or whether it covered items such as energy services or parts for power grids and plants).

There is just one problem: this number is laughably unrealistic because it would require the redirection of most US energy exports towards Europe and the EU has little control over the energy its companies import. 

Indeed, as Rabobank explains, unless energy prices increase materially, that figure remains beyond realistic expectations. The EU imported roughly €65 billion worth of energy products from the U.S. in 2024, including €20 billion (35 million tons) of U.S. LNG and €44 billion of oil and oil products. To reach the required $250 billion per year, the EU would need to import roughly 67% of its energy needs from the US, based on 2024 Eurostat data.

Even if the EU were to purchase all of its LNG from the U.S., the total would rise to only €40–50 billion, based on 2024 prices. This would require countries like Russia, Algeria, Qatar, Nigeria, and even Norway to completely relinquish their market share in the EU, while the U.S. government would need to mandate its LNG exporters to prioritize Europe.

The shift in flows for crude oil and refined products would be even more substantial, as the EU currently imports only around 17% of its needs from the U.S. Existing suppliers in the Middle East and India are unlikely to surrender market share without significant economic incentives, while U.S. refining and export capacity is already stretched. Capacity, cost, and competition will continue to shape energy flows, regardless of political intent.

Reuters adds that “there is strong competition for U.S. energy exports as other countries need the supplies – and have themselves pledged to buy more in trade deals. Japan agreed to a “major expansion of U.S. energy exports” in its U.S. trade deal last week, the White House said in a statement. South Korea has also indicated interest in investing and purchasing fuel from an Alaskan LNG project as it seeks a trade deal.”

The flipside is just as laughable: total U.S. energy exports to all buyers worldwide in 2024 amounted to $318 billion. Of that, the EU imported a combined $76 billion of U.S. petroleum, LNG and solid fuels such as coal in 2024, according to Reuters’ calculations based on Eurostat data.

More than tripling those imports was unrealistic, analysts said.

Arturo Regalado, senior LNG analyst at Kpler, said the scope of the energy trade envisioned in the deal “exceeds market realities.”

“U.S. oil flows would need to fully redirect towards the EU to reach the target, or the value of LNG imports from the US would need to increase sixfold,” Regalado said.

Competition for U.S. energy could drive up benchmark US oil and gas prices and encourage U.S. producers to favour exports over domestic supply. That could make fuel and power costs more expensive, which would be a political and economic headache for U.S. and EU leaders. 

Meanwhile, the EU estimates its member countries’ plans to expand nuclear energy would require hundreds of billions of euros in investments by 2050. Its nuclear reactor-related imports, however, totalled just 53.3 billion euros in 2024, trade data shows.

The energy pledge reflected the EU’s analysis of how much U.S. energy supply it could accommodate, a senior EU official told Reuters, but that would depend on investments in U.S. oil and LNG infrastructure, European import infrastructure, and shipping capacity.

“These figures, again, are not taken out of thin air. So yes, they require investments,” said the senior official, who declined to be named. “Yes, it will vary according to the energy sources. But these are figures which are reachable.”

There was no public commitment to the delivery, the official added, because the EU would not buy the energy – its companies would. Private companies import most of Europe’s oil, while a mix of private and state-run companies import gas. The European Commission can aggregate demand for LNG to negotiate better terms, but cannot force companies to buy fuel. That is a commercial decision.

“It’s just unrealistic,” ICIS analysts Andreas Schröder and Ajay Parmar said in written comments to Reuters. “Either Europe pays a super high non-market reflective price for U.S. LNG or it takes way too much LNG volumes, more than it can cope with.”

The United States is already the EU’s top supplier of LNG and oil – thanks to the Biden-inspired war in Ukraine and the CIA blowing up the Nord Stream pipeline from Russia – shipping 44% of EU LNG needs and 15.4% of its oil in 2024, according to EU data. Raising imports to the target would require a U.S. LNG expansion way beyond what is planned through 2030, said Jacob Mandel, research lead at Aurora Energy Research.

“You can add on capacity,” Mandel said. “But if you’re talking about the scale that would be necessary to meet these targets, the $250 billion, then it’s not really feasible.” Europe could buy $50 billion more of U.S. LNG annually as supply increases, he said.

Amusingly, higher EU fuel purchases would, however, run counter to forecasts for EU demand to decline as it shifts to clean energy, analysts said. 

“There is no major need for the EU to import more oil from the U.S., in fact, its oil demand peaked a number of years ago,” Schröder and Parmar said.

* * * 

According to Rabobank, the most plausible outcome of the trade deal’s energy provisions is increased European participation in U.S. LNG projects (which would also have been achieved without the deal). Unlike crude and refined products, LNG offers scalable, long-term opportunities through joint investments in liquefaction capacity and infrastructure.

