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Boston Globe
02-08-2025
- Sport
- Boston Globe
The rodeo rides into Rochester
Families encircled the dusty arena wearing their own cowboy swag of silver jewelry, Ariat shirts tucked into tight jeans, and polished boots. The women sported long ponytails and the men favored big cowboy hats. Bull riders line up in the arena during the opening ceremony with the playing of the national anthem. A touch of cowboy culture is taking over the small town of Rochester as the New England Rodeo has landed for the season. Up to 20 professional bull riders from all over New England, and as far away as Brazil, compete as thousands of spectators line the outdoor arena. The event is held at the former Rochester Fair Grounds every other Saturday from June 14 to Sept. 30. The rodeo also hosts barrel racers with riders of all ages. John Tlumacki/Globe Staff Augusto Vieira gets a long ride around the arena during the bull riding competition. John Tlumacki/Globe Staff A young rider walks to her horse at the New England Rodeo. John Tlumacki/Globe Staff Large pickup trucks parked next to horse trailers on the open field, and the air was filled with the aroma of fresh cut hay. Large steel bullpens enclosed 1,000-pound bulls that seemed friendly enough to pet, but were just waiting for their next victim. Most of the professional bull riders are Brazilians who have strong bonds with each other as they compete in Professional Bull Riders circuit events. Brazilians have dominated the circuit, winning 11 world championships. In addition to bull riding there's barrel racing, and for youngsters bucking bronco pony riding. Advertisement Bull rider Andrew Cox from Coventry, R.I., stood shirtless in the blazing sun near the tailgate to his pickup with his son Gabriel, 10. Tattoos covered Andrew's chest and arms. 'I love it. It's one big family here, Andrew said as puffed on a cigarette. Advertisement Bull rider Andrew Cox from Coventry, R.I., waits at the back of his pickup truck for the start of races in the New England Rodeo. John Tlumacki/Globe Staff Walter Oliveira rides at the starting gate. John Tlumacki/Globe Staff Gabriel Cox, 10, from Coventry, R.I., is helped off the ground after being thrown in the bucking bronco pony competition. John Tlumacki/Globe Staff The sport is dangerous and unpredictable, and many riders wear protective vests and helmets with face masks. Rider Evan Groder, of Newmarket, N.H., said that he's been stepped on by a half-ton bull, and wearing a vest spared him from injury. There are moments of panic and chaos. When an angry bull sets its sights on a downed rider, bullfighters step to protect them. As a rider is thrown off, the brightly dressed fighters, some wearing patriotic attire, distract the bucking bulls. As the daylight turned to dusk, bright floodlights lit the arena as riders shot out of the gates, jerking and thrashing. The goal is to stay on the bull for eight seconds, and both the riders and bulls receive points on control and performance. Many riders meet their fate with a face full of dirt and a kick in the behind. Novice rider Augusto Vieira, wearing a hockey helmet with a wire face guard and two large cross necklaces, clung tightly to the braided bull rope. He successfully rode the bull for one of the longest times of the competition. He dismounted but hit the ground hard, gracefully tumbling away from the bull's powerful kicks. Logan Paquin, 8, from Marion, looks through the fence. John Tlumacki/Globe Staff A rider speeds across the arena holding an American flag during the opening ceremony. John Tlumacki/Globe Staff every other Saturday at 5 p.m. through the end of September .
