Latest news with #KN95
Yahoo
4 days ago
- Climate
- Yahoo
Saharan dust is heading toward Florida. What does that mean — and can it impact your health?
Saharan dust is hurtling toward the United States, with a massive plume headed for Florida on Saturday. But what is Saharan dust, and what could it do once it arrives? Here's what you need to know. Saharan dust is exactly what it sounds like: fine sand and mineral particles from the Sahara Desert in North Africa, the largest hot desert in the world and third largest desert overall. Surprisingly, these clouds of fine, dusty air can travel thousands of miles — and even across entire oceans. This phenomenon actually occurs every year: The dust is carried by winds in the atmosphere, specifically by what the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) calls the Saharan Air Layer — a mass of very dry, dusty air that forms over the Sahara during late spring, summer and early fall. Saharan dust activity usually increases in mid-June and peaks from late June to mid-August, meteorologist Jason Dunion told NOAA in 2020. New dust outbreaks happen every few days when atmospheric disturbances near the Sahara kick up dust. The dust then travels to places like Florida or even Texas. Puerto Rico and the U.S. Virgin Islands already saw Saharan dust this week, the National Weather Service in San Juan reported, and now, the plume is headed toward Florida. It will arrive in south and central Florida by this weekend and linger for several days, with a denser wave likely by mid-next week. As it did in Puerto Rico and the U.S. Virgin Islands, the dust will likely cause hazy skies, poorer air quality and reduced visibility, as well as more vibrant sunsets. A plume of Saharan Dust will arrive across South Florida late this week, out ahead of a weak frontal boundary and moisture which will bring increasing rain chances this weekend.A more concentrated plume of Saharan Dust is modeled to arrive across the region mid next week. — NWS Miami (@NWSMiami) May 28, 2025 There is an upside to Saharan dust beyond pretty sunset photos for Instagram, however: The dry, dusty air can also make it harder for storms and hurricanes to form, as the dry air stops the storms from gaining the moisture they need to develop. That can be a positive thing during hurricane season, which, in the Atlantic, begins in June and ends in November. Possibly. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention identifies Saharan dust as a form of 'particulate pollution' that can degrade air quality and pose health risks. Particulate pollution can be especially concerning for people with asthma, allergies or other respiratory conditions — as well as older adults and people with heart issues — since the fine particles can be inhaled into the lungs and even enter the bloodstream. To protect yourself from Saharan dust, stay indoors as much as you can, wear a dust mask like a KN95 if you go outside and use a HEPA air filter inside to keep the air clean. If you use medication for respiratory issues, such as an inhaler, make sure you keep it on hand at all times.
Yahoo
14-05-2025
- Politics
- Yahoo
FBI arrests Wisconsin judge and accuses her of obstructing immigration officials
The FBI on Friday arrested a judge whom the agency accused of obstruction after it said she helped a man evade US immigration authorities as they were seeking to arrest him at her courthouse. The county circuit judge, Hannah Dugan, was apprehended in the courthouse where she works in Milwaukee, Wisconsin, at 8.30am local time on Friday on charges of obstruction, a spokesperson for the US Marshals Service confirmed to the Guardian. Kash Patel, the Trump-appointed FBI director, wrote on X: 'We believe Judge Dugan intentionally misdirected federal agents away from the subject to be arrested in her courthouse, Eduardo Flores Ruiz, allowing the subject – an illegal alien – to evade arrest.' He said that agents were still able to arrest the target after he was 'chased down' and that he was in custody. Patel added that 'the judge's obstruction created increased danger to the public'. Dugan appeared briefly in federal court in Milwaukee later on Friday morning before being released from custody. Her next court appearance is 15 May. 'Judge Dugan wholeheartedly regrets and protests her arrest. It was not made in the interest of public safety,' her attorney, Craig Mastantuono, said during the hearing. A crowd formed outside the courthouse, chanting: 'Free the judge now.' In a statement shared with the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel, an attorney for Dugan said: 'Hannah C Dugan has committed herself to the rule of law and the principles of due process for her entire career as a lawyer and a judge.' It continued: 'Judge Dugan will defend herself vigorously, and looks forward to being exonerated.' Trump weighed in on his Truth Social platform by sharing an image of the judge found on the judge's Facebook page by the rightwing blogger Libs of TikTok, which showed Dugan on the bench wearing a KN95 face mask and displaying the Ukrainian national symbol of a trident. The Milwaukee city council released a statement following the arrest: 'This morning's news that Judge Hannah Dugan was arrested by federal authorities is shocking and upsetting. Judge Dugan should be afforded the same respect and due process that she has diligently provided others throughout her career. 'Perhaps the most chilling part of Judge Dugan's arrest is the continued aggression by which the current administration in Washington, DC has weaponized federal law enforcement, such as ICE, against immigrant communities,' the statement reads. 