Gene Hackman's wife searched online for flu and Covid symptoms
Arakawa asked Google questions including whether Covid could cause dizziness or nosebleeds, according to files released by the Santa Fe Sheriff and reported by the Associated Press and New York Times.
The 65-year-old pianist died of hantavirus, which can cause flu-like symptoms and develop into a life-threatening lung condition.
Authorities believe she died around 12 February, and her husband, 95, who had Alzheimer's disease, died on 18 February. Their bodies were found on 26 February.
The Sheriff files include details of the police investigation along with photos of the couple's cluttered house in New Mexico, and bodycam footage.
They show that on 10 February, Arakawa searched online for "can Covid cause dizziness?" and "Flu and nosebleeds".
The following day, she emailed her massage therapist to cancel an appointment, saying her husband had woken up with "flu/cold-like symptoms" but had tested negative for Covid.
She also ordered oxygen canisters from Amazon for "respiratory support".
Police have previously said Arakawa made multiple calls to a health clinic on 12 February for medical treatment, which she never received.
She was found to have contracted hantavirus pulmonary syndrome, a rare respiratory illness carried by rodents. Nests and some dead rodents were found in outbuildings of the couple's house.
Authorities believe Hackman died on 18 February - the date of his last recorded pacemaker activity, which showed an abnormal rhythm of atrial fibrillation.
His cause of death was severe heart disease, with advanced Alzheimer's disease listed as a contributing factor. Experts believe the Oscar-winning actor's Alzheimer's may have prevented him from realising his wife of more than 30 years was dead in the home where he was living.
Their bodies were discovered more than a week later by neighbourhood security.
One of the couple's three dogs, which had been in a crate while recovering from surgery, died from starvation and dehydration.
The couple's children had tried to block the release of the latest sheriff's records by Santa Fe County, but news organisations challenged that under New Mexico's freedom of information laws.
"The New Mexico Inspection of Public Records Act (IPRA) placed the County in a difficult position," said County manager Gregory S Shaffer.
"On the one hand, we deeply understand the family's need for privacy during this painful time.
"On the other, the County has a duty to follow the law and faced potential lawsuits, damages, and attorney's fees under IPRA if we withheld the records."
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Newsweek
25 minutes ago
- Newsweek
Top Scientist Issues Stark mRNA Vaccine Warning to U.S.
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Kennedy Jr. announced the termination of 22 mRNA development investments and the reallocation of roughly $500 million at the beginning of this month. Why it Matters Bright said the mRNA platform had been central to the fast response to COVID-19 and that abandoning the technology would undermine the nation's ability to respond quickly to future biological threats. Multiple scientists and doctors have spoken out against this decision, including infectious diseases expert Dr. Thomas A. Russo, who told Newsweek that mRNA vaccines "will be critical when the next, inevitable infectious diseases crisis rears its ugly head." What To Know On August 5, the HHS confirmed it would cancel $500 million in mRNA vaccine development contracts, impacting research teams and proposals—including those from Emory University, Tiba Biotech, Pfizer, Sanofi Pasteur and others. The projects reportedly targeted respiratory viruses including seasonal influenza, COVID-19, RSV and H5N1 and included work by major industry and academic teams. Secretary Kennedy argued that the data showed mRNA vaccines had not met expectations for preventing upper respiratory infections and that HHS would shift funding toward other vaccine platforms. But Bright praised mRNA technology, saying that the "unprecedented speed" with which a COVID-19 vaccine was developed in 2020 "was possible only because years earlier, the United States had invested" in it. "This decision undercuts one of the most significant medical advances in decades, technology that could protect millions more people from the threats ahead," Bright said. "I know the stakes because I was BARDA's director when the United States made the decision to invest heavily in mRNA," he said. "That investment did not begin with Covid-19. It began in 2016, when we faced the Zika virus outbreak." "We needed a way to design a vaccine in days, not years, to protect pregnant women and their babies from devastating birth defects. Older vaccine approaches were