KANSAS CITY, Mo. — A decision by Jackson County legislators on how to spend remaining federal COVID-19 relief funds is likely delayed again. In a letter sent to Chairwoman Jeanie Lauer, five legislators say they won't attend a scheduled meeting Wednesday morning to revisit the issue, which would deny the Legislature a quorum. Jay-Z's Team Roc, Innocence Project files lawsuit against KCKPD, UG The move comes after the Jackson County Legislature failed to override County Executive Frank White's veto of an ordinance outlining how to allocate the funds. At issue, how to divide the money between infrastructure and community social service needs. One of the signees, Manny Abarca, says he plans to have the vetoed ordinance placed on Monday's regular meeting agenda as a starting point. Download the FOX4 News app on iPhone and Android The county must decide by Dec. 31 how to spend the $70 million, or it goes back to the federal government. For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to FOX 4 Kansas City WDAF-TV | News, Weather, Sports. Ukraine fired several American-supplied longer-range missiles into Russia, officials said Tuesday, marking the first time Kyiv used the weapons that way in 1,000 days of war. The use of the Army Tactical Missile System, known as ATACMS, came as Russian President Vladimir Putin formally lowered the threshold for using nuclear weapons, opening the door to a potential nuclear response by Moscow to even a conventional attack by any nation supported by a nuclear power. A Telegram channel affiliated with the Ukrainian military posted a video Tuesday that it says shows U.S.-supplied ATACMS missiles being fired from an undisclosed location in Ukraine. Donald Trump Jr. and House Speaker Mike Johnson put the rumors to rest on Monday, confirming Robert F. Kennedy Jr. did indeed eat the McDonald's meal in front of him in a picture that went viral over the weekend. Trump Jr. appeared on the Charlie Kirk podcast on Monday and described the scene on Trump Force One during an early morning flight that led to the photo in question. Kennedy in the image holds a McDonald's burger with a bottle of Coke sitting nearby, a look of concern plastered on his f A Georgia appeals court on Monday canceled oral arguments that were scheduled for next month on the appeal of a lower court ruling allowing Fulton County District Attorney Fani Willis to continue to prosecute the election interference case she brought against President-elect Donald Trump. Trump and other defendants had asked the Georgia Court of Appeals to hold oral arguments in the case, and the court had set those arguments for Dec. 5. A Fulton County grand jury in August 2023 indicted Trump and 18 others, accusing them of participating in a sprawling scheme to illegally try to overturn the 2020 presidential election in Georgia.

A decision by Jackson County legislators on how to spend remaining federal COVID-19 relief funds is likely delayed again.

Decision on COVID relief funds in Jackson County likely to be delayed again

It's flu season in Los Angeles with the virus making its way through the roster ahead of Saturday's matchup against . Several Trojans players are dealing with illness this week, which has made the preparation difficult as they have been held out of practice. USC coach Lincoln Riley was asked about the issue during his weekly press conference, coincidentally letting out a cough right as the question came through. He joked about the moment before giving his answer about how the outbreak has impacted the Trojans. "Perfect timing," the coach said with a laugh . "It's had a little bit of an impact. That's part of it, though. It's like I told the guys today, Saturday at 7:30, no one's gonna care what you had or didn't have. You gotta go out there and play the game. You have different obstacles that come up and you've gotta go face them. We'll deal with it and adjust how we need to. But no excuses. Gotta be ready for Saturday."It's unclear exactly how many players are out with the illness or even which ones, but that should become evident Wednesday when the injury report is released. However, Riley did share that things have taken a turn for the worse of late with USC's flu outbreak. "A little bit," he said when asked whether more people were coming down with the flu. "Most of the people, it's been running its course. Kind of 48-72 hours. We're thinking probably today we're at the peak of it and I think we'll get better from there."USC is coming off of a 28-20 win against this past week and needs just one more win to reach bowl eligibility. The Trojans recently benched quarterback Miller Moss in favor of Jayden Maiava , who gave the offense new life while throwing for 259 yards and three touchdowns to one interception. We'll see what the health of the team looks like when the game kicks off at 10:30 p.m. ET on Saturday.

It's flu season in Los Angeles with the virus making its way through the USC roster ahead of Saturday's matchup against UCLA.

Lincoln Riley shares how flu outbreak impacts USC preparation vs. UCLA

SONOMA, Calif. - Health care workers in Sonoma County must wear face masks in patient care areas. The county's interim health officer issued the order because of increasing risks of illnesses such as COVID-19 and the flu. "Each year, we see that higher rates of influenza, COVID-19 and other respiratory viruses that can cause severe respiratory infections occur between late fall and spring," said Dr. Karen Smith, Sonoma County's interim health officer. "Influenza and other seasonal respiratory viruses infect tens of millions in the United States each year and can result in serious medical outcomes, including hospitalizations and death." The mask order applies to staff at all health care facilities in the county, including hospitals, dialysis centers, and skilled nursing facilities. The order will remain in place through April 30. All other Bay Area counties , except Marin and Solano, have a face mask requirement at medical facilities. Grimmway Farms is one of the world's largest carrot growers, producers, and shippers. However, the company, which is headquartered in Bakersfield, California, recently drew public attention after recalling several sizes and brands of its bagged organic baby and whole carrots, and people want to know the reasons behind it. Here's why carrots were recalled by [...] The post Why Were Carrots Recalled by Grimmway Farms in California? E. Coli Outbreak Explained appeared first on ComingSoon.net - Movie

Health care workers in Sonoma County must wear face masks in patient care areas.

