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‘Forever chemicals’ in thousands of private wells near military sites, study finds

Published Wed, 12 Feb 2025 12:16:08 GMT

Patricia Kime | (TNS) KFF Health NewsWater tests show nearly 3,000 private wells located near 63 active and former U.S. military bases are contaminated with “forever chemicals” at levels higher than what federal regulators consider safe for drinking.According to the Environmental Working Group, a Washington, D.C.-based nonprofit that analyzed Department of Defense testing data, 2,805 wells spread across 29 states were contaminated with at least one of two types of per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances, or PFAS, above 4 parts per trillion, a limit proposed earlier this year by the Environmental Protection Agency. That new drinking water standard is expected to take effect by the end of the year.But contamination in those wells was lower than the 70 parts per trillion threshold the Pentagon uses to trigger remediation.EWG researchers said they did not know how many people rely on the wells for drinking, cooking, and bathing, but the 76 tested locations represent just a fraction of the p...

Massachusetts could see some snow: Where’s the best chance for 2-plus inches?

Published Wed, 12 Feb 2025 12:16:08 GMT

Some parts of the Bay State could see the first snow accumulation of the year when they wake up on Wednesday.National Weather Service meteorologists are forecasting some snow showers on Tuesday night into Wednesday, especially across eastern Massachusetts and particularly the South Shore. A few inches of accumulation is possible.“The risk of light snow increases tonight as ocean-effect showers return to eastern MA, particularly SE MA,” the National Weather Service’s Boston office posted on Tuesday.“The best chance of seeing 2+ inches of snow is along the south shore and, to a lesser extent, the north shore of MA,” NWS Boston added.Related ArticlesWeather | Snow possible Wednesday, according to NWS, with chilly days ahead Weather | After parts of Massachusetts see snow, a rainy and windy travel day before a sunny Thanksgiving Weather | Wind and rain could make holiday travel ‘difficult’ NWS says ...

Harvard, MIT, Penn presidents defend actions in combatting antisemitism on campus

Published Wed, 12 Feb 2025 12:16:08 GMT

By ANNIE MA (Associated Press)WASHINGTON (AP) — The presidents of Harvard, the University of Pennsylvania and the Massachusetts Institute of Technology said Tuesday that they were taking steps to combat antisemitism on campus since the start of the Israel-Hamas war, including increasing security and providing additional counseling and mental health support.In testimony before a House committee, the university leaders said there was a fine line between protecting free speech and allowing protests, while also combatting antisemitism.“Harvard must provide firm leadership in the fight against antisemitism and hate speech even while preserving room for free expression and dissent. This is difficult work, and I admit that we have not always gotten it right,” said Claudine Gay, of Harvard. “As Harvard’s president, I am personally responsible for confronting antisemitism with the urgency it demands.”Gay, Liz Magill of Penn and Sally Kornbluth of MIT disavowed antisemitism and Islamophobia o...

Israel moves into Gaza’s second-largest city and intensifies strikes in bloody new phase of the war

Published Wed, 12 Feb 2025 12:16:08 GMT

By Wafaa Shurafa, Jack Jeffery and Sam Magdy, Associated PressDEIR AL-BALAH, Gaza Strip (AP) — Israel said Tuesday that its troops had entered Gaza’s second-largest city as intensified bombardment sent streams of ambulances and cars racing to hospitals with wounded and dead Palestinians, including children, in a bloody new phase of the war.The military said its forces were “in the heart” of Khan Younis, which has emerged as the first target in the expanded ground offensive into southern Gaza that Israel says aims to destroy Hamas, which has been designated as a terrorist organization by the United States, Canada and the European Union. Military officials said they were engaged in the “most intense day” of battles since the ground offensive began more than five weeks ago, with heavy firefights also taking place in northern Gaza.In other developments, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said the military would have to retain open-ended security control over the Gaza Strip long a...

12 things to help you find community and combat loneliness

Published Wed, 12 Feb 2025 12:16:08 GMT

By Andrea RichardsThe global pandemic intensified what was already classified as an epidemic of loneliness in America.A 2021 study commissioned by Cigna concluded that more than half of adults in the U.S. (58 percent) are considered lonely. The many health consequences of loneliness — increases in conditions such as heart disease, stroke, diabetes, dementia, depression, anxiety, addiction and suicide — prompted U.S. Surgeon General Dr. Vivek H. Murty to issue an advisory in April 2023 warning that lack of social connection increases the risk of premature death as much as daily cigarette smoking.Because social connection is such a significant predictor of longevity, Murty made increasing it a priority for public health, creating a national plan for how to foster these essential connections. A key recommendation is to actively participate in social and community groups — in other words, adults need more play.“When we talk about and think of play, we often imagine children running arou...

