The Great Lakes — known for ice fishing and frozen winter waves — rang in the New Year almost naked.
Ice covered less than 0.4% of the Great Lakes on New Year's Day, according to the Great Lakes Environmental Research Laboratory, which uses satellite data to measure ice concentrations.
“It’s basically nothing,” said James Kessler, a physical scientist with the laboratory, which is part of the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration. “We have about 50 years of data. On Jan. 1, the average for today is about 9%.”
Kessler said that while the ice coverage is well below normal, it’s not unprecedented to have ice concentrations below 1% on Jan. 1, when it’s still early in the season.
The amount of ice on the Great Lakes — Lake Superior, Lake Michigan, Lake Huron, Lake Erie and Lake Ontario — determines when and how raw materials and cargo can be shipped from Midwest ports. Fish species, like whitefish, depend on ice cover to protect their eggs for reproduction. Lower ice levels could increase erosion and contribute to shifting weather patterns in the region.
Kessler said that unseasonably warm air temperatures this season have prevented ice from forming on the lakes' surface. His research shows Great Lakes annual ice coverage is extremely variable each year, but trending lower at a rate of about 5% each decade.
“That’s certainly an indication of climate change,” he said.
Ice typically reaches its maximum extent from mid-February to early March. In an average year, ice covers about 40% of the Great Lakes at peak.
Last year, ice coverage peaked at about 23% and by mid-February, ice only covered 7% of the lakes.
Weather forecasters expect little to change this week.
Over the next five days, “the forecast isn't particularly favorable for ice growth either as temperatures are expected to remain mostly above normal for the entire Great Lakes region,” according to an ice outlook produced by the National Weather Service in Cleveland.
January 03, 2024 at 04:23AM
https://news.google.com/rss/articles/CBMibWh0dHBzOi8vd3d3Lm5iY25ld3MuY29tL3NjaWVuY2UvZW52aXJvbm1lbnQvZ3JlYXQtbGFrZXMtc2VlLWxpdHRsZS1pY2Utd2FybWVyLXRlbXBlcmF0dXJlcy1wZXJzaXN0LXJjbmExMzE5NTnSAStodHRwczovL3d3dy5uYmNuZXdzLmNvbS9uZXdzL2FtcC9yY25hMTMxOTU5?oc=5
Great Lakes see little ice as warmer temperatures persist - NBC News
The Great Lakes — known for ice fishing and frozen winter waves — rang in the New Year almost naked.
Ice covered less than 0.4% of the Great Lakes on New Year's Day, according to the Great Lakes Environmental Research Laboratory, which uses satellite data to measure ice concentrations.
“It’s basically nothing,” said James Kessler, a physical scientist with the laboratory, which is part of the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration. “We have about 50 years of data. On Jan. 1, the average for today is about 9%.”
Kessler said that while the ice coverage is well below normal, it’s not unprecedented to have ice concentrations below 1% on Jan. 1, when it’s still early in the season.
The amount of ice on the Great Lakes — Lake Superior, Lake Michigan, Lake Huron, Lake Erie and Lake Ontario — determines when and how raw materials and cargo can be shipped from Midwest ports. Fish species, like whitefish, depend on ice cover to protect their eggs for reproduction. Lower ice levels could increase erosion and contribute to shifting weather patterns in the region.
Kessler said that unseasonably warm air temperatures this season have prevented ice from forming on the lakes' surface. His research shows Great Lakes annual ice coverage is extremely variable each year, but trending lower at a rate of about 5% each decade.
“That’s certainly an indication of climate change,” he said.
Ice typically reaches its maximum extent from mid-February to early March. In an average year, ice covers about 40% of the Great Lakes at peak.
Last year, ice coverage peaked at about 23% and by mid-February, ice only covered 7% of the lakes.
Weather forecasters expect little to change this week.
Over the next five days, “the forecast isn't particularly favorable for ice growth either as temperatures are expected to remain mostly above normal for the entire Great Lakes region,” according to an ice outlook produced by the National Weather Service in Cleveland.
