Merrifield says he’s vaccinated, ready to play for Blue Jays

WASHINGTON - The flagship climate change and health care bill passed by Democrats and soon to be signed by President Joe Biden will bring U.S. taxpayers one step closer to a government-operated electronic free-file tax return system.It’s something lawmakers and advocates have been seeking for years.

ORLANDO, Fla. - Isaac Aviles, 19, was relieved to finally find a rental home he could afford.But a couple of weeks ago, the home's real owner told him he's been paying the wrong person, and he might need to get out.Aviles was paying $1,200 for the three-bedroom house in Orlando.He says he found it on Zillow, paying a man he spoke to on the phone, but hasn't met in person."I just know like what his name was that he gave me, but it doesn’t seem to match up with anything," Aviles said.After paying the man rent for three months, Aviles got a letter on his door, saying that man isn't the owner.The company that does own it has the home on its website, saying the rent is twice as much.TRENDING: Video: Bear climbs barbed wire fence at Florida Air Force baseAviles might still be able to stay there if he is approved and can afford it.FOX 35 called the person Aviles has been paying to ask about that specific house.The man asked how soon we wanted to move in, but hung up after hearing our questions about who owns the house.MORE NEWS: Florida teen who lost leg in shark attack discharged from hospitalOrlando realtor Mateo Reza tells FOX 35 rental fraud has become more common, with so many vacant homes owned by large firms and so much competition from renters."People are desperate to find a rental property, because rents have increased so much that it is really difficult for them to afford rent here in Central Florida," Reza said.Reza recommends searching homes on multiple sites to see if there are different owners, or checking the county assessor's website.

TOMS RIVER, N.J. - New Jersey’s top environmental officer says the state is not ready for the worsening effects of climate change and rising seas. Speaking Thursday at a state government hearing in Toms River, Commissioner of Environmental Protection Shawn LaTourette said, "We should all be alarmed." He says warming temperatures and rising seas will only get worse and New Jersey, its people and businesses need to commit to years of sustained action to shore up the state's defenses. That includes elevating homes, building storm barriers and using natural solutions like restoring salt marshes and wetlands to absorb stormwater and trap planet-warming carbon.

LISBON, PORTUGAL - JUNE 01: Panama registered Carnival Pride, a Spirit-class cruise ship operated by Carnival Cruise Line, sails the Tagus River after leaving the Cruise Terminal on June 01, 2022 in Lisbon, Portugal. The 88,500 GT, 2,124 passengers a Carnival Cruise Lines announced on Friday that they have updated their protocols to meet public health goals regarding COVID-19. In a release Friday, the cruise line said they're making it easier for more guests to sail with simplified vaccination and testing guidelines, including no testing for vaccinated guests on sailings less than 16 nights, and eliminating the exemption requests process for unvaccinated guests. RELATED: CDC drops quarantine, screening recommendations for COVID-19The following guidelines will be in effect with cruises departing on Tuesday, Sept.

WISSINOMING - It may feel like Philadelphia city pools just opened for the season, but beginning Friday, some of those pools are closing down and it isn’t even mid-August. But, it is the beginning of the end of summer."This is my favorite pool because it’s clear and it’s not dirty and they have really nice guards here," Mathyas Serrano said."I’m happy I’m here," chimed in Elias Serrano.The Serrano brothers aren’t happy their neighborhood pool is one of the first to close for the summer. "If we were to celebrate here, my mom would bring a table and chairs and all that normal pool party stuff.

Lee Ryan has apologised to fans and his bandmates after being ‘arrested for disruptive behaviour’ while on a recent flight. The Blue singer, 39, had been photographed being arrested at London City Airport at the end of July after becoming disruptive on a flight from Glasgow when he wasn’t served alcohol. He took to Twitter on Friday to apologise for the incident, writing: ‘A note from Lee. Over the last few days, I have had a lot of time to think about my behaviour and how it affects people around me.‘As it has been well documented, I have always had my struggles with alcohol and often say or do silly things as a result of that, which in turn has caused problems for myself and those around me.

