Latest news with #Sommers
Hamilton Spectator
30-07-2025
- Health
- Hamilton Spectator
30 measles cases in ‘low-vaccine' communities in northern Nova Scotia
HALIFAX - A measles outbreak Nova Scotia has risen to 30 cases in a northern part of the province with a low vaccination rate, health officials said Thursday. All 30 cases originated from travel within Canada to regions where measles is known to be circulating, Nova Scotia Public Health said. The agency had reported a single case on July 7 in the northern zone. Dr. Ryan Sommers, senior medical director of public health, said the new cases mainly involve large households and specific, small communities whose members are in close contact with one another. 'The risk to the general public is still considered low at this time,' he told a media briefing Thursday afternoon. Citing the need to protect people's privacy, Sommers declined to give details on the communities involved in the outbreak, including 'if there are any religious affiliations that they have.' 'What we can say is, what we're seeing in Nova Scotia, is these are low-vaccine communities.' Sommers thanked the communities involved in the measles outbreak for their co-operation with public health, saying they followed recommendations and 'avoided any exposures outside of their households.' As a result, he said, there have been no new public exposure sites to report. Some community members, he added, received an immunization within 72 hours of being exposed to the measles virus, but he declined to say how many. Michelle Thompson, Nova Scotia's minister of health, told reporters Thursday that the outbreak in the province's north is 'not unexpected.' 'We know there are some folks who are under-immunized throughout the province, and so when measles enters a population or … enters a community with lower immunization rates, we can expect to see more measles cases,' Thompson said. She said it's possible the number of cases in this community may 'go up a bit higher.' Sommers said it's common for secondary infections to appear within seven to 21 days after initial measles cases are identified. Eight of 30 cases in the northern zone have been lab-confirmed and the remaining are considered confirmed based on patients' household exposure and symptoms. Sommers said that so far these cases have not required hospitalization, and most people have been recovering as they self-isolate at home. The provincial health agency is reminding Nova Scotians that the best protection against measles is vaccination, and every person born after 1970 should have two doses of the measles-mumps-rubella vaccine after their first birthday. Sommers said the majority of those who have measles are young people 'ranging from less than five years old up to (people in their) 20s and 30s.' Nova Scotia's Department of Health says 93.4 per cent of children who turned two years old in 2024 had received one dose of the measles vaccine, and 78.6 per cent were fully vaccinated with two doses. A spokesperson with the department says actual measles vaccination rates in Nova Scotia may be higher 'because of under-reporting.' Scientists, meanwhile, say that a population needs a vaccination rate of 95 per cent — with two doses — to stop measles from spreading. Sommers said he was unable to provide a breakdown of the measles vaccination numbers for the northern health zone where the outbreak is located. In May, a single case of measles was reported in the Halifax Regional Municipality, but there were no secondary infections identified with the original case, now considered 'resolved.' This report by The Canadian Press was first published July 24, 2025. Error! Sorry, there was an error processing your request. There was a problem with the recaptcha. Please try again. You may unsubscribe at any time. By signing up, you agree to our terms of use and privacy policy . This site is protected by reCAPTCHA and the Google privacy policy and terms of service apply. Want more of the latest from us? Sign up for more at our newsletter page .
Time of India
15-07-2025
- Business
- Time of India
Trump joins tech and energy executives amid AI push
Academy Empower your mind, elevate your skills President Donald Trump will join executives from some of the largest US tech and energy companies for a summit in Pittsburgh on Tuesday as the administration prepares fresh measures to power the US expansion of artificial economic rivals US and China are locked in a technological arms race over who can dominate AI as the technology takes on increasing importance everywhere from corporate boardrooms to the Energy and Innovation Summit at Carnegie Mellon University is expected to bring tech executives and officials from top energy and tech firms including Meta , Microsoft, Alphabet and Exxon Mobil to discuss how to position the US as a leader in will use the summit - put together by U.S. Senator Dave McCormick, a Republican ally from Pennsylvania - to announce some $70 billion in artificial intelligence and energy investments in the state. Big Tech is scrambling to secure vast amounts of electricity supplies to power the energy-guzzling data centers needed for its rapid expansion of artificial CEOs expected to attend include Khaldoon Al-Mubarak of Mubadala, Rene Hass of SoftBank, Larry Fink of BlackRock, Darren Woods of ExxonMobil, Brendan Bechtel of Bechtel and Dario Amodei of White House is considering executive actions in the coming weeks to make it easier for power-generating projects to connect to the grid and also provide federal land on which to build the data centers needed to expand AI technology, Reuters previously administration is also weighing streamlining permitting for data centers by creating a nationwide Clean Water Act permit, rather than requiring companies to seek permits on a state-by-state Sommers, head of the influential American Petroleum Institute, said executive action is welcomed to unlock the energy needed to power the data centers, but a more durable solution is needed."Real durable permitting reform requires an act of Congress, not just an executive order," Sommers said in an interview with ordered his administration in January to produce an AI Action Plan that would make "America the world capital in artificial intelligence" and reduce regulatory barriers to its rapid report, which includes input from the National Security Council, is due by July 23. The White House is considering making July 23 "AI Action Day" to draw attention to the report and demonstrate its commitment to expanding the industry, Reuters has power demand is hitting record highs this year after nearly two decades of stagnation as AI and cloud computing data centers balloon in numbers and size across the demand is also leading to unprecedented deals between the power industry and technology companies, including the attempted restart of the Three Mile Island nuclear power plant in Pennsylvania between Constellation Energy and surge has led to concerns about power shortages that threaten to raise electricity bills and increase the risk of blackouts, while slowing Big Tech in its global race against countries like China to dominate artificial intelligence.