CBS News
03-07-2025
- Health
- CBS News
West Nile Virus confirmed among mosquitoes in Macomb County
West Nile Virus has been confirmed for the first time this summer among mosquitoes in Macomb County, Michigan, local health officials said Thursday. So far, there have been no confirmed human cases of West Nile Virus disease in Michigan. But the Macomb County Health Department said the virus is considered "endemic" in Macomb County in that it is regularly found among local mosquito populations. Because of those circumstances, the health department tests areas during spring and summer where mosquito populations are known to congregate. One of those samplings detected the presence of the virus. "This discovery by our surveillance team is important because it lets us know that this season's mosquitoes are now carrying the virus – which could spread to humans," Andrew Cox, director/health officer of Macomb County Health and Community Services, said in the announcement. Mosquitoes can become infected if they bite a bird that is infected with the virus. If the infected mosquitoes then bite humans, the health department explained, the disease can be transmitted to people. Many of those who are infected will have few to mild symptoms, such as fever or headache. But some people can develop serious complications such as encephalitis, which is inflammation of the brain, or meningitis, which is inflammation of the lining of the brain and spinal cord. People who are at greatest risk of becoming seriously ill include those age 50 and older, those who have received an organ transplant, or those with certain medical conditions such as diabetes or hypertension. Prevention tips To prevent getting West Nile Virus through a mosquito bite, the health department issues the following recommendations: Mosquitoes are most active from dusk to dawn. Those who are outside during that time should wear long pants and long sleeves to protect their skin. Use an insect repellent that contains DEET or picaridin on clothing and exposed skin. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention suggests the use of oil of lemon eucalyptus should people prefer a more natural repellant. Any buckets, pools or pet dishes that hold standing water should be kept empty or changed frequently to prevent mosquitoes from using that water to lay eggs. Window and door screens should be kept in good repair to prevent mosquitoes from entering inside. The above video first aired Sept. 25, 2024.
The Guardian
15-06-2025
- Business
- The Guardian
Leading players urge Labor to tighten rules for cashed-up political lobbyists
Leading lobbyists are urging the federal government to strengthen investigative powers and penalties to crack down on rogue operators, including through new laws that would add corporate interests to a transparency register. The Greens leader, Larissa Waters, told Guardian Australia this week that the party would use its balance of power position to push for tougher rules on the cashed-up lobbying industry in the new parliament, calling current rules 'really weak and effectively nonexistent'. The attorney general's department administers a transparency register, but it only covers paid third-party lobbyists and their clients. Lobbyists employed internally by corporations and interest groups are not required to sign up. A parliamentary report in 2024 found as much as 80% of the industry was not required to adhere to transparency rules. Worse, breaches of the associated lobbying code of conduct are not made public. The department said the number of breaches has been increasing in recent years, but how bureaucrats dealt with them was not made public. Andrew Cox, the president of industry peak body the Australian Professional Government Relations Association, said tougher rules and bigger penalties were needed. Cox said the department 'should have more robust powers to investigate and punish those who engage in unregistered lobbying' and that 'there should be meaningful consequences for breaching the government's code of conduct'. 'We support transparency where measures seeking to achieve it … do not unreasonably add to the administrative burden or create a chilling effect on the roles of government relations practitioners.' Sign up for Guardian Australia's breaking news email The powerful New South Wales Independent Commission Against Corruption warned a federal parliamentary inquiry that unregulated lobbying allows private interests 'to exert undue influence over official decision-making, while diminishing trust in government and increasing the risk of corruption'. One influential lobbyist who declined to be named so they could speak freely warned that a small number of players exaggerated their influence and access in Canberra. 