Pet Product Subscription Service Halts Deliveries After Customer Says Chews Killed Her Dog

 

A service called BarkBox delivered a chew stick manufactured by a third party to a woman named Sarah who said her pup Sugar went from being a “healthy, happy dog to dead in 24 hours” after consuming the product.

Fox Business reported the company has reacted quickly by pulling the product and by advising any other customers who might have received one to be careful.

Source: Pet Product Subscription Service Halts Deliveries After Customer Says Chews Killed Her Dog

Rats are running rampant in more Pittsburgh neighborhoods – WPXI

PITTSBURGH — Rats are roaming several neighborhoods in Pittsburgh.

Channel 11 told you last week about people in Brookline complaining. Now, we’ve uncovered a similar problem in Carrick.

“Walk up the city steps, rats running around, all in the bushes up there, across the street,” said Stephanie Nadaline.

“Now it’s just overridden with rats,” said Michelle Shahan.

The problem is so bad, Shahan said she’s concerned about letting her daughter play outside.“

I’ve seen them in her playhouse,” she said. “They are using that as shelter now.”

Neighbors said they think someone may be feeding them.

Carrick isn’t the only neighborhood with a rat problem. People in Polish Hill also tell Channel 11 they’re dealing with a rodent problem.

Source: Rats are running rampant in more Pittsburgh neighborhoods – WPXI

Over 130K pounds of chicken products recalled over possible listeria contamination | Fox Business

The affected products were distributed in individual food boxes to consumers at local food banks in Florida through the USDA Farmers to Families Food Box program.

More than 130,000 pounds of frozen chicken products are being recalled over fears that they may be contaminated with listeria monocytogenes.

The U.S. Department of Agriculture’s (USDA) Food Safety and Inspection Service (FSIS) issued a recall notice for the frozen, fully cooked, diced chicken items that were packaged on Jan. 25, 2021; Jan. 26, 2021; March 23, 2021; and March 24, 2021.

Source: Over 130K pounds of chicken products recalled over possible listeria contamination | Fox Business

Senate advances measure barring taxpayer funds for China’s Wuhan Institute of Virology | Fox News

In a bipartisan voice vote, the Senate approved an amendment introduced by Iowa Republican Joni Ernst to be included in the Endless Frontier Act, which seeks to counter Chinese economic and geopolitical ambitions.

REPUBLICANS SEEK TO TOUGHEN ANTI-CHINA BILL, FOCUS SPENDING ON COUNTERING CCP AMID PRICE TAG CONCERNS

“After COVID appeared in the vicinity of the Wuhan Institute, instead of cooperating…to discover the source of the outbreak, Chinese officials instead ordered the destruction of some of the coronavirus samples and blocked access to the lab,” Ernst said on the Senate floor, adding that China continues to block international access to study the origins of the virus.

“My amendment would ensure not another dime of taxpayer dollars goes, spent subsidizing communist China,” she added.

Source: Senate advances measure barring taxpayer funds for China’s Wuhan Institute of Virology | Fox News

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?

CCP-linked professor admits COVID-19 was biological war against U.S. | One America News Network

A top Chinese scholar has reportedly admitted that the coronavirus outbreak was an act of biological warfare against the U.S. In a recent video, Professor Ping Chen of China’s Fudan University, said in 2020 Beijing won in both a trade war and a biological war against the U.S.

This comes after bioweapons expert Lawrence Sellin discovered China released COVID-19 intentionally to gain economic advantage of the U.S. and remove President Donald Trump from office. Professor Ping’s video further confirmed China’s biological warfare program served a political purpose of derailing President Trump’s America First agenda.

Source: CCP-linked professor admits COVID-19 was biological war against U.S. | One America News Network

Bill Maher tests positive for COVID-19 – CBS News

Bill Maher has tested positive for COVID-19, forcing the cancellation of the Friday taping of his HBO show “Real Time with Bill Maher,” the show announced Thursday. The comedian is fully vaccinated, asymptomatic and “feels fine,” the show said.

No other staff or crew members have tested positive, the show said. Neil deGrasse Tyson, Max Brooks and Dan Carlin were the guests scheduled for the canceled show on Friday.

Maher, 65, thanked fans concerned about his health and expressed disappointment at missing his show and ending his streak of consecutive tapings.

Source: Bill Maher tests positive for COVID-19 – CBS News

CDC exaggerates outdoor transmission rate: COVID-19 experts

The CDC is greatly exaggerating the risk of COVID-19 transmission outdoors, claiming there is a roughly 10 percent chance — when in reality the figure is less than 1 percent, a report said Tuesday.