European firms are likely to commit capital to U.S. terminals to secure future supply and diversify away from Russian gas. However, this will not materially alter market balances over the next five years and by then Trump will be long gone.

Via Middle East Eye

When Istanbul Mayor Ekrem Imamoglu was detained in February on charges of corruption, European officials were stunned. Imamoglu, widely regarded as the most important contender against Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan, had faced legal challenges before. But few expected his dramatic detention in a dawn raid and his treatment as little more than a common criminal.

At the same time, another court case was launched against the leadership of the main opposition Republican People’s Party (CHP) to remove them from office, again on charges of bribery. “These steps risk setting Turkey-EU relations back by a decade,” a senior EU official fumed earlier this year. Five months forward, Ankara’s relationship with Brussels couldn’t be better.

The EU last year decided to deepen its dialogue with Turkey, and many questioned whether the hard-found momentum, after years of frozen EU membership negotiations, would last amid an increasing crackdown on the opposition.

In the weeks after the Imamoglu incident, EU officials met Turkish Finance Minister Mehmet Simsek as part of the Turkey-EU High-Level Economic Dialogue meeting in Brussels. In May, Turkish Foreign Minister Hakan Fidan attended an informal meeting of the EU foreign ministers, known as Gymnich.

The meetings continued uninterrupted as Turkish courts arrested more popularly elected mayors aligned with the CHP.

“Waiting for an EU’s reaction similar to Georgia’s one,” Nacho Sanchez Amor, a Turkey rapporteur at the European Parliament, posted on July 5, when three mayors were arrested. “A new test for a coherent foreign policy or an invitation to exhibit our traditional ‘double standards’?” That reaction didn’t come. 

In July, Turkish Trade Minister Omer Bolat met his counterparts as the two sides held the Turkey-EU High-Level Trade Dialogue meeting. The next day, Turkish Interior Minister Ali Yerlikaya met his European counterpart as they held the Turkey-EU High-Level Migration and Security Dialogue meeting.

And finally, on Monday, the EU commissioner for enlargement, Marta Kos, met Fidan in Istanbul, releasing a joint statement that underlined areas of collaboration, from EU’s projects linking Europe to Central Asia to visa liberalization, an update to the customs union and Ukraine’s reconstruction.

“Commissioner Kos also emphasized that dialogue on rule of law and democratic standards is an integral part of our relationship and a commitment by Turkiye as a candidate country,” the joint statement said.

Kos and Fidan didn’t hold a news conference, a sign that neither side wanted to get antagonistic questions from media on Imamoglu’s case, among other issues.

“The EU doesn’t want to rock the ship,” a western diplomat told Middle East Eye. “The EU needs Turkey on Ukraine, on the defense industry overhaul and for the stability in the region as Syria recovers from the civil war.” The diplomat added that other concerns around human rights issues in Turkey are taking the back seat as the world enters a new era of conflicts and risks with Donald Trump’s presidency in the US.

EU with few options

Turkey has emerged as a global arms producer following a series of western sanctions that have restricted Ankara’s access to military equipment since 2016. Over the past two decades, the country has invested billions of dollars in its domestic defense industry.

Last year, Turkish firms exported $7.2bn worth of defense products to global markets, as Ankara now produces its own fighter jets, tanks, artillery, armoured vehicles and electronic warfare systems.

Turkey has been essential in supplying arms to Ukraine and hosting peace talks between Kyiv and Moscow since 2021. Despite Ankara’s refusal to join full international sanctions on Russia, Turkey has recently taken two important steps that indicate the direction Erdogan is taking in the war. “It has become clear once again,” Erdogan said on 11 April, “that European security is unthinkable without Turkey.”

Ankara earlier this month joined the “international drone coalition” supporting Ukraine by providing armed and unarmed military drones to Kyiv. Turkey is one of the three main drone producers in the world.

Turkey also in March joined the Coalition of the Willing to support Ukraine, and in July broadly committed itself to post-war security guarantees for the country.

Ozgur Unluhisarcikli, a regional director at German Marshall Fund, said the EU doesn’t have many options to counter Turkey’s democratic backsliding other than fully suspending the official membership negotiations, which isn’t seen currently as a real option since it would be too difficult to reverse once taken. Unluhisarcikli added that Trump assuming office has weakened the US security commitment to Europe and Europeans are looking for ways to fend for themselves if necessary.

“This encourages both the EU and Turkey to view each other more favorably in terms of security and defence industry cooperation, rather than within the framework of full membership,” Unluhisarcikli told MEE. “The EU does not want to weaken the option of strategic cooperation by criticizing Turkey based on its domestic political developments.”

With this spirit, the EU is looking forward to focusing on joint areas of interest, as alluded to by the joint declaration on Monday, said Samuel Doveri Vesterbye, a managing director at the European Neighbourhood Council.

