According to a former member of the investigative team, the review of maternity protection in England was changed days before publication to remove criticism of the ‘normal birth drive’.
Other reviews have found that the campaign, which encourages vaginal birth without any medical intervention and is supported by many midwives, contributed to avoidable deaths and harms.
But Dr Bill Kirkup told the BBC that a government-appointed review had ignored similar criticism, forcing him to resign.
“I don’t think it’s right that we should keep these findings hidden,” he said. “It’s a threat to patient safety and I think it should be called that.”
natural birth ideology had not emerged as a major theme.
When the review was published, Baroness Amos told the BBC that natural birth ideology had not emerged as a major theme in her investigation.
“In England, we have one of the highest caesarean section rates in the world, so there were some instances where families talked to us about a sense of being guided towards a normal birth, but it was by no means something that came across strongly,” she said.
Asked to respond to Kirkup’s comments, Baroness Amos declined to comment further.
On Tuesday, the National Maternal and Newborn Screening Report was published.
Examining care across England, it found that maternity services frequently ignored women’s concerns.
Ministers have accepted one of its key recommendations – that the government appoint a maternity commissioner to drive reform.
However, many campaigners were surprised that the review concluded the “normal” birth agenda did not contribute to poor maternal outcomes.
Between 2007 and 2017, the Royal College of Midwives asked its members to encourage women to deliver vaginally without any medical intervention, such as pharmaceutical painkillers or forceps.
It was argued that such birth was better for women and babies. But its practice – which sometimes encourages women to stay home if they need medical care or refuse a Caesarean section – has been criticised in several reviews for contributing to avoidable deaths and harms.
Writing last year, former Health Secretary Sir Jeremy Hunt said that “the language and the thinking behind it are still alive.”
Dr Kirkup chaired the maternity review in Morecambe Bay and East Kent and found the practice caused harm in both areas. For example, their investigation in Morecambe Bay found that midwives were performing normal deliveries “at any cost”.
Investigators working for the Amos review found evidence that “it was still an issue, at least in some places,” he said.
He told the BBC that “a large number of people” had signed a version of the report that included criticism of normal birth but eight days before its publication, “it disappeared.”
Given the evidence, Kirkup felt he would have to resign. “We must acknowledge that this is a problem and that it has implications for patient safety for mothers and babies,” she said.
“I think the light of day needs to be shone on this issue and then we can have a proper conversation about why such incidents happen sometimes and how we make sure it doesn’t keep happening.”
Kirkup said he would not discuss how the changes occurred, but “I think she [Baroness Amos] has been misled on this particular issue.”
The allure of a Caesar salad lies in its dressing — the sting of raw garlic, the salty umami of Parmesan, and that anchovy funk. What you toss it with is less important. As long as it’s sturdy enough to bring that dressing to your mouth, any green will work just fine.
Mild and crisp romaine has been the classic since the 1920s, when the salad was first put on the menu at Caesar’s restaurant in Tijuana, Mexico. Kale Caesars and brussels sprouts Caesars had their moments, with those ruffled leaves adding an earthy, mineral tang. But I think cabbage works best of all.
Of all the greens, cabbage is the sweetest and crunchiest, with a pronounced contrast to the dressing that’s both satisfyingly textural and a little unexpected. Cabbage makes the whole salad livelier to eat.
It also keeps well. Unlike romaine,
Unlike romaine, which starts to wilt the moment it meets the dressing, cabbage holds up well. I made this cabbage salad one evening for dinner, then stuck the leftovers in the fridge. The next day, it was just as good — the flavours were more integrated, and the cabbage, though softer, was still gratifying in a coleslaw way.
If you do make the cabbage salad ahead, though, don’t add the croutons until serving. You want those to stay as crunchy as possible.
Don’t add the croutons until serving to ensure they stay crunchy. Credit…Armando Rafael for The New York Times. Food Stylist: Simon Andrews.
To further increase the crunch, I tear the bread rather than cut it. Torn bread has ragged, uneven edges that become extra crisp as they toast. Tossing the pieces with olive oil and a few tablespoons of grated Parmesan also helps the cause. As the croutons bake, the cheese melts into brittle, lacy patches along the edges. Use a spatula to scrape them up and fold them into the salad. Those frill-like bits are arguably the best part.
