NEW YORK — Book bans and attempted bans remain at record highs, according to the American Library Association. And efforts to have titles removed have never been more coordinated or politicized. The ALA on Monday issued its annual list of the books most challenged at the country’s libraries, part of the association’s State of America’s Libraries Report. … Read more
Nearly 500 ducks are looking for a new place to waddle after the owner of a troubled Southern California rescue sanctuary surrendered the birds following allegations of overcrowding and improper care — with local animal activists squawking that the situation is more “fowl” than the public knows, and that officials should have acted sooner. The … Read more
St. Maarten’s government is warning travelers about a scam that charges tourists to process an immigration form that should be free. The fake third-party website is charging a fee to help visitors complete the island’s embarkation/disembarkation form, a form that’s required for entry. However, there are no fees associated with the real form, the St. … Read more
A bill introduced in Florida takes aim at paper drinking straws and stirrers at food businesses and restaurants. Senate Bill 958 was introduced Dec. 18 — with an identical House bill, HB 2195, introduced Dec. 26 — to limit what cities and counties can do to regulate drinking straws and stirrers. “Many businesses and communities in this … Read more
A disbanded court in Las Vegas may come back to life as lawmakers look to attract visitors to revive Sin City tourism. Vegas tourism has continued to decline, with just over 3 million visitors in September, an 8.8% decrease from the same time last year, according to the Las Vegas Convention and Visitors Authority (LVCA). A specialized court was … Read more
No need for vacationers to test the waters here, experts say. The summer vacation spoiler has been identified as a cyanobacterial bloom — and the National Centers for Coastal Ocean Science (NCCOS) says that the crummy blue-green conditions seem to be spreading, with a noticeable increase in scale since Aug. 2. Currently, the contamination stretches … Read more
A new federal estimate shows a rise in prediabetes among American adolescents, a finding that is spurring concerns about the health of U.S. children — and the way Trump administration health officials are conducting research and communicating information, experts said. In 2023, nearly 1 in 3 U.S. youngsters ages 12 to 17 had prediabetes, according … Read more
US agriculture officials are warning that ground beef sold at Whole Foods markets nationwide may be contaminated with potentially dangerous E. coli bacteria. Officials issued a public health alert for 1-pound, vacuum-packed packages of Organic Rancher beef, produced on May 22 and May 23, by NPC Processing Inc., of Shelburne, Vermont. The products have use-by dates of … Read more
Public health officials in Washington state are warning residents that a Canadian traveler who was contagious with measles visited several public locations, including the Seattle-Tacoma International Airport. The person, whose vaccination status is unknown, traveled through Seattle-Tacoma International Airport and visited multiple public locations in Renton, Bellevue, Seattle, Everett and Woodinville between April 30 and May 3, according to … Read more
Federal health officials plan to cut funding to the Women’s Health Initiative, effectively shuttering one of the largest and longest studies of women’s health ever carried out. Its findings changed medical practice and helped shape clinical guidelines, preventing tens of thousands of cases of cardiovascular disease and breast cancer. The study, which began in the … Read more
The City of Canals is fed up with tourists who treat Venice like a pit stop — and now it’s slapping them with another toll for treating the floating city like a food court. Starting Friday, day-trippers who “eat and flee” — a phrase officials use for tourists who pack their lunch, snap a selfie … Read more
Prince Harry’s recent dash to Ukraine has rubbed his estranged brother Prince William the wrong way, according to a report. The Duke of Sussex, 40, traveled to the war-torn country last week to meet with dozens of wounded soldiers in the Ukrainian city of Lviv. But his trip seemingly left the Prince of Wales, 42, … Read more
A second child with measles in Texas has died, although the exact cause of death is unknown at this time, according to the Department of Health and Human Services. HHS Secretary Robert F. Kennedy, Jr. plans to attend the child’s funeral on Sunday, a spokesperson told NBC News. The pair of children and an adult … Read more
Rapper Sean Kingston broke down into tears and cried out for protection for his mother as the two were found guilty of wire fraud charges in a Florida courtroom on Friday, according to a report. The “Beautiful Girls” singer and Janice Turner were convicted of all five charges they faced stemming from their May 2024 … Read more
Rob’s mad as hell, and he’s not gonna take it anymore. A charged-up Rob Lowe took aim at Los Angeles officials on his podcast this month over all the film and television production that has been lost to other, more financially competitive cities. Guns-a-blazin’, the enraged “West Wing” actor said “everybody should be fired.” Other … Read more
As containment efforts falter, the measles outbreak in West Texas is likely to persist for a year, perhaps even setting back the country’s hard-fought victory over the virus, according to Texas health officials. As of Friday, the outbreak had sickened more than 300 people in Texas since January; 40 have been hospitalized. One child has … Read more
The Ebola outbreak in Uganda has worsened significantly, and the country’s ability to contain the spread has been severely weakened by the Trump administration’s freeze on foreign assistance, American officials said this week. The officials, representing a variety of health and security agencies, made the assessment during a meeting with U.S. Embassy staff in Kampala, … Read more
NEW YORK — A person in Louisiana has the first severe illness caused by bird flu in the U.S., health officials said Wednesday. The patient had been in contact with sick and dead birds in backyard flocks, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention said. Agency officials didn’t immediately detail the person’s symptoms. This colorized … Read more
Talk about a sight for sore eyes. A city in Oregon is pleading with locals to stop taping googly eyes onto roadside sculptures as the goofy gag is costing a pretty penny. Officials in Bend noticed the oversized optics taped onto metallic artwork of deer and geometric shapes at roundabouts throughout the area. Residents in … Read more
What a bunch of bird brains. Everybody wants their Thanksgiving turkey to stand out, but home chefs in one state are flying a little over the nest by trying to brine tomorrow’s dinner at a public saltwater beach, officials say. Famed for its salinity levels ranging from two to nine times higher than the ocean, … Read more