This includes the Middle Corridor, a scheme also known as the Trans-Caspian International Transport Route, which links Europe, including Turkey and the Caucasus, to Central Asia.

“Why is this a priority for EU and Turkiye? It’s because the Central Asian region presents many opportunities for industry, critical raw materials, renewable energy production, trade and geo-political considerations linked to Turkic, Central Asian nations,” Vesterbye told MEE. “And regional integration of wider Europe, which today includes countries like Tajikistan, Armenia, Turkiye, Kazakhstan, Azerbaijan, Georgia and many others.”

A second western diplomat said the EU was focusing on the practical deliverables to improve EU-Turkey relations and keep Ankara on track while trying not to antagonize it – basically offering carrots rather than sticks to make progress on bilateral issues.

An ‘opportunity’ for Turkey

Marc Pierini, senior fellow at Carnegie Europe and former EU ambassador to Turkey, however, has a differing opinion, saying that the EU government and its bodies all have expressed their dismay at the constant degradation of rule of law in Turkey.

“Given the worsened geopolitical situation in the world, an unavoidable evolution takes place: it’s called the hierarchy of crises. Big powers tend to prioritise those crises closer to their core interests,” he told MEE. “Simultaneously, Turkey’s leadership is probably seeing this geopolitical situation as an ‘opportunity’ to further consolidate its autocratic model for domestic and electoral reasons while western partners are otherwise preoccupied.”

But Turkey continues to face hurdles: for example in gaining access to the EU arms fund known as SAFE, which has a €170bn budget for European joint defence projects. SAFE mandates that 65 percent of projects are funded by firms in the bloc, the broader European Economic Area or Ukraine, only allowing Turkey to join the project with limited participation.

Greek Prime Minister Kyriakos Mitsotakis, however, last week continued to argue that Turkish firms won’t be able to participate in the SAFE program unless Turkey lifts its 1995 declaration of casus belli if Greece decides to increase its territorial waters from six to 12 miles.

Despite the Trump administration remaining firmly in Israel’s corner, pressure is growing on the Netanyahu government as military operations in Gaza expand, and as more hunger-related deaths among Palestinians are reported.

British Prime Minister Keir Starmer has told his cabinet the United Kingdom will recognize a Palestinian state at a UN meeting September, joining France under Macron, unless Israel takes immediate action to end the “appalling situation” in Gaza.

A statement from Starmer’s office said that the UK “will recognize the state of Palestine in September, before UNGA [United Nations General Assembly], unless the Israeli government takes substantive steps to end the appalling situation in Gaza, reaches a ceasefire, makes clear there will be no annexation in the West Bank, and commits to a long-term peace process that delivers a Two State Solution.”

Starmer additionally “reiterated that there is no equivalence between Israel and Hamas and that our demands on Hamas remain, that they must release all the hostages, sign up to a ceasefire, accept that they will play no role in the government of Gaza, and disarm.”

He specifically recalled his cabinet from scheduled summer holidays on Tuesday in order to make the announcement and discusses a new proposed European-backed peace plan, as well as to consider getting humanitarian aid to hungry and sick Gazans.

Monday’s words issued by President Trump, who met with Starmer in Scotland, have also served to increase the pressure on Netanyahu amid the worsening crisis. While Trump is said to have signed off on Tel Aviv essentially pursuing a military solution against Hamas, the US president still highlighted appalling famine-like conditions and seemed to place blame on Israel, contradicting Netanyahu.

This comment constituted the most direct break with Netanyahu’s assessment:

“Based on television, I would say not particularly because those children look very hungry,” Trump said when asked if he agreed with Netanyahu. Later he said, “There is real starvation in Gaza — you can’t fake that.”

Plenty of small European states have already recognized Palestine as a state, but heavyweight European powers like France and the UK doing so takes things to another level, and Israel’s government would see it as a full-blown diplomatic disaster.

BREAKING: Prime Minister Sir Keir Starmer has announced the UK will recognise Palestine as a state by the United Nations meeting in September, unless Israel agrees to a ceasefire.

Read more: https://t.co/Ays0iPHHg5

📺 Sky 501, Virgin 602, Freeview 233 and YouTube pic.twitter.com/s9HnIrdHas

— Sky News (@SkyNews) July 29, 2025

Already, European officials have grown more skeptical of Netanyahu policies, also as The Hague-based ICC has issued a warrant charging war crimes, which in effect prevents Bibi from traveling to much of the European continent.

Starmer in his Tuesday televised remarks did acknowledge that on Oct. 7, 2023 Hamas “perpetrated the worst massacre in Israel’s history” – but still laid down that Israel is responsible for avoiding and mitigating civilian deaths in its military response.