Sonoma County mandates face masks for health care workers

OLYMPIA, Wash. - Washington Secretary of Health Dr. Umair Shah announced he will be stepping down from the position in 2025. Dr. Shah made the announcement Tuesday, and will step down effective Jan. 15, 2025. Shah was appointed to the position in Dec. 2020 by Governor Jay Inslee, after previous health secretary Dr. John Wiesman took a position at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill. Shah took the reins of Washington's COVID-19 pandemic response right as vaccines were becoming available. Washingtonians will doubtless remember waiting in lines at Lumen Field for their vaccines, the mask mandates , or the state's phased reopening plan — during which all counties but King County were able to advance to larger crowds and reopened businesses, later prompting Inslee to modify the plan and move King County forward. Each of the state's controversial decisions were met with pushback , but arguably saved thousands of lives. The state's efforts also led to the vaccine mandate in 2021 , requiring all state employees to get the COVID-19 vaccine if they wanted to keep their jobs. Just shy of 2,000 state employees were fired , though the mandate was eventually dropped in Feb. 2023 . "Over the past four years, Dr. Shah has guided the agency through unprecedented challenges, leaving a lasting impact on public health in Washington. Under his leadership, the Washington State Department of Health has become one of the most innovative and resilient public health agencies in the nation," read a statement from the Washington State Department of Health. "While leadership changes can bring uncertainty, DOH remains steadfast in its commitment to serving the communities of Washington. We are grateful for Dr. Shah's contributions and visionary leadership, and we wish him success in his next endeavors." Shah will serve through the remainder of Gov. Inslee's term.</h2> 'Belltown Hellcat' faces Renton court again over assault on his mother Snohomish County homeowners push back against proposed 8% property tax hike Seattle's Elysian Brewing shutting down Georgetown location Here's when ski resorts in western WA are planning to open North Cascades Highway closed for the season FOX Seattle Newsletter.

Washington Secretary of Health Dr. Umair Shah announced he will be stepping down from the position in 2025.

WA Secretary of Health, Dr. Umair Shah, stepping down in 2025

Donald Trump has chosen Mehmet Oz, best known for starring in his eponymous daytime talkshow for more than a decade and leaning heavily into Trumpism during his failed 2022 run for a Pennsylvania Senate seat, to lead the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS). The cardiothoracic surgeon, who faced immense backlash from the medical and scientific communities for pushing misinformation at the height of the Covid-19 pandemic, will oversee the agency that operates on a $2.6tn annual budget and provides healthcare to more than 100 million people. "I am honored to be nominated by [Donald Trump] to lead CMS," Oz posted on X on Tuesday. "I look forward to serving my country to Make America Healthy Again under the leadership of HHS Secretary [Robert F Kennedy Jr]." In the announcement of Oz's selection, Trump said that Oz will "make America healthy again" and described him as "an eminent Physician, Heart Surgeon, Inventor, and World-Class Communicator, who has been at the forefront of healthy living for decades". Oz has been on US television screens for nearly 20 years, first appearing on the Oprah Winfrey show in 2004. In that time, he's talked to his audience about losing weight with fad diets and what it takes to have healthy poops and, toward the end of his run, touting hydroxychloroquine as a potential remedy for Covid-19. Here's what to know about the New York University professor and surgeon turned television show host, and now Trump appointee.Who is Mehmet Oz?</h2> Oz, 64, is a Turkish American Ohio native best known for The Dr Oz Show, which ran from 2009 to 2022. His father was a surgeon in Turkey, and after Oz graduated high school in Delaware, he was admitted into Harvard. He also served in the Turkish military in order to maintain dual citizenship, the Associated Press reports . Before entering US homes via daytime TV, he had more than 20 years of experience as a cardiothoracic surgeon at Presbyterian-Columbia Medical Center in New York. He was also a professor at Columbia University's medical school. His bona fides at the prestigious institutions earned him quick credibility with viewers, and his popularity garnered him nine Daytime Emmy awards for outstanding informative talkshow and host. Though his show ended in 2022, Oz maintains a YouTube channel filled with old episodes of his shows where he interviews guests like Penn Jillette about his weight loss and Robert F Kennedy Jr about his 2014 book about the presence of mercury in vaccines. He also has an Instagram account that boasts more than a million followers, where Oz shares photos of his family and sells products from iHerb, an online health and wellness brand for which he is global adviser.Oz's questionable medical advice and time in politics</h2> Throughout his TV tenure, Oz dabbled in the hallmarks of weight loss culture like detoxes, cleanses and diets that promised rapid weight loss. He also faced a grilling by senators in 2014 over claims he made and alleged false advertising on supplements he promoted on his show. When the Covid-19 pandemic hit, Oz regurgitated misinformation that came from the fringes of the right and medical communities. These comments continued when he threw his hat into the race to represent Pennsylvania in the US Senate in 2022 against John Fetterman. At the time, the Guardian wrote: "Oz was dogged by questions about his actual connection to the state during the campaign. Oz lived in New Jersey for decades before he moved to Pennsylvania in October 2020, into a home owned by his wife's family. He announced his bid to be the state's US senator just months later." Following Fetterman's stroke, during which he said he "​​almost died", the Oz campaign launched unsavory attacks against him, with one Oz aide, Rachel Tripp, claiming Fetterman might not have had a stroke if he "had ever eaten a vegetable in his life". Oz ultimately lost to Fetterman , who garnered 51% of the vote compared with Oz's 46%.What will Oz run?</h2> Oz will succeed Chiquita Brooks-LaSure, the current administrator of CMS, to lead programs including Medicare, the federal health insurance program for people aged 65 or older and disabled people, and Medicaid , the state-based health insurance program for lower-income people, which is jointly funded by states and the federal government. The two programs provide health insurance for more than 140 million Americans. Also in the CMS fold are the Children's Health Insurance Program (Chip) and the Health Insurance Marketplace, which was created by the Affordable Care Act under Barack Obama in 2010.

Dr Oz, best known for his daytime talkshow, leaned heavily into Trumpism during his failed 2022 run for US Senate

Who is Mehmet Oz, Trump’s pick to lead Medicare and Medicaid?

BAY COUNTY, Fla. (WMBB) – Getting vaccinated before the holidays is important to keep yourself safe from the bugs and viruses that tend to spread with travel. The CDC urges people ages 6 months and older to get an updated flu vaccine every year because it's your best defense to protect yourself against the virus. "It takes two weeks for the flu shot to become fully active. It's a relatively painless shot with hardly any side effects, maybe a slight headache, maybe some muscle pain. But most people don't have any side effects from the flu shots. So we really recommend that you come and get them as soon as possible before the traveling starts," said Laura Gould, owner of a Local Rx Express Pharmacy and pharmacist. Final phase of the Southport Sports Complex underway Influenza is constantly mutating, creating new ways to attack your body's defenses. So, it's important to get the most updated shot. "The CDC recommended all the shots be trivalent. They're effective against two influenza a's and one influenza b, and that's very important that we get these people everybody inoculated or vaccinated so that they don't spread the disease or that at least they have defense against someone coming into town with the flu," said Gould. Some people may be hesitant about the side effects of the shot. "The benefits outweigh the risk of getting the shot. And I would highly recommend it for anybody, especially if they are around the elderly or young people. We have had no reports of these shots making people sick this year also," reiterated Gould. Mexico Beach renourishment project receives additional grant funding In addition to getting your flu shot, you can protect your body by practicing healthy habits. Make sure you wash your hands frequently with soap and water for at least 20 seconds. Use hand sanitizer. And avoid touching your face throughout the day. Remember keeping yourself healthy helps keep those around you healthy as well. Gould says the flu shot is free at Rx Express pharmacy with insurance. The pharmacy accepts walk-ins.

