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Have you donated blood? The Red Cross says there’s a shortfall

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 20:35:00 GMT

The American Red Cross says a slow in blood donations over the last few weeks is concerning, and they’re offering perks for donors.Who can donate blood?“If you are generally of good health, 17 years of age and weigh at least 110 pounds, most people are eligible to donate,” said Courtney Bulger, a spokeswoman with the American Red Cross. “It literally takes less than 15 minutes and you can save three lives with every pint of blood.”Donors of all blood types, especially those with type B-negative or O-negative blood, are needed as well as platelet donors.“Right now, summers can sometimes be hard because people go on vacation, and are busy with summer activities,” Bulger said. “We want to make sure we have the blood supply in the hospitals, especially over a holiday weekend.”Anyone who donates with the Red Cross through June 30 will get a $10 gift card by email to a place of their choosing. You’ll also be entered for a chance ...

Tracking severe storms, tornado damage in Denver area: Live updates

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 20:35:00 GMT

DENVER (KDVR) – Severe storms that produced an observed tornado in Highlands Ranch moved south of Denver Thursday afternoon.The tornado was observed around 3:30 p.m. and it moved east into Lone Tree about 15 minutes later. By 4 p.m. all of the tornado warnings had been lifted, but severe thunderstorm warnings persisted through 5 p.m. for the southern Denver metro area.A severe thunderstorm watch continues for the Front Range through 9 p.m. tonight.Get real-time updates from FOX31 and the Pinpoint Weather team in the live blog below, and on FOX31 on TV.Live video above and on FOX31.Live blog with updates below.Weather Quick LinksRadar: Interactive mapLatest forecastWatches & WarningsLatest Weather AlertsThe live blog below will not include all warnings, watches, advisories, and other alerts issued by the National Weather Service. For all alerts in your area, check the following:Pinpoint Weather AppCustom alerts on your phoneAlerts on KDVR.comFull list and mapLive Updates

Children in NE Miami-Dade learn water safety amid World’s Largest Swimming Lesson global event

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 20:35:00 GMT

Children in Northeast Miami-Dade were a part of a global event addressing water safety and drowning prevention.The World’s Largest Swimming Lesson promotional event took place across the globe on Thursday, and South Florida was no exception.Miami-Dade County Parks, Recreation and Open Spaces Department hosted an event at Oak Grove Park.The event was designed around an important message: swimming lessons save lives.Speaking with 7News at the event, Jim O’Connor, Miami-Dade Parks’ aquatic regional manager, addressed why this awareness is important for children.“Today’s event is to call awareness to teach children to swim, drowning prevention and water safety, and hopefully encouraging people to sign up for swim lessons,” he said. Hundreds of aquatic centers, swim schools and water parks on six continents also took part of the World’s Largest Swimming Lesson, as tens of thousands of kids and adults united to bring awareness to water safety and...

US Navy acoustic system detected ‘anomaly’ that was likely Titan’s fatal implosion, official says

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 20:35:00 GMT

A U.S. Navy acoustic system detected an ‘anomaly’ Sunday that was likely the Titan’s fatal implosion, according to a senior military official.The Navy went back and analyzed its acoustic data after the Titan submersible was reported missing Sunday. Coast Guard officials on Thursday announced that the craft suffered a catastrophic implosion, killing all five aboard.That anomaly was “consistent with an implosion or explosion in the general vicinity of where the TITAN submersible was operating when communications were lost,” according to the senior Navy official.The official spoke on condition of anonymity to discuss a sensitive acoustic detection system.The Navy passed on the information to the Coast Guard, which continued its search.The Wall Street Journal on Thursday first reported the Navy’s involvement.— Lolita C. BaldorTHIS IS A BREAKING NEWS UPDATE. AP’s earlier story follows below.A submersible carrying five people to the Titanic imploded near the site of the shipwreck and kill...

Former Texas Rep. Will Hurd launches 2024 bid for GOP presidential nomination

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 20:35:00 GMT

(CNN) — Former Texas Rep. Will Hurd on Thursday launched a bid for the 2024 Republican presidential nomination, joining a crowded field looking to challenge front-runner former President Donald Trump.“This is a decision that my wife and I decided to do because we live in complicated times and we need common sense,” Hurd, who was an undercover CIA officer before entering politics, said on CBS.“There are a number of generational defining challenges that we’re faced with in the United States of America – everything from the Chinese government trying to surpass us as the global superpower, the fact that inflation is persistent at a time when technologies like artificial intelligence is going to upend every single industry, and our kids, their scores in math, science and reading are the lowest they’ve ever been in this century,” the former congressman said.“These are the issues we should be talking about. And to be frank, I’m pissed that we’re not talking about these thing...

