A potentially fatal mystery illness in dogs is spreading in the US. It starts with a cough

MAURA HOHMAN
November 16, 2023 

Getty Images


A mysterious and potentially fatal respiratory illness in dogs has been reported in several states across the country, as veterinarians continue to search for what may be causing the condition that has killed some dogs.

The illness starts out as a cough that can last for several weeks, but it may not respond to antibiotics, which can leave the dog struggling to breathe and with severe pneumonia.

"It seems to happen very, very quickly — to go from this cough that’s just won’t go away ... and then all of a sudden they develop this pneumonia," Dr. Lindsey Ganzer, veterinarian and CEO at North Springs Veterinary Referral Center in Colorado Springs, Colorado, tells TODAY.com.

Ganzer estimates her hospital has seen close to 30 dogs with the condition since the middle of October. She adds that cases are "really not slowing down," with two to three coming in a day, most requiring hospitalization. She says four to five of the dogs her hospital has seen have died due to the illness, but they arrived already in respiratory distress with pneumonia.

It's not a time for dog owners to "become paralyzed with fear," Dr. Kurt Williams, director of Oregon Veterinary Diagnostics Lab, who's been researching the illness for the past month and a half, tells TODAY.com.

"I think concern is fine," he says, adding that dog owners may want to consider taking precautions to prevent illness, such as avoiding scenarios with other dogs and making sure dogs are up to date on vaccinations, especially against respiratory diseases.
Mystery dog illness 2023

Dogs with this mystery illness usually have coughing, sneezing, eye or nose discharge, are abnormally tired, and do not test positive for any of the common causes of respiratory illness, the Oregon Department of Agriculture noted in a Nov. 9 press release.

Dogs are most likely to contract the infection by being in close contact with numerous other dogs — so places like day care, dog parks, groomers or boarding kennels, Ganzer explains.

Since mid-August, the Oregon Department of Agriculture has received reports of over 200 cases of the illness from veterinarians in the state. It's not known how many dogs have died.

A spokesperson tells TODAY.com that cases are still being reported in Oregon and that the department is working with other health authorities to try to find the cause of the illnesses. Veterinarians who see cases are encouraged to report them to the Oregon Department of Agriculture.

Williams points out that one of the challenges is defining what cases "fall under this umbrella of this particular entity that we're all investigating." That's because dogs can develop a cough for a variety of reasons, and it takes time to rule out known causes.

"We're still trying to pin down a potential cause or causes for the entity. At least in Oregon, it's given us some some challenges," Williams says, adding that he was contacted late Wednesday about running tests on a dog that died from severe respiratory disease.

Williams speculates the cause could be a virus because "the way the cases are presenting, the way that they're apparently spreading, anecdotally, of course ... it sounds infectious." But he says it's important for researchers to "keep an open mind" to other causes.

In its press release, the Oregon Department of Agriculture noted that the illness can progress in three ways: a mild to moderate cough for six to eight weeks or longer that either doesn't respond to antibiotics or only responds a little; chronic pneumonia that doesn't respond to antibiotics; or severe pneumonia that "often leads to poor outcomes in as little as 24 to 36 hours."

While this mystery dog illness is making headlines in 2023, Ganzer notes that it's been around since last year. Her hospital has been sending off samples from the dogs to a research lab in New Hampshire, which has been studying the illness since 2022.

Where in the U.S. has the illness been reported?

According to Ganzer and the Oregon Department of Health, cases that match the description of the mystery dog illness have been reported, officially or anecdotally, in:

Oregon


Colorado


New Hampshire and the surrounding Northeast area


California


Indiana


Illinois


Washington


Idaho


Georgia


Florida

The American Veterinary Medical Association tells TODAY.com in a statement that it's monitoring cases of canine respiratory illness in Oregon and has been in contact with state officials. The Association reiterates that the cause of the illness is still unknown.

In recent weeks, there have also been multiple reports of outbreaks of a deadly respiratory illness in dogs at animal shelters in the U.S. The San Diego Humane Society has lost four dogs to a "severe respiratory canine illness," according to a Nov. 15 press release.