COVID-19 patients early in the pandemic had 4% higher healthcare use in the 6 months after illness onset than matched controls, most notably for infection-related conditions, hair loss, bronchitis, pulmonary embolism or deep vein thrombosis, and shortness of breath, finds a study today in JAMA Network Open.Kaiser Permanente researchers led the study, which involved 127,859 C

CHARLOTTESVILLE, VA - On August 12, 2017, James Alex Fields, drove through a group of people who were peacefully protesting a white supremacist "Unite The Right" rally in Charlottesville, Virginia near the University of Virginia, killing 32-year old Heather Heyer and injuring more than a dozen others. President Donald Trump at the time condemned what he called an "egregious display of hatred, bigotry and violence on many sides."Since then, Fields, an avowed white supremacist, has been convicted and sentenced to two life sentences in prison and many continue to honor the life of Heather Heyer years after her death including her mother, Susan Bro, who started a foundation in her name which has provided scholarships to "individuals active in creating positive social change." The mother of Heather Heyer delivered a heartfelt speech during an emotional memorial service in Charlottesville, Virginia.Heyer was a paralegal who spoke passionately about social issues.

PTI report said. Interestingly, the results show that certain animals are more able to make these types of "pan-SARS virus" antibodies than humans, giving scientists clues as to how to make better vaccines and the findings, published on Thursday in the journal Science Translational Medicine, reveal the antibody structures that produce this more comprehensive immune response.

The Centre has directed seven states--Delhi, Kerala, Karnataka, Maharashtra, Odisha, Tamil Nadu, and Telangana--reporting a surge of covid cases to continue to monitor the spread of infection and advised them to increase the pace of vaccination NEW DELHI: India reported 16,561 fresh coronavirus infections and 49 deaths in the last 24 hours, as per the health ministry’s update on Friday. The country’s active caseload currently stands at 1,23,535, with total reported cases since March 2020--when the pandemic hit--4.42 crore.

Covid-19: The data showed that active cases currently stands at 1,23,535, now constituting 0.28% of the total infections. India on Friday recorded 16,561 new coronavirus cases, according to the latest Union Health Ministry data. With these additions, the country's overall Covid-19 figures rose to 4,42,23,557 cases and 5,26,928 deaths.

LOS ANGELES - Actress Anne Heche's injuries are so severe that her circle appears to be bracing for the worst.According to Heche's representative, the actress suffered a "catastrophic brain injuries" from last week's crash in Mar Vista. Heche is not expected to survive, according to her representative.Heche's representative issued the following statement:"We want to thank everyone for their kind wishes and prayers for Anne's recovery and thank the dedicated staff and wonderful nurses that cared for Anne at the Grossman Burn Center at West Hills hospital. Unfortunately, due to her accident, Anne Heche suffered a severe anoxic brain injury and remains in a coma, in critical condition.

ALSO READ: Corbevax approved as booster for those jabbed with Covishield, Covaxin: Report "This approval came after the Drug Controller General of India (DCGI) approved the vaccine for emergency use as a heterologous COVID-19 booster dose for individuals aged 18 years on June 4, 2022," an official statement from the BE said. Apart from this, the Hyderabad-based pharmaceutical company said that the Corbevax had received emergency use authorization as a primary two-dose vaccination regimen in adults, adolescents and children aged 5 years and above, in a series of approvals from December'21 to April'22. "Pan-India roll-out of the booster shot vaccine in children aged between 12 to 14 years was initiated on March 16, 2022 and till now almost 7 crore doses have been administered and 2.9 crore children completed their two-dose vaccination regimen," it said.

ALSO READ: Canada: Random Covid testing will resume for international travellers The House panel said J&J told it that a batch of the shots failed inspection, which rendered all of them unusable. According to South Carolina Democrat and COVID-19 subcommittee chairman Jim Clyburn, the factory's problems have hurt vaccinations in areas of the world where vaccines are still in short supply.

Contractors inspect plans as a Florida East Coast Railway Corp. (FEC) freight train moves past the All Aboard Florida Brightline Express Intercity train station under construction in West Palm Beach, Florida, U.S., on Friday, Oct.

