Daily News Podcast 2025-08-04

Russia has moved at least four Tu-95MS nuclear bombers closer to Europe, potentially loaded with missiles, following a Ukrainian drone strike and amid rising tensions with the West. This move comes after Donald Trump reportedly ordered two nuclear submarines closer to Russia in response to a threat from Dmitry Medvedev. The bombers were relocated from bases in the Arctic Murmansk region and Saratov region to the Ukrainka air base, but some are now returning. The report surfaces as Trump's envoy prepares to travel to Russia for ceasefire talks, even as Russia downplays Medvedev's provocative statements. --- ARTICLE TEXT --- Topic: World Title: Russia moves nuke bombers closer to Europe just days after explosive Trump WW3 row Source: Daily Express Full_article: Donald Trump. Vladimir Putin has moved at least four heavy Tu-95MS nuclear bombers closer to Europe. The strategic aircraft are often used to bomb Ukraine, and Insider UA says they have been loaded with missiles, leading to a “high probability” of an imminent major attack. But, if confirmed, the move comes after Donald Trump ordered two nuclear submarines “closer to Russia” after a threat of atomic war from the Kremlin dictator’s close ally, Dmitry Medvedev. The US submarines are now “where they have to be”, Trump said late on Sunday. Putin rebased his Tu-95MS planes from Olenya airbase in the Arctic Murmansk region after an audacious June 1 drone strike by Ukraine. Article continues below ADVERTISEMENT Tupolev Tu-95 MS strategic bomber of Russian Air Force in the air. They were also moved from Engels-2 in Saratov region amid fears of Ukrainian attacks. They were sent to Russia’s Ukrainka air base in Amur region, 3,650 miles east of Moscow, where they were considered safe from attack, but evidently some of the planes are returning. “Russia has transferred bombers from the Far East closer to Ukraine,” said the report. “At least 4 Tu-95MS aircraft were redeployed from Ukrainka [air base] to Olenya/Engels-2. Some of the aircraft are already equipped with cruise missiles.” The planes are part of Russia’s nuclear strike arsenal but are also used for hitting Ukraine with conventional bombs. The report is in a week when Trump’s special envoy Steve Witkoff is due to travel to Russia ahead of the imposition of sanctions on the Kremlin by the US if there is no move to a ceasefire and talks about ending the war. The initiative to meet Witkoff comes from the Putin regime, said Trump. Trending Russia today sought to downplay Medvedev’s comment when he accused Trump of bringing war closer between Russia and the US. “Every new ultimatum is a threat and a step towards war. Not between Russia and Ukraine, but with his own country,” said Medvedev, which Trump said was “highly provocative”. But Putin’s spokesman said today that it was the dictator’s words that mattered, not those of Medvedev, an ex-president who is now deputy head of the Russian security council. “Listen, in every country, members of the country’s leadership have different points of view on current events, have different attitudes,” he said. “There are people with a hardline attitude in the US and in European countries; this is always the case. “But the main thing, of course, is the position of President Putin. You know that in our country, foreign policy is formulated by the head of state, that is, President Putin.” On the Trump submarine move, he said: “It is obvious that American submarines are already on combat duty. This is an ongoing process. That is the first thing. “But, of course, we would not want to get involved in such polemics or comment on this in any way. We are very careful about any statements related to nuclear issues. You know that Russia takes a responsible position. President Putin’s position is well known. Russia is very attentive to the topic of nuclear non-proliferation. And, of course, we believe that everyone should be very, very careful with nuclear rhetoric.” He warned: "There can be no winner in a nuclear war… We do not believe that we are talking about some kind of escalation. “It is clear that very complex and sensitive situations are being discussed, which, of course, are perceived by many very emotionally.” Read Next --- END ARTICLE TEXT --- Source: BBC The Finance and Leasing Association (FLA) has criticized the Financial Conduct Authority's (FCA) proposed car finance redress scheme as "completely impractical," citing concerns over the potential need to review loans dating back to 2007. The FLA argues that neither firms nor customers are likely to possess the necessary records for such a large timeframe. The FCA anticipates requiring firms to make potentially eligible customers aware, with claims potentially covering agreements from 2007. Up to 