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There’s a new shot to protect newborns from a serious respiratory virus, but parents may not be able to get it

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 15:57:02 GMT

(CNN) — A highly anticipated new shot that can protect newborns from the ravages of respiratory syncytial virus may not be available to some families this season because of uncertainties about insurance coverage.When the US Food and Drug Administration approved the antibody, nirsevimab, in July, pediatricians and parents were jubilant. RSV fills hospitals every winter with babies who are struggling to breathe. As many as 80,000 kids under the age of 5 are hospitalized annually in the United States with this infection, and up to 300 die, according to the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.“Every pediatrician is jumping for joy that this preventative tool is available for newborns, because we see what happens when a healthy baby gets this terrible infection,” said Dr. Sallie Permar, chair of the Department of Pediatrics at Weill Cornell Medicine and New York-Presbyterian Hospital.The new shot, which goes by the brand name Beyfortus, slashed infants’ risk of being hospitaliz...

U.S. F-16 shoots down Turkish drone flying over U.S. forces in Syria

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 15:57:02 GMT

A U.S. F-16 fighter jet shot down a Turkish drone flying over a base in northeast Syria where U.S. forces are located, according to a person familiar with the situation.The drone, which belonged to the Turkish government, was armed with air-to-ground missiles and deemed a threat to the American troops and Syrian Democratic Forces at the Tal Baydar base, said the person, who was granted anonymity to discuss a sensitive topic.The unmanned aerial system was a Bayraktar TB2 built by Turkish defense company Baykar, a medium-altitude, long-endurance drone built primarily for the Turkish armed forces, the person said. The Turkish defense ministry reportedly denied it owned the drone.An American military aircraft’s shootdown of an unmanned aerial system belonging to a NATO ally is certain to escalate tensions between Washington and Ankara.The U.S. has about 900 troops in Syria, focused on hunting Islamic State terrorists with local partners, the SDF.The State Department declined to offer im...

Gas prices could fall to $3.25 by Halloween as oil plunges

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 15:57:02 GMT

New York (CNN) — After spiking to alarming levels just last week, oil prices are suddenly in free-fall mode. The dramatic reversal should bring relief to drivers (and nervous central bankers) very soon.US oil prices plunged by 5.6% to $84.22 a barrel on Wednesday, marking the biggest one-day decline in a year. Crude dropped even further Thursday, sinking as low as $82.24 a barrel, a five-week low.This is quite the U-turn, even for the notoriously boom-to-bust oil market. As recently as last week, US crude briefly touched $95 a barrel and Wall Street banks were predicting $100 or higher amid Saudi Arabia and Russia’s aggressive supply cuts.Now, gas prices are already starting to retreat and experts predict sharper drops to come.The national average for regular gas dipped to $3.77 a gallon on Thursday, according to AAA. That’s 11 cents below the 2023 peak set last month when gas prices experienced an unusual post-Labor Day jump.Gas prices will tumble...

Bruins notebook: Jesper Boqvist gets good chance against Rangers

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 15:57:02 GMT

Jesper Boqvist has had a fairly non-descript raining camp, but the New Jersey Devil castaway had a chance to change all that when the Bruins traveled to Madison Square Garden to take on the Rangers in their final preseason game on Thursday.Boqvist, whose skating is perhaps his best asset, was getting a chance to play on a top line with David Pastrnak and his former Jersey teammate Pavel Zacha.What was coach Jim Montgomery looking for with Boqvist on that unit?“His ability to build our team game, his ability to compliment those two, add offense and also track back and be able to eloiminate plays coming back. His 200-foot game at both ends of the ice and see if there’s any chemistry with those two players,” said Montgomery.Boqvist, the 36th overall pick in the 2017 draft, was a casualty of the league-wide cap crunch last summer. The Devils chose not to extend him a qualifying offer, making him a free agent. The B’s signed him on the second day of free agency to a one-year ...

$1B will bring more city trees. But it’ll take more than seedlings to grow urban forests

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 15:57:02 GMT

Alex Brown | Stateline.org (TNS)SEATTLE — Over the next five years, leaders here in the Emerald City will spend millions in federal dollars to green up neighborhoods that lack trees. As Seattle and the surrounding region deal with more frequent extreme heat events, residents are starting to view trees as more than a luxury.“The conversation around our urban forest has hit a high degree of urgency because of climate change,” said Jessyn Farrell, director of the city’s Office of Sustainability & Environment. “What has really shifted in the last couple of years is the idea that trees are important climate infrastructure, and trees are really suffering because of climate change.”As cities across the country brace for more extreme weather, a new federal grant program is helping them use trees as a solution — especially in neighborhoods with little canopy. Urban forests provide shade that significantly lowers temperatures during heat waves; they also absorb stormwater runoff and air p...

