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COVID-19: First US Case Of Pirola Variant With 30 Mutations Confirmed COVID-19: First US Case Of Pirola Variant With 30 Mutations Confirmed
Covid-19: First US Case Of Pirola Variant With 30 Mutations Confirmed The first case of the newly identified COVID-19 variant with 30 mutations has been identified in the United States. The World Health Organization (WHO) upgraded BA.2.86 to a “variant under monitoring," citing the "large number of mutations it carries." BA.2.86, which has now been nicknamed "Pirola," was first detected in Israel, and cases have also been identified in the United Kingdom and Denmark. The initial case in the US has been detected in Michigan. The patient, an older person with mild symptoms, is from Washtenaw County, the Michigan Department of Health and Hu…

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by Joe Lombardi
News
Maryland Reports First Malaria Case Not Tied To Travel In Decades Maryland Reports First Malaria Case Not Tied To Travel In Decades
Maryland Reports First Malaria Case Not Tied To Travel In Decades The Maryland Department of Health has confirmed a positive case of locally acquired malaria in a resident who lives in the National Capital Region. On Friday, Aug. 18, officials confirmed that a person has been hospitalized and is in recovery - while stressing that they did not recently travel outside of the US or other states where malaria is more prevalent.  Health officials did not specify the exact location of the malaria case. Thousands of cases of malaria are reported annually in the country, though typically cases occur from people returning stateside from international travel.…

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by Zak Failla
Police & Fire
Princeton Doctoral Student Held Hostage In Iraq, Israeli Officials Say Princeton Doctoral Student Held Hostage In Iraq, Israeli Officials Say
Princeton Doctoral Student Held Hostage In Iraq, Israeli Officials Say A Princeton doctoral student missing for several months is being held hostage in Iraq, Israeli officials said. Elizabeth Tsurkov, a citizen of both Russia and Israel, was abducted in March while doing work for the Ivy League school, according to a statement from Benjamin Netanyahu's office. The 36-year-old was abducted by members of the Shiite group Kataeb Hezbollah, a radical Iran-backed militia group, Netanyahu's office said. Tsurkov had just walked out of a cafe in Iraqi capital Baghdad when she was abducted, the New York Times says citing the researcher's family.  Also a fellow at Wa…

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by Cecilia Levine
Traffic
Here Are The Best, Worst Times To Get Out Of Town For Memorial Day Weekend In The DMV Here Are The Best, Worst Times To Get Out Of Town For Memorial Day Weekend In The DMV
Here Are The Best, Worst Times To Get Out Of Town For Memorial Day Weekend In The DMV Travelers in the DMV region looking to get out of town for the long Memorial Day Weekend may want to hit the road as AAA anticipates near record-high travelers for the holiday. With the COVID-19 pandemic truly i the rearview mirror, AAA is projecting that 42.3 million Americans will travel at least 50 miles away from home, representing a possible 7 percent increase over 2022, marking the beginning of the busy summer travel season. In the region, those looking to get away for the weekend are being advised to leave before noon on Friday, May 26, if they hope to avoid gridlocks and headaches …

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by Zak Failla
News
JUUL Ordered To Pay $15.2M To DC After Contributing To Teen Vaping Epidemic JUUL Ordered To Pay $15.2M To DC After Contributing To Teen Vaping Epidemic
Juul Ordered To Pay $15.2M To DC After Contributing To Teen Vaping Epidemic JUUL Labs, Inc. has been ordered to pay $15.2 million to the District of Columbia after a massive settlement across several states. The settlement is the largest litigated settlement that the DC Office of the Attorney General has secured under the Consumer Protection Procedures Act, officials said. JUUL Labs, Inc. is the maker of the popular nicotine vape JUUL, which quickly rose in popularity amongst young adults and teenagers over the last ten years, initially available in fruity and mint flavors that were later banned due to highly-addictive qualities. At least 50 percent of the settlem…

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by Annie DeVoe
Lifestyle
Bacteria Strain Linked To Eyedrops That Killed, Led To Eyeball Removal: CDC Bacteria Strain Linked To Eyedrops That Killed, Led To Eyeball Removal: CDC
Bacteria Strain Linked To Eyedrops That Killed, Led To Eyeball Removal: CDC The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) is teaming with the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) to investigate an infection linked to select eye drops that have led to multiple deaths and forced others to remove their eyes through surgery. Consumers are being advised to stop using EzriCare or Delsam Pharma’s Artificial Tears products as they continue to investigate a multi-state outbreak of “an extensively drug-resistant strain of Pseudomonas aeruginosa.” According to the CDC, infections usually occur in people in the hospital or with weakened immune systems. It is partic…

