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Day of the Dead: A look at mortality in the U.S.

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 19:32:20 GMT

The Day of the Dead celebration is this week, so we look at death in the U.S.It’s a dead woman’s partyThe origins of Day of the Dead trace back a few hundred years to an Aztec festival that honored their goddess of the dead, Mictecacihuatl. The Aztec party lasted a month. But the Catholic Church shrunk it to a couple of days, coinciding with All Saints’ Day and All Souls’ Day, usually the first two days of November.You can learn more about Day of the Dead customs and celebrations here.All Souls’ DayFamily and friends decorate altars with offerings such as candles, flowers, photos and meaningful memorabilia. It is believed that on this day, loved ones return from their eternal sleep to celebrate with their family and friends.A look at mortality in the U.S.2.92 million: Average annual deaths in U.S. from 2016-2020. Preliminary data for 2022 estimates 3.2 million deaths.77 years: The life expectancy in the U.S. in 2020. Life expectancy for women was 80.2 and 74.5 for men. It could...

Group seeks to clear names in witchcraft injustice

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 19:32:20 GMT

By Steve LeBlanc | Associated PressBOSTON — In 1648, Margaret Jones, a midwife, became the first person in Massachusetts — the second in New England — to be executed for witchcraft, decades before the infamous Salem witch trials.Nearly four centuries later, the state and region are still working to come to grips with the scope of its witch trial legacy.The latest effort comes from a group dedicated to clearing the names of all those accused, arrested or indicted for witchcraft in Massachusetts, whether or not the accusations ended in hanging.The Massachusetts Witch-Hunt Justice Project, made up of history buffs and descendants, is hoping to persuade the state to take a fuller reckoning of its early history, according to Josh Hutchinson, the group’s leader.Hundreds of individuals were accused of witchcraft in what would become the Commonwealth of Massachusetts between 1638 and 1693. Most escaped execution.While much attention has focused on clearing the names of those put to de...

Heisman Watch: Huge November opens with Michael Penix Jr.-Caleb Williams showdown

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 19:32:20 GMT

Welcome to our weekly look at the Pac-12’s leading Heisman Trophy candidates via an assessment of the top players in the conference. Consider this one Heisman voter’s view of the landscape. The rankings are based on individual performance, value to the team and quality of competition. And yes, we consider defensive players.The high-stakes affair Saturday afternoon in the L.A. Coliseum doubles as a Heisman Trophy elimination game — but only for the reigning Heisman Trophy winner.USC quarterback Caleb Williams has fallen to the outskirts of the race following two losses and several subpar performances. His current odds are 80-to-1, according to BetMGM.If the Trojans lose to Washington, or if Williams is decisively outplayed by UW quarterback Michael Penix Jr., his prospects for becoming the first repeat Heisman winner since Ohio State’s Archie Griffin (1974-75) will vanish altogether.After all, Williams is competing against other 2023 candidates and against his brilliant 2...

Lonely Planet’s top places to go in 2024

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 19:32:20 GMT

By Maureen O’Hare | CNNGet your wishlist fired up, Lonely Planet just revealed its 50 top travel destinations for the year ahead.The travel publishing empire turns 50 this year, and its bumper Best in Travel 2024 list is expanded across five categories: top countries, regions, cities, sustainable travel destinations and best-value locations.The No.1 country is Mongolia, chosen by Lonely Planet for its “wide-open spaces, adventure activities, and distinctive culinary and musical culture.” This is the world’s most sparsely populated country and the Mongolian government is ready to start filling it up a little. This year it declared 2023 through 2025 the “Years to Visit Mongolia,” easing entry conditions for international travelers and improving infrastructure, not least with a new $650 million airport.Other countries to make the 10 top picks include popular favorites such as Mexico, Croatia and St. Lucia, as well as lesser visited spots such as Benin and Uzbekistan.City destinat...

Warriors pick up contract options on Kuminga, Moody

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 19:32:20 GMT

The Warriors made two moves Tuesday looking ahead to next season, exercising fourth-year options on the rookie contracts of Jonathan Kuminga and Moses Moody.Kuminga, 21, was the subject of significant hype this preseason as he seeks to translate his high-level athleticism into production on the court after a frustrating second year in the NBA. He already raised some eyebrows during last week’s season opener when coach Steve Kerr stuck with him over Andrew Wiggins in the closing minutes of the Warriors’ win over the Suns. The former No. 7 overall pick is a key piece of the Warriors’ future plans at the power forward spot as Draymond Green continues to age.Moody, 21, started and scored 13 points in Monday night’s win over the Pelicans in New Orleans and has been a valuable depth role player on the wing for the Warriors since they drafted him 14th overall out of Arkansas in 2021.Both were bench contributors to the Warriors’ 2022 title run, then Moody took ...