As for the anchovies, to me they are nonnegotiable in a Caesar salad. But sticklers will tell you that they’re not actually traditional. The original recipe gained its saline bite from Worcestershire sauce (which contains anchovies). It’s unclear when the salted fish made their way into the bowl, but now their presence has been firmly established. That said, if you want to skip them, use capers instead. You could also use olives or even feta, as all of these will add the necessary brininess.
You see, at its heart, Caesar salad is very adaptable. That’s one reason it’s been around for the past century — and it bodes well for the next.
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Pep Chavarria is definitely not your typical Chelsea signing. He didn’t make his debut in Spain’s top flight until he was 24. His European debut came at the age of 27 in October against Swedish side Heikken in the UEFA Conference League. He was dismissed.
But perhaps the Rayo Vallecano left-back’s rise is part of the appeal. Now 28, having again exceeded expectations at Rio, the energetic and whole-hearted player could bring what is missing to one of the Premier League’s true glamour clubs.
Marc Cucurella’s departure to Real Madrid presents a void on the left and Xabi Alonso has arrived to produce saleable assets and win trophies. If Chawria can help him here and now, that’s a priority. It’s not all about child prodigies.
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US President Donald Trump made more than $1bn (£750m) last year from business dealings in cryptocurrency, according to his mandatory financial report for 2025.
In a 927-page disclosure, he reported $635m in royalties from a Trump meme coin that has plunged in value since he launched it three days before taking office.
He also reported over $500m in income from World Liberty Financial, a cryptocurrency firm founded by his sons and the children of his special envoy, Steve Witkoff.
He earned millions more from real estate, Trump-themed Bibles, watches and other items. But the White House denied he was profiting from the presidency.
Much of the income was from transactions with World Liberty Financial, a venture from which Trump and family members receive 75% of the company’s net proceeds.
Trump had previously criticised cryptocurrency, famously calling Bitcoin a “scam” and a “disaster waiting to happen.”
His financial disclosure last year, however, represents a significant increase in moneymaking compared with the year prior, when Trump disclosed over $600m in income.
White House deputy press secretary Anna Kelly rejected any suggestion of ethical concerns and said Trump had proudly made the US “the crypto capital of the world.”
“Neither the president nor his family has ever engaged – or will ever engage – in conflicts of interest,” she said in a statement.
She added: “All actions by President Trump and his administration are taken in the best interest of the American people – and any so-called ‘reporters’ pushing otherwise are recycling the same, tired, false narrative that Democrats and the legacy media have been pushing for a decade.”
In addition to the larger amounts of income from crypto-related transactions, Trump’s disclosure also shows several relatively smaller transactions worth several million dollars related to sales from several digital wallets that hold such currency and assets.
First Lady Melania Trump also listed her income from last year in the disclosure.
She made $10.7m from a “license agreement” for the documentary about her that was released last year.
Another agreement related to the sale of NFTs, digital images that are sold online, also listed her another $6m in income.
Earth literally. The 2026 World Cup rocked the world after two goals secured Mexico’s victory over Ecuador in the round of 32.
Mexico’s Digital Platform for Early Warning and Comprehensive Risk Management (SASSLA) reported that fan celebrations after goals by Julián Quiñones and Raul Jiménez caused “a significant artificial signal” recorded by the Raspberry Shake seismograph located near Mexico City Stadium.
Seismic Alert System But note that his social media accounts say that “a wave of excitement and mass jubilation created a commotion in the local area.” One such incident occurred during Mexico’s debut against Germany at the 2018 World Cup in Russia, when Mexico’s Institute of Geological and Atmospheric Research reported that after Hirving Lozano’s winning goal, a seismic signal of artificial origin was detected by fans, “likely due to the mass jump.”
The phenomenon can occur thousands of miles from where the matches are being played: geophysicists detected an earthquake in Bergen, Norway, after the country’s team scored in the knockout rounds last week.
Something similar happened in 2024, when a Taylor Swift concert at Los Angeles’ SoFi Stadium produced long-duration, low-frequency signals — with harmonic frequency peaks between 1 and 10 Hz — that were detected by seismic monitoring sensors.
