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Nerve Block Therapy Offers Hope for Migraine Sufferers

                           Calgary neurologist Dr. Serena Orr injecting a patient to help treat migraines.  Researchers in Calgary are spotlighting a promising treatment for people living with severe migraines: occipital nerve blocks . This approach involves injecting a small amount of anesthetic near the occipital nerves at the back of the head, which can interrupt pain signals and provide rapid relief. Neurologist Dr. Serena Orr of the University of Calgary has been at the forefront of this research, recommending updates to the American Headache Society’s guidelines for emergency departments. The new recommendations encourage doctors to consider nerve blocks as a frontline option for patients arriving with debilitating migraine attacks. Patients who have received the treatment report significant improvement. Some describe it as the first time they’ve been able to escape the crushing pain, nausea,...

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Trump Administration Ousts Housing Watchdog Amid Political Tensions

FILE PHOTO: Bill Pulte, director of the Federal Housing Finance Agency in Washington, D.C., U.S., February 27, 2025.

In a move that has drawn significant attention in Washington, President Donald Trump is removing the internal watchdog of the U.S. Federal Housing Finance Agency (FHFA). The decision comes at a time when the housing regulator has been increasingly involved in politically sensitive investigations and enforcement actions.

The watchdog in question, Joe Allen, the FHFA’s acting inspector general, had been overseeing probes into mortgage fraud and other financial misconduct. His removal follows the rise of FHFA Director Bill Pulte, who has become a vocal supporter of the Trump administration. Pulte has recently launched initiatives such as a hotline for reporting mortgage fraud and has pursued criminal referrals against individuals perceived to be political opponents of the president.

The FHFA, created in the aftermath of the 2008 financial crisis, traditionally operates as a low-profile regulator overseeing mortgage giants Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac. However, under the Trump administration, the agency has taken on a more prominent role in what critics describe as a broader effort to target political adversaries.

This latest ouster is part of a wider pattern across the federal government, where nearly two dozen inspectors general and internal watchdogs have been fired, reassigned, or had their offices defunded. These officials are tasked with monitoring waste, fraud, and abuse within government agencies, and their removal has raised concerns about accountability and oversight.

The FHFA has not yet issued an official comment on Allen’s departure. Lawmakers, however, are expected to press for answers, with some already voicing alarm over the erosion of independent oversight within key federal agencies.

In summary: Trump’s decision to remove the FHFA watchdog underscores the administration’s ongoing reshaping of federal oversight, sparking debate over the balance between political loyalty and institutional independence.

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