However, the disease at San Diego Humane Society has been linked to two particular bacteria, Strep zoo and Mycoplasma. Dr. Zarah Hedge, chief medical officer at San Diego Humane Society, tells TODAY.com that she believes the outbreak at her shelter and others she's heard about — such as one in Las Vegas — are not related to the mystery dog illness. That's because Strep zoo and Mycoplasma are easily treatable with the right antibiotics, which saved many dogs at her shelter during the recent outbreak. Also, the sick dogs she's seen didn't have a long-term cough, she says.

The American Veterinary Medical Association also tells TODAY.com there's no indication of a connection between the outbreaks.

That said, Hedge is still concerned about the damage that severe respiratory infections, both known and unknown, can cause in dogs, especially in shelters.

"We are seeing numbers of dogs coming into shelters that we haven't seen in a very long time," Hedge says. "A lot of shelters across the country are overcrowded, and it just sets you up for disease outbreaks."
Symptoms of the mystery dog illness

Symptoms of the mystery dog illness include:

Coughing that doesn't get better on its own after a week or so


Sneezing


Nasal or eye discharge


Lethargy


Trouble breathing, especially from the stomach


Blue or purple gums (due to not getting enough oxygen)

Ganzer stresses that any dog owners who notice their dog coughing, especially if they recently spent time with lots of other dogs, such as at a day care, kennel or dog park, should be taken to the vet right away. You shouldn't wait to see if the cough clears up on its own as earlier treatment makes a big difference in recovery, she adds.
What owners can do about the mystery dog illness

Ganzer says her No. 1 tip is to keep dogs from areas where they're likely to come into contact with other dogs (but do not delay taking your dog to the vet for needed medical care).

Keeping dogs out of these situations may be difficult for many families as the holidays approach because many people rely on boarding kennels when they travel. However, Ganzer says to avoid boarding dogs over the holidays "if at all possible," adding that she's "so scared" about what may happen with the mystery illness after dogs across the country are boarded for the holidays.

"I understand that there are circumstances that are unavoidable and that some people have to (board their dogs), but I would not take this lightly," she explains. "If there's somebody that can even just come to your house and let your dog out, that's a better option."

Williams agrees that it’s “prudent” to be concerned right now about putting dogs in scenarios where they may come into contact with many other dogs. If you need to put your dog in such a situation, he suggests contacting your vet ahead of time for guidance.

To keep your dog safe and healthy overall, Hedge also recommends making sure your dog is up to date on routine vaccinations.

If your dog has been diagnosed with the mystery coughing illness, Ganzer suggests asking your veterinarian about submitting a sample to a research lab to help with the efforts to identify the cause.

This article was originally published on TODAY.com

‘Miracle dog’ returned to family after staying with owner who died hiking

GUARDIAN STAFF AND AGENCY
November 17, 2023 

Photograph: AP

A faithful dog who survived after spending more than 10 weeks by her owner when he died on a mountain hike is safely back with the rest of her human loved ones – and back on the trails – the family has said.

Related: New York animal control officer arrested in yorkie dognap plot

Rich Moore, 71, of Pagosa Springs, Colorado, died of hypothermia while hiking in the San Juan mountains in the south of the state in August.

The body of the aging hiker had been missing ever since, until it was discovered by a hunter on 30 October who was surprised also to find that the man’s little dog was not only with her master but was still alive.

The jack russell, Finney, was reportedly very protective of Moore’s body. She had lost about half her body weight and her ribs were visible, officials have said.

Moore and Finney set out to climb Blackhead Peak on 19 August, a rugged mountain east of Pagosa Springs, but didn’t return home. A days-long search between the peak and his vehicle was unsuccessful.

Now, “Finney is doing well,” Moore’s wife, Dana Holby, told the Associated Press on Thursday. “She has gained almost all of her weight back and her strength is almost where it was. She is the miracle dog.”

She does have an injury on her snout that might leave a scar, Holby said.

“She is now three, very clingy and will not let me out of her sight,” Holby said. “Her ravenous appetite has calmed down, but at first she could not get enough to eat and wanted food at all times of the day and night.”

Finney’s survival story has made her famous on the hiking trails around Pagosa Springs, Holby said.

“People say, ‘Is that Finney?’” to which Holby responds with an enthusiastic “Yes!”

“She is such a comfort to me and a great companion on hikes,” covering four to five miles a day, Holby said.