The higher federal figure “seems to be a huge exaggeration,” Dr. Muge Cevik, a top infectious disease doctor at the University of St. Andrews in Scotland, told the New York Times.

Dr. Aaron Richterman of the University of Pennsylvania added, “I’m sure it’s possible for transmission to occur outdoors in the right circumstances.

“But if we had to put a number on it, I would say much less than 1 percent.”

At issue is the research cited by the federal Centers for Disease Control and Prevention in touting its outdoor transmission statistic, which put the figure at a murky and allegedly too high “less than 10 percent.”

The figure is key because the agency has used it to justify its current coronavirus safety recommendations to the public, which include vaccinated people still wearing masks at “large public venues’’ and the unvaccinated using the face gear in most outdoor settings.

Source: CDC exaggerates outdoor transmission rate: COVID-19 experts

Coronavirus vaccine bills sent in error to some Westmoreland County patients – WPXI

WESTMORELAND COUNTY, Pa. — Several hundred people who got vaccinated against the coronavirus through Excela Health in Westmoreland County were erroneously billed for the vaccine.

Excela Health released a statement regarding the incident, telling those who received a bill to ignore it.

“We have attempted to contact those patients immediately to inform them to disregard the statement and apologized for the confusion,” Tom Albanesi, Excela Health Chief Financial Officer, said in a statement. “Patients are not responsible for any cost for receiving the COVID-19 vaccine, and Excela strongly encourages those who haven’t received the vaccine yet to do so immediately.”

Source: Coronavirus vaccine bills sent in error to some Westmoreland County patients – WPXI

Ohio spaghetti recall

Michelina’s Spaghetti with Meat Sauce Bellisio Foods, Inc. recall

JACKSON, Ohio (WJW) – Bellisio Foods, Inc., a Jackson, Ohio company, is recalling approximately 3,927 pounds of not-ready-to-eat (NRTE) spaghetti with meat sauce product.

The U.S. Department of Agriculture’s Food Safety and Inspection Service (FSIS) made the announcement due to misbranding and an undeclared allergen.

The product contains soy which is not declared on the product label.

The frozen, NRTE spaghetti with meat sauce items were produced April 22, 2021.

Here’s what is being recalled.

  • 8.5-oz paperboard tray with lid packages containing “Michelina’s Spaghetti with Meat Sauce” with lot code J1112N8, “BEST BY 22APR2022”, and a UPC code of “7 17854 10503 9” on the bottom label.

Source: Ohio spaghetti recall

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

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

Pittsburgh Public Schools students are returning to classrooms

Young students wearing masks entered the doors and were greeted by school staff, including Principal Nathan Berkowicz.

“This was very, very exciting today,” Berkowicz said. “I didn’t sleep a wink last night. This has been a year in the making since the students have last been in the building.”

Inside the school, stickers were on floors to remind students to keep 6 feet of distance, though the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention now says 3 feet will suffice.

Teachers sat in classrooms behind their plastic shields near rearranged student desks.

It may not be perfect, but Berkowicz said in-person learning is the focus here.

“It’s very difficult in a remote environment — you know, students holding devices and keeping their attention span — so at that age, it’s real important to get them in front of their teachers,” Berkowicz said.

When you don’t get students in front of teachers, Pittsburgh Public Schools Superintendent Anthony Hamlet said the educating starts to become undone, which is why expanded summer learning and Saturday courses are being explored for potentially 6,000 students.

“That’s something we’re planning for next year, and, so, traditionally, being in the situation we are with the learning loss, we’ve already had the summer slide, now what I call the COVID slide coupled with the summer slide, we know some kids will be behind,” Hamlet said.

To bring the students up to speed for later, day one for in-person is the first step.

“I was always confident we would be here at some point,” Hamlet said.

Source: Pittsburgh Public Schools students are returning to classrooms

Andrew Steele Ageless book: Tips to fight aging, live healthier

Andrew Steele, scientist and author of “Ageless: The New Science of Getting Older Without Getting Old,” shares tips that can reverse aging on a cellular level.

Tweaks to your lifestyle can go a long way: A 2018 study from Harvard found that people who followed five habits — eating a healthy diet, exercising regularly, keeping a healthy body weight, not drinking excessive amounts of alcohol and not smoking — increased life expectancy by up to 10 years.

Source: Andrew Steele Ageless book: Tips to fight aging, live healthier

Pittsburgh Public Schools prepared for April 6 reopening – Pittsburgh Current

About 4,800 Pittsburgh students are expected to return on April 6. They are a group that includes PreK and kindergarten students and others who have been determined to not be making progress in eLearning, who have disabilities, are English language learners or in other vulnerable groups.

