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Gun deaths drive historic spike in child mortality rates

Published Sat, 22 Feb 2025 11:00:05 GMT

After decades of steady improvement, the death rate of America’s children and teens shot up between 2019 and 2021 — and COVID-19 wasn’t the reason.Gun-related deaths represented the largest share of the increase — by far.According to an analysis of the most recent death certificate data from the federal Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, published last month in the Journal of the American Medical Association, the mortality rate among children ages 1 to 19 rose by 11% between 2019 and 2020, and by an additional 8% between 2020 and 2021.It marks the first time in recent memory that child death rates have risen substantially, Dr. Steven Woolf, a professor of population health and health equity at Virginia Commonwealth University and lead author of the study, said in an interview with Stateline.And it’s the biggest increase in U.S. child mortality in more than 50 years, according to the study.“We’ve made tremendous progress in treating childhood diseases and preventing a wide r...

'Bring Your Own Cup Day' returns to 7-Eleven: Here are the rules

Published Sat, 22 Feb 2025 11:00:05 GMT

SAN DIEGO (KSWB) -- 7-Eleven is encouraging Slurpee lovers to get creative for 2023's "Bring Your Own Cup Day."On April 29, you can sip on your favorite flavor for $1.99 when bringing in your own cup at participating 7-Eleven, Speedway and Stripes stores. McDonald’s making these 4 changes to its burgers by 2024, company says Whether it's a Mason jar, an entire pitcher, a tea kettle or a fish bowl, anything goes – as long as these rules are followed:The cup needs to be food-safe and clean The cup needs to be able to fit upright within the 10-inch hole in the in-store display. 7-Eleven says this will ensure it can also fit under the Slurpee drink dispenser.The cup must watertight and leak proof"We love seeing customers enjoy our products in fun ways – especially when it comes to our beloved, iconic Slurpee drink," said 7-Eleven Director of Proprietary Beverages, Ben Boulden. "From cowboy boot to fishbowl…the more creative the cup, the better. We can't wait to see what our ...

McDonald's unveils new Big Mac sauce option for a limited time

Published Sat, 22 Feb 2025 11:00:05 GMT

(WJW) - McDonald's is finally giving fans what they've been asking for: an extra side of Big Mac sauce. For a limited time starting April 27, participating restaurants across the U.S. will offer Big Mac sauce dip cups, available only when ordering through the McDonald's app. The dipping cups have retro blue and silver packaging inspired by the original Big Mac sandwich wraps, the company said. McDonald’s making these 4 changes to its burgers by 2024, company says The Big Mac has been a staple of the McDonald's menu since 1968.The creamy, tangy, slightly sweet and perfectly dippable sauce will be available at no extra charge with any purchase of Chicken McNuggets, or can be ordered à la carte to pair with any McDonald's menu item. While the extra side of sauce is only a temporary offer for McDonald's customers, the fast food giant is making some more permanent changes. McDonald’s said it’s been tweaking the way it makes their signature sandwiches by using new buns, grilling onions,...

California Home Depot employee shot, killed trying to stop suspected shoplifter: police

Published Sat, 22 Feb 2025 11:00:05 GMT

PLEASANTON, Calif. (KRON) – Two people were jailed Wednesday morning and accused of murder, robbery, child endangerment and conspiracy after allegedly shooting and killing an employee at a Home Depot in Pleasanton, California.Police were called to the Home Depot on the eastern edge of the San Francisco Bay Area at about 2:15 p.m. Tuesday. They found one victim bleeding inside the store. Police said suspect Benicia Knapps was trying to steal an electrical item from the store and was confronted by store employees. Police said Knapps then pulled out a handgun and shot and killed a member of the Home Depot staff.Pleasanton police identified the victim as 26-year-old Blake Mohs, a loss prevention employee at the store. Police said he was well-known within law enforcement as the reporting party on any incidents at the store."I am devastated by the loss of Blake Mohs in yesterday’s senseless shooting," said Pleasanton Mayor Karla Brown. "Blake was a model for others. To have a life cut sh...

Worker was stuck in office when Manhattan parking garage collapsed, friend says

Published Sat, 22 Feb 2025 11:00:05 GMT

NEW YORK (WPIX) – The worker who died when a parking garage collapsed in New York City on Tuesday was in his office with some of his colleagues when the floors came crashing down, according to a manager at a nearby garage who knows the victims. The victim's co-workers were able to run to safety, but he was unable to make it out, according to Alessy Hernandez, the manager at the City Parking garage in Lower Manhattan. FDNY deploys robot dog in search for building collapse victims "They were in the office and tried to get out but they lost contact and [the worker who died] was not seen out," he said. "I did know him really personally."The collapse took place around 4:15 p.m. on Ann Street, between Nassau and Williams streets in the Financial District. Six workers were inside the building at the time of the collapse, according to John Esposito, the FDNY’s chief of operations. One worker died, four other workers were hospitalized, and one worker declined medical attention, Esposito ...

