upi--2020-03-02--Sixth COVID-19 death confirmed in Washington state, officials declare public health emergency

March 2 ( UPI ) -- Officials in Washington state declared a public health emergency Monday as a sixth person in the Seattle area died from the novel coronavirus , COVID-19 .
Public health officials in King County , which includes Seattle , made the emergency declaration after the number of confirmed cases of the virus in the region increased to 14 .
`` We will direct all available resources to help cities , health-care facilities , businesses and families continue life as normally as possible , '' King County Executive Dow Constantine said .
`` But our best strategies @ @ @ @ @ @ @ established disease prevention guidelines . ''
Vice President Mike Pence on Monday said there are 43 domestic cases of the virus in the United States with 29 in either Washington or California .
There are an additonal 48 repatriated cases including 44 from the Diamond Princess cruise ship .
In all , 10 states across the country have confirmed cases of COVID-19 .
To date , however , Washington is the only one reporting deaths related to the disease -- with five in King County and one in Snohomish County , which is @ @ @ @ @ @ @ was appointed to lead the Coronavirus Task Force said that despite the recent deaths the risk to Americans related to the virus remains low .
`` This president has said we 're ready for anything , but this is an all hands-on-deck effort .
Today 's activity really reflects the president 's effort to bring the best minds of private industry together , the best leadership from around the country at every level , '' he said .
President Donald Trump on Monday added two members to the task force -- Secretary of @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Medicare and Medicaid Services administrator Seema Verma -- ahead of a meeting with pharmaceutical industry representatives .
Trump said a vaccine is under development , though other officials suggest it could take as long as 18 months for one to be ready for use .
He also said there would likely be more travel restrictions from countries with coronavirus outbreaks , though he did not identify which the countries under consideration .
Pence said Monday that within 12 hours there will be 100 percent screening for direct flights to the United States at @ @ @ @ @ @ @ after Trump announced new procedures on Sunday .
Dr. Anthony Fauci , director of the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases , on Monday told NBC News that the COVID-19 outbreak has `` likely reached pandemic proportions . ''
`` We 're dealing with clearly an emerging infectious disease that now reached outbreak proportions and likely pandemic proportions , '' Fauci said .
He added that `` we are not at the stage of mitigation for this , '' however , saying that officials are not ready to ask people to self-isolate @ @ @ @ @ @ @ to officials , three of the deceased in Washington were residents of LifeCare , a nursing home in the suburb of Kirkland where an outbreak of COVID-19 has been reported .
One of the deceased , however , had no known exposure to the facility , or a history of travel to China , heretofore the epicenter of the outbreak or one of the other affected countries .
The remaining cases have been isolated and are being treated , although several are in critical condition , according to reports .
Officials in Sonoma @ @ @ @ @ @ @ public health emergency after a second case of COVID-19 emerged there .
The new case involves a person who had just returned from a cruise from San Francisco to Mexico .
That person remains in stable condition , in isolation , but officials in Sonoma did not disclose where they were being treated .
Meanwhile , a fourth case of COVID-19 has been confirmed in the Chicago area , in a woman whose husband had been diagnosed with the virus within the past few days .
According to a press release from the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ is being treated at Northwest Community Hospital in Suburban Arlington Heights , while his wife has been placed into quarantine at home .
Both are in `` good condition , '' officials said Monday .
And , state health officials in New Hampshire announced earlier in the day that the first confirmed case of COVID-19 there involved an adult who had recently traveled to Italy , where an outbreak has sickened roughly 1,600 people , according to figures from the World Health Organization .
According to state epidemiologist Benjamin Chan , the person @ @ @ @ @ @ @ from Grafton County in the northwestern part of the state who is not sick enough to be hospitalized .
They have been placed in home isolation , Chan said .
The United States still has a small fraction of the 89,527 cases of COVID-19 reported globally .
Through Monday , 3,056 people had died from the virus worldwide .
The vast majority of cases have been confirmed in China , but the disease has spread globally , with significant numbers sickened in South Korea , Iran , Italy , Japan , Germany , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ member states -- Armenia , Czechia , Dominican Republic , Luxembourg , Iceland and Indonesia -- have also reported cases of COVID-19 in the past 24 hours .

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President Donald Trump meets with his Coronavirus Task Force and pharmaceutical executives at the White House in Washington, D.C., on Monday, March 2, 2020. Photo by Kevin Dietsch/UPI | License Photo
March 2 (UPI) -- Officials in Washington state declared a public health emergency Monday as a sixth person in the Seattle area died from the novel coronavirus, COVID-19. Public health officials in King County, which includes Seattle, made the emergency declaration after the number of confirmed cases of the virus in the region increased to 14. Advertisement
"We will direct all available resources to help cities, healthcare facilities, businesses and families continue life as normally as possible," King County Executive Dow Constantine said. "But our best strategies depend on millions of residents actively following established disease prevention guidelines."
Vice President Mike Pence on Monday said there are 43 domestic cases of the virus in the United States with 29 in either Washington or California. There are an additonal 48 repatriated cases including 44 from the Diamond Princess cruise ship.
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In all, 10 states across the country have confirmed cases of COVID-19. To date, however, Washington is the only one reporting deaths related to the disease -- with five in King County and one in Snohomish County, which is north of Seattle.
Pence, who was appointed to lead the Coronavirus Task Force, said that despite the recent deaths the risk to Americans related to the virus remains low.
"This president has said we're ready for anything, but this is an all-hands-on-deck effort. Today's activity really reflects the president's effort to bring the best minds of private industry together, the best leadership from around the country at every level," he said.
President Donald Trump on Monday added two members to the task force -- Secretary of Veterans Affairs Robert Wilkie and Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services administrator Seema Verma -- ahead of a meeting with pharmaceutical industry representatives.
Trump said a vaccine is under development, though other officials suggest it could take as long as 18 months for one to be ready for use. He also said there would likely be more travel restrictions from countries with coronavirus outbreaks, though he did not identify which the countries under consideration.
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Pence said Monday that within 12 hours there will be 100 percent screening for direct flights to the United States at all airports in Italy and South Korea -- two countries dealing with growing clusters of the virus -- after Trump announced new procedures on Sunday.
Dr. Anthony Fauci, director of the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases, on Monday told NBC News that the COVID-19 outbreak has "likely reached pandemic proportions."
"We're dealing with clearly an emerging infectious disease that now reached outbreak proportions and likely pandemic proportions," Fauci said. He added that "we are not at the stage of mitigation for this," however, saying that officials are not ready to ask people to self-isolate or avoid normal daily activities.
During a press conference Monday, Secretary of Defense Mark Esper said they are planning for all possible situations concerning COVID-19 -- including it becoming a pandemic.
"The United States military looks at wide varieties of scenarios," he said, stating a pandemic is considered a worst-case situation.
He also said military labs are working on a vaccine.
"The military labs have all kinds of capability to do that" in support of the Department of Health and Human Services, he said.
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According to officials, three of the deceased in Washington were residents of LifeCare, a nursing home in the suburb of Kirkland where an outbreak of COVID-19 has been reported. One of the deceased, however, had no known exposure to the facility, or a history of travel to China, heretofore the epicenter of the outbreak or one of the other affected countries.
The remaining cases have been isolated and are being treated, although several are in critical condition, according to reports.
Officials in Sonoma County, Calif., also declared a public health emergency after a second case of COVID-19 emerged there. The new case involves a person who had just returned from a cruise from San Francisco to Mexico.
That person remains in stable condition, in isolation, but officials in Sonoma did not disclose where they were being treated.
Meanwhile, health officials in Massachusetts also announced late Monday a positive presumptive case of COVID-19, meaning samples from the patient have been sent to the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention for confirmation.
The patient, identified as a woman in her 20s from Norfolk County, had recently traveled to Italy with a school group and was recovering at home, the Massachusetts Department of Public Health said in a statement.
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The test results came back Monday night, the department said, adding the woman is the state's first presumptive case since it started testing on Friday. If confirmed, she will be the state's second COVID-19 patient.
"We are grateful this individual is recovering," said Public Health Commissioner Monica Bharel. "We understand the concern this new virus is causing, and our state's ability to quickly test for the virus is a positive development."
The risk of infection still remains low, Bharel said.
A fourth case of COVID-19 has been confirmed in the Chicago area, in a woman whose husband had been diagnosed with the virus within the past few days. According to a press release from the Illinois Department of Health, the man is being treated at Northwest Community Hospital in Suburban Arlington Heights, while his wife has been placed into quarantine at home.
Both are in "good condition," officials said Monday.
And, state health officials in New Hampshire announced earlier in the day that the first confirmed case of COVID-19 there involved an adult who had recently traveled to Italy, where an outbreak has sickened roughly 1,600 people, according to figures from the World Health Organization.
According to state epidemiologist Benjamin Chan, the person who has tested positive is an adult from Grafton County in the northwestern part of the state who is not sick enough to be hospitalized. They have been placed in home isolation, Chan said.
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The United States still has a small fraction of the 89,527 cases of COVID-19 reported globally. Through Monday, 3,056 people had died from the virus worldwide.
The vast majority of cases have been confirmed in China, but the disease has spread globally, with significant numbers sickened in South Korea, Iran, Italy, Japan, Germany, Singapore and France.
Six additional WHO member states -- Armenia, Czechia, Dominican Republic, Luxembourg, Iceland and Indonesia -- have also reported cases of COVID-19 in the past 24 hours.


upi--2020-03-02--New York Knicks officially name ex-NBA agent Leon Rose as team president

March 2 ( UPI ) -- The New York Knicks officially named former NBA agent Leon Rose as their next president , the team announced Monday .
The Knicks did n't disclose financial terms of Rose 's deal .
The team said Rose , who previously served as the co-head of Creative Artists Agency 's basketball division , will `` oversee all basketball operations and personnel for the team . ''
`` We are pleased to welcome Leon to the New York Knicks as team president , and believe he is the right leader to build a winning organization for @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Dolan said in a statement Monday .
`` Leon is one of the most respected executives in professional basketball , with decades of experience successfully working with NBA players and team management in all facets of the game .
`` We are confident he brings the right combination of expertise and relationships to ensure the long-term success of our franchise . ''
In a letter to Knicks fans , Rose voiced his support for interim head coach Mike Miller and his staff .
He wrote that `` nothing about this is easy , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ your continued patience . ''
`` What I promise you in return is that I will be honest and forthright , '' Rose said in the statement .
`` We will develop a plan that makes sense , both to jumpstart our short-term growth and ensure our long-term success .
Our team will work hard , stick together and ensure we live up to the honor of wearing the New York Knicks jersey .
`` While I realize that there have been difficulties on the court , what has been remarkable to me @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , your loyalty undiminished .
Rest assured , I will do everything I can to create a winning organization . ''
Rose has been one of the top pro basketball agents for many years , with clients including Chris Paul , Carmelo Anthony , Devin Booker , Joel Embiid , Karl-Anthony Towns and Kyle Kuzma .
He previously represented LeBron James and Allen Iverson .
The Knicks hold an 18-42 record this season , the second-worst mark in the Eastern Conference .
New York fired head coach David Fizdale in December , and @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Mills in February .

