Mystery virus sends young Houston-area man into organ failure

Manatū Hauora – the Ministry of Health has agreed that the COVID-19 prevalence surveys should not advance in their proposed current format. Aotearoa New Zealand has passed the emergency stage of its COVID-19 response, with the virus endemic in our communities. The results of any COVID-19-focused prevalence survey would be unlikely to meaningfully alter any current public health response as there are only two pandemic-related mandates still in place (the 7-day isolation period and mask use for visitors to healthcare facilities).

The new Omicron sub-variant has begun to spread across the world.

After seven decades of work, 91-year-old Betty Glover is finally able to retire.

Sam Smith had to cancel a second gig just hours before they were due to perform due to illness.

Strongman Mitchell Hooper has captured the greatest prize in his sport, claiming the title of World’s Strongest Man.Known as “The Moose” in the Strongman community, the Barrie, Ont., competitor beat out nine other international competitors in various feats of strength in Myrtle Beach, S.C., over the weekend to lift the Canadian flag to the top of the podium.“It’s not going to hit me for a while,” Hooper told USA Today. “It’s very hard for me to digest these things.

Nicole Murphy has joined the chorus of celebrity voices sending their love and support as Jamie Foxx continues to recover from his recent health scare.«I just pray everything will be okay,» the 55-year-old told on Saturday, explaining that she hasn't spoken to Foxx since he was hospitalized with a «medical complication» nearly two weeks ago. «We love Jamie.

COVID variants have emerged. Considering all these facts, many are of the view that it is high time to start thinking about a ‘next-gneration’ vaccine.  World Health Organisation ( WHO) has pointed out that currently, there are over 500 variant Omicron variants circulating worldwide and, with every mutation, the coronavirus is getting much fitter.  So, there is a high chance that the vaccines that are in use now might become less effective over time.

Denmark found much more than that when she unearthed a hoard of nearly 300 silver coins believed to be over 1,000 years old while using a metal detector in a cornfield last autumn.The coins, as per the Historical Museum of North Jutland in Denmark, were discovered close to the Fyrkat Viking fortress site near the town of Hobro, in northwestern part of the country. Read more: Great Pacific Garbage Patch now home to thriving ecosystem, scientists say The girl, who gave the artifacts to the museum, found a mix of Danish, German and Arabic coins.

The Rollerblade Fury Inline Skates and Rollerblade Fury brake supports are pictured in provided images. (Credit: U.S.

Richard Glossip is pictured in a photo provided by Oklahoma Department of Corrections. (Credit: Oklahoma Department of Corrections, File) OKLAHOMA CITY - An Oklahoma appeals court on Thursday upheld the murder conviction of death row inmate Richard Glossip, paving the way for Glossip to be executed on May 18, despite the state attorney general’s concerns about some testimony and evidence.Glossip can still plead his case for clemency to the five-member Oklahoma Pardon and Parole Board, which could recommend that the governor spare the prisoner’s life by commuting his sentence to life in prison without parole.Glossip has been scheduled for execution before and three separate times came within hours of being put to death.The Oklahoma Court of Criminal Appeals' ruling said his case "has been thoroughly investigated and reviewed," with Glossip given "unprecedented access" to prosecutors' files."Yet he has not provided this court with sufficient information that would convince this court to overturn the jury's determination that he is guilty of first-degree murder and should be sentenced to death," according to the ruling written by Judge David Lewis.Glossip's attorney, Don Knight, said he will continue to seek a new trial."It is unconscionable for the court to attempt to force the State to move forward with his execution," Knight said.

A fisherman tests his skills from the shoreline at Fort Smallwood Park in Baltmiore as the sun rises over the Chesapeake Bay on August 12, 2020. (Brian Krista/Baltimore Sun/Tribune News Service via Getty Images) BALTIMORE - Pennsylvania must minimize its outsized role in polluting the Chesapeake Bay, according to a proposed settlement agreement announced Thursday that would subject the state to increased oversight from federal environmental officials.The agreement comes after other jurisdictions in the bay’s watershed — Maryland, Virginia, Delaware and the District of Columbia — filed a lawsuit in 2020 arguing Pennsylvania wasn’t pulling its weight in their collective effort to reach a 2025 pollution reduction goal.

