Friday, December 17, 2021

Wake-Up Call: CDC Cautions About Rare Blood Clots

With the Covid-19 omicron variant threat looming and already showing up in parts of the country amid an ongoing delta surge, just one week ahead of Christmas, health officials are urging those who aren't vaccinated to get vaccinated and those who are more than six months from their second shot to get a booster. But they now are saying you should get vaccinated with either Pfizer's or Moderna's vaccine, not with Johnson & Johnson's. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention made the recommendation yesterday because the J&J shot can in very rare cases cause serious blood clots, and it has caused nine confirmed deaths. The Pfizer and Moderna vaccinations not only don't have that risk, but also appear to be more effective.

🌪TORNADOES' DEATH TOLL UP TO 90 AFTER 13-YEAR-OLD'S BODY FOUND: The death toll from the tornadoes that roared through the Midwest and parts of the South last Friday night has risen to 90 in five states, including 76 deaths in Kentucky, after the discovery of a 13-year-old girl's body in Bowling Green, Kentucky, Thursday. Nyssa Brown was the seventh member of her family to die in the tornado that hit Bowling Green, including her parents, three siblings and a grandmother.
 

Candle Factory Survivors Sue: In another development, survivors of a tornado that destroyed a candle factory in Mayfield, Kentucky, killing eight workers, have filed suit against the company, claiming it showed "flagrant indifference" by not allowing employees to go home early as the storm neared. The company has previously denied claims that workers were threatened with being fired if they left, saying they were free to leave anytime without retribution.

 ➤FDA REMOVES ABORTION PILL RESTRICTIONS: The Food and Drug Administration yesterday permanently ended a long-standing requirement that abortion pills have to be picked up in person. That means women in the U.S. will now be able to get a prescription for the medication through the mail after an online consultation. Prescribers will still have to undergo certification and training, and pharmacies dispensing the pills will also have to be certified, but the FDA said a scientific review supported no longer only allowing a small number of special clinics and doctors offices to dispense the pills. However, legal challenges are likely, as well as restrictions in Republican-led states, some of which have already outlawed their delivery by mail. About 40 percent of all abortions in the U.S. are now done via medication.

➤JUDGE REJECTS PURDUE PHARMA'S OPIOID BANKRUPTCY SETTLEMENT: OxyContin maker Purdue Pharma’s bankruptcy settlement of thousands of lawsuits over the opioid epidemic was rejected by a federal judge Thursday over a provision that would protect members of the Sackler family, who are Purdue's owners, from facing litigation. U.S. District Judge Colleen McMahon ruled that bankruptcy law doesn't give the bankruptcy judge who accepted the plan the authority to grant that kind of release for people who aren't themselves declaring bankruptcy. Purdue said it would appeal, while also trying to come up with another agreement. Purdue sought bankruptcy protection in 2019 as it faced thousands of lawsuits claiming the company pushed doctors to prescribe OxyContin, helping start the ongoing opioid crisis.


➤BIDEN PRESENTS MEDAL OF HONOR TO THREE SOLIDERS, TWO POSTHUMOUSLY: President Biden on Thursday presented the Medal of Honor, the nation's highest military award, to three soldiers who fought in Afghanistan and Iraq, two of them posthumously. Honored in the White House ceremony were: Master Sergeant Earl Plumlee, a Special Forces soldier who fought off Taliban insurgents after an attack in Afghanistan in 2013; Sergeant 1st Class Christopher Celiz, an Army Ranger who died at age 32 after putting himself between Taliban fighters and a U.S. helicopter evacuating wounded soldiers in Afghanistan in 2018; and Sergeant 1st Class Alwyn Cashe, who died at age 35 as a result of burns he suffered while rescuing fellow soldiers from a burning vehicle in Iraq in 2005. The White House said Cashe is the first Black servicemember to receive the Medal of Honor for military actions since the Vietnam War.