March 2 (UPI) -- The New York Knicks officially named former NBA agent Leon Rose as their next president, the team announced Monday.
The Knicks didn't disclose financial terms of Rose's deal. The team said Rose, who previously served as the co-head of Creative Artists Agency's basketball division, will "oversee all basketball operations and personnel for the team."
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"We are pleased to welcome Leon to the New York Knicks as team president, and believe he is the right leader to build a winning organization for our fans," Knicks owner James Dolan said in a statement Monday. "Leon is one of the most respected executives in professional basketball, with decades of experience successfully working with NBA players and team management in all facets of the game.
"We are confident he brings the right combination of expertise and relationships to ensure the long-term success of our franchise."
In a letter to Knicks fans, Rose voiced his support for interim head coach Mike Miller and his staff. He wrote that "nothing about this is easy, or quick, so I ask for your continued patience."
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"What I promise you in return is that I will be honest and forthright," Rose said in the statement. "We will develop a plan that makes sense, both to jumpstart our short-term growth and ensure our long-term success. Our team will work hard, stick together and ensure we live up to the honor of wearing the New York Knicks jersey.
"While I realize that there have been difficulties on the court, what has been remarkable to me is that your pride remains so strong, your loyalty undiminished. Rest assured, I will do everything I can to create a winning organization."
Rose has been one of the top pro basketball agents for many years, with clients including Chris Paul, Carmelo Anthony, Devin Booker, Joel Embiid, Karl-Anthony Towns and Kyle Kuzma. He previously represented LeBron James and Allen Iverson.
The Knicks hold an 18-42 record this season, the second-worst mark in the Eastern Conference. New York fired head coach David Fizdale in December, and parted ways with former team president Steve Mills in February.


upi--2020-03-02--Massive white dwarf star is the product of a stellar merger

March 2 ( UPI ) -- An unusual white dwarf star was formed by a merger between two smaller white dwarfs , according to a new analysis by an international team of astronomers .
The ultra-massive white dwarf , WDJ0551+4135 , is located 150 light years from Earth .
It was first identified by the European Space Agency 's Gaia telescope survey .
Astronomers keen on studying especially large white dwarfs conducted a followup survey of the star using the William Herschel Telescope .
Their observations -- detailed Monday in the journal Nature Astronomy -- revealed an unusual envelope surrounding @ @ @ @ @ @ @ carbon .
`` This star stood out as something we had never seen before .
You might expect to see an outer layer of hydrogen , sometimes mixed with helium , or just a mix of helium and carbon , '' lead study author Mark Hollands , an astrophysicist at the University of Warwick in Britain , said in a news release .
`` You do n't expect to see this combination of hydrogen and carbon at the same time as there should be a thick layer of helium in between that prohibits @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , it did n't make any sense . ''
White dwarfs are stars that were once like our sun , but have since shed their layers and contracted .
Most white dwarfs are half as massive as our sun .
The newly discovered white dwarf weighs 1.14 solar masses , but boasts a diameter two-thirds the size of Earth 's .
Older white dwarfs orbit the Milky Way faster than younger white dwarfs , and this particular white dwarf is orbiting our galaxy extremely fast , despite not looking all that old .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ to come up with another explanation for its origin .
`` We have a composition that we ca n't explain through normal stellar evolution , a mass twice the average for a white dwarf , and a kinematic age older than that inferred from cooling , '' Hollands said .
`` We 're pretty sure of how one star forms one white dwarf and it should n't do this .
The only way you can explain it is if it was formed through a merger of two white dwarfs . ''
Models have @ @ @ @ @ @ @ dwarfs , but most predicted one white dwarf to be larger than the other .
Scientists estimate this particular white dwarf was created by the merging of two similarly sized white dwarfs .
As one star expanded , prior to contracting , it began swallowing up the second .
Gravitational waves produced by interaction between the two stars caused their orbits to shrink and the two eventually became one .
The merging process restarts the cooling process , which may explain why the massive star is much older than it appears .
Astronomers @ @ @ @ @ @ @ years ago .
`` There are n't that many white dwarfs this massive , although there are more than you would expect to see which implies that some of them were probably formed by mergers , '' Hollands said .
`` In the future , we may be able to use a technique called asteroseismology to learn about the white dwarf 's core composition from its stellar pulsations , which would be an independent method confirming this star formed from a merger . ''
Scientists were surprised that such a massive merger between @ @ @ @ @ @ @ a supernova .
By investigating why the duo did n't die an explosive death , researchers may be able to gain new insights into how and why certain stellar systems make it to the supernova stage .

Astronomers estimate a massive white dwarf star in the nearby universe was formed by the merging of two smaller white dwarfs. Photo by University of Warwick/Mark Garlick
March 2 (UPI) -- An unusual white dwarf star was formed by a merger between two smaller white dwarfs, according to a new analysis by an international team of astronomers. The ultra-massive white dwarf, WDJ0551+4135, is located 150 light years from Earth. It was first identified by the European Space Agency's Gaia telescope survey. Astronomers keen on studying especially large white dwarfs conducted a followup survey of the star using the William Herschel Telescope. Advertisement
Their observations -- detailed Monday in the journal Nature Astronomy -- revealed an unusual envelope surrounding the star, an atmosphere rich in carbon.
"This star stood out as something we had never seen before. You might expect to see an outer layer of hydrogen, sometimes mixed with helium, or just a mix of helium and carbon," lead study author Mark Hollands, an astrophysicist at the University of Warwick in Britain, said in a news release. "You don't expect to see this combination of hydrogen and carbon at the same time as there should be a thick layer of helium in between that prohibits that. When we looked at it, it didn't make any sense."
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White dwarfs are stars that were once like our sun, but have since shed their layers and contracted. Most white dwarfs are half as massive as our sun. The newly discovered white dwarf weighs 1.14 solar masses, but boasts a diameter two-thirds the size of Earth's.
Older white dwarfs orbit the Milky Way faster than younger white dwarfs, and this particular white dwarf is orbiting our galaxy extremely fast, despite not looking all that old.
The aging star's peculiarities forced astronomers to come up with another explanation for its origin.
"We have a composition that we can't explain through normal stellar evolution, a mass twice the average for a white dwarf, and a kinematic age older than that inferred from cooling," Hollands said. "We're pretty sure of how one star forms one white dwarf and it shouldn't do this. The only way you can explain it is if it was formed through a merger of two white dwarfs."
Models have previously predicted the merging of two white dwarfs, but most predicted one white dwarf to be larger than the other. Scientists estimate this particular white dwarf was created by the merging of two similarly sized white dwarfs.
As one star expanded, prior to contracting, it began swallowing up the second. Gravitational waves produced by interaction between the two stars caused their orbits to shrink and the two eventually became one.
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The merging process restarts the cooling process, which may explain why the massive star is much older than it appears. Astronomers estimated the merger began roughly 1.3 billion years ago.
"There aren't that many white dwarfs this massive, although there are more than you would expect to see which implies that some of them were probably formed by mergers," Hollands said. "In the future, we may be able to use a technique called asteroseismology to learn about the white dwarf's core composition from its stellar pulsations, which would be an independent method confirming this star formed from a merger."
Scientists were surprised that such a massive merger between two aging stars didn't result in a supernova. By investigating why the duo didn't die an explosive death, researchers may be able to gain new insights into how and why certain stellar systems make it to the supernova stage.


upi--2020-03-02--Dow Jones rises nearly 1,300 points as markets rebound from COVID-19 scare

March 2 ( UPI ) -- U.S. markets bounced back on Monday after entering correction territory last week amid concerns about COVID-19 .
The Dow Jones Industrial Average closed up 1,293.96 points , or 5.09 percent , while the S & P 500 rose 4.60 percent and the Nasdaq Composite climbed 4.49 percent , ending a seven-day streak of declines for the Dow and the S & P 500 .
Apple helped lead the Dow 's surge as its shares increased 5.6 percent , while Merck rose 4.2 percent and Walmart gained 5.2 percent .
Consumer staples , utilities and @ @ @ @ @ @ @ leading the S & P 500 's sectors , while tech rose 2.1 percent .
Stocks returned to within 10 percent of their record heights after falling into correction territory as the Dow Jones experienced its worst week since the 2008 financial crisis , falling more than 12 percent amid fears that the coronavirus epidemic would negatively affect the global economy .
Although the Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development said Monday the outbreak could slow global economic growth , hopes for a stimulus package helped push stocks upward .
The Federal Reserve @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Fed officials have spoken out against immediate rate cuts , the CME 's FedWatch tool placed market expectations for a half-percentage point interest rate cut at 100 percent .
Commodities rose Monday , with gold futures increasing by 1.8 percent , and oil prices closing up 4.4 percent .