Patriots captain explains what he really loves about veteran addition

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 15:57:02 GMT

FOXBORO — The Patriots put veteran offensive lineman Riley Reiff in a tough spot this summer.The 11-year veteran had played his entire NFL career at offensive tackle, but with Cole Strange and Mike Onwenu banged up, the Patriots needed more help at guard.So, they put Reiff in the first-team offense at right guard during training camp and preseason. He suffered a knee injury in Week 3 of the preseason, was added to injured reserve and missed the first four games of the season.Related ArticlesNew England Patriots | Patriots veteran expects J.C. Jackson to make immediate impact New England Patriots | Callahan: J.C. Jackson trade a no-brainer for the Patriots, so what’s next? New England Patriots | Patriots-Saints injury report: Rhamondre Stevenson among 10 limited Patriots on Wednesday New England Patriots | Patriots teammates confident Mac Jones can put poor showing behind him New England Patriots | ...

Mayo Clinic Minute: Common myths about epilepsy and kids

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 15:57:02 GMT

Jason Howland | (TNS) Mayo Clinic News NetworkEpilepsy is one of the more common neurologic disorders in children. About 1 in 26 people have epilepsy, and 1 in 10 people will have at least one seizure in their lifetime.Dr. Anthony Fine, a pediatric neurologist and epileptologist at Mayo Clinic, says even though it’s fairly common in children, there are a few misconceptions when it comes to epilepsy and kids.Epilepsy can be a challenge to diagnose in children because not all seizures are the same.“It’s really a common misconception that all seizures are convulsive seizures,” says Dr. Fine.There are other types of seizures, such as absent seizures, where a child may blank out for a few seconds or minutes, and then go back to activity.“I’ve had some kids where I’ve seen where, you know, people think they’re acting goofy. And this kind of continues, and, eventually, it gets picked up that something is actually going on. And there are other...

Don’t expect the same raise you got last year

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 15:57:02 GMT

Matthew Boyle | Bloomberg News (TNS)Companies are trimming their budgets for merit raises next year, a sign of belt-tightening that could surprise some employees who had enjoyed two straight years of increases.U.S. employers surveyed by Aon Plc, which compiles compensation data on more than 5,500 employers, said merit raises will average about 3.7% across all industries next year, down from 3.9% this year, as companies rein in labor budgets and inflation eases from last year’s highs. A separate survey from workplace consultant Mercer found a similar trend, with merit-based salaries seen rising 3.5% next year, down from 3.9% in 2023.“People are not going to spend what they spent last year,” said Tim Brown, a partner at Aon. “Also, inflation has come down since last year. So there’s more pressure on salaries.”Workforce leaders echoed the findings. Bob Toohey, chief human resources officer at Allstate Insurance Co., said compensation budgets in the U.S. “will be lower than last year — ...

A decade of data describes nationwide youth mental health crisis

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 15:57:02 GMT

Mayo Clinic Staff | (TNS) Mayo Clinic News NetworkWhen Tanner Bommersbach, M.D., and a team of Mayo Clinic researchers analyzed national records of pediatric emergency department visits, they provided essential data to describe the growing national crisis in pediatric mental health.Their study found that from 2011 to 2020, youth visits to emergency departments for mental health reasons doubled, while the proportion of visits for suicide-related symptoms increased fivefold.The team’s findings were recently published in the Journal of the American Medical Association.Dr. Bommersbach, a child and adolescent psychiatry fellow, hopes the study’s results will be useful in national conversations about youth mental health.Taking on a serious problemDr. Bommersbach has had a longstanding interest in children’s mental health. During high school and college, he worked in a North Dakota group home for children with developmental disabilities where he observed their interaction...

J.C. Jackson wears new number, chats up Robert Kraft at Patriots practice Thursday

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 15:57:02 GMT

FOXBORO — He’s back.Related ArticlesNew England Patriots | Patriots veteran expects J.C. Jackson to make immediate impact New England Patriots | Callahan: J.C. Jackson trade a no-brainer for the Patriots, so what’s next? New England Patriots | Patriots-Saints injury report: Rhamondre Stevenson among 10 limited Patriots on Wednesday New England Patriots | Patriots teammates confident Mac Jones can put poor showing behind him New England Patriots | How Patriots can utilize three players returning from PUP, injured reserve On Thursday, J.C. Jackson participated in his first Patriots practice since being traded to New England in a late-round pick swap deal with the Chargers. Jackson wore a new number, 29, as his old No. 27 currently belongs to fellow defensive back Myles Bryant. Early in practice, the veteran corner briefly chatted with owner Robert Kraft.Jackson’s status for Sunday&#...