“I know that she was with Rich to the very end and somehow that should be a comfort. I don’t know how she did it, but she was there when he needed her,” Holby said.

Dog who survived 72 days in mountains after owner's death is regaining weight, back on hiking trails

AMY BETH HANSON
November 16, 2023



A faithful dog who survived after spending more than 10 weeks by her owner who died of hypothermia while hiking in the Colorado mountains has regained most of the weight she lost during her ordeal and is back on the trails, the family said Thursday.

Rich Moore, 71, of Pagosa Springs, Colorado, set out with his Jack Russell terrier named Finney to climb Blackhead Peak on Aug. 19, but didn't return home. A dayslong search between the peak and his vehicle was unsuccessful.

A hunter found his body and a very protective Finney in the San Juan Mountains of southwestern Colorado on Oct. 30. Finney had lost about half her body weight and her ribs were visible, officials have said.

Less than three weeks later, “Finney is doing well,” Moore's wife, Dana Holby, told The Associated Press on Thursday. “She has gained almost all of her weight back and her strength is almost where it was. She is the miracle dog.”

She does have an injury on her snout that might leave a scar, Holby said.


“She is now 3, very clingy and will not let me out of her sight,” Holby said. “Her ravenous appetite has calmed down, but at first she could not get enough to eat and wanted food at all times of the day and night.”

Finney's survival story has made her famous on the hiking trails around Pagosa Springs, Holby said.

“People say, ‘Is that Finney?’” to which Holby responds with an enthusiastic,“Yes!”

“She is such a comfort to me and a great companion on hikes,” covering 4 to 5 miles (6.5 to 8 kilometers) a day, Holby said.

“I know that she was with Rich to the very end and somehow that should be a comfort. I don't know how she did it, but she was there when he needed her,” Holby said.

World Court: Azerbaijan must let ethnic Armenians return to Nagorno-Karabakh

November 17, 2023 



THE HAGUE (Reuters) -Judges at the World Court on Friday ordered Azerbaijan to let ethnic Armenians who fled Nagorno-Karabakh in September return, and to keep the Armenians remaining in the enclave safe, as part of a set of emergency measures.

Azerbaijan in September recaptured the region, then controlled by its ethnic Armenian majority despite being internationally recognised as part of Azerbaijan.

The lightning offensive, after decades of enmity between Baku and Yerevan and a nine-month blockade of essential supplies by Baku, prompted the mass exodus of most of the region's 120,000 ethnic Armenians to neighbouring Armenia.

Yerevan accused Azerbaijan of ethnic cleansing and asked the International Court of Justice, as the World Court is formally known, to issue emergency measures aimed at protecting the rights of ethnic Armenians from Nagorno-Karabakh.

"Azerbaijan must (...) ensure that persons who have left Nagorno-Karabakh after Sept. 19, 2023, and who wish to return to Nagorno-Karabakh are able to do so in a safe, unimpeded and expeditious manner," presiding judge Joan Donoghue said.


The court said Azerbaijan must also make sure any ethnic Armenians still living in the enclave were "free from the use of force or intimidation that may cause them to flee" and ordered that Baku report to the court in two months to show what it was doing to comply with the order.

Azerbaijan's foreign ministry said it had already pledged to ensure all residents’ safety and security, regardless of national or ethnic origin, and that it had not forced the ethnic Armenians to leave Karabakh.

"Azerbaijan is committed to upholding the human rights of the Armenian residents of Karabakh on an equal basis with other citizens of Azerbaijan," it said in a statement.

The measures are part of two competing legal disputes between Armenia and Azerbaijan before the ICJ. Both states accuse each of violating a U.N. anti-discrimination treaty.

No date has been set for the main case and a final ruling is not expected before well into next year.

(Reporting by Stephanie van den Berg and Nailia Bagirova; Editing by Andrew Heavens and Hugh Lawson, William Maclean)

SOLIDARITY
The Good Samaritan is also a lobsterman: Maine man saves person from sinking car

JEANINE SANTUCCI, USA TODAY
November 17, 2023 

A Maine lobsterman who saw a car sinking in a bay on Thursday afternoon sprang into action, grabbing his diving gear and helping first responders pull out the unconscious driver.

