DULUTH, Minn. (Northern News Now) – Health officials are offering tips to keep from getting sick this holiday season. The Minnesota Department of Health (MDH) has received reports of more than 40 norovirus, or stomach flu, outbreaks this December. That’s almost twice the normal number. Noroviruses are very contagious and are the leading cause of foodborne illness outbreaks in the state. “Particularly ahead of holiday gatherings, we want to make sure people are aware of this increase in norovirus outbreaks and taking steps to prevent spreading illness to family or friends,” Jessica Hancock-Allen, infectious disease division director at MDH, said. To prevent getting and spreading norovirus, health officials recommend that you: Health officials say illness usually goes away in one or two days with no long-term health effects. People who are ill with symptoms of norovirus should drink plenty of fluids to help avoid becoming dehydrated. If you have questions or concerns, contact your healthcare provider. Click here to download the Northern News Now app or our Northern News Now First Alert weather app. Copyright 2024 Northern News Now. All rights reserved.
UPDATE: Oct. 24, 2024, 9:52 a.m. PDT This article has been updated to reflect that the full archive appears to be back up. The full Internet Archive is back online — not just the Wayback machine, but the massive collection of media including music, documents, and movies. As of this update, the video player was glitchy, but in Mashable’s tests, seemingly all files in the archive were once again available. Yes, the world once again has access to mountains of digitized VHS tapes, .pdfs of old magazines, and countless other priceless treasures. Just a day after the Internet Archive posted the restoration of its Wayback Machine and other services on its blog, the site went dark again. As of original publication of this article, a visit to the Archive’s homepage showed a message confirming that while Archive-It and its blog were back online, but the rest of the Internet Archive’s services were unavailable. That has since changed, and the full archive is back up. Multiple outages made for a series of frustrating setbacks for users who rely on the digital library’s vast resources, though details on who has caused this new disruption are still unclear. At original publication, it appeared that this was the fourth—yes, fourth—cyberattack on the Internet Archive since the beginning of October. The first breach, on Oct. 9, saw two separate groups of hackers compromise the personal data of 31 million users, including emails, screen names, and encrypted passwords. Following that, a second and third attack targeted the Archive’s Zendesk support system— with the hackers even responding to support requests sent to IA. The timing of these attacks on the Internet Archive—and other online book repositories like the British and Toronto public libraries—couldn’t be worse. With the Internet Archive having already lost legal battles with publishing giants like Hachette, HarperCollins, and Penguin Random House, these cyberattacks only add to the chaos. This article will be updated as more information is gathered. TopicsCybersecurity Currently residing in Chicago, Illinois, Chance Townsend is the General Assignments Editor at Mashable covering tech, video games, dating apps, digital culture, and whatever else comes his way. He has a Master’s in Journalism from the University of North Texas and is a proud orange cat father. His writing has also appeared in PC Mag and Mother Jones. In his free time, he cooks, loves to sleep, and finds great enjoyment in Detroit sports. If you have any stories, tips, recipes, or wanna talk shop about the Lions/Tigers/Pistons/Red Wings you can reach him at [email protected]
Forgot Password? Photo By Lt.Cmdr. Brandi Gibson | (July 29, 2024) – Royal Medical Services at the Crown Prince Center for Training and……read moreread more Photo By Lt.Cmdr. Brandi Gibson | (July 29, 2024) – Royal Medical Services at the Crown Prince Center for Training and Medical Research in Manama, Bahrain, for a global health engagement activity: Trauma Nursing and Leadership Subject Matter Expert Exchange Symposium (U.S. Navy Photo Royal Medical Services/Released) see less | View Image Page USNMRTC Sigonella’s Contributions to Global Health Engagement
December is Global Health Engagement Month, and we are highlighting the significant contributions our team members at United States Navy Medicine Readiness and Training Command (USNMRTC) Sigonella have made toward Global Health Engagement (GHE) efforts. The Plans, Operations, and Medical Intelligence (POMI) Division, led by Lieutenant Thato Manyothwane, along with his team, Hospital Corpsman Second Class (HM2) Dustin Barker and Hospital Corpsman Second Class (HM2) Madyson Schmidt, successfully coordinated various missions across European Command, Central Command, and African Command.
