Purdue Pharma Reaches $6B Settlement With US States Over Thousands Of Opioid-Related Lawsuits Purdue Pharma Reaches $6B Settlement With US States Over Thousands Of Opioid-Related Lawsuits
Purdue Pharma Reaches $6B Settlement With US States Over Thousands Of Opioid-Related Lawsuits OxyContin creators Purdue Pharma and the Sackler family have reached a $6 billion settlement over their roles in the ongoing opioid crisis plaguing the country. The announcement comes following an earlier deal made with Purdue, headquartered in Stamford, Connecticut, that was ultimately appealed by eight states and the District of Columbia until the Sacklers kicked in more cash to get the deal done. Earlier story - NY, Other States Reach $4.5B Settlement With Purdue Pharma Over Its Role In Opioid Epidemic The $6 billion will be paid out over the course of 18 years, with larger payments fro…
COVID-19: New Mask Guidance Coming Soon, CDC Director Says At White House Briefing COVID-19: New Mask Guidance Coming Soon, CDC Director Says At White House Briefing
Covid-19: New Mask Guidance Coming Soon, CDC Director Says At White House Briefing The “new normal” may start to look more like the “old normal” as federal health officials are expected to loosen up COVID-19 mask mandates across the country. Dr. Rochelle Walensky, the director for the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) announced during a White House briefing on Wednesday, Feb. 16 that the agency will “soon put guidance in place” regarding mask-wearing. The announcement comes as the country continues to recover from the surge of Omicron cases that mounted over several months around the holiday season. Walensky said that the CDC will monitor certain metrics s…
COVID-19: US Exiting 'Full-Blown' Phase Of Pandemic, Restrictions Could End Soon, Fauci Says COVID-19: US Exiting 'Full-Blown' Phase Of Pandemic, Restrictions Could End Soon, Fauci Says
Covid-19: US Exiting 'Full-Blown' Phase Of Pandemic, Restrictions Could End Soon, Fauci Says The light at the end of the COVID-19 tunnel may be fast approaching, according to infectious disease expert Dr. Anthony Fauci. With the number of new infections and hospitalizations plummeting over the past several weeks, Fauci, President Joe Biden’s chief medical adviser, said that the US is almost past the “full-blown” pandemic phase. If Fauci’s prediction holds true, it could lead to a rollback of virus-related restrictions and mandates sooner than later, including an end to mandatory mask wearing by the end of 2022. 
“As we get out of the full-blown pandemic phase of COVID-19,” Fauci s…
COVID-19: NY Couple Facing Felony Charges For Allegedly Entering Game With Fake Vaccine Card COVID-19: NY Couple Facing Felony Charges For Allegedly Entering Game With Fake Vaccine Card
Covid-19: NY Couple Facing Felony Charges For Allegedly Entering Game With Fake Vaccine Card A man and woman from New York are facing felony charges after authorities said they both presented fake COVID-19 vaccination cards to attend a Buffalo Bills game. Michael Naab, age 34, and 37-year-old Amber Naab, both of West Seneca, were arraigned on Tuesday, Jan. 25, and each charged with one count of second-degree criminal possession of a forged instrument, which is a Class D felony, the Erie County District Attorney John Flynn announced. The couple is accused of presenting fake cards to attend the game on Saturday, Jan. 15, at Highmark Stadium. Flynn told The Buffalo News that the…
COVID-19: New 'Stealth Omicron' Strain Identified In Connecticut COVID-19: New 'Stealth Omicron' Strain Identified In Connecticut
Covid-19: New 'Stealth Omicron' Strain Identified In Connecticut The newly emerging “stealth” Omicron variant of the COVID-19 virus has been confirmed throughout the region, according to an associate professor at the Yale School of Public Health. According to the World Health Organization (WHO), Omicron, which is known as B.1.1.529, has three sub-variants: the original BA.1 that remains the dominant strain, the “stealth” BA.2, which is picking up steam, and the more elusive BA.3. Earlier story - COVID-19: 'Stealth Omicron,' A New Version Of Variant, Identified In US Recently, the new “stealth” variant - named for its difficulty to identify due to a lack…
Robert F. Kennedy Jr. To Speak At Anti-Vaccine Rally Set For Lincoln Memorial Robert F. Kennedy Jr. To Speak At Anti-Vaccine Rally Set For Lincoln Memorial
Robert F. Kennedy Jr. To Speak At Anti-Vaccine Rally Set For Lincoln Memorial Renowned and outspoken anti-vaxxer Robert F. Kennedy is set to be a prominent speaker at a weekend march in Washington, DC, as a massive rally is planned for the Lincoln Memorial. Kennedy, a former resident of Northern Westchester County, in Bedford, is expected to be a key speaker at the march, which is planned for Sunday, Jan. 23 regarding the distrust of vaccines among a group who reportedly have experienced negative side effects from COVID-19 vaccines. Attendees will gather at 10:30 a.m. on Sunday at the Washington Monument and the march will begin at 11:30 a.m. ending at the Lincoln M…
