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☆ FLiRT variants may lead to a Covid surge this summer: 7 ways to boost your immune system
▼ + stars: | 2024-05-24 | by ( Renée Onque | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +1 min

Health professionals warn there may be a spike in Covid-19 cases this summer. Cases of the FLiRT variants, "whose label derives from the names of the mutations in the variants' genetic code," according to CNBC, are rising in the U.S. and Europe. In addition to masking in public spaces and staying up-to-date with your vaccinations, which experts often recommend during spikes in Covid cases, it may be helpful to bolster your immune system. Dr. William B. Miller Jr., an infectious disease expert and evolutionary biologist, thinks everyone should be boosting their immune system all year round, including the summer. "The only effective way to really boost your immune system is to adopt a steady rhythm," Miller told CNBC Make It last January.

Persons: William B, Miller Jr, Miller Organizations: CNBC Locations: U.S, Europe

☆ The 10 states where your pet is more likely to get sick from tick-borne diseases, viruses, parasites, and more
▼ + stars: | 2024-05-21 | by ( Ellyn Lapointe | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +6 min

AdvertisementHere are the 10 riskiest states for your pet, the most common diseases to watch out for, and some basic tips for keeping your pet happy and healthy. Top 10 riskiest states for your petForbes Advisor created its own ranking scale based on data from all 19 diseases. Two of these 10 states, West Virginia and Maine, were also among the top three riskiest states for tick-borne diseases. The most common diseases to watch out forTicksTick-borne diseases like Lyme Disease, anaplasmosis, and ehrlichiosis are especially common in the spring and summer months. Fever, lethargy, loss of appetite, and joint stiffness or pain are all common symptoms of these three tick-borne diseases.

Persons: —, Alexandria Cremer, Peter M, Fisher, It's Organizations: Service, Forbes, Business, Center for Disease Control, American Veterinary Medical Association, York, West Virginia, Veterinary Clinic, Watch, Cornell's College of Veterinary Medicine, American Society for, FDA, US, MetLife, Animal Foundation Locations: Jersey, Coast, Rhode, , New Jersey , Maine , New York, Pennsylvania, West Virginia, Maine, Arkansas, South Dakota , Wisconsin, New Mexico , Mississippi, Oklahoma, Kentucky, Mississippi, Brandywine

☆ Ahead of Hajj, CDC alerts doctors to look out for meningococcal disease tied to travel to Saudi Arabia
▼ + stars: | 2024-05-20 | by ( Jen Christensen | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +5 min

CNN —The US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention is urging doctors to be on the lookout for potentially deadly meningococcal disease linked to travel to Saudi Arabia. Meningococcal disease is highly contagious among unvaccinated people. Meningococcal disease, including meningitis, is an uncommon illness caused by the bacteria Neisseria meningitidis. Meningococcal disease can be treated with antibiotics if it’s caught early enough. One such instance is before travel to countries where meningococcal disease is more common.

Persons: Prophet Muhammad, it’s, serogroup C, Dr, Sanjay Gupta Organizations: CNN, Centers for Disease Control, Research, CDC, Pfizer, Hajj, Health Alert Network, CNN Health Locations: Saudi Arabia, Mecca, United States, France, United Kingdom, People

☆ FLiRT variants threaten a summer Covid wave, but experts say the risk remains uncertain
▼ + stars: | 2024-05-17 | by ( Deidre Mcphillips | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +7 min

FLiRT variants are offshoots of the JN.1 variant — all part of the broader Omicron family — that caused this winter’s wave. The mutations of the FLiRT variants make increased transmissibility — and a possible summer wave — a real threat. “We learned from the laboratories that FLiRT variants appeared, so far, to be as transmissible as the other Omicron subvariants, which means they’re really quite contagious. As of May 1, the requirement for all hospitals to report Covid-19 data to the federal government has expired. While the FLiRT variants pose some risk this summer, experts remain focused on what might happen in the fall.