Manny Kourinos, a lobsterman who also has a mooring service company in Portland, Maine, said he was filled with adrenaline and knew he had the right gear to help. Kourinos told USA TODAY he's been diving for over 20 years and didn't hesitate to get in the water.

"It was a complete adrenaline rush. Other people were in the water trying to do the best they could, but they didn't have scuba gear," he said. "It was just automatic, didn't even think about it when it was happening."

Kourinos said he jumped from the lobster boat, dove to the car, grabbed the person inside by the waist and pulled them out of the driver's side window.

The 33-year-old person rescued from the car, who was not identified by authorities, was unresponsive and had no pulse but was able to be revived and is in stable condition at Maine Medical Center, police in Portland said in a statement posted to social media.

"I'm a spiritual person. I believe I was placed to be at the right place at the right time and I hope the person, the victim, has a full recovery and I wish the best for them and their family and friends," Kourinos said.


Lobsterman Manny Kourinos, shown in this undated picture, helped first responders pull a person out of a car that was sinking in the Casco Bay, Maine, on Thursday, Nov. 17, 2023.

Local news footage from News Center Maine showed images of the brightly colored car sinking into the water nose-first. By the time Kourinos got under the water, he estimated it had sunk 12 to 15 feet below the surface and was resting on the seabed, he said.

The Portland Police Department said they responded to a report of a car entering the water in the East End Beach area at the Casco Bay. It wasn't clear what caused the car to go into the water, police said, but it had been reported stolen out of South Portland earlier in the day.

Kourinos said he didn't see the vehicle go into the water, but saw something orange in the water and realized it was a car when he brought his boat closer, heard sirens and saw people swimming toward it.

After rescuing the person, Kourinos said he went back down to make sure there wasn't anybody else in the car and to get the car's license plate number.

Having to recover a body underwater "has always been one of my biggest fears," Kourinos said, but he was hopeful first responders would be able to save the person.

After the daring rescue, "we went back to work... nobody's going to do my work," he said.

This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: Maine lobsterman makes daring rescue after car goes into the water

Healthy, 100-pound southern white rhinoceros born at Virginia Zoo, the second in 3 years

EMILY DELETTER, USA TODAY
November 17, 2023 

A southern white rhinoceros was born earlier this month at the Virginia Zoo.

The female southern white rhinoceros, whose name has not yet been released, was born Nov. 9 and is the second rhinoceros ever born at the zoo in Norfolk, Virginia, according to a press release. She is the second offspring for 10-year-old mother Zina and 17-year-old father Sibindi. Zina also gave birth to the zoo's first rhinoceros calf, Mosi, in 2021.

There are now five rhinoceroses in the Virginia Zoo's crash, the term for a group of rhinoceroses.

The baby is a healthy female and weighed about 100 pounds according to a neonatal exam performed within 48 hours of birth.

Zina and the baby will remain in their night barn for the next few weeks so zookeepers can monitor them and ensure they are bonding, the zoo said, but they will be able to be seen through the barn windows.


270 miles away: Missing sailor found adrift in Atlantic Ocean reunited with family at Coast Guard base

The second southern white rhinocerous calf ever to be born at the Virginia Zoo is seen next to her mom, Zina, who gave birth on Nov. 9, 2023.

The gestation period for a southern white rhinoceros averages around 16 months, and is the second-longest in the animal kingdom behind elephants.

“This baby is invaluable to the long-term survival of the species,” Greg Bockheim, Executive Director of the Virginia Zoo, said in a release. “And like her older brother, she could not be more adorable.”

The southern white rhinoceros is native to South Africa, and the majority are found natively in four countries: South Africa, Namibia, Zimbabwe and Kenya, according to the World Wildlife Fund. While they are not white in color, their name comes from the Afrikaans word "weit," which means wide, and refers to the animal's mouth.

There are less than 16,000 left in the world, according the World Wildlife Fund, who has the species classified as "near threatened."

The Virginia Zoo said their median life expectancy is about 36 years in the wild, but they may life to be older than 40 in human care.

This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: Female southern white rhinoceros born this month at Virginia Zoo

White House accuses Musk of ‘abhorrent’ promotion of antisemitic and racist hate



JAMES TITCOMB
November 17, 2023 

The White House has accused Elon Musk of “abhorrent promotion of antisemitic and racist hate” after the world’s richest man endorsed a tweet saying that Jewish people harbour “hatred against whites”.