'There are a small number of third-party lobbyists who like to pretend the only way to talk to government is through them. That's bullshit – that's greasy and it's gross,' they said. 'Staffers and ministers see through them, and they're not taken seriously.' They said lobbyists 'who understand how government works can be incredibly valuable to the government and to business'. The managing director of Hawker Britton, Simon Banks, said the rules should be strengthened. 'At the moment, at the commonwealth level, we have an administrative scheme. We would support a legislative scheme that makes sure there are clear rules and standards but also a legal mechanism to enforce them. 'The arrangements currently in place only apply to third-party lobbyists. I don't see why the general standards enforced by a code of conduct should apply to me but not someone who is in there lobbying on behalf of an organisation [they work for].' The code of conduct was designed to govern contact between lobbyists and government representatives, and promote 'transparency, integrity and honesty'. Sign up to Breaking News Australia Get the most important news as it breaks after newsletter promotion A growing group of MPs support changes to access rules at Parliament House. In mid-2024, there were more than 2,050 sponsored passes for the building, an unknown share of which were held by paid lobbyists. The inquiry warned there was no interaction between the lobbyist register and the pass approval system, despite access being an important tool for the industry. Banks said pass holders' names should be made public, along with MPs who sponsor them. 'I actually think if you disclose the full range of people who have their passes, you'd find there is a broader range of people who can access this building,' Banks said. Ben Oquist, a director at lobbying firm DPG Advisory Solutions, said stronger rules would benefit the industry. 'Businesses, NGOs and the public should all have the chance to engage with government and share their views or concerns, including with professional help,' Oquist said. 'Lobbying can play an important role in this democratic process. Lobbying can indeed be good. When done right, it can help shape better public policy outcomes. But if the industry does not live up to community expectations, it risks losing all public trust. 'That is why a strong, transparent and loophole-free regulatory regime would be good for everyone.' The Kooyong MP, Monique Ryan, linked powerful lobbying to Labor's controversial approval of Woodside's North West Shelf gas project out to 2070 last month. She said more transparency was badly needed. 'Fossil fuel industry lobbyists do not deserve more influence than our constituents,' she said. 'We deserve to know who is roaming the halls of parliament – and we should know when our ministers and senior public servants meet with them. We should open ministerial diaries in real time, and we must extend, reform and enforce the lobbyists' code of conduct. 'We have to close the revolving doors between ministerial and senior public service roles and the industries over which they have influence.'
News.com.au
07-06-2025
- Business
- News.com.au
What's driving China's hunger for Aussie beef as exports soar
Grain-fed beef exports to China have ballooned more than 40 per cent this year – and it's not only because of the Asian superpower's trade war with the US. Australia has broken records in the beef export industry so far in 2025, up 15 per cent year-on-year, to reach more than 567,000 tonnes by May. Among the biggest movers has been grain-fed exports to Greater China – which includes Taiwan and Hong Kong – rising 41 per cent to 57,000 tonnes alone. Overall beef exports to Greater China are up 30 per cent this year, rising to 117,000 tonnes in the latest data. These figures reveal how Australian beef exporters have been a big winner of Beijing and Washington's ongoing trade war sparked by Donald Trump's tariff regime. Meat & Livestock Australia general manager of markets Andrew Cox explained the uptick in trade to China had also coincided with a repairing of the political relationship between the two countries in recent years. China only lifted the last of its unofficial trade sanctions on Australian products like meat, wine and barley in December last year, which stemmed from tensions between Beijing and the previous federal government. 