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These Massachusetts Counties Among Healthiest In Nation, New Report Says These Massachusetts Counties Among Healthiest In Nation, New Report Says
These Massachusetts Counties Among Healthiest In Nation, New Report Says When it comes to the healthiest locales in the United States, several counties in Massachusetts are faring quite well, according to a new ranking by U.S. News & World Report. The outlet analyzed nearly 3,000 US counties on metrics it said shape and show the health of a community, like public safety, access to healthcare, educational equity, income, housing affordability, food availability, and nutrition. Analysts then used that data to rank the 500 healthiest communities in the country across 10 categories on a scale of zero to 100. In Massachusetts, Nantucket County was ranked h…

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by Michael Mashburn
News
CT Man Charged With Attempted Human Smuggling CT Man Charged With Attempted Human Smuggling
CT Man Charged With Attempted Human Smuggling A 41-year-old Connecticut man is accused of running a business to illegally smuggle people from Brazil to the United States and extorting his clients during their journey. Fagner Chaves De Lima, of East Hartford, was charged with one count of attempted human smuggling, according to an announcement from the United States Attorney’s Office for the District of Massachusetts on Thursday, June 30. “It is alleged that Mr. De Lima orchestrated an elaborate and manipulative human smuggling operation. For a steep price, Mr. De Lima allegedly made arrangements for victims to travel fro…

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by Nicole Valinote
Business
Thousands Of Pounds Of Salami Sticks Recalled In Massachusetts Thousands Of Pounds Of Salami Sticks Recalled In Massachusetts
Thousands Of Pounds Of Salami Sticks Recalled In Massachusetts Thousands of pounds of ready-to-eat salami sticks — some shipped to Massachusetts — have been recalled due to an undeclared allergen, federal officials said. Creminelli Fine Meats recalled about 4,207 pounds of ready-to-eat parmesan salami sticks due to undeclared ingredient egg lysozyme, an egg white protein and allergen, the United States Department of Agriculture’s Food Safety and Inspection Service announced on Tuesday, June 28. The products were packaged on various dates between Oct. 26, 2021, through April 26, 2022. The following product is included in the recall: 2.6-oz. plas…

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by Nicole Valinote
News
COVID-19: New Wave With 'Worst Version' Of Omicron Starting, Leading NY Doctor Says COVID-19: New Wave With 'Worst Version' Of Omicron Starting, Leading NY Doctor Says
Covid-19: New Wave With 'Worst Version' Of Omicron Starting, Leading NY Doctor Says A new COVID-19 wave with the strongest strain of the Omicron variant appears to have started in New York, one of NYC's top epidemiologists in the city is saying. Dr. Jay Varma, who was former Mayor Bill de Blasio's top public health advisor during the pandemic, said the infection rate appears to have stabilized at a high level rather than subsiding as summer starts to get into full swing. "This is likely the beginning of a BA.5 wave," Varma stated in a Tweet.  "Reported cases are at a high plateau, which means actual transmission is very high when you account for the &g…

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by Joe Lombardi
Business
CVS, Rite Aid To Limit Purchases Of Emergency Contraception CVS, Rite Aid To Limit Purchases Of Emergency Contraception
CVS, Rite Aid To Limit Purchases Of Emergency Contraception Some of the nation’s largest drug store chains will be limiting the purchases of emergency contraception amid a rise in demand following the Supreme Court’s decision to overturn Roe v. Wade. Both CVS and Rite Aid announced that they will be limiting purchases of Plan B contraceptive pills and After “to ensure equitable access and consistent supply on store shelves,” according to an email obtained by CNN. Moving forward, sales of emergency contraception pills may be limited to three per customer, according to the report. Officials noted that the drug stores "have an ample supply” of the co…

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by Zak Failla
News
1.4 Million Electrical Panels Recalled Due To Fire Hazards 1.4 Million Electrical Panels Recalled Due To Fire Hazards
1.4 Million Electrical Panels Recalled Due To Fire Hazards A company has recalled more than 1 million electrical panels due to thermal burn and fire hazards. Schneider Electric announced the recall of about 1.4 million Square D QO Plug-on-Neutral Load Centers on Thursday, June 16, because the products' load centers can overheat. The recall includes equipment that was installed in homes, recreational vehicles, and commercial establishments, the announcement said.  The company said it has received one report of an incident involving a loose wire but no reports of injuries. The recalled products were sold in stores across the United States…

