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☆ Rate of babies born preterm in US climbs to 10.5%, March of Dimes report says
▼ + stars: | 2022-11-15 | by ( Jacqueline Howard | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +8 min

The US preterm birth rate peaked in 2006 at 12.8%, according to data from the National Center for Health Statistics. States with the highest and lowest ratesThe new March of Dimes report also highlighted state-by-state differences in the rate of babies born prematurely across the country. The report grades a preterm birth rate less than or equal to 7.7% as an A and a preterm birth rate greater than or equal to 11.5% as an F.The national preterm birth rate of 10.5% is graded as a D+. No state has achieved an A rate, and only one has a state-level preterm birth rate that would be graded as an A-: Vermont, which has the lowest preterm birth rate in the US at 8%. Henderson also said that preterm birth is one of the top causes of infant deaths and disproportionately affects babies born to women of color.

☆ As flu hospitalizations surge in the U.S., the Southeast is the hardest hit
▼ + stars: | 2022-11-14 | by ( Spencer Kimball | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +2 min

Five out every 100,000 people in the U.S. were hospitalized with the flu during the week ending Nov. 5, according to data from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. That's the highest hospitalization rate this early in the flu season since 2010, more than 10 years ago. Flu hospitalizations have surged to a decade high in the U.S. with the Southeast the hardest region right now. Flu activity is also very high in Arkansas, Louisiana, Maryland, New Mexico, New Jersey, New York City and Texas, according to the CDC. "There are also early signs of influenza causing severe illness in precisely these two groups of individuals this season," Romero told reporters during a call earlier this month.

☆ Older Americans are moving in with people their age to play bocce, make art, and be their true selves
▼ + stars: | 2022-11-14 | by ( Robert Davis | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +7 min

Some older Americans are building cohousing communities instead of moving into senior living. That was until 2014, when the Salmons and a group of eight other seniors began developing Quimper Village, a cohousing community in Port Townsend for people ages 55 and older. The Salmons are part of a growing coalition of older adults who are choosing to live in cohousing communities with people who are about their same age. The website also highlights amenities such as a bocce court and an art studio, which residents also manage. Though Erde describes herself as an introvert, living at PDX Commons has allowed her to be more social, she said.

That is why, leaders say, HBCUs and other minority-serving institutions will be even more important to students of color should the Supreme Court end affirmative action in college admissions. Allison ShelleyThe Supreme Court is hearing cases that challenge affirmative action policies at Harvard University and the University of North Carolina. Although HBCUs are predominantly Black institutions, non-Black students made up 24% of HBCU enrollment in 2020, according to the NCES. That diversity is important to consider amid claims that HBCUs make race-conscious admissions unnecessary, said Marie Bigham, the founder and executive director of the race-conscious admissions advocacy group Admissions Community Cultivating Equity & Peace Today. Late last month, the coalition and students from across the country protested outside the Supreme Court as it weighed the cases.

☆ Thanksgiving is two weeks away. Get your updated Covid-19 shot now, health officials warn
▼ + stars: | 2022-11-10 | by ( Jacqueline Howard | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +8 min

CNN —With Thanksgiving just two weeks away, people who are eligible for an updated Covid-19 vaccine booster but still haven’t received the shot will need to roll up their sleeves Thursday to get as much protection as possible before the holiday. After getting the updated Covid-19 vaccine, that biological process can take about 10 to 14 days. Health officials say it’s fine to get the updated Covid-19 booster and flu vaccine at the same time. The vaccine candidate contains components of the companies’ updated Covid-19 booster and their investigational flu vaccine. Moderna is also developing a combined flu and Covid-19 mRNA vaccine and another combination vaccine targeting flu, Covid-19 and RSV.

☆ Six dead after earthquake of magnitude 6.6 strikes Nepal
▼ + stars: | 2022-11-08 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +1 min

Nov 9 (Reuters) - An earthquake of magnitude 6.6 struck Nepal early Wednesday, killing at least six people and destroying multiple houses in the district of Doti, officials said. Nepal's seismological centre set the earthquake at a magnitude of 6.6. The European-Mediterranean Seismological Centre (EMSC) had pegged the earthquake at a magnitude of 5.6. India's National Center for Seismology marked the quake at a magnitude of 6.3. Reporting by Mrinmay Dey in Bengaluru; Editing by Leslie Adler and Gerry DoyleOur Standards: The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles.