Via Remix News,

Andrzej Rozenek, former MP for the Socialist party in Poland and deputy editor-in-chief of the weekly “Nie” Jerzy Urban, spoke about Grzegorz Braun’s party in the “Goniec Poranny” program. 

While “Nie” was known for its pointed anti-right stance and attacks on Catholicism, Braun, leader of the Confederation of the Polish Crown party, is an outspoken Catholic monarchist known for his frequent anti-Semitic and homophobic outbursts. 

Rozenek cited Poland’s constitution on the program, saying, “Article 13 of the Constitution actually requires the banning of racist parties that sow hatred.” 

According to the Article 13:

“Political parties and other organizations whose programs refer to the totalitarian methods and practices of Nazism, fascism, and communism are prohibited, as well as those whose programs or activities assume or permit racial and national hatred, the use of violence to seize power or influence state policy, or provide for the secrecy of their structures or membership.”

Asked if this meant that, in his opinion, the Confederation of the Polish Crown should be banned, he replied: “Of course. Absolutely.”

When asked if the new Minister of Justice Waldemar Żurek should take action to achieve this goal.

Rozenek replied,

“Yes, Minister Żurek should begin the process of banning this party. This needs to be addressed before this ulcer grows to a size we can no longer handle.”

He then said taking action to ban Braun and his party today is what should have been done back in 1930s Germany. 

“If in the 1930s in the Weimar Republic someone had cut short the political careers of people associated with the NSDAP, there would have been no World War II. There would not have been 85 million victims. You have to understand the responsibility for what you do. And this responsibility means counteracting, preventing. You have to prevent the spreading wave of nationalism, fascism, and neo-fascism. I see no other way out,” Rozenek said.

Read more here…

Authored by Daniel Amen via The Epoch Times,

Have you seen Grok’s Ani?

She’s Elon Musk’s AI anime girl—engineered to be your virtual companion. A digital girlfriend who flirts, strokes your ego, and will do almost anything you ask. On the surface, it looks like a harmless novelty. Underneath? It’s a siren song—one designed to hijack a generation of young men before they even know how to use their own brains. It’s a personalized soft porn slave—and a potent destroyer of dopamine, a natural hormone often referred to as the “feel-good” chemical of the body.

I was on “The Diary of a CEO” podcast with Steven Bartlett when he played it for us. As soon as I heard her voice—sweet, seductive, endlessly compliant—I felt a wave of concern rise in my chest. This wasn’t just a gimmick. This was addiction-as-a-service, dressed in anime skin and powered by the same tools we once trusted to help us write, learn, and think.

It felt like watching the wooden horse roll into Troy—not with soldiers, but with dopamine destroyers.

Once again, we’ve flung open the barn doors—unleashing the beast into our schools, homes, and workplaces before we’ve even stopped to ask: Is this a gift… or a Trojan Horse packed with danger?

We’ve seen this before. With video games. With smartphones. With social media. With benzos, alcohol, marijuana, opioids, psilocybin, and even artificial sweeteners.

We embraced convenience before understanding consequence.

Now we’re doing it again—with a tool that doesn’t just entertain or numb, but replaces the very act of thinking. And the cost may be nothing short of a crisis in brain development.

A recent MIT study used EEG (electroencephalography) to examine what happens in the brain when people use AI tools like ChatGPT. The results were chilling. Brain activity dropped—especially in the prefrontal and temporal lobes, the areas responsible for problem-solving, planning, memory, and language. Even after removing the AI, participants who had used it showed persistently lower brain engagement. This lingering drop—dubbed cognitive debt—is eerily similar to patterns we see in screen-saturated youth or early cognitive decline.

So what’s happening here? We’re offloading the hard parts of thinking. And when we stop struggling, the brain stops growing. When we outsource, we atrophy.

Could This Lead to Dementia?

It sounds dramatic—but based on everything we know about brain reserve, it’s not far-fetched.

The Nun Study, a landmark longitudinal study, showed that early-life writing complexity predicted later-life cognitive health. The more effortful thinking and rich language in their youth, the less likely these women were to develop Alzheimer’s—even when their brains showed pathology.

Now imagine a generation of students copy-pasting AI-generated content instead of struggling to write it themselves. What reserve are they building? What scaffolding are they losing?

We don’t need to wait 60 years to find out. The signs are already here: reduced motivation, emotional blunting, weakened memory, passive learning.

When ChatGPT becomes your first brain, your own brain becomes second-tier.

Silicon Valley Parents Are Already Worried

Ironically, the people building these tools are not letting their kids near them. Many top tech executives have strict “no tech” nanny contracts. Zero screen time. No phones, tablets, or even TVs in view of the child. Some nannies are forbidden from using their own devices at all while on duty. Violations can mean termination.

Why?

Because they know the truth.

They know attention is currency.

They know convenience dulls cognition.

