Walmart reverses mask policies as Delta variant spreads – CBS News

Bentonville, Arkansas-based Walmart said it will require all its workers — including vaccinated ones — to wear masks in areas with high infection rates of COVID-19. The country’s largest retailer also is encouraging its customers to wear masks in stores in areas with high infection rates from the Delta variant of the coronavirus, and will be adding back signs at entrances announcing its latest policies, according to a memo supplied by Walmart that was sent to its employees Friday. Walmart is also requiring some employees to be vaccinated against COVID-19 by October 4.

Source: Kroger, Walmart reverse their mask policies as Delta variant spreads – CBS News

Jill Biden undergoing procedure to remove object from her foot | TheHill

She stepped on the object, which her office did not identify, on the beach in Hawaii last week and it apparently became lodged. The incident occurred prior to Biden’s two official events in Hawaii, her spokesman Michael LaRosa said.

President Biden will join the first lady for the procedure, which will take place at Walter Reed National Military Medical Center in Bethesda, Md.

“I’m going to find out in a minute. That’s why I’m leaving,” he said.

The first lady visited Hawaii on Sunday after going to Tokyo to lead the U.S. delegation at the Olympics.

Source: Jill Biden undergoing procedure to remove object from her foot | TheHill

Schizophrenia linked to marijuana use disorder is on the rise, study finds – CNN

 

(CNN)The proportion of schizophrenia cases linked with problematic use of marijuana has increased over the past 25 years, according to a new study from Denmark.

In 1995, 2% of schizophrenia diagnoses in the country were associated with cannabis use disorder. In 2000, it increased to around 4%. Since 2010, that figure increased to 8%, the study found.
“I think it is highly important to use both our study and other studies to highlight and emphasize that cannabis use is not harmless,” said Carsten Hjorthøj, an associate professor at the Copenhagen Research Center for Mental Health and an author of the study published in the medical journal JAMA Psychiatry, via email.
“There is, unfortunately, evidence to suggest that cannabis is increasingly seen as a somewhat harmless substance. This is unfortunate, since we see links with schizophrenia, poorer cognitive function, substance use disorders, etc,” Hjorthøj wrote.

Previous research has suggested that the risk of schizophrenia is heightened for people who use cannabis, and the association is particularly driven by heavy use of the drug. Many researchers hypothesize that cannabis use may be a “component cause,” which interacts with other risk factors, to cause the condition.”

Of course, our findings will have to be replicated elsewhere before firm conclusions can be drawn,” Hjorthøj continued. “But I do feel fairly confident that we will see similar patterns in places where problematic use of cannabis has increased, or where the potency of cannabis has increased, since many studies suggest that high-potency cannabis is probably the driver of the association with schizophrenia.”

Around the world tens of millions of people use cannabis. It’s legal for recreational use in 19 US states and Canada. In these and some other places, it’s also approved to treat some medical conditions.

Source: Schizophrenia linked to marijuana use disorder is on the rise, study finds – CNN

Greensburg doctor pleads guilty to taking kickbacks over fentanyl spray | TribLIVE.com

A Greensburg doctor pleaded guilty in federal court Thursday to taking kickbacks, health care fraud and conspiring to distribute controlled substances.

Thomas Whitten, 71, will be sentenced by U.S. District Judge William S. Stickman IV on Dec. 7.

According to prosecutors, Whitten received kickbacks from Arizona-based Insys Therapeutics from May 2013 to November 2015 in exchange for prescribing Subsys, a powerful opioid containing fentanyl. Subsys, which is a liquid that gets sprayed under a patient’s tongue, is only approved for the “management of breakthrough pain in cancer patients” who have developed a tolerance to other pain killers.

However, investigators said Whitten prescribed the drug to patients for whom it was not medically necessary and, therefore, it was not eligible for insurance reimbursement.

Whitten also pleaded guilty to conspiring to distribute phentermine hyrocholoride and diethlpropion to patients at five weight-loss clinics from November 2017 to December 2019.

