Joe Biden recently began using a CPAP machine to treat sleep apnea, the White House announced on Wednesday, after observers noticed mask marks on the president’s face. “Since 2008, the president has disclosed his history with sleep apnea in thorough medical reports. He used a CPAP machine last night, which is common for people with that history,” White House spokesman Andrew Bates said, CNN reports. Here’s what you need to know about the president’s diagnosis, and how he is treating his sleep apnea. What is sleep apnea? Sleep apnea is a common condition in which one’s breathing repeatedly stops and starts during sleep. According to the Mayo Clinic, it is commonly caused by the relaxation of throat muscles, blocking the flow of air. Less frequently, sleep apnea is the result of the brain not sending the proper signals to the respiratory system. Symptoms of sleep apnea include loud snoring, episodes of breathing stopping during sleep, and gasping for air. Those with high weight, large neck circumference, and a family history of the condition are considered at greater risk of getting sleep apnea. Men are two to three times more likely to have sleep apnea. About 30 million people in the US have the condition, though far fewer, roughly six million, are diagnosed as such, according to the American Medical Association. Sleep apnea can contribute to fatigue, circulatory issues, and diabetes in those who have it. What is a CPAP machine? CPAP stands for continuous positive airway pressure machine, and the device is one of the most common treatments for sleep apnea, according to the Cleveland Clinic. CPAP machines help keep a patient’s airways open by delivering air through tubes into a mask that’s worn during sleep. How long has President Biden had sleep apnea? Mr Biden first disclosed that he had experienced sleep apnea in 2008 medical disclosures, though more recent medical evaluations have not listed it as a cause for serious concern. A 2019 evaluation disclosed that Mr Biden’s sleep apnea had “has been considered, but his symptoms have improved significantly” following sinus and nasal passage surgeries, according to CNN. A White House physical two years later listed Mr Biden’s throat clearing and coughing during speeches as areas of “observation.” His most recent such evaluation didn’t mention sleep apnea. As The Independent has reported, Mr Biden at age 80 is the oldest president in US history. His health condition, and that of other senior US politicians, has alarmed some observers. Read More White House reveals Biden uses CPAP machine for sleep apnea after president seen with marks on his face Parents awarded $15m after son with dwarfism dies in Boston hospital sleep study Should I see a doctor about my bad sleep? Dennis Rodman responds to critics after he wore skirt to Pride parade Dwyane Wade recalls daughter Zaya being ‘scared’ and hiding from him after coming out Chrissy Teigen and John Legend welcome fourth child via surrogate: ‘Our new love’

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The White House has said it will “make sure” Afghan veterans who supported the US are taken care of – while the British government continues to stall in the case of an Afghan pilot who has been threatened with deportation to Rwanda. The pilot, who risked his life on combat missions in support of coalition forces, has been left in limbo and has been threatened with removal after he arrived in Britain on a small boat because of the lack of safe legal routes. After the UK rejected his first application to remain, Washington is now considering his case after his US supervisor made a personal recommendation and described him as a “true patriot to his nation”. President Joe Biden’s spokesperson was asked about the speed at which Afghans were being brought to the US, especially from third countries, in light of The Independent’s campaign on behalf of Afghan veterans. Karine Jean-Pierre replied: “Our commitment continues to stand. To make sure that we take care of the folks who helped us during the longest war in this country that we have, we have seen that we have supported and the work continues.” The intervention turns up the heat on the UK which has still not removed the threat of deportation to Rwanda, despite the UK’s Court of Appeal ruling that the government’s agreement is illegal. Without the notice being removed, the pilot’s application for asylum cannot progress and he is still being refused safe haven. Dozens of military chiefs, politicians, diplomats and celebrities have joined in The Independent’s call for him to be given safe refuge after the sacrifice he made. The Afghan air force airman, whose wife and child are still in hiding in Afghanistan, served alongside coalition forces in the run up to the fall of Kabul two years ago. He described how he flew in missions coordinated and supported by British and US commanders to take out terrorists and eliminate drug production networks. When the coalition troops left in August 2021, the pilot was among those dangerously exposed. The Taliban took over their offices and uncovered every detail about him – his email address, his phone number and where he lived. He waited in hiding in Afghanistan for several months before making the heart-breaking decision to leave his family and find safe refuge. A long journey over land and sea culminated in a dangerous journey across the Channel last November. Thinking he would be welcomed and thanked for his sacrifice, the pilot was appalled to discover that he was threatened with deportation to Rwanda. He told The Independent: “I am really disappointed. We weren’t carrying out simple tasks in Afghanistan - we were doing your missions. Without our Afghan forces, the UK and US wouldn’t have been able to do their activities. “If the UK are abandoning us again, I hope the US may help. Many former Afghan pilots are even flying in the US, they are using their skills, unlike what the UK are doing with me. Maybe if I get to the US, I can work as a pilot again and have a future – which helps my family, who are still in danger in Afghanistan.” The pilot is not allowed to work in the UK while his asylum claim is paused and receives around £8 a week to live on while he is in government-funded hotel accommodation. He is being considered for possible sanctuary in the US under the P1 resettlement scheme, to which you have to be personally referred by a US official. His application to the Ministry of Defence’s Afghan Relocation and Assistance Policy was rejected because the government said that his pilot role was not one in which “the UK’s operations in Afghanistan would have been materially less efficient or materially less successful if a role of that nature had not been performed”. Defence minister James Heappey had said that members of the Afghan air force would not qualify “in principle” for the scheme because they were not embedded with the British. Sign The Independent’s petition calling for UK to support Afghan war heroes who served alongside Britain He is among thousands of other asylum seekers who have arrived in Britain on small boats, and who could face removal to Rwanda by the UK Home Office. The notice of intent letter, issued by the government, said his asylum claim was “inadmissible” because he had travelled through a number of European countries before arriving in Britain. The £140m deal to deport asylum seekers from UK to Rwanda was ruled unlawful at the end of June, but the Home Office have refused to remove the pilot’s notice of intent – meaning his asylum claim cannot be processed. Prime minister Rishi Sunak has pledged to appeal the court’s unlawful ruling in the Supreme Court. The former head of the British Army, General Sir Richard Dannatt, has previously described the Rwanda plan as an “unpopular policy”, and blamed the home secretary Suella Braverman for “continuing to run down the remaining political capital of Rishi Sunak’s government” by pursuing it. A government spokesperson said: “Whilst we don’t comment on individual cases, we remain committed to providing protection for vulnerable and at-risk people fleeing Afghanistan and so far have brought around 24,500 people impacted by the situation back to the UK. “We continue to work with like-minded partners and countries neighbouring Afghanistan on resettlement issues, and to support safe passage for eligible Afghans.” Read More US pledges to investigate Afghan pilot’s case as UK stalls on offer to help Democrats and Republicans say they want to help Afghan veterans. So why haven’t they done anything? Afghanistan withdrawal may have left members of armed forces with ‘moral injury’ Biden arrives in UK to meet Sunak and King Charles amid Ukraine concerns Joe Biden to meet with the King at Windsor Castle Biden touches down in UK ahead of meeting with Sunak

By Andrew Hay Florida’s university system, working with Governor Ron DeSantis, ordered colleges on Tuesday to shut down