And they don’t want their kids seduced by the same tools they helped unleash. These same families also write detailed food rules into contracts — organic-only, no sugar, no processed snacks. Because what you feed the brain matters, too. They’re guarding their kids like royalty. And maybe we should ask why.

What We Risk Losing

Unchecked AI use could erode:

• Mental strength (less cognitive load = weaker neural circuits)

• Motivation and drive (dopamine systems require challenge)

• Deep learning and memory (no friction = no retention)

• Resilience (brains grow through struggle, not shortcuts)

• Curiosity (instant answers kill wonder)

• Creativity (why imagine when the bot will do it?)

The result? A society of passive minds, dopamine-depleted students, fragile learners, and emotionally disconnected adults—many of whom never built the neural muscle needed to face complexity, failure, or challenge.

And yes, in the long run, this may increase the risk of dementia, depression, and learned helplessness.

So What Should We Do?

I love AI. I use it. I teach with it.

We read our brain SPECT scans with it. I believe it’s the future.

But it must serve our minds—not replace them.

Here’s how:

1. Use AI to amplify thinking—not avoid it.

2. Alternate between AI-assisted and brain-only tasks.

3. Teach kids to write with pencils first, bots later.

4. Track your own cognitive habits—how much are you really thinking?

5. Ask one daily question: “Is this good for my brain, or bad for it?”

I’m not against AI. I’m against passivity. Because when you lose the struggle, you lose the growth. And when you stop using your brain, it shrinks.

This isn’t fearmongering it’s love. For children. For the future. For the minds we’re still shaping. The horse is already out of the barn. Let’s not wait until it tramples what matters most.

Let’s build a future where technology expands cognition—not erases it.

Where AI is the second brain—never the first.

*  *  *

Views expressed in this article are opinions of the author and do not necessarily reflect the views of The Epoch Times or ZeroHedge.

Authored by Naveen Athrappully via The Epoch Times (emphasis ours),

Younger people are increasingly being diagnosed with colorectal cancer, a disease typically associated with people age 50 and older, the American Medical Association (AMA) said in a July 24 report.

Colorectal cancer, which includes both colon and rectal cancers, is the second-leading cause of cancer deaths in the United States, even though overall incidence rates have declined since the 1980s, the AMA said.

Among people younger than 50, “the number of incidences has increased by about 2 percent per year,” the association said. “The death rate in the same population has risen 1 percent annually.”

The chief research officer of The Permanente Medical Group, Doug Corley, said in the report that colorectal cancer was a substantial problem that causes “a lot of mortality … and morbidity.”

While researchers cannot identify the exact reasons behind the rise in colorectal cancer among young people, being overweight or obese is known to increase the risk of various cancer types, he said, adding that changes in bacteria inside a person’s gut can also contribute to cancer risk.

A study presented at the Digestive Disease Week 2024 in May last year raised similar concerns.

The study analyzed data from a U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention database to determine incidence rates of colorectal cancer between 1999 and 2020.

The changes in colorectal cancer incidence rates for each age group were:

• Ages 10 to 14: increased by 500 percent
• Ages 15 to 19: increased by 333 percent
• Ages 20 to 24: increased by 185 percent
• Ages 25 to 29: increased by 68 percent
• Ages 30 to 34: increased by 71 percent
• Ages 35 to 39: increased by 58 percent
• Ages 40 to 44: increased by 45 percent

“This data reveals some very concerning trends, particularly in our younger population who do not typically come to mind when considering CRC (colorectal cancer) screening for patients,” Dr. Islam Mohamed, the study’s lead author, said in a statement at the time.

In the July 24 AMA statement, Corley said that since older people are being screened regularly for colorectal cancer, the total number of cases, including both younger and older individuals, was declining.

“If we weren’t doing screening, we would probably be seeing an increase in older people too,” he said. “As people get screened, we find and remove pre-cancerous polyps. That decreases their future risk of cancer.”

The American Cancer Society currently recommends that people with an average risk of colorectal cancer start regular screening at the age of 45.

People are considered to have an average risk if they have no personal or family history of colorectal cancer, no personal history of inflammatory bowel disease, no suspected or confirmed hereditary colorectal cancer syndrome, and no history of radiation exposure to the abdomen or pelvic area to treat a prior cancer.

“The most effective thing we have is screening,” Corley said. “It’s so impactful compared to most other medical interventions.”

FIT Versus Colonoscopy

In a July 2024 study published by the JAMA Network, Corley and colleagues analyzed data from 10,711 individuals to determine the effectiveness of the fecal immunochemical test (FIT) to screen for colorectal cancer.

It found that completing a FIT screening was associated with a “reduction in risk of dying from colorectal cancer of approximately 33 percent overall, and there was a 42 percent lower risk for left colon and rectum cancers.”

