UK announces ban on disposable vapes amid trend in youth vaping
In a step to curb the increasing trend of youth vaping, the United Kingdom’s government has announced its plan to ban disposable vape sales. This action aligns the U.K. with several other countries and American states that have implemented similar measures.
“We have teachers calling us, especially in the U.K., where you saw a 150% increase in the last three years of uptake of e-cigarettes by children,” Dr. Rüdiger Krech, director of Health Promotion at the World Health Organization said. “So, they call us to say children cannot stay a whole 45-minute lesson anymore because they need to step out to get e-cigarettes.”
U.K. Prime Minister Rishi Sunak’s latest legislative push aims to reduce tobacco’s appeal to children, including banning flavored tobacco, enforcing plain packaging and implementing fines for shops selling illegally to minors.
Approximately 260 million disposable vapes were discarded last year, equivalent to the waste of 5,000 electric vehicle batteries, according to U.K. Environment Secretary Steve Barclay.
“Children shouldn’t be vaping, we don’t want them to get addicted, we still don’t understand the full long-term health impacts of vaping,” Sunak said. “So it is right we take strong action to stamp this out. That’s what we’re doing, banning disposable vapes, taking powers to go after the flavors, the appearance, the packaging, where vapes are displayed in stores.”
This initiative is integral to a broader strategy for achieving a smoke-free status by 2030. In the previous year, Sunak unveiled an ambitious tobacco control strategy that included proposed legislation to prohibit anyone born on or after Jan. 1, 2009, from purchasing tobacco products.
The U.K. aims to incrementally increase the legal age for purchasing tobacco each year, making it the second country to introduce such measures behind New Zealand.
This approach differs from New Zealand’s original plan, in which the country eventually reversed its decision due to concerns about illegal tobacco markets and increased thefts at tobacco stores.
Sunak acknowledged the potential disagreement with the policy but maintained its importance.
“I respect that some people will disagree with me on this, but again I think this is the right long-term thing for our country,” Sunak said. “Smoking causes 1 in 4 cancer deaths. It’s responsible for hospital admission every minute, and if we don’t do something about it, hundreds of thousands of people will die in the coming years.”
Parliament still needs to introduce and approve the ban. It is expected to pass, marking a significant step in the U.K.’s public health policy.
Childhood pneumonia cases spike in Europe following China outbreak
A mysterious surge of child pneumonia cases has overwhelmed hospitals in China and sparked renewed fears of another pandemic. Cases now appear to be spreading throughout Europe, as well.
While world health officials are monitoring the situation in China, cases continue to pop up and surge elsewhere around the world. Denmark, Sweden and the Netherlands have all recently been hit with similar outbreaks, with Danish health officials already saying that it has reached “epidemic levels.”
In China, new videos and images are surfacing of workers in full hazmat suits spraying disinfectant throughout schools, streets, and in other public areas, bearing similarities to China’s COVID-19 response. Face masks and social distancing are also being recommended.
But it’s those same responses, together with lockdowns, which some experts blame for the new pneumonia cases in the first place.
Health officials in China and Europe say that a lack of exposure to respiratory illnesses during previous COVID-era lockdowns may have made children more vulnerable to threats like this.
Chinese officials attribute the cases to a post-lockdown rebound, and dismiss concerns of this being an entirely new virus. China imposed one of the longest and strictest lockdowns in the world during the COVID-19 pandemic, which the WHO says deprived Chinese children of the ability to develop natural antibodies against more common seasonal illnesses.
China sees childhood pneumonia wave; officials tamp down outbreak fears
Chinese hospitals are currently experiencing a surge in respiratory illnesses and pneumonia, primarily in children. Health officials say the spike in cases is likely due to the recent lifting of lockdowns, a trend other nations saw when lockdowns were lifted much earlier than China’s.
China’s Health Ministry told the WHO that no unusual or unknown pathogens have been detected in the rise in respiratory illnesses, and it is reporting that the illnesses are a surge in pneumonia infections caused by COVID-19 lockdowns recently lifting in China.
