Sophia Loren, 89, is rushed to hospital for emergency surgery after suffering a bad fall at her home in Geneva

By Charlotte Dean For Mailonline

Published: 03:18 EDT, 25 September 2023 | Updated: 03:22 EDT, 25 September 2023

At least five House Republicans are urging their colleagues to come back to Washington, D.C., to hold an emergency hearing following allegations the Department of Justice ‘interfered’ with Hunter Biden‘s business partner Devon Archer’s testimony.

The Department of Justice sent an ‘odd’ letter over the weekend on July 29 to a New York judge calling for Archer’s sentencing for an unrelated fraud conviction to be expedited just days before his highly anticipated testimony. Hours later, DOJ issued a new letter attempting to clarify they never intended to see Archer locked up before he testifies behind closed doors Monday on the Biden’s business schemes.

Archer, a friend and business partner of Hunter Biden, is expected to give his bombshell account of the Biden family business dealings for four to five hours behind closed doors, and finally unmask Joe as the ‘Big Guy.’

Republicans say the last minute move by DOJ was an attempt to ‘intimidate’ Archer, who they view as being central to providing information that is critical to their ongoing investigation into the Biden family’s business dealings. 

Now, at least five GOP lawmakers are pushing for an ’emergency’ hearing on DOJ’s conduct. 

‘Two members of the House Judiciary Committee are now calling for lawmakers to return to Washington for immediate emergency hearings on the DOJ’s interference with Congressional Oversight,’ Rep. Matt Gaetz, R-Fla., tweeted on Sunday. 

‘This is all because Hunter’s problems and Joe’s problems merge with the testimony of Devin Archer. Time for Action. Right now,’ Gaetz continued.

‘I will join you back on the Hill,’ tweeted Rep. Mike Johnson, R-La.

Reps. Chip Roy, R-Texas, Harriet Hageman, R-Wyo., and Dan Bishop, R-N.C., pledged to join Johnson and Gaetz. 

Bishop tweeted: ‘I think you need five. Count me in. Subpoenas should fly tomorrow.’ 

Gaetz went farther, saying DOJ ‘is now actively committing the crime of obstructing a congressional investigation.’

He said heads will roll if Archer isn’t in the ‘witness chair’ on Monday. 

‘I’ll come back to Washington tomorrow to do this,’ he continued. 

The House of Representatives is out on August recess and won’t return to conduct official business in D.C. until mid-September.  

Sen. Ted Cruz, R-Texas, said on his Verdict podcast that DOJ has engaged in ‘witness intimidation.’ 

‘This can only be understood as an attempt by the Biden DOJ to intimidate, to threaten Devon Archer, to tell him, ‘Shut up.’

‘We have the prosecutors and if you talk the consequences will be severe. This is on its face, I believe witness intimidation,’ continued Cruz.

House Oversight Chairman James Comer said Sunday that the Justice Department was acting unusually.

He accused the DOJ of using its July 29 letter to Abrams as an attempt to ‘intimidate’ the witness he says is key to getting to the bottom of the president’s son’s shady overseas business deals. 

Comer said on Fox’s Sunday Morning Futures: ‘It’s odd that it’s right before he’s scheduled to come in to have an opportunity to speak in front of the House Oversight Committee and tell the American people the truth about what really went on with Burisma.’ 

Hours later, the Justice Department issued a new letter saying they never intended to see Archer locked up before he testified to Congress. 

The letter read: ‘For the avoidance of all doubt, the Government requests that any surrender date, should the Court order one, be scheduled to occur after the defendant’s Congressional testimony is completed.’ 

A source close to Archer confirmed reports that he is set to testify about meetings he attended with his and Hunter’s foreign business partners, where the First Son allegedly had Joe Biden on speakerphone. 

DailyMail.com reported exclusively this week that Archer is ‘in hiding’ after receiving ‘threats’ leading up to his bombshell testimony. 

The House Oversight Committee will ask Archer about ‘whether foreign actors targeted the Bidens and if the president was involved in his family’s business dealings.’ 

Archer’s expected testimony Monday comes after House Speaker Kevin McCarthy indicated this week that he is mulling opening an impeachment inquiry into President Biden for his ‘lies’ about his involvement in Hunter’s dealings.

Archer, 48, was subpoenaed on June 12 by the House Oversight Committee, which is investigating Hunter’s businesses and whether he and other members of the Biden family improperly traded on their connections.