'As local elected officials, we are working daily to support our constituents who grow increasingly concerned and worried with each passing incident.' Senator Tammy Baldwin, a Democrat representing Wisconsin, called the arrest of a sitting judge a 'gravely serious and drastic move' that 'threatens to breach' the separation of power between the executive and judicial branches. 'Make no mistake, we do not have kings in this country and we are a democracy governed by laws that everyone must abide by,' Baldwin said in an emailed statement after Dugan's arrest. The leftwing senator Bernie Sanders said the move was about 'unchecked power'. 'Let's be clear. Trump's arrest of Judge Dugan in Milwaukee has nothing to do with immigration. It has everything to do with [Trump] moving this country towards authoritarianism,' he said in a statement. The Massachusetts senator Elizabeth Warren said in a social media post: 'This administration is threatening our country's judicial system. This rings serious alarm bells.' Later in the day, the FBI director posted a photograph of the judge in handcuffs on X with the caption: 'No one is above the law'. The judge's arrest dramatically escalates tensions between federal authorities and state and local officials amid Donald Trump's anti-immigration crackdown. It also comes amid a growing battle between the Trump administration and the federal judiciary over the president's executive actions over deportations and other matters. Related: A battle looms over rule of law as some courts start to flex their muscles against Trump In a statement Wisconsin's governor, Democrat Tony Evers, accused the Trump administration of repeatedly using 'dangerous rhetoric to attack and attempt to undermine our judiciary at every level'. 'I have deep respect for the rule of law, our nation's judiciary, the importance of judges making decisions impartially without fear or favor, and the efforts of law enforcement to hold people accountable if they commit a crime,' Evers said. 'I will continue to put my faith in our justice system as this situation plays out in the court of law.' It was reported on Tuesday that the FBI was investigating whether Dugan 'tried to help an undocumented immigrant avoid arrest when that person was scheduled to appear in her courtroom last week', per an email obtained by the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel. Dugan told the Journal Sentinel: 'Nearly every fact regarding the 'tips' in your email is inaccurate.' The arrest of Dugan is the first publicly known instance of the Trump administration charging a local official for allegedly interfering with immigration enforcement. Emil Bove, the justice department's principal associate deputy attorney general, issued a memo in January calling on prosecutors to pursue criminal cases against local government officials who obstructed the federal government's immigration enforcement efforts. Bove stated in the three-page memo: 'Federal law prohibits state and local actors from resisting, obstructing, and otherwise failing to comply with lawful immigration-related commands or requests.' Dugan has been charged with the federal offenses of obstructing a proceeding and concealing an individual to prevent arrest, according to documents filed with the court. The administration alleged that in the original encounter, the judge ordered immigration officials to leave the courthouse, saying they did not have a warrant signed by a judge to apprehend the suspect they were seeking, who was in court for other reasons. Prosecutors said that Dugan became 'visibly angry' when she learned that immigration agents were planning an arrest in her courtroom, according to court filings. Dugan ordered the immigration officials to speak with the chief judge and then escorted Flores Ruiz and his attorney through a door that led to a non-public area of the courthouse, the prosecution complaint said. The Milwaukee Journal-Sentinel, citing sources it did not identify, said Dugan steered Flores Ruiz and his attorney to a private hallway and into a public area but did not hide the pair in a jury deliberation room as some have accused her of doing. Dugan was first elected as a county judge in 2016 and before that was head of the local branch of Catholic Charities, which provides refugee resettlement programs. She was previously a lawyer at the Legal Aid Society of Milwaukee, which serves low-income people. The case is similar to one brought during the first Trump administration against a Massachusetts judge, who was accused of helping a man sneak out a backdoor of a courthouse to evade a waiting immigration enforcement agent. That prosecution sparked outrage from many in the legal community, who slammed the case as politically motivated. Prosecutors under the Biden administration dropped the case against Newton district judge Shelley Joseph in 2022 after she agreed to refer herself to a state agency that investigates allegations of misconduct by members of the bench. However, Pam Bondi, the attorney general, gave a media interview in which she said the administration would target any judges it believed were breaking the law. Bondi said on a Fox News segment that she believed 'some of these judges think that they are beyond and above the law. They are not, and we are sending a very strong message today … if you are harboring a fugitive, we will come after you and we will prosecute you.' The Associated Press contributed reporting
Newsweek
13-05-2025
- Health
- Newsweek
Fury at What Stranger Does to Passenger Wearing Mask in Airport: 'Why?'