MESA, Ariz. - A man who was allegedly found by police naked after baptizing himself in the fountain of a Mesa church has been arrested.According to court documents, officers on April 15 were called to the One Life Church, located near Gilbert Road and University Drive, after someone encountered a naked man in the baptism fountain. The man was told to leave the church, but instead, he grabbed a blanket and continued walking on the property.Officers found the suspect, identified as 20-year-old Jeremiah Sykes, who said he was baptizing himself naked in the fountain.Sykes was arrested.After he was taken to a holding facility to be booked into jail, Sykes allegedly threw a sock at a detention officer and punched him in the head.

LOS ANGELES - A woman in a stolen senior transportation van, with an elderly man inside, was taken into custody Thursday morning after leading authorities on a high-speed pursuit across the San Fernando Valley.The suspect, later identified as Lindsey Gordonellyson, was seen driving erratically in a Golden Age Senior Daycare van at a high rate of speed across Van Nuys. The senior center is located in Tarzana.SkyFOX images from the scene showed the passenger side door open throughout the pursuit.

SOUTH PHILADELPHIA - A 12-year-old boy and a 30-year-old man have been hospitalized after someone shot them in South Philadelphia.Officials say the shooting happened Thursday night, about 8:30, on the 2300 block of Tasker Street.17th District officers, responding to the call, found the boy with a gunshot wound to the butt.MORE HEADLINES:Police rushed him to Children’s Hospital of Philadelphia, where he was placed in stable condition.The 30-year-old man sustained two gunshots to his leg. Police took him to Penn Presbyterian Medical Center where he was also listed in stable condition.Police are actively investigating what prompted the shooting.

crying baby on an airplane is going viral over the way he yells at flight attendants and makes a huge scene with a profanity-laced tirade.The video, titled “Belligerent passenger causes diversion,” has racked up hundreds of thousands of views on TikTok, with many people feeling far more sorry for the screaming baby and the man’s surrounding passengers. ♬ original sound – bad_ideas_galore The angry man, who is not identified in the clip, can be heard becoming increasingly irate, swearing more than 20 times as he yells at airline staff.“You’re yelling,” one flight attendant says to the angry passenger on the Florida-bound flight.“So is the baby!” the upset man says, while his embarrassed seatmate places her hand over her face.

WASHINGTON - Missing sisters, Hanna Lee and Skye Rex, who were last seen with their mother three years ago in Pennsylvania, have been found safe, according to the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children (NCMEC).The nonprofit company made the announcement Wednesday via social media using age-progressed images of the girls.Missing sisters who were last seen with their mother two years ago in Pennsylvania may be in the D.C. region.NCMEC shared a statement on behalf of the children’s father, John Rex the same day. "I’m so grateful for everyone’s support in helping us get to this day," the statement reads.

NORTH PHILADELPHIA - A 15-year-old boy was shot at Dendy Rec Center in North Philadelphia Wednesday afternoon. He was taken by ambulance to St. Christopher’s Hospital for Children where he is listed as stable.

FILE-A stylist cuts a man's hair at a salon. (Photo by: Jeff Greenberg/Universal Images Group via Getty Images) Grey hair is a physical change most experience as they get older, but new scientific research may shed light on how people can protect their natural hair color. A study by researchers from the NYU Grossman School of Medicine finds that some stem cells can transition between growth areas in hair follicles but get stuck as people get older and lose their ability to mature and sustain hair color, according to a release from NYU Langone Health.The team’s study, published in the scientific journal Nature on Wednesday, centered on cells found in the skin of mice and humans called melanocyte stem cells or McSCs. Hair color, the researchers explain, is controlled based on nonfunctional but continually growing pools of McSCs in hair follicles to become mature cells that make protein pigments responsible for hair color.The study notes McSCs are plastic, which means during hair growth, the cells move back and forth as they transition between parts of the developing hair follicle.

