(NEW YORK) — An 18-year-old was arrested Thursday for allegedly transmitting an online threat that prompted warnings from the FBI of a broad threat to the Jewish community in New Jersey.
Last week’s threat — which the FBI later said had been “mitigated” — sent police scrambling to add extra patrols at New Jersey’s synagogues and Jewish centers.
Federal prosecutors in Newark have charged Omar Alkattoul of Sayreville, New Jersey, with one count of transmitting a threat in interstate and foreign commerce.
“According to the complaint, this defendant used social media to send a manifesto containing a threat to attack a synagogue based on his hatred of Jews,” U.S. Attorney Philip Sellinger said Thursday.
According to the criminal complaint, Alkattoul posted on social media a link to a document he wrote entitled “When Swords Collide,” about an attack on Jews.
In the document, Alkattoul allegedly wrote, “The motive of this attack is hatred towards Jews and their heinous acts.”
He allegedly wrote: “I did target a synagogue for a really good reason according to myself and a lot of Muslims who have a brain. … This attack was just to remind the Jews that as long as 1 Muslim remains in this world they will never live a pleasant life until the Muslims in Palestine, Syria, West Africa, and South Asia are living a pleasant life. The Jews support terror against the muslimeen and they always have.”
Sellinger said, “No one should be targeted for violence or with acts of hate because of how they worship.”
Alkattoul is scheduled to appear before a federal magistrate on Thursday. He faces up to five years in prison if convicted.
(LONDON) — Family members of activists imprisoned in Egypt called on the United States and British governments to exert more pressure on Cairo to free their loved ones before the COP27 climate summit began in the Red Sea resort of Sharm El Sheikh.
Egypt’s human rights record came under renewed scrutiny before the country began hosting the climate summit, which runs through Nov. 18. Many world leaders are attending to discuss ways to curb greenhouse emissions amid the growing threats posed by climate change.
While climate-related topics will naturally top the agenda in Sharm El Sheikh, the families of imprisoned activists hope western countries can take advantage of the occasion by using their leverage to coax Egypt into releasing political detainees.
Human rights groups estimate that tens of thousands of people, mostly Egyptians, languish behind bars in politically-motivated cases. Egypt denies that, saying that the number of detainees is overblown and that all have undergone or are undergoing due legal processes.
Among those who spoke to a virtual media briefing on Saturday is Sanaa Seif, the sister of prominent Egyptian-British activist Alaa Abdel Fattah, who has been on a partial hunger strike for more than 200 days while incarcerated.
Abdel Fattah’s family said he resorted to a full hunger strike on Nov. 6 in a desperate attempt to raise his case at the summit. He may die before the conference ends if no action is taken, his family said. Abdel Fattah’s lawyer on Thursday said he was visiting the activist in prison amid reports there had been a medical intervention.
Sanaa Seif said she planned to fly to Sharm El Sheikh on Monday morning to “keep Alaa’s story alive.” She hopes the presence of British Prime Minister Rishi Sunak and Foreign Secretary James Cleverly can make a difference.
“I will take my chances; I’m going to try anyway. It’s a calculated risk and I feel I need to be there,” she said at the media briefing. “I wanted to make sure to arrive on the day all world leaders will be already there. I wanted to make sure to travel after Alaa escalates (his hunger strike).”
“We got a call from Foreign Secretary Cleverly. He assured that it’s a priority for the British government but I’m not sure if they have a plan,” she added.
Mohamed Amasha, a Yale University PhD student and the son of veterinarian and environmental activist Abdel-Sattar Amasha, hopes congressional leaders can help free his father, who has been imprisoned for over two years since being accused of belonging to a terrorist group, referring to the outlawed Muslim Brotherhood — a charge often leveled against dissidents.
Amasha spent two years in jail from 2017-2019 before being re-arrested in June 2020. His son says he was tortured, sexually assaulted and electrocuted while in prison.
U.S. Sen. Chris Murphy raised Amasha’s case on the Senate floor in September, saying that “one of my constituents is suffering through the pain and uncertainty of having a relative unjustly imprisoned in Egypt.”
“We hope they will mention dad’s case in Sharm El Sheikh. It’s an opportunity given that Egypt is trying to portray itself as a progressive country while imprisoning activists,” Amasha said at the media briefing.
Egypt has intensified its crackdown on dissent ahead of the climate summit, with rights groups saying that more than 100 people were arrested amid unidentified calls for protests on Nov. 11, the day U.S. President Joe Biden will visit Sharm El Sheikh.
The latest wave of arrests came even though Egypt has recently launched what it called a “national dialogue” with some opposition figures and released dozens of detainees in an apparent goodwill gesture.
Rahma Fateen, daughter of Seif Fateen, an MIT-educated professor and environmental engineer, says her father had spent the maximum limit of two years in pre-trial detention after facing charges of belonging to a terrorist group.
“I really hope [members of Congress] would be able to raise his case,” Fateen, who is also based in the U.S., said at the media briefing.
“His seven children need him, my mother needs him; she has been taking care of the entire family and his elderly parents. We miss having him there in our major events. I got married, my sister gave birth and my siblings graduated and he hasn’t been there,” Fateen said.