For many years now, the term “artificial earthquake” has been used to describe the unusual vibrations recorded by seismic systems during sporting events or large-scale performances. However, various experts believe that the term is not the most appropriate way to describe this type of phenomenon.
First, we should note that artificial earthquakes exist and have been studied for decades. Research: They are defined by Durham University’s Department of Geosciences as “human-induced earthquakes”, which are caused by activities capable of changing the geological behaviour of the Earth, such as the construction of tall buildings, groundwater extraction, tunnelling, oil recovery, hydraulic fracturing (ground gas), or storage.
Under this definition, the vibrations detected by the SASSLA systems following the Mexican team’s targets cannot be considered “artificial earthquakes”. Experts explain that, for a ground movement to be classified as an earthquake, it must be related to a geological process. The mere fact that a seismograph records a disturbance does not mean that it can be classified as an earthquake.
Arturo Iglesias, researcher at the Institute of Geophysics at the National Autonomous University of Mexico,
explained, ‘Many years ago, although human activities produce movements that can be recorded by seismographs, this does not mean that they are real geological phenomena that can be measured using earthquake magnitudes or cause changes in the earth’s surface.’
Iglesias added that seismic monitoring systems are capable of detecting micro-movements in the earth, whether natural or as a result of human activity. He also noted that readings can be affected by the stations’ locations, terrain characteristics, or the intensity of certain surface activities.
Even if a person jumps with the sensor, the system detects it, but it’s not an earthquake. An earthquake caused by scattered fan activity is a joke,” Iglesias stresses.
However, the unusual vibrations created by the simultaneous movement of thousands of people — such as the one that occurred after the Mexican national team scored a goal on Tuesday — have become an increasingly relevant area of research.
Experts believe that a deeper understanding of these signals will help develop more accurate methods. Analysis of seismic activity makes it easier to distinguish between the different types of vibrations recorded by the instruments. Additionally, this knowledge could fuel emerging applications, such as seismic interferometry—a technique that uses vibrations from everyday sources to study subsurface structures without waiting for controlled explosions or natural earthquakes.
Need some help with today’s mini crossword? It’s not too difficult, although the clues for 5-Across and 7-Across seem too simple for the obvious answers they are. And if you could use some hints and tips for daily solving, check out our Mini Crossword Tips.
If you’re looking for the answers to today’s Wordle, Connections, Connections: Sports Edition and Strands, you can check out CNET’s NYT puzzle clue page.
Tips and Tricks for Solving the New York Times Mini Crossword
Let’s get to these little crossword clues and answers.
Completed NYT Mini Crossword Puzzle for July 1, 2026.
Gems throughout the clues and answers
1 A cue: “Down, dog!” Answer: SIT
4A Hint: When doubled, baby period to train Answer: CHOO
Vinton Cerf will step down from his role as Google’s chief Internet evangelist next week, ending one of the most influential careers in technology history.
Speaking via video feed at the Open Frontier Conference hosted by the Loud Institute, Cerf was recognised by UC Berkeley professor Dave Patterson, who is known for co-developing the RISC processor architecture.
Patterson said, “Vint…has been at Google for more than 20 years, and he’s retiring a week from today, and so I think we should applaud him for a relatively good career.”
Google did not respond to a request for comment by the time of publication.
Cerf, 83, and colleague Robert Kahn are credited as the architects of the networking protocols that became the Internet we know today. His work to develop and popularise TCP/IP – the basic set of rules that let different computer networks talk to each other – began in the 1970s and has been recognised with several honorary degrees, the Presidential Medal of Freedom, and the Turing Award, among other honours. a Turing Award and other honours.
Since 2005, Cerf has served as vice president and chief Internet evangelist at Google.
(At this point, we can safely say that the Internet is completely hyped up, whether good or bad.)
Cerf was speaking on a panel with other computer scientists known for their work on sustainable open source projects, including Patterson; François Chollet, creator of the Keras deep-learning library and co-founder of NDA; John Osterhout, the Stanford computer scientist behind the Tcl programming language, who also co-founded Electric Cloud; and Matei Zaharia, co-founder and chief technologist at Databricks. He offered advice about what it takes to build open source systems that survive — advice that is increasingly relevant as founders are betting on open infrastructure for the next wave of AI products.