January 03, 2024 at 04:23AM
https://news.google.com/rss/articles/CBMibWh0dHBzOi8vd3d3Lm5iY25ld3MuY29tL3NjaWVuY2UvZW52aXJvbm1lbnQvZ3JlYXQtbGFrZXMtc2VlLWxpdHRsZS1pY2Utd2FybWVyLXRlbXBlcmF0dXJlcy1wZXJzaXN0LXJjbmExMzE5NTnSAStodHRwczovL3d3dy5uYmNuZXdzLmNvbS9uZXdzL2FtcC9yY25hMTMxOTU5?oc=5
Great Lakes see little ice as warmer temperatures persist - NBC News
Autopsies are not required for federal prison deaths that are classified as natural. NPR found cases where medical neglect, poor prison conditions and a lack of resources contributed to these deaths. But families were given little information. Dion MBD for NPR
Dion MBD for NPR
Kesha Jackson was preparing for her husband, John, to be home in a few weeks. He was incarcerated in Forrest City federal prison in Arkansas, awaiting a court hearing for early release after 18 years. But then Jackson got a concerning call from other inmates.
Her husband, in the special housing unit, was going in and out of consciousness, the inmates told her. He tried banging on the door for help. Three days later, an officer handcuffed him and tried to give him CPR.
He died soon after. And as she waited for some explanation, Jackson was surprised to learn what prison officials pronounced as the manner of death: "Natural."
By deeming the death natural, prison authorities were not required to conduct an autopsy for Jackson's death. It's how they characterize at least three-quarters of all federal prison deaths since 2009, yet NPR has found "natural" deaths with details that raise questions for family members.
"When his medical records came home after he passed away, I saw that it was MRSA," Jackson said.
Kesha Jackson was expecting her husband, John, to return from prison when she received a concerning call from other inmates. Her husband, in the special housing unit, was going in and out of consciousness, the inmates told her. Nate Smallwood for NPR
Nate Smallwood for NPR
MRSA is a staph infection – caused by a type of dangerous, drug-resistant bacteria. But it is not generally fatal if treated immediately. John contracted it after he was moved to the Forrest City federal prison in 2017. According to his medical records, he still had the infection over two years later.
"Saying that it's a natural death can sometimes be misleading because I believe that having the proper medical treatment could have possibly saved his life," Jackson said.
The CDC says natural deaths happen either solely or almost entirely because of disease or old age. Yet 70 percent of the inmates who died in federal prison the last 13 years were under the age of 65. After speaking to some of the families of these inmates, NPR found that potential issues such as medical neglect, poor prison conditions and a lack of healthcare resources were left unexplained once a "natural" death designation ended hopes of an investigation. Meanwhile, family members were left with little information about their loved one's death.
In Jackson's case, she called the prison for six hours before she got a response. A correctional officer told her that the warden was in a meeting about her husband and she will get a call back. She says she never did.
"The prison doesn't have to contact family members unless it's a matter of life and death, I guess," Jackson said. "Well he's dead, so where was the contact? I should have been contacted as soon as there was an incident."
Jackson remembers multiple calls with her husband where he complained about the lack of hygiene and cleanliness in the prison. He complained of an infected wound in his calf and was asked to wait more than a week for medical attention. After the wound burst in the shower, he was hospitalized for a day and a half and got diagnosed with MRSA. But he wasn't given medication regularly. He bought aspirin from the commissary and drank lots of water, according to Jackson.
Homer Venters, a federal court monitor of jail and prison healthcare, calls deaths like Jackson's "jail attributable."
He says this is when "things that happened behind bars significantly contributed to the outcome of death, despite the fact that a medical examiner ultimately says it was a natural-causes death. This is a very common problem and it's a commonly missed source of the health risks of incarceration."
Venters says that calling a death natural often does not provide a full picture.
"So we have this very old, antiquated idea that the coroner or medical examiner, when they say a death was from natural causes or from homicide, that that should somehow determine whether or not people got what they needed behind bars," Venters said.
Jackson looks through a family photo album from visits to her late husband John Jackson, while he was in prison. Nate Smallwood for NPR
Nate Smallwood for NPR
The Office of Inspector General for the BOP recently launched an investigation into all non-natural federal inmate deaths in custody from 2014 to 2021. Natural deaths are not included in this investigation.
