Latest news with #Gallina
Yahoo
4 days ago
- Health
- Yahoo
Virginia honors Virginia Beach firefighter who lost his life to cancer
VIRGINIA BEACH, Va. (WAVY) — For years, firefighter Matthew Gallina was exposed to the toxins from fires, both small and large, that put him at risk for a host of rare and deadly cancers. First responders from across the region rushed to the Mayfair Mews Apartment complex in Virginia Beach on April 6, 2012, when a fighter jet slammed into the buildings. The fire was dubbed the Good Friday miracle; no one died. 'Good Friday Miracle': F-18 jet crash into Virginia Beach apartment turns 10 Since Gallina was part of the arson squad, he wasn't assigned to the scene but had to dig through the scene after the incident. 'So if there is an arson, investigation, then my Matt would go out and dig through that scene, and there's a multitude of cancer causing agents,' Gallina's wife Michelle Gallina said. Michelle also said her husband shared space with gear that was contaminated at Mayflower Mews. 'He did not go to the Good Friday plane crash,' Michelle said. 'His, the gear from the Good Friday plane crash was stored at his station, so that's, that's one part of, of the situation was, all of the turnout gear, the equipment that came back to his station for decon, but, you know, there is there's information that, the turnout gear itself, has cancer causing, material.' In June of 2023, Gallina, who had no symptoms, tested for a wide variety of cancers. The test came back positive for stage four esophageal cancer — Gallina died just 14 months later. Funeral services were held at Norfolk's Harbor Park. 10 On Your Side's Regina Mobley asked Michelle what her reaction would be if one of her three children wanted to be a firefighter. 'That's a hard question. And, I don't know,' Michelle said. 'I'm hoping that, you know, the camaraderie of the fire department is is so amazing, and it's, it brings you in. The support that I've gotten from the fire department, from the union, from friends and family, has been overwhelming. On Saturday, Virginia will honor Matt Gallina and 11 other first responders who made the ultimate sacrifice in service to the commonwealth. The event takes place at noon at the Richmond International Raceway Complex. If you can't make it to Richmond, the event will be streamed live at the link here. Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
Yahoo
26-04-2025
- Politics
- Yahoo
CIA official's son killed while fighting in Ukraine, spy agency says
The son of a senior Central Intelligence Agency official died last year 'while fighting in the conflict in Ukraine,' a CIA spokesperson said Friday. The spokesperson confirmed the death of Michael Gloss — who is the son of Juliane Gallina, the CIA's deputy director for digital innovation — after a Russian news site reported that the 21-year-old American had signed up to serve with Russia's forces. The CIA spokesperson said Gallina and her family 'suffered an unimaginable personal tragedy in the spring of 2024 when her son Michael Gloss, who struggled with mental health issues, died while fighting in the conflict in Ukraine.' But the statement did not say which side Gloss was fighting for at the time. 'CIA considers Michael's passing to be a private family matter for the Gloss family — not a national security issue,' the spokesperson said. 'The entire CIA family is heartbroken for their loss.' 'Juliane and her husband shared that 'we adored our son and grieve his loss every moment. We appreciate privacy at this difficult time.'' the spokesperson added. In social media posts last year, Michael Gloss shared a photo of himself smiling in Moscow's Red Square and expressed sympathy for Russia's war effort against what he called 'the Ukraine Proxy war.' He wrote that news coverage of the war, which he called 'western propaganda,' was concealing the reality of a conflict in which an allegedly corrupt Ukrainian military was no match for Russian troops. 'Rus is slaughtering dem boys on sight,' he wrote. On his page on the Russian social media site VKontakte, the backdrop to Gloss' photo in Red Square shows Soviet-era war propaganda. The Russian news site Important Stories was first to report on Gloss' death. Citing Russian government information and Gloss' social media posts, it documented his extensive overseas travels, which culminated in him joining the Russian army. According to an obituary published by the family last year, Gloss died 'while traveling in Eastern Europe,' but made no mention of Russia or the war in Ukraine. It added that he lived a 'brief, but fiercely beautiful life until he was taken from us during his travels overseas.' 