Persons: CNN —, ”, Andy Pekosz, “ We’ve, William Schaffner, ” Schaffner, it’s, ” Pekosz, “, Dr, Sanjay Gupta, we’ve Organizations: CNN, US Centers for Disease Control, Data, Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health, Vanderbilt University, Schaffner’s Vanderbilt University Medical Center, CDC, JAMA, CNN Health, JN, US Food Locations: United States, Covid

☆ C.D.C. Warns of a Resurgence of Mpox
▼ + stars: | 2024-05-16 | by ( Apoorva Mandavilli | ) www.nytimes.com time to read: +1 min

With Pride events scheduled worldwide over the coming weeks, U.S. officials are bracing for a return of mpox, the infectious disease formerly called monkeypox that struck tens of thousands of gay and bisexual men worldwide in 2022. A combination of behavioral changes and vaccination quelled that outbreak, but a majority of those at risk have not yet been immunized. On Thursday, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention warned of a deadlier version of mpox that is ravaging the Democratic Republic of Congo and urged people at risk to be vaccinated as soon as possible. But the escalating epidemic in Congo nevertheless poses a global threat, just as infections in Nigeria set off the 2022 outbreak, experts said. Dr. Rimoin has studied mpox in Congo for more than 20 years, and first warned of its potential for global spread in 2010.

Persons: ”, Anne Rimoin, Rimoin Organizations: Centers for Disease Control, Democratic, University of California Locations: Democratic Republic of Congo, Africa, Congo, Nigeria, Los Angeles

☆ Melinda French Gates to Resign From Gates Foundation
▼ + stars: | 2024-05-13 | by ( Santul Nerkar | More About Santul Nerkar | ) www.nytimes.com time to read: +1 min

Melinda French Gates, one of the world’s most influential philanthropists and the ex-wife of Microsoft co-founder Bill Gates, announced Monday that she was resigning from the foundation that she and her husband founded. In a post on X, Ms. Gates said she was “immensely proud” of the work of the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation, which she and Bill Gates started in 2000. As one of the biggest donors at the World Health Organization, it exerts a considerable level of influence over the policies in developing countries, especially in health and education. Mr. and Ms. Gates announced their plans to divorce in May 2021, after 27 years of marriage. The foundation at the time said they would remain co-chairs of the organization.

Persons: Melinda French Gates, Bill Gates, Gates, Melinda Gates Organizations: Microsoft, Melinda Gates Foundation, World Health Organization

☆ H5N1 Already Killed Millions of Birds. Humans Share the Blame. - The New York Times
▼ + stars: | 2024-05-10 | by ( Alex Tey | ) www.nytimes.com time to read: +1 min

We don’t yet know if H5N1 bird flu will spill over from animals to infect a large number of humans. It’s my belief that humans have an obligation to the nonhuman life we share this planet with to mitigate the harm we’ve enabled this virus to cause. But even if you don’t share that conviction, it is still in our best interest to keep this virus from spreading. Wild birds are routinely exposed to mild viruses, but are seldom killed by them. Humans, however, have introduced factors that favor disease: A warming climate can weaken avian immune systems, and infections spread more easily when birds come into more frequent contact while sharing what little habitat remains.

Organizations: World Health

☆ Don’t ignore what your feet are trying to tell you about your health
▼ + stars: | 2024-05-10 | by ( Dan Baumgardt | University Of Bristol | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +7 min

They’re also plumbed by blood vessels, which lead all the way from the heart. By the time blood vessels reach these extremities, like twigs from a tree, they have branched and got much smaller in size. This rare condition is sometimes called “trash foot,” because of the way in which the feet become so discolored. In adults, however, finding the Babinski sign is an altogether different story. In some otherwise healthy people though, the Babinski sign can be observed during deep sleep.

Persons: They’re, it’s, you’ve, “, —, Joseph Babinski, Dan Baumgardt Organizations: CNN, of Physiology, University of Bristol Locations: United Kingdom

☆ The world's largest fans designed to suck carbon from the air are up and running in Iceland
▼ + stars: | 2024-05-09 | by ( Catherine Boudreau | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +4 min

Climeworks' direct-air-capture plant can remove up to 36,000 metric tons of carbon from the air a year. AdvertisementThe startup Climeworks this week switched on the largest direct-air-capture plant, which pulls carbon dioxide from the sky and locks it away underground. Climateworks' Mammoth plant also cost hundreds of millions of dollars to build, though the company didn't disclose the exact amount. AdvertisementClimeworks aims to become large enough to remove 1 million metric tons of carbon a year by 2030 and 1 billion metric tons by 2050 — or a megaton and gigaton. The two plants could remove more than 2 million metric tons of carbon dioxide from the air each year.

