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MedWatch: Altering genes to fight addiction, mental health maps and vaccines

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 10:52:35 GMT

For Monday, Aug. 14, WGN’s Dina Bair has new medical information, including: More Coverage: WGN's Medical Watch Gene therapy could reduce alcohol use The gene therapy is already in use for Parkinson's patients and now doctors say it works to reduce chronic heavy drinking., Oregon Health and Science University scientists found by implanting a type of molecule to promote cell growth, they can reset the brain's dopamine reward pathway. The effects lead to a dramatic reduction in alcohol cravings and alcohol use. Since the procedure involves brain surgery, experts say even though it is incredibly effective, it should be reserved for only the most severe cases of alcohol use disorder. Brain scans reveal changes linked to different mental illnessesVisualizing mental health issues is possible with brain scans. New maps reveal the individual brain changes linked to different mental illnesses. Scanning nearly 1300 people with various mental health challenges highlighted the diversity acros...

Texas House committee suggests possible path for school voucher program in new report

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 10:52:35 GMT

AUSTIN (Nexstar) — Ahead of an expected special legislative session related to public and private education, a select Texas House committee is proposing an avenue for creating a school voucher program, one of Gov. Greg Abbott's priorities that did not get accomplished during the regular session. The select committee issued a report on Friday that outlines a potential compromise for leaders on school vouchers and also addresses a variety of issues facing Texas schools as many head back to school this week. The bipartisan 15-member committee issued a number of recommendations related to issues like teacher retainment, student outcomes and overall public school finance. A school voucher program would allow parents to use public dollars to help pay for private school education. During the regular session, the Senate passed a voucher bill but it never made it across the finish line in the House — where several rural conservatives did not get on board after expressing concerns about how i...

Changes finally in sight as longest heatwave on record continues

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 10:52:35 GMT

AUSTIN (KXAN) -- Monday was Austin's 38th-consecutive 100°+ day in Austin with a high of 105°. But as we bake in our longest heatwave on record, we finally have some concrete and noticeable changes to our forecast -- the first of which arrives now.A weak cool front blows from north to south through the area overnight after producing just a 10% chance of isolated downpours in the northern Hill Country. A north wind blows areawide Tuesday -- dropping temperatures only slightly, but humidity noticeably. Even with a temperature drop of several degrees, Austin's 100° stretch is expected to continue.Wednesday morning -- coolest in two monthsAs humidity bottoms out, Wednesday morning is expected to bring our coolest temperatures since early June. Many suburbs will dip into the 60s, with lows near 70 in downtown Austin. Make plans to go outside, as it will feel more comfortable than we have in a long time!After a brief foray from the heat and humidity, record high temperatures surge back in...

Karl W. Smith: Housing is Fed’s secret weapon in battle against inflation

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 10:52:35 GMT

The consumer price index report for July showed the smallest back-to-back monthly increase in two years. This is welcome news in the battle to tame inflation, but the even better news was buried deep in the report. There, it was revealed that rising shelter costs accounted for a whopping 90% of the increase in the CPI. Why is that good? Because the category is notoriously out of date and most likely already in decline, making the moderate inflation data even more benign in reality.Let’s start with what shelter costs are and how they are measured. The Bureau of Labor Statistics calculates this metric — which accounts for about a third of CPI — by looking at changes in actual rents and something called owners’ equivalent rent. That second part is essentially a survey-informed assessment of how much homeowners think they could get by renting their home.What this all means is that a backward-looking metric is what’s driving the CPI numbers. How so? We know ...

Explainer: Why is a police raid on a newspaper in Kansas so unusual?

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 10:52:35 GMT

Tensions between public officials and the press are hardly unusual. To a large extent, it’s baked into their respective roles.What’s rare in a democratic society is a police raid on a news organization’s office or the home of its owner. So when that happened late last week, it attracted the sort of national attention that the town of Marion, Kansas, is hardly used to.The Marion Police Department took computers and cellphones from the office of the Marion County Record newspaper on Friday, and also entered the home of Eric Meyer, publisher and editor. The weekly newspaper serves a town of 1,900 people that is about 150 miles (241 kilometers) southwest of Kansas City, Missouri.Within two days, the raid drew the attention of some of the nation’s largest media organizations, including The Associated Press, The New York Times, CNN, CBS News, the New Yorker and the Gannett newspaper chain.What prompted this action?Police said they had probable cause to believe ther...