➤EX-MCDONALD'S CEO RETURNS $105 MILLION OVER LYING ABOUT IMPROPER RELATIONSHIPS: Former McDonald's CEO Steve Easterbrook has returned $105 million in salary and stock to settle a misconduct case with the company. Easterbrook was fired in 2019 when it was revealed that he'd violated company policy by having a sexual relationship with an employee. However, he was still given a generous severance because he said he didn't have any other improper relationships as CEO. However, McDonald's later learned he had physical relationships with at least three other women, and gave one of them stock worth hundreds of thousands of dollars. With his return of the $105 million, McDonald's is dropping its lawsuit against Easterbrook, avoiding a trial.

➤CHRIS NOTH ACCUSED OF SEXUAL ASSAULT BY TWO WOMEN:  Two women have accused Sex and the City actor Chris Noth of sexual assault.

Chris Noth
The two women, who spoke to The Hollywood Reporter using the names Zoe, now 40, and Lily, now 31, said that promotions and press reports of the HBO Max series And Just Like That..., in which Noth reprises his role as Mr. Big, "stirred painful memories."

Zoe told the outlet that the actor raped her from behind in his Los Angeles apartment in 2004. According to her account, she went to Cedars-Saini hospital with a friend following the incident, and told staff she had been assaulted but wouldn’t say who did it. 

 THR reports that Lily claims she was attacked in a similar manner at the actor's New York City apartment in 2015.

Zoe Lister-Jones
Contacted for comment, Noth sent THR a statement: “The accusations against me made by individuals I met years, even decades, ago are categorically false. These stories could’ve been from 30 years ago or 30 days ago — no always means no — that is a line I did not cross. The encounters were consensual. It’s difficult not to question the timing of these stories coming out. I don’t know for certain why they are surfacing now, but I do know this: I did not assault these women.”

Shortly after The Hollywood Reporter ran their report, Peloton pulled their ad featuring Noth. A spokesperson for the company told THR on Thursday (Dec. 16th), “Every single sexual assault accusation must be taken seriously. We were unaware of these allegations when we featured Chris Noth in our response to HBO’s reboot. As we seek to learn more, we have stopped promoting this video and archived related social posts.”

NY Post screenshot 12/17/21
➤SEARCH WARRANT ISSUED FOR ALEC BALDWIN'S CELL PHONE:  Alec Baldwin’s phone may contain evidence in the Rust shooting death of Halyna Hutchins.

A New Mexico judge signed off on a search warrant for Baldwin’s mobile phone Thursday.

Documents obtained by TMZ show that Baldwin told investigators about emails between head armorer Hannah Gutierrez-Reed and himself, in which she showed him different styles of guns and knives for the films. She allegedly showed him an antique Colt after he requested a larger gun.


🧒CHILD EXPERT EXPLAINS WHAT HAPPENS IF YOU BUY TOO MANY CHRISTMAS GIFTS FOR YOUR KIDS:  Can you spoil a child with too many Christmas gifts? Maggie Dent is an Australian parenting author and educator, and explains, “[…] too many toys can limit a child’s creativity and lead to an addiction to ‘stuff,’ which children can tend to get bored with easily.” She advises parents not to “overdo” it with Christmas presents, adding, “Save your money to provide delicious, quality food instead and create enjoyable experiences you can have with your kids. It’s better to give a well-intentioned gift that really meets a special interest in your child.” Dent also says you should be careful to avoid giving gifts that prompt sibling rivalry, and try to get gifts that get your child “off the couch.” She also notes that boardgames can be good for learning “patience and how to lose well.”

🐈PET EXPERTS: WHY YOU SHOULDN’T SCARE YOUR CAT AWAY FROM THE CHRISTMAS TREE:   If you’ve been scaring your cat away from the Christmas tree, animal experts say there’s a better way to deal with it. The trend began on TikTok, where one user created a video explaining, “I saw a TikTok saying that if you traumatize your cat with your tree before putting it up they will leave it alone.” She then shakes her tree in the cat’s face, causing the animal to back up and run away. Her video got over 33 million views. In a follow-up video she noted the cat was fine and hasn’t touched the Christmas tree. Veterinarian Sarah Wooten tells Fox News this is not the best way to get your cat away from the tree. She explains, “This strategy will create conflict in your relationship with your cat, which can lead to additional behavioral or bonding problems down the road. [Scaring cars] may also create fear and anxiety that can result in behavioral or medical problems, such as redirected aggression toward other people or pets, stress diarrhea, [bladder issues], inappropriate elimination, or urinating or defecating anywhere in the house other than the litter box.” Instead, she suggests cat owners provide an alternative space where cats can spend time and stay occupied. Other experts note you can place tinfoil around the base of your tree to deter your pet safely, and that you should keep cats away from real candles, tinsel, metal ornament hooks, glass ornaments and exposed electric cords because they all are potential safety hazards.