PHILADELPHIA - The Philadelphia District Attorney’s Office has announced charges in connection with a shooting and car chase that ended in a crash on I-76 in South Philadelphia. Just before 3 a.m. Wednesday morning, police responded to a report of a shooting at FDR Park and a crash on I-76 near Passyunk Avenue. Officers responded to the scene on the highway and found a Ford SUV and Infiniti Sedan had been involved in a crash. Two people were found inside of the Ford SUV, including a 27-year-old man who was in the backseat suffering from a gunshot wound to the neck.

LOS ANGELES - A woman in a stolen senior transportation van with an elderly man inside was taken into custody Thursday morning after leading authorities on a high-speed pursuit across the San Fernando Valley.The suspect was seen driving erratically in a Golden Age Senior Daycare van at a high rate of speed across Van Nuys. The senior center is located in Tarzana.SkyFOX images from the scene showed the passenger side door open throughout the pursuit.

PHILADELPHIA - Homicide detectives with the Philadelphia Police Department are investigating a shooting that left one person dead in the city. According to authorities, the shooting occurred on the 5300 block of Grays Avenue around 10:34 a.m.

PHILADELPHIA - Philadelphia Police homicide detectives are investigating a shooting that left a man dead. According to authorities, the shooting took place on Wednesday at 10:40 p.m.

PHILADELPHIA - Police are investigating a shooting in Philadelphia that left a man critically injured, authorities say. According to police, the shooting occurred on Wednesday night, just before midnight, on the 4000 block of Wallace Street in the Powelton section of the city. Officials say a 27-year-old man was shot once in the cheek and once in the neck. MORE LOCAL HEADLINESHe was transported to Penn Presbyterian Medical Center, where he was placed in critical condition, authorities say. Officials say the scene was held and no weapon was recovered. 

U.S. Border Patrol agents and multiple local emergency agencies rescued a group of nine individuals in distress after exposure to harsh weather conditions near Warroad, Minnesota. (U.S. Customs and Border Protection)WARROAD, Minn. (AP) - Nine men who entered the United States illegally from Canada were rescued from a sub-freezing bog and given medical treatment for exposure to the cold, authorities said Wednesday.The nine, ranging in age from 19 to 46, were found Tuesday near Warroad, a small lakeside Minnesota community about 7.5 miles (12 kilometers) south of the Canadian border.

Robert Louis Singletary is wanted for shooting a child and her family after a basketball rolled into the wrong yard (Gaston County Police) GASTONIA, N.C. - A North Carolina man is wanted for reportedly shooting and seriously injuring a child and her father after the little girl’s basketball rolled into his yard."He came out with a gun, he started shooting," the 6-year-old girl told WJBY in Charlotte, North Carolina. "Hope my daddy is OK."According to Gaston County Police, 24-year-old Robert Louis Singletary is accused of shooting four people Tuesday night on Grier Street.

PHILADELPHIA - Investigators with the Philadelphia Police Department's Shooting Investigation Group are asking for the public's help to identify two suspects wanted in connection with a Center City shooting. Authorities say the shooting occurred on April 4 around 7:30 p.m. on the 900 block of Filbert Street in the Center City section of the city. A 39-year-old off-duty security guard who works at the Fashion District was walking to catch the bus when he realized he was shot in the leg, police say. Authorities say an off-duty security guard at Philadelphia's Fashion District was shot in the leg while walking to a bus stop on Tuesday.

LIBERTY, Mo. - The 84-year-old man who shot Ralph Yarl when the Black teenager went to his door by mistake pleaded not guilty Wednesday in a case that has shocked the country and renewed national debates about gun policies and race in America.Andrew Lester walked into the courtroom with a cane and spoke quietly during Wednesday’s hearing, his first public appearance since last week’s shooting. Authorities say he shot Yarl, a 16-year-old honor student, first in the head, then in the arm after Yarl came to his door because he had confused the address with the home where he was supposed to pick up his younger brothers.The case is among three in recent days involving young people who were shot after mistakenly showing up in the wrong places.