It is unclear the motivation behind Archer’s decision to testify on Monday. He previously cancelled on the committee at least three times in recent weeks. 

Chairman Comer told Fox News’ Larry Kudlow that Archer is appearing before his committee now because after he was subpoenaed, he ‘doesn’t have a whole lot of options.’

He said Republicans planned to hold him in contempt if he did not comply with the subpoena, which doesn’t ‘look good on your resume.’

‘At the end of the day, I think that Archer wants to do the right thing,’ he said. ‘I think he wants to set the record straight and he is going to have an opportunity to do that.’

A close associate of Archer told the New York Post he is testifying about his time working with Hunter because he believes it is his ‘civic duty.’ 

It comes as Archer is also facing legal troubles of his own and is expected to go to prison shortly.

He was sentenced to one year and a day in prison in February 2022 for defrauding a Native American tribal entity and various investment advisory clients of tens of millions of dollars, in connection with the issuance of $60 million in bonds. 

He is on the hook with his co-conspirators for $43.4 million in restitution over the fraud.

Archer’s lawyer confirmed his upcoming meeting with Congress, adding that Archer had previously testified to a federal grand jury about his dealings with the Biden family – likely referring to Delaware prosecutor David Weiss’ criminal investigation into the First Son.

‘Devon Archer believes strongly in the rule of law and the democratic system, and is prepared to answer the Committee’s questions just as he has already answered similar questions from a federal grand jury, the Department of Justice, and several other government agencies in their investigations concerning the Biden family,’ said attorney Matthew Schwartz of Boies Schiller Flexner.

‘There have been many leaks and much speculation about Mr. Archer’s potential statement to the Oversight Committee, but next week, Mr. Archer will get to speak for himself.’

The White House has maintained the president was never ‘in business’ with his son, but the GOP have ramped up their investigation with testimonies from whistleblowers and a slew of other evidence. 

Archer, 48, and Hunter both graduated from Yale and were friends for decades. Hunter has reportedly described Devon as his ‘best friend in business.’

Together they formed Rosemont Seneca Partners back in 2009, along with Christopher Heinz, the son-in-law of former Sen. John Kerry, kicking off a period of international business deals and jet-setting. 

Archer and Hunter Biden each landed lucrative seats on the board of Ukrainian energy firm Burisma, despite Hunter not having particular expertise in the field. The firm brought in a reported $11 million through the arrangement, based on information gleaned from Hunter’s infamous laptop.

They were photographed golfing with then-Vice President Biden back in 2014.

Hunter’s ex-business partner is planning to testify to the committee that Hunter used this speakerphone call tactic at least two dozen times, according to a New York Post report published Monday.

One alleged example is after a Burisma board meeting in Dubai on December 4, 2015.

Devon allegedly claims Hunter was with him, Burisma owner Nikolai Zlochevsky, and executive Vadym Pozharskyi at the bar of the Four Seasons Resort Dubai at Jumeirah Beach.

Burisma executive Vadym Pozharskyi allegedly asked Hunter: ‘Can you ring your dad?’

According to the Post report, Hunter called Joe, introduced ‘Nikolai and Vadym’, and told his father they ‘need our support’.

Three days later Joe flew to address the Ukrainian parliament on the ‘poison of cronyism, corruption, and kleptocracy.’

At the time, Zlochevsky was under criminal investigation in Ukraine, and had his assets seized. But in March 2016, after Joe Biden threatened to withhold $1 billion in U.S. aid to Ukraine, Ukrainian Prosecutor General Viktor Shokin was fired.

Windows 11 has a hidden ’emergency restart’ feature you probably don’t know about – here’s how to find it

• If your computer is completely frozen, there’s a hidden a hack that may help
• Windows Central has shared an unexpected way to solve a computer crisis
• By pressing just a few keys, you can restart your computer in no time at all 

By Lauren Haughey

Updated: 12:33 EDT, 24 June 2023

British Airways stewardess delays passengers by five hours and ‘costs airline £50,000’ on her maiden flight by activating the emergency slide moments before take-off

• The Airbus A350 had been minutes from take-off at Heathrow to Austin, Texas 
• The rookie stewardess triggered the slide after opening rear door as jet taxied 

By Tom Cotterill

Published: 11:57 EDT, 15 June 2023 | Updated: 12:26 EDT, 15 June 2023

US health bosses are calling for a deadly fungal outbreak linked to cut-price plastic surgeries in Mexico to be declared an international health emergency.