A rise in sickness following lockdowns is a trend seen around the world and even in the U.S. When COVID restrictions eased, more people contracted RSV, the flu, and COVID. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention has endorsed the view that avoiding infectious diseases for a prolonged period makes a population more susceptible when lockdowns, masking, social distancing and other precautions cease.
Health officials in China say the pathogen being most commonly found in its recent wave of patients is building resistance to treatment. Resistance rates in Beijing to this type of pneumonia are as high as 70% to 90%. According to health officials, these factors could also be contributing to this year’s higher levels of hospitalizations.
The WHO is monitoring the pneumonia spike out of China, but for now, according to the information from China’s Health Ministry, the viruses being treated are of known pathogens, which means it does not signal a new pathogen like COVID was or another pandemic.
WHO investigating uptick in respiratory illnesses in China
The World Health Organization is investigating a cluster of respiratory illness cases in children in China following an alert on Tuesday, Nov. 21, calling for more information about undiagnosed pneumonia in China. The standard alert, which looked and read similar to a 2019 alert about the COVID-19, led to some fear the world was looking at the beginning of another potential global pandemic.
Since mid-October, northern China has reported an increase in influenza-like illness compared to the same period in the previous three years.
“Since mid-October, northern China has reported an increase in influenza-like illness compared to the same period in the previous three years,” the release reads.
The WHO added that it always requests additional information when unknown diseases are reported as part of its International Health Regulations System.
“Chinese authorities advised that there has been no detection of any unusual or novel pathogens or unusual clinical presentations, including in Beijing and Liaoning, but only the aforementioned general increase in respiratory illnesses due to multiple known pathogens,” the WHO said.
Chinese health officials added that the increase in respiratory cases has not resulted in “exceeding hospital capacities.”
Four-day ceasefire in Gaza sets table for hostage release: The Morning Rundown, Nov. 24, 2023
This morning begins a four-day ceasefire in Gaza, setting the table for hostages to be released. And if you are looking for a Black Friday deal, the U.S. Marshals might have some for you. These stories and more highlight The Morning Rundown for Friday, Nov. 24, 2023.
During the pause in fighting, Hamas is expected to release 50 women and children who were taken captive during Hamas’ Oct. 7 terror attack on Israel, which killed 1,200 people. It has been reported that during the attack in October, Hamas took nearly 250 hostages.
Hamas said that during the ceasefire, Israel will release 150 Palestinian prisoners.
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The four-day truce, which was brokered with the help of officials in Qatar, Egypt, and the U.S., may be extended with the additional release of hostages. According to Qatari officials, the first 13 hostages are set to be freed Friday afternoon, Nov. 24.
Fiery crash that killed 2 at U.S.-Canada border likely not terrorism
I want to be very, very clear to Americans and New Yorkers. At this time, there is no indication of a terrorist attack.
Gov. Kathy Hochul
With the fear of terrorism surrounding the crash, the FBI announced it concluded its investigation and declared it found no evidence of terrorism.
“I just returned from the scene of a horrific accident that led to a high-level of anxiety all the way from Western New York to Albany to Washington, but before I describe the details, I want to be very, very clear to Americans and New Yorkers. At this time, there is no indication of a terrorist attack,” Gov. Kathy Hochul said. “Let me repeat that at this time there is no indication of a terrorist involved attack here at the Rainbow Bridge in western New York.”
In a security camera video, you can see a car speeding, going airborne, and then exploding on the Rainbow Bridge crossing Niagara Falls.
The driver and the only passenger in the car died, according to officials. CNN reported that the couple from New York, who have yet to be identified by law enforcement, were planning to attend a Kiss concert in Canada that had recently been canceled.
The crash shut down multiple border crossings in Western New York, but all have reopened. After concluding its investigation, the FBI turned the scene over to local law enforcement.
NYC mayor facing sexual assault allegations
New York City Mayor Eric Adams, who is at the center of an FBI probe into his campaign finances, is now being accused of sexual assault. The allegations stem from his time as a New York City police officer in 1993.