The Dow Jones rose 1,293 points on Monday from falling into correction territory last week as traders feared COVID-19 could slow the global economy. Photo by John Angelillo/UPI | License Photo
March 2 (UPI) -- U.S. markets bounced back on Monday after entering correction territory last week amid concerns about COVID-19. The Dow Jones Industrial Average closed up 1,293.96 points, or 5.09 percent, while the S&P 500 rose 4.60 percent and the Nasdaq Composite climbed 4.49 percent, ending a seven-day streak of declines for the Dow and the S&P 500. Advertisement
Apple helped lead the Dow's surge as its shares increased 5.6 percent, while Merck rose 4.2 percent and Walmart gained 5.2 percent.
Consumer staples, utilities and real estate each increased 2.5 percent, leading the S&P 500's sectors, while tech rose 2.1 percent.
Stocks returned to within 10 percent of their record heights after falling into correction territory as the Dow Jones experienced its worst week since the 2008 financial crisis, falling more than 12 percent amid fears that the coronavirus epidemic would negatively affect the global economy.
Although the Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development said Monday the outbreak could slow global economic growth, hopes for a stimulus package helped push stocks upward.
The Federal Reserve will meet March 18, and although Fed officials have spoken out against immediate rate cuts, the CME's FedWatch tool placed market expectations for a half-percentage point interest rate cut at 100 percent.
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Commodities rose Monday, with gold futures increasing by 1.8 percent, and oil prices closing up 4.4 percent.


upi--2020-03-02--Ken Cuccinelli to appeal judge's ruling his immigration post appointment is unlawful

March 2 ( UPI ) -- Ken Cuccinelli , who leads a top agency responsible for U.S. immigration requests , said Monday he would appeal a federal judge 's ruling that he was unlawfully appointed to the post .
U.S. District Judge Randolph Moss ruled Sunday that Cuccinelli was not lawfully appointed in June as acting director of U.S .
Citizenship and Immigration Services .
Moss said the principal deputy role he assumed before taking the role was not the `` first assistant '' role listed under the Federal Vacancies Reform Act .
`` This ruling is really something of @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
`` You can expect an appeal , and we 'll take intermediate steps to avoid any challenges , but it does n't affect anything we 're doing going forward . ''
Cuccinelli had issued directives under his tenure to reduce the time asylum-seekers in `` credible fear '' proceedings have to access legal counsel , and Moss said in his ruling those directives should also be nullified .
Cuccinelli also told Fox News those policies would be `` effectively reissued and validated '' as a `` precautionary measure '' while the appeal @ @ @ @ @ @ @ business as usual until this is played all the way out , '' he said .

Acting director of U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Ken Cuccinelli said Monday he will appeal a federal judge's ruling a day earlier that his appointment to the post was unlawful. File Photo by Mike Theiler/UPI | License Photo
March 2 (UPI) -- Ken Cuccinelli, who leads a top agency responsible for U.S. immigration requests, said Monday he would appeal a federal judge's ruling that he was unlawfully appointed to the post. U.S. District Judge Randolph Moss ruled Sunday that Cuccinelli was not lawfully appointed in June as acting director of U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services. Advertisement
Moss said the principal deputy role he assumed before taking the role was not the "first assistant" role listed under the Federal Vacancies Reform Act.
"This ruling is really something of an outlier," Cuccinelli said Monday. "You can expect an appeal, and we'll take intermediate steps to avoid any challenges, but it doesn't affect anything we're doing going forward."
Cuccinelli had issued directives under his tenure to reduce the time asylum-seekers in "credible fear" proceedings have to access legal counsel, and Moss said in his ruling those directives should also be nullified.
Cuccinelli also told Fox News those policies would be "effectively reissued and validated" as a "precautionary measure" while the appeal goes forward.
"It'll be business as usual until this is played all the way out," he said.


upi--2020-03-02--Maryland Lottery player wins $50,000 Fast Play jackpot on first try

March 2 ( UPI ) -- A Maryland woman won a $ 50,000 jackpot on her first first attempt at @ @ @ @ @ Fast Play games .
The 61-year-old Glen Burnie woman told Maryland Lottery officials she went @ @ @ @ @ store in Glen Burnie to buy ingredients for a crab legs dinner .
She said @ @ @ @ @ caught her eye at the store 's lottery kiosk , so she decided to attempt @ @ @ @ @ The woman said she put $ 20 in the machine to buy the $ 10 @ @ @ @ @ to discover she had won that she forgot about her other $ 10 .
The @ @ @ @ @ she had a $ 50 winner , but the store clerk who attempted to cash @ @ @ @ @ $ 50,000 winner and would have to be redeemed at lottery headquarters .
`` I @ @ @ @ @ '' the winner recalled .
The woman said she plans to use her winnings to @ @ @ @ @ she recently financed .

A Maryland woman who decided to try a lottery Fast Play game for the first time won a $50,000 jackpot. File Photo by John Angelillo/UPI | License Photo
Subscribe | UPI Odd Newsletter Subscribe March 2 (UPI) -- A Maryland woman won a $50,000 jackpot on her first first attempt at the Maryland Lottery's new Fast Play games. The 61-year-old Glen Burnie woman told Maryland Lottery officials she went to the Giant #2312 store in Glen Burnie to buy ingredients for a crab legs dinner. Advertisement
She said the new Fast Play games caught her eye at the store's lottery kiosk, so she decided to attempt a Lucky Numbers ticket.
The woman said she put $20 in the machine to buy the $10 ticket and was so excited to discover she had won that she forgot about her other $10.
The winner said she initially thought she had a $50 winner, but the store clerk who attempted to cash it explained it was a $50,000 winner and would have to be redeemed at lottery headquarters.
"I was shaking and crying," the winner recalled.
The woman said she plans to use her winnings to pay off the new car she recently financed.


upi--2020-03-02--Look: RSPCA officer uses dish soap to free deer from metal gate

March 2 ( UPI ) -- An animal rescuer in Britain said she used dish washing liquid to help a deer that found itself wedged between the metal railings of a gate .
The RSPCA said animal collection officer Catherine Strawford responded to the house gate in Sutton Coldfield , England , when passersby alerted the rescue group to the presence of a muntjac deer with its torso stuck in the 6-inch gap between bars .
`` The deer had obviously been running in the area at night and thought he could get through the railings in the gates but @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
`` As he tried to go forward he was unable to move as the metal had trapped him between his hips and his waist . ''
Strawford said she used dish soap to lubricate the deer 's body so it could squeeze the rest of the way through the bars .
`` Using the washing-up liquid enabled me to free the deer within 20 minutes , '' she said .
`` It was quicker than washing the dinner pots and so much more rewarding . ''
Strawford said the deer was bleeding @ @ @ @ @ @ @ free itself and she cleaned the animal 's wounds before setting it loose into the wild .

A muntjac deer that became stuck between the bars of a metal gate was freed by an RSPCA officer with the help of some dish soap. Photo courtesy of the RSPCA
Subscribe | UPI Odd Newsletter Subscribe March 2 (UPI) -- An animal rescuer in Britain said she used dish washing liquid to help a deer that found itself wedged between the metal railings of a gate. The RSPCA said animal collection officer Catherine Strawford responded to the house gate in Sutton Coldfield, England, when passersby alerted the rescue group to the presence of a muntjac deer with its torso stuck in the 6-inch gap between bars. Advertisement
"The deer had obviously been running in the area at night and thought he could get through the railings in the gates but misjudged the gap," Strawford said. "As he tried to go forward he was unable to move as the metal had trapped him between his hips and his waist."
Strawford said she used dish soap to lubricate the deer's body so it could squeeze the rest of the way through the bars.
"Using the washing-up liquid enabled me to free the deer within 20 minutes," she said. "It was quicker than washing the dinner pots and so much more rewarding."
Strawford said the deer was bleeding through some minor injuries from struggling to free itself and she cleaned the animal's wounds before setting it loose into the wild.


upi--2020-03-02--In Photos: The "Gerhard Richter: Painting After All" exhibition in NYC

This will be the first time the piece titled `` Cage '' will be on display in the United States @ @ @ @ @

Works of art titled "Seascape" are on display at a press preview for "Gerhard Richter: Painting After All." Photo by John Angelillo/UPI


upi--2020-03-02--USS Ross departs Bulgaria in NATO mission to Black Sea

March 2 ( UPI ) -- The Arleigh Burke-class destroyer USS Ross conducted training exercises with Turkish , Bulgarian and Romanian navies while in the Black Sea , the U.S. Navy said .
The guided-missile destroyer entered the Black Sea on Feb. 23 and participated in separate drills with the three NATO partners .
It departed the port of Varna , Bulgaria , on Saturday , after Cmdr .
John D. John , the commanding officer of the USS Ross , visited with local leaders at Varna 's city hall and naval headquarters .
`` We appreciate the hospitality the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ our port visit , '' he said .
`` The training exercises we conducted facilitated our mutual commitment to strengthening relationships in the Black Sea region for purposes of collective defense . ''
The ship has been under the watchful eye of Russia , one of eight nations adjoining the Black Sea , since it arrived .
The U.S. Navy regularly travels through Turkey 's Bosporus Strait to enter the sea , consistent with international law .
`` The Black Sea Fleet has deployed its capabilities to monitor the movement of the US @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the Black Sea at 6:30 p.m. [ on Feb. 23 ] , '' Russia 's National Defense Management Center said in a statement .
The USS Ross , forward-deployed to Rota , Spain , is the first Navy ship to enter the sea this year .
In February , the vessel briefly joined Task Force 473 , a carrier strike group of the French navy , in the Mediterranean Sea .
The task force , led by the aircraft carrier Charles de Gaulle , routinely welcomes ships from allied countries to participate in @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
The USS Ross similarly coordinated with the French carrier strike group in 2019 .

