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Business
9 Toddlers Drown, Sparking Recall Of 5 Million Backyard Pools 9 Toddlers Drown, Sparking Recall Of 5 Million Backyard Pools
9 Toddlers Drown, Sparking Recall Of 5 Million Backyard Pools Millions of backyard pools sold nationwide are being recalled after nine toddlers drowned in them, officials said. The recall affects 48-inch and taller above-ground pools made by Bestway, Intex, and Polygroup, the Consumer Product Safety Commission announced on Monday, July 21. About five million of the pools have been sold in the US since 2002, including some currently available online and in stores. The danger comes from an external compression strap that runs outside the pool and over the vertical support poles. Kids can put their feet on the strap to climb into the pool, …

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by Chris Spiker
Business
Beef Prices Soar To All-Time Highs During Summer Cookout Season: Here's Why Beef Prices Soar To All-Time Highs During Summer Cookout Season: Here's Why
Beef Prices Soar To All-Time Highs During Summer Cookout Season: Here's Why Hot weather isn't the only thing hitting summer cookouts – beef prices are also on the rise. The average price of a pound of ground beef hit a record high of $6.10 in June, according to the Bureau of Labor Statistics. That's 13.7% higher than the average in June 2024. Uncooked steak climbed 8% to $11.49 per pound, according to the Associated Press. The surging beef costs come as the US cattle herd has fallen to its smallest size since 1951, with the US Department of Agriculture reporting just 86.7 million cattle and calves nationwide as of Wednesday, Jan. 1. David Anderson, a liv…

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by Chris Spiker
Business
Most US Ice Cream Makers Pledge To Remove Artificial Dyes Most US Ice Cream Makers Pledge To Remove Artificial Dyes
Most US Ice Cream Makers Pledge To Remove Artificial Dyes The vast majority of the nation's ice cream makers have agreed to make their treats without artificial food colorings by 2028. The International Dairy Foods Association has pledged to phase out the synthetic dyes by the end of 2027, the trade group announced on Monday, July 14. The IDFA represents dozens of companies that make more than 90% of the nation's ice cream products. The companies will phase out certified artificial colors from ice cream and frozen dairy desserts made with real milk. Those dyes include Red 3, Red 40, Green 3, Blue 1, Blue 2, Yellow 5, and Y…

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by Chris Spiker
Business
Medical Debt Returning To Americans' Credit Reports After Judge Reverses Biden-Era Rule Medical Debt Returning To Americans' Credit Reports After Judge Reverses Biden-Era Rule
Medical Debt Returning To Americans' Credit Reports After Judge Reverses Biden-Era Rule A federal judge in Texas has overturned a Biden-era rule that removed medical debt from Americans' credit reports. Judge Sean Jordan scrapped the regulation in a ruling on Friday, July 11. The Consumer Financial Protection Bureau finalized the rule on Tuesday, Jan. 7, about two weeks before former President Joe Biden left office. The decision came exactly a week after President Donald Trump signed the previously named "One Big Beautiful Bill" into law. Experts warn that the Republican-backed budget reconciliation legislation makes sweeping cuts to Medicare and Medicaid, while incr…

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by Chris Spiker
Politics
‘No Way In Hell’: NY Gov. Slams Texas’ Latest Attempt To Target Abortion Provider ‘No Way In Hell’: NY Gov. Slams Texas’ Latest Attempt To Target Abortion Provider
‘No Way In Hell’: NY Gov. Slams Texas’ Latest Attempt To Target Abortion Provider Gov. Kathy Hochul is once again making it crystal clear: New York will not cooperate with efforts to criminalize legal abortion care in the Empire State. Hochul released a fiery statement Monday, July 14, after Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton made a second attempt to file a legal judgment against an Ulster County doctor who prescribed abortion medication to a patient out of state. “The anti-abortion extremists are at it again,” Hochul said. “Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton is still trying to target a New York doctor for prescribing legal medication used to provide an abortion.” Hochul …

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by Michael Mashburn
Business
M&M's, Skittles Reportedly Resisting Push To End Artificial Food Dye Use: Here's Why M&M's, Skittles Reportedly Resisting Push To End Artificial Food Dye Use: Here's Why
M&M's, Skittles Reportedly Resisting Push To End Artificial Food Dye Use: Here's Why One of the nation's largest candy makers is pushing back on a years-long effort to remove artificial food dyes from its products, according to reports. Mars, the McLean, Virginia-based company behind popular candies like M&M's, is resisting the federal government's effort to remove synthetic food colorings, The New York Times reported on Monday, July 7. This comes as more than a dozen food giants like Kraft Heinz, General Mills, PepsiCo, ConAgra, and Nestlé have agreed to eliminate the artificial dyes from their US products by the end of 2027. Federal agencies have tried for y…