On April 26 another cohort of about 5,200 students —  those who were making “some” progress — will be brought back to the classrooms.

On May 3 the remainder of students, a group of about 10,000, will return.

The majority of students will attend via a hybrid model, with some in class on Mondays and Tuesdays and others attending Thursdays and Fridays. Schools will be cleaned on Wednesdays, when all students learn online.

Source: Pittsburgh Public Schools prepared for April 6 reopening – Pittsburgh Current

The Effects of Alcohol to an Aging Brain Can’t Be Undone | Well+Good

he impact of alcohol on your body changes as you age. While some differences are immediately recognizable (a terrible hangovers after one drink the night before, for example), others are a bit more subtle. “The effects of alcohol on the brain are dependent on age and daily consumption habits,” says Dr. Willeumier. “With aging, specific structural and functional changes happen in the brain, including thinning of the cerebral cortex, neuronal shrinkage, decreased spine density, decreased white-matter connectivity, and diminished neurotransmitter production.” Alcohol consumption only exacerbates symptoms of brain aging.

Dr. Willeumier cites an August 2020 neuroimaging study, published in the journal Nature Scientific Reports. Researchers looked at 353 participants age 39 to 45 who underwent an MRI and used neurological and neuropsychiatric assessments to find that moderate alcohol consumption (fewer than three drinks per day for females, four drinks per day or less for males) was associated with a smaller brain volume. An October 2008 neuroimaging study, published in JAMA Neurology, looked at 1,839 participants age 33 to 88 and found that higher levels of alcohol consumption were associated with smaller brain volume.

Source: The Effects of Alcohol to an Aging Brain Can’t Be Undone | Well+Good

Lib News Article Claims We May Be Living in a ‘Permanent Pandemic’

We’ve now endured a year of life-disrupting measures due to the coronavirus pandemic, which the country — and world — has adapted to. Sadly, it appears as though our own social lockdown measures created needless death and despair.

The cure was worse than the problem.

If you ask one Bloomberg columnist, who formerly worked as a columnist for The Economist, the nightmare will never end– and why should it? Everything is bad and sad and most definitely hopeless, despite the fact that states across the country are rolling back restrictions with great success.

Andreas Kluth, who writes opinions for the left-wing publication, argued Wednesday, “We must start planning for a permanent pandemic,” and he cited the emergence of these supposedly deadly new viral “variants” we keep hearing so much about.

“For the past year, an assumption — sometimes explicit, often tacit — has informed almost all our thinking about the pandemic: At some point, it will be over, and then we’ll go ‘back to normal,’” Kluth wrote. “This premise is almost certainly wrong.”

Source: Lib News Article Claims We May Be Living in a ‘Permanent Pandemic’

Miami Beach declares state of emergency over spring break crowds

 

The city of Miami Beach on Saturday declared a state of emergency over spring break crowds that have descended on the popular South Florida destination.

During an afternoon news conference, Mayor Dan Gelber announced an 8 p.m. curfew for the South Beach entertainment district. He also said shore-bound traffic on the city’s causeways would be shuttered.

Both measures will be in effect for at least 72 hours, the mayor said, while extending the emergency is debated by officials.

The city will impose an 8 p.m. curfew in the South Beach entertainment district.

Source: Miami Beach declares state of emergency over spring break crowds

Idaho Legislature votes to halt session after multiple lawmakers infected with COVID-19 | ktvb.com

BOISE, Idaho — The Idaho Legislature voted Friday to hit pause on the 2021 session after multiple lawmakers became infected with COVID-19.

The motion to halt the session until noon on April 6, 2021 passed both the House and the Senate with a unanimous vote.

At least half a dozen lawmakers are currently positive for the virus.

Rep. Julie Yamamoto, R-Caldwell, Rep. Bruce Skaug, R-Nampa, Rep. Lance Clow, R-Twin Falls, Rep. Ryan Kerby, R-New Plymouth, Rep. Greg Chaney, R-Caldwell and Rep. James Ruchti, D-Pocatello, have all said they were infected.

Source: Idaho Legislature votes to halt session after multiple lawmakers infected with COVID-19 | ktvb.com

Where did COVID originate? WHO thinks it knows – al.com

Ever since the coronavirus pandemic began, the question has been, “Where did COVID-19 originate?”

According to a report by NPR, a member of the World Health Organization investigative team says the most likely source of the COVID-19 pandemic are “wildlife farms in southern China.”

Peter Daszak, a disease ecologist with EcoHealth Alliance, and a member of the WHO delegation that traveled to China earlier this year, told NPR that during that trip, new evidence was found by the WHO team, that vendors at the Huanan Seafood Wholesale Market in Wuhan were being supplied with animals from these wildlife farms.

