Mostly Cloudy 31°
Weather
New Tropical Threat Looms For US Coast As Helene Death Toll Rises To 130 New Tropical Threat Looms For US Coast As Helene Death Toll Rises To 130
New Tropical Threat Looms For US Coast As Helene Death Toll Rises To 130 There's a new threat in the tropics as millions of Americans are still reeling from Helene, which devastated the Southeast after making landfall in Florida's Big Bend as a Category 4 hurricane.  The death toll from Helene has increased to 130, with hundreds missing, and many still without power or having issues with cell phone signals and internet connectivity. The new potential tropical storm is now located over the western Caribbean Sea and is expected to slowly move west-northwestward into the Gulf of Mexico during the latter portion of this week. That's the…

SHARE

by Joe Lombardi
News
COVID-19: KP.3.1.1 Strain Now Makes Up About 60 Percent Of US Cases; Here Are Symptoms COVID-19: KP.3.1.1 Strain Now Makes Up About 60 Percent Of US Cases; Here Are Symptoms
Covid-19: KP.3.1.1 Strain Now Makes Up About 60 Percent Of US Cases; Here Are Symptoms A highly contagious COVID-19 variant known as KP.3.1.1 now accounts for nearly 60 percent of infections in the United States. Data from the  Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) shows that in a two-week period ending Saturday, Sept. 28, the strain made up 58.7 percent of cases nationally, with the KP.2.3 variant second at 9.4 percent. Both KP.3 and KP.2 are offshoots of the highly contagious Omicron variant and are members of a newly identified group of variants known as  “FLiRT.” Neither is causing more serious symptoms than other COVID strains, according to experts.…

SHARE

by Joe Lombardi
Business
Sweeping Change: Instagram Moves Teens Into Private Accounts 'Guided By Parents' Sweeping Change: Instagram Moves Teens Into Private Accounts 'Guided By Parents'
Sweeping Change: Instagram Moves Teens Into Private Accounts 'Guided By Parents' Millions of teenage Instagram users are being forced into private accounts with enhanced security features aimed at limiting their exposure to harmful content. Meta, the social media platform’s parent company, unveiled its “Teen Accounts” feature on Tuesday, Sept. 17, automatically placing anyone under the age of 18 into a default private account. Teens with a private account must accept new followers and people who don’t follow them can’t see their contact or interact with them. It also comes with strict messaging settings, making it so they can only receive messages from people they foll…

SHARE

by Michael Mashburn
Lifestyle
US Median Household Income Rises For First Time Since Before COVID-19 Pandemic US Median Household Income Rises For First Time Since Before COVID-19 Pandemic
US Median Household Income Rises For First Time Since Before Covid-19 Pandemic Real median household income in the United States rose for the first time in four years. The amount of to $80,610 in 2023 marked the first annual increase since 2019 before the COVID-19 pandemic, according to a US Census Bureau report released this week. The report, Income in the United States: 2023, compares median household income by different characteristics, including race and Hispanic origin, and shows that not all groups had an increase in median household incomes from 2022 to 2023. Household characteristics are determined by the person, or one of the people, who owns or rents t…

SHARE

by Joe Lombardi
Politics
Harris, Trump Come Out Swinging In Presidential Debate In Philadelphia Harris, Trump Come Out Swinging In Presidential Debate In Philadelphia
Harris, Trump Come Out Swinging In Presidential Debate In Philadelphia Vice President Kamala Harris and former President Donald J. Trump came out swinging at the National Constitution Center in Philadelphia on Tuesday, Sept. 10 in their first and possibly only presidential debate before the Tuesday, Nov. 5 election. Harris made the first move by shaking Trump's hand on stage — in their first face-to-face encounter. Political observers noted how Harris "baited" the former president, prompting him to look increasingly angry. But Trump entered the "spin room" less than an hour after the debate, saying, "I think it was the best debate, personally, that I've ever …

SHARE

by Jon Craig
Lifestyle
Sun River Health Doctor Discusses Hepatitis A, B, C Sun River Health Doctor Discusses Hepatitis A, B, C
Sun River Health Doctor Discusses Hepatitis A, B, C Hepatitis is a general term used to describe liver inflammation that occurs for different reasons, including infections, toxin-related damage from drugs and alcohol, genetic disorders, or a dysfunctional immune system. The most common types of hepatitis are known as hepatitis A, B, and C. Hepatitis infections need to be diagnosed, monitored, and treated. Viral hepatitis could result in serious liver damage. Fortunately, blood tests can quickly determine if you have a viral infection. What are the symptoms of hepatitis? Symptoms during the early part of infection can be mild and vague. Som…

