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In the Home: Design your own outdoor oasis in your backyard

Published Wed, 12 Feb 2025 11:06:00 GMT

Summertime is the perfect time to think about lounging on your deck or patio, relaxing by the pool, warming yourself in the sun and hosting barbecues for the whole family.It’s also the perfect time to consider a revamp of your outdoor space to make a fabulous oasis to relax and entertain in. Keeping the lawn trimmed and watered is well and good, but there is more you can do when it comes to décor and design.Kellie Burke of Kellie Burke Interiors shared her top tips on how to design an outdoor space that will elevate your summer lifestyle.Harmonize with natureBurke said one of the key elements is to seamlessly blend your space with nature.“Embrace the natural beauty of your surroundings by incorporating organic materials such as tone, lush greenery and potted plants for color,” she said.Create a cozy seating areaA comfortable seating area to relax and gather with friends and family is crucial to your outdoor space.“Opt for plush outdoor sofas and lounge chairs upholstered with weathe...

What is cardiac arrest? A Mayo Clinic heart expert explains

Published Wed, 12 Feb 2025 11:06:00 GMT

Deb Balzer | Mayo Clinic News Network (TNS)Cardiac arrest, or sudden cardiac arrest as it is more formally known, is a medical emergency. It happens when an event, usually an electrical disturbance, quickly and unexpectedly causes your heart to stop working. It’s not the same as a heart attack and is called sudden because it seems to happen without warning.Dr. Christopher DeSimone, a Mayo cardiac electrophysiologist specializing in abnormal cardiac rhythm, answers questions about cardiac arrest, the differences between cardiac arrest and heart attack, and why time is critical when treating someone with cardiac arrest.QUESTION: What happens during cardiac arrest?Cardiac arrest is when the heart cannot fulfill its duties and pump blood, especially oxygenated blood, around the body to get to critical areas, such as the brain. Now, when there’s an arrest, there are two things we go over. One could be the heart stops electrically, so the heart is not going to pump. The other ...

Mayo Clinic Q&A: Pay attention to symptoms for good men’s health

Published Wed, 12 Feb 2025 11:06:00 GMT

By Mayo Clinic News Network (TNS)DEAR MAYO CLINIC: My husband recently celebrated his 49th birthday. He is generally healthy, and we follow a Mediterranean diet and exercise together several times a week. But he hasn’t been to the doctor in years, as we moved just prior to the COVID-19 pandemic. Do you think it’s necessary for him to have an annual health check at this time or wait until his milestone birthday next year?ANSWER: As men age, even those accustomed to good health may encounter symptoms that affect their quality of life. I am a big proponent of establishing care with a general health specialist and maintaining annual visits to ensure patients can remain as healthy as possible.Having a well-check visit can help identify your husband’s risk for specific conditions and whether there are screenings or tests that could be valuable to ensure he remains healthy. Also, it would provide the opportunity to discuss any early symptoms or areas of concern that your husband — like man...

The Mets are trading 3-time Cy Young Award winner Justin Verlander to the Astros, AP sources says

Published Wed, 12 Feb 2025 11:06:00 GMT

HOUSTON (AP) — The Houston Astros are bringing back Justin Verlander, acquiring the three-time Cy Young Award winner from the New York Mets in a trade deadline blockbuster Tuesday, according to two people with direct knowledge of the agreement.The people spoke to The Associated Press on condition of anonymity because the teams hadn’t announced the agreement. One of the people said the Astros were sending top outfield prospects Drew Gilbert and Ryan Clifford to New York.The underperforming Mets are dismantling the most expensive roster in major league history. They dealt ace Max Scherzer to the Texas Rangers on Sunday and followed up Tuesday by shedding Verlander, who they signed to an $86.7 million, two-year contract in December.The 40-year-old Verlander earned his 250th career victory on Sunday, and 61 of those came with Houston. He was first acquired from the Detroit Tigers during the 2017 season, when he helped pitch the Astros to a World Series title.He won his third Cy Yo...

Toddler dies after grandmother leaves her in hot car for 8 hours

Published Wed, 12 Feb 2025 11:06:00 GMT

SMITHTOWN, N.Y. (AP) — A 14-month-old girl died after her grandmother left her unattended in a hot car in New York for eight hours, police said.The 54-year-old grandmother forgot to drop the toddler off at a day care center in Smithtown on Long Island on Monday and went to work, leaving the girl in a car seat inside a Jeep Cherokee, Suffolk County police said in a news release.Eight hours later, the grandmother went to pick the girl up at the day care center and realized she had left her in the car, police said.The child was taken to a hospital, where she was pronounced dead.The death is under investigation and no criminal charges have been filed.About 40 children die of heatstroke in the United States every year after being left or becoming trapped in a car, according to the U.S. Department of Transportation. The majority of cases happen when a parent or caregiver forgets that the child is in the car.Monday’s high temperature in Smithtown was 83 degrees Fahrenheit (28 Celsius...