(NEW YORK) — Hurricane Nicole made landfall along Florida’s east coast early Thursday as a Category 1 storm.
At least 45 of Florida’s 67 counties are under a state of emergency due to Nicole.
Nicole formed as a subtropical storm in the southwestern Atlantic Ocean on Monday, becoming the 14th named storm of the 2022 Atlantic hurricane season, which ends later this month.
Here’s how the news is developing. All times Eastern:
Nov 10, 9:46 AM EST
Almost 330,000 without power in Florida due to Nicole
Nearly 330,000 customers were without power across Florida on Thursday morning due to Tropical Storm Nicole, according to data collected by PowerOutage.us.
As of 9:34 a.m. ET, a total of 329,965 customers did not have power.
Nov 10, 9:42 AM EST
Tornado threat for Florida, Georgia, Carolinas
A “few” tornadoes are possible over parts of coastal east-central and northeastern Florida on Thursday morning, according to the National Weather Service.
The tornado threat will spread northward across parts of southeastern Georgia and the Carolinas later Thursday through Friday morning.
Meanwhile, “large” swell waves generated by Nicole will affect the northwestern Bahamas, the east coast of Florida and much of the southeastern U.S. coast during the next few days.
“These swells are likely to cause life-threatening surf and rip current conditions,” the National Weather Service said in a public advisory on Thursday morning.
Nov 10, 9:38 AM EST
Nicole to bring ‘dangerous’ storm surge, ‘heavy’ rain
A “dangerous” storm surge from Tropical Storm Nicole combined with the tide will cause normally dry areas near the coast to be flooded by rising waters moving inland from the shoreline, according to the National Weather Service.
If the peak occurs at the time of high tide, the National Weather Service said, the water could reach up to 5 feet above ground from Florida’s Jupiter Inlet to Georgia’s Altamaha Sound, from Florida’s St. Johns River to the Fuller Warren Bridge, and from Anclote River to Ochlockonee River in Florida.
“The deepest water will occur along the immediate coast near and to the north of the landfall location, where the surge will be accompanied by large and destructive waves,” the National Weather Service warned in a public advisory on Thursday morning.
Through Saturday, Nicole is expected to produce 3 to 5 inches of rainfall from the northwestern Bahamas into portions of the Florida Peninsula, with a maximum of 8 inches of localized rain. The southeastern United States into the central Appalachian Mountains and eastern portions of Tennessee, Kentucky and Ohio could see 2 to 4 inches of rainfall, with a maximum of 6 inches of localized rain along the Blue Ridge Mountains. The northern Mid-Atlantic region into New England could get 1 to 4 inches of rainfall.
“Flash and urban flooding will be possible, along with renewed river rises on the St. Johns River, across the Florida Peninsula today,” the National Weather Service added. “Heavy rainfall from this system will spread northward across portions of the Southeast, upper Ohio Valley, Mid-Atlantic, and New England today through Saturday, where limited flooding impacts will be possible.”
Nov 10, 9:28 AM EST
Latest forecast as Nicole moves across central Florida
The center of Tropical Storm Nicole is expected to move across central Florida on Thursday morning, possibly emerging over the far northeastern Gulf of Mexico on Thursday afternoon, then move across the Florida Panhandle and Georgia on Thursday night and Friday, according to the latest forecast from the National Weather Service.
Although “additional weakening” is in the forecast, the National Weather Service warned on Thursday morning that “Nicole remains a large tropical storm” and “strong wind, dangerous storm surge and waves, and heavy rains continue over a large area.” Tropical storm-force winds extend outward up to 450 miles from Nicole’s center, especially to the north. Sustained winds of 49 mph with a gust of 70 mph were reported early Thursday in Daytona Beach, Florida.
According to the National Weather Service, tropical storm conditions will continue along portions of the eastern coastlines of Florida, Georgia and South Carolina in the warning areas on Thursday. Tropical storm conditions are expected to occur within the warning area along Florida’s west coast through Thursday night.
Nov 10, 7:40 AM EST
215,000 without power in Florida due to Nicole
More than 215,000 customers were without power across Florida on Thursday morning due to Tropical Storm Nicole, according to data collected by PowerOutage.us.
As of 7:04 a.m. ET, a total of 215,443 customers did not have power.
Nov 10, 6:56 AM EST
175,000 without power in Florida as Nicole moves inland
More than 175,000 customers were without power across Florida early Thursday morning, as Tropical Storm Nicole moved inland over the Sunshine State, according to data collected by PowerOutage.us.
As of 6:23 a.m. ET, a total of 177,423 customers did not have power.
Nov 10, 6:50 AM EST
Tornado watch issued for parts of Florida, Georgia
The National Weather Service issued a tornado watch for northeastern Florida and southeastern Georgia on Thursday morning, in effect until 1 p.m. local time.
Brief spin-up tornadoes are common in tropical storm systems, so more watches could be issued throughout the day.
Nov 10, 5:35 AM EST
100,000 without power in Florida after Nicole’s landfall
More than 100,000 customers were without power across Florida early Thursday, shortly after Nicole made landfall as a Category 1 hurricane, according to data collected by PowerOutage.us.
