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What to know about the latest dominant COVID-19 variant

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 18:07:52 GMT

A fast-spreading new subvariant of the coronavirus that causes Covid-19 — nicknamed “Eris” by health watchers but formally known as EG.5 — recently became the most prevalent strain in the country, according to recent official estimates, though it does not appear to cause significant illness or pose immediate danger.According to a CDC estimate from Saturday, the EG.5 variant makes up approximately 17 percent of all Covid cases in the U.S., making it the most dominant strain of the disease. That number is an increase from the roughly 12 percent share of EG.5-variant cases among all strains in a July 22 calculation. The variant has also been reported in several countries.The dangers from Covid have sharply declined with vaccinations, but new variants have continued to arise. The EG.5 variant exists under the Omicron family of strains that began circulating in late 2021 and has since birthed several mutations.New variant does not currently prompt concernMedical experts have said that EG...

Methuen police officer arrested following child pornography investigation

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 18:07:52 GMT

A Methuen police officer is on administrative leave as he faces a charge of possessing child pornography, after state police received a tip from the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children, according to officials.Matthew Bistany, 51, was arrested at his home in Methuen Tuesday morning as part of an investigation launched by the Massachusetts State Police Internet Crimes Against Children Task Force, according to MSP spokesperson Dave Procopio.Procopio said the investigation started earlier in 2023, after the task force received a report from the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children documenting how child sexual assault material had been uploaded from an IP address the MSP’s Cyber Crimes Unit later connected to Bistany.Following his arrest by state police troopers and Methuen PD, the 51 year old was arraigned in Lawrence District Court and ordered held on $5,000 bail.“Upon learning of these allegations, Officer Matthew Bistany was immediately placed...

Extreme heat is the deadliest natural disaster. FEMA can’t treat it like one

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 18:07:52 GMT

(CNN) — Extreme heat is far deadlier than other natural disasters, killing on average more than twice as many people each year as hurricanes and tornadoes combined, according to data tracked by the National Weather Service.Despite this, heat isn’t on the list of disasters eligible for assistance from the Federal Emergency Management Agency because it’s nowhere in the Stafford Act – the federal law that gives FEMA the power to respond to emergencies and determines what qualifies as one.As President Joe Biden travels West this week to celebrate the Inflation Reduction Act, Democrats’ landmark climate law, and tout his climate agenda, temperatures in the Southwest are still topping out above 100 degrees. Phoenix clocked its 44th consecutive day over 105 degrees on Monday, and the extreme heat has wilted the Southwest’s iconic saguaro cactuses and given third-degree burns to people who fell on the sidewalk.Phoenix Mayor Kate Gallego rece...

Red panda twin babies born at UK zoo boost species’ endangered population

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 18:07:52 GMT

(CNN) — The endangered red panda population recently received a boost in the form of adorable twin babies.The United Kingdom’s largest zoo welcomed the cubs as part of a European breeding program dedicated to saving the species.They were born June 25 at Whipsnade Zoo in Whipsnade, England, located 35 miles northwest of London, zoo officials announced Wednesday. The conservation zoo is home to over 11,000 animals.The first children of mother Ruby and father Nilo weighed nearly 4 ounces at birth – around the same weight of a banana, according to the zoo.“We suspected Ruby was pregnant and wanted to do everything we could to make her first experience as a mum a smooth one, so we were ecstatic when we spotted her curled up in one of the nesting boxes we had prepared, using her bushy red tail to keep the two cubs warm,” zookeeper Grant Timberlake said in a news release.The young red pandas have yet to leave their straw-filled nest while under the care of their parents, the zoo ...

Moore: New banking regulations could sink economy

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 18:07:52 GMT

Banking is just about the most regulated industry in America. Yet, as we saw with the collapse of Silicon Valley Bank and others in recent months, lenders are not invulnerable to failure due to bad management or unexpected changes in economic conditions.The inevitable response is for more regulation on all banks. But sometimes regulators can make conditions worse for healthy banks. The most famous example in recent times was when financial regulators urged banks to issue inordinate amounts of new “safe” mortgages leading up to the great financial crisis of 2008, ultimately flooding the financial system with toxic debt.Now with some banks under financial stress because of higher interest rates, Congress and the Federal Reserve want to raise bank capital reserve requirements. Presumably, this means holding more government bonds, many of which dropped precipitously in value last year as interest rates spiked higher.Federal Reserve Vice Chair for Supervision Michael Barr rec...