It’s getting harder to find long-term residential behavioral health treatment for kids

Published Wed, 12 Feb 2025 12:16:08 GMT

Aaron Bolton, MTPR | KFF Health News (TNS)HELENA, Mont. — Connie MacDonald works for the State Department at the U.S. consulate in Jeddah, Saudi Arabia. It’s a dream job, and she loved living abroad with her two sons.But earlier this year, MacDonald said, her 8-year-old son started to become aggressive. At first the family thought it was ADHD. Her son was indeed eventually diagnosed with attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder — as well as disruptive mood dysregulation disorder, which makes it difficult for her son to control his emotions, particularly anger.“He was hurting me. He was threatening to kill his brother. One of the last straws was they had four people at school holding him down for almost an hour trying to calm him down,” she said.The American International School of Jeddah told her that her son couldn’t come back. His behavior was so severe that MacDonald started to look for residential treatment back in the U.S.She found Intermountain Residential in Montana. Children...

Bill Belichick has made it ‘pretty clear’ Bailey Zappe is Patriots’ starting QB

Published Wed, 12 Feb 2025 12:16:08 GMT

FOXBORO — Get ready to see Patriots quarterback Bailey Zappe start his second game of the season Thursday night against the Steelers.Zappe said Tuesday that head coach Bill Belichick has “made it pretty clear” that he’s starting.Related ArticlesNew England Patriots | Patriots RB Rhamondre Stevenson may miss rest of season with high ankle sprain New England Patriots | Patriots-Chargers film review: Bill Belichick’s worst roster flaw is killing the offense New England Patriots | Patriots-Steelers projected injury report: Rhamondre Stevenson, two receivers out Monday New England Patriots | Bill Belichick reacts surprisingly positively to Bailey Zappe’s performance after Patriots shutout loss New England Patriots | Bill Belichick leaves door open for Matthew Judon’s return to Patriots practice “But I’ll let him announce it to everybody,” Zappe continued. ...

Medicaid ‘unwinding’ makes other public assistance harder to get

Published Wed, 12 Feb 2025 12:16:08 GMT

Katheryn Houghton, Rachana Pradhan, Samantha Liss | KFF Health News (TNS)MISSOULA, Mont. — An hour before sunrise, Shelly Brost walked a mile in freezing rain to the public assistance office. She was running out of time to prove she still qualified for food aid after being stymied by a backlogged state call center.Twice, she’d tried to use Montana’s public assistance help line to complete an interview required to recertify her Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program, or SNAP, benefits. Each time, the call dropped after more than an hour on hold.“I was ready to cry,” Brost said as she stood in line with about a dozen other people waiting for the office to open on a recent November morning. “I’ve got a hungry 13-year-old kid.”Low-income families that need safety-net services, such as food and cash assistance, have become collateral damage in the bureaucratic scramble to determine whether tens of millions of people still qualify for Medicaid after a pandemic-era freeze on disenrollme...

Worcester Red Sox officially sold to Diamond Baseball Holdings

Published Wed, 12 Feb 2025 12:16:08 GMT

NASHVILLE — The Worcester Red Sox are officially under new management.Diamond Baseball Holdings, which owns a significant percentage of MLB’s minor league affiliates including the Portland Sea Dogs and Salem Red Sox, announced Tuesday it is buying a majority stake in the Worcester Red Sox.The club will remain the Triple-A affiliate of the Red Sox and play at Polar Park under the continued leadership of Larry Lucchino as chairman, Dr. Charles Steinberg as president and Dan Rea as general manager. The existing front office staff will also remain in place, and Lucchino and local leaders Ralph Crowley and Jim Skeffington Jr. will be retained in the club’s ownership group.“At 78, and after 44 years in baseball, I believe it’s time to have a succession plan, one that assures a commitment to baseball and a commitment to Worcester,” Lucchino in a statement. “There is no organization more committed to Minor League Baseball than Diamond Baseball Holdings, and we welcome Pat Battle...

California-Las Vegas connecting high-speed railway receives billions in funding

Published Wed, 12 Feb 2025 12:16:08 GMT

LAS VEGAS (KLAS) — A long-planned project that would connect Las Vegas and Southern California via high-speed railway gained $3 billion in funding, a news release indicated Tuesday.The funding secured to begin construction of a 218-mile track that would connect Las Vegas to Southern California is part of the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law.Nevada Democratic Sen. Jacky Rosen took credit for in a Tuesday news release, saying the efforts would "bolster tourism, create 35,000 good-paying jobs, ease traffic on Interstate-15, and reduce more than 400,000 tons of carbon emissions each year."Concept art of the Las Vegas Brightline West train station located on Las Vegas Boulevard between Warm Springs and Blue Diamond.” (Brightline)Nevada Senator Jacky Rosen updates an audience about Brightline West operations Friday morning.” (KLAS)The expected route of Brightline West, showing the additional Metrolink travel between Los Angeles’ Union Station and Rancho Cucamonga.” (Brightline)The plan ...