Nov 10, 4:17 AM EST
Nicole weakens back into a tropical storm
Nicole weakened back into a tropical storm shortly after making landfall as a Category 1 hurricane along Florida’s east coast early Thursday, according to the National Weather Service.
The storm currently has maximum sustained winds of 70 miles per hour, as it moves inland across the Sunshine State. To be classified as a hurricane, a tropical cyclone must have maximum sustained winds of at least 74 mph.
Nevertheless, the National Weather Service warned that “strong winds, dangerous storm surge and waves, and heavy rains continue over a large area.”
A hurricane warning from Boca Raton to the Flagler-Volusia County line in eastern Florida has been changed to a tropical storm warning. A tropical storm warning south of Boca Raton to Hallandale Beach, Florida, has also been discontinued, along with a hurricane watch for Florida’s Lake Okeechobee.
A storm surge warning from North Palm Beach to Jupiter Inlet in eastern Florida has been discontinued. A storm surge watch south of North Palm Beach to Hallandale Beach, Florida, has also been discontinued.
All warnings have been discontinued for the northwestern Bahamas, according to the National Weather Service.
Nov 10, 3:22 AM EST
Nicole makes landfall as Category 1 hurricane in Florida
Nicole made landfall along Florida’s east coast on North Hutchinson Island, just south of Vero Beach, at 3 a.m. local time on Thursday as a Category 1 hurricane with maximum sustained winds of 75 miles per hour, according to the National Weather Service.
It’s the second-latest hurricane landfall on record in the United States.
Nov 10, 1:58 AM EST
38,000 without power in Florida ahead of Nicole’s landfall
More than 38,000 customers in Florida were without power early Thursday, ahead of Hurricane Nicole’s landfall, according to data collected by PowerOutage.us.
Nov 08, 10:11 PM EST
Latest forecast as Nicole approaches Florida
Hurricane Nicole is approaching Florida as a large Category 1 storm with maximum sustained winds of 75 miles per hour, according to the National Weather Service.
The latest forecast shows Nicole touching down along Florida’s east coast after midnight but before sunrise, with one model estimating landfall between Cocoa Beach and Fort Pierce at 4 a.m. local time, although projections can change.
Hurricane warnings have been issued from West Palm Beach north to Daytona Beach, with tropical storm warnings extending inland from Miami through Tallahassee, and even extending into parts of southern Georgia and coastal South Carolina.
Nov 09, 6:15 PM EST
Nicole strengthens into hurricane
Nicole has strengthened into a hurricane while making landfall on Grand Bahama Island, according to the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration. The storm has estimated maximum wind speeds of 75 mph.
Nov 09, 1:21 PM EST
Latest forecast
Nicole may strengthen into a Category 1 hurricane before making landfall overnight near Fort Pierce. Over the next 24 hours, the biggest threats for Florida will be damaging beach erosion, storm surge up to 5 feet, isolated tornadoes and wind gusts around 70 mph.
Hurricane warnings are in effect from West Palm Beach to Daytona Beach. Tropical storm warnings are in effect for much of Florida and extend up to coastal Georgia and South Carolina.
After landfall, Nicole will quickly weaken as it moves across central Florida and the Panhandle, but it’ll bring rain, powerful winds and storm surge.
Three feet to 5 feet of storm surge is expected from West Palm Beach to Jacksonville while Florida’s Big Bend area could see 2 to 4 feet of storm surge.
The heaviest rain — 8 inches — will hit central Florida. Flash flooding is also possible.
As Nicole moves north, the heavy rain will stretch into the Mid-Atlantic and New England. Pennsylvania to Vermont could see 2 to 4 inches of rain. Philadelphia, New York City and Boston could see 2 inches of rain and gusty winds.
-ABC News’ Melissa Griffin
Nov 09, 12:01 PM EST
Nicole makes landfall in Bahamas
Tropical Storm Nicole has made landfall on Great Abaco Island in the Bahamas.
Nov 09, 11:47 AM EST
Disney World parks to close
Disney World parks will close early Wednesday evening and will remain closed through Thursday morning due to the storm.
Nov 09, 11:18 AM EST
Nicole could make landfall twice
Once Nicole makes landfall early Thursday in Martin County as a Category 1 hurricane, the storm is expected to cross the state of Florida, hit the Gulf of Mexico and possibly make landfall again along Florida’s Big Bend, Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis warned.
The major concerns for Nicole are winds, flooding, beach erosion and possible tornadoes, DeSantis said.
He said 15 shelters are open for those urged to evacuate.
The governor said 16,000 linemen have been staged to immediately work on restoring power as soon as the storm passes.
Nov 09, 10:52 AM EST
Florida counties announce evacuation orders
Several of Florida’s 67 counties have announced evacuation orders in anticipation of Tropical Storm Nicole’s arrival.
Flagler County: Evacuation orders go into effect Wednesday at 3:30 p.m. local time for residents and visitors in Zone A, the barrier island from Flagler Beach to Marineland, as well as mobile homes and RVs countywide, according to the Flagler County Emergency Management.
Volusia County: Mandatory evacuations went into effect Wednesday at 10 a.m. local time for residents and visitors east of the Intercostal Waterway, all mobile homes east of Interstate 95, all low-lying areas and other areas prone to flooding as well as all campsites and RV recreational parks, according to the Volusia County Emergency Management.