'Michael should be remembered for his noble heart, and warrior spirit,' the obituary said. Reached Friday, Michael Gloss' maternal grandmother, Marie Cook, declined to confirm details of her grandson's death and instead referred questions to her daughter, Gallina. 'My daughter and son-in-law are the best parents I have ever seen in my life,' Cook said. 'This is a tragedy.' Gallina was appointed last year to her current position at the CIA and has held senior roles overseeing technology and cybersecurity. She also worked as an executive at IBM and began her career as a Navy cryptologic officer, retiring from the Navy Reserves in 2013. At the U.S. Naval Academy, Gallina made history as the first woman to lead the brigade of midshipmen. In an interview with NBC News last year, Gallina discussed the threats posed by China and Russia to America's cybersecurity. Gloss' father, Larry Gloss, is a Navy veteran who served in Operation Desert Storm and works in cybersecurity in the private sector. Michael Gloss attended Oakton High School in the northern Virginia suburb of Vienna, where he played football and lacrosse, according to social media. He later attended the College of the Atlantic in Bar Harbor, Maine, where he studied human ecology, according to his obituary. The obituary said that 'Michael grew to be physically strong and tall, thoughtful and principled, and from an early age he used these strengths to protect and guard against injustice of all forms — whether it was on the playground, on the field or in politics.' The obituary offers suggestions for causes to donate to that Michael Gloss embraced, including charities devoted to helping refugees and protecting the environment. And it also suggested a charity 'we hope will help others,' the National Alliance on Mental Illness. This article was originally published on
NBC News
25-04-2025
- Politics
- NBC News
CIA official's son killed while fighting in Ukraine, spy agency says
The son of a senior Central Intelligence Agency official died last year 'while fighting in the conflict in Ukraine,' a CIA spokesperson said Friday. The spokesperson confirmed the death of Michael Gloss — who is the son of Juliane Gallina, the CIA's deputy director for digital innovation — after a Russian news site reported that the 21-year-old American had signed up to serve with Russia's forces. The CIA spokesperson said Gallina and her family 'suffered an unimaginable personal tragedy in the spring of 2024 when her son Michael Gloss, who struggled with mental health issues, died while fighting in the conflict in Ukraine.' But the statement did not say which side Gloss was fighting for at the time. 'CIA considers Michael's passing to be a private family matter for the Gloss family — not a national security issue,' the spokesperson said. 'The entire CIA family is heartbroken for their loss.' 'Juliane and her husband shared that 'we adored our son and grieve his loss every moment. We appreciate privacy at this difficult time.'' the spokesperson added. In social media posts last year, Michael Gloss shared a photo of himself smiling in Moscow's Red Square and expressed sympathy for Russia's war effort against what he called 'the Ukraine Proxy war.' He wrote that news coverage of the war, which he called 'western propaganda,' was concealing the reality of a conflict in which an allegedly corrupt Ukrainian military was no match for Russian troops. 'Rus is slaughtering dem boys on sight,' he wrote. On his page on the Russian social media site VKontakte, the backdrop to Gloss' photo in Red Square shows Soviet-era war propaganda. The Russian news site Important Stories was first to report on Gloss' death. Citing Russian government information and Gloss' social media posts, it documented his extensive overseas travels, which culminated in him joining the Russian army. According to an obituary published by the family last year, Gloss died 'while traveling in Eastern Europe,' but made no mention of Russia or the war in Ukraine. It added that he lived a 'brief, but fiercely beautiful life until he was taken from us during his travels overseas.' 'Michael should be remembered for his noble heart, and warrior spirit,' the obituary said. Reached Friday, Michael Gloss' maternal grandmother, Marie Cook, declined to confirm details of her grandson's death and instead referred questions to her daughter, Gallina. 'My daughter and son-in-law are the best parents I have ever seen in my life,' Cook said. 