A one-third reduction in mortality is “a pretty substantial decrease,” Corley said. “We would anticipate it to be even stronger over time or with more frequent screening, such as the recommended once a year screening with FIT.”

FIT is different from colonoscopy, the most common form of colon cancer screening.

A colonoscopy provides a doctor with a direct look inside a patient’s colon. The procedure requires the person to take a day off to prepare their bowel for the process. The patient must be sedated during the procedure.

In contrast, a FIT looks for small amounts of blood in stool, Corley said.

“It’s very helpful because it’s noninvasive. It can be done at home. This provides multiple different modes of screening and increased patient choice,” he said.

This flexibility allows for FIT tests to be conducted via mail in rural settings where people may not communicate regularly with their health care provider, he said.

While a colonoscopy is usually done once every 10 years, FIT is recommended as an annual test, he said.

Those who test positively on their FIT screening can then move to colonoscopy for a better diagnosis, according to the AMA.

British motoring magazine Autocar has compiled a list of 1990s cars to buy and hold. The list is not full of Lamborghinis, Ferraris, or other high-end European exotics, but affordable classics that everyday enthusiasts can realistically afford. 

Autocar’s Charlie Martin explained that the 1990s were defined by speed, with performance culture seeping into everyday life – from fashion to music to cars.

Martin said family sedans were transformed into high-performance machines, with models like the Sierra Sapphire Cosworth and Lotus Carlton becoming favorites among thrill-seekers and car thieves alike. He added that Japanese automakers gained prominence in the performance car world, bolstered by the rise of Sony’s PlayStation and its influential Gran Turismo racing game. 

From Rovers to Porsches, and BMWs to Vauxhalls, Martin’s list of “90s Gems to Buy Now” sounds more personal than anything, but standouts like the BMW 8 Series, Mercedes SL, and BMW Z3 are both appealing and surprisingly affordable.

Here’s the full list:

Porsche Boxster (986)

A howling flat six, super-sharp steering and stunning wide-hipped looks – they can all be yours from just £3000. Of course, the cheapest Boxsters are best avoided, but the truth is that these are surprisingly hardy little roadsters – provided you buy carefully.

Its best-known Achilles is the intermediate-shaft (IMS) bearing, which in some cases fractures or even shatters after a long and hard life. This then throws off the engine’s timing and shunts pistons into valves, requiring a really rather expensive rebuild.

Thankfully, many examples’ bearings have already been replaced, and typically with a sturdier aftermarket item that isn’t prone to exploding. If it hasn’t been done, add another £800 or so to the car’s price, if you get it done alongside a new clutch – which you probably should.

It’s also worth checking the immobiliser, locks and alarms work as intended: blocked door seals or a leaky roof can mean the ECU (located under the driver’s seat) gets wet and dies. Replacements are £500-plus.

Still, it’s easy to snag a good’ un – and you absolutely should, before prices soar.

Volkswagen Corrado VR6

Volkswagen’s junior coupé was always a tidy steer, but its full potential wasn’t unleashed until 1992. The fitment of a potent 2.9-litre narrow-angle V6 made it the fastest front-driver of the day, and it somehow improved the handling compared with the smaller (but turbocharged) four-pot.

Every Corrado was made from galvanised steel, so they hold up better against rust than many rivals – and it’s a good indicator of a dodgy repair, which should be easy to spot.

High-milers go for around £6000, but you shouldn’t be scared off by that: these are generally reliable bona fide modern classics.

Vauxhall Calibra 4×4 Turbo

Early Calibras were tarnished with a reputation for being a bit too much like the Cavalier on which they were based. The 4×4 Turbo flipped that notion on its head, turning what was a slightly humdrum coupé into Britain’s cheapest 150mph car. 

Today, though, they’re an expensive window onto the past, with prices venturing well into five figures.

Honda Integra Type R

This was the car that really put the Type R name on the map when it landed here in 1998, thanks to an all-time-great engine and tremendous handling. Clean cars go for about £15k, but it’s also worth considering importing one from Japan while the yen’s value is low. 

Rover 220 Turbo

“Nasty steering, a vague gearchange, dubious handling and dead-feeling brakes,” we said back then, pulling no punches. The 220 may not be a good car to drive, but it has an intangible appeal as the plucky underdog.

These are now incredibly rare and prices vary wildly, but around £5000 should be enough to secure one in mint condition.

BMW 328i (E36)

“The hardest-hitting, least compromised all-rounder on sale for less than £30,000,” is what we reckoned of the 328i back in 1995. Much of the same remains true today, except you can snag one for one-tenth of the as-new asking price.

Many have led hard lives, though – these were sub-£1000 cars for a long time – so buy carefully.