Source: Greensburg doctor pleads guilty to taking kickbacks over fentanyl spray | TribLIVE.com

Madison Cawthorn Says Jill Biden Is ‘Cruel’ to ‘Mentally Unstable’ Joe Biden

Representative Madison Cawthorn claims President Joe Biden is “mentally unstable” and said first lady Jill Biden should be called out for being “cruel” to her husband.

Cawthorn, a Republican who represents North Carolina’s 11th congressional district, spoke to Newsmax’s Chris Salcedo about his views on the president’s mental state and Jill Biden’s treatment of her husband.

Salcedo said that Biden “has lost control of the pandemic” and cited border crossings by unvaccinated individuals. He asked Cawthorn if Republicans should “hold Biden accountable” for “putting America in reverse” in terms of COVID.

Cawthorn said. “You know, I would love to have a congressional inquiry to understand exactly what Joe Biden’s reasoning is, but unfortunately I don’t think he could find his way to Congress.”

“I’m talking from a very objective standpoint here. I think we should indict Jill Biden – I’m not saying indict in terms of criminal – but I’m saying that we should call her out for being so cruel to her husband,” Cawthorn went on.

Source: Madison Cawthorn Says Jill Biden Is ‘Cruel’ to ‘Mentally Unstable’ Joe Biden

Mississippi asks U.S. Supreme Court to overturn Roe v Wade

By Pete Williams

WASHINGTON — Lawyers for the state of Mississippi urged the U.S. Supreme Court on Thursday to overturn Roe v Wade, taking a more aggressive approach than the one presented when they asked the court a year ago to hear the case.

The case for overturning the two main decisions that legalized abortion in the United States — Roe v Wade in 1973 and a later case, 1992’s Planned Parenthood v Casey — is overwhelming, the state said. “The conclusion that abortion is a constitutional right has no basis in text, structure, history, or tradition.”

By ruling that a state may not impose an undue burden on a right to abortion, the Supreme Court has placed itself “at the center of a controversy that it can never resolve.”

The state is appealing lower court rulings that struck down a law banning most abortions after 15 weeks of pregnancy. The Gestational Age Act would allow later abortions only in medical emergencies or cases of severe fetal abnormality.

Source: Mississippi asks U.S. Supreme Court to overturn Roe v Wade

Monkeypox infection confirmed in North Texas

DALLAS, Texas (KWTX) – Dallas County Health and Human Services (DCHHS) on Friday reported the first case of monkeypox in a resident of Dallas County, a case believed to be the first monkeypox virus infection in a Texas resident.

Officials said the individual infected with the virus is a Dallas resident who traveled from Nigeria to Dallas and arrived at Love Field Airport on July 9, 2021.

“While rare, this case is not a reason for alarm and we do not expect any threat to the general public. Dallas County Health and Human Services is working closely with local providers, as well as our state and federal partners,” said Dallas County Judge Clay Jenkins.

The person is hospitalized in stable condition and isolated to prevent the spread of the virus.

Source: Monkeypox infection confirmed in North Texas

‘goodblend’ Medical Marijuana Dispensary Opening In Pittsburgh – CBS Pittsburgh

 

 

By: KDKA-TV News Staff

PITTSBURGH (KDKA) — A new medical marijuana dispensary is opening in Pittsburgh.

“goodblend” opened at 10 a.m. Saturday on Baum Boulevard.

People who enter must have a valid Pennsylvania medical marijuana patient card.

Source: ‘goodblend’ Medical Marijuana Dispensary Opening In Pittsburgh – CBS Pittsburgh

Pope Francis doing well after intestinal surgery, Vatican says

VATICAN CITY – Pope Francis is doing well following intestinal surgery, the Vatican said on Sunday after the 84-year-old pontiff was hospitalized for the first time since his election in 2013.

Spokesman Matteo Bruni said in a statement that the pontiff “responded well” to the surgery, which was done under general anesthesia and which the Vatican had said earlier had been scheduled and not prompted by an emergency.

He gave no further details about the surgery or how long it lasted and did not say how long the pope would remain in Rome’s Gemelli hospital.

The pope entered the hospital early on Sunday afternoon and the statement was issued just before midnight Rome time.

Francis underwent surgery for symptomatic diverticular stenosis of the colon, a condition where sac-like pouches protrude from the muscular layer of the colon, leading it to become narrow. The operation was carried out by a 10-person medical team.