But NPR spoke with multiple families of inmates who died natural deaths who believed their loved one's death warrants scrutiny. For instance: an inmate in a prison medical center in Springfield, Mo., waited weeks to be treated for bleeding in his digestive tract. He died soon after hospitalization. An inmate in Arkansas complained of stomach pain for a year and a half before his death. His family was not provided with any more details.
Another inmate in Missouri died of respiratory failure, and his death was pronounced natural. But according to medical examiner records obtained by NPR, his death was later treated as a homicide. His family found out about this information for the first time from NPR.
Andrea Armstrong, a professor at the Loyola University New Orleans College of Law who researches prison and jail conditions, says that categorizing natural deaths differently could make a change.
"It helps us figure out which of these deaths were influenced and, in fact, more likely to be preventable if they had more timely action and intervention," Armstrong said. "Just saying natural causes obscures the role that medical care that was provided within the facility played in the death and to what extent that actually complied with community standards of care."
On a Sunday morning in March, Celia Wilson got a Facebook message from an unknown account. It was about her brother, Lenny Wilson, and turned out to be from his prison cellmate.
The message said her brother "was running on the track and collapsed" and then taken to a hospital. After Wilson tried for several hours to get ahold of a prison official, she called three hospitals in the surrounding area before she found one that confirmed her brother had been admitted there.
The first call she got from the BOP came two days later, from her brother's case manager. He told her not to worry.
"He said that my brother is communicating and we think he's going to be just fine," Wilson said. "We were so relieved at that point. And we all sit down, write letters, get him letters in the mail that day."
But Alison Guernsey, Wilson's attorney and also a clinical professor at the University of Iowa, found different information in his medical records.
"Celia [Wilson] would say they think that there's signs of life and maybe vitals are getting better. And then we would ask for those medical records and they wouldn't actually say that," Guernsey said.
She had to file public records requests every day for updates on Lenny Wilson's health after the collapse.
"It was quite difficult to get someone from the Bureau of Prisons to actually tell us what was going on," Guernsey said.
Two weeks after his collapse, Wilson's brother died. His death was pronounced natural.
"They wouldn't give us any information while he was in the hospital," Wilson said. "I just received a call on Easter Sunday morning that he had passed."
Wilson later was told by her brother's cellmate that he had not received help for almost ten minutes after his collapse. She is still waiting to receive his autopsy report.
"Everybody says that it's someone else's job to make sure things happen," Wilson said. "But I can tell you that I am so exhausted from doing this and beating my head against a wall and trying to get just something, give us something so that we can attempt to start to put closure."
Jackson's reflection is seen on a portrait of her late husband. John Jackson died of a staph infection he contracted while in prison but his records said his death was "natural." Nate Smallwood for NPR
Nate Smallwood for NPR
Currently, autopsies are not required for federal prison deaths that are pronounced natural, unless deemed necessary by the warden. However, the BOP does submit a multi-level mortality review report to the Office of Quality Management, which is meant to summarize how the death was handled. This report is not provided to the public or the families of the inmates. NPR submitted a public records request for all mortality review reports since 2009 and have yet to receive them.
The BOP declined NPR's request for an interview but said that all deaths are investigated thoroughly. A spokesperson also said that there are detailed procedures to notify family members after an inmate's death.
Wilson, who worked in corrections for 20 years, said she believes the BOP could have done more.
"I still work in government and this is not the system I know," Wilson said. "My brother didn't deserve to die in prison."
Robert Little edited this story. Noah Caldwell produced it. Additional data analysis by Nick McMillan and Dan Wood.Photo editing by Emily Bogle.
January 02, 2024 at 05:00PM
https://news.google.com/rss/articles/CBMiYGh0dHBzOi8vd3d3Lm5wci5vcmcvMjAyNC8wMS8wMi8xMjE5NjY3MzkzL3RoZXJlLWlzLWxpdHRsZS1zY3J1dGlueS1vZi1uYXR1cmFsLWRlYXRocy1iZWhpbmQtYmFyc9IBAA?oc=5
Young people are dying 'natural deaths' in prisons - NPR
Little Debbie makes some of the most iconic store-bought treats. Some are available year-round, while others only come around once a year. After a holiday season filled with Christmas Tree Cakes and Cherry Cordials (as well as the special ice cream versions of those), it’s time to look ahead to the new seasonal snack cakes coming around the corner.