too slow," Bright continued. "The solution was mRNA: a flexible, rapid-response technology that could be reprogrammed for any virus once its genetic sequence was known. That early investment laid the groundwork for the lightning-fast Covid-19 response four years later." Kennedy said in a post on X the time: "We reviewed the science, listened to the experts, and acted. BARDA is terminating 22 mRNA vaccine development investments because the data show these vaccines fail to protect effectively against upper respiratory infections like COVID and flu," Kennedy said in a post on X. "We're shifting that funding toward safer, broader vaccine platforms that remain effective even as viruses mutate." Newsweek has contacted the HHS, via online inquiry form, for a response to Bright's comments. File photo of an employee of the Bavarian Red Cross (BRK) preparing the BioNTech/Pfizer vaccine against the coronavirus SARS-CoV-2 for vaccination in a vaccination center, taken in Bavaria, Germany, in January 2021. File photo of an employee of the Bavarian Red Cross (BRK) preparing the BioNTech/Pfizer vaccine against the coronavirus SARS-CoV-2 for vaccination in a vaccination center, taken in Bavaria, Germany, in January 2021. AP What People Are Saying Former BARDA director Rick Bright said in his NYT op-ed: "Like every technology, mRNA has limitations. Vaccines meant to protect against respiratory infections, whether developed through mRNA or older technologies, are generally better at averting severe disease than preventing infection. It is a scientific challenge we can address with next-generation vaccines. The answer to limitations is improvement, not abandonment. "Political narratives about mRNA have fueled confusion, which leads to mistrust, yet the scientific evidence consistently shows that this technology is safe and effective and holds enormous potential for future vaccines and treatments." Children's Health Defense, an anti-vax nonprofit founded by Kennedy Jr. which focuses on childhood health epidemics, said in a post on X: "CHD applauds this most recent announcement to defund 22 mRNA vaccine projects under BARDA. While we believe that the mRNA shots on the market are unsafe and should be off the market, this is a welcome step in the right direction. The pandemic preparedness industry as it exists today is a threat to human welfare." What Happens Next HHS said it would shift funding toward other vaccine platforms but did not provide detailed timelines or specify which programs would receive redirected support. 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Newsweek
an hour ago
- Newsweek
Are America's Covid Babies Ready for School?
Based on facts, either observed and verified firsthand by the reporter, or reported and verified from knowledgeable sources. Newsweek AI is in beta. Translations may contain inaccuracies—please refer to the original content. The "COVID kids" are more than all right. Five years after the coronavirus pandemic shuttered the globe, the bulk of the 3.6 million children born in the United States in 2020 are starting kindergarten, providing many youngsters their first foray into a structured classroom setting. The atypical early childhood these kids experienced also left an indelible mark on millions of stressed-out parents as they navigated the uncertainty of lockdowns, mask mandates and childcare during one of the most extraordinary periods in modern history. Millions of children who were born during the height of the pandemic in 2020 are set to take over kindergarten classrooms. Millions of children who were born during the height of the pandemic in 2020 are set to take over kindergarten classrooms. Newsweek Illustration/Getty But all that stress, upheaval and isolation also created some unexpected benefits, including quality family time spent together, a crash course in the benefits of independent play and fewer illnesses due to a lack of visitors, parents of so-called Covid babies told Newsweek in a series of interviews. "I think they're more than ready," Dave Ruth, 44, said of his twin 5-year-old sons, John and James. "I am thrilled for them. I think they're going to thrive." Ruth, of Stafford County, Virginia, said John already knows some Spanish, basic sign language and reads simple books — all before he has even set foot inside a school. "They never saw a daycare class," he said. "Aside from playing with other kids at the playground and friends' birthday parties here and there, for the most part, they were home with my wife and me for the first years until they started school." Ruth said his sons, who started kindergarten on August 11, benefited from workbooks at home and frequent sessions on YouTube, absorbing as much instructional material as possible. Dave Ruth and his wife Lorraine with the couple's three sons, 5-year-old twins, James, left, and John, and 15-year-old David. Dave Ruth and his wife Lorraine with the couple's three sons, 5-year-old twins, James, left, and John, and 15-year-old David. Courtesy of Dave Ruth "We would give them a little bit of screen time at the end of the day," Ruth said. "I read them books and stuff, but I didn't teach them any of that." 