SHARE

Content Partner: Sun River Health
News
COVID-19: New XEC Strain 'Just Getting Started' Sparks Concern Amid Summer Wave Of US Cases COVID-19: New XEC Strain 'Just Getting Started' Sparks Concern Amid Summer Wave Of US Cases
Covid-19: New XEC Strain 'Just Getting Started' Sparks Concern Amid Summer Wave Of US Cases A newly discovered more contagious COVID-19 strain spreading rapidly through Europe is sparking concerns among health authorities around the globe as the United States is experiencing its largest wave of cases in over two years. XEC, which was first identified in Germany, may eventually overtake the current dominant subvariant, KP.3.1.1, which is currently most common in the United States, accounting for about 42 percent of cases nationally according to data by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) released on Saturday, Aug. 31. XEC make take weeks or even months before it s…

SHARE

by Joe Lombardi
News
41-Year-Old In Northeast Dies From Serious Mosquito Virus Eastern Equine Encephalitis 41-Year-Old In Northeast Dies From Serious Mosquito Virus Eastern Equine Encephalitis
41-Year-Old In Northeast Dies From Serious Mosquito Virus Eastern Equine Encephalitis One person has died and two others in the Northeast have been infected this summer with a rare but serious mosquito-borne disease. Eastern equine encephalitis (EEE) is caused by a virus spread to people through the bite of an infected mosquito, similar to the West Nile virus. On Tuesday, Aug. 27, an adult from the town of Hampstead, in southeastern New Hampshire who tested positive for EEE died, the New Hampshire Department of Public Health announced. He had been hospitalized with the illness. The man has been identified by his family as 41-year-old Steven Perry, according to ABC…

SHARE

by Joe Lombardi
Weather
String Of Storms Could Develop As Height Of Hurricane Season Nears - Here's Timing: AccuWeather String Of Storms Could Develop As Height Of Hurricane Season Nears - Here's Timing: AccuWeather
String Of Storms Could Develop As Height Of Hurricane Season Nears - Here's Timing: AccuWeather A newly released forecast predicts between six to 10 named storms through the end of September. “We could see a parade of storms developing during September," AccuWeather Lead Hurricane Expert Alex DaSilva. "There’s a possibility that we could see multiple tropical storms and hurricanes in the Atlantic basin on the same day, similar to the frequency of storms we’ve seen during other supercharged hurricane seasons like 2020." The 2024 hurricane season, which began Saturday, Jun 1, runs through Saturday, Nov 30. The statistical peak of the hurricane season is traditionally around the mi…

SHARE

by Joe Lombardi
Politics
Robert F. Kennedy Jr. Suspends Presidential Bid, Backs Donald Trump Robert F. Kennedy Jr. Suspends Presidential Bid, Backs Donald Trump
Robert F. Kennedy Jr. Suspends Presidential Bid, Backs Donald Trump Robert F. Kennedy Jr., afraid of becoming a "spoiler," said he was suspending his independent presidential campaign and removing his name from the ballot in battleground states as he threw his support behind former President Donald Trump.  "I cannot in good conscience ask my staff to continue to work long hours or my donors to continue to give me their dollars if I believe I have no realistic path to the White House," the former Democrat said in a Friday, Aug. 23, press conference. He said he would remain on the ballot in states already assured to either Trump or Vice President Kamala …

SHARE

by Josh Lanier
Lifestyle
'Peanuts'-Themed Corn Mazes At NY Farms Commemorate Beloved Comic's 75th Anniversary 'Peanuts'-Themed Corn Mazes At NY Farms Commemorate Beloved Comic's 75th Anniversary
'Peanuts'-Themed Corn Mazes At NY Farms Commemorate Beloved Comic's 75th Anniversary It’s your anniversary, Charlie Brown. More than 75 farms across the United States and Canada are busy preparing “Peanuts”-themed corn mazes to commemorate the 75th anniversary of Charles Schulz’ beloved comic strip this fall. Together with design company, The MAiZE Inc., the farms are growing their own unique mazes that range in size from 1.5 acres to 20 acres, and feature iconic characters like Charlie Brown, Snoopy, Linus, and Woodstock. Among the eye-popping designs are one with Snoopy atop his doghouse, Charlie Brown and friends in a pumpkin patch, and even a “Snoopy 4 Prez” maze. Par…

SHARE

by Michael Mashburn
News
COVID-19: Surge In Summer Cases Sparks Concern COVID-19: Surge In Summer Cases Sparks Concern
Covid-19: Surge In Summer Cases Sparks Concern A surge in COVID-19 cases in the United States and around the globe is sparking concern among health officials who are warning that more severe variants of the virus may be coming. “COVID-19 is still very much with us and circulating in all countries," Dr. Maria Van Kerkhove of the World Health Organization said in a news conference last week. “Data from our sentinel-based surveillance system across 84 countries reports that the percent of positive tests for SARS-CoV-2 has been rising over several weeks." Wastewater surveillance suggests that the circulation of COVID is two to 20 times…

SHARE

by Joe Lombardi