Fiat Coupé

A Chris Bangle masterpiece, and not half bad to drive either. The five-cylinder 20-valve engine, offered in both naturally aspirated and turbocharged forms, has the most exotic feel, but the four-cylinder option, a descendant of the Delta Integrale powerplant, still has the means to entertain.

Rust is by far the biggest issue: inspect the sills, subframes, wheel arches, footwells, boot floor, exhaust… Basically, just give the whole thing a thorough going-over. Interior plastics are prone to developing a horrid sticky finish, too.

Running project cars can be found for £500, but the best examples are north of £10,000.

Toyota MR2 (SW20)

Forget the second-generation MR2’s reputation for having a wayward tail – we never thought that held very much water. Still, Toyota revised the model no fewer than five times, with updates two (in 1991) and three (1993) gradually softening the handling to tune out the risk of snap oversteer. Any MR2 is a great drive and a fairly reliable proposition, barring rust or any extensive modifications.

It’s worth seeking out a Japanese-import Turbo model or one with the atmospheric ‘Beams’ engine that came with Yamaha-developed cylinder heads; either example brings with it the soundtrack and performance the car’s chassis and looks deserve.

Such cars will set you back around £10,000.

Renault Twingo

The Twingo has aged like Mr Blobby: once a tad unsightly, but now remembered for flouting convention and embracing the absurd. In the Twingo’s favour, it didn’t single-handedly traumatise a generation of children, so it’s looked back on a bit more fondly.

You can occasionally find them from £5k, but it’s perhaps easier to source and import a clean car yourself.

BMW Z3

If it’s a pure driver’s car you want, look elsewhere. But the Z3 has otherwise aged tremendously, with long-nosed, low-slung proportions and – as long as you go for the 2.0-litre engine or bigger – some of BMW’s greatest straight-six lumps.

Prices – from £1000 – are on the up, so now is the time to buy.

Peugeot 306 GTi

“The GTi is back,” declared our road testers after sampling the performance-enhanced 306. For years, hot hatchbacks had been iced over, hamstrung by horrendous insurance premiums and the looming threat of theft.

But the French machine’s combination of a 167bhp four-pot (then one of the most powerful engines to have featured in a hatch), a six-speed gearbox (when most rivals made do with five ratios) and a simply stunning chassis raised the bar. Suddenly, the race was back on.

Avoid track-converted cars; clean examples should start at £5000 or so.

Mercedes-Benz SL (R129)

Technically speaking, the R129’s life started in the late 1980s, but the fourth-generation SL didn’t really hit the limelight until a few years later. Its sheer desirability – thanks in no small part to those futuristic lines and stonking £50k-plus price tag – made it the darling of the burgeoning hip-hop subculture.

And if you can picture yourself rollin’ in a 500 Benz, just like Tupac, the good news is that SLs are today shockingly affordable. Just £3000 gets you behind the wheel of a ropey car, but we’d budget £10,000 or so for something more dependable.

Engines ranged from a 2.8-litre V6 all the way up to a 7.3-litre V12 fettled by AMG (good luck finding one of those), but our pick was the grunty 5.0-litre V8, badged 500 SL. Look out for an original car with a good service history, and you shouldn’t encounter too many issues.

A hard-top roof is a desirable extra for the colder months, but the standard soft-top should prove adequate, providing it’s been properly looked after (or replaced in the relatively recent past with an official Mercedes-Benz part).

Ford Escort RS2000

Hot hatches are nothing new, but it’s rare that the treatment proves to be the redemption story for what was otherwise a generational stinker.

So it proved, however, for the maligned Mk5 Escort, transformed by a fizzy 148bhp twin-cam four, quicker steering and a chassis overhaul. The addition of four-wheel drive in 1994 only raised its limits, making it a genuine Cossie-lite. As remixes go, it’s tantamount to The Prodigy turning a kids’ safety ad about not talking to strangers into a rave classic.

Not cheap today, though: expect to pay about £8000 for a good runner.

Peugeot 106 GTi

All the joy of the 306 GTi, but in a smaller, lighter and slipperier package. The 106 GTi was as close as Peugeot ever came to properly replacing the 205 GTi, and today a good example can fetch a five-figure sum.

At that price, though, you should also consider the 106 Rallye, which went without power steering and much of the cabin kit in pursuit of pure driving thrills.

Ford Focus

The Focus was the car that righted all the later wrongs of its Escort predecessor and democratised the attributes of all the best driver’s cars. Ignore the ST and the eye-wateringly expensive RS, and instead look for a tidy Zetec petrol that has managed to elude the tin worm.

Just a few thousand pounds should snag one you can enjoy for years to come.

BMW 8 Series

Munich’s Icarus was too heavy and too blunt in its responses to be a proper grand tourer, and it cost around the same money as Mercedes’ SL. But in 1993 the tide began to turn with the introduction of the 850CSi.