Father of teen cheerleader injured after shooting at Elgin H-E-B parking lot says she's stable

Published Sat, 22 Feb 2025 11:00:05 GMT

ELGIN, Texas (KXAN) — A Central Texas cheerleader is in the hospital after a Tuesday shooting in Elgin. Elgin Police said a 25-year-old man fired shots into a car at an H-E-B parking lot and injured two people. Lynn Shearer, owner of Woodland's Elite Cheer Co., said four cheerleaders who go to her gym were involved in that shooting. "It was unfortunate. These girls were just trying to get home," Shearer said. Shearer said the cheerleaders carpool from the Austin area to her gym. "These kids have grown up in our gym. We've known them for years, some of them literally, since they were, you know, 8,10 years old," Shearer said. "So they're like our family."She said Monday night they were returning back to the H-E-B in Elgin, where they parked their cars when one of the girls accidentally tried to get in the wrong car. "The guy got out and they saw that he had a gun. And so they tried to speed off, and he shot his gun, like five times or so into the car," Shearer said. Police said multip...

New Uvalde elementary school approved, construction planning begins

Published Sat, 22 Feb 2025 11:00:05 GMT

UVALDE, Texas (KXAN) -- Plans for a new elementary school to replace Robb Elementary in Uvalde were approved at a school board meeting earlier this week. On Monday, the Uvalde Consolidated Independent School District approved the full schematic renderings for the new elementary school as recommended by the Uvalde CISD Community Advisory Committee. Uvalde parents get rendering photos of new school replacing Robb Elementary after mass shooting The Uvalde CISD Moving Forward Foundation will now move to the initial phases of construction through the creation of construction documents for the new elementary school.Groundbreaking is anticipated for mid to late summer, according to the foundation.The new campus is expected to accommodate 800 students, which is nearly twice as big as Robb Elementary. It’ll also have safety measures including fencing around the playfields, keyless entry points and privacy gates that are nine feet tall, and a secure waiting space at the front of the campus...

Earth Day around the world

Published Sat, 22 Feb 2025 11:00:05 GMT

AUSTIN (KXAN) — Mother Earth will be celebrated on Saturday, April 22. It's estimated that more than one billion people will celebrate Earth Day. It's the day set aside to do everything we can to take better care of the planet, including ways not to pollute the air and the water to deforestation. Just like we need homes so do the animals and other wildlife. Several activities are taking place that will also bring awareness to people on how to be good stewards of our environmentConcerns about environmental issues are nothing new. Earth Day was first celebrated in 1970. The result of rallies that took place across the country resulted in the creation of the Environmental Protection Agency later that year. It is estimated that 140 countries are celebrating Earth Day.Some activities to consider as you celebrate Earth DaySeveral events are being held in Austin, considered the greenest city in the country according to ListShack. They include cleaning up the lake and the land along Lady Bi...

White Bear Lake ice-out contest winners announced

Published Sat, 22 Feb 2025 11:00:05 GMT

Seven people will share the glory – and the prizes – for correctly guessing the ice-out dates for White Bear Lake and/or Bald Eagle Lake.Ice out on White Bear Lake happened on Tuesday, April 18; ice out on Bald Eagle Lake happened on Friday, April 14, said Alan Haskins, who organized this year’s contest. White Bear Lake resident Mike Parenteau is the lake’s “official ice-out declarer,” Haskins said.Nearly 400 people entered the contest. The seven winners will split a prize pool of more than $3,000 in gifts and gift certificates from 36 different White Bear Lake businesses, Haskins said.The ice out was earlier than many expected – guesses ranged from April 4 to May 5, Haskins said. “Minnesota weather threw us a curveball last week with record high temps and tanked quite a few guesses,” he said.The winners who correctly guessed ice out on White Bear Lake were: Eric Stevens, Erin Raboin, Kristina Sherrett, Zach Berger, Katie Copan and Claire Schleicher.Alyssa McDonoug...

Keri Russell evolves from silky spy to sweaty ‘Diplomat’ on new Netflix series

Published Sat, 22 Feb 2025 11:00:05 GMT

The first sign is the hair. Not exactly a total mess. But definitely not neat, either.Keri Russell’s hair on “The Diplomat,” her new Netflix series set in the world of high-stakes global diplomacy, is the hair of a woman — in this case, the U.S. ambassador to Britain — who simply had more urgent things on the morning to-do list than a blow-out. Like briefing the White House or huddling with the CIA station chief.Russell’s Kate Wyler also sweats — a lot. Which, like the messy hair, is something you never saw from Elizabeth Jennings, the Soviet spy Russell played with impeccable, delicious cool for six seasons on “The Americans.” Indeed, fans of that FX show will surely gasp at the sight of Russell’s Kate raising her arm so her husband can take a whiff and advise if she needs a shower. Just SO not Elizabeth.Russell laughs as she confirms that indeed, sweat was foreign to Elizabeth, whose blood ran cold while Kate’s runs decidedly hot.“I always used to think of (Elizabeth) as like a pa...