In addition to causing pain, the condition can lead to bloating, inflammation, and difficulty in bowel movement. It tends to affect older people more.

Source: Pope Francis doing well after intestinal surgery, Vatican says

US coronavirus: The states at risk of an aggressive and more dangerous Covid-19 variant. – CNN

.(CNN)Some states are making great strides in vaccinating their residents against Covid-19, but the ones that are not may soon be contending with a more transmissible variant, experts say.

About 45.1% of the US population is fully vaccinated against Covid-19, CDC data showed, and in 16 states and Washington, DC, that proportion is up to half. But some states like — Alabama, Arkansas, Louisiana, Mississippi, Tennessee and Wyoming — have fully vaccinated less than 35% of residents.
More than 500 days and 600,000 deaths since the first person in the United States was reported to have died from Covid-19, experts have upheld vaccines as the key to reopening the country safely and containing the variants, many of which are more transmissible.

Source: US coronavirus: The states at risk of an aggressive and more dangerous Covid-19 variant. – CNN

Dr. Ronny Jackson calls on Biden to immediately undergo cognitive test to assess ‘mental impairment’ | Fox News

 

Rep. Ronny Jackson: ‘Joe Biden is not physically or cognitively fit to be our president’

Dr. Ronny Jackson, the former White House physician, called on President Biden to immediately undergo a cognitive test so the commander-in-chief can prove to the American public sound mental capabilities.

“We can’t sit on this any longer,” Jackson told “Hannity” Thursday night, citing Biden’s “embarrassing” performance overseas this week with world leaders.

“He’s not physically or cognitively fit to be our president right now,” Jackson added.

The freshman Texas congressman and 13 of his GOP colleagues sent a letter to Biden Thursday expressing “concern” with his cognitive state and cited several examples of potential memory lapses, including apparently forgetting the name of his Defense Secretary, telling an Amtrak story with a timeline that didn’t add up and seemingly blanking on the often-quoted first line of the Declaration of Independence.

Source: Dr. Ronny Jackson calls on Biden to immediately undergo cognitive test to assess ‘mental impairment’ | Fox News

3 lives lost after car crashes into a Pittsburgh plasma clinic – WPXI

PITTSBURGH — Police say three people are dead after a car crashed into a plasma donation center on Western Avenue in the Manchester neighborhood.

A Mass Casualty Incident (MCI) notification was issued due to the severity of the damage and the unknown amount of entrapped victims at the time that police and EMS arrived.

Medics pronounced three victims dead, one of them being a person in the vehicle.

There were around 10 employees and five doners in the building at the time, now many of them are left shaken. One witness was inside the building at the time of the crash and says it was a surreal moment for him.

“Just, I mean just shock really, it was just numb, like I, I’m still you know heart racing, just not sure what was happening,” explained donor Shane McDevitt.

A small fire started in the building after the crash and two first responders were treated for smoke inhalation.

Crews managed to pull a red Hyundai out of the building.

In a statement about the incident the Biomat USA Corporate Office said:

Police said two others were also injured. One of them is in critical condition. or center. The safety of our employees and donors is always our first priority. We are grateful to the first responders and our employees who acted quickly to prevent any additional injuries. Biomat USA is cooperating with the local authorities as the investigation continues.” A Mass Casualty Incident (MCI) notification was issued due to the severity of the damage and unknown amount of entrapped victims.

Police continue to interview witnesses about what happened. The next step is to figure out whether the building is structurally sound. Channel 11 will let you know as we get those updates.

Source: 3 lives lost after car crashes into a Pittsburgh plasma clinic – WPXI

Biden’s budget chief won’t commit to ending Wuhan lab funding | One America News Network

Biden administration budget chief Shalanda Young refused to say that Joe Biden would stop funding gain of function research at the Wuhan, China research lab. For clarity, the term gain of function is used to describe any field of medical research that alters an organism or disease in a way that increases transmissibility or pathogenesis.