Florida, unprovoked alligator attacks are pretty rare.So when a 72-year-old man lost a portion of his right leg to an aggressive alligator at an RV park last Friday, people were shocked.When the animal was later spotted with the man’s foot dangling from its mouth, it was downright horrifying. Read more: Ex-Menudo singer says he was raped by father of the Menendez brothers The unidentified man lost his leg from the knee down outside his home at the Great Outdoors RV and Golf Resort in Brevard County, reports NBC affiliate WESH.The man was airlifted to hospital after the massive reptile chomped off his leg, while Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission (FWC) officers and Brevard County sheriff’s deputies arrived on scene to assess the situation and track down the gator.The officers clocked the alligator in a nearby canal, following it with rifles.But when the animal came to the water’s surface, they were horrified to see a human foot clearly protruding from the gator’s mouth.In video captured by WESH cameras, the alligator is seen surfacing.

PHILADELPHIA - A man is dead and another is in critical condition after police say their vehicle was peppered with gunfire Tuesday night in Philadelphia's Fairhill neighborhood. Officers from the Philadelphia Police Department were called to the intersection of 3rd and Ontario streets around 8:30 p.m.

ORLANDO, Fla. - A grown man's profanity-laced temper tantrum over a crying baby aboard a Southwest flight to Florida has gone viral after portions of the minutes-long rant were recorded and posted on TikTok.According to Mark Grabowski, a passenger who was on the flight and recorded the video, the plane was headed to Fort Lauderdale-Hollywood International Airport on Monday but was delayed in the air for about an hour due to weather. It was eventually diverted to Orlando International Airport (MCO)."It was a little bumpy and uncomfortable for everyone and the child was upset, but we couldn't get up because of the weather, and we were strapped in our seats," said Mark Grabowski in an interview with FOX 35. "Just out of nowhere this other passenger in the video basically said shut that baby up, and it escalated from there," he said, adding that Southwest's flight attendants were quick to act and moved a woman and the baby to another part of the plane."Can you calm the child down, please? I had headphones on.

BOISE, Idaho - A day after Lori Vallow's only living child took the stand, we heard more testimony from law enforcement officials in the murder trial of the so-called "Doomsday mom" about her suspicious financial moves.Tensions were high on Tuesday when Colby Ryan, the older half-brother of Tylee Ryan and J.J. Vallow, took the stand.

CORALVILLE, Iowa - An Iowa State trooper and a car driver escaped serious injury after a truck slammed into them during a traffic stop. The trooper had originally pulled over the car on Highway 218 in Coralville, Iowa, on Tuesday. Dashcam video showed the moment a speeding truck striking the stopped car just as the officer was leaning over and talking to the stopped driver. RELATED: 71-year-old critically punched to the ground over parking spot; Delaware man turns himself inThe Iowa State Patrol called it "a very avoidable crash."This story was reported from Los Angeles.  

pioneering experiment with legalized magic mushrooms took a step closer to reality as the first "facilitators" who will accompany clients as they experience the drug received their state licenses, authorities said Tuesday.Voters approved the regulated use of psilocybin in a 2020 ballot measure, and anticipation has been building over the past 2 1/2 years for the day — expected to come later this year — when people can gain access to the drug that studies indicate has therapeutic value.Hundreds of people have invested thousands of dollars apiece in this budding industry, and some worry that the rollout is proceeding too slowly."We thank you for your dedication to client safety and access as we move closer to opening service centers," Oregon Psilocybin Services Manager Angie Allbee said in a statement Tuesday to three people who received the state's first facilitator licenses.But to date, no service centers — where customers would access psilocybin in controlled, calm environments with music, eye masks and mats — have been licensed. Nor has any laboratory where the products must be tested for potency.

