Life & Style – Winnipeg Free Press

Mask mandate for most health-care workers to end

Kevin Rollason 4 minute read Yesterday at 7:29 PM CDT

The province is lifting the mask requirement for most health-care staff who interact with patients.

In a memo sent to the province’s health-care workers Thursday, Monika Warren, chief operating officer of provincial health services and chief nursing officer for Shared Health, said the new rules will be in effect starting May 1. Only health-care workers who assist patients with respiratory symptoms will still be required to mask up.

The mandate had been in place for more than six months.

“Others may choose to continue wearing a mask (extended use) if they wish and medical masks and N95 respirators will remain available,” Warren said in the memo.

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At least 70 people killed by flooding in Kenya as more rain is expected through the weekend

Evelyne Musambi, The Associated Press 2 minute read Yesterday at 12:21 PM CDT

NAIROBI, Kenya (AP) — Flooding and heavy rains in Kenya have killed at least 70 people since mid-March, a government spokesperson said Friday, twice as many as were reported earlier this week.

The East African country has seen weeks of heavy rains and severe flooding in Kenya’s capital, Nairobi, as well as in the country's western and central regions.

Kenya's government spokesperson Isaac Mwaura on Friday refuted claims that hundreds of people have died in the ongoing flooding and said the official tally now stands at 70.

Five bodies were retrieved Friday from a river in Makueni county, east of the country, after a lorry they were traveling in was swept off a submerged bridge, local station Citizen TV reported. Another 11 were rescued.

Most drivers will pay $15 to enter busiest part of Manhattan starting June 30

The Associated Press 3 minute read Preview

Most drivers will pay $15 to enter busiest part of Manhattan starting June 30

The Associated Press 3 minute read Updated: Yesterday at 6:43 PM CDT

NEW YORK (AP) — The start date for the $15 toll most drivers will be charged to enter Manhattan's central business district will be June 30, transit officials said Friday.

Under the so-called congestion pricing plan, the $15 fee will apply to most drivers who enter Manhattan south of 60th Street during daytime hours. Tolls will be higher for larger vehicles and lower for nighttime entries into the city as well as for motorcycles.

The program, which was approved by the New York state Legislature in 2019, is supposed to raise $1 billion per year to fund public transportation for the city’s 4 million daily riders.

“Ninety percent-plus of the people come to the congestion zone, the central business district, walking, biking and most of all taking mass transit," Metropolitan Transportation Authority CEO Janno Lieber told WABC. "We are a mass transit city and we are going to make it even better to be in New York.”

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Updated: Yesterday at 6:43 PM CDT

FILE - Recently installed toll traffic cameras hang above West End Ave. near 61st Street in the Manhattan borough of New York, Friday, Nov. 16, 2023. The start date for the $15 toll most drivers will be charged to enter Manhattan's central business district will be June 30, transit officials said Friday, April 26, 2024. (AP Photo/Ted Shaffrey, File)

Muslim groups claim double standards in police handling of two high-profile stabbings in Sydney

Keiran Smith, The Associated Press 4 minute read Preview

Muslim groups claim double standards in police handling of two high-profile stabbings in Sydney

Keiran Smith, The Associated Press 4 minute read Updated: Yesterday at 2:04 AM CDT

NEWCASTLE, Australia (AP) — Muslim groups in Australia on Friday criticized the disparity in the police response to two stabbing attacks in Sydney this month, saying it had created a perception of a double standard and further alienated the country's minority Muslim community.

The Australian National Imams Council said an attack at a Bondi Junction shopping center was “quickly deemed a mental health issue” while the stabbing of a Christian bishop at a Sydney church two days later was “classified as a terrorist act almost immediately.”

“The differing treatments of two recent violent incidents are stark,” the council's spokesperson, Ramia Abdo Sultan, said in a statement with the Alliance of Australian Muslims and the Australian Muslim Advocacy Network.

