Ansonia, CT
News
Unusual Symptoms Reported As Cases Of Highly Contagious Disease Surge In Parts Of US Unusual Symptoms Reported As Cases Of Highly Contagious Disease Surge In Parts Of US
Unusual Symptoms Reported As Cases Of Highly Contagious Disease Surge In Parts Of US A highly contagious illness is making an unwelcome comeback across parts of the United States, with health officials warning of a notable uptick in cases. A viral infection most common in children under 5, hand, foot, and mouth disease (HFMD) is spreading rapidly in daycares and schools, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC).  While the illness is usually mild — causing fever, mouth sores, and a distinctive rash on the hands and feet — doctors are seeing more adults affected, sometimes with unusual symptoms like widespread rashes and even nail loss. Th…

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by Joe Lombardi
Amherst, MA
News
Nearly Half Of Americans Surveyed Say Trump Is Corrupt As Approval Slides In New UMass Poll Nearly Half Of Americans Surveyed Say Trump Is Corrupt As Approval Slides In New UMass Poll
Nearly Half Of Americans Surveyed Say Trump Is Corrupt As Approval Slides In New UMass Poll A new national poll suggests trouble is mounting for President Donald Trump, and not just with independents. Trump’s job approval rating has taken a major hit since spring, sliding six points and now sitting 20 points underwater, according to a national survey conducted by the University of Massachusetts Amherst. The poll, involving 1,000 adults nationwide and conducted between Friday, July 25 and Wednesday, July 30, found that only 38 percent of Americans approve of Trump’s performance, compared to 58 percent who disapprove. In April, Trump’s approval stood at 44 approving, 51 percent dis…

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by Joe Lombardi
Arlington, VA
News
Foreign Visitors May Need To Pay $15K Bond To Enter US: Here's Why Foreign Visitors May Need To Pay $15K Bond To Enter US: Here's Why
Foreign Visitors May Need To Pay $15K Bond To Enter US: Here's Why Some international travelers coming to the US on tourist or business visas may soon have to pay a bond of up to $15,000, in the Trump administration's latest immigration crackdown effort. The State Department released details on the visa bond pilot program in the Federal Register on Tuesday, Aug. 5. The temporary final rule targets countries with high visa overstay rates or citizenship-for-sale programs. The pilot will begin on Wednesday, Aug. 20, and end on Wednesday, Aug. 5, 2026. The program will allow US consular officers to require certain visa applicants to post a bond …

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by Chris Spiker
Point Pleasant, NJ
News
CDC Flags 40-State COVID Growth While Omicron Offshoot Variant NB 1.8.1 Drives Summer Spike CDC Flags 40-State COVID Growth While Omicron Offshoot Variant NB 1.8.1 Drives Summer Spike
CDC Flags 40-State COVID Growth While Omicron Offshoot Variant NB 1.8.1 Drives Summer Spike Fueled by a fast-growing new variant, COVID-19 infections are regaining ground just as summer travel peaks. New CDC transmission estimates released Friday, Aug. 1 show the effective reproduction number, or Rt, above one in 40 states, meaning overall US infections are again expanding. In 28 states the agency assigns its highest confidence category — “growing” — while another 12 fall into the “likely growing” bucket. No state is currently classified as declining, and nine are holding steady. For more info, view the CDC's interactive map here, and click on a specific state. Nationally, the R…

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by Joe Lombardi
Rockville, MD
News
Deported Rapist Snuck Back Into US, Raped Woman In Rockville: Feds Deported Rapist Snuck Back Into US, Raped Woman In Rockville: Feds
Deported Rapist Snuck Back Into US, Raped Woman In Rockville: Feds A Mexican national who illegally crossed into the United States and was later convicted of rape in Maryland has now pleaded guilty to unlawfully re-entering the country, federal prosecutors announced. Dimas Gonzalo Contreras-Nolasco, 54, is currently serving a 10-year prison sentence for second-degree rape and sex offense charges in Montgomery County.  Now, he now faces up to two more years in federal prison, a $250,000 fine, and supervised release after pleading guilty to re-entering the US without permission. Contreras-Nolasco was first removed from the country in 2005, after he tri…

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by Zak Failla
Bethesda, MD
Business
Life-Threatening Risk To Kids Sparks Recall Of Popular Magnetic Toy Life-Threatening Risk To Kids Sparks Recall Of Popular Magnetic Toy
Life-Threatening Risk To Kids Sparks Recall Of Popular Magnetic Toy About 25,000 magnetic toy stackers are being recalled after dozens of reports showed their magnets can come loose, posing a life-threatening danger to children if swallowed. Tegu issued the recall for about 22,850 of its Magnetic Floating Stackers toys sold in the US, the Consumer Product Safety Commission said on Thursday, July 31. The recall also impacts around 1,977 stackers in Canada and 190 in Mexico. The recalled toys contain small magnets that can loosen and detach. If more than one is swallowed, the magnets can attract each other inside the digestive system, whic…

