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Honored Contributor
Posts: 25,929
Registered: ‎03-09-2010

Re: What news story got your attention today, NOT POLITICAL

The red tide and the algae - horrible disaster to Florida tourism and the wildlife kill has been horrific and  heartbreaking.

I went to a restaurant at the beach a few days ago and just walking from the car to the building caused us to be choking and coughing from the smell of the dead fish out in the sun plus the red tide.

All could have been avoided if the  feds had not emptied Lake Oakachobee into the oceans.

Oddly, despite this as you drive by the beaches you still see people out there. Not many but a few.

Esteemed Contributor
Posts: 7,170
Registered: ‎11-15-2011

Re: What news story got your attention today, NOT POLITICAL

Red tide is a phenomenon caused by algal blooms (Wikipedia definition) during which algae become so numerous that they discolor coastal waters (hence the name "red tide"). The algal bloom may also deplete oxygen in the waters and/or release toxins that may cause illness in humans and other animals.

 

While many people call these blooms 'red tides,' scientists prefer the term harmful algal bloom. One of the best known HABs in the nation occurs nearly every summer along Florida’s Gulf Coast. This bloom, like many HABs, is caused by microscopic algae that produce toxins that kill fish and make shellfish dangerous to eat. The toxins may also make the surrounding air difficult to breathe. As the name suggests, the bloom of algae often turns the water red.

HABs have been reported in every U.S. coastal state, and their occurrence may be on the rise. HABs are a national concern because they affect not only the health of people and marine ecosystems, but also the 'health' of local and regional economies.

 

Honored Contributor
Posts: 33,951
Registered: ‎03-10-2010

Re: What news story got your attention today, NOT POLITICAL

Bad news for bees -- and everyone else.

 

 

Eddie Garcia
July 31, 2018 10:22 PM

 

ALBUQUERQUE, N.M. - There could be ZomBees in New Mexico.

 

The bees got their name from a biology professor at San Francisco State University after he noticed honeybees acting strangely on campus.

John Hafernik said the bees would walk erratically and come out a night, exhibiting what he calls “zombie-like behavior.”

 

He collected one of the bees in a jar and noticed something surprising.

“A week or so later, the maggots erupt from right about here on the bee,” Hafernik said.

 

It turns out, a small fly had laid eggs within the bee’s body.

 

Hafernik says the fly, called apocephalus borealis, is responsible causing the zombie-like behavior.

 

Since his discovery in 2008, he has established an online community called ZomBee Watch. They track the flies that cause the bees to act strangely.

 

“We know that the fly, a native fly, is found widely across North America, so it could be literally affecting honeybees across North America,” said Hafernik.

 

The flies could also have a huge impact beyond the bees.

 

"If this fly is causing major damage to honeybees, it could be a major economic impact,” said Hafernik.

 

Honeybees help plants that can't spread their pollen through the air. In fact, farmers rely on honeybees to keep their crops productive.

 

So far, there have been no confirmed ZomBee sightings in New Mexico, but at least one beekeeper says it’s possible her bees have been infected.

 

“I've had bees crawling around my hive that aren't able to fly,” said Amy Owen.

 

It's too soon to tell whether Owen has a ZomBee, but she now considers herself part of Hafernik’s Zombie Watch.

 

Hafernik will take a look at Owen's honeybee and should she should find out if it’s a ZomBee in a couple weeks.

~My philosophy: Dogs are God's most perfect creatures. Angels, here on Earth, who teach us to be better human beings.~
Esteemed Contributor
Posts: 7,170
Registered: ‎11-15-2011

Re: What news story got your attention today, NOT POLITICAL

The release of 3dD printer gun blueprints has been blocked by Judge.

Honored Contributor
Posts: 12,315
Registered: ‎03-09-2010

Re: What news story got your attention today, NOT POLITICAL

I cannot post specifics since it is political....just want to remember my mom who lost her first husband and my brother and sister who missed out on seeing their father as they grew up.

Honored Contributor
Posts: 8,179
Registered: ‎03-10-2010

Re: What news story got your attention today, NOT POLITICAL

Kim K. hips are not even shapes.

