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CDC, FDA gearing up for fall vaccine campaign with US in 'strongest position yet'

Published Sun, 16 Feb 2025 16:40:51 GMT

(The Hill) - Federal health authorities are laying out plans for taking on this year's respiratory viral season, with officials emboldened by the new spate of preventive medications the U.S. has gathered heading into the fall and winter."We are in our strongest position yet to be able to fight COVID-19 as well as the other viruses that are responsible for the majority of fall and winter hospitalizations, namely flu, COVID as well as RSV," a CDC official said in a press call on Thursday.They cited the high rate of COVID-19 immunity — 97 percent — among U.S. individuals 16 and older for helping the country get into a stronger position. They acknowledged, however, that immunity is not a guarantee of protection and noted the new vaccines and antibodies at hand.Officials on Thursday reaffirmed the updated COVID-19 shots made by Pfizer, Moderna and Novavax are expected to rollout in mid-September. The new mRNA vaccines from Pfizer and Moderna will be fully licensed vaccines for individual...

Caution: Monkeys — Florida officials warn residents amid simian sightings

Published Sun, 16 Feb 2025 16:40:51 GMT

(The Hill) - Wild monkeys have been spotted in Orange City, Fla., sparking warnings from local officials to stay away from the on-the-loose primates.Orange City police warned residents not to feed a wild rhesus monkey seen in the town, about 30 miles north of Orlando.The monkeys can cause outbreaks of E. coli and herpes and devastate quail and other bird populations by eating eggs, according to a publication from the University of Florida.It is unknown how many rhesus monkeys, native to Southeast Asia, roam wild in the state. There are also several populations of squirrel monkeys wild in Florida.“Rhesus macaques pose the greatest ecological and human health threats of the monkeys in Florida,” the university said. “Macaques accustomed to being fed lose their fear of humans and begin to see humans as a food source. As a result, the macaques may become aggressive, attacking humans when food is around.”It is illegal to feed wild monkeys in Florida, with the crime punishable by up to 2 m...

Suspect in murder, sexual assault of 11-year-old Texas girl has been arrested

Published Sun, 16 Feb 2025 16:40:51 GMT

PASADENA, Texas (KIAH/NEXSTAR) — Less than a day after police in Pasadena, Texas, identified a person of interest in connection with the murder of an 11-year-old girl, authorities in Louisiana arrested the suspect believed to be involved.Juan Carlos Garcia-Rodriguez, 18, was arrested and charged with capital murder in connection to the death of Maria Gonzalez, who was found dead last Saturday in the apartment she shared with her father.Police in Louisiana have arrested a man in connection with the murder of Maria Gonzalez, who was found murdered last week in the Texas apartment she shared with her father. (Pasadena Police Department)Garcia-Rodriguez was identified as a person of interest on Friday. Police said he lived in the same apartment complex as Gonzalez and her father.In the time since, officials said they found evidence and "corroborating information" implicating Garcia-Rodriguez. He was apprehended in Shreveport, Louisiana, police said. Investigators have been trying to pie...

Stephen Mihm: America’s on-again, off-again relationship with God

Published Sun, 16 Feb 2025 16:40:51 GMT

If religion in America were bought and sold like a stock, now might be a good time to short it in a big way. In recent weeks and months, a number of pundits have declared that the American love affair with organized religion — and Christianity in particular — is over. Recent surveys suggest that church attendance, already faltering in the 21st century, still hasn’t recovered in the wake of the pandemic.But before we conclude that we’re headed for a godless future, consider the longer ebb and flow of religiosity in this country. In the distant past, organized religion often lost adherents, only to rebound a generation later. And in modern times, church attendance and membership have proven deeply misleading, leading otherwise-sensible observers to assume that secular thinking will triumph.Many Americans have a vague idea that the first European settlers to the American colonies came here to escape religious persecution. That’s sort of true, up to a point...

98.3 TRY Social Dilemma: Would you let your friend borrow your roll-on deodorant?

Published Sun, 16 Feb 2025 16:40:51 GMT

ALBANY, N.Y. (NEWS10) -- Today's 98.3 TRY Social Dilemma is from Tina and it's about, well, deodorant. Here's her email: Get the latest news, weather, sports and entertainment delivered right to your inbox! Hey Jaime. Quick social dilemma for you. I recently went to the gym with a friend of mine. Not a super close friend, but a friend. Anyway, we worked out, we took our showers and were about to head back to work when my friend said she forgot her deodorant. She asked if she could borrow mine. I had brought a roll-on deodorant with me to the gym, so I said no. I thought it would be disgusting for someone else to use my roll-on. My friend did not understand at all. She said we're both clean and the deodorant is helping to keep us clean, but I don't know. Something about her using it under her arms and knowing it would then be under my arms seemed gross to me. Ultimately she bought a small deodorant and used it, but she's still a bit ticked off at me. Am I weird for thinking that it...