This comes as mounting evidence shows Chinese scientists manipulated bat coronaviruses while increasing their ability to infect humans. Dr. Anthony Fauci, the National Institutes of Health (NIH) and a Pentagon sub-agency were recently found to be giving money for those risky experiments. This is something Dr. Fauci had previously denied he was aware of regarding the lab in Wuhan.

“And the funds made available by the agency which Fauci heads, the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases, to the tune of $600,000 went to this Wuhan Institute of Virology,” stated Alan Jones, host of Sky News Australia. “This is a lab involved in gain of function research that is creating more dangerous pathogens.

”House Republicans said the remarks by Biden’s budget chief suggest this administration will continue to give taxpayer money to the Chinese lab that evidence increasingly suggests may have played a key role in the emergence of COVID-19 and a pandemic the rocked the entire world.

Source: Biden’s budget chief won’t commit to ending Wuhan lab funding | One America News Network

Understanding the origin of covid-19 is the only way to prevent future pandemics, scientist says – The Washington Post

Baylor University’s Peter Hotez adds his voice to a chorus that includes prominent Democrats and Republicans,

“There’s going to be COVID-26 and COVID-32 unless we fully understand the origins of COVID-19. This is absolutely critical,” Dr. Peter Hotez, dean of the National School of Tropical Medicine at Baylor College of Medicine, told NBC’s “Meet the Press.”

Hotez said that he believes the US needs to do more than launch an intelligence investigation into theories that the virus emerged naturally from animals or escaped from a lab in Wuhan, China.

“I’m personally of the opinion that we’ve pushed intelligence as far as we can,” Hotez said, saying that the US needs to send experts to the original epicenter of the pandemic in Wuhan.

“We need a team of scientists, genealogists, biologists, bat ecologists in the Hubei province for six months to a year-long period and fully unravel the origins of COVID-19.”

Source: Understanding the origin of covid-19 is the only way to prevent future pandemics, scientist says – The Washington Post

Deadly Fungi Are the Newest Emerging Microbe Threat All Over the World – Scientific American

These pathogens already kill 1.6 million people every year, and we have few defenses against them.

We are likely to think of fungi, if we think of them at all, as minor nuisances: mold on cheese, mildew on shoes shoved to the back of the closet, mushrooms springing up in the garden after hard rains. We notice them, and then we scrape them off or dust them away, never perceiving that we are engaging with the fragile fringes of a web that knits the planet together. Fungi constitute their own biological kingdom of about six million diverse species, ranging from common companions such as baking yeast to wild exotics. They differ from the other kingdoms in complex ways. Unlike animals, they have cell walls, not membranes; unlike plants, they cannot make their own food; unlike bacteria, they hold their DNA within a nucleus and pack cells with organelles—features that make them, at the cellular level, weirdly similar to us. Fungi break rocks, nourish plants, seed clouds, cloak our skin and pack our guts, a mostly hidden and unrecorded world living alongside us and within us.

“This epidemic will not take a break,” says Flávio Queiroz-Telles, a physician and associate professor at the Federal University of Paraná in Curitiba, who saw his first case of deadly fungi in 2011. “It is expanding.”

Source: Deadly Fungi Are the Newest Emerging Microbe Threat All Over the World – Scientific American

Source: What is mucormycosis, the fungal infection affecting COVID patients in India?

CDC: Fully vaccinated people can exercise, hold small gatherings outdoors without masks

  • The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention said fully vaccinated people can exercise outdoors or with members of their household without a mask.
  • The CDC added that fully vaccinated people can hold small gatherings outdoors with others who are inoculated, or with a mix of unvaccinated people, without face coverings.
  • The agency did not define how big those gatherings can be, and said Americans should still wear masks in crowded outdoor spaces.

Source: CDC: Fully vaccinated people can exercise, hold small gatherings outdoors without masks

First lady Jill Biden to undergo ‘procedure,’ White House says

WASHINGTON — The White House says President Joe Biden will accompany his wife, Jill Biden, early Wednesday morning to an appointment where she will undergo a “common medical procedure.”

The White House says both Bidens will then return to the White House and “resume their normal schedule.”

Later Wednesday, the president is set to address the nation on his plans to withdraw U.S. troops from Afghanistan by September 11, 2021. He will then visit Section 60 of Arlington National Cemetery, the final resting place of many American service members who lost their lives in Afghanistan and Iraq.