Palm Beach County: Mandatory evacuations went into effect Tuesday at 7 a.m. local time for Zones A and B, including mobile homes, barrier islands and low-lying areas, according to Palm Beach Mayor Robert Weinroth.
Nov 09, 9:55 AM EST
Nicole close to hurricane strength as it heads for Florida
Tropical Storm Nicole barrelled toward the northwestern Bahamas and eastern Florida on Wednesday morning, with maximum sustained winds near 70 miles per hour — almost as a strong as a hurricane, according to the latest forecast from the National Weather Service.
To be classified as a hurricane, a tropical cyclone must have maximum sustained winds of at least 74 mph.
The center of Nicole is forecast to approach the northwestern Bahamas on Wednesday morning, move near or over those islands by midday, then approach the east coast of Florida within the hurricane warning area on Wednesday night. The storm’s center is expected to move across central and northern Florida into southern Georgia on Thursday, then across the Carolinas on Friday.
“Some strengthening is expected today, and Nicole is forecast to become a hurricane near the northwestern Bahamas and remain a hurricane when it reaches the east coast of Florida tonight,” the National Weather Service said in a public advisory on Wednesday morning. “Nicole is expected to weaken while moving across Florida and the southeastern United States Thursday through Friday, and it is likely to become a post-tropical cyclone by Friday night over the Mid-Atlantic states.”
As of early Wednesday, Nicole was already spreading gusty winds and rain showers into Florida, where it is later expected to make landfall between the southeastern cities of West Palm Beach and Melbourne as either a tropical storm or a Category 1 hurricane. Its tropical storm-force winds currently extend outward up to 460 miles, especially to the north of the center. In the early morning hours, a National Ocean Service station at the Lake Worth Pier, just south of West Palm Beach, reported sustained winds of 44 mph and a wind gust of 55 mph, according to the National Weather Service.
Because Nicole is so close to hurricane strength, the National Weather Service has issued hurricane and storm surge warnings along Florida’s east coast from Daytona Beach to West Palm Beach. Meanwhile, Miami is under a tropical storm watch and tropical storm warnings have been issued for Florida’s west coast as well as from Jacksonville up through Savannah, Georgia, to Charleston, South Carolina.
Storm surge will be the highest on the eastern coastlines of Florida and Georgia, from the border down to West Palm Beach, where water could rise as much as 5 feet above normal tide levels. Some storm surge is also possible on Florida’s west coast from Sarasota to Tampa, where water could rise as much as 3 feet and up to 4 feet in the Big Bend area and Apalachicola. Storm surge will be felt all the way to Charleston, South Carolina, where water could rise up to 4 feet.
The areas that will see the heaviest rainfall will be right where the storm touches down on Florida’s east coast, with the potential for up to 8 inches of localized rain. Heavy rain will track north and inland, into Georgia, the Appalachian Mountains from Tennessee and North Carolina to Pennsylvania and into western New York where more than 4 inches of rain is possible.
Nov 09, 5:04 AM EST
Biden approves Florida emergency declaration
President Joe Biden on Tuesday night approved an emergency declaration for Florida due to conditions resulting from Tropical Storm Nicole, according to the White House.
In anticipation of the storm’s arrival, Biden ordered federal assistance to supplement state and local response efforts, the White House said.
The emergency declaration authorizes the Federal Emergency Management Agency to coordinate all disaster relief efforts. Specifically, FEMA is authorized to identify, mobilize and provide at its discretion equipment and resources necessary to alleviate the impacts of the emergency, according to the White House.
(NEW YORK) — Relaxed PSA screening guidelines may be leading to more late-stage cancer diagnoses, and the current recommendations updated to address this concern might preferentially serve white men, a new study suggests.
One in eight men will be diagnosed with prostate cancer in their lifetime, according to the American Cancer Society (ACS). One of the only available ways to screen for prostate cancer is by measuring levels of a protein called prostate specific antigen (PSA). But for years, doctors have debated the usefulness of this test, arguing that not all prostate cancer needs to be diagnosed, since it’s not always lethal, and doesn’t always need treatment.
“Many cases are extremely slow growing. Patients will die with prostate cancer, but not necessarily from prostate cancer,” said Dr. Moshe Ornstein, a genitourinary oncologist at Cleveland Clinic.
In 2012, a panel of experts known as the United States Preventative Task Force (USPSTF) recommended against PSA screening altogether, citing that universal testing may inflict harm due to overtreatment.
But since then, mounting evidence emerged linking less screening with more metastatic prostate cancer, meaning it has spread to distant organs and is no longer curable.
“Metastatic prostate cancer will require lifelong therapy,” Ornstein said.
According to the ACS, five-year survival drops from over 99% with local disease, to 31% once distant.
In 2018, after backlash, the USPSTF revised the guideline, recommending that patients talk to their doctors to determine if PSA screening is right for them, intending for this model to identify those most at risk.
Black men are twice as likely to die from prostate cancer compared to white men, so experts hoped that under the new guidelines, this demographic would be screened. But a new study out in JAMA found that Black men, despite their risk, may not be benefiting from the recommendations as they are currently written.