Andrew Bates, the White House deputy press secretary, said the Tesla billionaire had repeated a “hideous lie” by calling an antisemitic tweet “the actual truth”.

Mr Musk was embroiled in a new antisemitism row this week after responding to the tweet, which read: “Jewish communities have been pushing the exact kind of dialectic hatred against whites that they claim to want people to stop using against them.

“I’m deeply disinterested in giving the tiniest s--- now about western Jewish populations coming to the disturbing realisation that those hordes of minorities that [they] support flooding their country don’t exactly like them too much.”

Mr Musk, who has 163m followers, responded: “You have said the actual truth.”

Mr Bates said: “It is unacceptable to repeat the hideous lie behind the most fatal act of antisemitism in American history at any time, let alone one month after the deadliest day for the Jewish people since the Holocaust.

“Like President Biden said weeks ago memorialising the victims of the Pittsburgh Synagogue shooting, the October 7 ‘devastating atrocity has brought to the surface painful memories left by millennia of antisemitism;’ and under his presidency ‘we will continue to condemn antisemitism at every turn.’

“We condemn this abhorrent promotion of antisemitic and racist hate in the strongest terms, which runs against our core values as Americans. We all have a responsibility to bring people together against hate, and an obligation to speak out against anyone who attacks the dignity of their fellow Americans and compromises the safety of our communities.”

Mr Musk has repeatedly fought with groups such as the Anti-Defamation League, which have accused him of failing to combat antisemitism since taking over Twitter, now known as X, last year.

Mr Musk said this week that the group “unjustly attacks the majority of the West”, adding: “I am deeply offended by ADL’s messaging and any other groups who push de facto anti-white racism or anti-Asian racism or racism of any kind.”

He has accused the ADL of co-ordinating a slump in Twitter’s advertising revenue.

The tweet Mr Musk responded to came from an account with fewer than 5,000 followers, but Mr Musk’s reply means it has been seen more than 1.1m times.

The European Commission and the tech giant IBM have suspended advertising on Twitter in the last 24 hours.

X did not respond to a request for comment.

White House condemns Elon Musk post to X that supported antisemitic claim

MEGAN LEBOWITZ AND DAVID INGRAM
November 17, 2023 

WASHINGTON — The White House on Friday condemned a post Elon Musk made on X that embraced an antisemitic claim by another account that accused Jews of pushing hatred against white people.

"We condemn this abhorrent promotion of Antisemitic and racist hate in the strongest terms, which runs against our core values as Americans," White House spokesperson Andrew Bates said in a statement. "We all have a responsibility to bring people together against hate, and an obligation to speak out against anyone who attacks the dignity of their fellow Americans and compromises the safety of our communities."

On Wednesday, a user posted to X accusations that Jews push hatred of white people, saying he was "deeply disinterested in giving the tiniest s--- now about western Jewish populations," realizing that "minorities that support flooding their country don't exactly like them too much."

Musk replied to the post, "You have said the actual truth." His post garnered more than 6 million views, according to the site-provided statistics.

Later in the thread, Musk targeted the Anti-Defamation League, an organization that fights antisemitism.

"The ADL unjustly attacks the majority of the West, despite the majority of the West supporting the Jewish people and Israel," Musk wrote. "This is because they cannot, by their own tenets, criticize the minority groups who are their primary threat." Musk has criticized the ADL in the past, too.

Following Musk's initial tweet agreeing with the antisemitic claim, Jonathan Greenblatt, the CEO of the ADL, called out the danger of promoting antisemitic theories.

"At a time when antisemitism is exploding in America and surging around the world, it is indisputably dangerous to use one’s influence to validate and promote antisemitic theories," Greenblatt posted to X with a screenshot of Musk's post.

In the White House's response to Musk's post, Bates said it was "unacceptable to repeat the hideous lie behind the most fatal act of Antisemitism in American history at any time, let alone one month after the deadliest day for the Jewish people since the Holocaust.

