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FDA paves way for more gay and bisexual men to donate blood with new risk-based assessment

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 15:24:25 GMT

(CNN) — US Food and Drug Administration on Thursday paved the way for more gay and bisexual men to donate blood by finalizing new risk-based recommendations for blood donation. Going forward, prospective donors will be asked the same set of questions regardless of their sex or sexual orientation.Before the FDA began taking a second look at its guidance several years ago, gay and bisexual men had faced a lifetime ban on blood donation, a move that many said was discriminatory. The most recent policy recommended that men who have sex with men wait three months after sexual contact with other men before they could donate blood.The policy changes eliminate deferrals and screening questions specific to men who have sex with men (MSM) and women who have sex with MSM. It brings the United States in line with other countries such as the UK and Canada, which have also implemented risk-based rules.“It’s going to make a donation more inclusive. It ensures that all donors are ...

FEWER SHOWERS FOR MOM

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 15:24:25 GMT

Happy Friday, South Florida!Hopefully everyone had a great week! The last few days have been very quiet for our area as South Florida got to enjoy dry conditions, beautiful blue skies and a nice breeze from time to time. And if all that weren’t pleasant enough, we also enjoyed low humidity all week long!  And while conditions earlier this morning were just as quiet, one thing is for sure. Humidity levels have been gradually increasing across our area through the last few days, each day with a touch more humidity than the day before. However, this morning South Florida once again enjoyed a very quiet start under warm and muggy conditions.Days ago an expansive area of high pressure moved into our area and has practically dominated our weather pattern all week long. After days of blocking storm systems from moving into our area, this area of high pressure will slowly begin to weaken as we work our way into the weekend. In the meantime, on this last day of the week, South Florida will o...

3 fishermen rescued after boat capsizes off Key Biscayne coast

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 15:24:25 GMT

Three fishermen are counting their lucky stars after being rescued from the rough waters off the coast of Key Biscayne. The men were saved Wednesday after their boat capsized southeast of the popular tourist spot near the Fowey Rocks Lighthouse.According to witnesses, the trio ended up in the water and clung to the hull of the capsized vessel. Fortunately, Miami-Dade police responded quickly to the scene and brought the stranded fishermen back to the safety of the Crandon Park Marina.The US Coast Guard Air Station Miami also assisted in the rescue efforts by dropping a smoke flare and guiding boats to help with the rescue operation. All three fishermen were safely pulled from the water without incident and were reported to be in good health.The incident serves as a reminder of the importance of boating safety and preparedness when heading out on the water. It is always recommended to wear life jackets and carry safety equipment, such as flares and communication devices, in case of e...

Toddler recovering in ICU after bark scorpion sting, says mother

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 15:24:25 GMT

LAS VEGAS (CNN) — An 18-month-old boy is recovering in the ICU after being stung by a bark scorpion nearly a week ago, according to his mother, Soraya Parrino.Parrino said her son, Sonny, was stung on Saturday when she noticed something was wrong with his finger. “He was just sitting up, started crying more and more and more, I was in the bathroom getting ready to change into my pajamas, and then I could hear him gagging, gasping for air,” she said.At first, Parrino thought her son was choking. But within minutes, he began to tense up and stretch, exhibiting anger and discomfort. They quickly rushed him to the emergency room.“Within four minutes they were saying, no, there’s a clear pathway, we don’t think anything is lodged in his throat, he is exhibiting signs of a scorpion bite,” she said.According to Parrino, they found the bark scorpion underneath their dining room table. Bark scorpions are nonaggressive unless provoked and are nocturnal. Par...

Dozen EU countries blast Commission’s deal to restrict Ukrainian grain

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 15:24:25 GMT

Agriculture ministers from 12 EU countries have raised “serious concerns” over a recent compromise reached by Brussels and five Eastern members of the bloc to restrict imports of Ukrainian agricultural products.In late April, Poland, Hungary, Slovakia and Bulgaria banned grain imports from the war-struck nation. The European Commission responded with a proposal to deliver €100 million in aid for farmers in those countries, as well as a temporary ban on Ukrainian imports to them unless for transit to other nations. No sooner had the deal been struck than it started to unravel. Poland led calls to distribute the glut of grain in the form of humanitarian aid — but officials responded that it wasn’t fit for human consumption.In a strongly worded letter sent to the European Commission and seen by POLITICO’s Brussels Playbook, the 12 agriculture ministers said the deal “undermines the integrity of the EU internal market.”Ministers from France, Germany, the Netherlands, Ireland,...