U Albany students ponder careers on Move In Day

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 10:52:35 GMT

ALBANY, N.Y. (NEWS10) — On move in day at U Albany, students' questions about future job prospects might come down to a decision between passion and opportunity.4 ways restarting student loan programs could impact the economyWheeling push carts full of belongings into their new homes for the semester, the weight of the future might be just as heavy for these future graduates. Business Administration major Owen Hoey wants to get into sports management. While Hoey says he chose the most popular major because of its flexible opportunities, he was very much motivated by passion. Albany among top areas for college graduates in 2023“When you're working it's, ‘oh I gotta go to work, work my 9-to-5 like I'm exhausted’ but if you're working and you're doing something you love, it doesn't feel like a job” Hoey said. Pre Med Major Alexandria Joseph thinks otherwise. While she's passionate about her major, it was important for her to choose a high demand career path. “While it is important to b...

State requests federal assistance in migrant situation

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 10:52:35 GMT

ALBANY, N.Y. (NEWS10)----Governor Kathy Hochul has been asking for federally owned sites such as Floyd Bennett Field in Brooklyn and Fort Wadsworth on Staten Island to be used to shelter asylum seekers."I’ve been asking for one in particular---a large airfield, Floyd Bennett Field, and that will be able to handle 2,000+ migrants," Hochul said at a press conference last Thursday. "We have been supporting directly independent of what the mayor has asked for support for these large scale places and we’ve listed them many times."State, federal, and city officials have been touring the locations. After a meeting with the U.S. Department of the Interior on Sunday, the governor’s request is still pending. In the state budget, $1 billion was allocated to help with the asylum seeker crisis. $250 million is now available to reimburse New York City."We are also continuing to pay for the National Guard directly out of our pockets," said Hochul. "That is a high cost, approaching $200 million dol...

City of St. Charles shuts down water treatment plant due to ammonia drop

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 10:52:35 GMT

ST. CHARLES, Mo. - The City of St. Charles shut down its Elm Point Water Treatment Plant on Sunday and is now solely reliant on the City of St. Louis for its drinking water.According to a statement from the city, the plant was closed on Sunday following a drop in the free level of ammonia in raw water.The plant had been producing a million gallons of drinking water per day for St. Charles residents and businesses.John Phillips, superintendent of utilities for the City of St. Charles, tells FOX 2 that St. Charles is purchasing between 6 and 7 1/2 million gallons of water per day from St. Louis City. Close Thanks for signing up! Watch for us in your inbox. Subscribe Now Breaking News SIGN UP NOW This is a developing story and is being updated. Please refresh this page every few minutes for the latest.

Man shot, killed by Denver police was holding a marker, not a weapon

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 10:52:35 GMT

The Denver police officer who shot and killed an unarmed man during an alleged domestic violence incident earlier this month believed the man was armed with a knife, but he was actually holding only a black marker, according to body-worn camera footage released Monday.The shooting happened Aug. 5 just before 8 p.m. in the 2300 block of West Cedar Avenue. The graphic body-worn camera footage shows Brandon Cole, 36, held a black marker in his hand and raised the marker to chest-level as he charged at a police officer that night.The officer, who has not been publicly identified, shot Cole twice. The body-worn camera footage shows an uninvolved woman and young child were standing directly behind Cole when the officer opened fire. Cole was killed; no one else was injured.“This is a tremendous tragedy,” Chief Ron Thomas said during a news conference Monday in which police offered the most detailed account to date of the killing.The incident began at 7:56 p.m., when a neighbor ...

Popular Denver restaurant closing after 10 years on 17th Avenue

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 10:52:35 GMT

Humboldt Kitchen + Bar’s 10-year run is coming to an end. The neighborhood eatery, located at 1700 Humboldt St., plans to close in early September, according to a notice on its website.“After negotiation, the restaurant owners and landlord were unable to settle on lease extension terms that were acceptable and sustainable for the future of the business,” the announcement reads. “Additional information regarding the restaurant’s closing schedule and activities will be announced on our website once available.”Concept Restaurants, which owns Humboldt and eight other restaurants (including Stout Street Social in Denver, and a few hotels), opened Humboldt in 2013. The New American restaurant is popular for its farm-to-table and fish-centric menu filled with oysters, craft beer and wine. It is also known for its award-winning hamburger.Related ArticlesRestaurants, Food and Drink | Chocolate Lab closes less than five months after reopening Restaurant...