14 million people could be eligible for compensation. The FCA estimates the scheme could cost between £9bn and £18bn, and advises customers to contact lenders directly. --- ARTICLE TEXT --- Topic: Business Title: Car finance redress plan 'impractical', says trade body Source: BBC Full_article: Car finance redress plan 'impractical', say lenders 22 minutes ago Share Save Emer Moreau Business reporter, BBC News Share Save Getty Images The financial regulator's proposed compensation scheme for car finance mis-selling is "completely impractical", the trade body for the industry has said. The boss of the Finance and Leasing Association (FLA) told the BBC there was concerns over the redress scheme potentially covering loans from as far back as 2007, as firms and customers may not have kept records. It comes after a Supreme Court ruling narrowed the scope on potential payouts over hidden commissions on car loans. However, its judgement left open possible payouts for millions of drivers. The regulator will start consulting in October on the issue of compensation, although it said victims were likely to get less than £950 per deal. The Financial Conduct Authority (FCA) said it "anticipate[s] requiring firms as far as possible to make customers aware they may be eligible and what they may need to do" and that claims "should cover agreements dating back to 2007". Up to 14 million people could be eligible for compensation, according to Martin Lewis of Money Saving Expert. But speaking to the BBC's Today programme, Stephen Hadrill of the FLA said allowing the redress scheme to go back that far was "completely impractical". "It's not just firms that don't have the details about contracts back then, the customers don't either," he said. "And, if we're going to have to take careful decisions about who gets compensation, who gets redress, and who doesn't - you need that information." The head of the FCA, Nikhil Rathi, refused to rule out the possibility that drivers could lose out on compensation because of lost paperwork. Mr Rathi told BBC Breakfast some contentious cases could be solved through the courts, but only if one or the other party involved had at least some details. "We're going to have to work through those issues in the consultation where one or the other party doesn't have all the details. That is one of the challenges here." What will be classed as unfair? The judgement left open the possibility of compensation claims for particularly large commissions which the Supreme Court said were unfair. But Mr Hadrill said there was uncertainty over what might be considered an "unfair" agreement, as the Supreme Court said a number of factors had to be considered. "I don't think this scheme comes up with a solution to how you look at a whole range of factors [for loans]... and the FCA really needs to do that." He said the FCA's compensation plan "looks like a one-size-fits-all scheme, but that isn't what the court decided". The FCA's Mr Rathi said the watchdog had to "make a judgement about that based on what the Supreme Court has given us and they have said different characteristics determine what's unfair". These measures could be the level of commission, how it was disclosed, and the characteristics of a consumer. The FCA estimates the total cost of such a scheme will cost between £9bn and £18bn. Separate analysis from RBC Capital Markets estimates the total cost could be £11.5bn. The finance industry is expected to cover the full costs of any potential compensation scheme, including any administrative costs. The FLA's Mr Hadrill warned the "cost will have to be absorbed somewhere". "Ultimately, the more expensive lending becomes, the more expensive borrowing becomes for the consumer." The FCA has said it expects "a healthy finance market for new and used cars to continue notwithstanding any redress scheme we propose". The FCA has said that customers who are concerned that they may have been treated unfairly should contact their lender to make a complaint. However, it told they do not need to use a claims management company (CMC) or a law firm to take part in any compensation scheme it sets up. It warned that people signing up to a CMC might end up paying up to 30% in fees out of any compensation they could receive. Worse-case scenario 'swerved' --- END ARTICLE TEXT --- Source: Search Engine Roundtable Google is introducing AI Mode ads to advertisers, integrating them into Google Search, Google Shopping, and PMax Campaigns. These ads, available in text and shopping formats, are part of an ongoing experiment in the US, specifically in English on mobile and desktop. To participate, advertisers need AI-powered targeting solutions like broad match on Search Campaigns and AI Max for Search (beta). Google emphasizes the importance