'This is a tragedy.' Gallina was appointed last year to her current position at the CIA and has held senior roles overseeing technology and cybersecurity. She also worked as an executive at IBM and began her career as a Navy cryptologic officer, retiring from the Navy Reserves in 2013. At the U.S. Naval Academy, Gallina made history as the first woman to lead the brigade of midshipmen. In an interview with NBC News last year, Gallina discussed the threats posed by China and Russia to America's cybersecurity. Gloss' father, Larry Gloss, is a Navy veteran who served in Operation Desert Storm and works in cybersecurity in the private sector. Michael Gloss attended Oakton High School in the northern Virginia suburb of Vienna, where he played football and lacrosse, according to social media. He later attended the College of the Atlantic in Bar Harbor, Maine, where he studied human ecology, according to his obituary. The obituary said that 'Michael grew to be physically strong and tall, thoughtful and principled, and from an early age he used these strengths to protect and guard against injustice of all forms — whether it was on the playground, on the field or in politics.' The obituary offers suggestions for causes to donate to that Michael Gloss embraced, including charities devoted to helping refugees and protecting the environment. And it also suggested a charity 'we hope will help others,' the National Alliance on Mental Illness.
Yahoo
30-03-2025
- Business
- Yahoo
Why your emotions may be preventing you from getting the most out of your investments
For those who keep a close eye on their investments and trade daily, it's possible your emotions are preventing you from seeing more consistent and lucrative returns. Wave HQ CFO Michaella Gallina detailed how investor psychology — or the emotions, biases, and decision-making patterns that influence how people invest — plays an important role in a person's portfolio. The three biases she particularly pays close attention to are loss aversion, recency bias, and confirmation bias. 'I think loss aversion is fascinating because it's essentially the concept that we feel losses as an investor at two times the rate of the emotion that we feel joy when it comes to gains,' Gallina said on a March 4 Stocks in Translation podcast. 'I think just being aware of these cognitive behaviors is the first step. Understanding that you can make emotional decisions and it can hurt you versus staying the course over the long term ... is always the first step.' This embedded content is not available in your region. Gallina noted that loss aversion is the most damaging bias for many investors' portfolios, resulting in a 'much more lasting effect' than some of the other biases that affect trading decisions. She pointed to a 2024 JPMorgan survey that found 40% of retail investors tended to sell at market lows. 'So they're feeling those losses even more,' she said. 'And then the emotional toll on top of that is even greater. So these emotional swings can cause really terrible decision making.' It's easy for an investor to look at the short-term trends in the markets and make knee-jerk decisions in reaction to these cycles. Gallina argued that sticking to your investments, even through downturns, can actually net you larger and more consistent returns. Read more: What is passive income, and how do I generate it through investing? That said, Gallina noted that biases can even influence passive strategies. She explained that if you're following the markets, you might be hearing in the news that you should rely on diversified ETFs. If you decide to sit on the sidelines with a passive strategy, that may also reflect recency bias or confirmation bias, as you may be relying on recent information or not challenging prior beliefs. 'We tend to be more influenced by short-term news and headlines than we are long-term trends,' Gallina said. 'And so as the market evolves, I could see traders who might think of passive strategy right now as the right thing over time may think differently — or the same.' Similar to how many investment firms hire psychologists to help strategists understand the emotional influence of their trading habits, it's important for individual investors to evaluate the information at hand to make better decisions. 'I think data is information, and it's power,' Gallina said. 'I think it's good to just understand the data points, be aware knowledge is power, and then use your own intellectual honesty to determine what your risk appetite is, what type of investments you should or shouldn't be making, whether you should even be in individual stocks or things like more passive investing.'Click here for in-depth analysis of the latest stock market news and events moving stock prices Sign in to access your portfolio