Recently on social media, the news leaked that Little Debbie’s Valentine’s Day season is kicking off early with a lineup of returning favorites and new items that are already making us say “be mine.”
Little Debbie’s Valentine Treats Are Coming
Eight Valentine’s Day-themed products are coming out this winter, including six returning products. The returning products are Valentine Nutty Buddy, Valentine Cherry Cordials, Valentine Iced Brownies, and three different Valentine Cakes: vanilla, chocolate, and strawberry. The cakes and brownies are all heart-shaped (as well as heart-eye-inducing).
This year, two new items are coming out as well. The heart-shaped vanilla snack cakes are also releasing for the first time in the brand’s Big Pack format, and Valentine Mini Donuts are making their first appearance in the Valentine lineup. Little Debbie’s Big Pack goodies feature the treats you love (for example, the heart-shaped snack cake that generally comes in a twin pack) transformed into larger-size individually wrapped goodies.
Fans are pleased with the lineup and expressed excitement for some returning items saying, “Yes!!! I've been waiting for the strawberry,” as well as interest in the mini donuts—and a hope that they’ll actually be able to find the treats. While some commenters say they’ve already spotted and purchased some of the seasonal products, others said that they had a hard time finding the holiday-themed products. Now that we know they’re coming, we’ll be keeping our eyes peeled for the sweet treats.
January 02, 2024
https://news.google.com/rss/articles/CBMiUWh0dHBzOi8vd3d3LnlhaG9vLmNvbS9saWZlc3R5bGUvbGl0dGxlLWRlYmJpZS10cmVhdHMtY29taW5nLXN0b3Jlcy0xNzAwMDAxNjIuaHRtbNIBWWh0dHBzOi8vd3d3LnlhaG9vLmNvbS9hbXBodG1sL2xpZmVzdHlsZS9saXR0bGUtZGViYmllLXRyZWF0cy1jb21pbmctc3RvcmVzLTE3MDAwMDE2Mi5odG1s?oc=5
New Little Debbie Treats Are Coming to Stores Soon - Yahoo Life
Krystal Gonzalez was preparing for an event recently when she opened one of her daughter’s journals to a page of self-affirmations written out by Aaliyah.
I am important. I communicate clearly and effectively. I am not afraid to speak my mind and do it respectfully. I maintain my character.
The 300 mark has since 2015 served as a disturbing touchstone for the city’s unrelenting violence. Officials say the media has inflated the significance of the figure: Whether 299 or 301 people are killed, one is too many. Still, officials acknowledge its symbolic power, including as a litmus test for mayors, and its ability to elude leaders in recent years.
Staying below 300 homicides — and achieving a double-digit reduction in slayings — is significant progress, said Baltimore Mayor Brandon Scott, a Democrat running for reelection in November. Researcher Daniel Webster, too, said it’s important to give the city credit, particularly as other municipalities see slower progress or even upticks in slayings.
But it’s little comfort for Gonzalez and likely many other families left mourning, even as they join city leaders in hoping it marks the start of a steady decline in violence.
Aaliyah was more than a photo on the news, Gonzalez said.
Krystal Gonzalez shown alongside her daughter, Aaliyah, who was shot and killed in July at an annual Brooklyn Day block party celebration. Gonzalez has become an advocate for anti-gun violence education in the wake of her daughter’s death. (Courtesy of Krystal Gonzalez/Handout photo)
Her daughter had a magnetic personality and welcoming spirit that drew strangers toward her. She was willing to give what she had to others and wanted to be better for people in her life, at times prompting her mother’s call to be a little easier on herself. She wanted to be part of something.
“I never want to forget those memories,” Gonzalez said.
Cities across the country are expected to see about a 10% to 12% decline in killings this year, according to Webster, a Johns Hopkins University professor who studies gun violence.
Baltimore is outpacing that rate, with a more than 20% drop in homicides compared to last year.
The reality, Webster said, is that any single gun violence strategy is rarely a cure-all. Reductions take a confluence of elements working together.
Baltimore’s recent success, for example, is likely some combination of its flagship anti-violence program, Safe Streets, alongside the expanding GVRS initiative, with the potential help of a new prosecutor’s administration or statewide changes to gun laws, he said. Additional factors for the number dropping could include the nation taking steps toward normalcy following the pandemic or be as simple as a better job by police of apprehending shooters.