BAY COUNTY, Fla. (WMBB) – Getting vaccinated before the holidays is important to keep yourself safe from the bugs and viruses that tend to spread with travel. The CDC urges people ages 6 months and older to get an updated flu vaccine every year because it’s your best defense to protect yourself against the virus. […]

Flu Season Reminder

FAYETTEVILLE, Ark. (KNWA/KFTA) — The American Lung Association released its annual state of lung cancer report that found Arkansas ranks among the worst in the nation for lung cancer survival rates. The report, released on Tuesday, found that Arkansas's survival rate is the third worst in the country, at twenty-two point six percent, compared to the national average of twenty-eight point four percent. The state also saw the second-highest rate of smoking in the nation at 18.7 percent compared to the national average of 11.6 percent. Arkansas Department of Education launches new program to align families with federal assistance Arkansas also ranks 33rd in the nation for lung cancer screenings. Laura Turner, the director of Advocacy for Arkansas at the American Lung Association, said Arkansas's low survival rate and high smoking rate are due in part to the state not having enough funding to help all the people who need it. Turner also said it is due to the lack of access to specialized testing such as biomarker tests which tell doctors what kind of lung cancer it is, how it might respond to certain medicines and how it's behaving. "Comprehensive biomarker testing for everybody would be great. That's our huge ask for not only the state of Arkansas but for the entire country," Turner said. "We could get a lot more people access to better-targeted treatment that way and we could save a lot more lives I think." Weyerhaeuser makes $500 million investment in south Arkansas timber industry, adding 200 jobs It's important to note that the report for Arkansas is missing some data because COVID-19 impacted cancer surveillance in 2021. That includes rates for new lung cancer cases, early diagnosis, surgery and lack of treatment. While state data is not currently available, nationally there have been trends over the last five years. New cases are down 15 percent, early diagnosis rates increased by 11 percent, 22.7 percent of cases were treated with surgery and the ratio of people not receiving treatment remained steady at 20.9 percent. For the full report, visit Lung.org .

The American Lung Association released its annual state of lung cancer report that found Arkansas ranks among the worst in the nation for lung cancer survival rates.

Report: Arkansas ranks among worst in US for lung cancer survival rates

RANSON, W.Va. ( DC News Now ) — Jefferson Medical Center in West Virginia's eastern panhandle opened a heart and vascular care institute, equipped with four examination rooms and an echo-cardiogram room. School districts across Northern Virginia request delay of VDOE's new performance plan "This is about patient access," explained Dr. Vinay Badhwar with the West Virginia Heart and Vascular Care Institute. "Access to the best quality care while keeping West Virginia patients in West Virginia while serving all in our region needing care." "The demographics here certainly support a heart and vascular care facility," said Mark O'Hern, president and CEO of WVU Medical East. "We have population growth and a lot of new residents joining this community. We want to make sure we provide this care locally." For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to DC News Now | Washington, DC. Grimmway Farms is one of the world's largest carrot growers, producers, and shippers. However, the company, which is headquartered in Bakersfield, California, recently drew public attention after recalling several sizes and brands of its bagged organic baby and whole carrots, and people want to know the reasons behind it. Here's why carrots were recalled by [...] The post Why Were Carrots Recalled by Grimmway Farms in California? E. Coli Outbreak Explained appeared first on ComingSoon.net - Movie

RANSON, W.Va. (DC News Now) — Jefferson Medical Center in West Virginia’s eastern panhandle opened a heart and vascular care institute, equipped with four examination rooms and an echo-cardiogram room. “This is about patient access,” explained Dr. Vinay Badhwar with the West Virginia Heart and Vascular Care Institute. “Access to the best quality care while […]