☆ U.S. CFOs Ask Congress to Repeal Change to R&D Tax Rules
▼ + stars: | 2022-11-07 | by ( Jennifer Williams-Alvarez | In A Letter Finance Chiefs On The Change To R D Deductibility Tax Rules. | ) www.wsj.com time to read: +8 min

For decades, businesses were allowed to deduct certain R&D expenses straight away to reduce their taxable income. Tax deductions are subtractions from taxable income while tax credits get subtracted from the amount of tax owed. Over the course of this year, companies have been making estimated tax payments that incorporate the R&D change, tax attorneys said. On the agenda: Agreeing on funding the government to avoid a shutdown, aid for Ukraine, alongside potential changes to the treatment of R&D expenses. When it comes to a potential repeal or deferral related to R&D deductibility, timing is crucial, said Shelby Ford, a tax partner at Crowe LLP, a public accounting, consulting and technology firm.

The rise comes as other respiratory viruses, including respiratory syncytial virus, or RSV, are also spreading early and rapidly. Common winter viruses tend to peak in December and January — not October and November — though it's unclear how the early and intense spread of respiratory viruses will ultimately play out this season. It's the first time since the beginning of the Covid pandemic that run-of-the-mill respiratory viruses are again circulating widely. Other respiratory viruses, including rhinoviruses and enteroviruses, are also circulating widely, and could account for some of those illnesses. "We'll probably start seeing cases rise on the West Coast in the coming weeks," said Dr. Meredith McMorrow, a pediatrician and team lead for Enhanced Surveillance Platforms at the CDC.

☆ Alcohol-Related Deaths Soared During the First Year of the Pandemic, CDC Study Says
▼ + stars: | 2022-11-04 | by ( Talal Ansari | ) www.wsj.com time to read: 1 min

The rate of alcohol-related deaths has steadily increased over the past two decades. Alcohol-related deaths in the U.S. rose during the first year of the Covid-19 pandemic, according to a new federal report. The report, published Friday by the National Center for Health Statistics, examined deaths caused by alcohol by sex and age groups for 2020, when the spread of Covid-19 upended everyday life. Studies have shown the level of binge drinking increased during this period.

Alcohol-related deaths rose by 26% from 2019 to 2020, a new report published Friday by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention finds. From 2000 through 2018, age-adjusted alcohol-related deaths rose yearly, but never at a rate higher than 7%. Overall, alcohol-related death rates are higher among men than women; in 2020, there were 19.2 deaths per 100,000 men, compared with 7.5 per 100,000 women. The researchers found that alcohol-related deaths were most common among middle-aged adults. Overall, alcohol deaths among women rose by 27% from 2019 to 2020.

Across the United States, cases of respiratory syncytial virus, or RSV, and influenza are increasing. Influenza activity continues to increase in the US – the number of flu illnesses, hospitalizations and deaths so far this season nearly doubled in the past week. RSV cases are also increasing nationally, although there are regional differences in the circulation of these viruses, Romero said. In the South and Mountain West, RSV cases appear to have peaked in October. There are signs that RSV cases are slowing in the southern region of the US, but test positivity rates and cases continue to rise in other regions, especially the Midwest.

☆ U.S. faces highest flu hospitalization rate in a decade with young kids and seniors most at risk
▼ + stars: | 2022-11-04 | by ( Spencer Kimball | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +4 min

The U.S. is facing the highest flu hospitalization rates in more than a decade with children and the elderly most at risk, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Flu and respiratory syncytial virus had receded during the Covid-19 pandemic due to mitigation measures such as masks and social distancing. About about 3 patients are being hospitalized with the flu out of every 100,000 people with the virus right now, which is the highest rate since 2010. Seniors and children younger than age 5 face the biggest risk right now, with hospitalization rates about double the general population, according to CDC data. In the Mid-Atlantic and Midwest, H1N1 flu viruses are growing in circulation, he said.

☆ 'How much press are you worth?' New calculator tackles inequality in missing persons stories
▼ + stars: | 2022-11-03 | by ( The Associated Press | ) www.nbcnews.com time to read: +5 min

It sounds morbid but the exercise is designed to call attention to “missing white women syndrome,” the tendency of news organizations to pay relatively little attention to missing people who don’t fit that category. According to the calculator, the disappearance of a 22-year-old white woman in New York would generate 67 stories. And a missing 25-year-old Black woman from New York would get eight. More than 92% of Americans would have heard about a 22-year-old missing white woman from Nevada, the tool says. There was no comparable data from when “missing white person syndrome” was first talked about two decades ago.