Much of the conference discussion focused on the problems of centralising advanced models in a few well-equipped laboratories, in contrast to the decentralised world of the open Internet that made Cerf’s own protocol so durable. However, Cerf predicted that the rise of AI agents – software that can act autonomously and coordinate with other software – would push tech companies back toward standardised protocols.
“The agentic model of AI, with multiple agents from multiple sources interacting with each other, is going to force the need for composability and interoperability and standardisation,” Cerf said.
If he’s right, the companies that define those interoperability standards early could end up with a big impact on how the agentic economy actually works — a dynamic not unlike the early Internet protocol wars.
While other panellists anticipated that natural language communication between LLM agents would suffice, Cerf predicted that they would need formal standards.
“I don’t think English would be the best choice. There’s flexibility, but there’s ambiguity, and I think accuracy will be very, very important for interagent interactions. An agent really needs to make sure that the other agent understands what it is that they’ve agreed to do together,” Cerf said.
“Remember the old telephone game where you wanted to whisper in someone’s ear and then when it got to 10 people the message was entirely different? Imagine a number of agents talking to each other in natural language; you know, it’s pretty scary.”
In a more light-hearted moment, Patterson recalled meeting Cerf, who was known for his wardrobe of three-piece suits, as a graduate student in the 1970s.
“He’s always been one of the best-dressed computer scientists I’ve ever met,” Patterson said. “My memory of Vint is that he came in as a graduate student in the ’70s with a shirt and tie.”
There is a huge benefit to biohacking when done correctly. You experience more energy and vitality than you know what to do with. But then what? Once diet, sleep, training, and recovery are finally in place, that mental clarity makes you more curious about what else is out there.
Every year, when I attend Dave Asprey’s Biohacking Conference, I leave with some intriguing ideas. Most things are the same. Familiar faces appear, people walk around sipping butter coffee wearing blue light-blocking glasses, and common brands have their own booths. But this year, Asprey’s team deliberately went beyond basic biohacking, knowing its audience was ready for what was next. So, the name was upgraded to “Beyond Biohacking”.
Gene therapy for longevity: Why biohackers are paying attention
Currently, millions of dollars are being poured into gene therapy and cellular reprogramming at the clinical level. But there’s a more accessible version of gene therapy that’s built around two proteins, klotho and follistatin, that doesn’t mess with your genome. Instead, they cause your body to regulate other proteins it is already able to make.
Klotho vs. Follistatin: What Do These Proteins Really Do?
Klotho is linked to cognitive function and cellular ageing, while follistatin supports muscle growth, and researchers are testing these. A 2025 meta-analysis pooling data from eight studies and more than 6,600 subjects found a statistically significant link between Klotho levels and improved cognitive function. Additionally, research published in PNAS found that a single gene-therapy injection of a follistatin variantincreased muscle size and strength in animal models for more than two years.
Are they just another peptide? This scenario was my first interpretation too, but it is not so. Peptide injections deliver the finished product directly, and when the body is used to it, you will need to re-inject on a regular schedule, often daily or weekly. Gene therapy skips that step. Instead of handing the body amino acids, it hands the body instructions for making its own proteins, turning a cell into its own little factory. This technique is the charm behind one injection that lasts for a year.
According to minicircle, the delivery method is a plasmid, a small circular DNA molecule, which is injected under the skin in a single dose. Although the plasmid enters the nucleus of the cell, it never merges with your genome. The cell reads the instructions from the plasmid and begins making the target protein, releasing it into the bloodstream. The company says that depending on the individual, a single injection can maintain that protein production for up to a year.
The minicircle may sound unfamiliar, but if you’ve seen Brian Johnson’s Netflix documentary Don’t Die: The Man Who Wants to Live Forever, you’ve already heard about it. This firm is the company where tech entrepreneurs go to get plasmid gene therapy using follistatin.
However, it is fair to question both efficacy and safety. Human research on these treatments is still limited, and much of what is known comes from animal studies and a small, self-selected pool of early adopters like Asprey, rather than from large clinical trials.