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Lindsay Scouras and her son Nico, who starts kindergarten in Rhode Island in early September. Courtesy of Lindsay Scouras Scouras, who previously detailed her Covid-era parenting journey online at The Everymom, said becoming a mother during the pandemic offered unique challenges for caregivers and kids alike. "It kind of shook us and made us always question if we were doing the right thing," she said. "And, you know, not being able to do the normal things that you would do when have a baby — going to the mom groups, going to playdates and putting them into school or daycare and getting them socialized." Scouras didn't realize that her son needed speech therapy until he was 2 years old, largely due to pandemic-related seclusion, she said. "He wasn't speaking and I thought it was normal because I was just at home with my kid all day," she said. "And it wasn't until I went to a pediatrician, and he said he should be able to say 50 words by now. 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Nowadays, Nico doesn't need as much entertainment or supervision as some of his peers and hasn't stopped talking since undergoing speech therapy, Scouras said. School buses in a storage lot on August 14 in Manchester, New Hampshire. School buses in a storage lot on August 14 in Manchester, New Hampshire. AP Photo/Charles Krupa "He gets along with and can speak really well with adults," she said. "I feel like part of that is just because he spent his very formative years with only grown ups around — you know, people that we could trust in our bubble and not going to a lot of birthdays parties, playdates and stuff like that." Scouras believes some of those skills will translate well for Nico as he enters kindergarten. "I can't think of any experience more unique than being born during a pandemic," she said. "Although I guess it's not that unique because there's literally millions of them. But we'll see how this affects them as adults. We have no idea what's to come." Read more Map shows states with best—and worst—early education systems Map shows states with best—and worst—early education systems Scouras acknowledged having prior concerns about Nico's future, but believes he's ready to tackle kindergarten after conversations with his pediatrician and preschool staff. "When he was less than 2 years old and we were still trapped inside and not knowing when the next wave was going to hit, there was a lot of those nights of, like, 'Oh my God, is this going to stunt his development forever?" she recalled. "But I also kind of remind myself: Are they all going to be OK? They're all in it together." Scouras noted another upside for those born into the teeth of the pandemic: they didn't have to endure missed milestones, like proms or graduations, that older children dealt with. "I felt more for those kids who were older, who knew what was going on," she said. "You see a lot of kids who I feel like now have been affected by having to do all their stuff online and they're so reserved now. At least he still had a chance to kind of grow and be born into a world where it's going to be a few years before he recalls anything of this, so let's just try to make this as happy and as supportive environment as we can while he's little." The additional solitude with Nico also allowed Scouras' family to create a "really good foundation" for his future, she said. "We're all very close, and I love that," she said. Social and Behavioral Concerns Casey Peeks, senior director of early childhood policy at the Washington-based liberal think tank Center for American Progress, said educators should expect to spend more time regulating the behavior of some kindergarteners this fall compared to prior years. "Teachers can always tell the very first day of kindergarten which of their students went to preschool or some other high-quality early childhood education environment," Peeks told Newsweek. "With these children who were born during the height of the pandemic, I think the social and behavioral issues will be a much larger focus this kindergarten year." Preschool, childcare workers and other early educators have experienced a significant uptick in challenging behavioral issues in recent years compared to pre-pandemic terms, Peek said, citing surveys from federal Head Start programs and other data. A back-to-school section