☆ 40 justice organizations and media watchdog groups call on top Twitter advertisers to demand Elon Musk adhere to brand-protecting community safety rules or stop advertising on the platform altogether
▼ + stars: | 2022-11-02 | by ( Katherine Tangalakis-Lippert | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +4 min

40 nonprofits and advocacy groups sent a letter to top Twitter advertisers in light of Musk's takeover. The groups said brands like HBO and Amazon should push Musk to embrace content moderation or suspend their ads. Musk has expressed contempt for both ads and moderation and said he aims to decrease Twitter's reliance on ad revenue. Tesla competitors Ford and GM have already suspended ads on the platform since Musk's takeover. Musk has previously expressed contempt for both ads and content moderation and, in promises to investors, said he aims to decrease Twitter's reliance on ad revenue.

[1/3] Police officers stand guard near the scene of a crowd crush that happened during Halloween festivities, in Seoul, South Korea, November 2, 2022. REUTERS/Heo RanSEOUL, Nov 2 (Reuters) - As South Korea mourns the deaths of more than 150 people in a Halloween party crush, many people - even those not directly involved - are dealing with trauma and a search for answers that has at times blamed the victims, a psychiatry expert says. "It spread very quickly through news media and social media, leaving people directly and indirectly affected, and even those who aren't affected may feel distressed and frustrated, pretty much casting a sense of dread over the entire society," he said. The government sent a mobile clinic run by the National Center for Disaster Trauma to Itaewon, offering free counselling. "For example, when we had COVID-19 cases the first time in South Korea, there were a lot of blaming reactions like 'why did you go there?

☆ Over 200,000 trans people could face voting restrictions because of state ID laws
▼ + stars: | 2022-11-01 | by ( Jo Yurcaba | Jo Yurcaba Is A Reporter For Nbc Out. | ) www.nbcnews.com time to read: +12 min

Seaton showed his state ID. “So I expect that we’re going to hear more stories of trans people being harassed, whether by voters, poll workers, poll monitors or other folks who are present during the election.”Impact of voter ID laws on trans votersVoter identification laws differ widely by state. Eight of those states have strict photo ID laws. Since the 2020 election, 12 states have enacted new or stricter voter ID laws, according to VoteRiders, a nonpartisan voting rights organization. In the 15 states without ID laws, voters’ identities are usually verified by checking them against their voter registration information, according to the National Conference of State Legislatures.

☆ Missing Florida boy, 6, found 2,000 miles away in Canada, father and grandmother arrested
▼ + stars: | 2022-10-31 | by ( Marlene Lenthang | Marlene Lenthang Is A Breaking News Reporter For Nbc News Digital. | ) www.nbcnews.com time to read: +2 min

A 6-year-old boy missing from Florida since August has been found safe nearly 2,000 miles away in Canada, and his father and paternal grandmother have been taken into custody, police said. Jorge Morales. As a result the child's father Jorge Gabriel Morales, 45, and grandmother Lilliam Pena Morales, 68, were arrested "without incident" and taken into custody by the RCMP, police said. ET): A previous version of this article misstated the relationship of Lilliam Pena Morales to Jorge “JoJo” Morales. She is his paternal grandmother, not his maternal grandmother.

☆ Long Covid is affecting women more than men, national survey finds
▼ + stars: | 2022-10-31 | by ( Spencer Kimball | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +1 min

Long Covid is more common among women than men, according to federal data. Long Covid was defined as experiencing symptoms for three months or more after infection. Women were also more likely to suffer from more severe long Covid, the survey found. Overall, more than 14% of U.S. adults had long Covid at some point during the pandemic, the survey found. Seven percent of U.S. adults currently have long Covid, according to the data.

