The approval of the first malaria treatment for newborns and young infants could lead to imminent widespread use in Africa, drugmaker Novartis said Tuesday.

The drug, known as Coartem Baby or Riamet Baby in some countries, has been approved by Swiss authorities for use in babies weighing between 2 kilograms (4 pounds, 6 ounces) and 5 kilograms (11 pounds) and is formulated to be easy for them to take, Novartis said.

Coartem Baby already has approval in the West African nation of Ghana and Novartis said it now expects eight African countries to grant their own approvals within 90 days. The countries – Burkina Faso, Cote d’Ivoire, Kenya, Malawi, Mozambique, Nigeria, Tanzania and Uganda – also participated in the assessment of the drug.

Vas Narasimhan, chief executive of Novartis, said in a news release that this first clinically proven malaria treatment for newborns and young babies ensures “even the smallest and most vulnerable can finally receive the care they deserve.”

Until now, the smallest babies have been treated for malaria, a potentially deadly disease spread by mosquitoes, with medications designed for older children. Novartis, the Swiss pharmaceutical corporation behind the newly approved drug, says this can expose newborns to the risk of overdose and toxicity.

“Most clinical trials have historically excluded babies under six months old,” Novartis spokesman Ruairidh Villar told CNN.

There were 263 million cases of malaria and 597,000 deaths in 2023 – nearly all of them in Africa, according to World Health Organization data. Children under the age of 5 accounted for about three in four malaria deaths in the region.

The medicine was developed by Novartis in collaboration with the Medicines for Malaria Venture (MMV), a Switzerland-based not-for-profit organization.

Novartis told CNN that it plans to “roll out the medicine in the coming weeks on a largely not-for-profit basis.”

“Malaria is one of the world’s deadliest diseases, particularly among children. But with the right resources and focus, it can be eliminated,” said Martin Fitchet, chief executive of MMV.

“The approval of Coartem Baby provides a necessary medicine with an optimized dose to treat an otherwise neglected group of patients and offers a valuable addition to the antimalarial toolbox.”

Former Mizzou football coach Gary Pinkel has been accused again of driving while intoxicated.

A Missouri State Highway Patrol report shows that Pinkel, 73, was arrested at 11:46 p.m. Monday in Camden County.

The arrest report says he was brought to the Camden County jail and was released. He was accused of a single count of DWI, the report says. He was not listed on the Camden County Jail 48-hour release roster. Charges have not yet appeared on Casenet.

Pinkel previously pleaded guilty to misdemeanor DWI in 2011 in Boone County. He was sentenced to two years of probation and completed the sentence.

ABC 17 News has reached out to the Camden County Sheriff’s Office and Missouri State Highway Patrol.

Pinkel served as MU’s head coach from 2001-15.

Pinkel’s lawyer, Bogdan Susan, said in a statement that Pinkel will not make any statements regarding the case, but he plans on pleading not guilty.

Check back for updates.

(CNN) — An internal government assessment shows USAID officials raised “critical concerns” last month about a key aid group’s ability to protect Palestinians and to deliver them food – just days before the State Department announced $30 million in funding for the organization.

A scathing 14-page document obtained by CNN outlines a litany of problems with a

funding application submitted by the Gaza Humanitarian Foundation, a US-backed group established to provide aid following an 11-week Israeli blockade of the Gaza Strip. The United Nations human rights office says that hundreds of Palestinians have since been killed around private aid sites, including those operated by GHF.

The assessment flags a range of concerns, from an overall plan missing “even basic details” to a proposal to potentially distribute powdered baby formula in an area that lacks clean water to prepare it.

A USAID official came to a clear conclusion in the report: “I do not concur with moving

forward with GHF given operational and reputational risks and lack of oversight.”

“The application was abysmal… it was sorely lacking real content,” a source familiar with

the application told CNN on condition of anonymity because they were not authorized to speak publicly.

Trump administration officials have consistently downplayed and rejected criticisms about GHF. Israel has also disputed media reports, eyewitness and doctor accounts, and Palestinian officials blaming the Israeli military for killing aid-seekers near GHF sites.