A lawsuit filed under the Adult Survivors Act in New York on Wednesday, Nov. 22, alleges that Adams sexually assaulted the plaintiff while they were working for the city. The plaintiff is seeking $5 million in damages.
The Guardian reported that Mayor Adams denied the allegations, stating that he does not know the plaintiff and would never physically harm another person.
The Adult Survivors Act gives sex assault accusers a one-year window to retroactively file civil suits, which otherwise would have been blocked due to the statute of limitations; that window expires Friday, Nov. 24.
World Health Organization looking into cluster of pneumonia cases in children in China
The World Health Organization is investigating a cluster of pneumonia cases in children in China following an alert on Tuesday, Nov. 21, calling for more information about undiagnosed pneumonia in China.
According to a WHO release, scientists attribute the rise in respiratory illness to lifting COVID restrictions, adding that this is likely a rise in common respiratory illnesses, like the flu, and could be an uptick in COVID cases.
The WHO added that it always requests additional information when unknown diseases are reported as part of its International Health Regulations System.
Amazon workers around the world strike as Black Friday begins
More than 1,000 Amazon workers hit the picket line in Europe as one of the year’s busiest shopping days gets underway. At Amazon’s Coventry warehouse in the UK, one of the online retailer’s busiest hubs, workers are the first to strike as Amazon workers globally call for better wages.
It comes as Amazon extended its Black Friday deals throughout a couple of days with millions of consumers ready to cash in on the savings.
Humanitarian crisis grows in Gaza; IDF takes journalists inside Al-Shifa
The humanitarian crisis in Gaza is worsening by the day. The World Health Organization is warning that there’s an extreme risk that disease will spread among Palestinians in the territory.
“We’ve recorded already more than 70,000, 72,000 cases of acute respiratory infections,” said Dr. Richard Peeperkorn of the World Health Organization (WHO). “44,000 cases of diarrhea, 808 cases of chickenpox, 15,000 skin rashes, the scabies, lice, and we also got patients now of hepatitis A.”
The Israel-Hamas war has affected Gaza’s health system, as most of the enclave does not have access to clean water, food, basic health care, or fuel. Plus, Palestinians who have fled their homes are crowding in shelters.
“We know that the health system is on its knees and that currently 65% — that is 47 out of 72 primary care facilities — are not functioning and the ones which are functioning are partly functioning, so to say more than 70%, almost 70% of the hospitals are currently nonfunctioning — 25 out of the 36,” Peeperkorn said.
The United Nations Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA) confirms 23,000 liters of fuel entered Gaza Wednesday, Nov. 15. The shipment of fuel was the first since the Oct. 7 Hamas terror attack on Israel.
Israel National Security Adviser Tzachai Hanegbi said Israel has agreed to allow two fuel trucks per day into Gaza, however, that fuel is only to be used for U.N. relief trucks that are distributing humanitarian aid to the people Gaza.
WHO Director Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus is once again calling for a cease-fire, but Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has reiterated that a cease-fire will not happen unless Hamas releases their hostages.
“I said that we would have a temporary cease-fire,” Netanyahu said on CBS News Thursday evening. “Only if we have our hostages back, and I haven’t changed what I said.”
Meanwhile, the Israel Defense Forces (IDF) confirm to have found the body of a second Israeli hostage, Cpl. Noa Marciano, 19, in a building near the Al-Shifa hospital complex in Gaza
Netanyahu said Israeli intelligence had “strong indications” that Hamas was holding hostages in a military facility under Al-Shifa. Netanyahu’s statements follow the release of a video in which Israeli soldiers claim to have uncovered evidence of a Hamas tunnel shaft within the Al-Shifa hospital complex in Gaza.
“Hamas was using the patients in that hospital as a human shield,” Netanyahu said. “We found a command-and-control center, military communications coded equipment. We found bombs, we found weapons, and we also found terror tunnels in the hospital compound.”
Journalists with The New York Times accompanied IDF soldiers into a portion of the Al-Shifa complex about 48 hours after Israeli soldiers stormed the hospital. According to the report, the journalists were shown a “stone-and-concrete shaft on its grounds with a staircase descending into the earth.”