Honored Contributor
Posts: 16,578
Registered: ‎03-11-2010

Re: What news story got your attention today, NOT POLITICAL


@CalminHeart wrote:

Iowa has had 48 young people go missing in the last month.  Located where I-80 and I-35 meet, it's the perfect area for child trafficking, pedophiles and killers.  

 

Another sad aspect to this is that one young person comes from money so her story is all over national and local news a dozen times every day while the other 47 are never mentioned.  It breaks my heart.


it's also because her family has mounted a campaign to publicize her situation as well.  

Esteemed Contributor
Posts: 5,462
Registered: ‎07-20-2014

Re: What news story got your attention today, NOT POLITICAL

a bowl of fruit: The "Dragon's Breath" snack is infused with liquid nitrogen, which can affect those who have asthma.© Provided by Fox News Network LLC The "Dragon's Breath" snack is infused with liquid nitrogen, which can affect those who have asthma.

A Florida mom whose son was recently hospitalized after he ate a "Dragon’s Breath" snack is warning others about the dangers of the liquid nitrogen-infused treat, especially for those with asthma.

Racheal McKenny, of Saint Augustine, took a trip last week with her two children and husband to The Avenues Mall in Jacksonville.

Shortly before leaving the mall, McKenny's son, Johnny, noticed the kiosk where the Dragon’s Breath snack is sold and asked his mom if he could try it. The treat is coated in liquid nitrogen, allowing those who eat the treat to blow “smoke” out of their nose and mouth. The effect resembles a dragon, hence the name.

“They had fun and it seemed harmless enough,” McKenny wrote in a now viral Facebook post detailing the incident. As of Tuesday afternoon, the post had more than 8,000 reactions and nearly 70,000 shares.

But the seemingly harmless treat turned dangerous shortly after the family began their 40-minute trip home. Roughly 10 minutes into the ride, Johnny, who has mild asthma, “started an occasional cough,” his mother wrote.

“Around 20 minutes in, the cough became really consistent. By the time we passed the Palencia subdivision, he was coughing so bad that he was having trouble catching his breath,” McKenny said.

“We knew he couldn’t breathe, and we knew that we couldn’t get him to the hospital in time,” she added.

Luckily, McKenny’s husband, John, knew of a nearby fire station. The family stopped at the firehouse, where paramedics started Johnny on an albuterol treatment and IV before transporting him to a local hospital.

“The nebulizer was not improving his breathing at all and, by the time they got him loaded into the ambulance, he needed a shot of epinephrine. Johnny had a second breathing treatment and steroid on the way to the hospital and was doing so much better by the time we got to Flagler Hospital,” she continued.

The boy returned home from the hospital a day after the incident, McKenny said, adding that her son is now “doing well.”

Following the incident, the kiosk where McKenny purchased the snack posted an allergy and asthma warning, she told Fox News on Tuesday. 

"The kiosk owners were great about texting me ingredient information right away and they promptly updated their signs to warn future customers," she said.

That said, the mom of two is now warning anyone who “has even just a mild case of asthma” to steer clear of the Dragon’s Breath treat, as liquid nitrogen can irritate a person’s airways regardless of whether they have the condition or not, according to Action News Jax.

Liquid nitrogen can also cause burns. A 14-year-old girl was hospitalized in October after she was burned by the dessert.

“I should have known better, but it did not occur to me that this food could have this effect,” McKenny wrote, adding that she plans to carry her son’s emergency inhaler with her from now on.

“My son could have died,” McKenny said. “Please don’t make the same mistake I did.”

Contributor
Posts: 71
Registered: ‎09-19-2016

Re: What news story got your attention today, NOT POLITICAL

The Carr fire that is burning in my area.  Smiley Sad

Esteemed Contributor
Posts: 6,162
Registered: ‎03-10-2010

Re: What news story got your attention today, NOT POLITICAL

Read an article about rebuilding KC Royals baseball team. Tough year for baseball fans. We're building character here in the Mid-west. 

"I took a walk in the woods and came out taller than the trees." Henry David Thoreau