A State Department spokesperson said in a statement to CNN Tuesday that the funding for GHF will fulfill “President Trump’s commitment to feed the people of Gaza” and accused critics of engaging in “bureaucratic turf wars.”

“The Department provided emergency support to the Gaza Humanitarian Foundation after determining that it was the only viable way to get aid into Gaza without empowering Hamas,” the spokesperson said. “GHF is a results-focused alternative to a broken aid system, delivering more than 66 million meals to the people of Gaza in just weeks.”

A GHF spokesperson defended the organization’s work in Gaza and described the USAID assessment as normal for a funding application.

“As with any U.S. Government procurement process, questions and requests for clarification from USAID/State are routine,” GHF spokesperson Chapin Fay told CNN in a statement. “We are addressing each question as per regulations and normal procedure and will continue to do so as required.”

The 14-page document outlining USAID’s outstanding questions and concerns was not

sent to GHF before the funding was approved, according to another source familiar with the matter who spoke to CNN on the condition of anonymity because they are not officially authorized to speak.

Instead, Secretary of State Marco Rubio and the top political appointee for foreign assistance, Jeremy Lewin, pressed for the approval for U.S. funding to be fast-tracked, the two sources said. It is unclear whether top political leadership read the full 14-page document. One of the sources said USAID staff had voiced concerns internally about working with GHF, especially given the humanitarian principle of ‘do no harm.’

In an internal memo dated June 24 – four days after the date listed on the assessment – a top political appointee at the State Department, Kenneth Jackson, recommended that Lewin “waive the various criteria given the humanitarian and political urgency of GHF’s operations.” Both Lewin and Jackson were initially installed into government roles by the Elon Musk-backed Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE).

The State Department announced the award two days later and sent GHF a document conveying requirements for the funds, including some related to concerns raised by USAID. Tranches of the $30 million award will be released when GHF completes key tasks – including many typically required before funding is approved, like registering in the government system, pre-vetting partners and providing evidence of external audits.

As of last week, the funding had not yet been disbursed, State Department spokesperson Tammy Bruce said.

The previously unreported details in the assessment echo international criticism of GHF’s ability to act as the primary aid distributor to thousands of Gazans living in desperate conditions and highlight how the Trump administration greenlit funding for the group despite career staffers’ concerns.

The swift approval of the funding for GHF comes amid mounting international pressure

against the group’s militarized operation, which relies on armed American security

contractors working in coordination with the Israel Defense Forces.

“Today, Palestinians in Gaza face an impossible choice: starve or risk being shot while

trying desperately to reach food to feed their families,” said a joint statement last week from over 240 NGOs calling for an immediate end to GHF’s operation.

Missing requirements

GHF has faced significant controversy since it was established. The group’s head resigned before operations began in late May, citing concerns over the organization’s adherence to humanitarian principles.

Amid ongoing reports of deadly violence outside GHF’s four Gaza aid sites, the group in early June submitted a page-and-a-half long request seeking emergency humanitarian funding, according to one of the sources. USAID officials asked GHF to submit more documentation to support the request.

But a more fulsome proposal sent by the group was still “missing several required elements,” according to the USAID assessment, which included dozens of clarification questions and requests for more details.

The internal review found that GHF’s application was missing at least nine elements typically required for an award to be approved.

A three-page long risk planning document lacked detailed explanations on its plans to ensure Palestinians in need would receive aid, the USAID assessment found. The risk management plan “does not provide sufficient information to ensure that aid will reach intended recipients,” it said.

Another brief document meant to detail GHF’s mission did not meet “requirements for Safe and Accountable programming,” the review said.

“GHF must explain how it will Do No Harm,” USAID said in the feedback form, asking the group to provide “specific details” of plans to ensure safety, access, and accountability.

USAID also asked GHF to review its budget to ensure line items correctly added up, and noted “inconsistent” timelines for the project across the application.

According to the proposal, GHF estimated that in the month of June it needed roughly $100 million in operating costs, with the group seeking $30 million of that total from the State Department.

GHF’s proposal also noted a planned expansion from four to eight aid distribution sites across Gaza – but did not include details on where the sites would be located.