Chance of getting long COVID highest with original strain of the virus: study

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 19:32:20 GMT

By Alexandra Mae Jones | CTVNews.ca Toronto, Ontario (CTV Network) — Tens of thousands of people may still experience lasting symptoms more than a year after being infected with COVID-19, according to a new U.K. study—but the incidence rates of long COVID have also fallen with each new variant.The study, published Tuesday in the peer-reviewed journal Nature Communications, looked at more than 270,000 adults across the U.K. and found that those who were infected with the original strain of SARS-CoV-2 were much more likely to experience both more serious and more long-lasting cases of long COVID compared to those infected with newer variants.Symptoms which persist more than 12 weeks beyond the initial COVID-19 infection is the general definition for long COVID, a chronic condition which can present with varying levels of intensity.The question of how many COVID-19 cases will result in long COVID, and just what the scope of this burden is on patients, is something that has hung o...

Airstrikes level apartment blocks in Gaza refugee camp

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 19:32:20 GMT

By Najib Jobain, Jack Jeffrey and Lee Keath | Associated PressKHAN YOUNIS, Gaza Strip — A flurry of Israeli airstrikes Tuesday on a refugee camp near Gaza City leveled apartment buildings, leaving craters where they once stood, as ground troops battled Hamas militants across northern Gaza and attacked underground compounds.Buoyed by the first successful rescue of a captive held by Hamas, Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu rejected calls for a cease-fire and again vowed to crush Hamas’ ability to govern Gaza or threaten Israel following its bloody Oct. 7 rampage, which ignited the war.Several hundred thousand Palestinians remain in the northern part of Gaza, where Israeli troops and tanks reportedly have advanced on several sides of Gaza City, the sprawling urban center.In the Jabaliya refugee camp on Gaza City’s outskirts, at least six airstrikes destroyed a number of apartment blocks in a residential area, the Hamas-run Interior Ministry said. It reported a large number ...

Body found in Lake Merritt Tuesday

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 19:32:20 GMT

(KRON) -- A body was found in Lake Merritt Tuesday morning, KRON4 has confirmed through sources. First responder crews are on the scene and working to extricate the body from the lake. THC gummies found in candy stash at Bay Area elementary school No other information is available at this time.This is a developing story. Check back for updates.

Halloween homicide being investigated by Oakland PD

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 19:32:20 GMT

(KRON) -- The Oakland Police Department is investigating a fatal shooting that occurred in the early hours of Oct. 31. The shooting occurred just after 3:30 a.m. Tuesday in the 9900 block of Medford Avenue, OPD said.Officers responded to the area to investigate a ShotSpotter activation. At the scene, officers located a victim with at least one gunshot wound, police said. Los Gatos ‘party mom’ charged with hosting alcohol parties for teens, encouraging sexual assault OPD provided medical treatment to the victim and was relieved by paramedic personnel. The victim succumbed to their injuries at the scene.Investigators from the Oakland PD Homicide Section responded to the scene to conduct a follow-up investigation. Police said they are withholding the victim's identity pending notification of next of kin.The investigation is ongoing, according to police.

California universities evacuate students from Israel, citing war risk

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 19:32:20 GMT

(BCN) -- Following government warnings about the dangers of being in a war zone, California universities and colleges have safely evacuated their students who were attending study abroad programs in Israel. The future of those programs for the rest of the school year remains uncertain.The U.S. State Department recently has categorized Israel as a Level 3 travel risk, which urges U.S. citizens to "reconsider" their travel and presence in the country "due to terrorism and civil unrest" in the aftermath of the Hamas attack on Israel and Israel's current retaliations in Gaza. The Level 3 ranking and family concerns were enough for the University of California and the California State University systems to take action. Level 4, the worst potential ranking, is an outright travel ban. White House directs Homeland Security and FBI to monitor rise of antisemitism at colleges UC's Education Abroad Program (UCEAP) reported that its students at the Hebrew University in Jerusalem have left Is...