🏈CHIEFS BEAT CHARGERS 34-28 IN OVERTIME: The Kansas City Chiefs beat the Los Angeles Chargers 34-28 in overtime last night (December 16th), with Travis Kelce running in the winning touchdown after a 34-yard pass from quarterback Patrick Mahomes. Kelce, who had a career-high 191 receiving yards, also caught a score-tying seven-yard touchdown pass with 1:16 left in the fourth quarter. Mahomes threw for a season-high 410 yards and three touchdowns.

Chargers tight end Donald Parham suffered a scary injury in the first quarter when he appeared to lose consciousness after slamming his head on the turf. He was taken to the hospital, where the team said he was in stable condition.

😷NFL, NBA UPDATE COVID PROTOCOLS: The NFL and NBA both updated their Covid protocols yesterday in response to a surge in cases among players.
  • NFL: The NFL is now requiring masks regardless of vaccination status, as well as remote or outdoor meetings. It is ending in-person meals, adding restrictions on activities outside the facility, banning outside visitors during team travel, and limiting the amount of people in team weight rooms. They also adjusted the type of testing rules for returning to play after recovering from Covid, which could lead to shorter times out.
  • NBA: In the NBA, the league and players agreed to enhanced protocols through the holiday season. Being required to wear masks in most circumstances during team activities is returning, including during travel, when on the bench during games, in meetings, and in locker rooms, weight rooms and training rooms. Testing will also be increased from Decemer 26th through January 8th. The league also told teams that more requirements and recommendations would be coming in the next few days.
🏒CANADIENS AND FLYERS PLAY IN EMPTY ARENA DUE TO QUEBEC REQUEST DUE TO COVID: The Montreal Canadiens and Phildelphia Flyers played each other in an empty Bell Centre arena in Montreal after Quebec public health officials asked that no fans attend due to spiraling Covid-19 cases. The Canadiens said there would be an update later about the situation for Saturday's game against the Boston Bruins, but Montreal said it had been assured it would be allowed to return to partial capacity at the Bell Centre beginning in January.

➤BRADY ANNOUNCES NIL DEALS WITH 10 COLLEGE ATHLETES FOR APPAREL BRAND: Tampa Bay Buccaneers quarterback Tom Brady announced yesterday that he'd signed 10 college athletes to name, image and likeness (NIL) deals for his new apparel brand, called Brady. Athletes from six sports are represented in the brand's first class, including Michigan quarterback Cade McNamara, Jackson State quarterback Shedeur Sanders, and Maryland basketball forward Julian Reese. ESPN reports that the new line will debut in January.

➤FORMER NFL WIDE RECEIVER VINCENT JACKSON DIAGNOSED WITH STAGE 2 CTE AFTER FEBRUARY DEATH: Former NFL wide receiver Vincent Jackson, who was found dead in a Florida hotel in February at age 38, has been diagnosed as having Stage 2 chronic traumatic encephalopathy (CTE), the Concussion Legacy Foundation announced Thursday (December 16th). Jackson, who spent 12 years in the NFL with the Chargers and the Buccaneers before retiring in 2016, was found in the hotel, where he'd been staying for a month, after his family reported him missing. Dr. Ann McKee, chief of neuropathology for the VA Boston Healthcare System and director of the BU CTE Center, said in a statement, "Vincent Jackson was a brilliant, disciplined, gentle giant whose life began to change in his mid-30s. He became depressed, with progressive memory loss, problem solving difficulties, paranoia, and eventually extreme social isolation." Jackson's cause of death has not been announced.



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