Persons: Climeworks, —, it's, JPMorgan Chase, Jan Wurzbacher, Wurzbacher Organizations: Service, UN, Carbon Project, Microsoft, Swiss, JPMorgan, US Department of Energy, Occidental Petroleum Locations: Mammoth, Iceland, Paris, Canada, Norway, Oman, Kenya, Louisiana, West Texas

☆ RFK Jr. details medical abnormality that he says was a parasitic worm in his brain
▼ + stars: | 2024-05-09 | by ( Aaron Pellish | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +3 min

CNN —Independent presidential candidate Robert F. Kennedy Jr. on Wednesday detailed the medical abnormality he experienced in 2010 that he said was caused by a worm that entered his brain and then died, marking his first public explanation of the incident. “The issue was resolved more than 10 years ago and he is in robust physical and mental health. Questioning Mr. Kennedy’s health is a hilarious suggestion, given his competition,” the campaign said, referring to the advanced ages of the 81-year-old President Joe Biden and 77-year-old former President Donald Trump. So, ten times what, you know, the EPA levels were for blood mercury, I think it was,” Kennedy said. And I had that chelated out and all of that brain fog went away.”Kennedy said he has made a full recovery from both health incidents.

Persons: Robert F, Kennedy Jr, Kennedy, Brian Shapiro, ”, “, Stefanie Spear, Joe Biden, Donald Trump, Peter Hotez, Dean, Hotez, ” Kennedy, Michelle Shen Organizations: CNN, Independent, New York Times, National, Tropical Medicine, Baylor College of Medicine Locations: India, Africa, South America, Asia, Houston

☆ NYT: RFK Jr. says worm ‘got into my brain and ate a portion of it’
▼ + stars: | 2024-05-08 | by ( Michelle Shen | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +5 min

In 2010, Kennedy, now 70, experienced severe memory loss and mental fog, he said in a deposition two years later. Robert Kennedy said at the time that his earning power had been negatively affected by the cognitive issues, the Times reported. Kennedy told the paper he has recovered from the memory loss and brain fogginess and that the parasite did not require treatment. The worms get nutrients from the body, but they are not eating the brain tissue, he said. It’s more common to find the worm after it has died and left behind a calcified cyst in the brain, Hotez said.

Persons: Robert F, Kennedy Jr, Kennedy, Sen, Ted Kennedy, ” Kennedy, Mary Richardson Kennedy, Robert Kennedy, Stefanie Spear, “, Joe Biden, Donald Trump, Peter Hotez, Dean, Hotez, Trump, Kevin O’Connor, CNN’s Brenda Goodman Organizations: CNN, Independent, The New York Times, Times, National, Tropical Medicine, Baylor College of Medicine, Biden, White, O’Connor, Children’s Health Defense Locations: York, Africa, South America, Asia, Houston

☆ But How Does the Worm Get in Your Brain?
▼ + stars: | 2024-05-08 | by ( Dana G. Smith | Dani Blum | ) www.nytimes.com time to read: +1 min

Robert F. Kennedy Jr.’s disclosure that a doctor apparently found a dead worm in his brain has sparked questions about what brain parasites are, the damage they can cause and how, exactly, they get there. Brain parasites encompass far more than worms. There are “legions” of organisms that can affect the brain, said Scott Gardner, a professor of biological sciences at the University of Nebraska-Lincoln who specializes in parasites. In addition to worms, common brain parasites include single-celled organisms such as Toxoplasma gondii and some amoeba. The damage varies depending on the type of parasite and where it ends up in the brain.

Persons: Robert F, Kennedy Jr, Scott Gardner, ”, Daniel Pastula Organizations: University of Nebraska, Lincoln, University of Colorado Medicine

☆ Environmental Changes Are Fueling Human, Animal and Plant Diseases, Study Finds
▼ + stars: | 2024-05-08 | by ( Emily Anthes | ) www.nytimes.com time to read: +1 min

Several large-scale, human-driven changes to the planet — including climate change, the loss of biodiversity and the spread of invasive species — are making infectious diseases more dangerous to people, animals and plants, according to a new study. Scientists have documented these effects before in more targeted studies that have focused on specific diseases and ecosystems. For instance, they have found that a warming climate may be helping malaria expand in Africa and that a decline in wildlife diversity may be boosting Lyme disease cases in North America. “It’s a big step forward in the science,” said Colin Carlson, a biologist at Georgetown University, who was not an author of the new analysis. “This paper is one of the strongest pieces of evidence that I think has been published that shows how important it is health systems start getting ready to exist in a world with climate change, with biodiversity loss.”