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by Chris Spiker
News
161 Now Confirmed Missing After Catastrophic July 4th Flash Flooding In Texas 161 Now Confirmed Missing After Catastrophic July 4th Flash Flooding In Texas
161 Now Confirmed Missing After Catastrophic July 4th Flash Flooding In Texas The number of missing people following the historic flash flooding that swept through central Texas early on the morning of July 4 has now climbed to 161. The death toll has reached 109 statewide, Gov. Greg Abbott announced late Tuesday afternoon, July 8 at a press conference. A total of 94 of the deaths were in Kerr County in the state's Hill Country. There are five campers and one counselor from historic Camp Mystic in Kerr County now unaccounted for. Initially, 27 girls who attended the camp were missing. Abbott said there likely could be more people missing. The flooding was more …

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by Joe Lombardi
News
Rookie NJ Coast Guard Rescue Swimmer Just Rescued 165 Texas Flood Victims Rookie NJ Coast Guard Rescue Swimmer Just Rescued 165 Texas Flood Victims
Rookie NJ Coast Guard Rescue Swimmer Just Rescued 165 Texas Flood Victims Scott Ruskan is becoming a household name. In his first-ever rescue mission, the Oxford (Warren County) native, United States Coast Guard Rescue Swimmer and petty officer rescued 165 victims of the devastating floods in Central Texas, Department of Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem said. "This was the first rescue mission of his career and he was the only triage coordinator at the scene," Noem said. "Scott Ruskan is an American hero. His selfless courage embodies the spirit and mission of the United States Coast Guard." A graduate of Rider University, Ruskan, an Oxford…

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by Sam Barron
News
Dire Wolf Pups Double In Size, 'De-Extinction' Company Says: See Their Growth Dire Wolf Pups Double In Size, 'De-Extinction' Company Says: See Their Growth
Dire Wolf Pups Double In Size, 'De-Extinction' Company Says: See Their Growth Three dire wolf pups are growing up fast after scientists claimed to have revived the ancient species in the world's first successful animal "de-extinction." Two male pups named Romulus and Remus are now more than 100 pounds at just eight months old and doubled in size, according to Colossal Biosciences. The genetics company gave an update on the popular wolves, saying they're showing signs of pack dynamics and ancient traits on a private Texas preserve. The dire wolf pups named after mythological figures in the city of Rome's origin story were born on Tuesday,…

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by Chris Spiker
News
Measles Cases In US Approaches 25-Year High As CDC Confirms 27 Outbreaks Measles Cases In US Approaches 25-Year High As CDC Confirms 27 Outbreaks
Measles Cases In US Approaches 25-Year High As CDC Confirms 27 Outbreaks America has reached another grim milestone as the number of confirmed cases of the measles hit a record high since the US declared the disease "under control" decades ago. A total of 1,267 confirmed measles cases have been reported to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) in 38 states and jurisdictions — more than triple the number reported in all of 2024, according to the agency's latest report. At least 27 outbreaks (defined as three or more connected cases) have been reported so far this year, with 88 percent of cases (1,115 of 1,267) linked to outbreaks, health officials …

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by Zak Failla
Business
Ground Beef Prices Surge To Record High Before Fourth Of July Cookouts: Here's Why Ground Beef Prices Surge To Record High Before Fourth Of July Cookouts: Here's Why
Ground Beef Prices Surge To Record High Before Fourth Of July Cookouts: Here's Why If you plan on enjoying a burger on the Fourth of July, it may be more expensive than ever. The retail price of a pound of ground beef hit a record high of $5.98 in May, according to the Bureau of Labor Statistics. That's up by 18 cents from April and a 16.2% increase from the May 2024 average of $5.15. An American Farm Bureau Federation (AFBF) survey puts the retail price even higher, now averaging $6.67 a pound. Feeding 10 people a standard Independence Day cookout – including burgers, chicken, beans, and potato salad – costs about $70.92, or $7.09 a person. While the …

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by Chris Spiker
Police & Fire
NJ Woman Stole $147K, Faked Child's Cancer To Delay Case: Prosecutor NJ Woman Stole $147K, Faked Child's Cancer To Delay Case: Prosecutor
NJ Woman Stole $147K, Faked Child's Cancer To Delay Case: Prosecutor A 37-year-old Mays Landing woman pleaded guilty on Friday, June 27 to stealing $47,000 from an Ocean County senior community and lying about her child's cancer treatment to delay court proceedings, authorities said. Alicia Campbell pleaded guilty to theft and obstruction of justice, Ocean County Bradley Billhimer said. Per the terms of a plea agreement, Campbell is expected to be sentenced to six years in prison, Ocean County Prosecutor Billhimer said. Campbell was the former lifestyle director at Greenbriar Oceanaire Community & Golf Course in Waretown, Billhimer said, responsible…

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by Sam Barron