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Reduce the risk of children picking up viral infections

Published Sun, 16 Feb 2025 16:11:50 GMT

It’s back to school for many kids around the nation. And once they hit the classroom, you may notice more runny noses and other symptoms associated with viral and bacterial infections.Dr. Nipunie Rajapakse, a pediatric infectious diseases physician with the Mayo Clinic Children’s Center, says you might not be able to stop some of these illnesses, but reducing viral infection risks is possible.Kids returning to school at the end of summer often coincides with the start of the respiratory virus season.“You’ve got kids from lots of different households who are now coming together in a relatively confined space of a classroom,” says Dr. Rajapakse.And sharing more than their lunches. They are sharing viruses they’ve been exposed to at home. Dr. Rajapakse says some childhood illnesses are inevitable, but there are things families can do to reduce risks.“Making sure that your child’s vaccines are up to date before they return to school is gre...

Editorial: Permanent fix needed for Sackler opioid deal

Published Sun, 16 Feb 2025 16:11:50 GMT

While the U.S. Supreme Court is sharply divided along ideological lines, it might surprise many Americans to learn that unanimous rulings happen every term, even in cases where lower courts have reached opposing conclusions.We see a good chance of the high court coming together for a 9-0 vote in the months ahead to shoot down a terrible injustice that festered in bankruptcy courts for years — until the notorious Sackler family inadvertently put a spotlight on it.The Sacklers made billions engineering an opioid epidemic that ruined countless lives and killed off Americans by the hundreds of thousands.Their company, Purdue Pharma, admitted that it used false marketing to con doctors into prescribing its deadly pills by lying about how addictive they were. As regulators dithered, the Sacklers conducted what one family member called a “milking” operation, stripping the company of more than $10 billion and stashing the dirty money offshore.Purdue’s bankruptcy made the scandal even more o...

The seaside delights of Hyannis make a Cape day trip memorable

Published Sun, 16 Feb 2025 16:11:50 GMT

When it comes to planning great adventures, like most Bay Staters I have a habit of overlooking the obvious.Case in point: Hyannis.Until now, I thought of it as a strip of stores, a gaggle of tourists and maybe, a spot to stop for ice cream on my way to or from somewhere.I stand corrected. A recent day trip to this lovely town by the sea reminded me there’s a reason it’s world-recognized. From the arts and culture to the food and drink to history to the unique and seemingly endless shopping, Hyannis (https://www.hyannis.com)  makes for a fabulous day trip or more, and we should take advantage.I headed to Hyannis early on a midweek day, cruised over the Sagamore Bridge and then zipped down to Main Street in Hyannis where I parked my car (for free!) and set out on a day-long adventure.Early was a good move: While most of the shops on Main Street don’t open until 10 a.m., the quieter vibe gave me a chance to savor a great breakfast and then take a quiet walk to take it all in.For a hea...

Talk to fiance about visits from ex-wife

Published Sun, 16 Feb 2025 16:11:50 GMT

Q. What is considered to be appropriate behavior 15 years after a divorce in respect to the ex and overnight stays? There is no physical relations between the two former partners. They were married for 17 years and have two college-age children. The mother and children live out of state; however, whenever the mother or children decide to come to town, I, the long-term girlfriend of four years and referred to as “fiancé,” am expected to step aside while the mother stays in my house. One of the children takes this view as well and pushes me aside when she stays. This doesn’t seem right to me. What’s good ex-etiquette?A. Seriously? You’re telling me that every time his ex-wife comes into town, you are expected to move out? That’s is VERY questionable ex-etiquette. I mean over-the-top questionable. Red flag questionable.This is what happens when appropriate boundaries are not set prior to entering a new relationship. Your fiancé hasn’t set appropriate boundaries in 15 years, and you hav...

Franks: Human error caused Hawaii’s wildfire tragedy

Published Sun, 16 Feb 2025 16:11:50 GMT

The unimaginable tragedy in Lahaina, Hawaii was heartbreaking. More than 1,000 people are missing or have been confirmed dead due to the wildfires.The world for these Americans has changed forever. There were plenty of human errors behind this tragedy. Global warming, however, should not be one of them. We should not use it as a scapegoat. Heck, these folks would have blamed the flood that pushed Noah to build his Ark on climate change if they were around then.The whole argument for the scientific validity of global warming may be undeniable, but at one time so was the “science” on the world being flat. And we all know how that turned out. The scientists were right until they “weren’t.” We would not be here today in America had folks not “challenged” the science.I think I was one of the original environmentalists, I say facetiously. As an elementary student, I was selected to lead my class and represent my school for “Rid Litter Day.” Our goal was to stop people from making the eart...