"Like President Biden said weeks ago memorializing the victims of the Pittsburgh Synagogue shooting, the October 7 'devastating atrocity has brought to the surface painful memories left by millennia of Antisemitism;' and under his presidency 'we will continue to condemn Antisemitism at every turn," Bates continued. The Pittsburgh synagogue shooting in 2018 left 11 killed and seven injured, and was the deadliest antisemitic attack in U.S. history.

Reached for comment by NBC News, X responded, "Busy now, please check back later."

On Thursday, Linda Yaccarino, the CEO of X, posted that the platform has been "extremely clear about our efforts to combat antisemitism and discrimination."

"There’s no place for it anywhere in the world — it’s ugly and wrong," the post continued. "Full stop."

Biden has also addressed the rise in antisemitism in recent weeks, and many American Jews have said they approve of his handling of the Israel-Hamas war.

"We must, without equivocation, denounce antisemitism," Biden said in an Oct. 20 speech. "We must also, without equivocation, denounce Islamophobia."

Since Oct. 7, Jews have experienced a dramatic rise in antisemitism. In the month since the attacks, there has been a 316% increase in antisemitic incidents in the U.S. compared to the same period in 2022, according to the Anti-Defamation League.

The Council on American-Islamic Relations, a civil rights and advocacy group, said last month that it got nearly 800 requests for help and reports of bias incidents from Muslims across the U.S. from Oct. 7 to Oct. 24, a 182% jump from any 16-day stretch in 2022.

Elon Musk and X can’t escape government oversight, judge rules

BRIAN FUNG, CNN
November 17, 2023 

A federal judge said Thursday he would not intervene in a dispute between X owner Elon Musk and the Federal Trade Commission in an ongoing agency investigation of the social media giant that has triggered intense public scrutiny.

The decision means Musk may be forced to cooperate with federal investigators who are probing X, the company formerly known as Twitter, over business decisions that regulators fear may have jeopardized user security or privacy.

The 11-page order by US Magistrate Judge Thomas Hixon denies X’s attempt to invalidate a longtime privacy settlement with the FTC that forms the basis for the investigation. Hixon said the US District Court for the Northern District of California lacks the authority to grant X’s request to overturn the independent agency’s administrative order.

For the same reason, Hixon said he could not block the FTC from trying to depose Musk as part of the probe. The ruling could indirectly boost a similar and recent move by the US Securities and Exchange Commission to compel Musk’s testimony in a separate investigation related to Musk’s purchase of Twitter.

The privacy settlement at stake is central to the US government’s scrutiny of X. Questions about whether the company has complied with the 2011 order arose in a significant way in 2022. That’s when Twitter paid $150 million in an update to the settlement, resolving fresh allegations that it harmed users when it used personal information provided for account authentication purposes for advertising purposes instead.

Later that year, a whistleblower disclosure by Peiter “Mudge” Zatko, Twitter’s former security chief, again raised new doubts about Twitter’s compliance, triggering the current FTC probe. And the investigation has only intensified since Musk’s takeover of the company, prompting X to protest what it has called government overreach and harassment of Musk. The FTC has said that it is attempting to carry out its mission to ensure X is complying with its legal obligations.

X didn’t immediately respond to a request for comment on Thursday’s order.

Ecuador legislature begins new session, Noboa joins leftists for majority

ALEXANDRA VALENCIA
November 17, 2023 



By Alexandra Valencia

QUITO (Reuters) - Ecuador's National Assembly chose a conservative as its president on Friday as the new legislative period began, amid a deal between the parties of President-elect Daniel Noboa and ex-President Rafael Correa to form a majority.

Businessman Henry Kronfle, 51, was elected with 128 votes from the legislature's 137 members. Nine abstained.

The legislature was dissolved in May by outgoing President Guillermo Lasso to avoid his own likely impeachment, bringing forward legislative and presidential elections scheduled for 2025.

The conservative Social Christian Party (PSC), Correa's Citizens' Revolution movement, and Noboa's National Democratic Action (ADN) had agreed to form a legislative majority of at least 85 votes.

"Let's build a better country, beyond our parties and movements, in which we can deliver so many unfulfilled promises to the Ecuadorean people," said Kronfle, of the PSC, after assuming his role.

The deal is part of "a great union to move the country forward," Noboa said on Wednesday, adding he will have zero tolerance for corruption or anyone blocking the government's projects.