Yahoo
12-06-2025
- Yahoo
Pawnshop ordinance tabled by county commission
PRINCETON – A first reading for a county pawnshop ordinance which would outline how pawnbrokers would report pawned items to the Mercer County Sheriff's Department was tabled Tuesday by the Mercer County Commission. The pawnshop ordinance was on the county commission's agenda for its Tuesday meeting, but Capt. S.A. Sommers with the sheriff's department requested more time to prepare the draft ordinance. Prosecuting Attorney Brian K. Cochran was reviewing the ordinance. Commissioner Greg Puckett moved to table the first reading until the county commission's July 1 meeting. This motion was approved unanimously. Under the propose ordinance, pawnshops would report pawned items to the sheriff's department by using a service called Leads Online instead of paper forms, faxes or Excel spreadsheets. Law enforcement agencies paying to use the website can search for names, serial numbers and descriptions of pawned items. Pawnbrokers can sign up to Leads Online for free, Sommers said. Sheriff A.P. Christian said before Tuesday's meeting that the site lets his department check items pawned across the county. A deputy would need all day to drive to each pawnshop and check items.
Yahoo
29-05-2025
- Business
- Yahoo
County commission asked to look at creating pawnshop ordinance
princeton – A ordinance connecting pawnshops to an easier way for reporting potentially stolen guns and other times to law enforcement has been proposed to the Mercer County Commission. Capt. Steven Sommers with the Mercer County Sheriff's Department spoke Tuesday afternoon with the commissioners about how pawnbrokers can better work with his department. 'This is just a request for the county commission to reevaluate, with some of the new commissioners, a pawnshop ordinance,' Sommers said. 'The ordinance would mimic state code, but what we're looking for is that ordinance designate the sheriff as the individual responsible for designating to the pawnbrokers how they are to electronically record. For the last nine years we have been using Leads Online, which as law enforcement, we have to pay for that; but Leads Online allows us to search names, serial numbers, description of any pawned items, scrapped items nationwide, regionally or within the county.' Pawnshops now report pawned items either on a paper form, an Excel spreadsheet or by fax, Sommers said. This includes reporting pawned firearms. 'Leads Online is connected to NCIC (National Crime Information Center) so any known serial number that is reported to NCIC is automatically reported as a post about a possible stolen item for investigation,' Sommers said. Pawnbrokers can sign up to Leads Online for free. 'Leads Online will accept and digest just about any format that a pawn broker has to get that information online and they can do it absolutely free,' Sommers said. 'The only people that pay are law enforcement, so I just ask that the county revisit and look at a pawn shop ordinance.' Sommers called Leads Online access 'a force multiplier' for the sheriff's department. 'Instead of making 100 phone calls or traveling five, six, seven, eight, 10 different pawnshops, if everybody's reporting from the computer in a keystroke, we can see if the item we are looking for is at any of the pawnshops and even initiate a case and initiate a request with the pawnshop from the computer and hey, this is stolen property and we believe it is and we are on our way,' he said. Commission President Bill Archer said that a county pawnshop ordinance had been addressed back in 2021, but one was never implemented. Archer asked Sommers if the commission could get sample ordinances from other places. Sommers said the commission should have a copy of Kanawha County's pawnshop ordinance and he could get a copy of the one used in Barboursville, a town in Cabell County. Commissioner Greg Puckett asked if the sample ordinances could be changed over to what Mercer County could use and then given to Prosecuting Attorney Brian K. Cochran for review to make sure the county is complying with state code. Once the commission is sure the proposed ordinance is in compliance, it could be presented for consideration. Sommers said the county's cities should be asked about participating in Leads Online, too. The ordinance could be presented in June and it would have to go through two public readings before it is enacted, Puckett said. Contact Greg Jordan at gjordan@
Miami Herald
22-05-2025
- Health
- Miami Herald
New Medicaid Work Requirements ‘Impossible' for People To Navigate
Medicaid work requirements, under consideration as part of the House Republicans' budget to cut federal spending, are "impossible" to navigate for those using the program, experts said. Part of the budget mandates 80 hours of verified community engagement per month for able-bodied Medicaid recipients ages 19 to 65. However, experts warn that the work requirements not only will see millions pushed off the program but also could lead to many struggling to understand what the new requirements mean for their working situation and how to report their work. If you're unsure exactly what the new requirements could mean for you, you're not alone. "Previous studies of states that have tried work requirements show that people are frequently unaware or confused about what the requirements mean and how to navigate the rules," Dr. Benjamin Sommers, a professor