So far, two Texan patients have died from the fungal brain infection, which doctors believe was contracted from unsterilized equipment south of the border after they had the discounted plastic surgeries.

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) is monitoring the condition of 195 more people who were given epidural anesthesia (injection into the spine to numb part of the body) during plastic surgeries carried out since January.

But hundreds more may have been affected due to Mexico’s booming medical tourism industry, which sees around 1.2million Americans travel south for affordable care each year, and an even greater number of international patients.

The CDC and its equivalent in Mexico have asked the World Health Organization (WHO) to declare the situation a health emergency, which could see the global agency deploy resources to track and isolate cases, quarantine contacts and screen passengers at the border.

Recruiters lured hundreds of patients from across the world and 24 US states to the River Side Surgical Center and Clinica K-3 in Mexico, both of which have now been closed, for procedures like liposuction, breast augmentation or Brazilian butt lifts.

Fourteen of the cases are suspected fungal meningitis — infections of the brain and spinal cord — and 11 are probable.

The patients reported symptoms including headaches, fever, stiff neck, nausea, vomiting, confusion, and sensitivity to light.

The infection causes swelling of the protective lining around the brain and spinal cord, known as the meninges.

Once symptoms kick in, meningitis can rapidly become life-threatening, warned the CDC.

Test results from Mexican authorities have set off worries that a deadly fungal outbreak connected to clinics elsewhere in Mexico which happened earlier in the year will be repeated. Almost half of all patients diagnosed with meningitis died in that outbreak.

A WHO committee would need to be set up to potentially declare a public health emergency of international concern.

This occurs if the event is unusual, has a significant public health impact and poses a risk of international spread and travel restrictions.

If declared, the Director-General issues a set of recommendations to countries, which could include increased surveillance to identify new cases, isolation of cases and quarantining of contacts, and measures at borders, airports, ports or points of entry for screening.

The CDC urged anyone with a treatment booked in Matamoros that involved an epidural injection to cancel the procedure.

The agency added that those who got treatment there since January should watch for warning signs of meningitis.

All but 17 of the people being monitored by the CDC are living in Texas, and the majority are female.

One of the two patients who died was also an organ donor, putting five different recipients around the country at risk.

The CDC’s Dallas Smith told a webinar Friday hosted by the Mycoses Study Group: ‘All have been notified and are under evaluation, and we were working with transplant centers and other partners to properly manage these patients who had these organs transplanted into their bodies.’

It is unclear what type of fungus patients are infected with, but testing in Mexico has shown positive results for a fungus called Fusarium solani in samples of spinal cord fluid.

This fungus caused a deadly outbreak also linked to plastic surgeries last year in the Mexican state of Durango.

Dr Smith said: ‘We are not sure if these two outbreaks are linked, but the fact that the same organism is most likely causing this fungal meningitis makes us worried about a high mortality rate. 

‘So that’s why it’s so important to get patients in early, even if they’re asymptomatic.’

Medication given to patients during an epidural may have been contaminated, or in other drugs such as morphine. 

Dr Smith added: ‘There’s a shortage currently in Mexico, and there could be potential for a black market that could have contaminated medicine.’

Another explanation could be possible poor infection control practices at the clinics.

A total of 221 US patients who visited clinics are at risk, health authorities in Mexico said.

Officials are trying to contact anyone who has visited the clinics since January to urge them to get tested, saying it can take more than six weeks for symptoms to appear.

All the patients had gone for cosmetic surgeries including liposuction, where fat is removed from areas of the body, between January and May 13.

Lauren Harries’ mother Katy has given an update on her hospitalised daughter after she underwent emergency brain surgery.

The former Celebrity Big Brother star, 45, was admitted to hospital last month after suffering horrific headaches and blackouts, with the cause of her troubles unknown.

This month she told fans she was on the mend but admitted to her fans she had nearly died.

On Saturday, Lauren’s mother took to her Twitter page to give fans an update, assuring her followers her daughter would be home soon.

She wrote: ‘Lauren is having physiotherapy to get her strength back after the operation. She is still in hospital but hopefully she will be home soon. 