“Such disparities in response create a perception of a double standard in law enforcement and judicial processes,” she said.

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Updated: Yesterday at 2:04 AM CDT

Father Daniel Kochou, right, gestures as he speaks with people, across the road from the Christ the Good Shepherd church in suburban Wakely in western Sydney, Australia, Tuesday, April 16, 2024. Australian police say a knife attack in Sydney that wounded a bishop and a priest during a church service as horrified worshippers watched online and in person, and sparked a riot was an act of terrorism. (AP Photo/Mark Baker)

Kansas won’t have legal medical pot or expand Medicaid for at least another year

John Hanna And Sean Murphy, The Associated Press 4 minute read Preview

Kansas won’t have legal medical pot or expand Medicaid for at least another year

John Hanna And Sean Murphy, The Associated Press 4 minute read Updated: Yesterday at 7:18 PM CDT

TOPEKA, Kan. (AP) — Kansas will remain among the handful of states that haven't legalized the medical use of marijuana or expanded their Medicaid programs for at least another year.

Republican state senators on Friday blocked efforts to force debates on both issues before the GOP-controlled Legislature's scheduled adjournment for the year Tuesday. Supporters of each measure fell short of the 24 of 40 votes required to pull a bill on each subject out of committee.

Backers of both proposals argue that they have popular support yet have been thwarted going on a decade in each case. Kansas doesn't allow voters to put proposed laws on the ballot statewide, a path that has led to approval for each measure in other states.

All but 12 states have legalized medical marijuana, and all but 10 have expanded Medicaid in line with the 2010 federal Affordable Care Act and its promise to cover almost all of the cost. Besides Kansas, only Georgia, Tennessee, Texas, Wisconsin and Wyoming have done neither, according to the National Conference of State Legislatures.

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Updated: Yesterday at 7:18 PM CDT

Kansas Gov. Laura Kelly speaks during a roundtable discussion in favor of expanding the state's Medicaid program, Tuesday, April 16, 2024, at the Shawnee County jail in Topeka, Kan. The Democratic governor supports expanding Medicaid, but Republicans have blocked an attempt in the Senate to force a debate on it. (AP Photo/John Hanna)

B.C. premier says public use rules should have been in place before decriminalization

The Canadian Press 6 minute read Preview

B.C. premier says public use rules should have been in place before decriminalization

The Canadian Press 6 minute read Updated: Yesterday at 7:53 PM CDT

VANCOUVER - British Columbia is preparing to ban most public drug use, a change to parts of its decriminalization pilot project that the premier says should have been in place all along.

The province has made an "urgent" request to Health Canada to make amendments to B.C.'s exemption under the Controlled Drugs and Substances Act to give police the power to step in when they see illicit drug use in public spaces, including inside hospitals, on transit and in parks.

Premier David Eby said during a news conference Friday that police need tools to address extraordinary circumstances where people are compromising public safety through their drug use.

He said when decriminalization was first introduced, the focus was on removing the stigma and reducing the reluctance of people to reach out for help.

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Updated: Yesterday at 7:53 PM CDT

The British Columbia government is asking Health Canada to

Biden officials indefinitely postpone ban on menthol cigarettes amid election-year pushback

Matthew Perrone And Zeke Miller, The Associated Press 4 minute read Preview

Biden officials indefinitely postpone ban on menthol cigarettes amid election-year pushback

Matthew Perrone And Zeke Miller, The Associated Press 4 minute read Updated: Yesterday at 9:05 PM CDT

WASHINGTON (AP) — President Joe Biden’s administration is indefinitely delaying a long-awaited menthol cigarette ban, a decision that infuriated anti-smoking advocates but could avoid a political backlash from Black voters in November.

In a statement Friday, Biden’s top health official gave no timeline for issuing the rule, saying only that the administration would take more time to consider feedback, including from civil rights groups.

“It’s clear that there are still more conversations to have, and that will take significantly more time,” Health and Human Services Secretary Xavier Becerra said in a statement.