Israeli officials are aware that they are under growing pressure to produce evidence that Hamas used Al-Shifa as a terror command center. However, it could be days before troops make their way into the shaft as they fear it has traps.
U.S. spokesperson for the National Security Council, John Kirby, also announced Thursday that the council will not share intelligence on Hamas’ command center as it is still monitoring the status of hostages.
“The increase in measles outbreaks and deaths is staggering, but unfortunately, not unexpected given the declining vaccination rates we’ve seen in the past few years,” said John Vertefeuille, director of CDC’s Global Immunization Division. “Measles cases anywhere pose a risk to all countries and communities where people are under-vaccinated. Urgent, targeted efforts are critical to prevent measles disease and deaths.”
The CDC said measles is a preventable disease, with two doses of a vaccine. However, a reported 33 million children missed a dose last year. According to WHO, the pandemic played a role in the backslide in vaccinations, especially in low income countries where vaccination rates are lowest at 66% and the risk of death from measles is the highest.
“The lack of recovery in measles vaccine coverage in low-income countries following the pandemic is an alarm bell for action. Measles is called the inequity virus for good reason. It is the disease that will find and attack those who aren’t protected,” said Kate O’Brien, WHO Director for Immunization, Vaccine and Biologicals. “Children everywhere have the right to be protected by the lifesaving measles vaccine, no matter where they live.”
More than half of the 22 million children who did not get their first does of the measles vaccine in 2022 live in just 10 countries.
Angola
Brazil
Democratic Republic of the Congo
Ethiopia
India
Indonesia
Madagascar
Nigeria
Pakistan
Philippines
In the U.S., the CDC reported an increase in measles cases from 49 in 2021 to 121 in 2022. Forty-one cases have been reported in the U.S. so far this year. The WHO and CDC are urging countries around the globe to vaccinate every child against the measles to help prevent outbreaks of the highly contagious disease.
Gaza hospitals in chaos as Israeli bombardment continues in territory
Gaza’s hospitals are in chaos as Israeli bombardment continues in the territory since the Hamas terror attack on Oct. 7. Hospitals in Gaza are running out of supplies like medicine, food and water.
The Al-Shifa Hospital, the largest in the Gaza Strip, is no longer functioning as a hospital, according to the World Health Organization Director-General Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus.
Al-Shifa has been without electricity and food for the last three days and doctors say nearly 700 patients are inside the hospital.
Over the weekend of Nov. 11, Al-Shifa lost power. According to the Hamas-run Gaza Health Ministry, three newborns died as a result, and another 36 babies had to be taken off incubators and will likely die, as well.
“We are asking immediately for the intervention of the international community and the United Nations to intervene,” said Palestinian Authority Health Minister Dr. Mai al-Kaila. “Because what is being done right now against the hospitals, and the medical staff in Gaza Strip, is against international law and international humanitarian law against the Geneva Convention, the third and the fourth Geneva Convention and against the Security Council and its decision.”
Israeli Defense Forces posted a video on X that depicts Israeli soldiers attempting to deliver 300 liters of fuel to the Al-Shifa Hospital. However, officials claim Hamas militants forbade the hospital from accepting the fuel.
Israeli officials said Hamas terrorists have built a vast command complex under the hospital and that they are using their own people as human shields.
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu appeared on “CNN Sunday,” saying Israeli forces created a safe route for patients and other Palestinians to leave the hospital and northern Gaza, and head south of Gaza.
“We have designated routes to a safe zone south of Gaza City where there’s no fighting,” Netanyahu said. “And we’re telling them, ‘Go ahead, move.’ And by the way, 70,000 have moved three days ago, I think 50,000 moved yesterday. More will move today. We want all the civilians to be moved out of harm’s way. Hamas is doing everything in their power to keep them in harm’s way.”
The WHO chief posted on X saying the situation at Al-Shifa is “dire and perilous.”
“The world cannot stand silent while hospitals, which should be safe havens, are transformed into scenes of death, devastation, and despair.” Dr. Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus wrote. “Cease fire. Now.”
