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The CDC works to overhaul lab operations after COVID test flop

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 18:10:24 GMT

By Sam Whitehead, KFF Health NewsIn early February 2020, Kirsten St. George and her team at New York state’s public health lab received a test developed by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention to diagnose people infected with the new, rapidly spreading coronavirus.But, like many labs around the country, it quickly found the test gave inaccurate results. So test samples had to be sent back to the CDC for processing, wasting time and leaving state officials “sort of blind to what the situation was with the disease,” said St. George, chief of the laboratory of viral diseases at the Wadsworth Center, one of the nation’s largest state public health labs.“It was extremely unfortunate that it happened at such a critical time, in the early days of this emerging pandemic,” she said.An independent panel of laboratory researchers, public health and policy experts, and doctors say the CDC’s flawed diagnostic test was one of the “most consequential” of the agency’s pandemic missteps be...

CHP investigating freeway gunfire near Bay Bridge toll plaza

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 18:10:24 GMT

A person went to a hospital with injuries that were not life threatening early Thursday after what the California Highway Patrol said was a shooting that they are investigating.The CHP shut down westbound Interstate 80 near the Bay Bridge toll plaza about 6:15 a.m. to look for evidence. The closure lasted about 15 minutes but caused a backup that affected the nearby freeways and brought traffic to a crawl at the MacArthur Maze.According to the CHP, a female whose age wasn’t revealed drove herself to the hospital about 3:45 a.m. and reported that she’d been shot. Authorities were contacted after she arrived there, according to the CHP. An early investigation determined that a shooting happened on westbound I-80 near the toll plaza, the agency said.The CHP said the female would survive her injuries and that they did not have any information on possible suspects or the vehicle from where the shots may have been fired.Please check back for updates.Related ArticlesCrime and P...

Beyoncé has a birthday wish she’s asking concertgoers to fulfill

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 18:10:24 GMT

Queen Bey turns 42 on September 4 and has a little “birthday wish” she would like attendees of her “Renaissance” tour to fulfill.Beyoncé recently posted her desire on the Instagram stories portion of her verified Instagram as well as on her official site. “Virgo season is upon us,” her post read. “This tour has been such a joy and as we approach the last month, my birthday wish is to celebrate with you wearing your most fabulous silver fashions to the shows 8.23 – 9.22!”Those dates encompass the astrological sign for Virgos and she added, “We’ll surround ourselves in a shimmering human disco ball each night.”Related ArticlesMusic | Curfew for Beyonce show at Levi’s Stadium gets pushed back one hour Music | Beyonce by the Numbers: A deep look at Queen Bey’s amazing career Music | Beyonce brings Renaissance World Tour to Levi’s Stadium in Santa Clara Music | Taylor Swift, Beyoncé and ‘Barbie’ are unleashing t...

Student loan payments restart will dent US housing market, survey finds

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 18:10:24 GMT

Alex Tanzi | BloombergThe resumption of US student-loan payments in the coming weeks will deal a significant and lasting blow to the housing market, according to a new survey of real estate professionals.Home-purchase applications fell to the lowest level in a generation last week — and demand may be depressed even further when the pandemic-era freeze on student debt ends in October, according to a poll conducted by Pulsenomics LLC among more than 100 housing experts.Most respondents said that household formation and homeownership rates will be significantly affected for at least a year, and many predicted a longer-lasting impact.About 70% of student loan borrowers — amounting to some 30 million people — are 25-49 years of age, a time of life when many Americans typically look to set up a new home, perhaps as they get married or have children. That source of demand is likely to come under pressure as household budgets are strained by student loan repayments after almost four years o...

Why Wall Street’s obsession with a Silicon Valley company most people never heard of is sending stocks surging

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 18:10:24 GMT

New York — The stock market has boomed this year, and one big reason is a company without much name recognition — unless you’re a hard core video gamer.Nvidia (NVDA) has surged 222% this year, including a 3% bump Thursday following super impressive earnings. Although it’s been known for graphics processors, Nvidia has now become almost synonymous with AI, after successfully diving head-first into the production of the type of microchip that powers the promising technology.Demand has outpaced supply, making Nvidia the hottest of hot stocks: It’s leading the S&P 500 this year by a mile, and is now one of only a handful of companies with a market capitalization of more than $1 trillion.Investor enthusiasm for AI has also helped boost other tech stocks. Meta is up 144% this year, and the tech-heavy Nasdaq has grown 31%. But Nvidia is by far the most sought-after AI stock. The American chipmaker produces the building blocks of generative artificial intelligence (think ChatGPT and the...