West Virginia’s Jefferson Memorial Hospital opens heart, vascular care center

For the record President-elect Donald Trump announced Tuesday he plans to nominate Mehmet Oz, a celebrity heart surgeon and former daytime television host, as administrator for the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services. Oz, a 64-year-old cardiothoracic surgeon, has no experience running a government agency, and has been accused by many U.S. physicians and other health experts of peddling pseudoscience. If his nomination is approved by the Senate, Oz will helm a federal agency that provides health coverage to more than 160 million people and oversees critical programs such as Medicare, Medicaid and the Children's Health Insurance Program. "I have known Dr. Oz for many years, and I am confident he will fight to ensure everyone in America receives the best possible Healthcare, so our Country can be Great and Healthy Again!" Trump said in a statement on his TruthSocial platform. Trump said Oz would work closely with Robert F. Kennedy Jr., whom the former president nominated last week to lead the Department of Health and Human Services. Together, Trump said in his statement, the two men would take on "the illness industrial complex, and all the horrible chronic diseases left in its wake." "Our broken Healthcare System harms everyday Americans, and crushes our Country's budget," Trump said. "Dr. Oz will be a leader in incentivizing Disease Prevention. He will also cut waste and fraud within our Country's most expensive Government Agency."Read more: Column: Trump's appointment of anti-vaxxer RFK Jr. to his Cabinet has scientists fearing a catastrophe for public health The son of Turkish parents, Oz graduated from Harvard before getting his medical degree and master's of business at University of Pennsylvania. He went on to serve as a professor of surgery at Columbia University. After rising to fame as a celebrity physician on Oprah Winfrey's talk show, Oz hosted "The Dr. Oz Show" from 2009 to 2022. In 2008, Time magazine included Oz on its list of "100 Most Influential People." But Oz is a controversial figure in the medical world whose television appearances have drawn criticism from fellow physicians who say he backs questionable alternative medicine and unproven weight loss products. In 2012, Oz invited a woman onto his show who claimed she was a psychic and could communicate with the dead. During the COVID-19 pandemic, Oz promoted hydroxychloroquine as a treatment. At a 2014 congressional hearing, then-Sen. Claire McCaskill (D-Mo.) scolded Oz for his hype of weight loss products. "I don't get why you have to say this stuff, because you know it's not true," McCaskill told Oz. "So why — when you have this amazing megaphone and this amazing ability to communicate — why would you cheapen your show by saying things like that?"Read more: Column: 'Women, doctors, local political leaders': How Dr. Oz handed Democrats a path to victory After Trump's announcement Tuesday, many public health experts took to social media to denounce Oz. Lawrence Gostin, a law professor at Georgetown University who specializes in public health law and directs the World Health Organization's Center on Global Health Law, said Oz was unfit to lead the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services. "He peddles conspiracy theories on vaccines & fake cures," Gostin posted. "He profits from fringe medical ideas. By nominating RFK Jr & Mehmet Oz, Trump is giving his middle finger to science. Having worked for 40 years in public health, it's utterly disheartening." "Madness," wrote Timothy Caulfield, a professor of health law and science policy at the University of Alberta. "Another anti-science quack given power over a science-informed institution." In 2022, Oz ran an unsuccessful campaign to represent Pennsylvania in the Senate. Backed by Trump, he cast himself as a moderate Republican who wanted to cut inflation and crime, but he was ultimately defeated by Democrat John Fetterman. In picking Oz, Trump continues his strategy of nominating unorthodox television personalities to his administration for his second term: Last week, he nominated Pete Hegseth, a National Guard veteran and "Fox & Friends" host, as secretary of Defense. On Monday, he nominated former Wisconsin Rep. Sean Duffy, known as co-host of "The Bottom Line" on Fox Business and a onetime reality TV star, to helm the Department of Transportation. Get the L.A. Times Politics newsletter. Deeply reported insights into legislation, politics and policy from Sacramento, Washington and beyond, in your inbox three times per week.

If approved, Mehmet Oz will helm an agency that provides health coverage to more than 160 million people. One expert calls Trump's selection of the doctor and TV star "madness."

Trump nominates Dr. Oz to head Medicare and Medicaid and help take on 'illness industrial complex'

