Taylor Swift's Relatives Include This Iconic Poet, Ancestry Reveals Taylor Swift's Relatives Include This Iconic Poet, Ancestry Reveals
Taylor Swift's Relatives Include This Iconic Poet, Ancestry Reveals From one “tortured poet” to another: the uber-famous Taylor Swift is related to another famous wordsmith, who happens to be from Massachusetts. Taylor Swift, the internationally-loved pop star who recently announced her upcoming album “The Tortured Poets Department,” was discovered to be related to iconic poet Emily Dickinson, NBC’s TODAY Show announced on Monday, March 4. According to Ancestry, who revealed the star-studded lineage to TODAY, Swift and Dickinson are both descendants of a 17th-century English immigrant, who was an early settler in Connecticut, in the Hartford County t…
Dole Recalls Salads Sold In 25 States Due To Possible Listeria Contamination Dole Recalls Salads Sold In 25 States Due To Possible Listeria Contamination
Dole Recalls Salads Sold In 25 States Due To Possible Listeria Contamination A recall has been issued for several Dole Fresh Vegetables salad kits due to possible Listeria contamination. Dole says the kits were processed on the same line as cheeses produced by Rizo-López Foods, which recalled a line of its dairy products, including cheeses. Related story - Deadly Cheeses Prompt Massive Recall Nationwide: CDC, FDA, USDA "This recall notification is being issued due to the potential for cross-contamination of cheese contained in certain master packs by cheese potentially contaminated with Listeria monocytogenes from our packaged cheese supplier," Dole sai…
'Life-Threatening' Allergy Prompts Recall Of Wegmans Hummus In 8 States 'Life-Threatening' Allergy Prompts Recall Of Wegmans Hummus In 8 States
'Life-Threatening' Allergy Prompts Recall Of Wegmans Hummus In 8 States A popular hummus sold at Wegmans in eight states and the District of Columbia has been recalled by the company, the FDA announced on Feb. 3.  A producer for Wegmans, Summer Fresh Salads Inc. of Woodbridge, Ontario, Canada has recalled Wegmans Harissa Hummus Topped With Harissa, according to the FDA.  The recall was prompted due to undeclared sesame in the produce. The company explained that people with sesame allergies "run the risk of [a] serious or life-threatening allergic reaction[s] if they consume [this] product." Notably, "No illnesses have been reported to date in connect…
Puppy Love: New Study Determines NY's Favorite Dog Breed Puppy Love: New Study Determines NY's Favorite Dog Breed
Puppy Love: New Study Determines NY's Favorite Dog Breed Almost everyone loves dogs, but can you guess what the state of New York's favorite breed is?  If you need a hint, look no further: a new study by PetLab has officially determined that New York's favored breed is the Golden Retriever.  To determine this, PetLab's pet nutrition experts used Google's Keyword Planner to look at more than 200 breeds recognized by the American Kennel Club alongside search terms such as "buy" and "adopt." This allowed them to produce a ranking for each US state's most searched-for breed over the last 12 months.  New York is certainly not alon…
Recall Issued For Salad Product Over Life-Threatening Allergic Reaction Recall Issued For Salad Product Over Life-Threatening Allergic Reaction
Recall Issued For Salad Product Over Life-Threatening Allergic Reaction Hans Kissle announced Thursday, Jan. 18, a recall of its 7-ounce packages of Mexican Style Quinoa Salad because the product contains eggs and soy, despite not declaring this, the Food and Drug Administration said.  The prepackaged salads were distributed to Hannaford’s Supermarkets in Massachusetts, New Hampshire, New York, Maine, and Vermont.  The Mexican Style Quinoa Salad is marked with the UPC code 036217172018 and have a use by date of 1/22/24.  No illnesses have been reported related to this problem, but the recall was initiated after the product was discover…
Listeria Prompts Recall Of These Spinach, Salad Kits Listeria Prompts Recall Of These Spinach, Salad Kits
Listeria Prompts Recall Of These Spinach, Salad Kits A voluntary recall has been issued across seven states for BrightFarms spinach and four salad kits, the FDA announced on Wednesday, Jan. 17. The recall includes spinach grown by BrightFarms's supplier, Element Farms, located in Pompton Plains, New Jersey. Brightfarms has temporarily suspended the distribution of any spinach grown at the farm due to the recall. The FDA explained there was "potential to be contaminated with Listeria monocytogenes" from the products distributed from its Selinsgrove, Pennsylvania facility.  Listeria monocytogenes can cause potentially fatal infe…
NY Ranks High Among Best States To Raise Family, New Study Finds: Here's Where, Why NY Ranks High Among Best States To Raise Family, New Study Finds: Here's Where, Why