Researchers from the University of Kansas Medical Center included nearly three million men in their analysis. They trended rates of metastatic prostate cancer in relation to changing guidelines, and found that when PSA testing was discouraged entirely, metastatic disease rose in all groups. But after the guidelines were revised to recommend a conversation with a doctor, mounting rates plateaued in white men, but continued to climb in Black men.
Previous studies also found that after receiving the same education, White patients more often found PSA testing more beneficial, while Black patients more heavily considered the risk, their reasoning often informed by personal and historical experiences of racism and discrimination in healthcare.
“It doesn’t surprise me,” said Dr. Lee Kirksey, co-director of the Center for Multicultural Cardiovascular Care at Cleveland Clinic. “Black Americans have some degree of mistrust of the healthcare system. It is historical context that has been passed down through generations.”
Countless historical injustices have been implicated in this phenomenon, examples dating back as early as the 1840s, when enslaved African American women received experimental gynecological procedures without anesthesia.
Even as recently as the 1970s U.S. physicians were conducting trials withholding treatment from African American men with syphilis, watching as hundreds of men went blind, died and passed on the disease to their spouses and children.
“If you’re from a culturally Black family, you’ve heard of those stories,” Kirksey said. “And those stories are reinforced by the inequities we are seeing today.”
There may be ways to work toward better communication with minority patients, Kirksey said. Increasing patient-physician racial and ethnic concordance may help in establishing trust. Implicit bias training may teach physicians to identify the barriers to effective communication. Additionally, outreach programs may serve to meet patients where they are, using the voices of trusted healthcare workers from the community, in a location where patients are most comfortable.
“There are still concerns within the Black community,” Kirksey said. “It’s important that we continue to acknowledge those concerns, and implement solutions to address them.”
Chris Sweda/Chicago Tribune/Tribune News Service via Getty Images
(NEW YORK) — Six months ago, Dr. Joseph Boselli said he was prescribing the antiviral drug Paxlovid to nearly everyone who turned up at his practice with COVID.
Now, the internal medicine physician at Jefferson Health in Philadelphia said he’s reserving it mostly for people who are 60-plus, with serious health problems, or who aren’t up-to-date on their vaccines.
“I got four calls today, but I only gave Paxlovid to two because they were older,” said Boselli, an internal medicine physician at Jefferson Health in Philadelphia.
After Paxlovid hit the market in December 2021, the bitter, metallic-tasting antiviral pills were so successful at reducing the risk of hospitalization with COVID that many doctors were willing to prescribe the drug to younger adults too despite federal guidelines suggesting it should only go to high-risk patients.
The drug stops the virus from replicating in the body and works best when taken within five days of getting symptoms.
Now, after more than 164 million courses of Paxlovid have been shipped around the world since April, doctors say a clearer picture of the drug is emerging, including its limitations with younger population and the possibility of rebound.
“The tincture of time has showed us that while it is a great drug, and it really does work, it’s not meant for everybody,” said Boselli.
Here are three things to know:
Paxlovid helps older people survive COVID, but younger, healthy people see little benefit
Overall, the drug works as promised, doctors say, by dramatically reducing the chances that an older or high-risk individual might wind up hospitalized or dead.
What’s more is that it might help prevent “long COVID.”
A study released on Monday by the Veterans Administration looking at the medical records of 56,000 people found that taking Paxlovid early decreased the chances of experiencing “long COVID” by some 25%.
Still, the drug isn’t right for everyone, including people taking certain medications such as some cholesterol-lowering drugs and blood thinners.
Also, one study released this summer found little to no benefit for younger adults when looking at some 100,000 patients in Israel. While researchers found the drug reduced hospitalization by roughly 75% when given soon after infection to people 65-plus, it saw no measurable benefit for people ages 40 to 64.
In June, Pfizer announced it would stop enrolling “standard-risk” patients in a trial to see if the broader public might benefit.
In a statement at the time, Pfizer CEO Albert Bourla said, “With up to 40-50% of people around the world estimated to be high risk, we believe there remains a significant unmet need for treatment options to help combat this disease, and we will continue to prioritize efforts to advance the development of Paxlovid.”
‘Rebound’ cases are real and seriously underestimated
Less understood about Paxlovid and COVID in general is a person’s chance of “rebound” — a phenomenon in which a person recovers from an infection and tests negative, only to redevelop COVID symptoms or test positive within eight days after recovering.
The experience is frustrating because the recommendation is that the person return to isolation for another five days because people testing positive during rebound are thought to remain contagious.
The good news is that rebound cases are mild and mostly inconvenient, not life threatening.
The likelihood of getting rebound after taking Paxlovid was initially thought to be very small, less than 2 percent in most cases, according to the Food and Drug Administration and Pfizer, the company that makes the drug.
But doctors say those estimates now seem too low compared to the number of rebound cases being reported, including high-profile examples at the White House.
President Joe Biden and his wife Jill; Biden’s top medical adviser Dr. Anthony Fauci; and Dr. Rochelle Walensky, the head of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, each experienced rebound.
Doctors interviewed by ABC News put the real estimate of Paxlovid rebound at anywhere from 10 percent to as much as 30 percent of cases, even though no one knows for sure.