'They should have told everybody': Riviera Beach water scandal raises health concerns Residents of the city of Riviera Beach are voicing concerns after a recent investigation accuses city employees of falsifying reports to conceal water quality concerns.The Palm Beach County office of the inspector general released a 112 page-long report, listing allegations of 130 occasions in 2023 when water quality testing was not reported properly.WPBF 25 News spoke with residents on the issue. One of them being Danny O'Neal who said he feels blindsided."They should have told everybody to warn everybody when this first start happened. Don't wait no three and four months, six months later, and come to the public and say, hey, you can't drink the water. People been drinking the water," O'Neal said.He said he doesn't understand why the employees wouldn't disclose information that could impact people's health."I should be able to drink my water, shower with it, do whatever I want to do with it," he said. "But they never told me nothing about it until after the fact, when it was several months ago, and it was already an issue."Mirna Elvir, an employee at the Rose Bowl in Riviera Beach, said she agrees."I honestly had no idea that's been happening in our community, and that's very concerning," she added.While the Rose Bowl doesn't use the city's water, O'Neal said he does and now fears any help impacts."I kept drinking it. And I'm still drinking it now, and I'm feeling some kind of way," he said. The PBC office of the inspector general report notes that after a water sample in 2023 tested positive for E. coli, not only did the city fail to retest properly, employees altered test results and "submitted false, altered, and/or misleading test results to the (Florida Department of Health," which led to some city wells being "improperly reactivated for use as part of the City's drinking water system."To better understand how E. coli impacts the human body, WPBF 25 News spoke with an expert on the topic.Dr. Leslie Diaz is the Infectious Disease Chair for the Palm Beach Gardens Medical Center. "We all live with E. coli. The strains of E. coli that we have are symbiotically living with us in our intestinal flora, in the colon mostly, and it's the number one bacteria that is found in the colonic flora," she explained.However, Diaz said there's several strains and some are toxic to humans. "The strains that are pathogenic to humans are the shiga toxin E. coli, which produces a toxin that can make people very sick with gastrointestinal symptoms of nausea, vomiting, diarrhea, abdominal pain," she said. "And it can produce a syndrome called HUS, a certain subtype of the shiga toxin E. coli, that is the O157."She said that syndrome, hemolytic uremic syndrome, causes renal failure and has a high mortality rate. "It can be very dangerous. Most individuals, though, do recover from the pathogenic E. coli that you can get from foods," Diaz added.She said there's a few things people can look for if they suspect they've consumed food or water contaminated with E. coli."Nausea, vomiting, abdominal pain, diarrhea," Diaz said. "If the diarrhea becomes bloody, that is the one that is most commonly the O157, which can move on to cause a hemolytic uremic syndrome, and that's called enterohemorrhagic E. coli or shiga-like toxin E. coli."She said if that happens, it's important to seek medical attention.Even if food or water that has been contaminated is consumed, Diaz said that doesn't mean someone will have symptoms."Some people will not necessarily show any, and that has to do with the load of bacteria that you receive. Not all loads cause infection or symptoms. So it depends on the load," she explained.If severe symptoms do show, she said it's typically within days of consumption."It usually happens within three to five days of ingesting the food, and it can be very severe. Like I said before, you can get a very bad syndrome that can cause significant symptoms of multi-organ failure and system failures that can bring you to a very high mortality," she said.Once infected, she said the toxins can linger in the body."Even when your diarrhea stops, you can still be a carrier and have the potential of transmitting the toxin. Some studies say up to a month, some studies say up to two weeks. I would, to be on the safe side, I would tell you two to four weeks is a correct amount," Diaz said.To prevent spreading the toxin through what she calls the fecal-oral route, Diaz said it's important for people to wash their hands and surfaces often. Diaz said the tricky thing about E. coli is that it's hard to track down what you ate or drank that caused the infection. However, since cases are logged and reported, she said the Florida Department of Health works to track down the source of contamination."They're very good at doing that, making phone calls, tracking the source down. and so the epidemiology department of the health department has always, at least for Palm Beach County, done an excellent job to try to track that down and if there is a source, they will track it down," she added.She said there's a few things people can do to prevent consuming the bacteria."I think that it is important to wash all your vegetables. I think that is the number one source of entry that you can have control over. Even if it's organic, just wash them and triple wash them, let them soak," Diaz said. "As far as eating meat, I never eat meat that's not well done."Diaz said there's no way of knowing if something is contaminated as water will remain clear and food won't present any signs.The Florida Department of Health and CDC have a list of resources to learn more about E.coli and contamination.Top headlines:Stay up-to-date: The latest headlines and weather from WPBF 25 Get the latest news updates with the WPBF 25 News app. You can download it here. Residents of the city of Riviera Beach are voicing concerns after a recent investigation accuses city employees of falsifying reports to conceal water quality concerns. The Palm Beach County office of th e inspector general released a 112 page- long report, listing allegations of 130 occasions in 2023 when water quality testing was not reported properly. WPBF 25 News spoke with residents on the issue. One of them being Danny O'Neal who said he feels blindsided. "They should have told everybody to warn everybody when this first start happened. Don't wait no three and four months, six months later, and come to the public and say, hey, you can't drink the water. People been drinking the water," O'Neal said.He said he doesn't understand why the employees wouldn't disclose information that could impact people's health. "I should be able to drink my water, shower with it, do whatever I want to do with it," he said. "But they never told me nothing about it until after the fact, when it was several months ago, and it was already an issue." Mirna Elvir, an employee at the Rose Bowl in Riviera Beach, said she agrees. "I honestly had no idea that's been happening in our community, and that's very concerning," she added. While the Rose Bowl doesn't use the city's water, O'Neal said he does and now fears any help impacts. "I kept drinking it. And I'm still drinking it now, and I'm feeling some kind of way," he said. The PBC office of the inspector general report notes that after a water sample in 2023 tested positive for E. coli, not only did the city fail to retest properly, employees altered test results and "submitted false, altered, and/or misleading test results to the (Florida Department of Health," which led to some city wells being "improperly reactivated for use as part of the City's drinking water system." To better understand how E. coli impacts the human body, WPBF 25 News spoke with an expert on the topic. Dr. Leslie Diaz is the Infectious Disease Chair for the Palm Beach Gardens Medical Center. "We all live with E. coli. The strains of E. coli that we have are symbiotically living with us in our intestinal flora, in the colon mostly, and it's the number one bacteria that is found in the colonic flora," she explained. However, Diaz said there's several strains and some are toxic to humans. "The strains that are pathogenic to humans are the shiga toxin E. coli, which produces a toxin that can make people very sick with gastrointestinal symptoms of nausea, vomiting, diarrhea, abdominal pain," she said. "And it can produce a syndrome called HUS, a certain subtype of the shiga toxin E. coli, that is the O157." She said that syndrome, hemolytic uremic syndrome, causes renal failure and has a high mortality rate. "It can be very dangerous. Most individuals, though, do recover from the pathogenic E. coli that you can get from foods," Diaz added. She said there's a few things people can look for if they suspect they've consumed food or water contaminated with E. coli. "Nausea, vomiting, abdominal pain, diarrhea," Diaz said. "If the diarrhea becomes bloody, that is the one that is most commonly the O157, which can move on to cause a hemolytic uremic syndrome, and that's called enterohemorrhagic E. coli or shiga-like toxin E. coli." She said if that happens, it's important to seek medical attention. Even if food or water that has been contaminated is consumed, Diaz said that doesn't mean someone will have symptoms. "Some people will not necessarily show any, and that has to do with the load of bacteria that you receive. Not all loads cause infection or symptoms. So it depends on the load," she explained. If severe symptoms do show, she said it's typically within days of consumption. "It usually happens within three to five days of ingesting the food, and it can be very severe. Like I said before, you can get a very bad syndrome that can cause significant symptoms of multi-organ failure and system failures that can bring you to a very high mortality," she said. Once infected, she said the toxins can linger in the body. "Even when your diarrhea stops, you can still be a carrier and have the potential of transmitting the toxin. Some studies say up to a month, some studies say up to two weeks. I would, to be on the safe side, I would tell you two to four weeks is a correct amount," Diaz said. To prevent spreading the toxin through what she calls the fecal-oral route, Diaz said it's important for people to wash their hands and surfaces often. Diaz said the tricky thing about E. coli is that it's hard to track down what you ate or drank that caused the infection. However, since cases are logged and reported, she said the Florida Department of Health works to track down the source of contamination. "They're very good at doing that, making phone calls, tracking the source down. and so the epidemiology department of the health department has always, at least for Palm Beach County, done an excellent job to try to track that down and if there is a source, they will track it down," she added. She said there's a few things people can do to prevent consuming the bacteria. "I think that it is important to wash all your vegetables. I think that is the number one source of entry that you can have control over. Even if it's organic, just wash them and triple wash them, let them soak," Diaz said. "As far as eating meat, I never eat meat that's not well done." Diaz said there's no way of knowing if something is contaminated as water will remain clear and food won't present any signs. The Florida Department of Health and CDC have a list of resources to learn more about E.coli and contamination.

Residents of the city of Riviera Beach are voicing concerns after a recent investigation accuses city employees of falsifying reports to conceal water quality concerns.

