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New York Post
09-07-2025
- Entertainment
- New York Post
‘General Hospital' star Kirsten Storms taking leave of absence from show after nearly 20 years
Maxie is maxed out. Kirsten Storms is taking an extended break from 'General Hospital' after nearly 20 years. The actress made the announcement in an Instagram video on July 7. Storms, 41, has already filmed her final scenes — for now. Amid her absence, she is moving from Los Angeles to Nashville with her daughter, Harper, 11, whom she shares with her ex-husband and fellow soap actor, Brandon Borash. 'I'm very excited to be making Tennessee my home! I can't wait to return to GH, once Harper and I are settled in our new town,' she wrote. 'I plan on documenting as much of this new journey on my social media as I can. It's always been a dream of mine to move to a place like this, it's hard to believe it's really happening.' 5 Kirsten Storms announces her departure via Instagram on July 7, 2025. kirstenstorms/Instagram 5 Kirsten Storms and Jackie Zeman on 'General Hospital.' ABC via Getty Images The 'General Hospital' vet approached executive producer Frank Valentini in March about her plans to travel cross-country. 'I had a conversation with him about my reasons for wanting to move and my desire to not leave the show,' she said in the clip. 'When you approach a job like this, they can always be like, 'Forget it, I will let you out of your contract if you're going to leave the state.' GH did not do that, which was kind of amazing because I also asked for some time off.' Storms has played Maxie Jones since 2005. The series debuted in April 1986 on ABC. 5 Kirsten Storms and her daughter Harper in 2024. kirstenstorms/Instagram 5 Brandon Barash and Kirsten Storms attend the 13th annual Les Girls event in Hollywood on October 7, 2013. WireImage The actress will return later in the year. 'It's possible I will be back in December, maybe November,' she said. 'I promise you the story line they have going on until my return to Port Charles is kind of incredible. You guys are gonna freak out actually.' 5 Kirsten Storms has played Maxie on 'General Hospital' since 2005. Disney via Getty Images We're Tracking Prime Day Live! Unlock exclusive NYP codes and real-time deals on everyday must-haves. See Your Deals When it comes to rumors that this brief exit is permanent, she quipped to fans: 'Take it with a grain of salt.' Other actors have taken on the role of Maxie in Storms' absence. 'Days of Our Lives' star Molly Burnett has stepped in and Nicole Paggi briefly replaced her in 2023; she will appear again as Maxie in episodes on July 30 and Aug. 13. In 2011, Jen Lilley came onboard when Storms took medical leave after being diagnosed with endometriosis. Storms, who returned one year later, admitted she was surprised that her character was recast. 'I would be lying if I didn't say that I was taken aback a bit by it,' she told Soap Opera Digest. 'I would prefer that someone play Maxie and be playing Maxie well to keep the character relevant and in the soap world still because it doesn't take much for a character to die off and for somebody else to come in and be in a front-burner storyline. I was very excited just to know that she was still going to be in Port Charles and doing lots of things.' Storms is also known for her work in Disney's 'Zenon: Girl of the 21st Century' film franchise, and her credits in '7th Heaven,' 'That's So Raven,' and voicing Bonnie Rockwaller in 'Kim Possible.'
New York Post
09-07-2025
- Health
- New York Post
‘Speedballing' drug trend is becoming ‘increasingly lethal,' warns public health expert
There's a new twist in the devastating opioid crisis. The US is said to be in the fourth wave of this epidemic, marked by the increased use of several substances at once, specifically stimulants and fentanyl. This toxic combo is known as a 'speedball' — it dates back to World War I, when it was used to treat soldiers' pain and boost their energy. Advertisement 3 A body bag is loaded into an ambulance in Brooklyn on Jan. 1, 2025. Initial reports indicate that two people were found dead inside a car on East 10th Street, possibly from overdoses. Gregory P. Mango The potentially lethal one-two punch took center stage with the 1982 death of John Belushi and the 1990s fatal overdoses of River Phoenix and Chris Farley. Now, a drug researcher warns that speedballing has become a 'widespread public health crisis' that requires a multi-faceted approach before it spirals out of control. Advertisement 'Since 2010, overdoses involving both stimulants and fentanyl have increased 50-fold, now accounting for approximately 35,000 deaths annually,' Andrew Yockey, an assistant professor of public health at the University of Mississippi, wrote last week in The Conversation. Drug overdose has long been a major cause of injury-related death in the US. 3 Cocaine is a highly addictive drug that can devastate the mind and body. wing-wing – Stimulants like cocaine and methamphetamine can enhance alertness and energy but also raise heart rate and blood pressure and narrow blood vessels. Advertisement Opioids like fentanyl block pain signals and promote feelings of happiness and relaxation while slowing breathing. We're Tracking Prime Day Live! Unlock exclusive NYP codes and real-time deals on everyday must-haves. See Your Deals Together, these drugs increase the risk of respiratory failure, cardiovascular complications such as heart attack and stroke, poor decision-making, mental health struggles and overdose. 