NEWARK, Del. - What began as a simple hunt for a parking spot, ended with an elderly man being sent to the hospital, and another man in police custody.The violent incident unfolded in the parking lot of a medical complex at 700 Prides Crossing in Newark, Delaware, Tuesday morning.Both the 71-year-old and suspect, identified as 39-year-old Dimitri Taylor, tried to pull into the same parking spot, sparking an argument.As the victim tried to find another spot, police say the suspect chased him around the lot punching his window.MORE HEADLINES:Pleading with Taylor to stop, the victim parked his car and called the police.Taylor then punched the 71-year-old causing him to fall and hit his head on the ground, according to authorities.He was transported to a local hospital in critical condition.Police say Taylor later turned himself in, and has since been charged with assault.

PHILADELPHIA - A man is in critical condition after several shots were fired in a morning shooting on a North Philadelphia street Tuesday.Police responded to the shooting on the 2900 block of North Stillman Street around 8 a.m.The victim, a 43-year-old man, was found shot twice in the neck, once to the back and multiple times in the lower body.MORE HEADLINES:He was transported to a local hospital, and placed in critical condition.No arrests have been made, and no weapons recovered.

Americans seeking messenger RNA vaccines for Covid-19 for the first time will get one, updated shot targeting both the Omicron variant and the original strain of the virus under new moves rolled out Tuesday by federal health officials. The Food and Drug Administration also authorized a second booster of the updated shots for people at high risk of Covid-19, specifically people 65 years and older or people who have weak immune systems. The agency’s actions mark the latest tweaks to Covid-19 vaccines, and could be followed up by further efforts to simplify the complicated vaccination regimen, perhaps by enshrining plans for a once-a-year shot for most people.

WASHINGTON - The Supreme Court is deciding whether women will face restrictions in getting a drug used in the most common method of abortion in the United States, while a lawsuit continues.The justices are expected to issue an order on Wednesday in a fast-moving case from Texas in which abortion opponents are seeking to roll back Food and Drug Administration approval of the drug, mifepristone.The drug first won FDA approval in 2000, and conditions on its use have been loosened in recent years, including making it available by mail in states that allow access.The Biden administration and New York-based Danco Laboratories, the maker of the drug, want the nation’s highest court to reject limits on mifepristone’s use imposed by lower courts, at least as long as the legal case makes it way through the courts. They say women who want the drug and providers who dispense it will face chaos if limits on the drug take effect.

SAN FRANCISCO - Netflix is poised to shut down the DVD-by-mail rental service that set the stage for its trailblazing video streaming service, ending an era that began a quarter-century ago when delivering discs through the mail was considered a revolutionary concept.The DVD service, which still delivers films and TV shows in the red-and-white envelopes that once served as Netflix's emblem, plans to mail its final discs on Sept. 29.RELATED: 'Incredibly sorry': Netflix keeps 'Love Is Blind' fans waiting for live reunionNetflix ended March with 232.5 million worldwide subscribers to its video streaming service, but it stopped disclosing how many people still pay for DVD-by-mail delivery years ago as that part of its business steadily shrank.

PHILADELPHIA - The Philadelphia Police Department is investigating an incident that began at FDR Park and ended with lane closures on I-76 West. Authorities say police responded to a report of a shooting on Pattison Avenue in the area of FDR Park in the South Philadelphia section of the city just before 3 a.m. Officers who responded to the scene did not find anything initially, according to Philadelphia Police Chief Inspector Scott Small. Small told reporters officers found a scene on the westbound lanes of I-76, where a Ford SUV and Infiniti Sedan were involved in a crash. According to authorities, the Ford had eight bullet holes and a 27-year-old victim in the back seat with a gunshot wound to the neck. Small says the shooting victim, who was unable to move due to the gunshot injury, was transported to Presbyterian Hospital, where he is in critical condition. Police say a 32-year-old woman was the driver of the Ford SUV. MORE LOCAL HEADLINESA 22-year-old man was driving the Infiniti and a gun was found on the vehicle's floorboard, authorities say. Investigators say a preliminary investigation revealed the drivers of both vehicles got into an altercation on the 1900 block of Pattison Avenue. According to Small, that's where crime scene technicians found 19 spent shell casings from the shooting. Officials say a PennDOT driver witnessed the incident and told authorities the two cars then drove at a high rate of speed the wrong way on I-76 West. The two vehicles eventually crashed on I-76 as police responded to the scene, police say. The 22-year-old driver of the Infiniti was taken into custody, according to Small. Lanes on I-76 West were closed for several hours but have since reopened. Police respond to lanes on I-76