Crews working to repair major water main break in Methuen

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 15:24:25 GMT

Crews are working to repair a major water main break in Methuen that has left a road near the fire station closed and 30 homes without water service, the city said. The break on East Street near Swan Street prompted emergency crews to close the road from Russ Street to Swan Street at the East Fire Station, the city sad in a tweet.Repair crews have been on scene since 3 a.m.No additional information was immediately available.https://twitter.com/MariSalazarTV/status/1656974163813253122https://twitter.com/cityofmethuen/status/1656948647852998657This is a developing news story; stay with 7NEWS on-air and online for the latest details.

Summer Mode

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 15:24:25 GMT

After reaching the lower 80s for many yesterday, we’ll step it up another notch today with temps heading up into the middle 80s for many. While most of the day is dry, the entire day is not. We’ll track a few scattered showers around 7-9am and then an isolated pop-up storm late this afternoon. With that said, large swaths of the day are dry with a mix of sun and clouds as temps soar to summer levels. The breeze is strong enough out of the west, that no sea breeze kicks in today. Tomorrow, we’ll take a small step back with highs in the upper 70s to lower 80s as winds turn more north. Brightest skies favor northern Mass and NH with more clouds toward the south coast. If there’s a spot shower/storm that pops up, it’ll be south of Route 44 in Southeast Mass. Even there, expect a mainly dry day. Mother’s Day turns cooler, but we’re back to seasonable levels with highs in the mid to upper 60s. Overall, it’ll be a great day across the region....

DCR ‘burdened’ by lack of leadership continuity at urban beaches: Report

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 15:24:25 GMT

Advocates for city beaches say the Department of Conservation and Recreation is “burdened” by a lack of leadership continuity, clear direction and accountability among top officials.A new report from Save the Harbor/Save the Bay and the Metropolitan Beaches Commission states the department does not have enough staff or resources to care for local beaches, and has a backlog of maintenance and postponed capital investments.“With six DCR commissioners in the past eight years, DCR has lacked leadership continuity, clear direction, and accountability at the top, with DCR commissioners too often making commitments that they may not be around to keep,” the report said.A group of state politicians and leaders at the advocacy organization said they are looking forward to working with newly-appointed DCR Commissioner Brian Arrigo, the former mayor of Revere, to address “systemic problems and implement long-term solutions that they may not be around to solve.”Sen. Brendan Crighton, a co-chair ...

Ravens 2023 schedule: Ranking all 17 games from hardest (49ers) to easiest (Texans)

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 15:24:25 GMT

Last season, the Ravens finished 10-7 in the regular season and lost in the first round of the playoffs to the Cincinnati Bengals. But they did so without one of the NFL’s best players, quarterback Lamar Jackson, for their final six games because of a knee injury.With Jackson re-signed to a five-year extension to pair with a remade wide receiver group that includes two-time All-Pro Odell Beckham Jr. and rookie Zay Flowers, along with one of the NFL’s top defenses, the Ravens should be better this season.There was some good news from the schedule-makers, too, with the Ravens’ 2023 slate checking in as the 12th easiest among the 32 NFL teams with opponents having won 48.4% of games last season.The bad news? There are several difficult games, particularly late in the year, including a Christmas night blockbuster against the 49ers in San Francisco and what could be a critical Week 11 matchup against the Bengals.Here’s how the Ravens’ schedule measures up, w...

Charlie Baker could beat Elizabeth Warren, polling shows; can another moderate?

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 15:24:25 GMT

Former Gov. Charlie Baker would beat U.S. Sen. Elizabeth Warren in a theoretical matchup between the pair during the 2024 Senate contest, according to a poll of likely Bay State voters.Warren announced in March she will seek a third term in the upper chamber of Congress, where the state’s senior senator has made a name for herself as an outspoken proponent of progressive policies. The former Harvard Law professor ran unsuccessfully in the Democratic presidential primary ahead of 2020, but maintained her seat in the Senate.Baker, who did not seek re-election at the end of his second term despite routine citation as the most popular governor in the country, is serving as the president of the National Collegiate Athletic Association and has not declared his candidacy for the U.S. Senate or any other political office. He has also routinely denied any talk of him seeking the White House in 2024, citing the impact such a race would have on his family.If he did run, it would not be good ne...