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by Nicole Valinote
Business
Recall Issued For 400K Umbrellas Sold At Costco Due To Fire, Burn Hazards Recall Issued For 400K Umbrellas Sold At Costco Due To Fire, Burn Hazards
Recall Issued For 400K Umbrellas Sold At Costco Due To Fire, Burn Hazards Hundreds of thousands of outdoor umbrellas sold nationwide at Costco locations are being recalled due to fire and burn hazards. The Consumer Product Safety Commission (CPSC) issued an alert for 10-foot SunVilla Corporation “Solar LED Market Umbrellas” that have lithium-ion batteries in the base that can overheat. Approximately 400,000 units sold in the US are subject to the recall, which was announced on Thursday, June. 23 by CPSC. The recalled products come in a variety of colors, featuring LED lights on the arms of the umbrella and a black solar panel battery puck at the top. To date, …

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by Zak Failla
News
Supreme Court Strikes Down Roe V. Wade, Ending 50 Years Of Federal Abortion Rights Supreme Court Strikes Down Roe V. Wade, Ending 50 Years Of Federal Abortion Rights
Supreme Court Strikes Down Roe V. Wade, Ending 50 Years Of Federal Abortion Rights This story has been updated. The Supreme Court has overturned Roe vs. Wade, the ruling that established the constitutional right to abortion in the United States in 1973. The court's 5-4 decision was announced late Friday morning, June 24. The ruling gives individual states the power to make their own abortion laws. “The Constitution does not confer a right to abortion," the majority opinion, written by Justice Samuel Alito said. "Roe and Casey are overruled; and the authority to regulate abortion is returned to the people and their elected representatives." "Roe was egregiously wrong f…

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by Joe Lombardi
News
FDA Orders Juul To Stop Selling, Distributing E-Cigarettes In US FDA Orders Juul To Stop Selling, Distributing E-Cigarettes In US
FDA Orders Juul To Stop Selling, Distributing E-Cigarettes In US The United States Food and Drug Administration has ordered Juul Labs Inc. to stop selling and distributing all of its e-cigarette products that are currently available on the US market. The FDA made the announcement on Thursday, June 23, saying it has issued marketing denial orders to the company. Officials said the decision means the products that are currently on the US market must be removed. The products include the Juul device and four types of Juul pods, the FDA said.  “Today’s action is further progress on the FDA’s commitment to ensuring that all e-cigarette and electronic ni…

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by Nicole Valinote
News
Alert Issued After 13 Infant Deaths Linked To Fisher-Price Baby Rockers Alert Issued After 13 Infant Deaths Linked To Fisher-Price Baby Rockers
Alert Issued After 13 Infant Deaths Linked To Fisher-Price Baby Rockers Officials have issued an alert to consumers after the deaths of at least 13 infants were linked to two baby rocker products. The US Consumer Product Safety Commission (CPSC) and Fisher-Price announced on Tuesday, June 14, that between 2009 and 2021, at least 13 deaths have been linked to the Fisher-Price Infant-to-Toddler Rockers and Newborn-to-Toddler Rockers. CPSC said rockers should never be used for sleep, and infants should never be left unsupervised or unrestrained in the rockers. Consumers can report incidents involving the products to CPSC at saferproducts.gov.  Accordin…

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by Nicole Valinote
News
CDC Issues New Monkeypox Guidance Amid Increase In Cases CDC Issues New Monkeypox Guidance Amid Increase In Cases
CDC Issues New Monkeypox Guidance Amid Increase In Cases Amid the largest monkeypox outbreak ever in the United States, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) has issued new guidance. Since May 2022, monkeypox cases, which have historically been rare in the United States, have been identified in 18 states and territories among both persons returning from international travel and their close contacts domestically, the CDC said. The CDC said there have now been 72 confirmed cases of monkeypox -- a big jump from the 19 cases reported at the beginning of June. Globally, more than 1,600 cases have been reported from more than 30 countri…

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by Joe Lombardi
News
Seven Monkeypox Cases Confirmed In Massachusetts Seven Monkeypox Cases Confirmed In Massachusetts
Seven Monkeypox Cases Confirmed In Massachusetts Seven Monkeypox cases have been confirmed in Massachusetts as of Thursday, June 16, the Department of Public Health (DPH) said.  This comes nearly a month after the first confirmed case in the state on May 18, according to DPH. Overall, there have been 84 cases of the Monkeypox virus in the US this year.  “Although monkeypox infections remain rare, and none of the close contacts from Massachusetts’ first case developed monkeypox during their monitoring period, the CDC is reporting that cases continue to rise across the United States,” said DPH State Epidemiologist Dr. Catheri…

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by David Cifarelli