Model Released: Baseball bat and ball on base plate (Photo by Markus Boesch/Getty Images) A little leaguer who was at the center of a heartwarming moment will be attending a World Series little league game! PREVIOUS: Little Leaguer comforts pitcher who hit him in helmet with pitchTulsa’s Isaiah Jarvis, who was at the center of that heartwarming moment in Waco when he was hit in the helmet by Pearland’s Kaiden A.K.A. "Bubs" Shelton and then went to console Bubs after he was visibly shaken during the Southwest Regional Final, will be in Williamsport, PA to help cheer the team on.Texas East pitcher Kaiden Shelton was visibly shaken up as Jarvis lay in the batter's box.

A survey of tuberculosis (TB) treatment centers in Europe found the availability of drug susceptibility testing (DST) for new and repurposed TB drugs in Europe is severely limited, drugs and regimens for drug-resistant TB are limited, and treatment costs for drug-resistant TB are very high, according to a study published this week in Clinical Microbiology and Infection.For the study, a team of researchers with the Tuberculosis Ne

LAS VEGAS - New details were released Thursday on the DUI arrest of former Seattle Seahawks running back Marshawn Lynch from earlier this week in Las Vegas. On Aug. 9 before 7:30 a.m, an officer was conducting a vehicle stop on a car for a man asleep behind the wheel.According to a police report, the car had significant damage, with no rim or tire on the driver’s side front wheel, with dents and dings on the rear driver’s side wheel that about to fall off and the front passenger rim and tire that was almost off. The officer noticed the car was not running but the car had a push button to start and the keys were with the driver. The driver, who was later identified as Lynch, was asleep behind the wheel with the driver’s door open and leaning back in the seat, documents said. Investigators noted Lynch would speak and fell in and out of sleep several times throughout the encounter. According to the police report, the officer noticed a strong odor of alcohol emitting from the car and Lynch, his eyes were bloodshot and watery, and he had one shoe on.  Lynch told the officer that he was "not drinking and he does not do drugs, but that he stole the vehicle," documents said. The report said the responding officer asked Lynch if he would exit the car, he refused and became uncooperative.

With inputs from PTI 

Karnataka Health Minister K Sudhakar on Thursday pointed out that only 17% of people have taken booster doses in the state and further urged all to get the third shot. This comes at a time when the positivity rate seems to be increasing in the state.  Noting that immunity decreases or wanes after 6-7 months of taking the vaccine, he said, Sudhakar said, "Not taking the booster dose of the COVID-19 vaccine even when it has been made available free for everyone amounts to negligence and we as responsible citizens must avail it to enhance immunity."  The health minister today met the COVID-19 technical advisory committee (TAC), and following which, he said, “The average positivity rate of Karnataka is 7.2% at the moment.

Moderna says construction of its new mRNA vaccine factory in the Montreal area will begin later this year, with production expected to begin by the end of 2024.The vaccine manufacturer is announcing that it has agreed to purchase land in a biotechnology park in Laval, Que., a northern suburb of Montreal, to serve as the site of its biomanufacturing facility.The Massachusetts-based company says the site is ideal due to its proximity to a renowned research institute, the Institut national de la recherche scientifique.Moderna announced in April that it would build a factory in the Montreal area that would be able to produce 100 million doses of mRNA vaccines a year. Montreal chosen as location for new Canadian Moderna vaccine-manufacturing plant The facility is expected to produce vaccines not only against COVID-19 but also targeting various respiratory viruses, including influenza and respiratory syncytial virus, or RSV.The company says the facility is expected to be operational by the end of 2024, “subject to planning and regulatory approvals.”“This location offers tremendous synergies to Moderna due to its proximity to a renowned research institute, in addition to fitting the requirements of the project and its importance to all Canadians and Quebecers,” the company said in a news release.

North Korea's Kim Jong Un declared a "shining victory" over Covid-19 as his sister revealed he had fallen ill during the outbreak, which she blamed on South Korea, state media reported.

covid vaccine doses have been administered under the nationwide vaccination drive so far, with 1,25,076 doses given in the last 24 hours. Last week, the Centre directed Delhi, Kerala, Karnataka, Maharashtra, Odisha, Tamil Nadu, and Telangana--all reporting a surge in active cases--to continue to monitor the spread of infection and advised them to increase the pace of vaccination for eligible population.