of maintaining current digital product catalogs. SEO advice includes focusing on unique, valuable content with high-quality images and videos, ensuring Google can access the content, and prioritizing user experience over clicks. --- ARTICLE TEXT --- Topic: Technology Title: Google Pitching Advertisers With AI Mode Ads Source: Search Engine Roundtable Full_article: Google is reportedly pitching advertisers to buy into ads in AI Mode. The folks over at AdAge have some slides from a Google presentation with the pitch. "Google is getting ready to roll out AI Mode ads widely by giving ad agencies and brands more information about how the new channel differs from traditional search and details about how paid AI search will work," AdAge wrote. The slide is titled "Ads in AI Mode," and says, "Be part of our most powerful AI search experience, as customers explore their biggest questions with AI Mode." It says AI Mode ads come in text and shopping ads formats in Google Search, Google Shopping and PMax Campaigns. It is available in US, English on mobile and desktop and it also says the status is an "experiment." To show ads on AI powered Search experiences, you need AI-powered Targeting Solutions including broad match on Search Campaigns and AI Max for Search (beta), Performance Max and Google Shopping Ads. I spotted this via Glenn Gabe who wrote on X, "Google is getting ready to roll out AI Mode ads widely (before Q4) -> How Google is pitching new AI Mode search ads to marketers." "Google has said the ads in AI Mode will be text-based, like search ads, and shopping ads with product details. Google also said that “feed hygiene is critical,” meaning brands must maintain their digital product catalogs with the most current information." Here is that slide: Here is another slide from AdAge more on how AI Mode works, with some SEO advice: The SEO Advice is basic and says: (1) Focus on unique, valuable content for people: Meet users' preferences in today's multimodal search environment, supporting your text content with high-quality images, videos. (2) Ensure we can access your content: Make sure your pages meet our technical requirements for Google Search, so that we can find them, crawl them, index them and consider them for showing in our results (3) Understand the full value of your visits: Focus on how well users get information or finish tasks, not just on clicks. AdAge added, "Google recently circulated a document that provides tips for AI search advertising. For instance, Google will target ads based on a consumer’s query and the content within the AI Mode responses, according to its pitch to marketers. The document, which includes a page titled “Ads in AI Mode,” was shared with Ad Age on condition of anonymity." Forum discussion at X. --- END ARTICLE TEXT --- Source: NBC News Netflix's new drama, "The Hunting Wives," follows the lives of women in east Texas who engage in extramarital affairs, including sapphic relationships, despite their conservative values and MAGA politics. The series, based on May Cobb's novel, centers on Sophie, who moves to Texas and becomes entangled with Margo, the wife of a gubernatorial candidate. The show explores hypocrisy and moral ambiguity, with viewers questioning their sexuality due to Margo's influence. Despite the show's focus on bisexuality, Margo's affair with a teenager draws greater criticism. The creator aims to satirize conservative culture without fully vilifying the characters. --- ARTICLE TEXT --- Topic: Entertainment Title: Sapphic drama ‘The Hunting Wives’ brings culture wars to Netflix - NBC News Source: NBC News Full_article: In the grand tradition of shows with “wives” in the title, Netflix’s new drama “The Hunting Wives” is a salacious soap centered on women behaving badly. But something is noticeably different in this east Texas town, where the wives of a conservative gubernatorial candidate, county sheriff and local megachurch reverend carry guns in their handbags. And despite their supposed traditional values and MAGA politics, several of these women are engaged in extramarital affairs — with each other. Based on the novel by May Cobb, creator and executive producer Rebecca Cutter’s “The Hunting Wives” expands on the original’s “Single White Female” premise, transplanting Brittany Snow’s Sophie from Cambridge, Massachusetts, to an NRA meeting upon her red-state arrival with her architect husband, Graham (Evan Jonigkeit). A former “political publicist” on the Democratic side, Sophie immediately escapes to the bathroom for a Xanax and meets Margo Banks (Malin Akerman), the captivating, uninhibited wife of Graham’s new boss and would-be politician, Jed Banks (Dermot Mulroney). Moral posturing is the name of the game down in this Texas town, where everything is bigger — including the charades. Most headlines about “The Hunting Wives” revolve around Akerman’s larger-than-life Margo, who, even in a bad wig, entrances Sophie alongside the rest of her legion with her feminine wiles and flirtatious attention. She and Jed have an “arrangement” (“Open marriages are for liberals,” she tells Sophie). “I don’t sleep with other men, and if Jed and I see a girl we like, we go for it.” But Mrs. Banks isn’t one for rules, so she’s having dalliances with more than just whom her husband agrees to, and Sophie drops her liberal convictions to be with Margo quicker than she can unhook her bra. Soon enough, Sophie is keeping secrets from her husband, just like the rest of the wives, until the murder of a local cheerleader threatens to blow everyone’s carefully manicured covers. Of course ethical nonmonogamy and sexual fluidity exist in Texas (the bi-curious, membership-based Skirt Club has regular events in Houston, Dallas and Austin), but unlike the “deplorable” coastal elites, the residents of the fictional town of Maple Brook wouldn’t dare bring up that kind of thing in polite conversation. Katie Lowes, Brittany Snow and Malin Akerman in "The Hunting Wives." Courtesy Lionsgate Hypocrisy abounds in “The Hunting Wives,” which debuted at No. 3 on Netflix last week with 5.2 million views and climbed to No. 1 on the platform’s U.S. Daily Top 10 chart. With all of the attention the show is receiving, viewer reactions have proved feverish, with fans across party lines gamely questioning their sexuality after witnessing Margo’s effects on Sophie (as well as Callie, another friend and sapphic lover who gets jilted once Sophie comes to town). The bisexual (emphasis on the sexual) nature of the show has been a central focus of most reviews and fan commentary, but, interestingly, there’s much less homophobic reaction than there is criticism of Margo’s secret affair with the 18-year-old son of her friend and the local reverend. Viewers, conservative and liberal alike, are majorly invested in the world of “The Hunting Wives.” It’s Margo’s world, from Reddit threads to TikTok hot takes, and we’re all living for it. Akerman has been feeling the love for her deliciously duplicitous character and said she finds Margo’s contradictions are ultimately representative of humanity more broadly. “I think that we people have a certain vision of how society works and marriage works and how we should be and what’s asked of us,” she told NBC News. “This [show] tests those boundaries. Absolutely, I feel like humans are fluid people. We don’t need to be put into one category, and I think it’s OK to slide that scale and ask yourself and be whatever you feel like being, instead of what people tell you to be.” Cutter, the creator and showrunner, said she wanted to play with paradoxes, toeing the line of satirizing the conservative culture of “The Hunting Wives” without full-on vilifying the characters, a plight somehow achieved even when they’re murdering people. Cutter points to Sophie as the resident liberal breaking her own moral code to be with Margo. “She’s not exactly somebody who’s standing up for what she believes in either,” Cutter said. “So there’s hypocrisy and bad behavior on both sides.” Brittany Snow in "The Hunting Wives." Netflix On “The Hunting Wives,” women having romantic and sexual relationships with one another is unspoken bad behavior. Although Jed doesn’t mind his wife’s sapphic leanings, his decision to run for governor requires a new kind of discretion and restraint that puts more sanctions on Margo than it does for his predilection for threesomes. Margo is key to his public persona as a good ol’ boy with a classic Christian wife, and though no outright anti-gay utterings are made alongside disparaging mentions of abortion and immigration, Cutter said the homophobia was intentionally unspoken but implied. “In the Christian world, there’s going to be a level of ‘that’s not OK,’ which everyone is then transgressing,” Cutter said. “I think in that line, ‘Open marriages are for liberals,’ it’s like we’re coding it differently, even if the actions are the same.” As heightened as it is, “The Hunting Wives” reflects a very real population, which may be uncomfortable for some viewers struggling to find the fun in engaging with characters whose personal lives differ from their political motivations. On the other hand, men have been rewarded several times over for playing antiheroes on screen without the same kind of scrutiny that has some reviewers calling the series “vulgar” or challenging its ability to be referred to as a “queer show.” It may be frustrating to acknowledge that people’s sex lives don’t always align with their public personas and voting habits, but “The Hunting Wives” confronts the ways in