'And then of course, more recently, there's been some increased demand because our key competitor in that premium space in China, the US, has been effectively shut-out due to the trade relationship between China and the US.' China previously imported AU$2.5 billion worth of American meat but those products have virtually disappeared from supermarket shelves since Mr Trump's 'Liberation Day' as both countries hit each other with tariffs above 100 per cent. The growing middle class China's growing middle class and rising incomes have seen beef become a more popular source of protein – particularly premium cuts like wagyu – than it was historically. A snapshot collated by Meat & Livestock Australia shows 74 per cent of affluent Chinese consumers believe Australian beef is 'the most delicious', while it also scored highly for freshness and safety. Mr Cox, who has been in the industry for 20 years, said he remembered when Chinese trade figures were a 'rounding error' on the export database. 'Now they're the world's biggest beef importer and it's got more runway to grow,' he said. 'We've seen urbanisation, an emerging and growing middle class numbering in the hundreds of millions. And they have a demand for quality and safe protein.' Tammi Jonas, a farmer and spokeswoman for the Australian Food Sovereignty Alliance, predicted China to hoover up Aussie beef after the tariffs were announced in April. 'China has just turned immediately and said, 'Yep, that looks great. We'll have more Australian beef',' she told this week. Ms Jonas, however, has also warned of the potential for beef prices in Australian grocery stores to go up as exporters send more stock overseas. 'China buys a full range of everything from cheaper cuts to the more expensive ones,' she said. 'They have a rapidly growing middle class, so they demand more of the premium beef than historically they did. 'And Japan is the same, they both like a lot of the premium cuts from here. 'So that's direct competition with premium cuts in Australian supermarkets.' Tariffs and US trade The US President, in his April 2 speech, singled out an unbalanced beef trade as justification for slapping a blanket 10 per cent tariff on all Australian-made products. 'They won't take any of our beef. They don't want it because they don't want it to affect their farmers and, you know, I don't blame them, but we're doing the same thing right now, starting at midnight tonight,' Mr Trump said. Despite this, US importers have taken in 167,000 tonnes of Australian beef in 2025 – with its 32 per cent growth outstripping that of China. Australia's meat exports to the US totalled around $4 billion in 2024, while America has been dealing with drought conditions that have squeezed domestic cattle supply. It was revealed on Friday that the Australian government was considering relaxing biosecurity laws to allow more American beef into the country as part of tariff negotiations. Beef from the US was banned in 2003 after the breakout of mad cow disease, and since 2019 there have been strict conditions for meat products to enter Australia. The move has seen some pushback from farmers, with National Farmers Federation president David Jochinke telling the Sydney Morning Herald that protecting biosecurity was paramount for the industry. 'Let's be abundantly clear, our biosecurity isn't a bargaining chip,' he said. 'We have the world's best standards, backed by science, and that's how it needs to stay.' Cattle Australia chief executive Chris Parker on Friday said US beef producers have had access to Australian markets since 2019, provided they could show animals were born raised and slaughtered in the US. 'Our position is that the US needs to be able to demonstrate it can either trace cattle born in Mexico and Canada, or has systems that are equivalent to Australia's traceability, before imports of meat could occur from non-US cattle,' Dr Parker said. 'Cattle Australia is in ongoing communication with the Federal Government regarding this issue and the vital importance that our science-based biosecurity system is not compromised as part of trade discussions with any country.' Domestic prices So far beef prices has remained steady for farmers, as demand from importers means strong paydays along the supply chain, Ms Jonas said. 'The big exporters (in Australia) are rubbing their hands and just filling that market rapidly,' she said. 'And the more that market opens up, the more pressure it puts on domestic pricing. 'So supermarket beef, like we like we said several months ago, supermarkets beef is definitely going to keep going up in price.' Mr Cox said predicting prices was like weather forecasting but added that Australia already exported 75 per cent of the beef produced here. 'For the Australian farmer to be sustainable for that cultural sector, we need customers all around the world,' he said. 'We produce more food than we eat domestically and we're highly reliant on export markets.'