Red Rocks Amphitheater hail storm injures nearly 100 ahead of planned Louis Tomlinson concert

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 20:35:00 GMT

(CNN) — Nearly 100 people attending a planned concert Wednesday evening at the Red Rocks Amphitheatre near Denver were injured after being pelted with large hail during severe storms that moved across the area, the West Metro Fire Department said.At least seven people were taken to hospitals with non-life-threatening injuries, the fire department said in a tweet. Up to 90 people were treated on scene, the department said. Injuries included cuts and broken bones, it said.Bella Oliveira said she was almost trampled as she and others ran from the falling hail.“I managed to hide where they were selling drinks and I used my backpack to protect myself and another girl,” she said, adding that she hurt her head and shoulder during the incident.The National Weather Service office in Boulder first issued a severe thunderstorm warning around 9:04 p.m. Wednesday that included the amphitheater. The weather service warned the storm was capable of producing winds up to 50 mph a...

The Titan submersible imploded, killing all 5 on board, the US Coast Guard says

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 20:35:00 GMT

By PATRICK WHITTLE and HOLLY RAMER (Associated Press)A submersible carrying five people to the Titanic imploded near the site of the shipwreck and killed everyone on board, authorities said Thursday, bringing a tragic end to a saga that included an urgent around-the-clock search and a worldwide vigil for the missing vessel.Coast Guard officials said during a news conference that they’ve notified the families of the crew of the Titan, which had been missing since Sunday.The sliver of hope that remained for finding the five men alive was wiped away early Thursday, when the submersible’s 96-hour supply of oxygen was expected to run out and the Coast Guard announced that debris had been found roughly 1,600 feet (488 meters) from the Titanic in North Atlantic waters.“This was a catastrophic implosion of the vessel,” said Rear Adm. John Mauger, of the First Coast Guard District.After the submersible was reported missing Sunday, the U.S. Navy went back and analyzed ...

Massachusetts law allowing state to keep foreclosed home sale profits unconstitutional, AGs office says

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 20:35:00 GMT

The state can no longer take your home, sell it and keep the profits, representatives from the Attorney General’s office told a joint committee of the Legislature.On Thursday, the Joint Committee on Revenue heard testimony from advocates speaking in favor or against more than 60 bills, most dealing with property tax. One of the proposals, offered by state Sen. Mark Montigny, aims to bring Massachusetts into compliance with a recent U.S. Supreme Court decision which declared that the practice of confiscating real estate property to make up for missed taxes and keeping any profits from any following sale is no longer allowed.“The message from our office is that the time is now to fix this statute, we look forward to working with the committee to do so,” First Assistant Attorney General Pat Moore told the committee. “The tax lien foreclosure process set forth in Chapter 60 of the General Laws is now unconstitutional.”In May, the U.S. Supreme Court ruled unanimously that a state governm...

Wyoming’s first-in-the-nation abortion pill ban blocked before it was set to take effect

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 20:35:00 GMT

By MEAD GRUVER (Associated Press)CHEYENNE, Wyo. (AP) — Abortion pills will remain legal in Wyoming for now, after a judge ruled Thursday that the state’s first-in-the-nation law to ban them won’t take effect July 1 as planned while a lawsuit proceeds.Attorneys for Wyoming failed to show that allowing the ban to take effect on schedule wouldn’t harm the lawsuit’s plaintiffs before their case is resolved, Teton County Judge Melissa Owens ruled after hearing arguments from both sides.Meanwhile, those plaintiffs “have clearly showed probable success on the merits,” Owens said in granting their request to temporarily block the pill ban.While other states have instituted de facto bans on the medication by broadly prohibiting abortion, Wyoming in March became the first U.S. state to specifically ban abortion pills.Two nonprofit organizations, including an abortion clinic that opened in Casper in April; and four women, including two obstetricians, h...

First gene therapy for deadly form of muscular dystrophy gets FDA approval for young kids

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 20:35:00 GMT

By MATTHEW PERRONE (AP Health Writer)WASHINGTON (AP) — The first gene therapy for a deadly form of muscular dystrophy received preliminary U.S. approval on Thursday despite concerns from some government scientists about the treatment’s ability to help boys with the inherited disease.The Food and Drug Administration approval provides a new option for some patients with Duchenne muscular dystrophy, a rare muscle-wasting disease that causes weakness, loss of mobility and early death. It almost always affects males.Drugmaker Sarepta Therapeutics said it would charge $3.2 million for the one-time treatment, slightly less than a $3.5 million gene therapy for hemophilia launched last year. Like most medicines in the U.S., the cost will be mostly paid by insurers — not patients — including private plans and government programs.The FDA OK’d the treatment only for children ages 4 and 5, based on study results showing the therapy helped produce a protein needed fo...