Personnel aboard the destroyer USS Ross handle a line as the ship arrived in Varna, Bulgaria on February 27, 2020. The ship has been in the Black Sea, performing training exercise with NATO partners, since February 23, 2010. Photo by MCS3 Andrea Rumple/U.S. Navy
March 2 (UPI) -- The Arleigh Burke-class destroyer USS Ross conducted training exercises with Turkish, Bulgarian and Romanian navies while in the Black Sea, the U.S. Navy said. The guided-missile destroyer entered the Black Sea on Feb. 23 and participated in separate drills with the three NATO partners. It departed the port of Varna, Bulgaria, on Saturday, after Cmdr. John D. John, the commanding officer of the USS Ross, visited with local leaders at Varna's city hall and naval headquarters. Advertisement
"We appreciate the hospitality the Bulgarian navy and the Varna provided during our port visit," he said. "The training exercises we conducted facilitated our mutual commitment to strengthening relationships in the Black Sea region for purposes of collective defense."
The ship has been under the watchful eye of Russia, one of eight nations adjoining the Black Sea, since it arrived. The U.S. Navy regularly travels through Turkey's Bosporus Strait to enter the sea, consistent with international law.
"The Black Sea Fleet has deployed its capabilities to monitor the movement of the US Navy's Ross destroyer, which entered the Black Sea at 6:30 p.m. [on Feb. 23]," Russia's National Defense Management Center said in a statement.
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The USS Ross, forward-deployed to Rota, Spain, is the first Navy ship to enter the sea this year.
In February, the vessel briefly joined Task Force 473, a carrier strike group of the French navy, in the Mediterranean Sea. The task force, led by the aircraft carrier Charles de Gaulle, routinely welcomes ships from allied countries to participate in its long-term mission against the Islamic State.
The USS Ross similarly coordinated with the French carrier strike group in 2019.


upi--2020-03-02--Defense Secretary Mark Esper calls for quick drawdown of U.S. troops in Afghanistan

March 2 ( UPI ) -- An immediate drawdown of U.S. troops from Afghanistan , after a weekend peace treaty with the Taliban , was approved on Monday by Defense Secretary Mark Esper .
Esper said that he gave his consent to Gen. Scott Miller , commander of U.S. and NATO forces in Afghanistan , for reducing the number of U.S. troops in the country from about 12,000 to about 8,600 , beginning in about 10 days .
`` My instruction to the commander was : 'Let 's get moving .
Let 's show our full faith and effort to @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
An agreement between the insurgent Taliban and the United States was signed on Saturday .
It calls for a U.S. troop reduction in 135 days and total withdrawal of U.S. forces in 14 months .
The Taliban must meet specified security requirements , though , and the treaty may already be unraveling .
Following a week of relative calm , a Taliban attack killed three people and injured 11 at a sports event in Afghanistan , an indication that the group has not entirely pulled back from use of violence .
The @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Taliban 's compliance with their commitments , and calibrate the pace of our withdrawal to their actions , '' said U.S. Secretary of State Mike Pompeo , who attended the signing in Doha , Qatar , on Sunday .
Esper , in Washington on Monday , said he expects that Taliban violence will `` decrease over time as we move forward .
This is going to be a step-by-step process and we 'll evaluate every day . ''
`` I would caution everybody to think that there 's going to be an absolute @ @ @ @ @ @ @ is probably not going to happen , '' Milley said .
The United States ' 18-year military involvement in Afghanistan , begun in 2002 after the World Trade Center attack on Sept. 11 , 2001 , is historically regarded as the nations ' longest war .

Defense Secretary Mark Esper announced his approval on Monday for a withdrawal of some U.S. troops in Afghanistan, following a weekend peace agreement between the United States and the Taliban. File Photo courtesy of U.S. Defense Department
March 2 (UPI) -- An immediate drawdown of U.S. troops from Afghanistan, after a weekend peace treaty with the Taliban, was approved on Monday by Defense Secretary Mark Esper. Esper said that he gave his consent to Gen. Scott Miller, commander of U.S. and NATO forces in Afghanistan, for reducing the number of U.S. troops in the country from about 12,000 to about 8,600, beginning in about 10 days. Advertisement
"My instruction to the commander was: 'Let's get moving. Let's show our full faith and effort to do that,'" Esper said.
An agreement between the insurgent Taliban and the United States was signed on Saturday. It calls for a U.S. troop reduction in 135 days and total withdrawal of U.S. forces in 14 months.
The Taliban must meet specified security requirements, though, and the treaty may already be unraveling. Following a week of relative calm, a Taliban attack killed three people and injured 11 at a sports event in Afghanistan, an indication that the group has not entirely pulled back from use of violence.
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The United States "will closely watch the Taliban's compliance with their commitments, and calibrate the pace of our withdrawal to their actions," said U.S. Secretary of State Mike Pompeo, who attended the signing in Doha, Qatar, on Sunday.
Esper, in Washington on Monday, said he expects that Taliban violence will "decrease over time as we move forward. This is going to be a step-by-step process and we'll evaluate every day."
Joint Chiefs of Staff chairman Gen. Mark Milley, speaking alongside Esper, agreed.
"I would caution everybody to think that there's going to be an absolute cessation of violence in Afghanistan, that is probably not going to happen," Milley said.
The United States' 18-year military involvement in Afghanistan, begun in 2002 after the World Trade Center attack on Sept. 11, 2001, is historically regarded as the nations' longest war.


upi--2020-03-02--Supreme Court declines to hear appeal of federal ban on bump stocks

March 2 ( UPI ) -- The Supreme Court said Monday it wo n't hear an appeal challenging the federal ban on bump stocks , which allow a shooter to fire continuously with a single pull of trigger , implemented after the Las Vegas shooting .
The high court 's decision to not hear the appeal leaves the ban on bump stocks in place .
Bump stocks increase a semiautomatic weapon 's rate of fire to nearly that of a fully automatic machine gun .
Some guns can fire over 400 rounds per minute with a bump stock .
The @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the legality of bump stocks in December of 2017 after Stephen Paddock , 64 , used bump stocks to convert some of his guns to fire at higher rates in the Oct. 1 , 2017 , shooting at a Las Vegas music festival that killed 58 people and injured hundreds more .
President Donald Trump signed a directive to ban the devices in early 2018 following the review .
The Bureau of Alcohol , Tobacco , Firearms , and Explosives announced in December 2018 it would expand the definition of `` machine gun @ @ @ @ @ @ @ include bump stocks , which it previously said for years were legal .
And the federal ban went into effect in March 2019 amid a gun rights group appeal to the Supreme Court to overturn the ban .
The ban means it 's illegal to own , buy or sell a bump stock and gun owners must destroy the devices or turn them in to authorities .
The lower courts declined to block the Trump administration ban from going into effect .
A lower court also applied the Chevron principle from the 1984 @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Council , requiring federal courts to defer to an agency 's reasonable interpretation of an ambiguous statute Congress passes , to uphold the ban .
Justice Neil Gorsuch , a Trump appointee , agreed the case does not merit review , but criticized the lower court for applying Chevron to the case in a statement accompanying the Supreme Court 's decision not to hear the case .
`` The agency used to tell everyone that bump stocks do n't qualify as 'machine guns . '
Now it says the opposite , '' Gorsuch @ @ @ @ @ @ @ changed , only an agency 's interpretation of it .
And these days it sometimes seems agencies change their statutory interpretations almost as often as elections change administrations . ''
He added `` ordinary citizens '' are `` forced to guess '' what an agency will consider a `` reasonable '' interpretation of laws passed by Congress , and asked why the courts should defer `` to such bureaucratic pirouetting . ''

The Supreme Court declined Monday to hear gun rights advocates challenge against the federal bump stocks ban. File Photo by Roger L. Wollenberg/UPI | License Photo
March 2 (UPI) -- The Supreme Court said Monday it won't hear an appeal challenging the federal ban on bump stocks, which allow a shooter to fire continuously with a single pull of trigger, implemented after the Las Vegas shooting. The high court's decision to not hear the appeal leaves the ban on bump stocks in place. Advertisement
Bump stocks increase a semiautomatic weapon's rate of fire to nearly that of a fully automatic machine gun. Some guns can fire over 400 rounds per minute with a bump stock. The U.S. Department of Justice began to review the legality of bump stocks in December of 2017 after Stephen Paddock, 64, used bump stocks to convert some of his guns to fire at higher rates in the Oct. 1, 2017, shooting at a Las Vegas music festival that killed 58 people and injured hundreds more.
President Donald Trump signed a directive to ban the devices in early 2018 following the review. The Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives announced in December 2018 it would expand the definition of "machine gun" under the National Firearms Act to include bump stocks, which it previously said for years were legal. And the federal ban went into effect in March 2019 amid a gun rights group appeal to the Supreme Court to overturn the ban. The ban means it's illegal to own, buy or sell a bump stock and gun owners must destroy the devices or turn them in to authorities.
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The lower courts declined to block the Trump administration ban from going into effect. A lower court also applied the Chevron principle from the 1984 case, Chevron v. Natural Resources Defense Council, requiring federal courts to defer to an agency's reasonable interpretation of an ambiguous statute Congress passes, to uphold the ban.
Justice Neil Gorsuch, a Trump appointee, agreed the case does not merit review, but criticized the lower court for applying Chevron to the case in a statement accompanying the Supreme Court's decision not to hear the case.
"The agency used to tell everyone that bump stocks don't qualify as 'machine guns.' Now it says the opposite," Gorsuch wrote. "The law hasn't changed, only an agency's interpretation of it. And these days it sometimes seems agencies change their statutory interpretations almost as often as elections change administrations."
He added "ordinary citizens" are "forced to guess" what an agency will consider a "reasonable" interpretation of laws passed by Congress, and asked why the courts should defer "to such bureaucratic pirouetting."


upi--2020-03-02--Many seniors have new disabilities after hospitalization

Older Americans often return home from the hospital with disabilities they did n't have before , a new study finds .
These new problems can lead to difficulties with daily activities , such as bathing and dressing , shopping and preparing meals , and getting around inside and outside the home .
Such struggles can lead to re-hospitalization , having to go to a nursing home and permanent declines in well-being , according to Dr. Kumar Dharmarajan and colleagues at Yale University School of Medicine , in New Haven , Conn. For the study , the researchers looked at 515 @ @ @ @ @ @ @ who lived at home at the start of the study and did not require help with four basic activities : bathing , dressing , walking inside the house , and getting out of a chair .
The seniors , mostly around age 83 , were followed up after their release from hospitalization for a condition that did n't require critical care .
One and six months after hospitalization , new disabilities were common among the study participants , and interfered with their ability to leave home for medical care or to look after @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
The new disabilities included being unable to get dressed , walk across a room , get in or out of a chair , walk a quarter-mile , climb a flight of stairs , and drive a car .
Disability was also common for daily tasks such as meal preparation and taking medications , the study authors noted in a news release from the American Geriatrics Society .
Specifically , new disabilities among the study participants after hospitalization included : not able to bathe themselves ( 31 percent ) ; not able to @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ; problems taking medications ( 30 percent ) ; and not able to walk a quarter-mile ( 43 percent ) .
For those who did recover from a new disability after hospitalization , it took between one to two months , the findings showed .
In many cases , recovery was incomplete even six months after leaving the hospital .
For example , rates of normal functioning at six months were : 65 percent for bathing ; 65 percent for meal preparation ; 58 percent for taking medications ; and 55 percent for @ @ @ @ @ @ @ recently in the Journal of the American Geriatrics Society .
The American Academy of Family Physicians has more on health issues in seniors .