But the Israeli Defense Forces said there will be no cease-fire without Hamas releasing their hostages. According to the IDF, Hamas is holding 239 hostages captive and it’s unclear how many hostages are still alive.
“I said we’re going to pursue the battle to destroy Hamas to its end,” Netanyahu said. “But I also said the only cease-fire that we would consider is one in which we have our hostages released.”
Currently, the European Union is calling for “meaningful” pauses in Gaza fighting. Netanyahu has said Israeli forces agreed to pause airstrikes in certain areas during a limited time as thousands of Palestinians attempt to flee.
Three-quarters of Americans fear Israel-Hamas war may lead to terror attacks in US
As Israel continues its fight against the terrorist group Hamas, Americans are becoming increasingly concerned for their safety at home. International protests and riots, as well as increased attention on terror attacks and border security, have three out of every four Americans worried about the threat of an attack on U.S. soil.
A NewsNation poll shows that more than 75% of respondents are “somewhat” or “very” concerned that the conflict will result in terror attacks in the U.S.
At the same time, American Muslims fear a wave of hate crimes and discrimination may come as a result of the war in the Middle East.
Authorities in Illinois say the attack on Israel motivated a man to murder a 6-year-old Muslim boy, Wadea Al-Fayoume, stabbing him 26 times. The man that authorities said is responsible, Joseph Czuba, 71, a U.S. Air Force veteran, made his first court appearance on Monday, Oct. 30. Czuba pleaded not guilty.
“I also mean including those who are Muslim, those who are Palestinian, and those who come from an Arab community,” Jaber said.
Other takeaways from the recent NewsNation poll:
When asked where sympathies lie more, with the Israelis or Palestinians:
49% of Americans said with Israel.
10% of Americans said with Palestine.
26% of Americans said equal between the two.
When asked, 82% of Americans said it’s “somewhat” or “very” important to protect Israel as it relates to U.S. foreign policy.
Congress is currently looking at aid to Israel but is divided on how to do it. The House wants to send $14 billion to Israel as a standalone bill, using funds earmarked for the IRS to do so. The Democrat-controlled Senate is working on a $106 billion security supplemental package that would include aid to Israel, Ukraine, and money for U.S. border security.
Maine community reflects after state’s worst mass shooting: The Morning Rundown, Oct. 30, 2023
A Maine community comes together to heal just days after the state’s worst mass shooting. And Panera Bread adds warnings to a caffeinated drink after the death of an Ivy League student. These stories and more highlight The Morning Rundown for Monday, Oct. 30, 2023.
A vigil was held at the Basilica of Saints Peter and Paul in Lewiston, Maine, near where a gunman opened fire at a bowling alley and restaurant last Wednesday, Oct. 25, killing 18 and injuring 13 others. The deceased victims ranged in age from 14 to 76.
Leaders of various faiths spoke to the massive crowd on the resilience of the town of 40,000, with one reverend saying the tragedies, fear and anxiety will not define the community and will not dictate their future.
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The body of the suspected shooter, 40-year-old Robert Card, was discovered on Friday, Oct. 27, at a recycling facility where he recently worked. Authorities said Card died of an apparent self-inflicted gunshot wound.
Investigators found a multitude of firearms while searching for the suspect and added that the weapons used in the shooting had been purchased legally.
While a motive is still under investigation, authorities said Card had a history of mental illness.
Maine had a total of 29 homicides last year. According to the Associated Press, this shooting brings the total number of mass killings in the U.S. this year to 36.
More aid arrives in Gaza as Israel increases its ground operation
The largest aid convoy since the start of the war between Israel and Hamas arrived in Gaza on Sunday, Oct. 29.
Nearly three dozen trucks brought food and medical supplies to the territory, according to the United Nations, saying it is still a fraction of what civilians need.
The IDF said Monday, Oct. 30, it hit hundreds of Hamas targets over the past several days.
The World Health Organization said several health facilities in Gaza have been damaged, and hospitals are continuing to receive evacuation orders from Israel, saying it is impossible to do so without endangering patients’ lives.
According to the Gaza Health Ministry, the death toll since Israel began its strikes has risen above 8,000 people, adding that many are children.
