This was not going to be a joyful presidential debate by any measure, but neither were Americans expecting it to be the waking nightmare it turned out to be. The United States and the world had gathered around their television sets on the night of June 27 to watch two opponents whom they were not particularly excited about, but instead found themselves in a chilling scenario: President Joe Biden, usually feisty, statesman-like, and wise, was barely audible and unable to deflect his opponent’s barrage of barbs; former president Donald Trump was in his element. He was confidently shooting from the hip—taunts, insults and lies about Biden’s record and his own. Civility was dead, but more than that, the election itself seemed to be in death-throes. Was Biden just having a bad day and a bad cold? Or was age finally catching up? Everyone from ordinary Americans to the world media, including The New York Times, jumped into the fray. The verdict of the Times editorial board was scathing: “At Thursday night’s debate, President Biden appeared the shadow of a great public servant. The greatest public service he can now perform is to announce that he will not continue to run for re-election.”
Media across the US and the world has been equally tough on Biden. But he recovered a day later and gave a strong performance in Pennsylvania. So, was it just an aberration or something which will worsen with the passing months? After all, Biden will be 86 at the end of his second term. And yet, age is just a number, and some older adults are still going strong into their 90s. Biden has had a long and illustrious career and has the gravitas and experience to pull off difficult decisions.
Denne historien er fra July 14, 2024-utgaven av THE WEEK India.
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Denne historien er fra July 14, 2024-utgaven av THE WEEK India.
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Efficiency and innovation
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Level up
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HOPE STEMS FROM A CELL
While stem cell therapies have shown success in treating blood disorders, orthopaedic ailments, autoimmune diseases and eye issues, there is hope that they can one day treat patients with heart disease, blindness, Parkinson's, HIV, diabetes and spinal cord injuries
Mind matters
Your mindset can limit or expand your physical ability
Cutting edge
Would you go under the knife if a robot was the one holding it? Or would you say, \"No way, I need a human touch\"? You might have to decide soon because a robot that can imitate skilled human surgeons is already here.
The smallest cut
Minimally invasive surgeries have a bright future, with virtual reality and 3D procedures offering greater precision and AI on the horizon
Signalling a revolution
Canadian scientist and entrepreneur Sachdev Sidhu is focused on bringing cutting-edge antibody engineering to his country of origin
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Starting as a doctor-patient chat platform, Medibuddy has evolved to be India's largest on-demand, full-stack digital health care platform
HEARING AND VISION LOSS LINKED TO HEART DISEASE AND STROKE
A CHINESE STUDY PUBLISHED IN THE JOURNAL of the American Heart Association suggests that middle aged and older adults with sensory impairments, specifically hearing and vision loss, have an elevated risk of cardiovascular diseases, including stroke and heart attacks.