The White House has held dozens of meetings in recent months with groups opposing the ban, including civil rights organizers, law enforcement officials and small business owners. Most of groups have financial ties to tobacco companies.

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Updated: Yesterday at 9:05 PM CDT

FILE - Menthol cigarettes and other tobacco products are displayed at a store in San Francisco on May 17, 2018. For the second time in recent months, President Joe Biden's administration has delayed a plan to ban menthol cigarettes, a decision that is certain to infuriate anti-smoking advocates but could avoid angering Black voters ahead of November elections. (AP Photo/Jeff Chiu, File)

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Google plans to invest $2 billion to build data center in northeast Indiana, officials say

The Associated Press 2 minute read Yesterday at 1:22 PM CDT

FORT WAYNE, Ind. (AP) — Google plans to invest $2 billion to build a data center in northeastern Indiana that will help power its artificial intelligence technology and cloud business, company and state officials said Friday.

The data center planned for Fort Wayne was announced in January. But Google disclosed the project's cost Friday and said it is expected to create up to new 200 jobs, including data center technicians and support services, The Journal Gazette reported.

The data center in the city about 120 miles (190 kilometers) northeast of Indianapolis will help power Google's “AI innovations and growing Google Cloud business for customers across the world,” Gov. Eric Holcomb’s office said in a news release.

Google said the new data center will join a network of Google-owned-and-operated data centers across the globe that “keep the internet humming" and power digital services such as Google Cloud, Gmail, Search and Maps.

Berkshire Hathaway’s real estate firm to pay $250 million to settle real estate commission lawsuits

Alex Veiga, The Associated Press 4 minute read Preview

Berkshire Hathaway’s real estate firm to pay $250 million to settle real estate commission lawsuits

Alex Veiga, The Associated Press 4 minute read Yesterday at 1:10 PM CDT

LOS ANGELES (AP) — A real estate company owned by Warren Buffett’s Berkshire Hathaway has agreed to pay $250 million to settle lawsuits nationwide claiming that longstanding practices by real estate brokerages forced U.S. homeowners to pay artificially inflated broker commissions when they sold their homes.

HomeServices of America said Friday that the proposed settlement would shield its 51 brands, nearly 70,000 real estate agents and over 300 franchisees from similar litigation.

The real estate company had been a major holdout after several other big brokerage operators, including Keller Williams Realty, Re/Max, Compass and Anywhere Real Estate, agreed to settle. Last month, the National Association of Realtors agreed to pay $418 million.

“While we have always been confident in the legality and ethics of our business practices, the decision to settle was driven by a desire to eliminate the uncertainty brought by the protracted appellate and litigation process,” the company said in a statement.

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Yesterday at 1:10 PM CDT

FILE - A for sale sign is posted in front of a home in Sacramento, Calif., Thursday, March 3, 2022. HomeServices of America, a real estate company owned by Warren Buffett’s Berkshire Hathaway, has agreed to pay $250 million to settle lawsuits nationwide claiming that longstanding practices by real estate brokerages forced U.S. homeowners to pay artificially inflated broker commissions when they sold their homes. (AP Photo/Rich Pedroncelli, File)

T. Rex an intelligent tool-user and culture-builder? Not so fast, says new research

Bob Weber, The Canadian Press 4 minute read Preview

T. Rex an intelligent tool-user and culture-builder? Not so fast, says new research

Bob Weber, The Canadian Press 4 minute read Updated: Yesterday at 3:24 PM CDT

EDMONTON - Science recently proposed a truly horrifying thought — that T. Rex, perhaps the most fearsome predator to walk the earth, was also smart enough to use tools, hunt in packs and pass down knowledge.

Yikes.

But a new paper throws cold water on those dinosaur fever dreams.

"They were very bold claims that needed a second look," said Cristian Gutierrez, a University of Alberta neuroscientist and co-author of a paper in The Anatomical Record that takes a skeptical view of the intelligent Tyrannosaurus theory.