Riviera Beach, Florida water scandal raises health concerns

In the past, Kennedy has criticized NIH for not doing enough to study the role of vaccines in autismWASHINGTON (AP) — Robert F. Kennedy Jr., an anti-vaccine activist and environmentalist, for years gained a loyal and fierce following with his biting condemnations of how the nation's public health agencies do business.And that's put him on a direct collision course with some of the 80,000 scientists, researchers, doctors and other officials who work for the Department of Health and Human Services, especially with President-elect Donald Trump tapping him to head the agency.If confirmed, Kennedy will control the world's largest public health agency, and its $1.7 trillion budget.The agency's reach is massive. It provides health insurance for nearly half of the country — poor, disabled and older Americans. It oversees research of vaccines, diseases and cures. It regulates the medications found in medicine cabinets and inspects the foods that end up in cupboards.A look at Kennedy's comments about some of the agencies that fall within the HHS arena, and how he has said he plans to shake them up:Food and Drug Administration— "FDA's war on public health is about to end," he wrote on X in late October. "If you work for the FDA and are part of this corrupt system, I have two messages for you: 1. Preserve your records, and 2. Pack your bags."The FDA's 18,000 staffers include career scientists, researchers, and inspectors responsible for the safety and effectiveness of prescription drugs, vaccines and other medical products. The agency also has broad oversight of a swath of consumer goods, including cosmetics, electronic cigarettes and most foods.HHS has legal authority to reorganize the agency without congressional approval to maintain the safety of food, drugs, medical devices and other products.And Kennedy has long railed against the FDA's work on vaccines. During the COVID-19 epidemic, his nonprofit group, Children's Health Defense, petitioned the FDA to halt the use of all COVID vaccines. The group has alleged that FDA is beholden to "big pharma" because it receives much of its budget from industry fees and some employees who have departed the agency have gone on to work for drugmakers.His attacks have grown more sweeping, with Kennedy suggesting he will clear out "entire departments" at FDA, including the agency's food and nutrition center. The program is responsible for preventing foodborne illness, promoting health and wellness, reducing diet-related chronic disease and ensuring chemicals in food are safe.Last month, Kennedy threatened on social media to fire FDA employees for "aggressive suppression" of a host of unsubstantiated products and therapies, including stem cells, raw milk, psychedelics and discredited COVID-era treatments like ivermectin and hydroxychloroquine.In the case of hydroxychloroquine, for example, the agency halted its emergency use after determining it wasn't effective in treating COVID and raised the risk of potentially fatal heart events.Consuming raw milk has long been regarded as risky by the FDA because it contains a host of bacteria that can make people sick and has been linked to hundreds of illness outbreaks.If confirmed, Kennedy in principle could overturn almost any FDA decision. There have been rare cases of such decisions in previous administrations. Under both George W. Bush and Barack Obama, HHS overruled FDA approval decisions on the availability of emergency contraceptives.Unwinding FDA regulations or revoking approval of longstanding vaccines and drugs would likely be more challenging. FDA has lengthy requirements for removing medicines from the market, which are based on federal laws passed by Congress. If the process is not followed, drugmakers could bring lawsuits that would need to work their way through the courts.Centers for Disease Control and Prevention— "On January 20, the Trump White House will advise all U.S. water systems to remove fluoride from public water," Kennedy wrote on social media in November.The CDC's fluoride guidance is just one recommendation the agency has made as part of its mission to protect Americans from disease outbreaks and public health threats.The agency has a $9.2 billion core budget and more than 13,000 employeesDays before Trump's victory, Kennedy said he would reverse the agency's recommendations around fluoride in drinking water, which the CDC currently recommends be at 0.7 milligrams per liter of water.The recommendations have strengthened teeth and reduced cavities by replacing minerals lost during normal wear and tear. Splotchy teeth patterns have occurred with higher levels of fluoride, prompting the U.S. government to lower its recommendations from 1.2 milligrams per liter of water in 2015.Local and state governments control the water supply, with some states mandating fluoride levels through state law.Kennedy, who has said "there's no vaccine that is safe and effective," would be in charge of appointments to the committee of influential panel experts who help set vaccine recommendations to doctors and the general public. Those include polio and measles given to infants and toddlers to protect against debilitating diseases to inoculations given to older adults to protect against threats like shingles and bacterial pneumonia as well as shots against more exotic dangers for international travelers or laboratory workers.National Institutes of Health— "We need to act fast," Kennedy was reported to have said during an a Scottsdale, Arizona, event over the weekend. "So that on Jan. 21, 600 people are going to walk into offices at NIH and 600 people are going to leave."The agency's $48 billion budget funds medical research on cancers, vaccines and other diseases through competitive grants to researchers at institutions throughout the nation. The agency also conducts its own research with thousands of scientists working at NIH labs in Bethesda, Maryland.Among advances that were supported by NIH money are a medication for opioid addiction, a vaccine to prevent cervical cancer, many new cancer drugs and the speedy development of mRNA COVID-19 vaccines.In the past, Kennedy has criticized NIH for not doing enough to study the role of vaccines in autism.Kennedy wants half of the NIH budget to go toward "preventive, alternative and holistic approaches to health," he wrote in The Wall Street Journal in September. "In the current system, researchers don't have enough incentive to study generic drugs and root-cause therapies that look at things like diet."Kennedy wants to prevent NIH from funding researchers with financial conflicts of interest, citing a 2019 ProPublica investigation that found more than 8,000 federally funded health researchers reported significant conflicts such as taking equity stakes in biotech companies or licensing patents to drugmakers.Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services— "If a doctor's patient has diabetes or obesity, the doctor ought to be able to say, I'm going to recommend gym membership, and I'm going to recommend good food and Medicaid ought to be able to finance those things the same as they would Ozempic," Kennedy said during a Sept. 30 town hall in Philadelphia.Kennedy has not focused as much on the agency that spends more than $1.5 trillion yearly to provide health care coverage for more than half of the country through Medicaid, Medicare or the Affordable Care Act.Even as Trump and other Republicans have threatened some of that coverage, Kennedy has remained mum.Instead, he's been an outspoken opponent of Medicare or Medicaid covering expensive weight-loss drugs, like Ozempic or Zepbound. Those drugs are not widely covered by either program, but there's some bipartisan support in Congress to change that.Speaking during a congressional roundtable in September, Kennedy admonished some for supporting that effort, noting it could cost the U.S. government trillions of dollars. An exact price tag for the U.S. government to cover those drugs has not been determined.Kennedy has said Medicare and Medicaid should, instead, provide gym memberships and pay for healthier foods for those enrollees."For half the price of Ozempic, we could purchase regeneratively raised, organic food for every American, three meals a day and a gym membership, for every obese American," Kennedy said.