The White House did not immediately detail the nature of the first lady’s procedure.

Source: First lady Jill Biden to undergo ‘procedure,’ White House says

DARPA unveils ‘COVID microchip,’ claims not for surveillance purposes | One America News Network

The Pentagon unveiled a coronavirus microchip that it claims can detect illness and prevent the spread of COVID-19.

“The tiny green thing in there, you put it underneath your skin and what that tells you is that there are chemical reactions going on inside the body. And that signal means you’re going to have symptoms tomorrow,” retired Col. Matt Hepburn, an army infectious disease physician said.

The implant was developed by the Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency, or DARPA, which claimed the device can not be used for surveillance purposes.

Source: DARPA unveils ‘COVID microchip,’ claims not for surveillance purposes | One America News Network

If You Have This Blood Type, Your Risk of a Stroke May Be Higher

There are many factors that can put you at an increased risk of having a stroke —and blood type may be one of them, a new study says.

At the American Stroke Association’s (ASA) 2021 International Stroke Conference, research funded by the National Institute of Neurological Disorders and Stroke looked at the association between blood type and stroke risk. According to the study, the researchers found that non-O blood types (A, B, or AB) may be at an increased risk of early-onset stroke for women who smoke and take oral contraceptives.

The researchers looked at nearly 350 women who had experienced a stroke before the age of 50 and compared their data to 383 women who had not had a stroke. They concluded that women with non-O blood types who smoked and took oral contraceptives were nearly twice as likely to have a stroke before turning 50.

Source: If You Have This Blood Type, Your Risk of a Stroke May Be Higher

Couple in their 40s found dead from COVID-19 in St. Louis County | ksdk.com

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Photo By Google

ST. LOUIS COUNTY, Mo. — Along Glen Bay Drive in Mehlville, there are lots of heavy hearts.

“It’s really a terrible, tragic thing,” said neighbor Chuck Duy.

St. Louis County police say last Thursday morning the husband and wife were found dead in their bed by their only child, a girl aged 11.

The girl made the grim discovery on Feb. 18, NBC reported. It was unclear whether she was living with her parents while they were quarantined.

“To lose both parents at one time you know for an 11-year-old, it’s really tragic,” neighbor Chuck Duy told KSDK-TV. “We’re praying for them. They were the nicest people. We’re so happy they moved into the neighborhood.”

Police say both were in their 40s and both died of COVID-19.

Source: Couple in their 40s found dead from COVID-19 in St. Louis County | ksdk.com

Organ transplant patient dies after receiving Covid-infected lungs

Doctors say a woman in Michigan contracted Covid-19 and died last fall two months after receiving a tainted double-lung transplant from a donor who turned out to harbor the virus that causes the disease — despite showing no signs of illness and initially testing negative.

Officials at the University of Michigan Medical School suggested it may be the first proven case of Covid-19 in the U.S. in which the virus was transmitted via an organ transplant. A surgeon who handled the donor lungs was also infected with the virus and fell ill but later recovered.

The incident appears to be isolated — the only confirmed case among nearly 40,000 transplants in 2020. But it has led to calls for more thorough testing of lung transplant donors, with samples taken from deep within the donor lungs as well as the nose and throat, said Dr. Daniel Kaul, director of Michigan Medicine’s transplant infectious disease service.

Source: Organ transplant patient dies after receiving Covid-infected lungs

Doctors push back against new Pa. Health Department COVID-19 vaccine policy | Pittsburgh Post-Gazette

 

Pushback among doctors and pharmacists is mounting to a state Department of Health pivot in vaccine strategy that aims to boost the number of COVID-19 inoculations by favoring bigger hospitals over smaller physician practices and clinics.

Within hours of the Health Department’s announcement Friday that it will shrink the number of providers administering COVID-19 vaccines by eliminating the smallest ones, three physician groups lodged their objections — calling the new policy a “misguided allocation change” and a “woeful mistake.”