The White House said President Joe Biden spoke to Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu on Sunday, Oct. 27, reiterating that Israel has every right to defend its citizens from terrorism while underscoring the need “to do so in a manner consistent with international humanitarian law that prioritizes the protection of civilians.”
UAW reaches tentative deal with Stellantis, GM
The United Auto Workers Union reached a tentative deal with General Motors Monday morning, according to CNBC and multiple outlets.
The terms of the GM deal were not immediately known.
The agreement follows the union reaching a deal with Chrysler’s parent company, Stellantis, over the weekend.
Forty-four days into the “Stand-Up Strike,” 14,000 Stellantis workers on the picket line returned to work.
The Stellantis deal, which still needs to be voted on by 43,000 union members, mirrors an agreement between Ford and the union and includes a 25% pay increase over the next 4 1/2 years, including an 11% increase as soon as the deal is ratified.
The union said the tentative agreement not only also saves 5,000 jobs Stellantis was planning to cut, it also adds an additional 5,000 jobs.
UAW President Shawn Fain announced the tentative deal on social media on Saturday, Oct. 28.
“Once again, we have achieved what just weeks ago we were told was impossible. The power of the “Stand-Up Strike” cannot be understated,” Fain said. “Over the 44 days we were on strike, Stellantis more than doubled the total value of the proposals they had on the table.”
Hours after the Stellantis agreement, the union expanded its strike against General Motors, adding a walkout at a Tennessee plant. The expansion brought the total number of GM workers on strike to roughly 18,000.
In a statement, GM said it was disappointed in UAW’s call to expand its strike, adding that the company has bargained in good faith and it hopes to reach an agreement soon.
It would take a two days more for a tentative deal between GM and the union to be reached.
Judge reinstates gag order on Donald Trump in federal 2020 election case
On Sunday night, Oct. 29, the judge overseeing the federal case charging Donald Trump with trying to overturn the 2020 election results reinstated a gag order she issued on the former president in early October.
The order bars Trump, who has denied any wrongdoing in the case, from making public comments that target the special counsel, court staff and witnesses.
U.S. District Judge Tanya Chutkan imposed the order two weeks ago at the request of the Justice Department, but the former president quickly appealed, and the judge temporarily froze the order a few days later.
Chutkan reinstated the gag order on Sunday after prosecutors cited recent social media comments by Trump about his former chief of staff, who is likely to be a witness in the case.
Last week, in a separate case in New York, Trump was fined $10,000 after that judge said he violated a gag order for the second time.
Donald Trump is currently the Republican front-runner for the 2024 Presidential Election. Over the weekend, the GOP field narrowed as his former vice president, Mike Pence, dropped out of the race, saying, “This is not my time.”
Panera updates drink warning after lawsuit over student’s death
Panera Bread has announced it is updating its warnings online and in-store concerning its caffeinated lemonade beverage.
The change comes after a lawsuit was filed by the family of University of Pennsylvania student Sarah Katz last week.
The suit alleged Katz, who had a heart condition, died after drinking Panera’s charged lemonade last year.
The charged lemonade drink contains 390 milligrams of caffeine. The FDA says 400 milligrams is the daily maximum amount of caffeine a healthy adult can safely consume.
The suit claimed Panera failed to adequately warn its customers about the drink’s ingredients.
Panera told NBC News that while the caffeine content of the lemonade was always listed in-store, out of an “abundance of caution,” the company has enhanced its disclosures for the beverage over the past several days.
Now, a warning reads to use the drink in moderation, and it’s not recommended for children, pregnant or nursing women, or people sensitive to caffeine.
SAG-AFTRA, studio remember Matthew Perry
As negotiations between Hollywood actors and studios continued over the weekend to reach a deal to end the 109-day strike, both sides took a moment to remember a “friend.”
Authorities said there were no signs of foul play. Perry, who starred in the 90s NBC sitcom “Friends,” was 54.
Warner Bros. Television Studios, which produced the series, said, “Matthew was an incredibly gifted actor and indelible part of the Warner Brothers Television Group.”