It was an M car in all but name, with its V12 engine upsized and boosted to a hearty 375bhp so the 8 could finally provide a driving experience that lived up to its gorgeous looks.

It’s also worth considering the later 4.4-litre 840Ci, which finally felt like the 8 Series had become a proper GT car. Prices for the 8 Series start at around £10,000, but CSis are now hitting £50,000-plus.

Standouts from the list include BMW 8 Series, Mercedes SL, and BMW Z3. 

Cincinnati Police Chief Teresa Theetge told reporters on Monday that social media users and journalists are “missing context” by shining the spotlight on viral footage of a Black mob attacking White jazz festival partygoers in downtown Cincinnati, Ohio. This is the same police chief currently being sued for discrimination, allegedly favoring women and minorities over merit-based criteria when making assignment decisions.

Footage from early Saturday morning shows a Black mob brutally beating a White man and woman in a downtown Cincinnati neighborhood. The video has since gone viral on X, prompting reactions from Elon Musk and Vice President J.D. Vance. 

If this garbage persists, federal funding must be cut. The group should face hate crime charges. A mob of Blacks brutally attacked a white man and woman at the Cincinnati Jazz Festival. Such savage behavior is increasing nationwide, yet the mainstream media ignores the surge in… pic.twitter.com/rRf79X75rs

— Jason (@jason1Patterson) July 27, 2025

While holding a press conference about the incident on Monday, Theetge accused social media and MSM journalists of misrepresenting the entire incident and making it “more difficult” for her department to investigate and enforce the law. 

“Social media, the posts that we’ve seen, does not depict the entire incident. That is one version of what occurred. At times, social media and mainstream media and their commentaries are misrepresentations of the circumstances surrounding any given event,” the police chief said. 

Theetge continued, “What that does, that causes us some difficulty in thoroughly investigating the activity and enforcing the law. Because what happens, that social media post and your coverage of it distorts the content of what actually happened and it makes our job more difficult.

One reporter asked Theetge: “You said social media and news media distorted the context of what exactly happened. What exactly was distorted? I understand there were multiple views of the video, but what led up to this? What was distorted?” 

Theetge responded but did not answer the question – just rambled on about social media…

Cincinnati Police Chief Terri Theetge chastising social media and “the media” about showing videos of the black mob attacking random white people.

Unfuckingbelievable. pic.twitter.com/hZVgDSqv6P

— Kentucky Girl (@Notwokenow) July 29, 2025

Musk commeneted on the video, saying, “Either she answers the question or she should resign.” 

Either she answers the question or she should resign

— Elon Musk (@elonmusk) July 29, 2025

VP Vance also commented on the incident during an appearance in Ohio on Monday. He described the incident as a “street attack,” and “What I saw is a mob of lawless thugs beating up on an innocent person, and it’s disgusting.”

🚨BREAKING: JD Vance on the HORRIFIC scenes out of Cincinnati after a couple was brutally attacked by a group of thugs:

“What I saw is a mob of lawless thugs beating up on an innocent person, and it’s disgusting. And I hope every one of those people who engage in violence is… https://t.co/aGK7WJIoPs pic.twitter.com/6K3zqW2cXV

— Gunther Eagleman™ (@GuntherEagleman) July 28, 2025

5 people have been charged in the black mob’s violent assault (i.e. hate crime) on the white tourists in Cincinnati.

No names. No mugshots.

Reverse the races, and their names and pictures would be running on a loop on every media outlet in the country. https://t.co/f3rTQs0594 pic.twitter.com/EVg29lG1gH

— John LeFevre (@JohnLeFevre) July 29, 2025

Meanwhile, local media reported last month that Theetge was being sued by several White captains and lieutenants within the department for discrimination over assignments that are considered “career enhancing.”

“The lawsuit also claims that out of CPD’s female lieutenants, 89% were given preferred assignments. 79% of minority lieutenants also got preferred assignments,” WLWT5 reported, adding, “Those numbers are compared to 44% of white, male lieutenants being given preferred assignments.” 

Back to the street attack incident, local media WXIX noted that Harmeet Dhillon, Assistant Attorney General for Civil Rights at the U.S. Department of Justice, was closely monitoring the investigation. 

Our federal hate crimes laws apply to ALL Americans. We @CivilRights will monitor closely how local authorities handle this attack.

Nobody in our great nation should be the victim of such a crime, and where race is a motivation, federal law may apply. https://t.co/QeADELQMsZ

— AAGHarmeetDhillon (@AAGDhillon) July 27, 2025

What the hell is happening in Cleveland? 

Welcome to Cleveland pic.twitter.com/N1fsBsRfWV

— One Bad Dude (@OneBadDude_) July 27, 2025

Federal law applies to all Americans – something cultural Marxists and Democrats disagree on.