Persons: “, ”, Colin Carlson Organizations: Georgetown University Locations: Africa, North America

☆ Scientists identify ‘degrees of Kevin Bacon’ gene
▼ + stars: | 2024-05-02 | by ( Katie Hunt | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +6 min

Even humble fruit flies organize themselves into regularly spaced clusters, researchers have found. Within those social networks, certain individuals will often stand out as “gatekeepers,” playing an important role for cohesion and communication within that group. New research published Tuesday in the journal Nature Communications has identified a gene responsible for regulating the structure of social networks in fruit flies. The study opened up new opportunities for exploring the molecular evolution of social networks and collective behavior in other animals. FLPA/ShutterstockThe gene behind fruit fly social networksThe researchers investigated a number of gene candidates in fruit flies, a common lab organism used in the study of genetics.

Persons: ”, Kevin Bacon, Bacon, Joel Levine, Rebecca Rooke, ” Levine, Levine, “, ” Allen J, Moore, wasn’t, ” Moore Organizations: CNN, Nature Communications, University of Toronto, University of Georgia’s Locations: Philadelphia, University of Toronto Mississauga

The same bacteria that commonly cause food-borne illnesses, like salmonella, E. coli and listeria, can fester in raw milk. Between 1998 and 2018, researchers linked over 200 outbreaks, which sickened 2,645 people and led to 228 hospitalizations, to raw milk. Can you catch bird flu from raw milk? Researchers and health officials are not sure whether bird flu can spread from raw milk to humans. “There’s not a tremendous amount of studies showing the infectivity related to this virus and raw milk products,” Dr. Prater said.

Persons: I’m, ”, Dean Blumberg, isn’t, Darin Detwiler, Rosemary Sifford, “ There’s, Dr, Prater Organizations: UC Davis Health, Food and Drug Administration, College of Professional Studies, Northeastern University, Department of Agriculture

☆ WHO clarifies what counts as a pathogen that can spread through the air
▼ + stars: | 2024-04-18 | by ( Jacqueline Howard | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +7 min

“Airborne transmission” refers to when infectious respiratory particles expel into the air, such as from coughing or sneezing, and enter the respiratory tract of another person who inhales them, according to WHO. The subcategory “direct deposition” refers to when infectious respiratory particles expel into the air and directly land on another person’s mouth, nose or eyes, potentially causing infection. “Public health agencies were hesitant to use the word ‘airborne’ because of differences in understanding among experts about what it meant. When I say ‘aerosol’, when I say ‘through the air’, it doesn’t matter whether I’m an engineer, a clinician, a nurse, a public health person. ‘There were many failures’During the pandemic, various terms were used in different ways to describe how the coronavirus could spread, causing much confusion – terms like airborne, airborne transmission or aerosol transmission.

Persons: ” Linsey Marr, “, ” Marr, ”, Jeremy Farrar, ” Farrar, Jessica Justman, Justman, Dr, Sanjay Gupta, Stephen S, Morse Organizations: CNN, World Health, WHO, Virginia Tech, Columbia University Vagelos College of Physicians and Surgeons, CNN Health, Columbia University Mailman School of Public Health

☆ Opinion: The next pandemic threat demands action now
▼ + stars: | 2024-04-17 | by ( Opinion Jaime M. Yassif | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +9 min

Well, so far US officials are saying they believe there is minimal risk to the public from the latest iteration of bird flu. According to the Global Health Security Index, there are significant gaps in countries’ pandemic preparedness capabilities. Given the impact of Covid, it is deeply disappointing that national governments are not investing the necessary resources to build life-saving pandemic preparedness capacity. Making matters worse, Congress has made major cuts to pandemic preparedness funding, as part of the ongoing appropriations process. Playing the long game also means supporting the World Bank Pandemic Fund, which is designed to invest in long-term pandemic preparedness capacity of low- and middle-income countries.

Persons: Jaime M, Yassif, ”, —, we’ve, US Department of Agriculture —, It’s, Biden, Covid Organizations: Global Biological Policy, Nuclear Threat Initiative, CNN, Yassif Nuclear, US Centers for Disease Control, Prevention, US Department of Health, Human Services, CDC, US Department of Agriculture, Global Health, Brown, Pandemic Center, Gates Foundation, NTI, Johns Hopkins Center for Health Security, Global Health Security, Bank, Fund, pandemics Locations: Texas , Kansas, Texas, Colorado, Covid, United States

☆ Second Republican backs effort to oust Speaker Mike Johnson from power
▼ + stars: | 2024-04-16 | by ( Scott Wong | Rebecca Kaplan | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +6 min

"He should pre-announce his resignation (as Boehner did), so we can pick a new Speaker without ever being without a GOP speaker," Massie wrote on X , referring to former GOP Speaker John Boehner, who resigned in the middle of his term in 2015 while facing a similar conservative rebellion from Massie and others. WASHINGTON — A second House Republican said he will support an effort to oust Speaker Mike Johnson from power over his handling of foreign aid for Ukraine and other issues. Johnson told rank-and-file House Republicans in the room that he won't resign, Massie said, a point he reiterated to reporters. "I stand with the speaker," Trump told reporters when asked about Greene's efforts, adding that he gets along great with both Greene and Johnson. One moderate Republican facing a tough re-election bid this fall, Rep. Mike Lawler, R-N.Y., called Greene and Massie's efforts "idiotic."