of medicine at Harvard Medical School in Massachusetts, told Newsweek. Corroborating this, Julie Marie Donohue, a professor and chair in the department of health policy and management in the School of Public Health at the University of Pittsburgh, told Newsweek: "Evidence from states that have imposed work requirements shows people have difficulty navigating reporting systems, especially when there are monthly requirements. "Medicaid work requirements can be complex for individuals to understand and for states to implement." Even without work reporting requirements, Medicaid is a complex program to navigate and manage, as Medicaid beneficiaries face "a significant amount of administrative burden," Jamila Michener, a professor of government and public policy at Cornell University in New York, told Newsweek. "They have to regularly recertify their eligibility, complete substantial paperwork, navigate managed care plans, coordinate their care, and adhere to a wide range of other requirements," she said, adding that was without having to additionally report work requirements. While noting the degree and extent of burdens imposed by work reporting requirements will depend on how states design the administrative processes necessary to implement them, Michener said that "adding such requirements to the mix only makes things harder. "Even in the best-case scenario, such requirements will lead to people who are eligible being denied benefits simply because they cannot jump over bureaucratic hurdles." The Congressional Budget Office (CBO) predicted that millions of Americans would lose their Medicaid health coverage under the new policy to scale back the Affordable Care Act (ACA), but experts are concerned that many could also lose their coverage because of the legislation's complexity and administrative burden. "Most of the people who will likely lose coverage will still be eligible for the program and lose their Medicaid due to red tape," Sommers said. Published studies show that more than 90 percent of Medicaid beneficiaries are already working or have a good reason for not working, Sommers said, adding this might be having a disability, caring for a family member or being in school, to name a few. This means that many who fulfill the requirements already could be confronted with a heavy administrative burden to prove that they are eligible for Medicaid coverage. Difficulties with reporting work could become an issue for many for different reasons. If reporting will be done online, those who lack "consistent, reliable access to the internet will struggle to report their work," Michener said, while "people who lack adequate transportation to get to reporting agencies will struggle to report their work," if reporting has to be in person. Those employed in "temporary, seasonal, contract-based or other jobs with less predictable, regular hours may struggle to report their work accurately or to meet the required hours," she added. Even recipients who are exempt from the requirement, including caregivers of dependent children, people with disabilities, people who are pregnant, and others, may struggle to prove they are exempt or may not realize they are supposed to be exempt, Michener said. "People in between jobs, doing gig work, working part-time, or who are self-employed may not know how to accurately report their work and may not know whether they remain eligible given these less traditional work arrangements. "Work requirements are simply Medicaid cuts by another name. They serve little other purpose. There is little to know evidence that work requirements actually boost labor market participation." Discussing what specific parts of the legislation appear to mean for different Medicaid recipients with Newsweek, Sara Rosenbaum, a professor of Health Law and Policy and founding chair of the department of Health Policy at the Milken Institute School of Public Health at George Washington University in Washington, D.C., said that when it comes to the number of hours recipients are required to work, it is important to know the 80 hours a month is not an average. This means that a Medicaid recipient cannot complete the working requirements at 85 hours for one month and then hit 75 hours the next month, Rosenbaum said, as "no averaging" is allowed. While the working requirements could be work, school, training or a number of other things, a recipient must complete the 80 hours each month. Rosenbaum said that "every hour needs to be separately proved," adding that it was "impossible to ask people to piece together their lives this way." Having to report every hour worked could be particularly difficult for those who are self-employed, Rosenbaum said. "It is impossible for people who work on their own, do odd jobs, clean houses, do yard work, etc., unless the implementing rules allow oral estimation," she said, adding that she didn't think this would be likely. Those who lose their work or can no longer complete the 80-hour requirement would "be obligated to report a changed circumstance since this is a condition of eligibility," Rosenbaum said. Those in the process of getting work or looking for work are not exempt from the 80-hour requirement, she said, adding that those who are exempt must also prove their exemption every month. "The measure is designed to do one thing-remove working-age adults from Medicaid," she said. 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