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Updated: Yesterday at 3:24 PM CDT

A representation of a Tyrannosaurus Rex stands in the

A ban in Kansas on gender-affirming care also would bar advocacy for kids’ social transitions

John Hanna, The Associated Press 6 minute read Preview

A ban in Kansas on gender-affirming care also would bar advocacy for kids’ social transitions

John Hanna, The Associated Press 6 minute read Updated: Yesterday at 1:36 PM CDT

TOPEKA, Kan. (AP) — A proposed ban in Kansas on gender-affirming care for minors also would bar state employees from promoting it — or even children's social transitioning.

Teachers and social workers who support LGBTQ+ rights worry that they could be disciplined or fired for helping kids who are exploring their gender identities.

Democratic Gov. Laura Kelly vetoed the proposed ban, and top Republicans anticipated Friday that the GOP-controlled Legislature will attempt to override her action before lawmakers adjourn for the year Tuesday. Their bill appeared to have the two-thirds majorities needed in both chambers to override a veto when it passed last month, but that could depend on all Republicans being present and none of them switching.

Supporters of the bill said the provision now being singled out for criticism is designed to ensure that the banned care — puberty blockers, hormone treatments and surgery — isn't still promoted with tax dollars or other state resources.

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Updated: Yesterday at 1:36 PM CDT

Small flags promoting transgender rights sit on the Kansas House chamber desks of, state Rep. Jarrod Ousley, D-Merriam, left, and Allison Hougland, D-Olathe, right, following the House's session, Wednesday, March 27, 2024, at the Statehouse in Topeka, Kan. Both lawmakers oppose a proposed ban on gender-affirming care for transgender minors. (AP Photo/John Hanna)

Long flu season winds down in US

Mike Stobbe, The Associated Press 3 minute read Preview

Long flu season winds down in US

Mike Stobbe, The Associated Press 3 minute read Updated: Yesterday at 2:00 PM CDT

NEW YORK (AP) — The U.S. flu season appears to be over. It was long, but it wasn't unusually severe.

Last week, for the third straight week, medical visits for flu-like illnesses dipped below the threshold for what's counted as an active flu season, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention said Friday.

Other indicators, like hospitalizations and patient testing, also show low and declining activity. No state is reporting a high amount of flu activity. Only New England is seeing the kind of patient traffic associated with an active flu season right now, but even there flu impact is considered modest.

Since the beginning of October, there have been at least 34 million illnesses, 380,000 hospitalizations and 24,000 deaths from flu, according to CDC estimates. The agency said 148 children have died of flu.

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Updated: Yesterday at 2:00 PM CDT

FILE - A sign for flu vaccination is displayed outside of a grocery store in Glenview, Ill., Thursday, Feb. 15, 2024. On Friday, April 26, 2024, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention said last week, for the third straight week, medical visits for flu-like illnesses dipped below the threshold for what's counted as an active flu season. (AP Photo/Nam Y. Huh)

What to know about Bell’s palsy, the facial paralysis affecting Joel Embiid

The Associated Press 2 minute read Preview

What to know about Bell’s palsy, the facial paralysis affecting Joel Embiid

The Associated Press 2 minute read Yesterday at 10:33 AM CDT

Philadelphia 76ers All-Star center Joel Embiid has been diagnosed with Bell's palsy, a condition that can strike out of the blue and cause muscles on one side of a person's face to become weak or paralyzed, distorting expression.

Here’s what to know about the mostly temporary condition:

WHAT IS IT?

Bell’s palsy occurs when something inflames or injures a nerve that controls facial muscles. Symptoms come on rapidly over two to three days. They can include difficulty closing an eyelid, a drooping eye or mouth or paralysis of an entire half of the face.