Over thirty Sailors from USNMRTC Sigonella, United States Navy Medicine Readiness and Training Unit (USNMRTU) Bahrain, and Branch Clinic Souda Bay were mobilized to support missions across the globe such as: USS McClean in Augusta Bay, Georgia, Cutlass Express in Seychelles and Kenya, 86th Aeromedical Evacuation Squadron in Germany, Vigorous Warrior in Hungary, Obangame Express in Cameroon and Gabon, Eager Lion in Jordan, Baltic Operations in the Baltic Sea, African Chief of Defense Conference in Botswana, and various missions in Cyprus, Bahrain, Uganda, Poland, and Tunisia. Keep reading to learn about some of our Sailors’ GHE experiences… As a Navy Nurse, Lieutenant Fremmy Cuadra, was mobilized for the 11th bi-annual multinational exercise Eager Lion 2024. During this mission service members taught Tactical Casualty Combat Care (TCCC) to the operating forces onboard the Royal Jordanian Naval Base. Lt. Cuadra stated that, “The instructional cadre consisted of one U.S. Navy Officer, several U.S. Navy Hospital Corpsmen, and Jordanian medics. The participating students included Jordanian and U.S. Sailors, Marines, Soldiers, and Coast Guardsmen. The skills they acquired during TCCC were showcased during the final exercise, where they tested en route care capabilities, performed Visit, Board, Search, and Seizure operations, and demonstrated Close Quarter Combat skills.” In 2023, Hospital Corpsman Second Class HM2 (FMF) Charles P. Albrecht, a Nationally Registered Emergency Medical Technician, was selected for the Security Assistance Group Ukraine mission. HM2 Albrecht was part of an international team of American, Canadian, and Polish active-duty medical personnel that coordinated a TCCC program for Ukrainian Military personnel at the Wojskowe Centrum Ksztalcenia Medycznego (Center for Military Medicine) in Lodz, Poland. During the six-week evolution students were educated on Basic Life Support (BLS), TCCC, Role 1 +, Role 2 +, Chemical, Biological, Radiological, Nuclear, ad Explosive (CBRNE), and battlefield tactics of Military Medical personnel. Additionally, the team collaborated with translators to convert Deployed Medicine TCCC training assets into Ukrainian. HM2 Albrecht reported that, “Most of our students had little to no experience with medicine but had a strong determination to learn as much as possible.” He went on to say this “I honestly believe that this mission was the greatest and most rewarding work I’ve done so far in my career.”
In July 2024, a Tri-service team of nurses partnered with the Royal Medical Services at the Crown Prince Center for Training and Medical Research in Manama, Bahrain, for the global health engagement activity: Trauma Nursing and Leadership Subject Matter Expert Exchange Symposium. Lieutenant Kathryn Johnston-Woo, an emergency and trauma trained Navy Nurse Corps Officer from USNMRTC Sigonella, delivered two lectures during the event. Her first presentation focused on the principles of TCCC and their implications for providing effective medical care once casualties arrive at a Role 3 or 4 hospital. Her second lecture focused on the various roles and responsibilities of emergency and trauma nurses in responding to mass casualty events. Additionally, she participated as a panel member alongside Bahraini partners in a discussion centered on nursing leadership roles, responsibilities, and the challenges faced in the field.
These Sailors’ contributions highlight the importance of collaboration and knowledge sharing in enhancing medical readiness and improving patient outcomes in complex emergency situations. Their collaborative efforts underscore USNMRTC Sigonella’s commitment to enhancing global health and fostering international partnerships through comprehensive medical readiness initiatives. These events embodied the foundation of global health engagement initiatives as they built trust and respect through sharing information and continued to foster relationships with regional partners.
Written by: Lieutenant Julius C. Wiseman III, MSC, USN Edited by: Lieutenant Commander Brandi L. Gibson, NC, USN This work, USNMRTC Sigonella’s Contributions to Global Health Engagement, by LCDR Brandi Gibson, identified by DVIDS, must comply with the restrictions shown on https://www.dvidshub.net/about/copyright. No keywords found.
