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Flu and COVID infections got worse over the holidays, with more misery expected, CDC says

Published Wed, 25 Dec 2024 06:44:10 GMT

NEW YORK (AP) — The flu season in the U.S. is getting worse but it’s too soon to tell how much holiday gatherings contributed to a likely spike in illnesses.New government data posted Friday for last week — the holiday week between Christmas and New Year’s — show 38 states with high or very high levels for respiratory illnesses with fever, cough and other symptoms. That’s up from 31 states the week before.The measure likely includes people with COVID-19, RSV and other winter viruses, and not just flu. But flu seems to be increasing most dramatically, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.“We expect it to be elevated for several more weeks,” said the CDC’s Alicia Budd. So far, though, this is a moderate flu season, she said.Interpreting flu reports during and after the holidays can be tricky, she noted. Schools are closed. More people are traveling. Some people may be less likely to go see a doctor, deciding to just suffer at home. O...

David Soul, ‘Starsky & Hutch’ star, dead at 80

Published Wed, 25 Dec 2024 06:44:10 GMT

(CNN) — David Soul, best known for his role in the popular 1970s television series “Starsky & Hutch” has died, his wife announced in a statement to CNN.He was 80.“David Soul – beloved husband, father, grandfather and brother – died yesterday (4 January) after a valiant battle for life in the loving company of family,” his wife Helen Snell wrote. “He shared many extraordinary gifts in the world as actor, singer, storyteller, creative artist and dear friend. His smile, laughter and passion for life will be remembered by the many whose lives he has touched.”No cause of death was shared.According to his site, the actor was born David Solberg in Chicago, Illinois and “spent the first twelve years of his life between the prairies of South Dakota and the divided city of post WWII Berlin.”His father, Richard Solberg, was a professor of history and political science as well as an ordained minister and moved the family to Berlin where the elder Solberg served as religious affairs adv...

Polar bears hold secret to surviving frigid winters — and we can benefit, study says

Published Wed, 25 Dec 2024 06:44:10 GMT

Julia Daye | (TNS) The Charlotte ObserverIt’s cold out. And our century-old way of staying warm — down jackets — may have just met its match.A new study found that textiles that mimic polar bear fur may be better at keeping us warm than down jackets, not to mention less bulky.In the study, published Dec. 21 in the journal Science, researchers in China tested a fiber modeled off of polar bear fur.Polar bears stay warm in arctic temperatures thanks to the unique structure of their fur, the researchers said. Each strand of polar bear fur contains tiny air pockets that trap heat and prevent it from escaping. The porous core is then surrounded by a dense outer shell.The scientists imitated this structure with a lightweight, synthetic material called an encapsulated aerogel fiber. They found that the polar-bear-inspired aerogel material maintains its heat-trapping properties even after being stretched, washed and dyed.The group knitted a sweater out of the revamped aerogel fiber and teste...

Revolution players Jones, Bajraktarevic called up to U.S. Men’s National Team

Published Wed, 25 Dec 2024 06:44:10 GMT

New England Revolution coach Caleb Porter will open training camp Jan. 13 in Foxboro with two key returning players on the road providing service to their country.The Revolution announced Friday that dynamic left back DeJuan Jones and homegrown midfielder Esmir Bajraktarevic have been called up for international duty with the United States Men’s National Team for its January camp.While Jones and Bajraktarevic attempt to make a favorable impression on USMNT head coach Gregg Berhalter in Orlando, Fla., the Revolution will be setting up their four-week stay at the IMG Academy in Bradenton, Fla., just south of St. Petersburg.Bajraktarevic, 18, in the youngest player on the USMNT 25-man roster. The graduate of the Revolution Academy and Revolution II from Wisconsin was the youngest player named to the U.S. Under 23 squad in November, where he scored a goal in two games.The Revolution’s youth program has been a successful MLS pathway for Bajraktarevic, Jack Panayotou and Noel Buck of Arli...

Cancer patients face frightening delays in treatment approvals

Published Wed, 25 Dec 2024 06:44:10 GMT

Lauren Sausser | (TNS) KFF Health NewsMarine Corps veteran Ron Winters clearly recalls his doctor’s sobering assessment of his bladder cancer diagnosis in August 2022.“This is bad,” the 66-year-old Durant, Oklahoma, resident remembered his urologist saying. Winters braced for the fight of his life.Little did he anticipate, however, that he wouldn’t be waging war only against cancer. He also was up against the Department of Veterans Affairs, which Winters blames for dragging its feet and setting up obstacles that have delayed his treatments.Winters didn’t undergo cancer treatment at a VA facility. Instead, he sought care from a specialist through the Veterans Health Administration’s Community Care Program, established in 2018 to enhance veterans’ choices and reduce their wait times. But he said the prior authorization process was a prolonged nightmare.“For them to take weeks — up to months — to provide an authorization is ridiculous,” Winters said. “It doesn’t matter if it’s cancer o...