‘It has been such a stressful time but she knows her family are always with her. We all love her so much, mother and daughter love is so strong!’

Lauren was admitted to hospital last month before having her emergency brain surgery.

Earlier this month, she took to her social media pages to tell fans he had nearly died as a result of her illness. 

The TV personality took to her Instagram stories to tell her followers: ‘Hello my stars. Well I’m still in hospital. 

‘Nearly dying makes you appreciate every moment. So enjoy the sunshine and know that I love you. Light, love and peace.’ 

She then shared a picture of one of her self-portraits which she sells on her website and a couple of the get well soon cards she has received. 

The reassuring post came a day after Lauren’s mother Katy issued a plea for help over Lauren’s ‘incredibly scary’ blackouts and headaches.

Lauren was first admitted into hospital for the procedure on April 14, with the cause unknown. 

Katy has been giving updates on her daughter’s condition, and has now asked for help as the NHS struggle to find answers after saving her life. 

Posting an update to Lauren’s Twitter, her mum wrote: ‘Please help: Lauren has had a number of blackouts after which the right side of her face droops.

‘This is incredibly scary for Lauren and us. She also has a consistent headache. Drs haven’t been able to explain what is causing these.’

Katy continued: ‘Have you or someone you know been through this? Any ideas or help you could give will be so helpful.

‘The NHS saved Lauren but they can’t find any answers for this and it is so scary when it happens.

‘It happened again yesterday. Please help find out what’s causing these!’ 

Last month, Katy shared that Lauren was rushed to intensive care after catching infections before being moved back to neurology.

In the update, shared to Lauren’s official Twitter account at the time, Katy said Lauren was ‘awake and talking’ and urged people to ‘pray for her’.

She shared: ‘Lauren was moved to ICU as she caught Covid as well as 2 infections causing her breathing issues.

‘She is awake and talking again back in Neurology. I want to say thank you again to all the amazing staff at Heath Hospital. She still has a way to go but she is strong. Pray for her.’

Lauren found fame as a precocious 12-year-old antiques expert called James, who appeared on the Antiques Roadshow and Wogan, before undergoing gender reassignment surgery in 2003.

The latest health update comes a week after Katy told fans that Lauren had been moved back to recovery, where she was ‘under close watch’. 

Katy had earlier shared that Lauren ‘would have died’ had she not had the surgery and explained how doctors had to perform Lauren’s ‘worst nightmare’ by shaving her hair off.

Laying in hospital with an art book, the TV star still managed to flash a smile for the picture while bandaged up.

Many fans rallied to offer their words of support to Lauren, as they wished her a speedy recovery in the replies. 

If a friend or loved one suffers a medical emergency, it can be easy to panic. 

More and more Americans are avoiding the emergency room, according to a January poll from Gallup, with nearly four in 10 putting off medical treatment due to financial concerns. 

However, ER doctors say that taking someone to the hospital yourself instead of waiting for an ambulance could deny them vital medical care. 

Calling an ambulance could save a life and prevent complications. 

Speed is also essential. Research shows that someone having a stroke loses 1.9 million neurons each minute they are left untreated. 

Dr Robert Femia, chair of emergency medicine at NYU Langone Health, told DailyMail.com about the three mistakes people make when dealing with an emergency that could cost a life.

Don’t Delay Calling 911 

This is Dr Femia’s number one tip, mainly because ‘many things that that we can do are time sensitive,’ he said. 

‘There’s a golden hour where the sooner you can get patients, for example, to a trauma center, their survivability is much greater,’ he said.  

Calling 911 as soon as possible is the first step to getting someone care.  

In situations like a stroke, for example, timely care is key to avoiding lasting consequences, including memory loss, mobility, and speech problems. 

‘You really want to activate the 911 system to get people either care on the scene by healthcare professionals or get them to the hospital as quickly as possible,’ Dr Femia said. 

Avoid calling the person’s loved ones or friends until 911 has been contacted and emergency services are on the way. 

‘If it’s truly an emergency, you don’t want to necessarily waste time calling a friend who’s in healthcare, or a family doctor’s office. If it’s truly an emergency, you should be calling 911,’ Dr Femia said. 

Don’t Drive the Person Yourself

While it may seem like a good idea instead if there are ambulance delays, Dr Femia said that trying to drive someone to the hospital yourself could further prolong treatment.  