Pixabay Many seniors experienced new disabilities after hospitalization, including being unable to get dressed, walk across a room, get in or out of a chair, walk a quarter-mile, climb a flight of stairs, and drive a car. Photo by truthseeker08
Older Americans often return home from the hospital with disabilities they didn't have before, a new study finds. These new problems can lead to difficulties with daily activities, such as bathing and dressing, shopping and preparing meals, and getting around inside and outside the home. Advertisement
Such struggles can lead to re-hospitalization, having to go to a nursing home and permanent declines in well-being, according to Dr. Kumar Dharmarajan and colleagues at Yale University School of Medicine, in New Haven, Conn.
For the study, the researchers looked at 515 people, aged 70 and older, who lived at home at the start of the study and did not require help with four basic activities: bathing, dressing, walking inside the house, and getting out of a chair.
The seniors, mostly around age 83, were followed up after their release from hospitalization for a condition that didn't require critical care.
One and six months after hospitalization, new disabilities were common among the study participants, and interfered with their ability to leave home for medical care or to look after their health needs, the study found.
The new disabilities included being unable to get dressed, walk across a room, get in or out of a chair, walk a quarter-mile, climb a flight of stairs, and drive a car.
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Disability was also common for daily tasks such as meal preparation and taking medications, the study authors noted in a news release from the American Geriatrics Society.
Specifically, new disabilities among the study participants after hospitalization included: not able to bathe themselves (31 percent); not able to do simple housework (42 percent); problems taking medications (30 percent); and not able to walk a quarter-mile (43 percent).
For those who did recover from a new disability after hospitalization, it took between one to two months, the findings showed.
In many cases, recovery was incomplete even six months after leaving the hospital. For example, rates of normal functioning at six months were: 65 percent for bathing; 65 percent for meal preparation; 58 percent for taking medications; and 55 percent for driving.
The study was published online recently in the Journal of the American Geriatrics Society.
More information
The American Academy of Family Physicians has more on health issues in seniors.
Copyright 2020 HealthDay. All rights reserved.


upi--2020-03-02--SpaceX Starship prototype explodes in test again

March 2 ( UPI ) -- Another prototype of SpaceX 's Starship rocket exploded during a pressure test at the company 's construction yard in Boca Chica , Texas .
It was the second such explosion at the Texas site in the past four months .
It was n't clear if the company knew it would explode , but such testing is designed to find the structural limits of rocket components .
SpaceX founder Elon Musk laughed it off on Twitter after posting a video of the Friday night incident .
`` It 's fine , we 'll just buff @ @ @ @ @ @ @ The tests are done using supercooled liquid .
Images captured by independent videographers from outside the plant -- LabPadre and SPadre on YouTube -- showed the bottom of the rocket test article dumping vapor from the liquid before the structure shot up into the air in a bigger cloud of vapor .
The company previously tested a similar structure to failure in November .
SpaceX has been working toward flight design for the stainless steel rocket , according to Musk .
In November , Musk said he hoped to reach Earth orbit with @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , with human passengers by next year .
The company has plans to go to the moon and Mars , and to use Starship for planetary commercial flights .

March 2 (UPI) -- Another prototype of SpaceX's Starship rocket exploded during a pressure test at the company's construction yard in Boca Chica, Texas. It was the second such explosion at the Texas site in the past four months.
It wasn't clear if the company knew it would explode, but such testing is designed to find the structural limits of rocket components. SpaceX founder Elon Musk laughed it off on Twitter after posting a video of the Friday night incident.
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"It's fine, we'll just buff it out," Musk tweeted.
The tests are done using supercooled liquid. Images captured by independent videographers from outside the plant -- LabPadre and SPadre on YouTube -- showed the bottom of the rocket test article dumping vapor from the liquid before the structure shot up into the air in a bigger cloud of vapor.
The company previously tested a similar structure to failure in November.
SpaceX has been working toward flight design for the stainless steel rocket, according to Musk.
In November, Musk said he hoped to reach Earth orbit with a Starship prototype in about six months, with human passengers by next year. The company has plans to go to the moon and Mars, and to use Starship for planetary commercial flights.


upi--2020-03-02--U.S. teens waiting longer to try alcohol, drugs

It 's never good news that kids are using drugs and alcohol , but fewer U.S. teens are starting before their 16th birthday , a new study finds .
Researchers found that between 2004 and 2017 , the age at which teens started drinking alcohol and smoking rose from 16 to 17 years .
The age for trying heroin went from 17 to 18 , and for cocaine it increased from 18 to 19 years .
For crack cocaine , opioids and some other drugs , however , no increase in age was seen .
`` We think this is @ @ @ @ @ @ @ prevents early exposure , which we know is associated with various long-term negative health outcomes , '' said lead researcher Karl Alcover , a postdoctoral research associate at Washington State University , in Spokane .
`` Also , these promising trends may serve as initial evidence that prevention strategies , especially those that focus on adolescents and young adults , are working , '' he said .
Linda Richter is director of policy research and analysis at the Center on Addiction , in New York City .
She said , `` These findings @ @ @ @ @ @ @ other recent research that has found reason to be hopeful that trends generally are moving in a more healthy direction for teens when it comes to tobacco , alcohol and other drug use . ''
The only significant exception to these positive trends has been vaping of nicotine and THC ( the chemical in marijuana that provides a high ) , which has increased dramatically in recent years and continues to be a public health crisis , she said .
Using the U.S. National Survey on Drug Use and Health for 2004 to @ @ @ @ @ @ @ on young people aged 12 and older .
More than 84,000 reported trying any drug .
The researchers found that the average age when someone started using 12 of 18 drugs rose .
These included alcohol , cocaine , ecstasy , hallucinogens , heroin , inhalants , LSD , marijuana , stimulants , cigars , cigarettes and smokeless tobacco .
However , for crack cocaine , methamphetamines , opioids , PCP , sedatives and tranquilizers , no statistically significant changes were found in the age of introduction .
Alcover is n't sure why @ @ @ @ @ @ @ that the drugs without change in average age of initiation are among the least prevalent drugs in the U.S. , '' he said .
Year-to-year upswings were mostly consistent , except for sampling alcohol and LSD .
The increase in age for first use of these two drugs may have stalled , the researchers said .
The report also found that teens who use inhalants start at an average age of 15 -- the earliest for any of the drugs analyzed .
Average age for trying cocaine and crack cocaine was 18 .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ kids start using drugs or not , Alcover said .
Other studies suggest that the use of drugs at an early age is associated with poor parental support , lack of parent-child communication and permissiveness by parents , he said .
`` Parental involvement helps reduce children 's drug involvement .
Parents should talk to their children about the risks of being involved in drug use , and parents should begin this type of conversation with their children early , '' Alcover added .
Richter said it 's difficult to know exactly what @ @ @ @ @ @ @ use and the rising age of initiation for most forms of substance use .
`` However , there is reason to believe that they can be attributed at least in part to more comprehensive and science-based prevention efforts , including more honest and accurate information presented to teens about the real risks of substance use , rather than the use of unfounded scare tactics , '' she suggested .
Also , community efforts to reduce the access and appeal of addictive substances play a part , Richter said .
`` The harder it @ @ @ @ @ @ @ -- whether because of lower visibility , higher cost , or less of a presence of the drug in the surrounding environment -- the less likely teens are to use that substance , '' she explained .
Furthermore , the more parents and other adults are involved in teens ' lives , the lower the likelihood that teens will start using tobacco , alcohol or other drugs or develop an addiction , Richter said .
One thing is sure , youth substance abuse does n't happen in isolation , she said .
`` @ @ @ @ @ @ @ addictive substance are significantly more likely to use other ones , increasing the harms to their developing brains and their risk of future addiction , '' Richter said .
The report was published online March 2 in JAMA Pediatrics .
For more on teen drug abuse , head to the U.S. National Institute on Drug Abuse .

Researchers found that between 2004 and 2017, the age at which teens started drinking alcohol and smoking rose from 16 to 17 years. Photo by bridgesword /Pixabay
It's never good news that kids are using drugs and alcohol, but fewer U.S. teens are starting before their 16th birthday, a new study finds. Researchers found that between 2004 and 2017, the age at which teens started drinking alcohol and smoking rose from 16 to 17 years. The age for trying heroin went from 17 to 18, and for cocaine it increased from 18 to 19 years. For crack cocaine, opioids and some other drugs, however, no increase in age was seen. Advertisement
"We think this is great news because delaying initiation of drugs prevents early exposure, which we know is associated with various long-term negative health outcomes," said lead researcher Karl Alcover, a postdoctoral research associate at Washington State University, in Spokane.
"Also, these promising trends may serve as initial evidence that prevention strategies, especially those that focus on adolescents and young adults, are working," he said.
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Linda Richter is director of policy research and analysis at the Center on Addiction, in New York City. She said, "These findings are certainly encouraging and also consistent with other recent research that has found reason to be hopeful that trends generally are moving in a more healthy direction for teens when it comes to tobacco, alcohol and other drug use."
The only significant exception to these positive trends has been vaping of nicotine and THC (the chemical in marijuana that provides a high), which has increased dramatically in recent years and continues to be a public health crisis, she said.
Using the U.S. National Survey on Drug Use and Health for 2004 to 2017, Alcover's team collected data on young people aged 12 and older. More than 84,000 reported trying any drug.
The researchers found that the average age when someone started using 12 of 18 drugs rose. These included alcohol, cocaine, ecstasy, hallucinogens, heroin, inhalants, LSD, marijuana, stimulants, cigars, cigarettes and smokeless tobacco.
However, for crack cocaine, methamphetamines, opioids, PCP, sedatives and tranquilizers, no statistically significant changes were found in the age of introduction.
Alcover isn't sure why that was so.
"It seems that the drugs without change in average age of initiation are among the least prevalent drugs in the U.S.," he said.
Advertisement
Year-to-year upswings were mostly consistent, except for sampling alcohol and LSD. The increase in age for first use of these two drugs may have stalled, the researchers said.
The report also found that teens who use inhalants start at an average age of 15 -- the earliest for any of the drugs analyzed. Average age for trying cocaine and crack cocaine was 18.
Parents play a pivotal role in whether kids start using drugs or not, Alcover said.
Other studies suggest that the use of drugs at an early age is associated with poor parental support, lack of parent-child communication and permissiveness by parents, he said.
"Parental involvement helps reduce children's drug involvement. Parents should talk to their children about the risks of being involved in drug use, and parents should begin this type of conversation with their children early," Alcover added.
Richter said it's difficult to know exactly what underlies the declining trends in teen substance use and the rising age of initiation for most forms of substance use.
"However, there is reason to believe that they can be attributed at least in part to more comprehensive and science-based prevention efforts, including more honest and accurate information presented to teens about the real risks of substance use, rather than the use of unfounded scare tactics," she suggested.
Advertisement
Also, community efforts to reduce the access and appeal of addictive substances play a part, Richter said.
"The harder it is for teens to access a substance -- whether because of lower visibility, higher cost, or less of a presence of the drug in the surrounding environment -- the less likely teens are to use that substance," she explained.
Furthermore, the more parents and other adults are involved in teens' lives, the lower the likelihood that teens will start using tobacco, alcohol or other drugs or develop an addiction, Richter said.
One thing is sure, youth substance abuse doesn't happen in isolation, she said.
"Young people who use one type of addictive substance are significantly more likely to use other ones, increasing the harms to their developing brains and their risk of future addiction," Richter said.
The report was published online March 2 in JAMA Pediatrics.
More information
For more on teen drug abuse, head to the U.S. National Institute on Drug Abuse.
Copyright 2020 HealthDay. All rights reserved.


