Latest news with #EduardoCuevas
USA Today
6 days ago
- Climate
- USA Today
Fast-moving wildfire forces evacuation of Colorado prison
The wildfire is nearing the fifth-largest blaze in Colorado history. A Colorado prison was evacuated due to a fast-growing wildfire that's already one of the largest in state history, officials said. The ongoing spread of the Lee Fire in western Colorado forced the relocation of 179 incarcerated individuals at the Rifle Correctional Center to the Buena Vista Correctional Complex on Aug. 9, a Colorado Department of Corrections news release said. While no injuries were reported at the prison — located about 70 miles northeast of Grand Junction, Colorado — all the inmates were moved outside the fire area "out of an abundance of caution." The Lee Fire, which began on Aug. 2, has quickly burned more than 106,700 acres, according to an update on InciWeb on Aug. 10. The blaze has reached 6% containment. Firefighters are battling near-critical fire weather, including lower humidity and periods of gusty winds. Despite cooler temperatures, the fire is aided by drier vegetation and steep slopes. The blaze is nearing the fifth-largest by acreage in state history, the 2018 Spring Creek Fire, which burned over 108,000 acres. All of Colorado's 20 largest fires have occurred in the last 25 years, according to the state Division of Fire Prevention and Control. The cause of the Lee Fire is still undetermined. In an overview of the fire, InciWeb, a government website that monitors wildfires, said the Lee and Grease fires, which eventually formed together, were "discovered on August 2nd as lightning strikes on Bureau of Land Management land in the Piceance area." 'Drought with severe and extreme weather conditions, along with multiple days of red flag warnings and heightened fire activity, the Lee fire grew over 100,000 acres in eight days,' according to InciWeb. Several western states, including Colorado, are battling large wildfires. California has its largest fire of 2025: Over 118,000 acres are estimated to have burned in the Gifford Fire, with 33% containment, according to InciWeb. Eduardo Cuevas is based in New York City. Reach him by email at emcuevas1@ or on Signal at emcuevas.01.
USA Today
09-08-2025
- USA Today
Times Square shooting leaves 3 injured, NYPD says
The Aug. 9 Times Square shooting comes nearly two weeks after a mass shooting less than a mile away in midtown. NEW YORK − A teenager is accused of shooting three people in Times Square early Aug. 9 after an argument escalated in the busy tourist hub, police said. At around 1:20 a.m., the verbal dispute unfolded at 44th Street and 7th Avenue in midtown Manhattan, New York City police said. Then, a 17-year-old boy allegedly pulled out a gun and opened fire, injuring three: an 18-year-old woman grazed in the neck; a 19-year-old man shot in the right foot; and a 65-year-old man hit in the left leg, NYPD said. The argument involved the suspect and the 19-year-old man who was shot, police said. NYPD said two nearby police officers responded and arrested the teenage suspect soon after shots rang out. The suspect's name is not being released. Police recovered a firearm at the scene. All three victims were taken to Bellevue hospital and were in stable condition, police said. There are no other suspects wanted in the shooting, police said. Charges are pending. The Aug. 9 Times Square shooting comes nearly two weeks after a mass shooting less than a mile away in midtown. During rush hour on July 28, the lone gunman entered a skyscraper and opened fire, fatally shooting four people before killing himself. Despite the high-profile shootings, gun violence in New York has dropped through the year, according to NYPD data. Eduardo Cuevas is based in New York City. Reach him by email at emcuevas1@ or on Signal at emcuevas.01.