“Is GHF able to provide a map indicating where the distribution points will be?” USAID asked in the feedback form. It also questioned how the $30 million in funding would be used for the expansion, noting the budget “does not provide sufficient detail” to assess whether GHF would have adequate staffing for eight sites.

While GHF proposed that it could distribute infant formula, the assessment noted that without following USAID guidelines, formula “is dangerous and can increase infant morbidity and mortality due to contamination from unsafe water and poor preparation practices.”

“Powder milk formula must be prepared with sterilized/boiled water, which is difficult in the current context,” the form said.

It also asked the organization to give details on how it was working to ensure that there were facilities and fuel for people to prepare the food it distributed.

Expedited approval

Under normal procedures, the concerns outlined in the assessment would have been relayed to GHF before the funding was approved, the sources told CNN, and the group would have time to reply before a decision was made.

That did not happen. On June 26, the State Department publicly announced the approval of the $30 million in funding and encouraged other countries to contribute.

A former USAID official who spoke on the condition of anonymity out of fear of retaliation said that there is precedent for a quick approval process, but that is typically reserved for trusted partners. Under normal procedural circumstances, GHF would likely not have been funded, the official said.

In an internal State Department memo on June 30, US Ambassador to Israel Mike Huckabee touted the approved award and praised GHF’s operations inside Gaza.

“After monitoring the success of GHF, the Department of State announced a $30 million grant to GHF on June 26 that will enable GHF to continue its critical operations and expand to more distribution sites,” Huckabee wrote.

The memo focused on GHF’s “success” in undermining Hamas, alleging the militant group is stealing aid in Gaza and profiting from sales, though Israel hasn’t presented any evidence publicly to back up the claim.

Trump administration officials defended GHF against growing criticism from human rights groups amid mounting death tolls around the aid sites as starving Palestinians clamor for assistance. Officials have blamed Hamas for the deadly violence and suggested publicly and privately that GHF is the only effective way to get aid into the besieged enclave.

“GHF is a decisive break from a status quo that has enabled corruption and complicity in enabling the continued rule of terrorists,” a State Department spokesperson said in a statement to CNN.

Last week, an Associated Press report found American contractors guarding aid distribution sites in Gaza used live ammunition and stun grenades as Palestinians attempted to access food.

An internal State Department memo outlining coverage of GHF, including negative headlines, was recalled and replaced with a memo only containing positive coverage, another source told CNN.

A State Department official last week suggested the US could provide further funding to GHF, saying that if the organization continues to operate “safely and securely and consistent with sort of the principles that we’ve laid out for them, then we’re happy to invest more in them.”

The-CNN-Wire

™ & © 2025 Cable News Network, Inc., a Warner Bros. Discovery Company. All rights reserved.

CNN

By Pete Muntean and Alexandra Skores, CNN

Washington (CNN) — After nearly two decades, passengers going through airport security in the United States will no longer have to take their shoes off.

The Transportation Security Administration will be eliminating the security requirement “effective immediately,” Kristi Noem, the Secretary of Homeland Security, announced Tuesday.

”TSA will no longer require travelers to remove their shoes when they go through our security checkpoints,” she said. “We want to improve this travel experience, but while maintaining safety standards and making sure that we are keeping people safe.”

The news was first reported by the blog Gate Access.

“The key to our approach is layered security,” Noem said. “Passengers will still pass through multiple layers of screening. They’ll also go through identity verification.”

The rule was being evaluated under the Biden administration, however she credited President Trump with taking the initiative to eliminate it.

Changes to other TSA rules are also being considered, if they can be implemented safely, Noem said.

In December 2001, Richard Reid, who became known as the “shoe bomber,” tried to use matches to ignite explosives hidden in his shoes on a flight from Paris to Miami.

The requirement for passengers to take their shoes off at TSA security checkpoints came nearly five years later due to “intelligence pointing to a continuing threat,” an official TSA history notes, following a foiled August 2006 terrorist plot to detonate liquid explosives onboard transatlantic flights. The TSA introduced its 3-1-1 liquids rule for carry-on luggage in response.

“In those 20 years since that policy was put in place, our security technology has changed dramatically. It’s evolved. TSA has changed,” Noem said, noting the addition of new scanners and more officers in some areas.