“I’m telling them (patients), it’s very common,” said Dr. George Diaz, of the Infectious Disease Society of America, of Paxlovid rebound.
But Diaz said he’s also telling patients that about a third of people who get COVID experience rebound even without treatment.
“There’s a good chance that you’ll have a rebound whether you take treatment or not,” he said. And with Paxlovid, studies have found “it significantly reduced chance of hospitalization and death,” Diaz added.
US officials more worried about COVID deaths than reports of mild rebound
Health experts and U.S. regulators says they are more concerned that vulnerable patients aren’t getting the drug than they are concerned about healthy people rebounding.
After Walensky wound up with her own case of Paxlovid, the CDC director noted there are still some 400 deaths a day due to COVID and made clear there were no plans to pull back on the government’s recommendation of the drug.
Bob Califf, her FDA counterpart, agreed. He announced on Monday that he tested positive for COVID over the weekend, and a spokesperson confirmed he is being treated with Paxlovid.
“I’m concerned that the discussions about ‘Paxlovid rebound’ are distracting us from the basis for the (drug’s authorization): a substantial reduction in death and hospitalization for high-risk patients,” he tweeted.
Dr. Judith O’Donnell, an infectious disease specialist at Penn Presbyterian Medical Center, said she agrees there are serious benefits for people 50-plus as well as younger patients with serious underlying health conditions like asthma, obesity or kidney disease.
“The drug does make a real and measurable difference in the trajectory of the infection,” she said.
So “even though there’s a risk of rebound, that would not prevent me from using it in the correct patient,” she later added.
(NEW YORK) — The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention announced an investigation into a listeria outbreak that has been reported in six different states and has infected 16 people.
At least 13 people have been hospitalized and one pregnant person suffered a pregnancy loss due to the illness. Additionally, one death has been reported from Maryland, according to a release Wednesday.
Most people reported recently eating meat or cheese from deli counters, according to the CDC, who is now working to identify the specific products that may be contaminated.
The CDC also reported that 11 of the reported cases were found in people of Eastern European descent or who speak Russian.
Cases have been reported in California, Illinois, Maryland, Massachusetts, New Jersey and New York.
Listeria is a bacterial illness that happens after eating contaminated food. Each year, roughly 1,600 people get sick and 260 people die from listeria contamination. People who are pregnant, adults over 65 and immunocompromised people are most at risk, according to the CDC.
The CDC recommends cleaning the refrigerator, containers and surfaces that may have touched meat or cheese from a deli and to avoid consuming meat and cheese from a deli counter, especially for those considered high risk.
Symptoms of invasive illness caused by listeria — when the bacteria has spread beyond the gut — usually start within two weeks after eating contaminated food and can include fever, fatigue, muscle aches and confusion, among other symptoms. The CDC urged anyone who thinks they are experiencing symptoms of severe listeria illness after eating meat or cheese from a deli to call their healthcare provider right away.
(WASHINGTON) — Consumer prices are up 7.7% over the year ending in October, but that’s a significant drop from the 8.2% inflation rate a month prior and below 8% for the first time since February.
On a monthly basis, the consumer price index increased at a rate of 0.4%, rising at the same pace that it underwent in September, the Bureau of Labor Statistics said on Thursday.
While year-over-year inflation slowed, it remained near a 40-year high, defying a string of aggressive rate hikes from the Federal Reserve aimed at bringing inflation down to normal levels.
The Fed last week raised its short-term borrowing rate another 0.75%, marking the latest in a string of jumbo-sized borrowing cost increases imposed by the Fed in recent months as it tries to slash price increases by cooling the economy and choking off demand.
The approach, however, risks tipping the U.S. into a recession and putting millions out of work.
The data release arrived two days after the midterm elections, when Democrats outperformed forecasts of a voter backlash against the party in control of Congress and the White House expected in part due to frustration over sky-high consumer prices.
Polling released days before the elections found that 80% of likely voters considered the economy a top issue in their vote for Congress; while 77% said the same about inflation specifically, an ABC News/Washington Post survey found.
Still, a Republican wave election did not materialize. As of Thursday, control of the House and Senate had yet to be determined.
Despite persistent inflation, growing evidence suggests that the Fed’s rate hikes have put the brakes on some economic activity.
Mortgage rates reached a 20-year high last month, as the U.S. faces an ongoing slowdown in home sales and housing construction.
Job growth has persisted at a strong rate but has shown signs of moderating.
The U.S. added 261,000 jobs in October, exceeding economist expectations and demonstrating the continued strength of the labor market.
But the hiring in October fell well below the typical jobs added over a given month in 2022. Monthly job growth has averaged 407,000 thus far in 2022 versus 562,000 per month in 2021, the jobs data showed.
While some data points to an economic slowdown, a government report released last month showed significant economic growth over three months ending in September.
U.S. gross domestic product grew 2.6% over that period; by contrast, economic activity shrank a combined 2.2% over the first six months of the year.
Inflation, however, remains a top concern for federal policymakers.
When facing high inflation, policymakers fear what’s referred to as a price-wage spiral, in which a rise in prices prompts workers to demand raises that help them afford goods, which in turn pushes up prices, leading to a self-perpetuating cycle of runaway inflation.