Yahoo
08-05-2025
- Health
- Yahoo
FDA pauses milk quality testing amid Health and Human Services cuts; lab transfer planned
The U.S. Food and Drug Administration has suspended its quality control program that tests milk and other dairy products. The Food Emergency Response Network Proficiency Testing Program is currently in the process of transferring to another lab that will allow the program to continue, an FDA spokesperson confirmed in a statement to USA TODAY on April 22. "In the meantime, state and federal labs continue to analyze food samples, and FDA remains committed to working with states to protect the safety of the pasteurized milk supply," the agency said. An internal email sent by the agency's Division of Dairy Safety said the proficiency testing program for Grade "A" raw milk and finished products is suspended effective since April 21, according to Reuters. The disruption comes after the Department of Health and Human Services cut 10,000 jobs across agencies earlier in April, including the FDA, as well as sister agencies like the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention and the National Institutes of Health. However, the FDA spokesperson did not confirm that staffing had any correlation with the pause of the quality control program. Among those laid off were FDA staffers who played a role in the federal response to the ongoing bird flu outbreaks, according to former staff and professional groups. When asked about cuts to FDA this month, a Department of Health and Human Services spokesperson referred to public statements and a fact sheet from the agency and HHS Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Eduardo Cuevas This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: Milk quality testing suspended amid Health and Human Services cuts
USA Today
23-04-2025
- Health
- USA Today
FDA pauses milk quality testing amid Health and Human Services cuts; lab transfer planned
FDA pauses milk quality testing amid Health and Human Services cuts; lab transfer planned The U.S. Food and Drug Administration has suspended its quality control program that tests milk and other dairy products. The Food Emergency Response Network Proficiency Testing Program is currently in the process of transferring to another lab that will allow the program to continue, an FDA spokesperson confirmed in a statement to USA TODAY on April 22. "In the meantime, state and federal labs continue to analyze food samples, and FDA remains committed to working with states to protect the safety of the pasteurized milk supply," the agency said. An internal email sent by the agency's Division of Dairy Safety said the proficiency testing program for Grade "A" raw milk and finished products is suspended effective since April 21, according to Reuters. Pause comes after health department layoffs The disruption comes after the Department of Health and Human Services cut 10,000 jobs across agencies earlier in April, including the FDA, as well as sister agencies like the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention and the National Institutes of Health. However, the FDA spokesperson did not confirm that staffing had any correlation with the pause of the quality control program. Among those laid off were FDA staffers who played a role in the federal response to the ongoing bird flu outbreaks, according to former staff and professional groups. When asked about cuts to FDA this month, a Department of Health and Human Services spokesperson referred to public statements and a fact sheet from the agency and HHS Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. Contributing: Eduardo Cuevas
Yahoo
26-02-2025
- Health
- Yahoo
Unvaccinated child dies amid Texas measles outbreak, first death in US since 2015
Texas officials on Wednesday announced the first death in the state's ongoing measles outbreak. A school-age child has died of measles in West Texas, the first death from the disease in the U.S. since 2015, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. The Gaines County resident died in Lubbock, Zach Holbrooks, public health director and executive director of the South Plains Public Health District, said in an email. In a statement, Lubbock city and Texas health officials confirmed the patient was an unvaccinated school-aged child who died in the last 24 hours. So far, 124 people are known to have been infected, mostly among people who weren't vaccinated or had no known vaccination status, state data showed. There have been 18 people hospitalized. Measles — also called rubeola — is highly contagious and can be serious and even fatal for small children. While death rates have been falling worldwide as more children receive the measles vaccine, the disease still kills more than 200,000 people a year, mostly children, according to Mayo According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, measles was declared eliminated in the United States in 2000. A high percentage of people were receiving effective measles, mumps, and rubella (MMR) vaccines. As per the CDC, the decline in measles vaccination rates globally increases the risk of larger measles outbreaks worldwide. Global measles activity is increasing, meaning more chances of an unvaccinated person infected with measles abroad returning to the U.S. The CDC also says MMR vaccination rates for U.S. kindergarteners have fallen below the 95% target and are even lower in certain communities, with the trend continuing downward. The first symptoms of measles last two to three days and are non-specific and mild. Here's what to pay attention to if an unvaccinated child or person is feeling ill: Cough Runny nose Itchy, watery eyes A high fever Small white spots (Koplik's spots) inside the inner lining of the cheek. A red rash usually develops three to five days after the first symptoms. It looks like small raised bumps that erupt on the face and near the hairline, giving it a "splotchy red appearance" and then spreading down to the rest of the body. There is a vaccine. The CDC recommends getting vaccinated with two doses of the measles, mumps, and rubella (MMR) vaccine according to the immunization schedule. Ideally, children between 12 and 15 months get their first dose, followed by a second dose at 4 to 6 years old. -USA TODAY Network Health and Wellness reporter Eduardo Cuevas contributed to this report. This article originally appeared on Austin American-Statesman: Child dies amid Texas measles outbreak, first death in US since 2015