Review: If players can scale difficult wall, ‘Armored Core VI’ turns into a masterpiece

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 18:10:24 GMT

Every FromSoftware game seems manageable at first. Players figure out the gameplay and overcome a few tough encounters, but then they run into a boss that’s a brick wall. No matter how hard they try, the dangerous foe beats them down and turns joy into frustration. It becomes a seemingly insurmountable obstacle.In “Elden Ring,” that boss is Margit the Fell Omen. Going up against him a few times left plenty of players frustrated. With “Sekiro: Shadows Die Twice,” that boss was Lady Butterfly, who seemingly got harder the more one fought her. In “Armored Core VI: Fires of Rubicon,” that boss, for me, was Balteus, an autonomous mech that has a shield, shoots out dozens of missiles and spews out fire when it’s damaged.I suffered through two agonizing nights trying to beat the mech. It haunted my dreams, but when I finally beat it, that’s when I realized that I learned how to play the game. I mean really play it, not just mash buttons...

The 10 most expensive reported home sales in Danville, San Ramon, Dublin, Pleasanton the week of Aug. 14

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 18:10:24 GMT

A house in Pleasanton that sold for $4.5 million tops the list of the most expensive residential real estate sales in Danville, San Ramon, Dublin, Pleasanton in the past week.In total, 21 residential real estate sales were recorded in the area during the past week, with an average price of $2.4 million. The average price per square foot ended up at $810.The prices in the list below concern real estate sales where the title was recorded during the week of Aug. 14 even if the property may have been sold earlier.10. $2.3 million, detached house in the 6000 block of Alpine Blue DriveThe 3,136 square-foot single-family house in the 6000 block of Alpine Blue Drive in San Ramon has been sold. The transfer of ownership was settled in August and the total purchase price was $2,340,000, $746 per square foot. The house was built in 2016. The house features four bedrooms and five bathrooms.9. $2.4 million, single-family house in the 400 block of Trebbiano PlaceThe sale of the single family resi...

COVID vaccine program for uninsured could be late to pharmacies

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 18:10:24 GMT

WASHINGTON — The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention’s new program to get the next generation of COVID-19 vaccines to uninsured and underinsured Americans will likely not be ready in pharmacies by the time the new vaccines hit the market as early as this September, leaving millions of high-risk Americans in the lurch.The change comes during a post-pandemic transition. The government has paid for Americans’ COVID-19 vaccines with every previous generation of COVID-19 vaccines, but with this next iteration of shots, the cost will switch to the commercial market.The CDC said the uninsured and underinsured won’t be completely out of luck. While shots are not accessible in pharmacies, uninsured and underinsured individuals can get their COVID-19 shots at community health centers and state health departments.But throughout the pandemic pharmacies have been a primary point of contact for vaccines. Nine out of 10 Americans live within five miles of a pharmacy, according to an analysi...

Kaiser reinstates mask mandate in Santa Rosa due to rise in COVID cases

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 18:10:24 GMT

(KRON) -- Kaiser Permanente has reinstated its mask mandate policy at its Santa Rosa hospital due to an increase in COVID-19 cases. The masking requirement is mandated for physicians, staff, patients, members and visitors in the hospital and medical offices. For all other Kaiser Permanente facilities in Northern California, masks are highly recommended to prevent the spread of respiratory illnesses. Scientists solve deep-sea ‘Octopus Garden’ mystery off California coast Infection prevention and control experts for Kaiser continue to monitor transmission rates closely and encourage individuals to get the COVID-19 vaccine.Kaiser Permanente issued the following statement to KRON4 that read in part: "Kaiser Permanente Northern California is committed to protecting the safety of our members, patients, employees, physicians and visitors, which includes taking appropriate steps to prevent the spread of transmissible infectious diseases in our facilities."

Man who violently attacked 2 women in SOMA convicted on multiple charges

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 18:10:24 GMT

SAN FRANCISCO (KRON) -- A man who violently attacked two women in San Francisco's South of Market neighborhood in 2021 has been convicted of multiple charges, the San Francisco District Attorney's Office announced Thursday. Javon Knighten, 29, was convicted in a trial by jury for the attack which occurred on Steuart Street on Oct. 26, 2021.According to evidence cited by the DA's office, Knighten attacked a woman near the intersection of Mission Street and Steuart, tackling her as she walked past him and knocking her to ground. The woman was 66-years-old at the time of the attack. 2 women shot near Fruitvale BART station in Oakland A witness, a 31-year-old woman, pursued Knighten on her skateboard before he later punched, kicked and stabbed her. He was arrested a few blocks away on the 200 block of Market Street after resisting officers, the DA said.Knighten was convicted on charges that included:Assault with a deadly weapon with an allegation that he caused great bodily injuryAssa...