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by Zak Failla
Business
Recall Issued For 64,300 Vacuum Cleaners That Could Overheat, Catch On Fire Recall Issued For 64,300 Vacuum Cleaners That Could Overheat, Catch On Fire
Recall Issued For 64,300 Vacuum Cleaners That Could Overheat, Catch On Fire A recall has been issued for more than 64,000 vacuum cleaners because they could overheat and catch on fire. Bissell announced it is recalling cordless multi-surface wet dry vacuum models 2551, 2551W, and 25519 because the circuit board inside the vacuum’s battery pack can overheat and smoke, posing a fire hazard. A total of 61,000 of the 64,300 vacuum cleaners being recalled were sold in the United States, and the rest in Canada. Contact Bissell toll-free at 855-417-7001 from 9 a.m. to 9 p.m. Eastern Time Monday through Friday and 9 a.m. to 8 p.m. on Saturday, or online at www.bissell.com…

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by Joe Lombardi
News
BWI Hit Hard With Delays After Southwest Cancels Majority Of Flights Nationwide BWI Hit Hard With Delays After Southwest Cancels Majority Of Flights Nationwide
BWI Hit Hard With Delays After Southwest Cancels Majority Of Flights Nationwide After a massive winter storm crossed the country, thousands of flights have been delayed or cancelled, leaving holiday travelers stranded across the nation, including in the DMV area, according to multiple reports.  Southwest Airlines leads the airlines in the most canceled or delayed flights, with over 3,600 flights in and out of the United States, with an additional 6,120 flights delayed, according to the flight tracking website FlightAware.  Southwest canceled the majority of scheduled flights Monday, Dec. 26, which was significantly more than any other airline, FlightAware dat…

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by Annie DeVoe
Business
Ford Recalling 634K SUVs For Faulty Fuel Line That Could Cause Fire Ford Recalling 634K SUVs For Faulty Fuel Line That Could Cause Fire
Ford Recalling 634K SUVs For Faulty Fuel Line That Could Cause Fire Ford is recalling hundreds of thousands of SUVs that could potentially have a faulty fuel injector that could lead to fuel spills or potentially leak vapors onto hot engines, posing a fire hazard. The motor company announced a recall of nearly 650,000 Ford Bronco Sport and Escape SUVs that were produced between 2020 and 2023 with 1.5-liter, three-cylinder engines, according to officials. Of the 650,000 vehicles subject to the recall worldwide, approximately 520,000 were reportedly sold in the US. According to officials, Ford is not advising consumers to stop driving the vehicles, and the …

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by Zak Failla
News
CDC Tracking More Immune-Evasive COVID-19 Variant Growing In Northeast CDC Tracking More Immune-Evasive COVID-19 Variant Growing In Northeast
CDC Tracking More Immune-Evasive Covid-19 Variant Growing In Northeast With more than 300 COVID-19 Omicron sublineages circulating around the globe, a new potentially more contagious variant called XBB is being closely monitored by the Centers for Disease Control & Prevention (CDC). XBB is considered more immune-evasive than other Omicron variants, Chief White House medical advisor Dr. Anthony Fauci said last week. But government officials said they don't think XBB will become a threat at the level of Omicron, which first emerged on the global scene almost exactly a year ago. Though XBB now accounts for just over 3 percent of new cases in t…

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by Joe Lombardi
Weather
Separate Rounds Of Wet Weather Will Start On Black Friday Separate Rounds Of Wet Weather Will Start On Black Friday
Separate Rounds Of Wet Weather Will Start On Black Friday A stretch of sunny, dry days leading up to and including Thanksgiving Day will be followed by separate rounds of wet weather, starting on Black Friday, Nov. 25, according to the National Weather Service. After a one-day reprieve from precipitation on Saturday, Nov. 26, those back on the road and in airports traveling will have to contend with a second round of wet weather on Sunday, Nov. 27. There will be showers and periods of rain starting Friday morning and continuing into the afternoon, followed by clearing in the evening, the National Weather Service said. About a quarter-inch of …

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by Joe Lombardi
News
Ticketmaster Cancels Public On-Sale For Taylor Swift Tour, Citing 'Insufficient' Inventory Ticketmaster Cancels Public On-Sale For Taylor Swift Tour, Citing 'Insufficient' Inventory
Ticketmaster Cancels Public On-Sale For Taylor Swift Tour, Citing 'Insufficient' Inventory It's tough times for Taylor Swift fans who were hoping to purchase tickets for her upcoming tour this week. Ticketmaster has canceled its public on-sale for Swift's "Eras Tour," which was set to open on Friday, Nov. 17. The tour of stadiums across the United States will begin in 2023. "Due to extraordinarily high demands on ticketing systems and insufficient remaining ticket inventory to meet that demand, tomorrow's public on-sale for Taylor Swift | The Eras Tour has been cancelled," the company tweeted on Thursday, Nov. 17. Due to extraordinarily high demands on ticketing systems and…

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by Nicole Valinote