PHILADELPHIA - Temple University says masks will be optional in all non-healthcare indoor and outdoor settings to start the Fall semester."When it comes to masking, we encourage all members of the Temple community to make the best decision for themselves, taking into consideration all factors, including COVID-19 transmission levels, the indoor setting and their own health, while respecting the decisions of others to protect themselves," the school said in a press release. Temple is still encouraging students and staff to have a mask handy and be willing to wear it to keep vulnerable members of the school community safe. Free surgical masks are available at the entrance of every building, according to the school, and a limited number of KN95s are available in Main Campus buildings. MORE LOCAL HEADLINES"We will continue to monitor the situation and may have to make adjustments to our masking and other policies later in the semester depending on conditions, but for now, let’s be respectful to each other and take care of ourselves," the school said. Meanwhile, the Temple Association of University Professionals (TAUP) shared a statement saying it "does not agree with the university's decision on masks." They claim the decision was made without "meaningful consultation" with faculty or staff. TAUP is requesting that Temple allow instructors the option to require masking in their classrooms and teaching spaces.In accordance with Philadelphia's vaccine mandate on institutions of higher education, Temple students and staff are still required to have at least the original COVID-19 series.

The Florida House has passed the bill to repeal the Reedy Creek Improvement Act, which gave Disney special status over 50 years ago, allowing it to act as its own government on company property. The move comes amid Gov. Ron DeSantis' very public battle with the Walt Disney Company over support for the so-called "Don't Say Gay" Bill, which DeSantis signed into law last month.Walt Disney Co.

DYERSVILLE, Iowa (AP) - David Bell's grandfather, father and brother played in the majors. Bell spent 12 years in the big leagues himself and worked as a coach and front office executive before taking over as manager of the Cincinnati Reds.So yeah, " Field of Dreams," a movie about family and baseball, hits a little differently for him."Baseball's a big part of our life," Bell said, "and I thought that the movie did a great job of kind of just telling the story of how important baseball can be to families and just to people in general.""Field of Dreams" gets another tribute Thursday night when Bell's Reds take on the Chicago Cubs in a throwback ballpark in the cornfields of eastern Iowa, a short walk from the field where Kevin Costner, James Earl Jones, Ray Liotta and Amy Madigan filmed the 1989 movie.Under a light blue sky with a few dashes of clouds, workers put the final touches on the major league park on a warm Wednesday afternoon.

Today we are reporting 4,818 community cases and 571 current hospitalisations.

“I THOUGHT I was going to have f***ing bolts in my neck,” says a rueful Ozzy Osbourne. He’s referring to his lowest point during three gruelling years since the fall that “really screwed me up”. Ozzy gingerly places his forefingers on each side of said neck.

(With inputs from ANI)

HONOLULU – The Hawai‘i Department of Health announces scheduling opportunities for the COVID-19 vaccine manufactured by Novavax.Novavax is a two-dose primary series vaccine for individuals 18 and older. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention recommends administering the second dose three to eight weeks after the first.Novavax is a protein subunit vaccine.

The Full moon rises behind The Statue of Liberty in New York City, United States on August 23, 2021. (Photo by Tayfun Coskun/Anadolu Agency via Getty Images) The last supermoon of the year, also known as the Sturgeon Moon, happens Thursday night and coincides with the peak of the Perseid meteor shower. Before you get too excited about double celestial events, there is some bad news. The bright full moon will likely hinder those hoping to catch a glimpse of the meteor shower.

One day after the United States said it would allow intradermal, fractional dosing of Bavarian Nordic's monkeypox vaccine, Jynneos, the World Health Organization (WHO) called for more trials on the practice.The European Medicines Agency (EMA) told Reuters it will di

A single-center study today in JAMA Network Open finds longer-lasting humoral and cellular immune responses in US adults given a Johnson & Johnson (J&J) COVID-19 vaccine booster rather than a Pfizer/BioNTech booster after receiving two doses of the Pfizer vaccine at least 6 months earlier.

COVID-19 activity as “high and stable” with the possibility of an uptick in infections among residents come the fall.During the city’s Board of Health meeting on Wednesday, epidemiologist Ruth Sanderson told councillors the city has seen small increases in transmission since mid-June but hospitalizations tied to the affliction remain steady.“Wastewater signals, COVID-19 hospitalizations and ICU admissions indicate that we are in a stable state overall,” Sanderson said. Is the pandemic over? What to expect from COVID-19 in the months ahead In recent weeks, the seven-day average of hospitalizations has been above one new admission per day in the city, reaching as high as two new admissions on a few occasions in late July and early August.Over the past two weeks, specifically, that average hit 1.9 on July 22, 1.7 on July 29, and 2.0 on Aug.