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. A post about a bizarre incident involving a masked passenger and a man who began "quacking" at them at an airport has sparked debate about public mask-wearing and its stigmatization in the post-COVID-19 pandemic era. The post, titled simply "Quacking???" was shared on the r/delta subreddit by user u/CactusMoon2 and has since garnered 1,700 upvotes and hundreds of comments. It describes an encounter that occurred on April 26 at Hartsfield-Jackson Atlanta International Airport in Georgia. "To the distinguished-looking, but definitely not acting like, mid 50's gentleman in the gray suit walking through Terminal E in ATL—you are an a******!" the poster wrote, launching into a recount of the interaction that unfolded while they waited to board a Delta Air Lines flight. The poster, who did not share their name, age or location, told Newsweek: "I was walking toward my gate when the incident occurred. It was a quick exchange—he made eye contact, he began quacking, all while we were walking in opposite kept walking and so did I." The poster said they were waiting to catch an international flight at the gate while wearing a KN95 mask, which "look like duck bills," noting: "I have an autoimmune disease affecting my lungs and need to mask up in closed spaces." The poster said: "A****** makes intentional eye contact with us and starts quacking, loudly 'Quack! Quack, quack, quack! Quack! Quack, quack, quack!' Why would someone be such an a******????" A stock image of a man wearing a face mask while standing at an international arrivals gate at an airport. A stock image of a man wearing a face mask while standing at an international arrivals gate at an airport. iStock / Getty Images Plus Masks, once required for travel under the guidelines of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) during the height of the pandemic, have remained a polarizing issue even after mandates were lifted in April 2022 following a federal court ruling. Back in August 2021, the U.S. Federal Aviation Administration reported it had received 3,889 reports of unruly passengers, including 2,867 reports of those refusing to comply with the mask mandate. Although the Transportation Security Administration (TSA) no longer enforces mask use, the CDC still recommends masks for travelers who are ill. 'Stunned' The Reddit poster said the "quacking" incident felt like a direct comment on their decision to wear a mask. "I wear a mask when I am in crowded, enclosed places—so definitely when I travel. I was stunned when the guy started quacking, loud enough for me to hear," the poster told Newsweek. The passenger said: "He was walking with a small group of did appear to lean down toward one, while he quacked, still looking at me. No one in the group looked at me—they just kept walking, looking straight ahead." The poster added: "It felt like he was making a very negative comment about mask-wearing and making fun of me for wearing one. Frankly, I have never understood why some people feel the need to make comments, to ridicule or to question someone else's choice to wear a mask." The episode ignited discussions about personal health choices and public reactions. "I do have to ask—how many times have you been in a crowded place where someone is coughing, sneezing, blowing their nose, and then a few days later you wind up sick?" the poster said. "My point is, I am at risk and I am just trying to minimize that risk." They shared the incident in the Reddit post in a need to vent and the response from other users was unexpectedly supportive. "I was so surprised at the number of comments and most of them were very positive, offering comebacks for the next time or sharing their own stories of similar happenings," they said. The poster said reactions to mask-wearing often vary by setting. "In a healthcare setting, the looks seem to be one of curiosity or empathy; while I get a lot of 'side eyes' and 'rolling of eyes' when wearing a mask in public," they said. "This is the first time I have heard a comment directed toward me, although I have had friends who have had similar experiences—apparently, these encounters are not as rare as one might hope." The incident touched a nerve with many Reddit users, who flooded the thread with support and shared outrage. U/CommonComb3793 wrote: "He made himself look unempathetic and uncompassionate AF [as f***]. That's on him." Another user, u/FiverForever, commented: "Anyone around him was reflecting on what an immature jerk he was. No one thought he was clever or funny." U/Horror_Ad5116 said: "Last I country. WEAR THAT MASK!!!" U/TeriBarrons questioned: "Why should anyone care what someone else does with regard to wearing a mask? It's a stupid hill to die on." Do you have a travel-related video or story to share? Let us know via life@ and your story could be featured on Newsweek.