Credit, too, could be doled out widely: the mayor, the city state’s attorney, the U.S. attorney and people working in the “trenches” doing mediation or anti-violence work, Webster said. Preventing one person from resorting to violence might in turn prevent a wave of retaliatory shootings.
Whatever the contributing factors, Webster doubts it’s a “fluke.”
“Clearly, something is working better than it had been,” he said. “The real test will be: Can you continue to bring it down in 2024?”
Scott in 2021 pledged an annual 15% reduction in gun violence over the next five years. He said in an interview that people then laughed at the goal, saying Baltimore would never see such a drop.
“Not only did we do it, we beat that number,” Scott said. “More importantly, we did it at the same time we’re hearing illegal arrests are down. We’re doing it the right way.”
A recent assessment indicated officers were making fewer arrests without probable cause, an issue highlighted by the federal government in its scathing 2016 review that led to a policing consent decree with the city in 2017. But even as the police department has seen bright spots this year — slightly better clearance rates for homicides and nonfatal shootings, high gun seizures — challenges remain.
Councilman Mark Conway, a Democrat representing neighborhoods in North Baltimore who leads the City Council’s Public Safety and Government Operations Committee, cited “very worrying” rates of young people being shot as one priority for 2024.
He pointed to recent statistics shared by the Baltimore Police Department that recorded a reduction in young people killed in 2023, but a double-digit year-over-year increase in nonfatal shootings. As of Dec. 26, 16 people aged 17 and younger were killed, compared to 20 in 2022. But 94 were shot and wounded, up from 72 in 2022 — a 30.5% increase.
“When you’re looking at homicides versus shootings, if you put that bullet in one or two inches in either direction, that’s life or death,” Conway said.
Webster said he hopes to see Baltimore be more “intentional” toward the issue in the coming year. He’s expressed skepticism that traditional mediation efforts through Safe Streets are effective in reaching young people — and hopes to see the city examine what works to curb youth violence.
“How do we address the gun access issue? How do we address the social media phenomenon?” he asked, referring to the idea that “beefs” between young people can grow online, and allow perpetrators to track where targets are in real time.
Public safety is expected to play a pivotal role in May’s mayoral primary, as is common in Baltimore politics. Scott’s principal Democratic challenger, former Mayor Sheila Dixon, has honed in on crime in her campaign, acknowledging declines in violent crime, but pointing to a spike in auto thefts as a concern for residents.
In the “dark” period immediately after she lost her daughter, Gonzalez would walk endlessly, unable to sit still.
With every step, she would talk to God and to Aaliyah. Sometimes she would hug herself and feel her daughter’s embrace. Other times, she’d hold her hand out by her side, empty without the hand she imagined holding.
“I could not see how I could live, missing her,” Gonzalez said. “How do you all of a sudden move without this huge part of your life?”
Aaliyah Gonzalez may not be a typical Baltimore homicide victim — she was a woman, not a man, was younger than the average victim, and was from Glen Burnie rather than the city.
But her death in the July mass shooting was one that captured the city’s attention, rising above the daily fray. When Baltimore looks back on 2023, it will remember the Brooklyn Day tragedy alongside any optimism about homicide rates.
For Gonzalez, the only way she’s found to make meaning of Aaliyah’s killing is to turn it into purpose.
She’s spoken about her daughter to town halls and at City Council hearings, including one she brought to a stunned halt with her moving testimony. She’s working to bring anti-gun violence education into schools. And she’s urged people to see the Brooklyn Day shootings as a “mirror” held up to illuminate the needs of underserved or under-resourced communities.
“The only way I can honor her is to continue to shine her light on this world,” Gonzalez said of Aaliyah. “Because she was snatched. That light was snatched.”
Krystal Gonzalez shown alongside her daughter, Aaliyah, who was shot and killed in July at an annual Brooklyn Day block party celebration. Gonzalez has become an advocate for anti-gun violence education in the wake of her daughter’s death. (Courtesy of Krystal Gonzalez/Handout photo)
Even now, she still reaches for her phone to call her daughter. In one recent instance, she went to share the progress she’d made connecting with schools about anti-gun violence programming, only to remember Aaliyah is gone, and the reason for her activism.
