upi--2020-12-04--World's largest solar observatory releases first image of a sunspot

Dec. 4 ( UPI ) -- The Daniel K. Inouye Solar Telescope , DKIST , the world 's largest solar observatory , has released its first portrait of a sunspot .
The photograph 's impressive details highlight the optical powers of the Hawaiian observatory .
Researchers released the image in conjunction with a new paper -- published Friday in the journal Solar Physics -- describing the telescope 's mechanical features , optical instruments and scientific objectives .
Sunspots are dark spots found on the surface of the sun created by magnetic field flux , where the convergence of magnetic fields @ @ @ @ @ @ @ surface .
In the new image , hot and cool gas can be seen spidering outward from the sunspot 's edge .
The radiating pattern is created when rising hot gas and sinking cool gas become stretched along the lines of the inclined magnetic field .
Solar activity rises and falls over the course of an 11-year solar cycle .
When solar activity is greatest , the surface of the sun is dotted with more sunspots .
DKIST snapped the portrait in January of this year , shortly after the sun reached its @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
The sunspot imaged by the Inouye Solar Telescope was one of the first of the new solar cycle .
It measured more than 10,000 miles wide .
Scientists expect the sun to reach its solar maximum in the middle of 2025 .
`` With this solar cycle just beginning , we also enter the era of the Inouye Solar Telescope , '' Matt Mountain , president of the Association of Universities for Research in Astronomy , which manages the National Solar Observatory and the Inouye Solar Telescope , said in a news @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the world 's most advanced solar telescope at the sun to capture and share incredibly detailed images and add to our scientific insights about the sun 's activity , '' said Mountain .
Sunspots are n't just optical phenomenon .
The majority of solar flares and coronal mass ejections originate from the hyper-magnetized regions surrounding sunspots .
Scientists expect DKIST to provide new insights into the mechanics of supports and their related phenomena -- insights that will help researchers more accurately predict the trajectory of solar storms , which can disrupt communications systems @ @ @ @ @ @ @ put astronauts at risk .
`` While the start of telescope operations has been slightly delayed due to the impacts of the COVID-19 global pandemic , this image represents an early preview of the unprecedented capabilities that the facility will bring to bear on our understanding of the sun , '' said David Boboltz , program director for the Inouye Solar Telescope at the National Science Foundation .
DKIST is funded by NSF and managed by the National Solar Observatory through a cooperative agreement with the Association of Universities for Research in Astronomy @

The Daniel K. Inouye Solar Telescope, DKIST, the world's largest solar observatory, shared its first portrait of a sunspot, one of the first of the newest solar cycle. Photo by NSO/AURA/NSF
Dec. 4 (UPI) -- The Daniel K. Inouye Solar Telescope, DKIST, the world's largest solar observatory, has released its first portrait of a sunspot. The photograph's impressive details highlight the optical powers of the Hawaiian observatory. Researchers released the image in conjunction with a new paper -- published Friday in the journal Solar Physics -- describing the telescope's mechanical features, optical instruments and scientific objectives. Advertisement
Sunspots are dark spots found on the surface of the sun created by magnetic field flux, where the convergence of magnetic fields stunts convection and cools the sun's surface.
In the new image, hot and cool gas can be seen spidering outward from the sunspot's edge. The radiating pattern is created when rising hot gas and sinking cool gas become stretched along the lines of the inclined magnetic field.
Solar activity rises and falls over the course of an 11-year solar cycle. When solar activity is greatest, the surface of the sun is dotted with more sunspots.
DKIST snapped the portrait in January of this year, shortly after the sun reached its solar minimum at the end of 2019.
The sunspot imaged by the Inouye Solar Telescope was one of the first of the new solar cycle. It measured more than 10,000 miles wide.
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Scientists expect the sun to reach its solar maximum in the middle of 2025.
"With this solar cycle just beginning, we also enter the era of the Inouye Solar Telescope," Matt Mountain, president of the Association of Universities for Research in Astronomy, which manages the National Solar Observatory and the Inouye Solar Telescope, said in a news release.
"We can now point the world's most advanced solar telescope at the sun to capture and share incredibly detailed images and add to our scientific insights about the sun's activity," said Mountain.
Sunspots aren't just optical phenomenon. The majority of solar flares and coronal mass ejections originate from the hyper-magnetized regions surrounding sunspots.
Scientists expect DKIST to provide new insights into the mechanics of supports and their related phenomena -- insights that will help researchers more accurately predict the trajectory of solar storms, which can disrupt communications systems and power grids, as well as put astronauts at risk.
"While the start of telescope operations has been slightly delayed due to the impacts of the COVID-19 global pandemic, this image represents an early preview of the unprecedented capabilities that the facility will bring to bear on our understanding of the sun," said David Boboltz, program director for the Inouye Solar Telescope at the National Science Foundation.
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DKIST is funded by NSF and managed by the National Solar Observatory through a cooperative agreement with the Association of Universities for Research in Astronomy.