The coalition is meant to support Noboa's proposals, including plans to generate jobs, especially for young people, and tackle violence, ADN said in a statement this week.

It will also be able to name the heads of key legislative committees.

Analysts say the coalition could help Noboa ensure he is able to govern - unlike his predecessor Lasso - during his truncated term.

"Noboa wants to have 18 months of relative calm by reaching these agreements with both political parties," said political analyst Alfredo Espinosa, adding Noboa recognizes he will not achieve anything without Correa's support.

Correa's movement has 51 seats in the assembly.

The Construye party of assassinated anti-corruption presidential candidate Fernando Villavicencio, which has 18 seats, has said it will not join the coalition because of its opposition to Correa.

Noboa, who won a runoff election in October to beat Correa's protégé Luisa Gonzalez, will be sworn in next week.

(Reporting by Alexandra Valencia; Writing by Oliver Griffin; Editing by Richard Chang)

Rare, deadly "zombie" deer disease found in Yellowstone, officials say

LI COHEN
November 17, 2023 

NPS/Neal Herbert


A rare "zombie" disease that causes deer to excessively drool, droop their ears and become reluctant to move before eventually killing them has been detected in Yellowstone National Park for the first time, officials say. Once established, officials say there is "no effective way to eradicate" the fatal illness, called chronic wasting disease.

National Park Service officials said earlier this week the disease was found in a dead adult mule deer found near Yellowstone Lake. The deer had originally been captured in Cody, Wyoming, by the state's Game and Fish Department in March as part of a population study, and according to a GPS collar that had been placed on the animal, officials said it died around mid-October.

"This is the first confirmed positive detection of the disease in Yellowstone National Park," a press release from the government agency said, adding they conducted "multiple diagnostics tests" to confirm its presence.

What is "zombie" deer disease, or chronic wasting disease?

Deer, elk, reindeer and moose can all be affected by chronic wasting disease, which has been found in North America, Norway and South Korea, according to the CDC. The agency says that it can take more than a year for animals to show symptoms and that some animals may die without ever fully developing the prion disease, a "rare progressive neurodegenerative disorder" that impacts prion proteins mostly found in brains.

Chronic wasting disease, sometimes called "zombie deer disease" according to Wyoming Public Media, impacts the central nervous system of animals. When animals do show symptoms, the Wyoming Game and Fish Department says they will typically lose weight, be reluctant to move, excessively salivate, will drink and urinate more frequently, their ears will droops, and eventually, they'll die.

"The majority of CWD positive animals that are harvested appear completely normal and healthy," the Wyoming agency says.

Typically, chronic wasting disease is transmitted through bodily fluids and waste, including saliva, urine, feces and even carcasses, WGFD says. Animals can also become infected if their feed or pasture is contaminated with the prions carrying it.

As of now, the National Park Service says "there is no effective strategy to eradicate" the disease once it has been established. The service said it will now work with other agencies to identify areas that are most at-risk for its spread and will increase monitoring and sample testing. Yellowstone is also working on revising its surveillance plan that was last reviewed in 2021, and is hoping to complete the revision next year.


Can humans get chronic wasting disease?

The CDC says that "there have been no reported cases of CWD infection in people."

However, there is some concern that a risk still exists. Some studies have suggested chronic wasting disease is a risk to monkeys that eat infected animal meat or come in contact with infected animal brains or bodily fluids.

"Since 1997, the World Health Organization has recommended that it is important to keep the agents of all known prion diseases from entering the human food chain," the CDC says.

The agency said additional studies are also being conducted to find out if prion diseases such as CWD can occur at a higher rate in people more at risk of coming into contact with an infected animal or its meat.

"Because of the long time it takes before any symptoms of disease appear, scientists expect the study to take many years before they will determine what the risk, if any, of CWD is to people," the agency said.

Thousands march through Athens to mark 50 years since student uprising crushed by dictatorship


November 17, 2023 at 8:39 AM



ATHENS, Greece (AP) — Thousands of people marched through central Athens on Friday to mark the 50th anniversary of a pro-democracy student uprising that was violently put down by the military dictatorship ruling Greece in 1973.

The annual march started from the Polytechnic campus, which was the headquarters of the uprising, and headed toward the U.S. Embassy. America is still widely blamed in Greece for supporting the 1967-74 rightwing dictatorship during the Cold War.