upi--2020-03-02--Watch: Penn State students hold vigil for closed Taco Bell location

March 2 ( UPI ) -- Penn State University students and community members gathered at the site of a shuttered @ @ @ @ @ mourning the loss of the fast food restaurant .
The Taco Bell location on E. @ @ @ @ @ unexpectedly closed its doors permanently last week , leading Penn State student Prajesh Patel to @ @ @ @ @ .
The vigil , which was advertised on Facebook , brought out dozens of attendees @ @ @ @ @ to pay their respects to the closed eatery .
`` Taco Bell was our home @ @ @ @ @ added spice to our life , '' Patel , who attended the vigil in a @ @ @ @ @ assembled crowd .
The nearest Taco Bell to the closed location is about 2 miles @ @

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March 2 (UPI) -- Penn State University students and community members gathered at the site of a shuttered Taco Bell for a vigil mourning the loss of the fast food restaurant.
The Taco Bell location on E. College Ave in State College unexpectedly closed its doors permanently last week, leading Penn State student Prajesh Patel to organize the Sunday night vigil.
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The vigil, which was advertised on Facebook, brought out dozens of attendees, including former employees, to pay their respects to the closed eatery.
"Taco Bell was our home away from home, and added spice to our life," Patel, who attended the vigil in a taco costume, told the assembled crowd.
The nearest Taco Bell to the closed location is about 2 miles away.


upi--2020-03-02--Test all U.S. adults for hepatitis C, healthcare group says

March 2 ( UPI ) -- A prominent panel of healthcare experts recommends hepatitis C screening for all adults in the United States , in an article published Monday by JAMA Network Open .
Noting the increases in prevalence of the infection across the country -- owing in large part to the growth in injection drug use -- members of the U.S. Preventive Services Task Force , or USPSTF , an independent , volunteer panel of national experts in preventive medicine , have advised physicians to screen all Americans between 18 and 79 years of age for the disease , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ group also suggests testing adolescents under 18 years of age and seniors older than 79 years of age based on their risk for the disease , including if they have a history of injection drug use .
The new recommendations are an update of the group 's earlier guidance , which was published in 2013 and recommended screening for those at high risk and those born between 1945 and 1965 .
`` Hepatitis C is a major public health problem in the United States , '' Dr. Douglas K. Owens , USPSTF chair @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the Center for Innovation to Implementation at the Veterans Affairs Palo Alto Health Care System in California , told UPI .
`` We feel like we can make a major difference if clinicians screen people and we can get them into treatment . ''
According to the USPSTF report , hepatitis C virus , or HCV , is the most common chronic blood-borne disease in the U.S. and a leading cause of complications from chronic liver disease across the country .
An estimated 4.1 million adults nationwide have or have had HCV , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ and 2017 , cases of acute infection increased approximately 3.8-fold .
The risk for HCV is highest among those with a history of injection drug use .
Indeed , the most rapid increase in acute HCV infections has been in young adults between 20 to 39 years of age who inject drugs , with increases in both sexes but more pronounced in men .
The USPSTF said that screening for HCV is now fairly straightforward , thanks to antibody testing and polymerase chain reaction testing for HCV RNA , which are both accurate @ @ @ @ @ @ @ be screened only once , although those at higher risk -- including those who use injection drugs -- should be screened periodically , the group said .
Thanks to the advent of new antivirals , HCV is treatable , in most cases .
However , success is typically greater in those who are diagnosed earlier before living complications develop -- which is another reason for more widespread screening .
`` It 's important for people to know that treatments for hepatitis C are much , much better than they used to be , @ @ @ @

March 2 (UPI) -- A prominent panel of healthcare experts recommends hepatitis C screening for all adults in the United States, in an article published Monday by JAMA Network Open.
Noting the increases in prevalence of the infection across the country -- owing in large part to the growth in injection drug use -- members of the U.S. Preventive Services Task Force, or USPSTF, an independent, volunteer panel of national experts in preventive medicine, have advised physicians to screen all Americans between 18 and 79 years of age for the disease, which primarily affects the liver.
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The group also suggests testing adolescents under 18 years of age and seniors older than 79 years of age based on their risk for the disease, including if they have a history of injection drug use.
The new recommendations are an update of the group's earlier guidance, which was published in 2013 and recommended screening for those at high risk and those born between 1945 and 1965.
"Hepatitis C is a major public health problem in the United States," Dr. Douglas K. Owens, USPSTF chair and a general internist and investigator at the Center for Innovation to Implementation at the Veterans Affairs Palo Alto Health Care System in California, told UPI. "We feel like we can make a major difference if clinicians screen people and we can get them into treatment."
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According to the USPSTF report, hepatitis C virus, or HCV, is the most common chronic blood-borne disease in the U.S. and a leading cause of complications from chronic liver disease across the country. An estimated 4.1 million adults nationwide have or have had HCV, the authors report and, between 2000 and 2017, cases of acute infection increased approximately 3.8-fold.
The risk for HCV is highest among those with a history of injection drug use. Indeed, the most rapid increase in acute HCV infections has been in young adults between 20 to 39 years of age who inject drugs, with increases in both sexes but more pronounced in men.
The USPSTF said that screening for HCV is now fairly straightforward, thanks to antibody testing and polymerase chain reaction testing for HCV RNA, which are both accurate and non-invasive. Most adults need to be screened only once, although those at higher risk -- including those who use injection drugs -- should be screened periodically, the group said.
Thanks to the advent of new antivirals, HCV is treatable, in most cases. However, success is typically greater in those who are diagnosed earlier before living complications develop -- which is another reason for more widespread screening.
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"It's important for people to know that treatments for hepatitis C are much, much better than they used to be," Owens said.


upi--2020-03-02--Air Force Gen. Charles Q. Brown to be nominated to Joint Chiefs of Staff

March 2 ( UPI ) -- Gen. Charles Q .
Brown has been chosen as U.S. Air Force chief of staff , Defense Department officials said on Monday , and would be the first African-American in the post .
Pending Senate confirmation , Brown would represent the Air Force on the Joint Chiefs of Staff .
He currently serves as commander of Pacific Air Forces .
The former F-16 fighter pilot , with multiple tours in the Middle East , Asia and Europe , would succeed Gen. David Goldfein , who is retiring , in the position .
Brown , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ of only two African-American four-star generals currently in U.S. military service .
Another African-American , Gen. Colin Powell , served as Joint Chiefs of Staff chairman from 1989 to 1993 .
`` He 's got fantastic operational experience , '' former Air Force Secretary Deborah Lee James said in a recent interview , responding to Brown 's potential selection .
`` He tends to be popular with his troops .
People want to follow him .
He does n't lead out of fear , he leads through the inspiration he brings to the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ view . ''
Prior to being named to lead the Pacific Air Forces in 2018 , Brown was deputy commander of U.S. Central Command .
In 2015 and 2016 he served as U.S. Air Forces Central Command 's air component commander , where he oversaw bombing campaigns in Iraq and Syria against the Islamic State , and operations against Afghanistan 's insurgent groups .
He has been a commissioned officer since 1984 .
As a pilot , Brown experienced over 2,900 flying hours , including 130 combat hours , largely in F-16 fighter @ @

Gen. Charles Q. Brown is expected to be nominated as the next U.S. Air Force chief of staff, Defense Department officials disclosed on Monday. File Photo by Maj. Tony Wickman/U.S. Air Forces Central Command
March 2 (UPI) -- Gen. Charles Q. Brown has been chosen as U.S. Air Force chief of staff, Defense Department officials said on Monday, and would be the first African-American in the post. Pending Senate confirmation, Brown would represent the Air Force on the Joint Chiefs of Staff. He currently serves as commander of Pacific Air Forces. Advertisement
The former F-16 fighter pilot, with multiple tours in the Middle East, Asia and Europe, would succeed Gen. David Goldfein, who is retiring, in the position. Brown, nicknamed "CQ," is one of only two African-American four-star generals currently in U.S. military service.
Another African-American, Gen. Colin Powell, served as Joint Chiefs of Staff chairman from 1989 to 1993.
"He's got fantastic operational experience," former Air Force Secretary Deborah Lee James said in a recent interview, responding to Brown's potential selection. "He tends to be popular with his troops. People want to follow him. He doesn't lead out of fear, he leads through the inspiration he brings to the table. He's got a global view."
Prior to being named to lead the Pacific Air Forces in 2018, Brown was deputy commander of U.S. Central Command. In 2015 and 2016 he served as U.S. Air Forces Central Command's air component commander, where he oversaw bombing campaigns in Iraq and Syria against the Islamic State, and operations against Afghanistan's insurgent groups.
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He has been a commissioned officer since 1984. As a pilot, Brown experienced over 2,900 flying hours, including 130 combat hours, largely in F-16 fighter planes.


upi--2020-03-02--Look: Dangling owl rescued from fishing line over Virginia river

March 2 ( UPI ) -- Fire and rescue teams in Virginia responded to a river where an owl was @ @ @ @ @ and dangling over the water .
New Kent Fire-Rescue said crews from the Talleysville and @ @ @ @ @ rescuers Sunday when an owl was reported in distress at the Chickahominy River .
The @ @ @ @ @ wrapped in fishing line and hanging upside-down from a branch over the water .
`` @ @ @ @ @ that we were able to free the owl so that the New Kent County Sheriff @ @ @ @ @ Unit , could transport to a treatment facility , '' the department said .