WorldShards, the highly anticipated cross-platform, sandbox MMORPG, has announced the launch of its complete in-game economy, set to roll out this month. This milestone marks a pivotal step toward the game’s Token Generation Event (TGE) in early 2025, building on the significant momentum achieved since its successful Early Access release in February 2024. Developed on the Open Loot platform alongside other groundbreaking web3 titles, WorldShards is poised to redefine the future of virtual worlds and player-driven economies. Since launch, WorldShards has proved to be a resounding success, attracting tens of thousands of players and amassing over 300,000 active community members. In 2024 alone, the game generated more than $4 million in sales across various offerings, including the highly sought-after Artifact Boxes, Mystery Island Boxes, and Founder’s Lootboxes – all of which sold out rapidly, showcasing the community’s unwavering enthusiasm.
Proxy token in-game rewards
Currently the game is introducing Proxy Tokens as the primary currency for NFT crafting and upgrades. These tokens will be obtainable through gameplay and fully convertible to game tokens at a 1:1 ratio when the TGE takes place in early 2025.
Free 30 days trial access
As part of an effort to increase accessibility, this month WorldShards is also lifting access code requirements, allowing all users a 30-day trial to experience the game. Those who meet in-game activity criteria can then convert the trial to permanent access, making the game more widely accessible
Airdrop Campaign expansion
In the next phase of its development, WorldShards is rolling out an expansive airdrop campaign that will include all active players, even those with only trial access. Player activity will be the primary metric for the airdrop, ensuring that both NFT owners and non-owners alike are eligible for rewards. To further incentivize player engagement, WorldShards is also launching a new Welcome Bundle program. Existing players with full game access will receive exclusive bundles they can gift to friends, granting them complete game access and $30 worth of premium “gem” currency. Additionally, any users who purchase Welcome Bundles in the future will receive a bonus bundle to share with a friend. Looking ahead, the WorldShards team is committed to continued growth and innovation within the competitive web3 gaming landscape. They plan to introduce even more engaging gameplay features and economic enhancements in the coming months, cementing the platform’s position as a leading destination for blockchain-powered gaming experiences. For more updates, users can visit the game’s official website or follow WorldShards on Discord and X.
The Jewish sect, Lev Tahor, has accused Guatemala authorities of religious persecution. Guatemalan authorities have recovered several children taken by members of an ultra-orthodox Jewish sect who had broken into a care centre where they were being held. Officials said that members of the Lev Tahor sect had entered the shelter on Sunday in an effort to take back 160 minors who had been taken from the sect’s compound on Friday in a police raid. Authorities accuse the sect of child sexual abuse.
Some of the children were found on Sunday, while others were recovered early on Monday, according to the AFP news agency. The farm compound in Oratoria, southwest of Guatemala City, was raided on Friday by authorities to rescue children and adolescents who “were allegedly being abused by a member of the Lev Tahor sect”, said Minister of the Interior Francisco Jimenez. Nancy Paiz, a prosecutor at Guatemala’s Prosecutor’s Office Against Human Trafficking, said at a news conference : “Based on the statements of the complainants, the evidence obtained, and the medical examinations, it was possible to establish that there are forms of human trafficking against these minors, such as forced marriage, abuse and related crimes.” About 100 of the children’s relatives who belong to the sect gathered on Sunday outside a care centre in Guatemala City, where the children were being held, to demand their return. Sect members then “broke into” the centre at about 4:30pm local time (22:30 GMT), “forcing open the gate and abducting the children and adolescents sheltered there”, a statement from the Attorney General’s Office said. “We want them to let the children out of here,” Uriel Goldman, a representative of the families, told the AFP outside the centre before the attempted recapture of the minors. Those outside the shelter tried to prevent the authorities from bringing back the minors, leading to some scuffles with police, according to an AFP photographer at the scene. With police help, the centre “managed to locate and protect everyone again”, the Attorney General’s Office said, although the Secretariat of Social Welfare of the Presidency later clarified that some had “evaded” authorities and a search alert has been activated. Lev Tahor has also accused local authorities of religious persecution. “The authorities… tell lies with false accusations,” Goldman said. The Lev Tahor community, founded in 1988 in Israel, practise an austere form of Judaism with interpretation of Jewish law that includes long prayer sessions and arranged marriages. The community settled in Mexico and Guatemala between 2014 and 2017. In 2022, a Mexican police operation in the southern Mexican state of Chiapas on the Guatemalan border rescued a group of children and adolescents from a Lev Tahor camp, whose members were arrested on suspicions of participating in abuses against minors. The Jewish Community of Guatemala in a statement said the sect was foreign to its organisation and expressed its support for Guatemalan authorities in carrying out the necessary investigations “to protect the lives and integrity of minors and other vulnerable groups that may be at risk”. It called on the “government and diplomatic corps of countries from whose nationalities make up members of Lev Tahor, to join forces to protect those whose rights may be violated”. The minors are now under the protection of the government and investigations remain under way.