which sanctimony is frequently a cover for self-destructive secrets — and neither political party has a monopoly on that. Conservative, gun-toting Texas provides a solid setting for a series like “The Hunting Wives” to toy with conventions — which ultimately makes it enjoyable for most viewers to enter for eight fun and sexy episodes. “We’re so polarized as a nation,” Cutter said, “and it’s not a serious show. So I think ultimately people just enjoy the ride.” Having enjoyed success just two weeks into its debut, fans are hopeful a second season is imminent. Would there be a world in which an openly gay “hunting wife” joins the ranks? Cutter said she hadn’t thought about it: “That’s a great idea.” --- END ARTICLE TEXT --- Source: The-race.com Charles Leclerc surprised by taking pole position at the 2025 Formula 1 Hungarian Grand Prix, outperforming McLaren's Oscar Piastri and Lando Norris. Max Verstappen of Red Bull, despite recovering from practice difficulties, qualified eighth. Aston Martin had its best qualifying session this season, with Fernando Alonso and Lance Stroll in fifth and sixth. Lewis Hamilton had his worst Hungaroring qualifying, finishing 12th. Yuki Tsunoda will start from the pitlane due to a power unit component change. The grid includes various drivers from Ferrari, Mercedes, Sauber, and Racing Bulls, with Kimi Antonelli starting 15th. --- ARTICLE TEXT --- Topic: Sports Title: Hungarian Grand Prix 2025 F1 starting grid with one pitlane start - The Race Source: The-race.com Full_article: Charles Leclerc stunned the McLaren drivers to take a shock pole position for the 2025 Formula 1 Hungarian Grand Prix, beating Oscar Piastri and Lando Norris by less than a tenth of a second in Q3. Red Bull's Max Verstappen recovered from a difficult run through practice to make the top 10 but could only qualify eighth, while Mercedes' George Russell was fourth and Sauber rookie Gabriel Bortoleto a career best seventh. A week on from suffering the worst F1 qualifying result in the team's history at the Belgian Grand Prix, Aston Martin enjoyed its best qualifying of the season, with Fernando Alonso and Lance Stroll both making Q3 and qualifying fifth and sixth. Lewis Hamilton suffered his worst ever F1 qualifying session at the Hungaroring, falling in Q2 and qualifying his Ferrari only 12th fastest. Hamilton was actually 13th at the end of Q2 but gained a place when Mercedes rookie Kimi Antonelli's best lap was deleted for exceeding track limits. Antonelli is due to start 15th. Yuki Tsunoda will start from the pitlane after Red Bull elected to fit a new set of power unit components. He originally qualified in 16th place. Hungarian GP starting grid 1 Charles Leclerc (Ferrari) 2 Oscar Piastri (McLaren) 3 Lando Norris (McLaren) 4 George Russell (Mercedes) 5 Fernando Alonso (Aston Martin) 6 Lance Stroll (Aston Martin) 7 Gabriel Bortoleto (Sauber) 8 Max Verstappen (Red Bull) 9 Liam Lawson (Racing Bulls) 10 Isack Hadjar (Racing Bulls) 11 Ollie Bearman (Haas) 12 Lewis Hamilton (Ferrari) 13 Carlos Sainz (Williams) 14 Franco Colapinto (Alpine) 15 Kimi Antonelli (Mercedes) 16 Pierre Gasly (Alpine) 17 Esteban Ocon (Haas) 18 Nico Hulkenberg (Sauber) 19 Alex Albon (Williams) Pitlane: Yuki Tsunoda (Red Bull) --- END ARTICLE TEXT --- Source: Technology Networks A new study reveals that early humans began consuming carbohydrate-rich foods like grasses and underground plant tissues before their teeth evolved to efficiently process them. Analyzing fossilized hominin teeth, researchers found evidence of graminoid consumption dating back millions of years, predating the development of longer molars necessary for chewing tough plant fibers by about 700,000 years. The study also suggests a shift around 2.3 million years ago to underground plant organs, providing a stable carb source. This dietary flexibility demonstrates the crucial role of behavior in driving human evolution. --- ARTICLE TEXT --- Topic: Science Title: Human Diet Evolved Before Teeth Could Adapt Source: Technology Networks Full_article: Thank you. Listen to this article using the player above. ✖ Complete the form below to unlock access to ALL audio articles. Want to listen to this article for FREE? Read time: 3 minutes As early humans migrated from lush African forests to open grasslands, they needed new, reliable energy sources. This shift spurred a taste for grassy plants – especially grains – and for starchy plant tissues hidden underground. A new Dartmouth-led study, published in Science, reveals that hominins began eating these carbohydrate-rich foods long before their teeth evolved to handle them efficiently. The research provides the first human fossil evidence of "behavioral drive," where survival-driven behaviors emerge well before the physical adaptations