Robert F. Kennedy Jr. Promises To Remake Top Health Agencies

President-elect Donald Trump nominated celebrity physician Mehmet Oz to head the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services.Trump made the announcement Tuesday on Truth Social and in a press release to reporters."Dr. Oz will work closely with Robert F. Kennedy Jr. to take on the illness industrial complex, and all the horrible chronic diseases left in its wake," Trump said in the announcement.CMS is part of the Department of Health and Human Services, the agency that Kennedy will lead if his nomination is confirmed. CMS manages Medicare, Medicaid and the Affordable Care Act marketplaces for individual insurance, representing health coverage for 155 million Americans. Trump's announcement notes that Oz graduated from Harvard, and earned a joint MD and MBA from the University of Pennsylvania — and that he won nine Daytime Emmys for the Oz, 64, is a cardiothoracic surgeon who hosted a TV talk show focused on health for a decade. He built his TV career after being a frequent guest on theOz faced criticism for giving Kennedy and other vaccine denialists a platform in appearances on his show. During the pandemic, Oz boosted the anti-malarial drug hydroxychloroquine for COVID-19 without evidence.Oz ran for Senate as a Republican in Pennsylvania in 2022, and he vented his frustrations with the health establishment on the campaign trail. Trump endorsed him but Oz lost to Sen. John Fetterman, a Democrat.During his Senate bid, he argued that the government had "patronized and misled" the public during the COVID pandemic. "COVID-19 became an excuse for the government and elite thinkers who controlled the means of communication to suspend debate," he said.Oz has promoted questionable health advice to national television audiences. In 2014, he testified before the Senate after being accused on false advertising for supplements he promoted on his show. In 2015, ten doctors wrote a letter urging Columbia University's medical school to fire him, arguing that much of the advice on his TV show has been found to be unsupported by scientific evidence, and in some cases, contradicted by it.Lawrence Gostin, faculty director of the O'Neill Institute for National and Global Health Law at Georgetown University, wrote on X that Oz is "unfit" to run CMS. "He peddles conspiracy theories on vaccines & fake cures. He profits from fringe medical ideas. By nominating RFK Jr & Mehmet Oz, Trump is giving his middle finger to science," wrote Gostin.

In announcing his pick, Trump said Oz will work closely with RFK, Jr. "to take on the illness industrial complex." Oz, a celebrity physician, ran unsuccessfully for the U.S. Senate in 2022.

Trump picks Dr. Oz to lead Medicare and Medicaid

WASHINGTON — Former TV personality and onetime U.S. Senate candidate Mehmet Oz could become the next administrator for the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services, an expansive government agency that is responsible for large swaths of the country's health care.President-elect Donald Trump announced his intent to nominate Oz on Tuesday, writing in a statement "there may be no Physician more qualified and capable than Dr. Oz to Make America Healthy Again."Oz won the Republican primary in the 2022 Pennsylvania U.S. Senate race but was defeated during the general election by Democratic Sen. John Fetterman.Trump wrote that Oz would "work closely" with Robert F. Kennedy Jr., who will be nominated for Health and Human Services secretary , "to take on the illness industrial complex, and all the horrible chronic diseases left in its wake.""He will also cut waste and fraud within our Country's most expensive Government Agency, which is a third of our Nation's Healthcare spend, and a quarter of our entire National Budget," Trump wrote in the announcement.The Center for Medicare and Medicaid Services manages the country's largest health care programs, including Medicare, Medicaid, the Children's Health Insurance Program, or CHIP, and the health insurance marketplaces created by the Affordable Care Act, or Obamacare.There are 67.7 million people enrolled in Medicare, with nearly 90% of those enrollees over the age of 65. The program also provides health care coverage for younger people with severe illnesses or disabilities.Medicaid, a state-federal program that provides health coverage for low-income people, has about 72.4 million enrollees.There are 7.1 million CHIP program participants.And 21.3 million people purchased health insurance through the ACA marketplace during the 2024 open enrollment period.When added together, the Center for Medicare and Medicaid Services provides health care coverage to 1 in 4 Americans, according to its latest financial report .The agency spent about $1.516 trillion during the last fiscal year and has more than 6,700 federal employees as well as contractors to handle the workload."CMS and its contractors process over one billion Medicare claims annually, monitor quality of care, provide the states with matching funds for Medicaid benefits, and develop policies and procedures designed to give the best possible service to beneficiaries," according to the report."CMS also assures the safety and quality of medical facilities, provideshealth insurance protection to workers changing jobs, and maintainsthe largest collection of healthcare data in the United States."Oz received his undergraduate degree from Harvard University before earning a joint M.D. and MBA from the University of Pennsylvania School of Medicine and Wharton Business School.He starred in the daytime show "Dr. Oz," which ran from 2009 until 2022.Oz's nomination is subject to Senate confirmation and is under the jurisdiction of the Finance Committee, currently led by Oregon Democratic Sen. Ron Wyden and Idaho Republican Sen. Mike Crapo.

If confirmed, the former TV personality would head the government agency that provides health care coverage to 1 in 4 Americans.

Trump picks Dr. Oz to run mammoth Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services • Source New Mexico

ST. LOUIS COUNTY — As the number of cases continued to grow, health officials on Tuesday said they have now linked an E. coli outbreak to five events, including a banquet at Oakville Senior High School, that were all catered by the same company.One of the 97 cases was connected to a band banquet at Oakville High on Nov. 6 with food provided by Andre's Banquets and Catering, said Doug Moore, a spokesman for St. Louis County Executive Sam Page. The student who became ill after the banquet was hospitalized but has since been released, said Mehlville School District spokeswoman Jessica Pupillo. "We hope to not have any more (cases) but we are keeping our eyes peeled," she said.Two catered funeral-related events on Nov. 8 and Nov. 9 were also linked this week to the outbreak, Moore said Tuesday. He did not provide the locations of those events but said one was at a South County church.Moore said that at all five events, people who fell ill had eaten salad provided by Andre's. County Department of Public Health officials have visited the catering company, Moore said, and food from the business is at a lab for testing.He said the agency is continuing to investigate."The health department is focused on trying to track how many of these events may have been involved and that's their priority right now," Moore said. Officials initially had said that the E. coli cases were linked to two events: one on Nov. 7 when the Rockwood Summit High School marching band gathered for dinner at Andre's South on Telegraph Road in St. Louis County, and one honoring veterans the next day at the school that was catered by Andre's. County officials on Tuesday said the number of confirmed and suspected cases had increased to 97, up from 94 on Monday.Meanwhile, Mary LaPak, a spokeswoman for the Rockwood School District, on Tuesday said there were two Rockwood students still hospitalized. That was down from three hospitalized on Monday and 12 students in the hospital over the weekend.John Armengol Jr., the second-generation owner of Andre's Banquets and Catering, on Tuesday reiterated his position that any claims that his company is tied to the outbreak were "not true at all." "The only case is the Rockwood case," he said. "(Health officials) haven't been down to do nothing. They just took some lettuce on Monday after it'd been sitting there for 10 days."Armengol on Monday had said two Rockwood students who came down with E. coli "were not even at any of the two Andre's events that we did."The catering business is also now facing legal trouble.Jennifer Cumbus of Fenton on Monday sued the company on behalf of her daughter who fell sick Nov. 10, two days after she ate food at a Rockwood Summit event catered by Andre's.Cumbus filed suit against Banquet Enterprises Inc., which operates Andre's Banquets and Catering. She is seeking unspecified damages.Many types of E. coli are harmless. But 0157, the strain in the Rockwood Summit outbreak, produces a toxin that can cause severe diarrhea and lead to kidney failure, especially in young children or older adults, according to the federal Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.The outbreak in St. Louis County comes as two other E. coli outbreaks have made national headlines. More than 100 people in 14 states fell ill in an outbreak of E. coli food poisoning tied to onions served on McDonald's Quarter Pounder hamburgers, in cases reported between Sept. 12 and Oct. 21.One person died in Colorado and four people developed a potentially life-threatening kidney disease complication.Following that, at least 39 people were infected and 15 were hospitalized in 18 states after eating organic whole and baby carrots sold by Grimmway Farms, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention said Sunday. </h4> Courts Reporter</h4></h4>