upi--2020-12-04--China unfurls its first fabric flag on moon

Dec. 4 ( UPI ) -- China 's Chang ' e-5 lander departed the moon after spending two days on the surface , leaving behind its first official flag .
China brought two flags on previous missions , but the one left Thursday was the first one made of fabric , the China Aerospace Science and Industry Corp. said .
The fabric and rod structure of the flag were treated to be protected during extreme temperatures on the lunar surfaces .
`` An ordinary national flag on Earth would not survive the severe lunar environment , '' CASIC team member @ @ @ @ @ @ @ China 's National Space Administration released an image of the red , five-star flag on the lunar surface .
The Chang ' e-5 lander touched down on the moon Tuesday on a mission to collect rock samples and test the deep below the surface for minerals and water .
The 1.2-billion-year-old volcanic plain where the Chang ' e-5 lander scavenged for rock samples is considerably younger than the region of the moon visited by American and Soviet spacecraft .
The rocks from Mons Rumker could help scientists gain new insights into the timing @ @ @ @ @ @ @ well as the development of its geologic features .
Both NASA and the Soviet Union 's space agency last collected and returned lunar rocks in the 1970s .
Last year , the China became the first nation to land a spacecraft on the far side of the moon when Chang ' e-4 touched down near the moon 's south pole .

China's national flag was unfurled from the Chang'e-5 probe on the moon on Thursday. Photo courtesy of the China National Space Administration/EPA-EFE
Dec. 4 (UPI) -- China's Chang'e-5 lander departed the moon after spending two days on the surface, leaving behind its first official flag. China brought two flags on previous missions, but the one left Thursday was the first one made of fabric, the China Aerospace Science and Industry Corp. said. The fabric and rod structure of the flag were treated to be protected during extreme temperatures on the lunar surfaces. Advertisement
"An ordinary national flag on Earth would not survive the severe lunar environment," CASIC team member Chang Cheng told the Global Times.
China's National Space Administration released an image of the red, five-star flag on the lunar surface.
The Chang'e-5 lander touched down on the moon Tuesday on a mission to collect rock samples and test the deep below the surface for minerals and water.
The 1.2-billion-year-old volcanic plain where the Chang'e-5 lander scavenged for rock samples is considerably younger than the region of the moon visited by American and Soviet spacecraft.
The rocks from Mons Rumker could help scientists gain new insights into the timing of the moon's formation, as well as the development of its geologic features.
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Both NASA and the Soviet Union's space agency last collected and returned lunar rocks in the 1970s.
Last year, the China became the first nation to land a spacecraft on the far side of the moon when Chang'e-4 touched down near the moon's south pole.
Brooks Hays contributed to this report.


upi--2020-12-04--Navy's second guided missile frigate to be named USS Congress

Dec. 4 ( UPI ) -- The U.S. Navy 's second Constellation-class guided missile frigate will be named USS Congress , Navy Secretary Kenneth J. Braithwaite announced on Friday .
It will follow the USS Constellation , whose name Braithwaite announced in October , and is expected to be delivered in 2026 .
The ships are the first two of the Navy 's new Guided Missile Frigate class of ships , referred to as FFG ( X ) .
Earlier this year , the Navy awarded Marinette Marine Corp. with a $ 795.1 million contract to begin construction of 10 @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Navy seeks 20 guided missile frigates by Fiscal Year 2030 , a 2019 Navy report to the U.S. Congress said .
Braithwaite made the announcement regarding the new ship 's name during a Senate hearing .
The design of the ships is based on current ship architecture to lower costs , known as the parent-design approach .
The ships must fully integrate with a carrier strike group , hunt submarines and fire at ships over the horizon .
They will also carry at least 32 Mark 41 vertical launch tubes system tube for @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Navy report to Congress .
The future USS Congress , currently designated FFG63 , will be the sixth Navy vessel to carry the name .
The first was among six ships authorized by the Naval Act of 1794 , forming the U.S. Navy .