Source: Where did COVID originate? WHO thinks it knows – al.com

Paris to enter four-week lockdown as France faces third Covid wave | France | The Guardian

Since late January, when he defied the calls of scientists and some in his government to lock down the country, Macron has said he would do whatever was needed to keep the euro zone’s second-largest economy as open as possible. However, this week he ran out of options just as France and other European countries briefly suspended use of the Oxford/AstraZenca vaccine.

The prime minister, Jean Castex, said on Thursday that France was in the grip of a third wave, with the virulent variant first detected in Britain now accounting for about 75% of cases. Intensive care wards are under severe strain, notably in Paris where the incidence rate surpasses 400 infections in every 100,000 inhabitants. “The epidemic is getting worse. Our responsibility now is to not let it escape our control,” Castex told a news conference.

The lockdowns will start from Friday at midnight in France’s 16 hardest-hit departments that, with the exception of one on the Mediterranean, form a corridor from Calais to the capital. Barbers, clothing stores and furniture shops will have to close, though bookstores and other shops selling essential goods can stay open.

Source: Paris to enter four-week lockdown as France faces third Covid wave | France | The Guardian

Prince Philip leaves hospital after heart surgery | Prince Philip | The Guardian

The Duke of Edinburgh has left King Edward VII’s hospital in central London where he has been recovering after heart surgery, four weeks after first being admitted.

He was driven away from the private hospital on Tuesday morning.

“The Duke of Edinburgh has today been discharged from King Edward VII’s hospital and has returned to Windsor Castle, following treatment for an infection and a successful procedure for a pre-existing condition,” Buckingham Palace said on Tuesday.

“His Royal Highness wishes to thank all the medical staff who looked after him at both King Edward VII’s hospital and St Bartholomew’s hospital, and everyone who has sent their good wishes.”

Philip, 99, the nation’s longest-serving consort, was admitted on 16 February and, two weeks later, was moved to St Bartholomew’s hospital in the City of London where he underwent the heart procedure on 3 March.

After that, he was transferred back to King Edward’s to recuperate and to continue his treatment. He has spent 28 nights as an inpatient, his longest ever stay.Concern for his welfare has been heightened because of his advanced age. He has been treated for heart problems in the past and, in 2011, was taken to hospital by helicopter from Sandringham after suffering chest pains as the royal family was preparing for Christmas. He was treated for a blocked coronary artery at Papworth hospital in Cambridgeshire and underwent a minimally invasive procedure of coronary stenting.

St Bartholomew’s is home to Barts Heart Centre, Europe’s largest specialised cardiovascular service.

Source: Prince Philip leaves hospital after heart surgery | Prince Philip | The Guardian

Majority Of Colleges Canceled Spring Break 2021 : NPR

According to new research from the College Crisis Initiative at Davidson College, about 60% of colleges have done away with spring break this year. Many campuses are instead offering smaller, shorter breaks or wellness days. Of the more than 600 colleges offering alternative breaks, scheduling days off mid-week was the most common option, likely an attempt to curb travel away from campus, and ultimately keep coronavirus cases down.

“You can make all of the rules and tell students to stay on campus, but at the end of the day, they’re going to do what they want to do,” says Daniel Mangrum, an economist who has studied the connection between last year’s spring break and the spread of COVID-19. Mangrum found that student travel in March 2020 was associated with the virus spreading more on campuses and in nearby communities. It was also associated with higher mortality rates.

Source: Majority Of Colleges Canceled Spring Break 2021 : NPR

Brazil coronavirus: country in crisis as second wave and deadly new variant overwhelm hospitals – CNN

(CNN)A second wave of Covid-19 is ripping through Brazil, pushing hospitals and ICUs toward collapse and claiming record numbers of daily deaths.

While a new variant of the coronavirus spreads throughout the country, many Brazilians continue to defy mask mandates mobility restrictions following the example of President Jair Bolsonaro, who recently said people need to “stop being sissies” and “whining” about the virus.
The consequences of that combination are deadly, experts say. “We are going through the worst-case scenario since the beginning of the pandemic. You just have to look at the trends in the average number of deaths,” Gonzalo Vecina Neto, a Sao Paulo University professor of Public Health, recently told Reuters television. “This could have been avoided and the most important factor is gatherings.”
Brazil has broken its own record three times this month for number of deaths in a 24-hour period. On Wednesday, Brazil’s Health Ministry registered a devastating new high — 2,286 lives lost to the virus. In total, more than 270,000 people are known to have died due to Covid-19, making Brazil’s the second-highest national death toll after the United States.