Ukraine’s air force said Wednesday that nine Russian warplanes were destroyed in massive explosions at an air base in Crimea amid speculation they were the result of a Ukrainian attack that would represent a significant escalation in the war.

Tyshaun Harvey, 21, was arrested by U.S. Marshalls in California.  POTTSTOWN, Pa. - A man sought in connection with a murder in Pottstown has been arrested in California, according to the Montgomery County District Attorney. Authorities say Tyshaun Harvey, 21, was sought for the murder of 22-year-old Nahmer Baird in Pottstown. Baird was reportedly killed after an alleged shootout between the occupants of his Nissan Sentra and a Chrysler 300 at Locust Alley and West Street on May 29, according to officials. His car then crashed head-on into a Dodge pickup truck two blocks away, injuring its male driver.

Ontario MP Pierre Poilievre remains the heavy favourite to be the next Conservative party leader but he trails opponent Jean Charest for support among Canadians as a whole.

DETROIT (AP) - A Michigan city violated the U.S. Constitution by chalking tires to enforce parking limits, but it won’t be forced to refund thousands of tickets in the class-action case, a judge said.Saginaw must only pay vehicle owners "nominal damages" of $1.00 for each marking, U.S.

A veterinary technician carries beagles into Paw Prints Animal Hospital on August 8, 2022, in Waldorf, Maryland. Homeward Trails Animal Rescue partners with Paw Prints clinic to get rescued pets spayed and neutered as well as dental work done before WASHINGTON - Thousands of beagles have been removed from a mass breeding facility in Virginia and are ready to be adopted. The Humane Society of the United States said Tuesday that more than 2,000 beagles are now being transported to shelter and rescue organizations across the country.

PHILADELPHIA - As the family of Ellen Greenberg searches for answers more than 10 years after her death, the Chester County District Attorney's Office is now taking over the case. Greenberg, a school teacher, was found stabbed to death inside her Manayunk apartment in January 2011.Her death came just a few days after she sent out save the dates for her upcoming wedding. Officials initially ruled her death as a suicide before changing it to homicide. Then, the medical examiner's office switched the matter of death back to suicide, but Greenberg's parents, Sandee and Josh, were determined to keep pushing for answers. They maintained that Greenberg could not have stabbed herself that many times."I want my daughter's name cleared, because there's no way that she could have done that to herself," Sandee Greenberg said on Good Day Philadelphia in 2021. MORE LOCAL HEADLINESGreenberg's parents filed a lawsuit against the medical examiner's office and were granted a non-jury trial to try and get the cause of death changed back to homicide or marked as "undecided." Tom Brennan, a private investigator, joined Greenberg's parents on Good Day Philadelphia and said Ellen's fiance's uncle removed items from the apartment after the crime scene was cleared, including two laptops and a cell phone. "Right then and there, that negates that chain of evidence," Brennan said. "That adversely impacts the chain of evidence on those devices so that anything that's discovered on those devices can be challenged in court."According to Brennan, the Pennsylvania Attorney General's Office promised to provide a forensic analysis of Ellen's laptop, but the family never received a report.

Covid has been allowed in the country. All necessary changes in the administration of heterologous precaution dose using Corbevax to those eligible and due for precaution dose have been made on the Co-WIN portal. This provision would be live from August 12, Union Health Secretary Rajesh Bhushan said.

At a water pump in a camp for Rohingya refugees, Bangladesh. ©WHO

The unprecedented rise in monkeypox cases Regarding monkeypox, WHO chief  Dr Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus said that the has been known to infect humans for more than 50 years, but until this year, was little known or understood outside Africa. Owing to this, the disease received scant attention or investment.

Portugal holidays this summer need to make sure their documents are in order or they risk being turned away, especially with post-Brexit passport rules. The good news is that the popular holiday hotspot has lifted all of its Covid restrictions for travellers coming from the UK.That means there are no Covid vaccination, testing or passenger locator form requirements for entry to mainland Portugal, Madeira and the Azores.