Sybil Wilkes ‘What You Need To Know:’ Biden Visits the Middle East, Officer Kills An Exonerated Black Man

Source: REACH Media / Reach Media

Sybil’s Birthday Shout-Outs

LIL Durk, 31

Evander Holyfield, 61

Pras, 51 (The Fugees)

Thundercat, 39

Jennifer Holliday, 63 (Original Effie in Dreamgirls on Broadway)

Floyd Mayweather SR, 71 (Former boxer and Floyd’s father)

Joe Bryant, 69 (Former NBA player and Kobe’s dad)

Peter Tosh would have been 79 (Member of Bob Marley and the Wailers who died in 1987)

Lawanda Page would have been 103 (Aunt Esther on Sanford and Sons)

Sybil Wilkes Top 5 Stories for ‘What You Need To Know:’ October 17, 2023

WATCH BELOW

1. President Biden’s Quick Trip to Chaotic Middle East

President Biden’s Quick Trip to Chaotic Middle East

What You Need to Know:

As the war between Israel and Hamas continued, President Biden traveled to yet another war zone for the second time this year, first to Ukraine and now to Israel. The efforts to bring peace to the Middle East, at least in the form of a hostage release, were complicated by the bombing of a hospital in Gaza.

Reuters reported that hundreds of Palestinians were killed in an explosion at the Al-Ahli Hospital, described on its website as “a haven on peace in the middle of one of the world’s most troubled places.” The Associated Press quoted the Hamas-run Health Ministry report that at least 500 people were killed. Hamas pointed to an Israeli airstrike as the cause, while the Israeli military blamed a rocket misfire by other Palestinian militants. The New York Times reported, American officials say they have multiple strands of intelligence — including infrared satellite data — indicating that the deadly blast at a Gaza hospital on Tuesday was caused by an armed Palestinian group.

2. It's in the Blood: Scientists Hope For a Genetic Breakthrough

It’s in the Blood: Scientists Hope For a Genetic Breakthrough

WRITTEN & CONTRIBUTED BY KHAMERON RILEY

What You Need to Know:

Scientists are setting out to collect genetic material from 500,000 people of African ancestry to create what they believe will be the world’s largest database of genomic information from the population.

The hope is to build a new “reference genome” — a template to compare to full sets of DNA from individuals — and better understand genetic variants that affect Black people. It could eventually translate into new medicines and diagnostic tests — and help reduce health disparities.

3. The Truth About 9 Diet Myths

The Truth About 9 Diet Myths

What You Need to Know: 

Is breakfast really the most important meal of the day? Does fat content matter more than calories?

Losing weight is hard—so it’s tempting to grab onto any promise of a diet or trick that will help you lose pounds quickly. Almost daily, we’re bombarded with news stories telling us what to eat, what not to eat, when to eat and how to eat. Some of these reports are supported by science, but others are myths, sometimes rooted in someone taking the results from one type of study and applying them to another situation entirely.

4. Georgia Officer Fatally Shoots Exonerated Black Man

Georgia Officer Fatally Shoots Exonerated Black Man

WRITTEN & CONTRIBUTED BY COY MALONE

What You Need to Know:

The Georgia Bureau of Investigation (GBI) is investigating the fatal police shooting of 53-year-old Leonard Allen Cure on October 16. Cure spent over 16 years imprisoned in Florida on a wrongful conviction and was released in 2020.

In a news release, the GBI said a Camden County deputy pulled over Cure as he drove on an Interstate Highway near the Georgia-Florida border. Cure cooperated with the deputy’s initial requests but allegedly became violent when the deputy said he was being arrested.

According to the GBI, the deputy shocked Cure with a stun gun when he failed to obey commands and Cure began assaulting the deputy. The deputy used the stun gun again, a baton next, and then shot Cure. The reason for Cure’s traffic stop hasn’t been stated.

5. State Considers Removing Mental Health Questions from Medical License Paperwork

State Considers Removing Mental Health Questions from Medical License Paperwork

WRITTEN & CONTRIBUTED BY APRYLETE RUSSELL

What You Need to Know: 

In a move to reduce stigma and encourage medical professionals to seek treatment for mental health and substance use disorders, the Iowa Board of Medicine is taking a closer look at its licensing applications for physicians, a step that places Iowa among nearly a dozen states reconsidering their licensing processes. 

According to Dr. Lorna Breer of Heroes’ Foundation, an organization advocating for greater mental health support for healthcare workers, these states are concerned that the questions asked during the licensing application may stigmatize those who need treatment.