Ask Amy: Siblings confront challenging genealogy

Published Sun, 16 Feb 2025 16:40:51 GMT

Dear Amy: My brother and I are the byproducts of extramarital affairs our mother had between 1943 and 1953, presumably to the same man.For decades we were led to believe that the father who raised us was our biological father.Out of a guilty conscience, our mother eventually spilled the beans about her past. We were devastated.Even though we’ve subscribed to two well-known genealogical databases in an attempt to track down our biological father, our efforts have been fruitless.Both databases put forth hundreds of “possible relatives,” even though his surname has never even appeared in either one of them.The only confirmation that we have of his actual existence was an obscure death certificate, dated 1963.Although he was passed off as nothing more than a family friend at that time, we actually did have social contact with our biological father on rare occasions, so we do know his name.I might mention that our mother did several stints in psychiatric hospitals after...

Niger Crisis: Macron's Africa Strategy Needs Rethinking

Published Sun, 16 Feb 2025 16:40:51 GMT

The unfolding crisis in Niger, a nation grappling with a military coup led by General Abdourahamane Tiani, casts a dark cloud over France's traditionally powerful influence in the Sahel region - writes Bintou Diabaté. This influence, largely unchallenged, has been carefully nurtured and sustained through a three-pronged approach involving diplomatic channels, economic ties, and a potent military presence. Today, as thousands of protesters rally outside the French embassy in Niamey, however, the extent of anti-French sentiment is laid bare, presenting French President Emmanuel Macron with a formidable challenge to his strategic ambitions in Africa.One of the most striking features of the ongoing crisis is the conspicuous Russian presence, manifested in the symbolic waving of Russian flags during the protests. Such a sight would have been unthinkable a few years ago, as France was perceived as the dominant player in Niger and the Sahel region. Now, the Russian mercenary group Wagner, ...

Horoscopes Aug. 25, 2023: Blair Underwood, finish what you start

Published Sun, 16 Feb 2025 16:40:51 GMT

CELEBRITIES BORN ON THIS DAY: Blake Lively, 36; Blair Underwood, 59; Tim Burton, 65; Elvis Costello, 69.Happy Birthday: Thoughts followed by actions will get you where you want to go this year. A confident attitude backed with facts and foolproof plans will help you glide through any interference you face. Don’t let your generosity be your downfall. Set expectations, and reveal your budget and the goal you hope to achieve. Know your target, stick to a budget and finish what you start. Your numbers are 5, 11, 20, 24, 33, 38, 41.ARIES (March 21-April 19): Do something that boosts your confidence. Make plans with someone you love to hang out with, or sign up for something that interests you and is conducive to making new friends. Personal growth and physical improvement are favored. Make romance a priority. 5 starsTAURUS (April 20-May 20): Take your time, think and respond with grace and dignity. Don’t get involved in joint ventures, emotional spending or overindulgence. Ho...

Bridge: Aug. 25, 2023

Published Sun, 16 Feb 2025 16:40:51 GMT

“I can’t say that I always listen to my wife,” a player at my club told me, “but things seem to work out better when I do.”My friend said he was today’s West in a duplicate game and led a diamond against South’s 3NT.“My wife was East and followed with the deuce,” he told me. “Declarer won with the jack and led the jack of clubs, winning, and then the king and ten. I won the third club, and my wife discarded the deuce of hearts.“I led another diamond, hoping South had only the ace left. But dummy’s king won, and South followed with the eight. He took four hearts, four clubs and three diamonds. My wife apologized for not having lower cards than deuces with which to signal.”ELOQUENTEast’s signals were eloquent, and my friend should have listened. When he takes the ace of clubs, he should trust his wife and shift to the ace and four of spades. The defense wins four spades and a club.Listen to your partne...

Word Game: Aug. 25, 2023

Published Sun, 16 Feb 2025 16:40:51 GMT

TODAY’S WORD — GRADUATE (GRADUATE: GRAD-joo-ate: To receive an academic degree or to pass from one stage to another.)Average mark 31 wordsTime limit 40 minutesCan you find 42 or more words in GRADUATE? The list will be published tomorrow.YESTERDAY’S WORD — DERMAL dale dame dare deal dear dram dream earl rale read real realm ream made male mare marl mead meal medal medlar meld alder armed lade lame lamer lard leadTo purchase the Word Game book, visit WordGameBooks.com. Order it now for just $5 while supplies last!RULES OF THE GAME:1. Words must be of four or more letters.2. Words that acquire four letters by the addition of “s,” such as “bats” or “dies,” are not allowed.3. Additional words made by adding a “d” or an “s” may not be used. For example, if “bake” is used, “baked” or “bakes” are not allowed, but “bake” and “baking” are admissible.4. Proper nouns, slang words, or vulgar or sexually explicit words are not allowed.Contact Word Game creator Kathleen Sa...