Yahoo
04-04-2025
- Health
- Yahoo
Macomb County resident who traveled to Canada has measles, is 3rd Michigan case of 2025
A Macomb County resident who recently traveled to Ontario, Canada, now has a confirmed case of measles, the county health department announced Friday afternoon. The infected person is an adult who recently traveled to the Windsor-Essex County area, which is , but is not believed to have gone out in public while infectious, Macomb County health officials said. For that reason, there are no known exposure sites. 'Measles is a highly contagious disease and spreads through the air when a person coughs, sneezes or talks,' said Andrew Cox, director/health officer of Macomb County Health and Community Services, in a statement. 'If you are not vaccinated for measles, get vaccinated as quickly as you can. It is important to make sure you protect yourself and loved ones from this vaccine-preventable disease.' About 90% of unvaccinated people who are exposed to measles will become infected with the virus. It is possible to spread measles before noticing symptoms — as early as four days before the rash appears, according to the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Measles symptoms typically start within seven to 14 days after exposure, but also have been known to appear as long as 21 days after initial exposure and can include: Fever, which may rise above 104 degrees. Respiratory symptoms such as runny nose, cough and red, watery eyes, and conjunctivitis or pink eye. Two to three days after symptoms begin, tiny white spots, known as Koplik spots, may develop on the inner cheeks, gums and roof of the mouth. Three to five days after symptoms begin, a rash that is red, raised and blotchy appears. It usually begins on the face and spreads to the trunk, arms and legs. Measles outbreaks are spreading across the U.S. and around the globe amid falling immunization rates. Since the start of the year, 607 confirmed measles cases have been identified in 22 states, including Michigan. The CDC reports that 74 people with measles have been hospitalized (about 12%) in the U.S. in 2025 and two people died in those outbreaks. About 72% of cases have been among people younger than age 20, and 97% of those who have been infected were unvaccinated. It's the third case of measles in Michigan this year. An Oakland County resident who traveled abroad had Michigan's first known measles infection of 2025 in early March, and exposed others at a restaurant and hospital in Rochester. The second case this year was announced earlier this week, and involved an international traveler from Kent County who exposed potentially hundreds of others from March 24-28 at Cooper's Hawk Winery & Restaurant in Kentwood, the Gerald R. Ford International Airport, Detroit Metropolitan Airport, and Gaslight location of Corewell Health Family Medicine in East Grand Rapids. And in Oakland County earlier in the day Friday, a resident was confirmed to have mumps. Both measles and mumps can be prevented by getting two doses of the measles, mumps, rubella (MMR) vaccine. A single dose of the measles vaccine is about 93% effective at preventing measles, while two doses are about 97% effective. It is also effective if used within 72 hours of measles exposure to prevent illness. Macomb County health officials urged anyone who is not fully vaccinated against measles to seek vaccination as soon as possible. And if you suspect you might have symptoms of measles, they ask that you call your doctor, urgent care center, or hospital before seeking treatment so they can take measures to prevent you from exposing others to the virus. Vaccines are available through primary care providers and pharmacies. More: State's top doctor: Measles outbreak likely in Michigan because of low vaccination rates Medicaid and most private insurance plans cover the MMR vaccine at no cost. Low- to no-cost vaccines also are available at local public health department offices. Children eligible for the Vaccines for Children program also may receive the vaccine from a provider enrolled in that program at no cost. To learn more, go to: Vaccines for Children (VFC): Information for Parents | schedule an appointment for vaccination at the Macomb County Health Department, call 586-469-5372 or visit its Immunization Clinics website at The MMR vaccine is available through Oakland County Health Division offices at the following addresses during clinic hours: Mondays, Wednesdays, Fridays: 8:30 a.m.-5 p.m. ; Tuesdays: 9:30 a.m.-6 p.m. ; Thursdays: 7:30 a.m.-5 p.m. South Oakland Health Center, 27725 Greenfield Road, Southfield. North Oakland Health Center, 1200 N. Telegraph Road, Pontiac. More: Traveler with measles exposed others at Detroit Metro, Grand Rapids airports: What to know More: Michigan's 1st 2025 measles case reported, likely exposing others at 2 Rochester locations They can be. About 1 in 20 kids with measles develops pneumonia. Roughly 1 out of every 1,000 children who have measles infections also will have encephalitis. Brain swelling from encephalitis can lead to convulsions, permanent hearing loss, intellectual disability and death, according to the CDC. Anywhere from 1 to 3 out of every 1,000 children with measles dies from respiratory or neurologic complications from the virus. "We've had the vaccine since 1963, and before the vaccine was available, every year across the U.S., between 400 and 500 people died," Dr. Natasha Bagdasarian, Michigan's chief medical executive, told the Free Press for a previous story. "Four hundred to 500 people may not seem like ... huge numbers, but it is a lot, especially if you're talking about your loved one or your child." Contact Kristen Shamus: kshamus@ Subscribe to the Free Press. This article originally appeared on Detroit Free Press: Macomb County says resident who traveled to Ontario has measles