Last-day-of-school vibes as Patriots wait for snow day in season finale

Published Wed, 25 Dec 2024 06:44:10 GMT

FOXBORO — If Bill Belichick’s final practice as head coach of the Patriots truly was Friday, then the day was perfectly unpredictable.As regimented as Belichick is as a leader, the Patriots — this might surprise you — don’t go off much of a regular schedule. Players arrive in the morning and then learn how their day is going to go. Other teams have their schedules mapped out weeks in advance and updated in an app on their phones.Not the Patriots.Related ArticlesNew England Patriots | Why Bailey Zappe has set ‘really good’ example for other Patriots New England Patriots | Patriots down 1 offensive starter at final practice before season finale New England Patriots | Callahan: If Bill Belichick’s time is over, say thank you before goodbye New England Patriots | Nor’easter set to blast Massachusetts with up to 12 inches of snow, Patriots could have a snow game New England Patriots | ...

‘AGGA’ inventor testifies his dental device was not meant for TMJ or sleep apnea

Published Wed, 25 Dec 2024 06:44:10 GMT

Brett Kelman, Anna Werner, CBS News | KFF Health News (TNS)A Tennessee dentist who has been sued by multiple TMJ and sleep apnea patients over an unproven dental device he invented has said under oath that he never taught dentists to use the device for those ailments — contradicting video footage of him telling dentists how to use it.Steve Galella, the inventor of the Anterior Growth Guidance Appliance, or “AGGA,” has said in court depositions that his device had been used on about 10,000 patients, and that he trained many dentists to use the AGGA in classes around the U.S. and overseas.At least 23 patients, some of whom described being desperate for relief from sleep apnea or temporomandibular joint disorder (TMJ), have sued Galella in recent years claiming that the AGGA damaged their mouths and, in some cases, caused tooth loss. Galella denied wrongdoing in those lawsuits and has settled almost all of them within the past few months.Galella was deposed before he settled the larges...

A potent antibiotic has emerged in the battle against deadly, drug-resistant superbugs

Published Wed, 25 Dec 2024 06:44:10 GMT

Corinne Purtill | (TNS) Los Angeles TimesUnder a microscope, this drug-resistant superbug looks as benign as a handful of pebbles. Yet carbapenem-resistant Acinetobacter baumannii, or CRAB, is a nightmare for hospitals worldwide, as it kills roughly half of all patients who acquire it.Identified as a top-priority pathogen by both the World Health Organization and the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, CRAB is the most common form of a group of bacteria that are resistant to nearly all available antibiotics. Victims are typically hospitalized patients who are already sick with blood infections or pneumonia. In the U.S. alone, the bug sickens thousands and kills hundreds every year.But 2024 is starting with some encouraging news on the global health front: For the first time in half a century, researchers have identified a new antibiotic that appears to effectively kill A. baumannii.The compound, zosurabalpin, attacks bacteria from a novel angle, disrupting the route tha...

Home Showcase: Updated kitchen highlight of Newton home

Published Wed, 25 Dec 2024 06:44:10 GMT

One of the great things about Newton is that you can come pretty close to achieving those secluded-estate-in-the-country vibes while still having your choice of takeout and delivery options. With 45 Oak Hill Street, buyers will find manor-like aesthetics, grounds, and breathing room without giving up the amenities of urban life.Built in 1996 with multiple recent renovations including a particularly exquisite one in the kitchen — more on that later — the property is tucked in back from the street behind a gentle half-moon drive and surrounded by a canopy of mature trees. It’s a heavenly hideaway if by hideaway you’re also looking for a sprawling estate with close to 8,000 square feer on more than half an acre.From the moment you set foot in the foyer with its graceful staircase, you know you’re in for a treat. Beyond the elegant living room with fireplace and lavish dining room with easy access to the kitchen, the main level features a relaxed family room with glass doors that open t...

NRA chief, one of the most powerful figures in US gun policy, says he’s resigning days before trial

Published Wed, 25 Dec 2024 06:44:10 GMT

By MICHAEL R. SISAK (Associated Press)NEW YORK (AP) — The longtime head of the National Rifle Association said Friday he is resigning, just days before the start of a civil trial over allegations he diverted millions of dollars from the powerful gun rights organization to pay for personal travel, security and other perks.Wayne LaPierre, the executive vice president and chief executive officer, said his departure is effective Jan. 31. The trial in New York Attorney General Letitia James’ lawsuit against him, the NRA and others who have served as organization executives is scheduled to start on Monday. LaPierre and ex-NRA President Oliver North are among the witnesses expected to testify. LaPierre, 74, has led the NRA ’s day-to-day operations since 1991, acting as the face and vehement voice of its gun rights agenda. He once warned of “jack-booted government thugs” seizing guns, called for armed guards in every school after a spate of shootings, and conde...