With an ambulance, you’re bringing care directly to the patient in a way that you can’t with any other method of transportation.  

‘The EMS system carries many life-saving drugs,’ he said. 

This includes defibrillators, IV fluids, and and cardiac medications. 

Emergency medical services also know where the best hospitals are to bring patients with specialized symptoms. For example, if someone is having a stroke, paramedics are more likely to know where the nearest stroke center is. 

‘All of those things can really help save a life,’ Dr Femia said. 

He said this is true for any life-threatening condition.  

Look for an AED

Dr Femia recommends that if other bystanders are busy calling 911 and watching the person, scan the area for an automated external defibrillator (AED). 

An AED is an easy-to-use medical device meant for someone who is experiencing cardiac arrest. 

‘A lot of public places now have AEDs on the wall,’ Dr Femia said. ‘Somebody should be looking for that while someone else is calling 911.’ 

This device requires no previous medical knowledge, he said, and it has instructions to guide a person through the process. 

In public, these are often stored near stairs or elevators, in lobbies, or by entrances.

Don’t Move the Person

This is especially dangerous if you don’t know what exactly happened to the person. If they have a traumatic injury, moving them could lead to permanent effects, such as paralysis. 

You may get the instinct to move a person closer to your car or to another area so you can transport them easier, but Dr Femia said that can do more harm than good because you aren’t calling 911.

‘Not only could you injure them, but you’re also just delaying getting the appropriate care to them,’ he said. 

To avoid this, leave it up to emergency medical teams to move the patient safely. 

These strategies can be used in most emergencies, but saving someone’s life from a drug overdose require more specialized measures. 

… and how to stop a fentanyl overdose

Fentanyl is a synthetic opioid that is up to 50 times stronger than heroin and 100 times stronger than morphine. 

It binds to opioid receptors in a person’s nervous system, which are responsible for giving the body a pleasurable feeling when activated.

It takes a vanishingly small dose of fentanyl to cause a fatal overdose. Just two milligrams, the equivalent of five grains of salt, is enough to cause death. 

The National Institutes of Health estimated fentanyl-related deaths in young people increased by 182 percent from 2019 to 2021.  

The drug has become the leading cause of death for Americans aged 18 to 49. It has also dropped the average life expectancy in the US from 78.8 in 2019 to 76.4 in 2021. Experts have described this drop as ‘dramatic’ and ‘substantial.’ 

Because of this widespread epidemic, overdosing has become one of the most common medical emergencies in the US.  

Bystanders can administer Narcan, a nasal spray that has been shown to quickly reverse an opioid overdose. 

It has been shown to prevent fatal overdoses from fentanyl, as well as drugs such as oxycodone and heroin.

Narcan is administered via a nasal spray.

The person’s head should be tilted back with neck support before inserting the tip of the nozzle into one nostril. 

Your fingers on either side of the nozzle should be against the bottom of the person’s nose. 

Press the red plunger firmly to give the dose, then remove from the nostril. The dose takes two to three minutes to work. If there is no change after three to five minutes, administer a second dose.

Narcan only lasts between 30 and 90 minutes, so it is possible that another overdose could occur. Stay with the person and wait out the risk period so another dose can be administered accordingly. 

If the person goes into cardiac arrest, their chances of survival dwindle the longer the arrest lasts.  

Always call emergency medical help after administering the dose. 

EXCLUSIVE: Bit off more than he could chew: Five-year-old boy who swallowed FORTY pieces of gum has emergency operation to unblock his stomach

By Luke Andrews Health Reporter For Dailymail.Com

Updated: 07:44 EDT, 27 May 2023

Every air passenger’s worst nightmare: Terrifying moment plane door OPENS in mid-air when traveller grabs emergency exit lever

• The plane was heading to the city of Daegu in South Korea when door opened

By Rachael Bunyan

Published: 03:20 EDT, 26 May 2023 | Updated: 14:13 EDT, 26 May 2023

House votes to terminate COVID health emergency IMMEDIATELY: Republicans win backing of seven Democrats as they ignore Biden administration objections

• Republican lawmakers passed a bill to terminate the COVID health emergency 
• Another bill was passed to halt the vaccine requirement for health care workers 
• Seven democrats supported the health care workers bill 

By Vanessa Serna For Dailymail.Com

Published: 21:46 EDT, 31 January 2023 | Updated: 10:06 EDT, 1 February 2023