that support them. Early diet before dental adaptation To investigate, the team analyzed carbon and oxygen isotopes in fossilized hominin teeth, reflecting diets heavy in graminoids – a group that includes grasses and sedges. Surprisingly, early humans were consuming these plants far earlier than their teeth were suited to grinding them down. Hominins Hominins are the group consisting of modern humans, extinct human species and all our immediate ancestors. They are distinguished from other apes by characteristics such as bipedalism and a larger brain relative to body size. Yet, it wasn’t until roughly 700,000 years later that evolution produced the longer molars necessary for efficiently chewing tough plant fibers. This delayed adaptation underscores how early humans thrived despite their physical limitations. “We can definitively say that hominins were quite flexible when it came to behavior, and this was their advantage,” said Dr. Luke Fannin, a postdoctoral researcher at Dartmouth and the study’s lead author. “As anthropologists, we talk about behavioral and morphological change as evolving in lockstep. But we found that behavior could be a force of evolution in its own right, with major repercussions for the morphological and dietary trajectory of hominins,” he continued. Dr. Nathaniel Dominy, the Charles Hansen Professor of Anthropology and senior author, emphasized the value of isotope analysis in uncovering ancient behavior: “Anthropologists often assume behaviors based on morphological traits, but these traits can take a long time – a half-million years or more – to appear in the fossil record. But these chemical signatures are an unmistakable remnant of grass-eating that is independent of morphology. They show a significant lag between this novel feeding behavior and the need for longer molar teeth to meet the physical challenge of chewing and digesting tough plant tissues.” Tracking ancient diets The researchers analyzed teeth from several hominin species, beginning with Australopithecus afarensis, and compared them to fossilized teeth from two contemporaneous primates: giant ground-dwelling, baboon-like monkeys called theropiths and smaller, leaf-eating colobines. All three species shifted away from fruits, flowers and insects to graminoids between 3.4 million and 4.8 million years ago – even though their teeth and digestive systems were ill-suited for these plants. However, by 2.3 million years ago, isotope signatures in hominin teeth abruptly changed, diverging from the other primates. This drop in both carbon and oxygen isotopes suggests that Homo rudolfensis – the human ancestor at the time – reduced grass consumption and began accessing oxygen-depleted water. The researchers propose three possible explanations: Hominins drank far more water than other primates and savanna animals. They adopted a semi-aquatic, hippopotamus-like lifestyle. They began regularly eating underground plant organs such as tubers, bulbs and corms. Advertisement The third explanation fits best. These carbohydrate-rich underground stores, also rich in oxygen-depleted water, were plentiful, safe from herbivores and accessible year-round. With stone tools already in use, hominins could dig them up easily. “We propose that this shift to underground foods was a signal moment in our evolution,” Fannin said. “It created a glut of carbs that were perennial – our ancestors could access them at any time of year to feed themselves and other people.” Teeth catch up to diet Over time, hominin teeth shrank by roughly 5% every 1,000 years, even as molars lengthened. For much of their history, their dietary reliance on graminoids outpaced dental adaptation. But around 2 million years ago, species such as Homo habilis and Homo ergaster developed teeth better suited to processing tougher and even cooked plant tissues, like roasted tubers. Graminoids are ubiquitous in many ecosystems, meaning early humans could capitalize on their availability. “One of the burning questions in anthropology is what did hominins do differently that other primates didn’t do? This work shows that the ability to exploit grass tissues may be our secret sauce,” Dominy said. “Even now, our global economy turns on a few species of grass – rice, wheat, corn and barley,” he added. “Our ancestors did something completely unexpected that changed the game for the history of the species on Earth.” Reference: Fannin LD, Seyoum CM, Venkataraman VV, et al. Behavior drives morphological change during human evolution. Science. 