“The REAL ID compliance allows us another layer of security knowing who’s going through our checkpoints and who isn’t,” Noem said.

Participants in the Trusted Traveler Program TSA PreCheck have long been able to avoid removing shoes. However, they must submit to a background check and pay an application fee. Noem said she still expects travelers will see value in this program, even if it is not the only way to avoid taking shoes off.

CNN’s Kara Devlin contributed to this report.

The-CNN-Wire

™ & © 2025 Cable News Network, Inc., a Warner Bros. Discovery Company. All rights reserved.

Doctors in Gaza say they were forced to cram multiple babies into one incubator as hospitals warned that fuel shortages are forcing them to shut off vital services, putting patients’ lives at risk.

The UN has warned that the fuel crisis is at a critical point, with the little supplies that are available running short and “virtually no additional accessible stocks left.”

“Hospitals are rationing. Ambulances are stalling. Water systems are on the brink. And the deaths this is likely causing could soon rise sharply unless the Israeli authorities allow new fuel in – urgently, regularly and in sufficient quantities,” the Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA) said.

An 11-week Israeli blockade on humanitarian aid earlier in the year pushed the enclave’s population of more than 2 million Palestinians towards famine and into a deepening humanitarian crisis. Limited aid deliveries resumed into the besieged enclave in May but aid groups have said it is not nearly enough to meet the scale of the needs.

CNN has approached COGAT, the Israeli agency in charge of coordinating aid deliveries into Gaza, for comment about the fuel shortages.

The director of the Al-Ahli Hospital, south of Gaza City posted a photo on social media Wednesday of multiple newborn babies sharing a single incubator which was taken at another facility, Al-Helou.

“This tragic overcrowding is not just a matter of missing equipment — it’s a direct consequence of the relentless war on Gaza and the suffocating blockade that has crippled the entire healthcare system,” Dr. Fadel Naim wrote in a post on X.

“The siege has turned routine care for premature babies into a life-or-death struggle. No child should be born into a world where bombs and blockades decide whether they live or die.”

The director of Al-Shifa Hospital in northern Gaza said the shortages were forcing them to close kidney dialysis sections so they could focus on intensive care and operating theatres.

“If the fuel is not made available in the next few hours to Al-Shifa hospital, the hospital will become out of service in the next three hours and this will lead to high number of deaths,” Dr. Mohammad Abu Silmiya told CNN, saying hundreds of patients were at risk, including 22 babies in incubators.

Footage from inside the hospital showed doctors using flashlights as they treated patients.

Another facility, the Nasser Medical Complex, said it had 24 hours of fuel left and was concentrating on vital departments such as maternity and intensive care.

Fuel vital for basic services

In addition to fuel shortages, difficulty finding replacement parts for the generators that power Gaza’s hospitals risks is forcing more to shut down.

“Not only the fuel is a major problem for us to run the generators of the hospitals, our main problem now is finding spare parts for the generators to replace old ones,” Gaza’s health ministry told CNN on Wednesday.

The Al-Aqsa Martyrs Hospital in central Gaza issued an urgent statement that the facility’s main generator had broken down due to a lack of spare parts, forcing it to rely on a smaller backup unit.

“Fuel will run out within the coming hours, and the lives of hundreds of patients are at risk inside the hospital wards,” the statement said.

“The hospital’s shutdown threatens to disrupt healthcare services for half a million people in the Central Governorate.”

Beyond hospitals, fuel is essential to keep basic services running in Gaza. The territory relies heavily on imports for cooking, desalination and wastewater plants, and to power the vehicles used in rescue efforts.

Israel has restricted the entry of fuel throughout the conflict, and has previously claimed Hamas could use it to launch weapons.

The aid group Doctors Without Borders (MSF) warned of what it called “an unprecedented humanitarian crisis” unfolding in Gaza, in a statement Tuesday and called for a ceasefire and the entry of far greater levels of humanitarian aid.

“Our teams have worked to treat the wounded and supply overwhelmed hospitals as indiscriminate attacks and a state of siege threaten millions of men, women and children,” MSF said.

“We urge Israeli authorities and the complicit governments that enable these atrocities, including the UK Government, to end the siege now and take action to prevent the erasure of Palestinians from Gaza.”