Source: Brazil coronavirus: country in crisis as second wave and deadly new variant overwhelm hospitals – CNN

Coronavirus variants driving another surge across Europe – Axios

Why it matters: European countries reported around 1 million new cases last week, around a 9% increase from the week prior. Last week’s surge ended a six-week decline in new infections, the WHO said Thursday, according to AP.

By the numbers: The variant first found in the United Kingdom, which may be more transmissible and more deadly than the original strain of the virus, is spreading in 27 European countries monitored by WHO, according to AP.

  • It’s now the dominant strain in at least 10 countries: Britain, Denmark, Italy, Ireland, Germany, France, the Netherlands, Israel, Spain and Portugal.
  • Meanwhile, the variant first discovered in South Africa has been found in 26 European countries. Vaccine producers ModernaPfizer and Novavax have each reported their vaccines, while still effective, offer less protection against the South African variant.
  • The Brazilian variant, detected in 15 European countries, may be able to reinfect people who survived infections with earlier versions of the coronavirus, according to Reuters.

The big picture: Italy’s government tightened coronavirus restrictions in some of its 20 regions this week in response to the surge.

Source: Coronavirus variants driving another surge across Europe – Axios

Bucking Republican trend, Alabama governor extends mask order

Breaking with other Southern GOP governors, Alabama Gov. Kay Ivey extended her state’s mask order for another month Thursday but said the requirement will end for good in April. Following the recommendations of medical officials, Ivey said she will keep the mask order that was set to expire Friday in place until April 9. Texas and neighboring Mississippi are easing health restrictions as vaccination numbers rise and illnesses linked to the coronavirus decline.

Source: Bucking Republican trend, Alabama governor extends mask order

Does Ivermectin Alleviate Covid-19 Symptoms? 

“Ivermectin is currently being used widely,” said Dr. Eduardo López-Medina, a doctor and researcher at the Center for Pediatric Infectious Diseases in Cali, Colombia, who led the new trial. “In many countries in the Americas and other parts of the world, it’s part of the national guidelines of treating Covid.”

But the drug has also proved divisive. While some scientists see potential, others suspect that effectively inhibiting the coronavirus may require extremely high, potentially unsafe doses. Health officials have also worried that people desperate for coronavirus treatments might take versions of the drug that have been formulated for pets. (It is commonly used to prevent heartworm in dogs.)

Source: Ivermectin Does Not Alleviate Mild Covid-19 Symptoms, Study Finds – The New York Times

Gov. Wolf says Pa. will vaccinate teachers, staff with J&J shot | Pittsburgh Post-Gazette

Gov. Tom Wolf on Wednesday said the state will give the Johnson & Johnson single-dose COVID-19 vaccine to PreK-12 teachers and other school staff, an announcement that comes as Pittsburgh Public Schools employees are expected to return to their buildings this month for the first time in a year.

Source: Gov. Wolf says Pa. will vaccinate teachers, staff with J&J shot | Pittsburgh Post-Gazette

A Deadly Synthetic Street Drug Called ‘Benzo Dope’ Is on the Rise

FRANCISCO GARCIA

The emerging drug contains two highly-potent highs, fentanyl and etizolam, and has been linked to a string of drug deaths in Canada.

Fatal overdoses are more likely to occur after using benzo dope because the life-saving opioid overdose reversal drug, naloxone, is not effective against benzos.

Benzo dope, also known as ‘purple heroin’, is most commonly dark purple, blue and orange, but it has been found to be other colours.

Drug forensic experts in British Columbia found that in October last year one in six (16 percent) of fentanyl deals were cut with benzodiazepines – a type of drug not usually found cut into opioids – compared to five per cent last January and zero before 2019.

The most common benzo identified in benzo dope was etizolam, a super potent benzo that is fuelling record drug death rates in Scotland.

Authorities in Canada were first alerted to benzo dope when health workers noticed a cluster of 30 “atypical” overdoses over two weeks in Vancouver in April 2019, where drug users were not responding to naloxone. A warning about the new drug combo was issued by Vancouver Coastal Health.

The combination of benzos and fentanyl causes prolonged loss of consciousness, profound respiratory depression and amnesia. In January, half of the 165 suspected illicit drug toxicity deaths in British Columbia – most of which involved fentanyl – also involved benzos, compared to only 15 percent in July last year. Last year was the deadliest year on record for overdoses in British Columbia, the epicentre of Canada’s drug death crisis.

Source: A Deadly Synthetic Street Drug Called ‘Benzo Dope’ Is on the Rise

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