However, the October jobs data was the latest to ease such concerns. Average hourly earnings rose 4.7% over the past year, well below the inflation rate and a decline from 5% year-over-year wage growth the previous month.
(WASHINGTON) — President Joe Biden is set to depart Thursday for a three-country tour to Egypt, Cambodia and Indonesia as he pivots to foreign policy following his party’s surprising electoral successes.
The president plans to make a quick stop in Egypt for the annual United Nations global climate summit, followed by a longer visit to Cambodia for a pair of conferences with southeast Asian nations.
He’s then scheduled to fly to Bali, Indonesia, for the annual summit of leaders from the “Group of 20” industrialized nations, where he could hold a high-stakes meeting with China’s President Xi Jinping.
Here’s a look at what to watch for as Biden heads abroad:
High-stakes meeting with China’s president
At the annual G20 leaders’ summit taking place this year on the Indonesian island of Bali, Biden is widely expected to meet in-person with China’s president for the first time since taking office.
Biden often speaks of his long relationship with Xi and as president has spoken with Xi five times — but never in person.
Both leaders have emphasized the importance of managing their countries’ strategic relationship — amid China’s global rise. The Biden administration recently labeled China “the only competitor with both the intent and, increasingly, the capability to reshape the international order.”
For its part, China has called on the U.S. to stop trying to contain its rise. It has also taken issue with American tariffs on Chinese imports and on U.S. lawmakers’ support for the self-governing island of Taiwan, which Beijing considers part of China.
Also likely on the docket of a potential Biden-Xi meeting: the war in Ukraine.
China has toed the line with Russia, aligning itself with Moscow but declining to provide military assistance for its invasion. It has not, however, joined widespread sanctions on Russia.
“What I want to do with him, when we talk,” Biden told reporters Wednesday, “is lay out what the – what kind – what each of our red lines are, understand what he believes to be in the critical national interest of China, what I know to be the critical interest of the United States, and determine whether or not they conflict with one another. And if they do, how do we resolve it and how to work it out.”
Russia’s invasion of Ukraine will take center stage
Biden said Wednesday he did not expect Putin to attend the G20; the White House had said previously that Biden did not intend to meet with him even if he did go. The two leaders have not spoken since Russia launched its invasion of Ukraine in February.
Biden had last month left the door open a crack for a potential meeting if, he said in an interview, Putin wanted to discuss WNBA star Brittney Griner, an American who has been detained for months in Russia.
“I mean, it would depend,” Biden said.
Tensions between Russia and the West remain extremely high, with unprecedented sanctions on Moscow and Putin becoming a global pariah as he continues to wage war.
Ukraine will take center stage, with Europe heading into winter with limited natural gas from Russia and spiking energy costs. The war has put pressure on economies across the world, and Biden will look to maintain a solid front against Putin.
Limited progress on climate change
Before heading to Asia, Biden will stop in Sharm-el-Sheikh, Egypt, to address the United Nations’ global climate summit, known as COP27.
After playing a prominent role at last year’s gathering in Scotland, Biden is heading to Egypt with an historic legislative win in hand: his Inflation Reduction Act, which contained $369 billion in investments in climate and clean energy programs.
But the UN has said the world is far off track from the global goal of limiting warming to 1.5 degrees Celsius, and countries are expected to focus on how to make up that gap. A report released Tuesday from a coalition of local leaders and private businesses found Biden’s law, combined with state and local action, could meet the president’s goal to reduce U.S. emissions by 50% to 52% by 2030, as long as current policy trends continue.
The poorest nations are facing the worst impacts of climate change and many want financial compensation. The United States, though, is not yet on board with new funding.
Politics likely won’t stop at the water’s edge
With Biden hitting the road so soon after his party’s surprising midterm performance, he’ll have to keep an eye on developments back in Washington — and how they could impact U.S. foreign policy.
Some Republicans, who may be on the verge of taking control of the House of Representatives, have decried the billions of dollars of military and financial aid that the U.S. has provided Ukraine. Biden said Wednesday he did not think America’s bipartisan support for Ukraine would erode.
Other world leaders, too, will likely try to understand what impact the vote in America may have on their countries.
American officials may face questions from their foreign counterparts, not to mention reporters, trying to make sense of what’s next for U.S. foreign policy.
Is America back?
A hallmark of Biden’s foreign policy has been his re-engagement with the world and traditional U.S. partners after four years of the Trump administration’s isolationism.
His attendance at UN climate conferences, and his attendance at two major regional conferences in Phnom Penh, Cambodia, reflect his endorsement of international institutions and multilateralism for addressing global challenges.
The president plans to attend a summit with members of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations, or ASEAN, and another with East Asian nations. While no major announcements are expected, his presence will be symbolic following the turbulent years under President Donald Trump.
But even with Biden at the helm, many nations will continue to question whether “America is back” on the world stage — as Biden proclaimed last year — or if the pendulum has merely swung back toward the rest of the world temporarily.
(WASHINGTON) — Investors and consumers will closely watch the release of October inflation data on Thursday, little more than a week after the Federal Reserve intensified its fight to dial back inflation last matched four decades ago.