Business Mayor
26-04-2025
- Politics
- Business Mayor
FBI arrests Wisconsin judge and accuses her of obstructing immigration officials
The FBI on Friday arrested a judge whom the agency accused of obstruction after it said she helped a man evade US immigration authorities as they were seeking to arrest him at her courthouse. The county circuit judge, Hannah Dugan, was apprehended in the courthouse where she works in Milwaukee, Wisconsin, at 8.30am local time on Friday on charges of obstruction, a spokesperson for the US Marshals Service confirmed to the Guardian. Kash Patel, the Trump-appointed FBI director, wrote on X: 'We believe Judge Dugan intentionally misdirected federal agents away from the subject to be arrested in her courthouse, Eduardo Flores Ruiz, allowing the subject – an illegal alien – to evade arrest.' He said that agents were still able to arrest the target after he was 'chased down' and that he was in custody. Patel added that 'the judge's obstruction created increased danger to the public'. Dugan appeared briefly in federal court in Milwaukee later on Friday morning before being released from custody. Her next court appearance is 15 May. 'Judge Dugan wholeheartedly regrets and protests her arrest. It was not made in the interest of public safety,' her attorney, Craig Mastantuono, said during the hearing. A crowd formed outside the courthouse, chanting: 'Free the judge now.' In a statement shared with the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel, an attorney for Dugan said: 'Hannah C Dugan has committed herself to the rule of law and the principles of due process for her entire career as a lawyer and a judge.' It continued: 'Judge Dugan will defend herself vigorously, and looks forward to being exonerated.' Trump weighed in on his Truth Social platform by sharing an image of the judge found on the judge's Facebook page by the rightwing blogger Libs of TikTok, which showed Dugan on the bench wearing a KN95 face mask and displaying the Ukrainian national symbol of a trident. The Milwaukee city council released a statement following the arrest: 'This morning's news that Judge Hannah Dugan was arrested by federal authorities is shocking and upsetting. Judge Dugan should be afforded the same respect and due process that she has diligently provided others throughout her career. 'Perhaps the most chilling part of Judge Dugan's arrest is the continued aggression by which the current administration in Washington, DC has weaponized federal law enforcement, such as ICE, against immigrant communities,' the statement reads. 'As local elected officials, we are working daily to support our constituents who grow increasingly concerned and worried with each passing incident.' Senator Tammy Baldwin, a Democrat representing Wisconsin, called the arrest of a sitting judge a 'gravely serious and drastic move' that 'threatens to breach' the separation of power between the executive and judicial branches. 'Make no mistake, we do not have kings in this country and we are a democracy governed by laws that everyone must abide by,' Baldwin said in an emailed statement after Dugan's arrest. The leftwing senator Bernie Sanders said the move was about 'unchecked power'. 'Let's be clear. Trump's arrest of Judge Dugan in Milwaukee has nothing to do with immigration. It has everything to do with [Trump] moving this country towards authoritarianism,' he said in a statement. The Massachusetts senator Elizabeth Warren said in a social media post: 'This administration is threatening our country's judicial system. This rings serious alarm bells.' Later in the day, the FBI director posted a photograph of the judge in handcuffs on X with the caption: 'No one is above the law'. The judge's arrest dramatically escalates tensions between federal authorities and state and local officials amid Donald Trump's anti-immigration crackdown. It also comes amid a growing battle between the Trump administration and the federal judiciary over the president's executive actions over deportations and other matters. In a statement Wisconsin's governor, Democrat Tony Evers, accused the Trump administration of repeatedly using 'dangerous rhetoric to attack and attempt to undermine our judiciary at every level'. 'I have deep respect for the rule of law, our nation's judiciary, the importance of judges making decisions impartially without fear or favor, and the efforts of law enforcement to hold people accountable if they commit a crime,' Evers said. 'I will continue to put my faith in our justice system as this situation plays out in the court of law.' It was reported on Tuesday that the FBI was investigating whether Dugan 'tried to help an undocumented immigrant avoid arrest when that person was scheduled to appear in her courtroom last week', per an email obtained by the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel. Dugan told the Journal Sentinel: 'Nearly every fact regarding the 'tips' in your email is inaccurate.' The arrest of Dugan is the first publicly known instance of the Trump administration charging a local official for allegedly interfering with immigration enforcement. Emil Bove, the justice department's principal associate deputy attorney general, issued a memo in January calling on prosecutors to pursue criminal cases against local government officials who obstructed the federal government's immigration enforcement efforts. Bove stated in the three-page memo: 'Federal law prohibits state and local actors from resisting, obstructing, and otherwise failing to comply with lawful immigration-related commands or requests.' Dugan has been charged with the federal offenses of obstructing a proceeding and concealing an individual to prevent arrest, according to documents