2025;389(6759):488-493. doi: 10.1126/science.ado2359 This article is a rework of a press release issued by Dartmouth. Material has been edited for length and content. --- END ARTICLE TEXT --- Source: Medical Xpress A study reveals that providing pregnant women with a brief information sheet about alcohol use during pregnancy can significantly improve their knowledge and attitudes, potentially reducing the risk of prenatal alcohol exposure. The study, conducted in the UK, found that after reading the leaflet, participants showed increased awareness of the risks and recommendations regarding alcohol consumption during pregnancy and breastfeeding. The authors suggest making similar information widely available to women of childbearing age, while also emphasizing that any intervention should avoid stigmatizing mothers. --- ARTICLE TEXT --- Topic: Health Title: Brief, low-cost education may discourage alcohol use during pregnancy Source: Medical Xpress Full_article: This article has been reviewed according to Science X's editorial process and policies . Editors have highlighted the following attributes while ensuring the content's credibility: Credit: Pixabay/CC0 Public Domain A simple information sheet may help prevent harms caused by prenatal alcohol exposure. A study just published in Alcohol, Clinical and Experimental Research found that women who reviewed a flyer with clear, concise information about alcohol use during pregnancy changed their attitudes and increased their understanding of the risks of, and health recommendations about, drinking during pregnancy. The authors of the study have recommended that health care providers and communities make similar information available to people of childbearing age to reduce the risk of harms related to prenatal exposure to alcohol. An estimated 1 in 10 pregnancies globally are exposed to alcohol, which confers an increased risk of miscarriage, stillbirth, premature delivery, and fetal alcohol spectrum disorder. This study evaluated the effectiveness of education in changing women's knowledge and attitudes about drinking while pregnant. Pregnant women in the United Kingdom were asked to read a three-page informational leaflet that discussed the health risks and guidance related to drinking during pregnancy and breastfeeding. Before and after reading the leaflet, participants completed questionnaires that assessed their knowledge, attitudes, and beliefs about drinking while pregnant, related health risks, and government guidance that no amount of alcohol use is safe during pregnancy. Participants were also asked whether the pregnancy was planned, when they found out about the pregnancy, and how much they drank during the pregnancy. The study found the leaflet to be effective in changing knowledge and attitudes about drinking during pregnancy among the 1,100 women who completed the study. Before reading the leaflet, 85% were aware of fetal alcohol spectrum disorder and the guidance on alcohol use during pregnancy, although only 40% felt the guidance was widely known. After reading the leaflet, participant knowledge increased overall, as well as on each specific knowledge question about prenatal alcohol exposure, such as the increased risk of infantile withdrawal symptoms or the increased risk of miscarriage. Overall, they viewed drinking during pregnancy more negatively after reading the leaflet. Participants who, before reading the leaflet, were less knowledgeable about the risks and had more positive attitudes about drinking during pregnancy, and those who had reported alcohol use during their pregnancy, were most likely to demonstrate improvements in attitudes and knowledge. The authors note that the intervention may have demonstrated greater impact in a participant sample more representative of the broader population. Study participants were recruited through social media and other groups focused on mothers, maternal health, and childbirth. Most were white, living with a partner, and had completed undergraduate education or higher. Eighty percent of their pregnancies were planned and confirmed within the first six weeks, in contrast to the 40% of pregnancies in the general U.K. population that are unplanned. Unintentional prenatal alcohol exposure can occur when people consume alcohol before they realize they are pregnant, highlighting the need for interventions for all women of childbearing age, not just those who are pregnant. Overall, the study demonstrates that a brief, self-administered educational tool can be a cost-effective, easily implemented means to improve knowledge about the risks of prenatal alcohol exposure among the general population. The authors emphasize the need to ensure any interventions do not contribute to self- or societal stigma, which carries its own risk of harm. More information: Orlagh Keating et al, Knowledge as prevention: A cost‐effective intervention to reduce prenatal alcohol exposure, Alcohol, Clinical and Experimental Research (2025). DOI: 10.1111/acer.70089 --- END ARTICLE TEXT ---