The Fed last week raised its short-term borrowing rate another 0.75%, marking the latest in a string of jumbo-sized borrowing cost increases imposed by the Fed in recent months as it tries to slash price increases by cooling the economy and choking off demand.
The approach, however, risks tipping the U.S. into a recession and putting millions out of work.
Economists expect that inflation over the year ending in October will fall to 7.9% — a highly elevated reading but one that would mark a slight slowdown from 8.2% year-over-year inflation reported the previous month.
The data release arrives two days after the midterm elections, when Democrats outperformed forecasts of a voter backlash against the party in control of Congress and the White House expected in part due to frustration over sky-high consumer prices.
Polling released days before the elections found that 80% of likely voters considered the economy a top issue in their vote for Congress; while 77% said the same about inflation specifically, an ABC News/Washington Post survey found.
Still, a Republican wave election did not materialize. As of Wednesday, control of the House and Senate had yet to be determined.
Despite persistent inflation, growing evidence suggests that the Fed’s rate hikes have put the brakes on some economic activity.
Mortgage rates reached a 20-year high last month, as the U.S. faces an ongoing slowdown in home sales and housing construction.
Job growth has persisted at a strong rate but has shown signs of moderating.
The U.S. added 261,000 jobs in October, exceeding economist expectations and demonstrating the continued strength of the labor market.
But the hiring in October fell well below the typical jobs added over a given month in 2022. Monthly job growth has averaged 407,000 thus far in 2022 versus 562,000 per month in 2021, the jobs data showed.
While some data points to an economic slowdown, a government report released last month showed significant economic growth over three months ending in September.
U.S. gross domestic product grew 2.6% over that period; by contrast, economic activity shrank a combined 2.2% over the first six months of the year.
Inflation, however, remains a top concern for federal policymakers.
When facing high inflation, policymakers fear what’s referred to as a price-wage spiral, in which a rise in prices prompts workers to demand raises that help them afford goods, which in turn pushes up prices, leading to a self-perpetuating cycle of runaway inflation.
However, the October jobs data was the latest to ease such concerns. Average hourly earnings rose 4.7% over the past year, well below the inflation rate and a decline from 5% year-over-year wage growth the previous month.
(NEW YORK) — A mayor running for re-election died in a car crash on election morning just hours before the polls were set to close and the results were announced, police said.
The incident occurred shortly after 11:00 a.m. on Tuesday when the Louisiana State Police were notified of a crash involving two vehicles on U.S. Highway 190 near LA Highway 741, located approximately 50 miles west of Baton Rouge, Louisiana, according to a statement by the Louisiana State Police following the crash.
A preliminary investigation into the crash revealed that a male driver, of Columbia, Louisiana, was traveling south on LA 741 in his 2015 Ram 2500 pickup truck when he reportedly failed to yield to the 2008 Acura RDX that was carrying 84-year-old Velma Hendrix — the incumbent mayor of Melville, Louisiana — while the vehicle was traveling west on US 190.
“As the Acura approached the intersection, [the driver] failed to yield as he attempted to cross over both westbound lanes of US 190,” said the Louisiana State Police. “The front of the Ram struck the passenger side of the Acura in the westbound lane of travel.”
Hendrix, who was sitting in the rear left passenger seat in the Acura, was not wearing her seatbelt when the pickup truck collided with hers. She was immediately taken to a local area hospital following the crash but ultimately died of her injuries suffered in during the accident.
The driver of the Acura — who was also not wearing a seatbelt — along with three other passengers in the same vehicle, all suffered moderate to critical injuries and were taken to local hospitals for treatment, according to authorities.
The driver of the 2015 Ram 2500 pickup truck was not wearing his seatbelt either, police say, but he was uninjured in the collision.
“[Cook] submitted a breath sample indicating no alcohol in his system and had no signs of impairment,” said the Louisiana State Police. “He was cited for failure to yield from a stop sign and no seat belt. A routine toxicology sample from the driver of the Acura has been submitted to the Louisiana State Police Crime Lab for analysis.”
The crash remains under investigation.
First elected mayor of Melville, Louisiana, in 2018, Hendrix had been running her re-election campaign against challengers Sheila “Sam” Londerno and Caretta Robertson.
The St. Landry Parish Clerk issued a statement following the announcement of Hendrix’s death regarding what would happen next with the election process.
“In regards to Mayor Velma D. Hendrix, Mayor of Melville’s untimely passing, the Louisiana Commissioner of Elections, Sherri Hadskey, has informed us of the protocol for Mayor of Melville. Qualifying will be reopened on Wednesday, November 9, 2022 until Monday, November 14, 2022 and the election for Mayor of Melville will be held on December 10, 2022,” St. Landry Parish Clerk said in a statement posted on social media. “In the case of no one else qualifying before Monday, November 14, 2022, the candidates from November 8, 2022 with the highest votes will be declared Mayor of Melville. Prayers and condolences to Mayor Hendrix’s family and friends.”
Following the accident, Louisiana State Police took the opportunity to remind motorists to “slow down and come to a complete stop in order to ensure no cross traffic is present and ALWAYS wear your seat belt, regardless of seating position.”
Said the police: “Simple precautions such as these can often mean the difference between life and death.”