The student who fell ill after the Oakville High banquet was hospitalized but has since been released.

Officials connect E. coli outbreak to 5 events, including Oakville High banquet

The total cost of the Covid inquiry is projected to be almost £208 million making it the most expensive statutory inquiry in British history. Around £150,000 is being spent every day on the probe which was established on 28 June 2022 and is expected to conclude in June 2026, according to analysis of publicly available data by the Tax Payers Alliance. For the equivalent cost the Government could fund the annual salary of almost 6,000 junior doctors for one year or five state-of-the-art hospitals for four years. So far the Government has spent more than £124 million on the probe which started two years ago with over £70 million having been spent in the 2023/2024 financial year alone. Almost £70 million has been dealt so far to legal firms and solicitors which have been tasked with probing key witnesses and evaluating evidence and testimonies, according to the inquiry's latest accounts which were published in October 2024. Some £1.2 million has also been spent on emotional support services to fortify the 'emotional wellbeing of individuals participating in hearings, listening and commemoration activity'. Meanwhile the probe's chairwoman Baroness Hallett has been paid a staggering £524,000 for her efforts with a pro rata rate equivalent to a salary of £256,000. Critics of the inquiry have argued that the remit of the investigation is too broad leading to the flagrant waste of public money. John O'Connell, chief executive of the TaxPayers' Alliance, said: 'The cost of the Covid inquiry has spiralled even further out of control, with taxpayers left footing an ever-growing bill. 'As the inquiry drags on, it's clear that the expenses are only climbing, with no signs of fiscal restraint in sight. 'The new government should impose a clear deadline and strict controls on expenditure to ensure taxpayers get the swift and decisive answer they deserve.' Some experts have said that the high-profile evidence sessions have been dominated by WhatsApp and Westminster tittle-tattle rather than focusing on key policy areas where things might have been done differently. Former Prime Minister Boris Johnson and ex-Health Secretary Matt Hancock as well as Chris Whitty and Chief Scientific Advisor Sir Patrick Vallance have all already made high-profile appearances before the inquiry committee. Responding to criticism from the TPA, a spokesperson for the Covid Inquiry said: 'This is flawed analysis. 'These are figures based on hypothetical future expenditure and an imaginary Inquiry end date, and the UK Covid-19 Inquiry does not recognise them. 'The UK Covid-19 Inquiry is unlike any previous public inquiry. 'It has a very broad scope because it is investigating multiple aspects of a pandemic that affected everyone in society. 'The Inquiry Chair, Baroness Hallett, has set out the substantial task faced by the Inquiry to consider and report on the preparations and the response to the pandemic in England, Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland. 'She made clear that to do this properly will take time and have a significant cost. 'The Inquiry continues to be thoroughly transparent, publishing financial reports on a quarterly basis for anyone to see.' Currently, the inquiry is nearing the end of its 10-week investigation into section 3 - healthcare systems - out of a possible 10 different 'modules' . Based on the TPA's findings, the Covid inquiry is expected to dwarf the cost of all other statutory probes in Britain - costing 28 times more than the Phone Hacking [Leveson] inquiry. Meanwhile its per day rate cost will be over double that of Britain's second most expensive inquiry - the Child Sexual Abuse probe - which cost £70,484 each day. The independent public inquiry was set up after the pandemic to examine the UK's response to and impact of the Covid 19 pandemic as well as to learn lessons for the future. Since 2005 when the Inquiries Act was introduced, there have been 22 completed statutory inquiries that have released full accounts.

The total projected cost of Britain's Covid pandemic inquiry is expected to soar north of £200 million, making it by far the most expensive in the state's history and dwarfing Levison by over 28 times.

Projected cost of Covid Inquiry is £208million - enough to pay 6,000 doctors' salaries

President-elect Donald Trump nominated celebrity physician Mehmet Oz to head the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services.Trump made the announcement Tuesday on Truth Social and in a press release to reporters."Dr. Oz will work closely with Robert F. Kennedy Jr. to take on the illness industrial complex, and all the horrible chronic diseases left in its wake," Trump said in the announcement.CMS is part of the Department of Health and Human Services, the agency that Trump picked Kennedy to lead.The announcement notes that Oz graduated from Harvard, and earned a joint MD and MBA from the University of Pennsylvania — and that he won nine Daytime Emmys for the Oz, 64, is a cardiothoracic surgeon who hosted a TV talk show focused on health for a decade. He built his TV career after being a frequent guest on theOz faced criticism for giving Kennedy and other vaccine denialists a platform in appearances on his show. During the pandemic, Oz boosted the anti-malarial drug hydroxychloroquine for COVID-19 without evidence.Oz ran for Senate as a Republican in Pennsylvania in 2022, and he vented his frustrations with the health establishment on the campaign trail. Trump endorsed him but Oz lost to Sen. John Fetterman, a Democrat.

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