Sign up for the Marketplace newsletter to get the day’s biggest business stories, our economic analysis, and explainers to help you live smarter, straight to your inbox every weekday evening. Hundreds of people lined up outside in the freezing cold on a recent December morning to get free fruits and vegetables from an outdoor mobile food pantry in Sunset Park, Brooklyn. So many, that the line stretched down one block, around the corner and down another block, and never seemed to get shorter. “Despite our 9-9:30am opening, many of them were here at 4 o’clock this morning,” said Thomas Chen, a regular volunteer with City Harvest, the nonprofit that runs this mobile food market. Twice a month, he and roughly two dozen other volunteers spend the morning here passing out fresh produce — bright red net bags packed with oranges, pineapples, carrots and mangoes. “This is so energizing,” Chen said. “Whenever I feel down, sick, wanting to give up on the world, this is the place that inspires me.” Chen retired in early 2020 and now spends a few hours a day, five days a week volunteering — gardening, landscaping and collecting trash in Central Park, and distributing food at mobile food pantries around the city. Nearly 76 million Americans volunteered at some point in 2023, up from just over 60 million in 2021, according to a recent survey from AmeriCorps and the Census Bureau. The increase came after a 7 percentage-point drop during the height of the pandemic — the largest decrease in volunteering in more than two decades. “So many people volunteer through their schools or community organizations where they just couldn’t go anymore,” said Michael D. Smith, CEO of AmeriCorps. Lots of nonprofits also temporarily stopped inviting volunteers to help in person in 2020 and 2021, and lots of parents — who make up a big percentage of volunteers — suddenly lost child care. “So the hope was this was a blip,” Smith said. “And once Americans returned to work and public life, that we would see a rebound.” That’s exactly what’s happened. Many nonprofits, including City Harvest in New York City, rely heavily on volunteers. “We could not handle the amount of distribution that we do, we could not repack all of the amazing produce into family-size portions without our volunteers,” said Olivia McMahon, associate director of volunteer programs at City Harvest. “They’re really, really essential to the work that we do.” About 200 people work on staff at the nonprofit; this year, more than 14,000 have volunteered. “Unfortunately, the need for food assistance in New York City is the highest on record,” McMahon said. “So our need for volunteers is really as high as ever.” That’s true for many nonprofits doing all kinds of work around the country, “especially coming out of the pandemic,” Smith said. “There’s an increase in demand for their services.” Brynna Ververs, welcome services coordinator at the Brooklyn Public Library, said the 62-branch system has had more than 1,000 active volunteers this year, more than before the pandemic. “We have volunteers staffing the welcome desk here at Central Library,” she said. “We have volunteers stationed in branches serving as computer coaches and personalized tech help.” The library also has volunteers facilitating English conversation groups both in person and online — something that’s new since the pandemic. Every month when Ververs runs orientation sessions for new library volunteers, “I’m kind of surprised at how many more people there were than the last time we did one,” she said. City Harvest has also seen a steady increase in new volunteers over the last couple of years. Danielle Allen, 28, signed up the day after the presidential election and worked her first shift this month at the mobile market in Sunset Park in Brooklyn. “I think I was feeling a real drive to connect with my community and to help out in a tangible way,” she said. She had already been volunteering with an informal group, picking up trash once a month in her neighborhood, but wanted to do more. “Partly because my family went to food pantries as a beneficiary of them as I was growing up,” she said, “so I have felt a real drive to give back now that I’m older and in a position to help.” Walking up to the mobile market for her first volunteer shift, Allen was shocked to see the line wrapped around the building. “Even on this cold day,” she said. “So, seems like there’s a great need in the community — but there’s also a great willingness to help.” There’s a lot happening in the world. Through it all, Marketplace is here for you. You rely on Marketplace to break down the world’s events and tell you how it affects you in a fact-based, approachable way. We rely on your financial support to keep making that possible. Your donation today powers the independent journalism that you rely on. For just $5/month, you can help sustain Marketplace so we can keep reporting on the things that matter to you.
Français 
English