☆ Louisiana native, author Ernest Gaines to appear on US stamp
▼ + stars: | 2022-10-27 | by ( Associated Press | ) www.nbcnews.com time to read: +2 min

Gaines’ stamp offers an impressive representation of the man I knew and admired, and it reminds me of the immeasurable grace, strength and character he displayed throughout his life and through his words,” said Dr. Joseph Savoie, UL-Lafayette president. The book that earned widespread notice for Gaines, “The Autobiography of Miss Jane Pittman,” is a first-person narrative of a fictional 110-year-old woman born into slavery. Published in 1971, the novel’s inspiration was Augusteen Jefferson, Gaines’ disabled aunt who helped raise him. “The Autobiography of Miss Jane Pittman” and “A Gathering of Old Men” (1984) became honored television movies. Gaines’ novels, which have drawn comparisons to the writings of William Faulkner and Charles Dickens, have been published in at least 17 languages.

☆ Men Died From Covid-19 at Much Higher Rate Than Women in Pandemic’s First Year
▼ + stars: | 2022-10-25 | by ( Talal Ansari | Jennifer Calfas | ) www.wsj.com time to read: 1 min

More than 1.06 million Covid-19 deaths have been recorded in the U.S. since the pandemic began, according to Johns Hopkins. Men died of complications from Covid-19 at a higher rate than women in both rural and urban parts of the U.S. during the first year of the pandemic, according to a new federal report. The report, published Tuesday by the National Center for Health Statistics, examined Covid-19 deaths by sex and age groups for 2020, when the virus became the third-leading cause of death in the U.S. and before vaccines against it became widely available.

☆ Men Died From Covid-19 at Much Higher Rate Than Women During the First Year of Pandemic
▼ + stars: | 2022-10-25 | by ( Talal Ansari | Jennifer Calfas | ) www.wsj.com time to read: 1 min

Covid-19 became the third leading cause of death in the U.S. in 2020, and according to a new report, death rates from the virus were at least 50% higher for men compared with women that year. Men died of complications from Covid-19 at a higher rate than women in both rural and urban parts of the U.S. during the first year of the pandemic, according to a new federal report. The report, published Tuesday by the National Center for Health Statistics, examined Covid-19 deaths by sex and age group for 2020, when the virus became the third-leading cause of death in the U.S. and before vaccines against it became widely available.

☆ Test scores dropped to lowest levels in decades during pandemic, according to nationwide exam
▼ + stars: | 2022-10-24 | by ( The Associated Press | ) www.nbcnews.com time to read: +7 min

Across the country, math scores saw their largest decreases ever. But while reading scores dipped, math scores plummeted by the largest margins in the history of the NAEP test, which began in 1969. Every region saw test scores slide, and every state saw declines in at least one subject. Several major districts saw test scores fall by more than 10 points. In fourth grade, Black and Hispanic students saw bigger decreases than white students, widening gaps that have persisted for decades.

☆ US math skills suffered their biggest-ever setback during COVID, with just 26% of 8th graders meeting the mark
▼ + stars: | 2022-10-24 | by ( Ayelet Sheffey | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +4 min

Results from the Nation's Report Card found drastic declines in math scores for fourth and eight graders. Just 26% of eight graders are proficient in math, down from 34% in 2019. Cardona said that while the pandemic is partly to blame, years of disinvestment in education is a major factor. The results were stark — math scores for eighth graders dropped in nearly every state, with just 26% of them proficient in the subject, down from 34% in 2019. For fourth graders, the average math score fell by five points, and reading scores for both grades fell by three points.

☆ Scholars found a long-lost star map from ancient Greek astronomer Hipparchus hidden beneath layers of medieval Christian text
▼ + stars: | 2022-10-22 | by ( Paola Rosa-Aquino | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +3 min

Scholars discovered the oldest known star map beneath the text of a Christian manuscript, according to new study. The ancient Greek astronomer made the earliest known attempt to chart the entire night sky. The Christian text came from Egypt's Saint Catherine's Monastery and is now in possession of the Museum of the Bible in Washington, DC. Researchers say the star map was scraped away so the parchment could be reused — a common practice at the time. The "new evidence is the most authoritative to date and allows major progress in the reconstruction of Hipparchus' Star Catalog," the study authors wrote.

Estimates that 80-90% of Russian oil will continue to flow outside the cap mechanism are not unreasonable, a U.S. Treasury official told Reuters. "Oil traders dealing in Russian oil are no longer in Switzerland, Geneva or London. P&I services heeding EU law insure 95% of the world's shipborne oil trade, meaning the EU move could have halted most of Russia's exports. Insurance and shipping industry figures still saw themselves at risk of sanctions which could upend the trade even in the G7 price cap workaround. The EU ratified the price cap this month but details on implementing it remain forthcoming.

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