filed with the court. The administration alleged that in the original encounter, the judge ordered immigration officials to leave the courthouse, saying they did not have a warrant signed by a judge to apprehend the suspect they were seeking, who was in court for other reasons. Prosecutors said that Dugan became 'visibly angry' when she learned that immigration agents were planning an arrest in her courtroom, according to court filings. Dugan ordered the immigration officials to speak with the chief judge and then escorted Flores Ruiz and his attorney through a door that led to a non-public area of the courthouse, the prosecution complaint said. The Milwaukee Journal-Sentinel, citing sources it did not identify, said Dugan steered Flores Ruiz and his attorney to a private hallway and into a public area but did not hide the pair in a jury deliberation room as some have accused her of doing. Dugan was first elected as a county judge in 2016 and before that was head of the local branch of Catholic Charities, which provides refugee resettlement programs. She was previously a lawyer at the Legal Aid Society of Milwaukee, which serves low-income people. The case is similar to one brought during the first Trump administration against a Massachusetts judge, who was accused of helping a man sneak out a backdoor of a courthouse to evade a waiting immigration enforcement agent. That prosecution sparked outrage from many in the legal community, who slammed the case as politically motivated. Prosecutors under the Biden administration dropped the case against Newton district judge Shelley Joseph in 2022 after she agreed to refer herself to a state agency that investigates allegations of misconduct by members of the bench. However, Pam Bondi, the attorney general, gave a media interview in which she said the administration would target any judges it believed were breaking the law. Bondi said on a Fox News segment that she believed 'some of these judges think that they are beyond and above the law. They are not, and we are sending a very strong message today … if you are harboring a fugitive, we will come after you and we will prosecute you.'
Yahoo
23-04-2025
- Health
- Yahoo
Measles outbreak: Which Oklahoma counties are behind on vaccinations? Do I need a booster?
The highly contagious measles virus – which has claimed the life of two children in Texas – has spread into the South and Midwest, with the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention reporting measles cases in Oklahoma, Kansas, New Mexico and Ohio. Since the late January start, Oklahoma's southern neighbor, Texas, has accumulated 624 of the nation's 800 confirmed cases. While most cases have stayed away from the Oklahoma border, there have still been confirmed ties between the two states' cases. As of April 22, there are 13 cases in Oklahoma. Unlike Texas and Kansas, Oklahoma does not currently indicate which counties have reported measles cases. Amid the recent measles outbreaks, the CDC said people should be on the lookout for those who may have the virus and take precautions if they haven't been vaccinated. Here's a look at what medical experts recommend and what to know about vaccines for measles. According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, 95% of the population requires the two required doses of the measles vaccine to achieve herd immunity. This immunity protects not only those who are vaccinated but also those who are not, by reducing the overall spread of the disease. In Oklahoma, only 25 counties do not have an up-to-date MMR vaccination status of 95% or higher, according to the 2023-24 Oklahoma Kindergarten Immunization Survey. These counties include: Atoka (94%) Bryan (94%) Canadian (94%) Cotton (94%) Cimarron (91%) Creek (93%) Dewey (89%) Garvin (94%) Grant (90%) Greer (94%) Haskell (94%) Jefferson (94%) Kingfisher (93%) Lincoln (93%) Major (92%) Mayes (94%) McClain (92%) Nowata (94%) Oklahoma (94%) Pushmataha (89%) Rogers (94%) Sequoyah (94%) Wagoner (91%) Washita (94%) Woodward (94%) The best way to defend against measles is to get the measles vaccine. The vaccine is usually given alongside the rubella and mumps vaccine, effectively naming it the MMR vaccine. It is recommended for all children ages 12 to 15 months and again at 4-6 years old. If someone does not receive a second dose of the vaccine from ages 4-6, it may be administered at any age thereafter. The two doses of vaccine normally provide lifelong immunity. Due to the vaccine's strong efficacy, you don't need to get a booster of the measles vaccine if you already had two doses of the childhood measles vaccine. Consult your doctor if you have questions. If you only received one dose of the vaccine and work in education, the health care sector, child care or other fields where you're consistently around children or sick people, or if you intend to travel internationally, you might need a booster and should speak to your doctor. The only fully endorsed protection by health experts against measles is the vaccine. As with any airborne infectious disease, KN95 masks offer some protection, as do handwashing and isolation. However, masking should not be relied upon for complete protection. U.S. Health and Human Services Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. has recently touted vitamin A as a way to prevent measles, but there is no evidence that vitamin A will prevent measles, medical experts say. And some children in Texas who contracted measles are being treated for vitamin A toxicity, a condition where someone has too much of the vitamin, which can damage the liver and brain. This article originally appeared on Oklahoman: Measles outbreak: Which Oklahoma counties are behind on vaccinations?