Gonzalez’s family has joined a group of survivors and victims’ families that has said it could sue the city. Other steps are less clear, but Gonzalez knows she’ll be motivated by her daughter.
“Everything I do is always going to be honoring her,” she said. “I don’t know what that looks like. Every day is unfolding, every day is different. Because my whole life is different. But whatever it is that I do, I’m making sure to include her in it.”
Baltimore Sun reporter Angela Roberts contributed to this article.
January 02, 2024 at 03:57AM
https://news.google.com/rss/articles/CBMiS2h0dHBzOi8vd3d3LmJhbHRpbW9yZXN1bi5jb20vMjAyNC8wMS8wMS8yMDIzLWhvbWljaWRlcy1iYWx0aW1vcmUtdW5kZXItMzAwL9IBAA?oc=5
Baltimore stays under 300 killings for first time in years. It's little comfort for families whose 'light was snatched.' - Baltimore Sun
Late in the first quarter of Michigan’s showdown with Ohio State last month, offensive coordinator Sherrone Moore felt that the Wolverines were in need of a lift.
Fortunately, he knew just where to find one. Moore reached for a white pinkie-sized packet, lifted it to his nose, and inhaled deeply. Then he offered it to several Michigan players who took a hit of their own.
January 01, 2024 at 07:02PM
https://news.google.com/rss/articles/CBMiXWh0dHBzOi8vd3d3Lndzai5jb20vc3BvcnRzL2Zvb3RiYWxsL21pY2hpZ2FuLWFsYWJhbWEtcGxheW9mZi1oYXJiYXVnaC1zbWVsbGluZy1zYWx0cy1jMmUyZDkyYdIBAA?oc=5
The Little White Packet That Gives Michigan's Players a Lift - The Wall Street Journal
The 38-year-old actor, best known for playing Noel Kahn on Pretty Little Liars, announced through an Instagram post on Monday that he and wife Kim Daugherty welcomed their second baby, a boy.
"We were gonna post for the holidays but ended up having the merriest Christmas of all. Welcome to the world, Aero Lore Daugherty," Brant wrote in his caption.
In his post, the now-dad-of-two shared a selection of photographs and videos of his newborn son posing with his older brother, 2-year-old Wilder.
Brant also included a sweet selfie of himself holding Aero in the hospital after his birth.
Brant Daugherty and his new baby, son Aero Lore Daugherty.
Brant Daugherty/Instagram
In October, Brant and Kim announced that they would be growing their family.
"I told him, 'You're going to be a big brother, now go tell Daddy,' " Kim told E! News of sharing the news with the couple's first child. "And he brought the box over to Brant and gave it to him."
At the time, Brant reflected on the special moment, saying, "My toddler just came up to me with a box and I had no idea what it was!"
Aero Lore Daugherty.
Brant Daugherty/Instagram
The couple also announced the news on Brant's Instagram, posting an image from a family photoshoot.
"Us and our boy...s❤️," the actor captioned his photo.
Never miss a story — sign up for PEOPLE's free daily newsletter to stay up-to-date on the best of what PEOPLE has to offer, from juicy celebrity news to compelling human interest stories.
"We're at that point in our lives where we are ready and excited to be parents," Kim said at the time. "It's something we both knew we wanted. It's so special to start a family of our own."
"When we were first dating and thinking about being exclusive, we had a talk about what we wanted for the future. Marriage and kids were high on the list," Brant added. "It's exciting to be at this point now, so far along in the plan."
January 02, 2024 at 01:01AM
https://news.google.com/rss/articles/CBMiY2h0dHBzOi8vcGVvcGxlLmNvbS9wcmV0dHktbGl0dGxlLWxpYXJzLWJyYW50LWRhdWdoZXJ0eS1hbmQtd2lmZS1raW0td2VsY29tZS1iYWJ5LW5vLTItYS1ib3ktODQyMDcwMdIBAA?oc=5
Pretty Little Liars' Brant Daugherty, Wife Kim Welcome Baby No. 2, a Boy - PEOPLE
:max_bytes(150000):strip_icc():focal(741x161:743x163)/Brant-kim-Daugherty-baby-010124-tout-737dd5bcab454b11827dfadda4373ee3.jpg)