'Users sought to experience the euphoric 'rush' from the stimulant and the calming effects of the opioid,' Yockey explained. 'However, with the proliferation of fentanyl — which is far more potent than heroin — this combination has become increasingly lethal.' Advertisement Fentanyl emerged as a crisis in the US about a decade ago and has infiltrated just about every corner of the illicit drug market. 3 Fentanyl is a powerful opioid, approximately 50 times more potent than heroin and 100 times more potent than morphine. Matthew McDermott Recently, there was some good news in this hard-fought battle — the deadliest phase of the fentanyl problem appears to be easing. Provisional data indicated a substantial decline in the number of drug overdose deaths in the past year. Experts have credited Gen Z's inclination toward sobriety, weaker fentanyl on the market, greater availability of Narcan, which rapidly reverses opioid overdoses, and increased access to treatment, among other factors. Yockey said more work needs to be done. He proposed educational campaigns about the dangers of speedballing, additional funding for stimulant use disorder and increased distribution of fentanyl test strips and Narcan. 'Implementing these strategies widely is crucial to reducing overdose deaths and improving community health outcomes,' Yockey said.
New York Post
08-07-2025
- Health
- New York Post
These 5 personality traits can predict what kind of exercise you prefer — including the best workout for anxious people
So much for nama-staying in bed. Exercise is said to be the best habit for aging well — even a lazy, five-minute workout can improve muscle strength and heart health. But if you're struggling to get going, a new study suggests that aligning your fitness routine with your personality type can significantly improve the odds that you'll stick with it. A new study suggests the secret to sticking to a fitness regime could be your personality type. Drazen – 'We know that the global population is becoming increasingly sedentary. You often hear about people trying to become more active, but struggling to make lasting changes,' said Flaminia Ronca, a researcher at the Institute of Sport, Exercise and Health (ISEH) in the UK. 'In this study, we wanted to understand how personality can influence this to support the development of effective interventions for changes in health behavior.' The research team assessed 132 volunteers randomly assigned to an eight-week cycling and strength-training program or a resting control group. Participants completed detailed questionnaires measuring the 'Big Five' personality traits: extraversion, openness, conscientiousness, agreeableness and neuroticism. While everyone who finished the program — 86 people — got fitter, how much they enjoyed the workouts depended on who they were on the inside. 'We found some clear links between personality traits and the type of exercise the participants enjoyed most, which I think is important because we could potentially use this knowledge to tailor physical activity recommendations to the individual — and hopefully help them to become and remain more active,' Ronca said. Conscientious types tended to have better all-around fitness levels, but they didn't necessarily enjoy one style versus another. twinsterphoto – We're Tracking Prime Day Live! Unlock exclusive NYP codes and real-time deals on everyday must-haves. See Your Deals Extroverts preferred exercise that puts their big energy to good use, such as high-intensity interval training (HIIT) and the type of all-out cycling sprints that can wreck you in spin class. They were, however, less likely to follow through. Neurotic, anxious types favored more low-key workouts — and, unsurprisingly, they disliked being monitored, making them perhaps a better fit for solo, at-home programs. They did, however, experience the biggest reduction in stress, implying people prone to anxiety might reap the biggest mental health benefits from exercise. Conscientious types tended to have better all-around fitness levels, but they didn't necessarily enjoy one style versus another — probably because they viewed exercise as something good for them, not something designed to be fun. 'Extroverts often prefer team sports or group fitness classes, and they get energy from fellow exercisers,' Dr. Blaise Aguirre, a child and adolescent psychiatrist at McLean Hospital in Arlington, Massachusetts, who wasn't involved with the study, told NBC News. 'On the other hand, others who are more conscientious would be drawn to structured, schedule-based activities — say, a specific class at a gym where a specific and predictable routine is followed — and this is because this fits their organized, goal-oriented nature.' Meanwhile, people with an open spirit may gravitate toward varied or unconventional workouts, while those with agreeable personalities are more likely to enjoy a relaxed, steady-paced bike ride, the study found. The findings were published Tuesday in the journal Frontiers in Psychology. One thing's for sure: if you want to work out more, find something that brings you joy.