COVID-19: Here's Percentage Of Americans Who Think Pandemic Is Getting Worse, New Poll Says COVID-19: Here's Percentage Of Americans Who Think Pandemic Is Getting Worse, New Poll Says
Covid-19: Here's Percentage Of Americans Who Think Pandemic Is Getting Worse, New Poll Says While some Americans have expressed optimism about the worst of the COVID-19 pandemic being over after the post-holiday surge of infections, the majority still believe that the pandemic is getting worse, according to a new poll. Gallup released new data that found that optimism about the trajectory of the pandemic in the US has fallen precipitously in recent weeks and months, to the highest level in a year. The latest Gallup poll depicting how worried Americans are about the pandemic.Gallup According to the latest poll, which was conducted between Monday, Jan. 3 and Friday, Jan. 14 foun…
COVID-19: Wave Of Omicron Cases In US May Be At Turning Point, Virus Expert Says COVID-19: Wave Of Omicron Cases In US May Be At Turning Point, Virus Expert Says
Covid-19: Wave Of Omicron Cases In US May Be At Turning Point, Virus Expert Says The wave of COVID-19 cases in the United States triggered by the highly contagious Omicron variant may be at a turning point, an infectious disease expert says. Former FDA commissioner Dr. Scott Gottlieb says parts of the nation may be about to pass the peak phase of the outbreak, while other regions will likely soon be hit hard. "f you look what's happening across the East Coast right now in New York City, Washington, DC, Maryland, probably Florida as well have already peaked, maybe Delaware and Rhode Island," Gottlieb said Sunday, Jan. 9 on CBS-TV's "Face the Nation." "You start to see t…
Dole Recalls Packaged Salads Due To Listeria Concerns Dole Recalls Packaged Salads Due To Listeria Concerns
Dole Recalls Packaged Salads Due To Listeria Concerns Dole packaged salads containing iceberg lettuce have been recalled due to possible health risks from Listeria. The recalled products were distributed nationwide and processed at Dole's production facilities in Springfield, Ohio, and Soledad, California, the Food and Drug Administration announced. This voluntary recall notification is being issued after harvest equipment used in the harvesting of the raw iceberg lettuce material used in these finished products was tested by Dole and found to contain Listeria monocytogenes, the FDA said. Listeria monocytogenes is an organism that can cause s…
Public Health Alert Issued For Frozen Soup Products Public Health Alert Issued For Frozen Soup Products
Public Health Alert Issued For Frozen Soup Products Officials have issued a public health alert about frozen soup products that may contain undeclared allergens. Trader Ming's frozen chicken and vegetable wonton soup products may contain shrimp and pork, both of which are not declared on the product label, according to an announcement from the United States Department of Agriculture’s Food Safety and Inspection Service on Saturday, Dec. 18. The USDA added that shrimp is a known allergen. Officials said a recall hasn't been issued because it's believed the products aren't currently available for consumers to buy. The products were prod…
Biden Nominates Caroline Kennedy, Figure Skater Michelle Kwan For Ambassador Posts Biden Nominates Caroline Kennedy, Figure Skater Michelle Kwan For Ambassador Posts
Biden Nominates Caroline Kennedy, Figure Skater Michelle Kwan For Ambassador Posts A pair of prominent public figures have been tabbed for ambassadorships by President Joe Biden. The White House announced that Caroline Kennedy, age 64, the last surviving child of former President John F. Kennedy, has been nominated to serve as an ambassador to Australia after previously filling the same role in Japan for former President Barack Obama. “I am always grateful to the courageous Solomon Islanders and Australian coast watchers who rescued my father during World War 2, and if confirmed, I will work hard to repay this debt," Kennedy said in a statement. "I look forward to collabo…
COVID-19: New Study Finds Significant Virus Spread Among Deer Population COVID-19: New Study Finds Significant Virus Spread Among Deer Population
Covid-19: New Study Finds Significant Virus Spread Among Deer Population A new study has found widespread COVID-19 infections among deer populations in Iowa. Researchers from the Penn State University found that more than 80 percent of white-tailed deer sampled in parts of Iowa between December of 2020 and January of 2021 tested positive for COVID-19, according to an announcement from the university on Wednesday, Nov. 3. “We found that 80 percent of the sampled deer in December were positive for SARS-CoV-2, which proportionally represents about a 50-fold greater burden of positivity than what was reported at the peak of infection in humans at the time,” said Sur…