Persons: Thomas Massie, Anthony Fauci, Tom Williams, Massie, Johnson, Boehner, John Boehner, Marjorie Taylor Greene, WASHINGTON —, Mike Johnson, Rosie, Greene, Republicans —, —, Kevin McCarthy, Jared Moskowitz, Ralph Norman, Matt Gaetz, Troy Nehls, Jim Jordan, MAGA, Donald Trump, Trump, Mike Lawler, Marc Molinaro, Molinaro, McCarthy, — Kyle Stewart, Syedah Asghar, Lori Rampani, Ryan Nobles, Sahil Kapur Organizations: Capitol Visitor Center, National Institute of Allergy, Inc, Getty, Triple, FISA, GOP, Republicans, Republican, U.S, Capitol, Caucus, MAGA Republicans, New York Republican Locations: Ky, Kentucky, Ukraine, WASHINGTON, DC, Washington , DC, Texas, Ohio, Mar, Israel, Taiwan, Mexico

CNN —As Sudan marks the grim anniversary of a year-long conflict, aid agencies have warned that the country teeters on the edge of collapse, facing an unprecedented humanitarian crisis that has been largely ignored by the rest of the world. The situation in Sudan is dire, with over 8.4 million people, including 2 million children under the age of 5, forced to flee their homes in the wake of the conflict, according to Doctors Without Borders (MSF). Despite these alarming figures, the international response has been woefully inadequate, with only 5% of the 2024 humanitarian response plan for Sudan funded thus far, Islamic Relief said in a statement. A lack of responseDoctors Without Borders on Friday called on leaders attending the Paris conference “to immediately scale up the humanitarian response” in Sudan. “The warring parties in Sudan have inflicted tremendous suffering on Sudanese from all walks of life,” he said.

Persons: Elsadig Elnour, Volker Türk, Sudan “, “, Türk, Stéphane Séjourné, Annalena Baerbock, ”, Mohamed Badawi, ” Mohamed Osman, ” Osman, Sudan Tom Perriello, Perriello, Ramadan Organizations: CNN, Islamic, Sudanese Armed Forces, SAF, Rapid Support Forces, UN, Human, French, Sudan’s, African Center for Justice, Peace Studies, Paris, Human Rights Watch, “, US, State Department Locations: Sudan, France, Paris, ”, Jazira, Saudi Arabia

☆ Should We Change Species to Save Them?
▼ + stars: | 2024-04-14 | by ( Emily Anthes | Chang W. Lee | ) www.nytimes.com time to read: +1 min

It is the birthplace of songbirds, the land of egg-laying mammals and the world capital of pouch-bearing marsupials, a group that encompasses far more than just koalas and kangaroos. Nearly half of the continent’s birds and roughly 90 percent of its mammals, reptiles and frogs are found nowhere else on the planet. Australia has also become a case study in what happens when people push biodiversity to the brink. Habitat degradation, invasive species, infectious diseases and climate change have put many native animals in jeopardy and given Australia one of the worst rates of species loss in the world. In some cases, scientists say, the threats are so intractable that the only way to protect Australia’s unique animals is to change them.

Locations: Australia

☆ It’s not just you. Here’s why pollen allergies are worse than ever
▼ + stars: | 2024-04-04 | by ( Brenda Goodman | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +7 min

Rising temperatures are also allowing plants to bloom earlier and longer, prolonging pollen seasons. Increased rainfall means plants release more pollen when they bloom, and higher numbers of thunderstorms cause pollen grains to burst, making them more irritating and worsening symptoms. Shifting wind patterns in some parts of the world are carrying pollen over longer distances, too. Experts think more exposure to pollen equals more chances to be sensitized, which equals more allergies. So someone in Illinois, for example, might be seeing bigger changes in pollen than somebody in Texas – although Texas gets blasted with pollen, too.