Transgender rights targeted in executive order signed by Oklahoma governor

Published Wed, 12 Feb 2025 11:06:00 GMT

OKLAHOMA CITY (AP) — Oklahoma Gov. Kevin Stitt on Tuesday directed state agencies to use narrow definitions of “female” and “male,” in the latest attack on transgender rights in a state that already has laws targeting bathroom use, health care and sports teams for transgender people.Stitt signed the executive order flanked by women from the anti-trans group Independent Women’s Voice, including Riley Gaines, a former University of Kentucky swimmer known for criticizing an NCAA decision allowing transgender swimmer Lia Thomas to compete against her in a women’s championship race.“Today we’re taking a stand against this out-of-control gender ideology that is eroding the very foundation of our society,” Stitt said. “We are going to be safeguarding the very essence of what it means to be a woman.“Oklahomans are fed up with attempts to confuse the word ‘woman’ and turn it into some kind of ambiguous definition that harms real women.”In addition to requiring state agencie...

GOP nominee for Kentucky governor separates himself from ex-governor who feuded with educators

Published Wed, 12 Feb 2025 11:06:00 GMT

FRANKFORT, Ky. (AP) — Kentucky Republican gubernatorial nominee Daniel Cameron is looking to separate himself from the last GOP governor, apologizing for former Gov. Matt Bevin’s feud with educators, in an effort to reclaim lost territory with teachers — whose voting clout helped vault the incumbent Democratic governor into office.Speaking to a group of school administrators last week, Cameron acknowledged the lingering political damage caused by the rift between Bevin and some prominent education groups. Cameron said he came before the local school leaders “in a spirit of humility,” conceding that “some of you may have misgivings about any Republican nominee for governor.”“I also want to say I’m sorry,” Cameron added. “Sorry if me or anyone in my party has ever given you the impression that we don’t appreciate you or that we don’t respect you. Let me assure you that the Republican Party in this state under my leadership will show that we do — not only in word but ...

DA starts turning over Gilgo Beach evidence, giving suspect Rex Heuermann DNA records, photos, video

Published Wed, 12 Feb 2025 11:06:00 GMT

RIVERHEAD, N.Y. (AP) — Weeks after charging a Long Island architect in a string of killings known as the Gilgo Beach murders, prosecutors said Tuesday that they’ve begun providing his lawyer with reams of evidence including autopsy findings, DNA reports and crime scene photos.Suffolk County prosecutors said at a brief court hearing that they’ve given Rex Heuermann’s lawyer at least 8 terabytes of material — equivalent to about 2,500 pages of records, along with about 100 hours of surveillance video recorded outside Heuermann’s home and office prior to his July 13 arrest. District Attorney Ray Tierney said that’s a fraction of the evidence amassed since the bodies of four women were found buried along a remote beach highway in 2010 and 2011. More evidence will be turned over on a rolling basis, he said. This kind of evidence sharing, called discovery, is routine in criminal cases and is intended to help ensure a fair trial.“You’re talking about 13 years of inv...

One injured after small plane crashes at Quebec City’s Jean Lesage airport

Published Wed, 12 Feb 2025 11:06:00 GMT

QUEBEC — A small plane crashed on the main runway at Quebec City’s Jean Lesage International Airport on Tuesday morning, sending one person to hospital with injuries. Police and fire officials were called to the scene about 9:20 a.m. to find a crumpled Cessna 172 lying upside down on the runway. Firefighters were also present but there was never any smoke or fire from the crashed plane, police said.Video of the incident shows the plane struggling to get height before swooping hard and striking the ground.The pilot, the only person aboard the craft, was conscious as he was transported to hospital with non-life-threatening injuries.The airport authority said in a tweet on its X account that the Cessna 172 was owned by local flight school Orizon Aviation and the crash occurred during landing.“We don’t know the cause of this incident at this time,” said Laurianne Lapierre, a spokeswoman for the airport.Orizon refused to answer questions when contacted by The Cana...

Judge rejects military contractor’s effort to toss out Abu Ghraib torture lawsuit

Published Wed, 12 Feb 2025 11:06:00 GMT

FALLS CHURCH, Va. (AP) — A federal judge has again refused to dismiss a lawsuit brought by former Abu Ghraib inmates against a military contractor they accuse of being complicit in torture at the infamous Iraqi prison.The horrific mistreatment of prisoners there two decades ago sparked international outrage when photos became public of smiling U.S. soldiers posing in front of abused prisoners.Virginia-based CACI, which supplied interrogators at the prison, has long denied that it engaged in torture, and has tried more than a dozen times to have the lawsuit dismissed. The case was originally filed in 2008 and still has not gone to trial. The most recent effort to dismiss the case focused on a 2021 Supreme Court case that restricted companies’ international liability. In that case, the high court tossed out a lawsuit against a subsidiary of chocolate maker Nestle after it was accused of complicity in child slavery on African cocoa farms. CACI argued that the Nestle case is one o...