🗞️ Surgeon took child labor to another level

GREETINGS!

🔔 In today’s email:

💉 Surgeon lets his daughter drill a hole into patients skull
🔫 Football player robbed and shot in broad daylight
🌬️ Donald Trump supports marijuana use
🗣️ Israeli’s protest after Hamas kills six hostages

-Mike

QUICK BITE

Surgeon brings 13-year-old daughter to drill hole in patient's skull

An Austrian neurosurgeon has been dismissed and is under criminal investigation after allegedly allowing their 13-year-old daughter to participate in an emergency surgery by drilling a hole into a patient's skull. 

The incident occurred at Graz University Hospital, one of Austria's largest medical facilities, where a 33-year-old man was rushed after suffering severe head injuries in a forestry accident.

• During the emergency procedure on January 13, the neurosurgeon reportedly let their teenage daughter assist, a shocking breach of medical protocols.

The patient, who only learned of the incident months later through media reports, survived the surgery but spent 11 days in intensive care and remains unable to work. 

• Both the neurosurgeon and another specialist involved in the operation were dismissed by the hospital and are now facing criminal charges of serious bodily harm. 

• The patient's lawyer, Peter Freiberger, condemned the surgeon's actions, likening the man to a "guinea pig" and criticizing the hospital for failing to reach out or apologize. 

The case has sparked backlash, with medical experts saying that a child has no place in an operating room, especially during a critical procedure. The investigation continues as authorities await the final report from the criminal investigation department.

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49ers' Ricky Pearsall released from hospital after being shot

San Francisco 49ers wide receiver Ricky Pearsall was released from the hospital on Sunday after being shot in the chest during an attempted robbery in central San Francisco the previous day. 

How he’s doing: Pearsall, 23, was initially in "serious but stable" condition but improved to "fair condition" before his release from San Francisco General Hospital and Trauma Center. 

• His mother shared on social media that the bullet had exited through his back without hitting any vital organs, calling him "extremely lucky."

The suspect: A 17-year-old male from Tracy, California, was arrested shortly after the incident, which occurred around 3:30 p.m. on Geary Boulevard near Union Square. 

• According to San Francisco Police Chief William Scott, a physical altercation ensued between Pearsall and the suspect, resulting in both being injured by gunfire. 

• The suspect's condition has not been disclosed. 

Conclusion: Police stated that there was no indication Pearsall was targeted because of his status as a professional football player. 

• District Attorney Brooke Jenkins is expected to make a charging decision regarding the juvenile suspect in the coming days. 

• Police Chief Scott praised the swift response of officers and vowed to pursue justice in the case.

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Donald Trump shows support of marijuana for personal use

Donald Trump has indicated that he will support the legalization of marijuana for personal use in Florida, ahead of a state ballot on the issue in November. 

What’s he saying: Writing on his Truth Social platform, Trump acknowledged that voters are likely to approve the measure and emphasized that if it's going to happen, "it should be done correctly." 

• This stance puts Trump at odds with other prominent Republicans, including Florida Governor Ron DeSantis, who opposes legalization, arguing that it would harm the state's “quality of life.” 

• Trump said: "Someone should not be a criminal in Florida, when this is legal in so many other states.”

• "We do not need to ruin lives and waste taxpayer dollars arresting adults with personal amounts of it on them."

Trump also highlighted the need for regulations to prevent public use of marijuana, stating that it shouldn't be "smelled everywhere we go, like we do in many of the Democrat-run cities." 

At the ballot box: This proposal is one of several amendments that Florida residents will vote on in November, alongside the presidential election in which Trump is running against Kamala Harris. 

• Trump's position on marijuana contrasts with his earlier comments on another amendment concerning abortion rights. 

• On Friday he said he would vote against a measure in Florida that would protect abortion rights, after facing backlash from conservative supporters.

• After initially suggesting support for extending Florida's abortion ban from six weeks to 24 weeks, Trump later clarified that he would vote against the measure, aligning with his conservative base.

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Israelis protest in call for hostage release deal

Tens of thousands of Israelis rallied across the country after the bodies of six hostages held by Hamas in Gaza were recovered by Israeli soldiers.

What was happening: The protests, which took place in cities like Tel Aviv and Jerusalem, saw demonstrators accusing Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and his government of not doing enough to secure the release of the remaining hostages taken during the October 7 terrorist attacks. 

• In Tel Aviv, protesters broke through police lines and blocked a major highway, while some set fires and displayed yellow ribbons symbolizing solidarity with the hostages. 

• The demonstrations were largely peaceful but intense, reflecting widespread frustration and anger.

What do they want: The protests coincided with a call for a nationwide general strike by Israel's major labor union, Histadrut, to pressure the government into securing a hostage deal. 

Further context: The Israel Defense Forces (IDF) reported that the six bodies were found in an underground tunnel in Gaza and had been killed just before soldiers reached them. 

• The hostages were identified as Carmel Gat, Eden Yerushalmi, Hersh Goldberg-Polin, Alexander Lobanov, Almog Sarusi and Master Sgt Ori Danino.

• The situation has intensified demands for a deal to release the remaining hostages, with families expressing deep distress and urging immediate action. 

Opposition leader Yair Lapid and Tel Aviv Mayor Ron Huldai have expressed support for the strike, emphasizing the urgency of reaching a deal, while Finance Minister Bezalel Smotrich condemned the strike, claiming it served Hamas's interests. 

The Hostages Families Forum blamed delays in negotiations for the deaths of the six hostages and others.

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FROM THE EDITOR

You’re a special kind of person if you reached the end of the road here. :)

-Mike