Tuesday, August 27, 2024
It is Tuesday, August 27, 2024. Here are today’s top stories.
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New England on alert for disease spread by mosquitoes
Today, a man in New Hampshire died from a rare and serious disease after being bitten by a mosquito.
The disease is called EEE, short for eastern equine encephalitis. The CDC said approximately 30% of people with EEE die and many survivors have ongoing neurological problems.
NBC News said a Massachusetts man in his 80s contracted the disease after being bitten by a mosquito. A town in Massachusetts, Plymouth, has closed its parks and fields each evening after a horse became infected.
Four other towns in the state are urging people to avoid going outdoors at night. Several town officials have conducted truck-mounted spraying and aerial spraying to kill mosquito populations.
NBC said there was an outbreak of EEE in 2019 that killed six people in Massachusetts. There are no vaccines or treatment for EEE.
https://www.nbcboston.com/news/local/ma-eee-mosquito-spraying/3470869/
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Hostage rescued from Gaza
The Israeli military said they rescued a hostage that was kidnapped during Hamas’ attack on Israel on Oct. 7.
The hostage’s name is Qaid Farhan Alkadi (52). He was in an underground tunnel in southern Gaza. Qaid appears to be in good health.
An Israeli group that advocates for the return of hostages said this is wonderful news but they want to see the Israeli government reach a deal to bring the rest of the hostages home.
There are ongoing negotiations for a ceasefire and a hostage deal in Egypt.
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MLB player plays for both teams in historic first
MLB player Danny Jansen made history by playing on both teams in one game between the Blue Jays and the Red Sox.
How? On June 26, Jansen played for the Blue Jays in a game that was suspended and delayed due to rain. A month later, Jansen was traded to the Red Sox.
On Monday night of this week, that delayed game resumed and Jansen was on the other side. So he played in the same game on different sides!
The manager of the Red Sox said it was a very cool moment to be a part of history. Jansen said he would send a jersey he wore in the game to the Baseball hall of Fame.
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Zuckerberg regrets “bowing to pressure from Biden
Meta CEO Mark Zuckerberg said yesterday that the Biden administration was wrong to pressure his social media platforms, Facebook and Instagram, to block or take down posts that had inaccurate information during the Covid-19 pandemic in 2021.
Meta said it removed more than 20 million pieces of content from Facebook and Instagram for violating the company’s Covid-19 misinformation policies, including posts that were humorous or satire.
Zuckerberg said in a letter to Congress that he believes that government pressure was wrong and he regrets that he was not more outspoken about it.
The Biden administration said it stands by its actions, that it believes tech companies should consider the effects their actions have on the American public.
https://www.axios.com/2024/08/27/zuckerberg-biden-administration-meta-censor-covid
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That is all the top stories for today. See you tomorrow and stay with the light.