Asprey says he is confident in the early results. Even his 19-year-old daughter asked to try Clotho, making her one of the youngest people to do so.
“The big question is what the potential benefit is and what the potential risk is,” Asprey said, referring to muscle and health. “And the risk seems meaningfully low because they flush out of the body over time. And the upside is very high. They are studied. There are trials. So I trust them enough that I’ve done them, and so has my daughter.”
A phase 1 test sponsored by Minicircle Recruitment is currently being conducted to test this combination in humans. The trial’s own listing states that the injections are administered at a site outside the US, outside FDA jurisdiction, with only pre- and post-treatment evaluations taking place in the states.
Personalized supplements based on your DNA
Some biohackers are still carrying around over a hundred supplements in their pockets, and others have most of their body’s needs in a few pills a day. The latter group goes one layer deeper than just their blood panel and supplements, focusing on what they may be “lacking”.
A genetic test can pinpoint specific pathways and variants that affect how you metabolise various nutrients, process caffeine, or absorb vitamin D, allowing you to use your genetic code to determine what goes into your daily supplement stack. Companies in this field create personalised formulations based on those results, rather than on what the average person needs.
Dr Bryce Wild, genetics expert and leading genomics coach at Trifecta Health, told Muscle and Health, ‘Most supplements, especially multivitamins, are formulated based on population averages. ‘However, when it comes to demographics, such as biohackers, who pay too close attention to accuracy, they may not be able to produce the results they want. “Your genome is the only place where a truly personalised health strategy begins,” he said.
Hidden Risks of Buying Peptides Online
It has become basic to access peptides without any medical supervision. Since they work, the demand is high, and there is a lot of money to be made. However, it has brought with it more shady vendors than anyone would like to admit.
The biohackers at Beyond who still swear by peptides have become religious about sourcing, third-party testing, and conservative dosages. They prefer to ask the right questions of the right people rather than just adding to cart and checking out on a website, which makes it much easier to buy.
‘Buyer beware’ still applies. This will always be the case in such a fast-moving market. But when you connect with people who have years, if not decades, of research behind them, it’s much easier to throw caution to the wind
Purpose and community are becoming essential biohacks
You can adapt and biohack until you’re blue in the face, but there comes a time when feeling on top of the world isn’t enough, especially when you’re out there alone. I’ve talked to many people who have spent significant time and money finding energy, clarity, and insight, but none of it matters if they aren’t doing something with it, sharing what they’ve learned, and showing up for others as someone once showed up for them.
Jay Shetty’s keynote speech in front of a room of thousands of people brought that very thing into focus. He argued that the objective does not have to look like any particular thing. It doesn’t have to be a specific person. It doesn’t have to make you famous. It doesn’t have to make you money. It doesn’t have to be big,” he said on stage. That said, it’s your gift that makes other people a little happier just by meeting them.
And many of the biohackers in the room are learning to do their own research.
Neurofeedback and the rise of advanced mindfulness technologies
Most people will still find some mindfulness and consciousness techniques in there, and this reaction is justified. Even biohackers reach this point in their journey when their physical health has reached a solid state. It is time to explore the deeper layers of the mind.
In a world that is constantly fighting for our attention, learning to tune out and tune in has become a skill that advanced biohackers are interested in mastering, and technology has met that demand.
The full-body immersive soundbath experience pulls you into your body in a way headphones never can. You’re literally sitting inside a soundbath bowl, with another bowl hanging above your head, running vibrations through you from both directions at the same time.
Then on the high-tech side, neurofeedback devices read your brain activity and feed that data back to you in real time in the form of sound, vibration, or visual signals so you can train yourself to change your brainwave patterns not only with your eyes closed but also when they’re open.
This experience is also just the surface of where Asprey wants to take things. He’s hosting a whole series of dives into consciousness this fall, beyond Wonderland. This suggests that the brain will receive much more attention at these conferences than it has in the past.
Federal Reserve Chairman Kevin Wersh said on Wednesday that inflation risks have eased recently, but the central bank still has more work to do to rein in rising prices.