Dear Abby: MIL thinks only of herself in surprise visits

Published Sun, 16 Feb 2025 16:11:50 GMT

Dear Abby: How do I get my mother-in-law to stop dropping by without calling first? My husband and I have been married for 26 years. Both of us have asked her nicely over the years to PLEASE call to make sure it’s a good time, rather than just drop by unannounced. She, however, blatantly ignores our wishes and continues to do it. Even when she discovers it’s a bad time, she blankly looks at us and has this “drop everything, I’m here” attitude as she comes strolling in.Once, when I had just finished preparing a lovely dinner I had worked hard on for a couple of hours, as we were sitting down to eat, she rang our doorbell. We had plenty of food and invited her to stay. Instead of joining us or going home, she went out our back door and sat on our patio — in our view. We went out and again invited her to join us, but she refused to come in or take the hint and leave. So we had to see her the whole time we were eating my lovely dinner.We have told her...

Heat wave prompts Excessive Heat Warning for parts of San Diego County

Published Sun, 16 Feb 2025 16:11:50 GMT

SAN DIEGO -- An Excessive Heat Warning was issued for parts of San Diego County on Saturday as a heat wave is expected to set in across the region early next week.The warning will be in effect from 10 a.m. Monday until 8 p.m. Tuesday for San Diego's valley and desert communities, according to the National Weather Service (NWS). Among the areas impacted are Escondido, El Cajon, San Marcos, Santee, Poway, Borrego-Springs and Ocotillo Wells. How much rain has San Diego had this year to date? According to weather officials, dangerously hot conditions are expected in the warning area during this timeframe. These temperatures are forecast to be about five to 10 degrees above average, with some areas reaching highs up to 15 degrees exceeding normal.For communities impacted by the warning west of the mountains, these highs are expected to range from 95 to 107 degrees. Meanwhile, highs in the desert are forecast to range from 100 to 116 degrees, NWS said.Map of high temperatures on Monday...

These San Diego-area hotels were ranked among top waterfront resorts in U.S.

Published Sun, 16 Feb 2025 16:11:50 GMT

SAN DIEGO -- San Diego is a destination known for its picturesque shoreline views, drawing out thousands of vacationers every year to bask in the sun and take in the beauty of the Pacific Ocean.If you're looking to plan a trip -- or staycation -- in America's Finest City, booking a hotel overlooking the sea is one of the ultimate ways to take in this coastal scenery, with two popular hotels making a USA Today 10Best list of top resorts in the country for a waterfront getaway. San Diego among top Labor Day weekend destinations for SoCal residents: AAA The Hotel del Coronado and the InterContinental San Diego were voted onto a top 10 list of waterfront properties perfect for a relaxing getaway by USA Today readers, with both coming in at No.7 and No. 9 on the list respectively. One other Southern California hotel -- Shutters on the Beach in Santa Monica -- made the top 10 USA Today 10Best list, taking the No. 1 spot. The full list can be found below:Shutters on the Beach -- Santa Mo...

Environmental groups recruit people of color into overwhelmingly white conservation world

Published Sun, 16 Feb 2025 16:11:50 GMT

BARABOO, Wis. (AP) — Arianna Barajas never thought of herself as the outdoors type. The daughter of Mexican immigrants who grew up in Chicago’s suburbs, her forays into nature usually amounted to a bike ride to a community park. She was interested in wild animals but had no idea she could make a living working with them until her older brother enrolled in veterinarian school. She took a leap of faith and enrolled at the University of Wisconsin-Madison and became a wildlife ecology major. This summer Barajas landed an internship designed for people of color at the International Crane Foundation’s headquarters in Baraboo, Wisconsin, and stepped into a new world.“I always knew growing up I had an interest in wildlife and animals but didn’t know the options I had,” Barajas, 21, said. “I really just have a passion for the outdoors. I can’t just be in an office all day. I need to be outside and doing things I think are valuable.”Environmental groups across th...

Workers exposed to extreme heat have no consistent protection in the US

Published Sun, 16 Feb 2025 16:11:50 GMT

RENO, Nev. (AP) — Santos Brizuela spent more than two decades laboring outdoors, persisting despite a bout of heatstroke while cutting sugarcane in Mexico and chronic laryngitis from repeated exposure to the hot sun while on various other jobs.But last summer, while on a construction crew in Las Vegas, he reached his breaking point. Exposure to the sun made his head ache immediately. He lost much of his appetite. Now at a maintenance job, Brizuela, 47, is able to take breaks. There are flyers on the walls with best practices for staying healthy — protections he had not been afforded before.“Sometimes as a worker you ask your employer for protection or for health and safety related needs, and they don’t listen or follow,” he said in Spanish through an interpreter.A historic heat wave that began blasting the Southwest and other parts of the country this summer is shining a spotlight on one of the harshest, yet least-addressed effects of U.S. climate change: the rising deaths and injur...