Persons: you’re, ”, Mary Margaret Johnson, Lewis Ziska, Joseph Inglefield III, he’s, “, There’s, Ziska, Inglefield, Leonard Bielory, Dr, Sanjay Gupta, inhaler, that’s, ” Inglefield Organizations: CNN, Harvard, of Public Health, Mailman School of Public Health, Columbia University, Hickory Allergy, Asthma, Hackensack Meridian School of Medicine, CNN Health Locations: Chan, South Korea, Hickory , North Carolina, Illinois, Texas –, Texas, New Jersey

☆ Opinion: Half measures won’t work. What Gaza needs is a Marshall Plan
▼ + stars: | 2024-03-31 | by ( Opinion Zaher Sahloul | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +9 min

In one tragic instance, several people were killed when a pallet bearing food aid plummeted from the sky and landed on top of them. But in terms of the sheer scale of the misery I have witnessed, there has been nothing to compare to Gaza. Palestinian children in Rafah wait to receive food distributed by a charity kitchen amid severe food shortages of food supplies. In fact, many children in Gaza have diarrhea due to the lack of clean water and poor sanitation. This picture taken from Israel's southern border with the Gaza Strip shows parachutes of humanitarian aid dropping over the besieged Palestinian territory in late March.

Persons: Zaher, Khan Yunis, I’ve, Biden, Samantha Power, Mohammed Salem, Khan Younis, kneeled, Mohammed Abu Shahla, Mohammed, Lama, Jack Guez, Abdallah Organizations: CNN, Hamas, Getty, UN, Marshall Plan, Marshall, US, USAID, Reuters, Nasser Hospital, Gaza Locations: Gaza, United States, Khan, Israel, AFP, Washington and New York, Europe, Israeli, Rafah, Israel's, Palestinian

☆ Moderna moves three vaccines into final stage trials as it works to rebound from Covid slump
▼ + stars: | 2024-03-27 | by ( Annika Kim Constantino | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +3 min

Moderna has more to offer beyond its Covid vaccine. The update brings Moderna a step closer to having multiple products on the market, which it badly needs amid plunging demand for Covid shots worldwide. Moderna will chart its post-Covid future Wednesday during its fifth annual "Vaccines Day," an investor event in Boston focused on the company's vaccine portfolio. That includes its combination vaccine against Covid and the flu and a shot against another common herpes virus called cytomegalovirus, or CMV. It also includes a new and improved version of Moderna's Covid shot.

Persons: norovirus, Barr, Moderna, Blackstone, Stéphane Bancel Organizations: Moderna, Epstein, Covid, Blackstone Life Sciences, Blackstone Group Locations: Boston, U.S

☆ Flaco, Central Park Owl, Died With High Levels of Rat Poison in System
▼ + stars: | 2024-03-25 | by ( Ed Shanahan | ) www.nytimes.com time to read: +1 min

Flaco, the Eurasian eagle-owl whose escape from the Central Park Zoo and life on the loose captivated New York, had potentially lethal amounts of rodenticide in his system as well as a severe pigeon virus when he died last month after striking an Upper West Side building. The findings, from a necropsy conducted by Bronx Zoo pathologists after Flaco’s death on Feb. 23, validated widespread concerns about the hazards he faced living as a free bird in Manhattan for just over a year. He would have turned 14 this month. “Flaco’s severe illness and death are ultimately attributed to a combination of factors — infectious disease, toxin exposures and traumatic injuries — that underscore the hazards faced by wild birds, especially in an urban setting,” the Wildlife Conservation Society, which operates the Central Park and Bronx Zoos, said in a statement. Initial necropsy findings released the day after Flaco died suggested he had sustained an acute traumatic injury to his body, with signs of substantial hemorrhage under his sternum and in his back near his liver.

Persons: “, Flaco Organizations: Central Park Zoo, Bronx Zoo, Wildlife Conservation Society, Bronx Zoos Locations: New York, Manhattan, Wildlife

☆ Recessions Actually Make People Live Longer
▼ + stars: | 2024-03-19 | by ( Aki Ito | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +6 min

Recessions, it would seem, help us stay fitter, and live longer. The new paper, along with other research into recessions, provides an important reminder that economic growth isn't — and shouldn't be — the only measure of our collective well-being. If recessions save lives, that comes with a corollary: Boom times cost lives. Sure, economic growth provides jobs. If the new research tells us anything, it's that we still have a long way to go in striking a healthy balance between economic growth and social welfare.

Persons: grads, Amy Finkelstein, didn't, that's, Aki Ito Organizations: Business Locations: Japan, San Francisco

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