WILLIAMSTOWN, N.J. - The Gloucester County Prosecutor's Office announced on Tuesday that a man has been arrested and charged with manslaughter of a 17-year-old Gloucester County boy over the weekend. On Sunday, April 16, officers from the Monroe Township Police Department were dispatched to a residence on Chestnut Street in Williamstown for a report that a man had been shot. Upon arrival, officers discovered a victim who had been shot in the head. Authorities say a suspect, 18-year-old Nasir D.

Philadelphia police are seeking the public's help in locating 22-year-old Jahir Williams-Hill who they say is wanted in connection with a murder on April 11.  PHILADELPHIA - Philadelphia police are searching for a man who they say is wanted in connection with the murder of a 22-year-old woman in North Philadelphia last week. On April 11, officers responded to the 2500 block of North 10th Street for reports of a person with a gun. Responding officers were flagged down by civilian when they say they observed an unresponsive woman, later identified as 22-year-old Zhakira Bailey of the 400 block of Wannamaker Street. MORE HEADLINES Authorities say the woman was suffering from multiple gunshot wounds to her body. Officers transported her to Temple University where she later died from her injuries. On Tuesday, authorities announced that they are seeking the publics help in identifying 22-year-old Jahir Williams-Hill from the 500 block of Eastwick Terrace in connection with this homicide. Officials say Williams-Hill is wanted for murder, weapons charges, and other related offenses.

Patty Hung, 77, or Orinda, Calif., ran her 37th consecutive Boston Marathon on Monday, April 17, 2023, extending her record as the longest streak of finishers for women’s athletes in the storied race. (Photo courtesy: B.A.A./MarathonFoto)BOSTON - A 77-year-old Bay Area woman made her definitive mark in the storied Boston Marathon on Monday, crossing the finish line for the 37th consecutive time-- more than any other woman in the history of the prestigious, world renowned road racing event.Patty Hung, of Orinda, completed the 26.2 mile race with a time of 5:40:37, putting her in 9th place in her division of women aged 75-79.Last year, she set her name in the Boston Marathon record books owning the longest active women’s streak with her 36th consecutive run, surpassing the previous record set by Andrea Hatch of Maine who ended her streak in 2013, according to the Boston Athletic Association. SEE ALSO: Boston Marathon 2023: Defending champ Evans Chebet wins, spoils Kipchoge debutSEE ALSO: Warriors' Draymond Green ejected after stomping on chest of Sacramento King's SabonisA former math teacher at Miramonte High School, Hung returned to school later in life to become a nurse.

BOWDOIN, Maine (AP) - Four people were fatally shot at a house in Maine on Tuesday shortly before gunfire wounded three others on a busy highway, in a pair of crimes that are linked, authorities said. One person was in custody.Police closed a portion of the interstate highway and residents and businesses in the area were ordered to shelter in place for about 90 minutes before authorities determined there was no threat to the general public.The shootings are among a spate of recent mass killings that have shaken communities both large and small, including a Christian elementary school in Nashville, Tennessee; a bank in Louisville, Kentucky and a Sweet 16 party in a small city in Alabama.In Maine, police declined to discuss possible motive or identify the person in custody or the shooting victims.

Lower Manhattan Tuesday afternoon. There were six workers inside the building on 37 Ann Street at the time of the incident. One of the six was killed and four were transported to the hospital in stable condition.

The mayor of a Montreal suburb publicly revealed herself Tuesday as the victim of ex-Parti Québécois legislator Harold LeBel, who was sentenced to eight months in prison after sexually assaulting her in 2017 when they were both PQ members.

CEDAR RAPIDS, IA - JUNE 16: St. Luke's Work Well Clinic Medical Assistant Crissy Parmeter gives a tetanus shot to an Iowa resident at the St.