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March 2 (UPI) -- Fire and rescue teams in Virginia responded to a river where an owl was spotted entangled in fishing line and dangling over the water.
New Kent Fire-Rescue said crews from the Talleysville and Quinton stations responded alongside other rescuers Sunday when an owl was reported in distress at the Chickahominy River.
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The department said the owl was wrapped in fishing line and hanging upside-down from a branch over the water.
"We are happy to report that we were able to free the owl so that the New Kent County Sheriff's Office, Animal Control Unit, could transport to a treatment facility," the department said.


upi--2020-03-02--5,000-year-old milk proteins show dairy pastoralism's effect on Eurasian steppe

March 2 ( UPI ) -- Archaeological evidence suggests dairy pastoralism originated in southwest Asia .
How and when the tradition migrated eastward is less understood .
The discovery of 5,000-year-old milk proteins -- described Monday in the journal Nature Ecology and Evolution -- suggests populations living on the Eurasian steppe were producing and consuming milk as early as 3,000 B.C .
The Eurasian steppe 's strong winds weathered away much of the evidence of the pastoral populations that occupied prehistoric Mongolia .
To better understand the evolution of these early pastoralists , researchers examined a series of ritual human @ @ @ @ @ @ @ makeup of dental calculus , or plaque , extracted from human teeth dated from the Early Bronze Age to the Mongol Period .
More than three-quarters of the individuals tested revealed evidence of dairy consumption .
The extensive nature of the milk consumption suggests the practice was introduced even earlier than 3,000 B.C .
Previous genetic surveys have linked the people of prehistoric Mongolia with herder populations of the western steppe .
The connection suggests populations from Russia 's Atlai mountains likely brought dairy pastoralism with them as they traveled east .
`` @ @ @ @ @ @ @ goat , yak , camel , horse and reindeer for milk today , yet when each of these species were first utilized for dairy in Mongolia remains unclear , '' lead study author Shevan Wilkin , researcher at the Max Planck Institute for the Science of Human History in Germany , said in a news release .
`` What is clear is that the crucial renewable calories and hydration made available through the incorporation of dairying would have become essential across the arid and agriculturally challenging ancient Eastern Steppe . ''
Analysis of @ @ @ @ @ @ @ drinkers in prehistoric Mongolia sourced their dairy from ruminant species , like cattle , sheep and goats .
Scientists found the chemical signatures of horse milk consumption in the plaque extracted from teeth dating to 1,200 B.C .
The analysis also showed camel milk consumption was popular during the Mongol Empire , between 1,400 and 1,200 B.C .
`` We are excited that through the analysis of proteins we are able to see the consumption of multiple different animal species , even sometimes in the same individual , '' said senior study author @ @ @ @ @ @ @ a whole new insight into ancient dairying practices . ''
Researchers hope further analysis will help them determine how exactly western steppe herders helped spread the tradition of dairy pastoralism through the region .

Today, the people of the Eurasian steppe get more than half their calories from dairy during the summer months. Photo by Björn Reichhardt
March 2 (UPI) -- Archaeological evidence suggests dairy pastoralism originated in southwest Asia. How and when the tradition migrated eastward is less understood. The discovery of 5,000-year-old milk proteins -- described Monday in the journal Nature Ecology and Evolution -- suggests populations living on the Eurasian steppe were producing and consuming milk as early as 3,000 B.C. Advertisement
The Eurasian steppe's strong winds weathered away much of the evidence of the pastoral populations that occupied prehistoric Mongolia. To better understand the evolution of these early pastoralists, researchers examined a series of ritual human burial mounds.
Scientists analyzed the chemical makeup of dental calculus, or plaque, extracted from human teeth dated from the Early Bronze Age to the Mongol Period. More than three-quarters of the individuals tested revealed evidence of dairy consumption.
The extensive nature of the milk consumption suggests the practice was introduced even earlier than 3,000 B.C.
Previous genetic surveys have linked the people of prehistoric Mongolia with herder populations of the western steppe. The connection suggests populations from Russia's Atlai mountains likely brought dairy pastoralism with them as they traveled east.
"Modern Mongolians use cow, sheep, goat, yak, camel, horse and reindeer for milk today, yet when each of these species were first utilized for dairy in Mongolia remains unclear," lead study author Shevan Wilkin, researcher at the Max Planck Institute for the Science of Human History in Germany, said in a news release. "What is clear is that the crucial renewable calories and hydration made available through the incorporation of dairying would have become essential across the arid and agriculturally challenging ancient Eastern Steppe."
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Analysis of the ancient plaque showed the earliest milk drinkers in prehistoric Mongolia sourced their dairy from ruminant species, like cattle, sheep and goats. Scientists found the chemical signatures of horse milk consumption in the plaque extracted from teeth dating to 1,200 B.C. The analysis also showed camel milk consumption was popular during the Mongol Empire, between 1,400 and 1,200 B.C.
"We are excited that through the analysis of proteins we are able to see the consumption of multiple different animal species, even sometimes in the same individual," said senior study author Jessica Hendy. "This gives us a whole new insight into ancient dairying practices."
Researchers hope further analysis will help them determine how exactly western steppe herders helped spread the tradition of dairy pastoralism through the region.


upi--2020-03-02--Reports: Klobuchar to withdraw from presidential race, endorse Biden

March 2 ( UPI ) -- Amy Klobuchar , a three-term Minnesota senator who sought to unite the Democratic Party behind a pragmatic centrism , is expected to drop out of the presidential race , multiple reports indicated Monday .
CNN , NBC News and ABC News cited campaign sources as saying Klobuchar would fly to Dallas to join former Vice President Joe Biden at a rally where she will suspend her campaign and offer him her endorsement one day before the crucial Super Tuesday primaries .
She became the third Democratic presidential hopeful to drop out of the race @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Wayne , Ind.
, mayor Pete Buttigieg on Sunday and billionaire activist Tom Steyer earlier Monday .
The 59-year-old Klobuchar entered the race in February 2019 during a snowstorm in Minneapolis .
Well liked in her home state , where she has rolled to three consecutive lopsided Senate victories , she faced significant competition in the moderate lane from Biden and Buttigieg .
She pinned much of her hopes on neighboring Iowa , spending considerable time and resources in the state , where she was the only Democratic candidate to visit all 99 @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , was disappointed with a fifth-place finish there .
She regained some momentum with a memorable performance in the Democratic debate before the New Hampshire primary , notching a third-place finish .
But she could not translate that bump into a lasting trend , coming in sixth in both the Nevada caucuses and the South Carolina primary .

1/4
Democratic presidential candidate former Vice President Joe Biden received endorsements from Pete Buttigieg and Amy Klobuchar on Monday night. Photo by Richard Ellis/UPI | License Photo
March 2 (UPI) -- Former political rivals Pete Buttigieg, Amy Klobuchar and Beto O'Rourke endorsed Joe Biden for president in a rally in Dallas on Monday. The endorsements came shortly after Klobuchar and Buttigieg pulled their names from contention while O'Rouke dropped out of the race in November. Advertisement
Buttigieg -- the former mayor of South Bend, Ind. -- stood alongside the former vice president as he said throwing his support behind Biden would help to fulfill the goal of his campaign to rally the country together to defeat President Donald Trump.
"That was always a goal that was much bigger than me becoming president. And it is in the name of that very same goal that I am delighted to endorse and support Joe Biden for president of the United States," he said.
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Buttigieg began the primary season with a narrow win in the Iowa caucus over Bernie Sanders, which he followed up with a second-place finish behind the Vermont senator in New Hampshire. But on Sunday he said that his campaign's "path has narrowed to a close."
Amy Klobuchar, a three-term Minnesota senator who sought to unite the Democratic Party behind a pragmatic centrism, also dropped out of the race on Monday and offered Biden her endorsement one day before the crucial Super Tuesday primaries.
"He can bring our country together and build that coalition of our fired-up Democratic base, and it is fired up, as well as Independents and moderate Republicans, because we do not in our party want to just eek by a victory. We want to win big and Joe Biden can do that," she said.
She became the third Democratic presidential hopeful to drop out of the race in two days, following Buttigieg on Sunday and billionaire activist Tom Steyer earlier Monday.
The 59-year-old Klobuchar entered the race in February 2019 during a snowstorm in Minneapolis. Well-liked in her home state, where she has rolled to three consecutive lopsided Senate victories, she faced significant competition in the moderate lane from Biden and Buttigieg.
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She pinned much of her hopes on neighboring Iowa, spending considerable time and resources in the state, where she was the only Democratic candidate to visit all 99 of its counties. Klobuchar, however, was disappointed with a fifth-place finish there.
She regained some momentum with a memorable performance in the Democratic debate before the New Hampshire primary, notching a third-place finish. But she could not translate that bump into a lasting trend, coming in sixth in both the Nevada caucuses and the South Carolina primary.
And then in the final minutes of the rally, Biden called O'Rourke to the stage.
The former Texas House representative told the crowd he will be casting his ballot Tuesday for the former vice president because "we need somebody who can beat Donald Trump."
Trump, O'Rourke said, poses an existential threat to the United States and Biden is his antithesis.
"At a time that this country is so polarized, so deeply divided, we need somebody who can bring us together and heal us," O'Rourke said. "We need somebody who can re-establish the moral authority of the United States. We need somebody who will fight for democracy here and abroad because democracy is under attack here and aboard. We need Joe Biden."
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The 47-year-old Texan's endorsement of Biden comes months after he pulled his name from the presidential race in November, stating he lacked "the means" to continue.
Though qualifying for the four Democratic debates prior to dropping out, O'Rourke was trailing behind the poll requirements to gain admittance to the fifth match and was dragging behind in fundraising.
He served three terms in the House representing Texas' 16th Congressional District and had said after dropping out of the presidential race that he'd back whichever Democratic candidate is named the party's nominee.