“Inflation risks have diminished,” Warsh said. He said “energy prices have decreased significantly” since the United States and Iran signed a memorandum of understanding last month to end the ongoing war.
“They’re still a little bit above where they were before the conflict, but they’ve come down,” he said.
inflation is an Achilles’
According to opinion polls and consumer surveys, inflation is an Achilles’ heel for Americans, who are becoming more dissatisfied with the economy. In May, inflation, as measured by the consumer price index, rose to 4.2%, its highest level since 2023. The Fed’s preferred inflation gauge also showed that price increases were hot, driven by rising energy prices.
Warsh also noted the growing impact of artificial intelligence on the economy and inflation, expressing optimism about the technology’s long-term prospects.
Journalists watch Kevin Warsh speak during a panel on the final day of the 2026 European Central Bank Forum on Central Banking in Sintra, Portugal, on Wednesday. Horacio Villalobos/Getty Images
“We are all facing a series of shocks in America,” Warsh said. “The AI shock is accelerating capital spending. We see it primarily in demand, but I believe we will also see it in supply at some point. So we’re spending most of our time monitoring those developments.”
Still, the central bank chief declined to give any indication about whether policymakers would raise interest rates: “I’m not going to give you any predictions as to what we’ll do.” Warsh has said he plans to break ties with recent Fed leaders to limit the amount of communication about the Fed’s future plans.
Asked whether the Fed would make this decision despite President Donald Trump’s wishes, Wersch said, “We have been an independent central bank for a very long time. We will be an independent central bank this time, and you won’t see any change in that.” Trump has repeatedly pressured the Fed to cut its key rate, often attacking Wersch’s predecessor, Jerome Powell, on the matter. (Powell, like Warsh, was appointed to the role by Trump.)
Warsh was in Sintra, Portugal, speaking alongside European Central Bank President Christine Lagarde, Bank of England Governor Andrew Bailey and Bank of Canada Governor Tiff Macklem at one of the highest-profile gatherings of central bankers each year.
Lagarde largely agreed with Wersch’s outlook on inflation, saying that the upside risks to inflation and downside risks to economic growth prospects are “probably more broadly balanced” now than they were a few weeks ago “as a result of what we’re seeing” with energy prices.
The European Central Bank is one of only two major central banks to raise rates since the start of the war with Iran, while the Federal Reserve kept rates unchanged at its most recent meetings as it looks at the spread of inflation from energy to other parts of the economy.
Warsh said there’s one key area the Fed is monitoring: the AI industry.
As major cloud computing companies like Microsoft, Meta, Alphabet and Amazon rush to build data centres around the world to power new AI models and systems, prices for computer equipment and memory in particular are skyrocketing.
As a result, consumer electronics companies like PlayStation and Xbox have raised prices. But the most notable price increase came on Thursday, when Apple raised the prices of iPads, Apple TV devices and HomePod speakers, as well as many of its laptop and desktop computers.
Apple did not raise the prices of the iPhone, Apple Watch and AirPods, but many analysts predict that these could be the next prices.
Asked about the AI boom and whether it could be inflationary in the long run, Warsh said it’s “one of the central questions we all have about our daily actions”.
But Warsh predicted that the United States “is likely to be a big winner in this over the medium term”.
He said, “When the Internet was born, who knew it would create 1.5 lakh jobs as Uber drivers?” We are in the first or second innings of this revolution.”
“This is a major paradigm shift for both our policy conduct and our economies,” Warsh added. “I think jobs will grow and prosperity will be strong.”
Many economists, corporate leaders and analysts have warned that AI could significantly reduce jobs. A study by financial operations firm Ramp found that companies that are spending more on AI are also growing their workforce.
Reiterating what the Fed said after its recent interest rate meeting, Wersh said labour markets are stable and the demand side of the economy is solid: “Again, this is before we see the fruits of AI.”
“But we’ve all looked around and we’ve seen that prices are too high, and I don’t think I’m alone at this stage in being committed to providing price stability,” Warsh said, referring to one of the central bank’s two legal mandates.
At Warsh’s first meeting as chairman last month, the Fed kept interest rates on hold even as other policymakers anticipated raising interest rates before the end of the year – with speculation that the chairman would tone it down in a press conference.