Local France
12-03-2025
- Science
- Local France
Lake Geneva's fish threatened by warming waters: experts
"Little by little, the lake's temperature is increasing," contributing to a lack of oxygen in its depths, said Nicole Gallina, corporate secretary of the International Commission for the Protection of the Waters of Lake Geneva (CIPEL). CIPEL is a joint French-Swiss organisation that monitors the picturesque, crescent-shaped body of water shared between both countries. France's National Research Institute for Agriculture, Food and the Environment analyses water samples collected by CIPEL. "If there is less and less oxygen in the water, there is less and less viable space for living organisms," explained Viet Tran-Khac, laboratory manager at the research institute's facility in the Thonon-les-Bains, on the lake's southern shore. Typically in winter, the surface temperatures cool to a density comparable with the lake's deeper layers, facilitating a mixing of waters between the levels. This natural cycle is essential for maintaining aquatic ecosystems as it transfers oxygen to the lake's lower levels. However, this full-scale winter mixing is becoming rare, as ever-milder winters, which scientists attribute to global warming, prevent the surface waters from cooling sufficiently. "With climate change, we no longer have the extremely cold winters needed for this natural mixing to take place,' Gallina told AFP. In the current winter, the minimum average temperature measured in the top 10 metres (30 feet) of the lake was 7.8 degrees Celsius (46 degrees Fahreinheit): an increase of 1.5C compared to the 1991-2020 reference period. New record Data published Wednesday by CIPEL showed that, this year, the waters only mixed down to a depth of 110 metres -- but the lake's deepest point is 309 metres down. Thirteen consecutive winters without complete mixing marks a "historic record", warned Gallina, surpassing the previous longest spell set between 1987 and 1999. "During the last complete mixing in 2012, the oxygen level in the deep waters was seven milligrammes per litre," the biologist said. It has now dropped to 2.4 mg per litre -- below the critical threshold of four mg necessary for living organisms. However, Gallina stressed there remained "hope" for the re-oxygenation of deep waters. Last year, a study by the Swiss Federal Institute of Technology university in Lausanne showed that the complete vertical mixing in 2012 also benefited from lateral mixing flows -- a phenomenon which was previously unknown. However, an entire ecosystem is starting to change, warned CIPEL. The lack of oxygen also impacts the growth of phytoplankton plants, which are eaten by zooplankton organisms -- which themselves serve as the food base for fish. The future of Arctic char, fera and other emblematic Lake Geneva fish is under threat. "Salmonids like fera need cold water to spawn. Before, it spawned at a depth of three to six metres; now it spawns at 20 to 25 metres," said Alexandre Fayet, president of the Swiss inter- cantonal association of professional Lake Geneva fishermen. "For the moment, we are not too worried" but "we are trying to diversify and commercialise fish that like warmer and less oxygenated waters, such as carp, tench and bream," he told AFP. 'Transformation' phase LeXPLORE, a floating scientific platform, has been carrying out research on Lake Geneva since 2019, studying 44 different parameters down to a depth of 110 metres. Natacha Tofield-Pasche, its project manager, said that besides the rising lake temperatures, global warming also leads to "extreme events" that wash a lot of polluting particles down into Lake Geneva, as witnessed during major floods last year in Switzerland's Wallis region. Such events can also knock out wastewater treatment plants, while the lake provides drinking water to around a million people. CIPEL is "very worried because it sees that Lake Geneva is going through a transformation phase," marked by long periods without complete mixing, said Gallina. Added to this are other challenges, such as pollution invisible ot the naked eye, such as micropollutants and microplastics, or the invasion of quagga mussels. In addition, high heat episodes increase the risk of proliferation of cyanobacteria, which can be toxic. The lack of mixing also promotes the accumulation of nutrients such as phosphorus in deep waters. In the event of increasingly exceptional complete mixing, the phosphorus could rise to the surface, causing algae blooms.