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by Chris Spiker
Bethesda, MD
Business
Head Injuries Prompt Huge Recall Of Popular Kitchen Stools Head Injuries Prompt Huge Recall Of Popular Kitchen Stools
Head Injuries Prompt Huge Recall Of Popular Kitchen Stools A popular kitchen stool is being recalled after dozens of safety bars broke, causing two people to suffer head injuries. Dorel Home Furnishings is recalling about 302,000 Cosco 2-Step Kitchen Stepper stools sold in the US, the Consumer Product Safety Commission said on Thursday, July 31. Around 11,000 stools were also sold in Canada. The safety bars can break or detach while in use, increasing fall risks. The CPSC received 34 reports of the safety bar failing, including two incidents involving head injuries. The stools were sold from February 2021 through July 2025…

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by Chris Spiker
Simsbury, CT
Politics
'Rage Against The Regime': Protests Against Trump Administration Being Held Nationwide 'Rage Against The Regime': Protests Against Trump Administration Being Held Nationwide
'Rage Against The Regime': Protests Against Trump Administration Being Held Nationwide Americans across the country are gearing up for a new wave of coordinated  demonstrations targeting President Donald Trump’s administration. The 50501 protest group has announced a new nationwide day of action, "Rage Against The Regime," set for Saturday, Aug. 2. While the number of registered protest sites is, as of Friday, Aug. 1, lower than previous demonstrations "No Kings" and "Good Trouble Lives On," organizers expect turnout to grow. The protests are part of a summer-long campaign of peaceful demonstrations opposing what organizers call escalating attacks by the Trump administr…

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by Joe Lombardi
Fairfield, CT
Politics
Kamala Harris Is Done With Politics 'For Now' In First Interview Since Election Loss Kamala Harris Is Done With Politics 'For Now' In First Interview Since Election Loss
Kamala Harris Is Done With Politics 'For Now' In First Interview Since Election Loss Kamala Harris says she’s staying away from politics — “for now.” Just one day after announcing she would not run for California governor, the former vice president told "The Late Show" host Stephen Colbert that America’s political system is fractured and in need of serious reform. “Recently, I made the decision that I, just for now, I don’t want to go back in the system,” she said. “I think it’s broken.” But Harris bristled when Colbert asked if she was truly “out of the fight." “I will always be part of the fight,” she replied. Related: Colbert Gives Blistering Response to Trump After…

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by Josh Lanier
Potomac, MD
Politics
Trump Fires Bureau Of Labor Statistics Chief After Weak Jobs Report Trump Fires Bureau Of Labor Statistics Chief After Weak Jobs Report
Trump Fires Bureau Of Labor Statistics Chief After Weak Jobs Report In a dramatic response to a disappointing new jobs report, President Donald Trump has fired Erika McEntarfer, the head of the Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS), intensifying political scrutiny over the nation’s economic data and who controls it. Just hours after the Bureau of Labor Statistics announced that the US economy added only 73,000 jobs in July — far fewer than economists expected — Trump took to Truth Social to announce the immediate dismissal McEntarfer on Friday afternoon, Aug. 1. The report also revealed that job gains for May and June were revised down by more than 200,000 posit…

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by Joe Lombardi
Arlington, VA
News
Corporation For Public Broadcasting, Funder Of PBS, NPR, Shutting Down: 'Difficult Reality' Corporation For Public Broadcasting, Funder Of PBS, NPR, Shutting Down: 'Difficult Reality'
Corporation For Public Broadcasting, Funder Of PBS, NPR, Shutting Down: 'Difficult Reality' The Corporation for Public Broadcasting will shut down after Republicans in Congress eliminated its funding in a historic decision that could dismantle public media in the US. CPB announced that it will "wind down" operations in a news release on Friday, Aug. 1. The announcement comes about two weeks after GOP members in the House passed a spending plan that slashed all $1.1 billion previously approved for the nonprofit that provides massive funding for NPR and PBS. The cuts put CPB's federal funding at $0 for the first time since 1967. "Despite the extraordinary efforts of millions o…

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by Chris Spiker
White Plains, NY
Politics
Trump Orders Nuclear Subs Closer To Russia After Escalating War Of Words Trump Orders Nuclear Subs Closer To Russia After Escalating War Of Words
Trump Orders Nuclear Subs Closer To Russia After Escalating War Of Words President Donald Trump has ordered two US nuclear submarines to move closer to Russia, signaling a sharp escalation in the standoff over the ongoing war in Ukraine. Trump’s announcement, made Friday, Aug. 1 on Truth Social, comes in response to what he called “highly provocative statements” from Russian officials.  While the exact locations of the submarines remain classified, Trump said they would be stationed in “appropriate regions” to underscore the seriousness of recent threats and the potential consequences of further escalation. The move follows a heated exchange between Trump …

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by Joe Lombardi