on August 12 at a Walmart in Dallas, Texas, as millions of kindergarteners prepare to enter classrooms, many for the first time. A back-to-school section on August 12 at a Walmart in Dallas, Texas, as millions of kindergarteners prepare to enter classrooms, many for the first time. AP Photo/LM Otero "And I would imagine that would continue in kindergarten," Peeks said, adding that more early educators have also reported being burnt out from managing their post-pandemic classrooms. "I think it's the fact of dealing with these challenging behaviors, but the adults themselves were also having high levels of stress during the pandemic," the former kindergarten teacher said. "So, their own mental health, their own stress, combined with having to care for these children who were having really big behavioral and emotional challenges ... that is something that these educators have had to deal with more so than pre-pandemic." Peeks also cited researchers at Columbia University who conducted a study of 255 infants born between March and December 2020 that revealed they scored slightly lower on a screening test of social and motor skills at six months compared to their counterparts just before the coronavirus outbreak. "Yes, they might've still gone to preschool in higher numbers, but those are still delays that are going to have to be addressed over time," Peeks said. "It'll be really interesting to see the data and do surveys of kindergarten teachers of this cohort on what they've noticed compared to other class years." The Covid Generation Dr. Dani Dumitriu, the lead investigator of Columbia's ongoing study, said it's too early to understand exactly how being born in the middle of a pandemic will impact those children into adolescence and beyond. "These kids are just aging into 5, we are just starting our assessment," Dumitriu told Newsweek. "I will be able to answer that question in a couple years, but right now, I can tell you with certainty that any academic who tells you that they know something about this generation at age 5 is flatly wrong. You just simply cannot." Within the next year, Columbia expects to finish collecting data from approximately 500 4- and 5-year-olds and then spend another year analyzing those key outcomes, according to Dumitriu, an associate professor of pediatrics and director of Columbia University's Center for Early Relational Health. "In that initial paper, we showed an effect of the pandemic — not an effect of the virus, but just pandemic stress," Dumitriu said last week. "I also really want to stress the fact that six-month data does not predict five-year outcomes. The brain up until about three years of age is so plastic that you simply cannot make any inferences about the future from six-month-old data." 'Kids Are Resilient' Kentucky Lt. Gov. Jacqueline Coleman accompanied her daughter Evelynne to her first day of kindergarten on Wednesday and acknowledged having a tough time processing the bittersweet milestone. "She's fine," Coleman wrote on X. "Mom? Not so much." Coleman, a Democrat who took office in December 2019, gave birth to Evelynne in February 2020, just weeks before the World Health Organization declared the coronavirus a pandemic and states began issuing stay-at-home orders. Kentucky Lt. Gov. Jacqueline Coleman attends the first day of kindergarten with her daughter Evelynne on Wednesday. Kentucky Lt. Gov. Jacqueline Coleman attends the first day of kindergarten with her daughter Evelynne on Wednesday. Courtesy Jacqueline Coleman "There is no question that babies born during COVID, and their parents, faced very unique challenges during an already challenging time for families," Coleman told Newsweek in a statement. Similar to Nico, who was born in July 2020, Evelynne had issues with delayed speech, Coleman said. "Which made sense because she didn't have peer interaction and she was surrounded by adults who were often speaking to her through masks," Coleman said. "But once she was enrolled in daycare, she rebounded, and pre-K helped even more so. Now, we cannot get her to stop talking. I say that half-jokingly, but it also proves what we already know: kids are resilient."
Epoch Times
2 hours ago
- Epoch Times
American Academy of Pediatrics Recommends COVID-19 Vaccine for All Infants
The American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP) on Aug. 19 recommended that many young children receive a COVID-19 vaccine, diverging from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention's immunization schedule. All children ages 6 to 23 months should receive a COVID-19 vaccine, regardless of prior infection or vaccination, the AAP said in its updated schedule, unless they have a contraindication such as a history of severe allergic reaction to a vaccine ingredient.