“We urge acting secretary Alison Beam and Gov. Tom Wolf to immediately rescind the order to avoid further problems in the distribution of the COVID-19 vaccine,” their statement said. It was signed by the Pennsylvania Academy of Family Physicians, American College of Physicians and Pennsylvania Osteopathic Medical Association.

Source: Doctors push back against new Pa. Health Department COVID-19 vaccine policy | Pittsburgh Post-Gazette

Westmoreland creates website for vaccine info | TribLIVE.com

The new website has a list of vaccine providers, how to contact them and a link to the state health department’s interactive map of vaccine providers.

Information on how to register for the covid vaccine and a quiz to determine when a person is eligible to get one can be found at www.co.westmoreland.pa.us/2934/29523/Vaccine-Info.

Residents need to contact the vaccine provider to schedule an appointment. Supplies of the vaccine are limited, the county said.

The web page also has information on the state’s four phases of distribution. Information on the authorized vaccines and potential side effects can be found.

Source: Westmoreland creates website for vaccine info | TribLIVE.com

Sean Conley: Biden replaces controversial White House physician – CNNPolitics

Washington (CNN)President Joe Biden has replaced the controversial White House physician who offered misleading information about President Donald Trump’s coronavirus diagnosis last fall.

A White House official said Biden had selected Dr. Kevin O’Connor to replace Dr. Sean Conley as his doctor. It’s not uncommon for a president to name his own physician when taking office, though his two most recent predecessors each retained the incumbent doctor who had attended the men who served before them.
He administered Biden’s physical in 2019 and prepared a report that deemed the then-candidate “healthy” and “vigorous.” At 78, Biden is the oldest newly inaugurated president in history.
A White House physician is responsible for medical care of the President, the first family and White House staff. They oversee a team of doctors and nurses that comprise the White House Medical Unit, which is headquartered in the ground level of the White House.
White House physicians travel wherever the President does, including on the Marine One helicopter and aboard Air Force One. They can frequently be seen walking a few paces behind the President, carrying a large medical bag. They also traditionally perform an annual physical and provide a summary for reporters.
Both O’Connor and Conley hold degrees in osteopathic medicine, one of the two degrees in the United States with which physicians can practice medicine — either as a doctor of medicine or a doctor of osteopathic medicine. About a quarter of US medical students train at osteopathic medical schools, according to the American Medical Association. Historically, doctor of osteopathic medicine programs have touted their methods as “more holistic.”
Conley drew scrutiny during Trump’s bout with coronavirus in the fall. He supervised a team of specialists at Walter Reed National Military Medical Center, where Trump was treated.
At first, he did not disclose the President had received supplemental oxygen, and defended the decision by saying he wanted to “reflect the upbeat attitude of the team.”
“I didn’t want to give any information that might steer the course of illness in another direction, and in doing so it came off that we were trying to hide something,” Conley said.
He replaced Dr. Ronny Jackson, a Navy rear admiral who was nominated to be secretary of veterans affairs. Jackson later withdrew following a string of allegations that included he loosely handled prescription pain medications, was intoxicated during an overseas trip and created a toxic work environment. Jackson denied the allegations. He later ran for a Texas congressional seat as a Republican and won.
On Wednesday, Conley was seen departing the White House alongside Trump, who was making a final trip to Florida before his term ended.
This story has been updated with additional background information.

Source: Sean Conley: Biden replaces controversial White House physician – CNNPolitics

U.S. officials report more severe allergic reactions to COVID-19 vaccines | Reuters

(Reuters) – The U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) said on Wednesday it is carefully monitoring allergic reactions to the coronavirus vaccines from Pfizer Inc and Moderna Inc and urged individuals who had a serious reaction not to get the second dose.

In a conference call with reporters, the U.S. public health agency said allergic reactions are occurring at a rate of 11.1 per 1 million vaccinations. That compared with flu vaccines, in which such reactions occur at a rate of 1.3 per 1 million shots.

The severe reactions are still “exceedingly rare,” they said, stressing the need for people to get vaccinated when the shots become available to them, given the threat of death and serious disease from the coronavirus that has already claimed more than 357,000 lives in the United States alone.

Source: U.S. officials report more severe allergic reactions to COVID-19 vaccines | Reuters

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