Many of the protesters Friday carried Palestinian flags, while the march was preceded by a group of students carrying a blood-spattered Greek flag that flew at the Polytechnic during the events of 1973.

The march is often marred by rioting by far-left supporters and thousands of police were on duty Friday to maintain the peace.


Tensions have been simmering in recent days, after the fatal police shooting of a Roma teenager following a high-speed car chase in central Greece.

Police were stationed outside the embassy building, located just off a major Athens thoroughfare, to prevent protesters from getting close.

The Polytechnic uprising, which came a year before the collapse of the dictatorship, was crushed by the Greek military and security forces who used a tank to smash through the campus gates.

Dozens of people were killed by government forces before and during the violent crackdown, though the precise number of victims is still a matter of dispute.'

 

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Carnival bans cruise passenger for life after finding CBD gummies in luggage

NATHAN DILLER, USA TODAY
November 16, 2023 

Carnival Cruise Line banned a passenger for life after finding CBD gummies in her suitcase.

Melinda Van Veldhuizen, 42, was stopped by security before boarding the Carnival Horizon ship in Miami for an August cruise, her attorney Daren Stabinski told USA TODAY. The Dallas-based nurse practitioner and chiropractor said she was initially flagged after an X-ray found metal nail clippers in her luggage, but security later detected a sealed pack of the gummies.

“I was ... freaking out because I don’t even have a parking ticket, like, I follow the rules,” she told the Washington Post. Van Veldhuizen did not immediately respond to USA TODAY’s request for an interview.

Miami-based news outlet WPLG first reported the news.

Carnival Cruise Line's Carnival Horizon cruise ship is shown docked at PortMiami, Friday, April 9, 2021, in Miami.

The traveler, who had sailed with Carnival in the past, said she was detained for hours and denied boarding. Van Veldhuizen later received a letter notifying her she’d been banned from future cruises with the line.

"This decision was based on your actions on the current cruise, which were a violation of the ship rules, interfered with the safety and/or enjoyment of other guests on the ship or caused harm to Carnival," the letter signed by Capt. Rocco Lubrano said, which Stabinski shared with USA TODAY.

She was also told she still had to pay her nearly $1,700 cruise fare and for her two sons and husband, who were set to sail with her (though the line later offered to refund her portion and booked excursions).

Stabinsky said she aims to secure a full refund and compensation, and challenge the ban. They have put the cruise line on notice, giving them an opportunity to respond before taking further steps. Carnival declined USA TODAY’s request for comment.

Carnival does not allow CBD on its ships. “While certain CBD products used for medicinal purposes may be legal in the US, they are not legal in all the ports we visit and therefore are also considered prohibited items,” the line’s website reads.

What is CBD?

CBD – which stands for cannabidiol – is a compound found in cannabis.

CBD itself does not cause a high and can come from both hemp and non-hemp plants, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. “Hemp is defined as any part of the cannabis sativa plant with no more than 0.3% of tetrahydrocannabinol (THC), the mind-altering substance in marijuana,” the CDC’s website reads.

CBD is used in lotions, food and other products. The Agriculture Improvement Act of 2018 “removed hemp from the federal Controlled Substances Act, effectively legalizing CBD if it comes from hemp,” the CDC said. However, the legal status of CBD products differs by state.

Why do cruise lines ban passengers?

Passengers typically get banned for life “in response to extreme violations of a cruise line's rules,” Stewart Chiron, a cruise industry expert known as The Cruise Guy, told USA TODAY in an email. However, he said those instances are “extraordinarily rare.”

These items are banned on cruises: Read this before you pack.

Carnival reportedly banned at least two passengers after they were caught fishing from a cabin balcony, with video footage circulating earlier this year. Royal Caribbean International also banned a guest and her companion after she stood on her stateroom balcony’s railing to pose for a photo in 2019.

Chiron noted that cruise lines post details about what items are prohibited on their websites. “If people can't conform to the posted rules, the cruise may not be (the) best option for them,” he said.

Nathan Diller is a consumer travel reporter for USA TODAY based in Nashville. You can reach him at ndiller@usatoday.com.

This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: Carnival passenger banned for life over CBD gummies in bag