Taylor Swift, SZA lead 2023′s MTV Video Music Award nominations

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 18:07:52 GMT

By David Matthews, New York Daily NewsTaylor Swift and SZA are the top nominees for the upcoming MTV Video Music Awards.Swift leads the pack with eight total nominations as she looks to win her first-ever Song of the Year award for “Anti-Hero” off her acclaimed 2022 album “Midnights.” The hit is also nominated for Best Pop Song, while its music video has earned nods for Best Direction, Best Cinematography, Best Visual Effects, Best Editing and Video of the Year.The “Lavender Haze” singer is also nominated for Artist of the Year, along with Beyoncé, Doja Cat, KAROL G, Nicki Minaj and Shakira.Singer-songwriter Taylor Swift performs during her Eras Tour at Sofi stadium in Inglewood, California, August 7, 2023. (Photo by MICHAEL TRAN/AFP via Getty Images)SZA is next up with six nominations. Her hit “Kill Bill” is nominated for Video of the Year, Song of the Year, Best Direction, Best Art Direction and Best Editing. She’s also nominated in the Best R&B category for “Shirt.”Doja Cat, ...

Davis: Marathon bombing proves FirstNet needed

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 18:07:52 GMT

During and after the bombings at the 2013 Boston Marathon, a massive influx of calls and texts caused major communications challenges for public safety.First responders had a hard time connecting and coordinating. Public safety leadership suffered limited visibility and management of the incident was hampered.Our public safety heroes rose to the occasion that day, but the challenge and experience drove home the need for better technology. It emphasized just how crucial quality communication is for public safety.Ten years later, during the 2023 Boston Marathon, first responders at the event saw 99 percent reliability in their wireless connectivity, with no dips in service even during the peak hours of 10 a.m. to 12 p.m.What difference did a decade make? The implementation of FirstNet, a dedicated public safety network.A public-private partnership overseen by the federal government, FirstNet is approaching Congressional reauthorization. As I testified before the Senate Homeland Securi...

A 170-year-old photography style evoking the Old West is experiencing a renaissance

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 18:07:52 GMT

Editor’s note: An untold number of unheralded artists live in Colorado, those creators who can’t (or don’t want to) get into galleries and rely on word of mouth, luck or social media to make a living. You’ve likely seen them on Instagram, at festivals or at small-town art fairs. This monthly series, Through the Lens, will introduce you to some of these artists.Tintype photographs conjure up images of the Old West or soldiers heading out to fight in the Civil War. They evoke a sense of history, nostalgia and a glimpse into the past.Salida-based Tintype photographer Tim Brown said the process, which was developed in the 1850s, was practically extinct 20 years ago. With the heavy cameras, use of complex chemicals, a complicated multistep procedure and the development of newer camera equipment, the art form was disappearing quickly.But it is experiencing a renaissance, Brown said.Subject Corey Hubbard is upside down in the view finder of tintype photographer Tim Brown’s large wet plate ...

Darius Rucker pays tribute to his mother, Carolyn, with a new record and tour

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 18:07:52 GMT

Country music singer-songwriter Darius Rucker is used to the grind that comes with cranking out albums and hitting the road.He’s got three Grammy Awards, seven solo studio albums and several hits under his belt and he’s about to deliver his first new album in a handful of years, “Carolyn’s Boy.” While he’s out on his Starting Fires Tour — which hits FivePoint Amphitheatre in Irvine on Aug. 18, The Greek Theatre in Los Angeles on Aug. 23, Gallagher Square at Petco Park in San Diego on Aug. 25 and Yaamava’ Resort & Casino in Highland on Aug. 26 — Rucker said things feel emotionally, mentally and musically different with this forthcoming album release.“I haven’t had a record out in so long,” Rucker said during a recent phone interview. “It feels good to have new music coming out and being able to play that music for fans. Something about this era for me just feels different, it feels special. I mean it always feels special when you put out a new record, but this one is close to hom...

Highway 400 sinkhole causing major problems for drivers, delays expected

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 18:07:52 GMT

Ontario Provincial Police (OPP) say traffic delays are expected on Highway 400 for several days due to an 11-foot-deep sinkhole.OPP Sgt. Kerry Schmidt shared an update on Tuesday, saying the sinkhole is located in the left southbound lane on Highway 400 lane approaching Line 5 near Bradford West Gwillimbury. A closure has been expanded to include the northbound lane of the highway.Sgt. Schmidt said the sinkhole is along the median strip just north of Line 5.“You can see relatively new concrete walls here. This is the problem. It doesn’t look like much on the surface, but once you take a look inside… you can see a drain tile, and the hole goes down at least 11 feet. It looks deeper than that to me,” Sgt. Schmidt said.“That hole is comprising both northbound and southbound lanes. The [Ministry of Transportation] has the left lane blocked here right now.”Sgt. Schmidt urged drivers to avoid the area if possible due to heavy delays.Major problems #Hwy...