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Yesterday at 10:33 AM CDT

Philadelphia 76ers' Joel Embiid reacts during the second half of Game 3 in an NBA basketball first-round playoff series against the New York Knicks, Thursday, April 25, 2024, in Philadelphia. (AP Photo/Matt Slocum)

What to know about Zyn, the tiny nicotine pouch that’s sparked a big health debate

Matthew Perrone, The Associated Press 5 minute read Preview

What to know about Zyn, the tiny nicotine pouch that’s sparked a big health debate

Matthew Perrone, The Associated Press 5 minute read Yesterday at 8:00 AM CDT

WASHINGTON (AP) — A tiny Philip Morris product called Zyn has been making big headlines, sparking debate about whether new nicotine-based alternatives intended for adults may be catching on with underage teens and adolescents.

Here’s what to know about Zyn:

WHAT IS ZYN?

Zyn is an oral pouch that contains nicotine powder and flavorings like mint, coffee and citrus. The pouches are the fastest-growing segment of the tobacco industry, which has struggled for decades to replace falling cigarette sales.

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Yesterday at 8:00 AM CDT

FILE - Containers of Zyn, a Phillip Morris smokeless nicotine pouch, are displayed for sale among other nicotine and tobacco products at a newsstand Friday, Feb. 23, 2024, in New York. The product has been making big headlines, sparking debate about whether new nicotine-based alternatives intended for adults may be catching on with underage teens and adolescents. (AP Photo/Bebeto Matthews, File)

Paris crowns a new king of the crusty baguette in its annual bread-baking prize

The Associated Press 2 minute read Preview

Paris crowns a new king of the crusty baguette in its annual bread-baking prize

The Associated Press 2 minute read Updated: Yesterday at 9:21 AM CDT

PARIS (AP) — Paris has a new king of the crusty baguette.

Baker Xavier Netry was chosen this week as the 31st winner of Paris' annual “Grand Prix de la baguette” prize.

His long loaf beat 172 others.

Competing baguettes were evaluated for taste, look, texture, airiness and the quality of the baking. The jury included a deputy mayor, industry representatives, journalists and six Parisians that City Hall said were drawn at random.

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Updated: Yesterday at 9:21 AM CDT

Baker Xavier Netry poses outside the Utopie bakery Friday, April 26, 2024 in Paris. Baker Xavier Netry was chosen this week as the 31st winner of Paris' annual

Takeaways from AP’s investigation into fatal police encounters involving injections of sedatives

Ryan J. Foley, Carla K. Johnson And Shelby Lum, The Associated Press 7 minute read Preview

Takeaways from AP’s investigation into fatal police encounters involving injections of sedatives

Ryan J. Foley, Carla K. Johnson And Shelby Lum, The Associated Press 7 minute read Updated: Yesterday at 6:57 PM CDT

The practice of giving sedatives to people detained by police spread quietly across the nation over the last 15 years, built on questionable science and backed by police-aligned experts, an investigation led by The Associated Press has found.

At least 94 people died after they were given sedatives and restrained by police from 2012 through 2021, according to findings by the AP in collaboration with FRONTLINE (PBS) and the Howard Centers for Investigative Journalism. That’s nearly 10% of the more than 1,000 deaths identified during the investigation of people subdued by police in ways that are not supposed to be fatal.

Supporters say sedatives enable rapid treatment for drug-related behavioral emergencies and psychotic episodes, protect front-line responders from violence and are safely administered thousands of times annually to get people with life-threatening conditions to hospitals. Critics say forced sedation should be strictly limited or banned, arguing the medications, given without consent, are too risky to be administered during police encounters.

The injections spanned the country, from a desert in Arizona to a street in St. Louis to a home in Florida. They happened in big cities such as Dallas, suburbs like Lithonia, Georgia, and rural areas such as Dale, Indiana. They occurred in homes, in parking lots, in ambulances and occasionally in hospitals where police encounters came to a head.

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Updated: Yesterday at 6:57 PM CDT

April 27, 2024

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