Notable deaths of 2020

Egyptian President Hosni Mubarak meets with U.S. President Barack Obama in the Oval Office of the White House in Washington @ @ @ @ @ .
Mubarak held office for 30 years before resigning amid an uprising in 2011 .
@ @ @ @ @ at age 91 .
Pool Photo by Dennis Brack/UPI

Dawn Wells
Dawn Wells poses with the original, fully restored S.S. Minnow from "Gilligan's Island" to meet and greet fans and visitors at the Vancouver International Boat Show in Vancouver on January 23, 2014. Best known for her role as Mary Ann from "Gilligan's Island," Wells died of COVID-19 on December 30 at the age of 82. Photo by Heinz Ruckemann/UPI


upi--2020-03-02--Watch: Sungjae shares animated 'Come with the Wind' video

March 2 ( UPI ) -- South Korean singer Sungjae is back with a new music video .
The 24-year-old @ @ @ @ @ Sung-jae , released an animated video for the single `` Come with the Wind '' @ @ @ @ @ depicts Sungjae , a member of the boy band BtoB , enjoying a day off @ @ @ @ @ girl named Melody , named after BtoB 's fan base , and imagines himself performing @ @ @ @ @ Come with the Wind '' appears on Sungjae 's debut solo EP Yook O'clock , @ @ @ @ @ album also includes the singles `` Yook , '' `` W.A.U .
( What About @ @ @ @ @ HMNH , '' songs from Sungjae 's music project 3x2=6 .
With BtoB , Sungjae @ @ @ @ @ the EP Hour Moment in 2018 .
The group has largely been on hiatus as @ @ @ @ @ complete their mandatory military service .
BtoB , or Born to Beat , debuted as @ @ @ @ @ The group also consists of Hyunsik , Peniel and Ilhoon .

March 2 (UPI) -- South Korean singer Sungjae is back with a new music video.
The 24-year-old K-pop star, born Yook Sung-jae, released an animated video for the single "Come with the Wind" on Monday.
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The video depicts Sungjae, a member of the boy band BtoB, enjoying a day off. Sungjae reminisces about a girl named Melody, named after BtoB's fan base, and imagines himself performing for his friend.
"Come with the Wind" appears on Sungjae's debut solo EP Yook O'clock, also released Monday. The album also includes the singles "Yook," "W.A.U. (What About U)" and "HMNH," songs from Sungjae's music project 3x2=6.
With BtoB, Sungjae and the group last released the EP Hour Moment in 2018. The group has largely been on hiatus as Eunkwang, Minhyuk and Changsub complete their mandatory military service.
BtoB, or Born to Beat, debuted as a group in 2012. The group also consists of Hyunsik, Peniel and Ilhoon.


upi--2020-03-02--Space startup Astra fails to launch rocket on last day of U.S. challenge in Alaska

March 2 ( UPI ) -- California-based space company Astra ended an attempt to launch a rocket Monday from Alaska , ending the government-sponsored DARPA Launch Challenge with no prize winner , according to the agency 's chief of communications .
The challenge was designed to develop a capability for the U.S. military to send small satellites into space quickly -- speeding up the turnaround time from design and conception to launch day .
But the remaining finalist in the contest , Astra , was plagued by bad weather for days at the pad on Kodiak Island .
The cancellation @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the $ 12 million it was hoping for , according to DARPA communications chief Jared Adams .
DARPA stands for the U.S. Department of Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency .
If Astra still plans to launch the rocket , it will need new permits on a strictly private basis , Adams said .
Chris Kemp , Astra 's founder and CEO , indicated the company would move ahead with launch plans for the rocket .
`` We decided it would be better to scrub the launch and try to get another day .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ today , but our objective really is to reach orbit in as few flights as possible , '' Kemp said .
Adams said DARPA considers the challenge a success because Astra reached launch day with efficient , lean launch technology , which still can be used and developed .
Similar DARPA challenges have ended with no prize money , but helped to develop technology , he said .
`` The goals we set forth for the Launch Challenge are incredibly hard .
The preferred outcome was to see Astra accomplish two successful launches @ @ @ @ @ @ @ period of time , '' Adams said .
The launch had been delayed for days first because of blizzard conditions and then high winds at Pacific Spaceport Complex-Alaska .
On Monday , the launch had been set for 3:30 p.m. EST , but launch personnel first held the liftoff for about 25 minutes to avoid a possible collision with an `` object in orbit '' that turned out to be the International Space Station .
Then , just seconds before liftoff , a hold was called by the guidance , navigation and control @ @ @ @ @ @ @ . ''
The company announced the cancellation just before 6 p.m .
The launch was to be the first of two planned , with a $ 2 million prize .
If successful , Astra would advance to a second launch attempt with a prize of $ 10 million .
`` We 're trying to make rockets a lot more like people build cars , '' Astra co-founder Adam London said .
`` We are excited to show ... what we think to be a very responsive , very portable launch infrastructure . ''
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ conducted two launch tests with rockets that did n't reach orbit .
One of those ended abruptly , but the company did n't release information about it .
Astra had only weeks to prepare after getting the challenge details .
That included what kind of small satellites , or CubeSats , would be launched , and what type of facilities would be provided and the intended orbit , DARPA officials said .
Astra 's rocket is relatively small at just over 38 feet compared to SpaceX 's Falcon 9 , which is more @ @ @ @ @ @ @ rocket used by another small launch company , Rocket Lab , is 56 feet high .
Astra , based in Alameda , Calif. , says it can carry up to 330 pounds into low orbit .
For the challenge launch , it was supposed to carry three CubeSats and one space beacon weighing a few pounds each .
Two of the CubeSats were designed by the University of South Florida for its ARCE-1 mission , designed to demonstrate how small satellites can communicate with each other to facilitate tracking and managing large satellite @ @ @ @ @ @ @ payload had included a Department of Defense Prometheus CubeSat to improve the responsiveness of relaying military tactical data .
The challenge drew more than 50 initial entrants .
Astra was the only one remaining .
Part of the challenge was to demonstrate the ability to launch from another pad quickly , within weeks .
Astra includes former NASA and SpaceX executives , led by Chris Kemp , a former NASA chief technology officer .

Astra's rocket stands Monday on a launch pad at Kodiak Island, Alaska. Photo courtesy of DARPA
March 2 (UPI) -- California-based space company Astra ended an attempt to launch a rocket Monday from Alaska, ending the government-sponsored DARPA Launch Challenge with no prize winner, according to the agency's chief of communications. The challenge was designed to develop a capability for the U.S. military to send small satellites into space quickly -- speeding up the turnaround time from design and conception to launch day. Advertisement
But the remaining finalist in the contest, Astra, was plagued by bad weather for days at the pad on Kodiak Island.
The cancellation means Astra won't get any of the $12 million it was hoping for, according to DARPA communications chief Jared Adams. DARPA stands for the U.S. Department of Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency.
If Astra still plans to launch the rocket, it will need new permits on a strictly private basis, Adams said.
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Chris Kemp, Astra's founder and CEO, indicated the company would move ahead with launch plans for the rocket.
"We decided it would be better to scrub the launch and try to get another day. Winning the challenge would have been fantastic today, but our objective really is to reach orbit in as few flights as possible," Kemp said.
Adams said DARPA considers the challenge a success because Astra reached launch day with efficient, lean launch technology, which still can be used and developed. Similar DARPA challenges have ended with no prize money, but helped to develop technology, he said.
"The goals we set forth for the Launch Challenge are incredibly hard. The preferred outcome was to see Astra accomplish two successful launches from two different locations within a short period of time," Adams said.
The launch had been delayed for days first because of blizzard conditions and then high winds at Pacific Spaceport Complex-Alaska.
On Monday, the launch had been set for 3:30 p.m. EST, but launch personnel first held the liftoff for about 25 minutes to avoid a possible collision with an "object in orbit" that turned out to be the International Space Station.
Then, just seconds before liftoff, a hold was called by the guidance, navigation and control officer, citing only "off-nominal data." The company announced the cancellation just before 6 p.m.
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The launch was to be the first of two planned, with a $2 million prize. If successful, Astra would advance to a second launch attempt with a prize of $10 million.
"We're trying to make rockets a lot more like people build cars," Astra co-founder Adam London said. "We are excited to show ... what we think to be a very responsive, very portable launch infrastructure."
As a startup, Astra had previously conducted two launch tests with rockets that didn't reach orbit. One of those ended abruptly, but the company didn't release information about it.
Astra had only weeks to prepare after getting the challenge details. That included what kind of small satellites, or CubeSats, would be launched, and what type of facilities would be provided and the intended orbit, DARPA officials said.
Astra's rocket is relatively small at just over 38 feet compared to SpaceX's Falcon 9, which is more than 229 feet high. The Electron rocket used by another small launch company, Rocket Lab, is 56 feet high.
Astra, based in Alameda, Calif., says it can carry up to 330 pounds into low orbit. For the challenge launch, it was supposed to carry three CubeSats and one space beacon weighing a few pounds each.
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Two of the CubeSats were designed by the University of South Florida for its ARCE-1 mission, designed to demonstrate how small satellites can communicate with each other to facilitate tracking and managing large satellite constellations.
According to DARPA, the payload had included a Department of Defense Prometheus CubeSat to improve the responsiveness of relaying military tactical data.
The challenge drew more than 50 initial entrants. Astra was the only one remaining.
Part of the challenge was to demonstrate the ability to launch from another pad quickly, within weeks.
Astra includes former NASA and SpaceX executives, led by Chris Kemp, a former NASA chief technology officer.