NY Ranks High Among Best States To Raise Family, New Study Finds: Here's Where, Why According to a new report ranking the US states on a scale of the best places to raise a family, New York State ranks among the top 10. New York State is one of the best states in the country to raise a family — according to a study released on Monday, Jan. 8 by WalletHub, which ranked the Empire State as number five. The personal finance company used the following metrics to score each of the 50 states, then take the totals to complete a final ranking: Family fun (including the share of children who live near a park, share of families with young children, number of attractions, and mo…
Scallops Sold In Stores, Restaurants Could Cause Food Poisoning, FDA Warns Scallops Sold In Stores, Restaurants Could Cause Food Poisoning, FDA Warns
Scallops Sold In Stores, Restaurants Could Cause Food Poisoning, FDA Warns The Food and Drug Administration says restaurants, retailers, and consumers should avoid scallops harvested from a prohibited area in Massachusetts because they may be contaminated and could cause food poisoning.  An unlicensed harvester is believed to have captured the shellfish on Dec. 26-27 and Jan. 1 and incorrectly labeled them with the harvest location FED 514. Massachusetts officials issued a recall on the potentially tainted shellfish on Tuesday, Jan. 9.  The scallops were shipped to restaurants and retailers in Massachusetts, New Jersey, New York, Pennsylvania, …
TGI Fridays Closing These 'Underperforming' Northeast Restaurants TGI Fridays Closing These 'Underperforming' Northeast Restaurants
TGI Fridays Closing These 'Underperforming' Northeast Restaurants TGI Fridays is closing nearly 30 "underperforming" locations across the northeast and will sell eight restaurants to the chain's former CEO, the chain said in a news release. The 27 closures include restaurants in Connecticut, Maryland, Massachusetts, New Hampshire, New Jersey, New York, Pennsylvania, and Virginia. In total, 36 TGI Fridays locations are shutting down nationwide. The company says about 1,000 employees, which represent more than 80% of those impacted, will be offered transfer opportunities. "As we continue along our path of transformation to revitalize the Fridays brand and …
First Projected Snowfall Totals Released For Major Storm Headed To Northeast First Projected Snowfall Totals Released For Major Storm Headed To Northeast
First Projected Snowfall Totals Released For Major Storm Headed To Northeast The first projected snowfall totals have been released for a potent coast-to-coast winter storm expected to hit the Northeast midway through the weekend. Click here for a new, updated story - Projected Snowfall Totals Increase As Nor'easter Nears: These Spots Could See 18 Inches Snowfall is expected to begin overnight Saturday, Jan. 6 into Sunday, Jan. 7, according to the National Weather Service. Areas in the darker shade in the image above from AccuWeather.com are expected to see between 6 and 12 inches of snowfall, including parts of upstate New York, northern Connecticut and areas…
Men Faked Mass Armed Robberies So 'Victims' Could Get Immigration Protection: FBI Men Faked Mass Armed Robberies So 'Victims' Could Get Immigration Protection: FBI
Men Faked Mass Armed Robberies So 'Victims' Could Get Immigration Protection: FBI Two New York men are accused of staging at least eight fake robberies so the store owners could receive immigration benefits, authorities said.  Long Island resident Rambhai Patel, age 36, of Farmingdale, and New York City Balwinder Singh, age 39, of Queens, are charged with conspiracy to commit visa fraud, the U.S. Attorney for Massachusetts said. FBI agents said they linked the men to four robberies in Massachusetts, two in Pennsylvania, and one in Kentucky and Tennessee.  The dates and locations of the alleged fake robberies are:  March 22: Richdale Food Shops, Hing…
Raw Dog, Cat Food Sold In PA Being Recalled Due To Contamination Concerns Raw Dog, Cat Food Sold In PA Being Recalled Due To Contamination Concerns
Raw Dog, Cat Food Sold In PA Being Recalled Due To Contamination Concerns The FDA is expanding a recall on a popular raw pet food product that could possibly be contaminated by Salmonella or Listeria monocytogenes, authorities announced. Earlier this month, Blue Ridge Beef began recalling certain lots of their "Kitten Grind," "Puppy Mix," and "Kitten Mix," after the company notified the North Carolina Department of Agriculture and Consumer Services that a sample had tested positive. The products subject to the recall were distributed between Nov. 14 and Dec. 20 packaged in clear plastic sold primarily at stores in these states:  Connecticut; Massachus…