The second of the U.S. Navy's Constellation-class frigates, depicted here in an artist's rendering, will be named the USS Congress, Navy Secretary Kenneth J. Braithwaite announced on Friday. Photo courtesy of U.S. Navy
Dec. 4 (UPI) -- The U.S. Navy's second Constellation-class guided missile frigate will be named USS Congress, Navy Secretary Kenneth J. Braithwaite announced on Friday. It will follow the USS Constellation, whose name Braithwaite announced in October, and is expected to be delivered in 2026. Advertisement
The ships are the first two of the Navy's new Guided Missile Frigate class of ships, referred to as FFG(X).
Earlier this year, the Navy awarded Marinette Marine Corp. with a $795.1 million contract to begin construction of 10 planned examples of the class.
The Navy seeks 20 guided missile frigates by Fiscal Year 2030, a 2019 Navy report to the U.S. Congress said.
Braithwaite made the announcement regarding the new ship's name during a Senate hearing.
The design of the ships is based on current ship architecture to lower costs, known as the parent-design approach.
The ships must fully integrate with a carrier strike group, hunt submarines and fire at ships over the horizon. They will also carry at least 32 Mark 41 vertical launch tubes system tube for missile-firing, as outlined in a 2019 Navy report to Congress.
The future USS Congress, currently designated FFG63, will be the sixth Navy vessel to carry the name. The first was among six ships authorized by the Naval Act of 1794, forming the U.S. Navy.


upi--2020-12-04--Smile, grimace can make vaccine jab hurt less, study says

Could a genuine smile be the key to getting a less-painful vaccination ?
Researchers from University of California , Irvine , say yes .
That genuine smile , which brings up the corners of the mouth and creates crow 's feet around the eyes , can reduce the pain of a needle injection by up to 40 % , and also blunt a stressful needle-related physiological response by lowering the heart rate , the researchers said .
Surprisingly , a grimace also created those same responses .
A poker face did not .
`` When facing distress or pleasure , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ involve activation of the eye muscles , lifting of the cheeks and baring of the teeth , '' said researcher Sarah Pressman , a professor of psychological science .
`` We found that these movements , as opposed to a neutral expression , are beneficial in reducing discomfort and stress , '' Pressman said in a university news release .
That 's news people may be able to use right away as the rollout of a two-part COVID-19 vaccine begins this winter .
The study included 231 people who reported their levels of @ @ @ @ @ @ @ with saline solution using a 25-gauge needle , which is the type typically used with a flu shot .
Participants were asked to express a genuine smile , a fake smile , a grimace or a neutral expression .
Those who maintained a smile or a grimace told researchers the shot hurt only about half as much as the neutral group .
`` Our study demonstrates a simple , free and clinically meaningful method of making the needle injection less awful , '' Pressman said .
`` Given the numerous anxiety- and pain-provoking @ @ @ @ @ @ @ hope that an understanding of how and when smiling and grimacing helps will foster effective pain reduction strategies that result in better patient experiences . ''
The findings were published this month in the journal Emotion .
The U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention has more on COVID-19 vaccine research .

People who maintained a smile or a grimace while getting an injection told researchers the shot hurt only about half as much as the neutral group. Photo by huntlh /Pixabay link back to:
Could a genuine smile be the key to getting a less-painful vaccination? Researchers from University of California, Irvine, say yes. That genuine smile, which brings up the corners of the mouth and creates crow's feet around the eyes, can reduce the pain of a needle injection by up to 40%, and also blunt a stressful needle-related physiological response by lowering the heart rate, the researchers said. Advertisement
Surprisingly, a grimace also created those same responses. A poker face did not.
"When facing distress or pleasure, humans make remarkably similar facial expressions that involve activation of the eye muscles, lifting of the cheeks and baring of the teeth," said researcher Sarah Pressman, a professor of psychological science.
"We found that these movements, as opposed to a neutral expression, are beneficial in reducing discomfort and stress," Pressman said in a university news release.
That's news people may be able to use right away as the rollout of a two-part COVID-19 vaccine begins this winter.
The study included 231 people who reported their levels of pain, emotion and distress when injected with saline solution using a 25-gauge needle, which is the type typically used with a flu shot.
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Participants were asked to express a genuine smile, a fake smile, a grimace or a neutral expression. Those who maintained a smile or a grimace told researchers the shot hurt only about half as much as the neutral group.
"Our study demonstrates a simple, free and clinically meaningful method of making the needle injection less awful," Pressman said. "Given the numerous anxiety- and pain-provoking situations found in medical practice, we hope that an understanding of how and when smiling and grimacing helps will foster effective pain reduction strategies that result in better patient experiences."
The findings were published this month in the journal Emotion.
The U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention has more on COVID-19 vaccine research.
Copyright 2020 HealthDay. All rights reserved.


upi--2020-12-04--In photos: Scenes from the holiday season

The world heads into a holiday season like no other , with the COVID-19 pandemic resurging in many areas .
@ @ @ @ @ withstanding the disruption .
Here 's look at people preparing for the holidays in the @ @ @ @ @ world .

Parishioners sit in folding chairs with candles, listening to prayers outside of the St. Peter's Episcopal Church in Ladue, Mo., on December 24. Photo by Bill Greenblatt/UPI


upi--2020-12-04--Computer developed by Chinese researchers achieves 'quantum supremacy'

Dec. 4 ( UPI ) -- A new type of quantum computer , developed by a team of scientists from several Chinese research institutions , has achieved `` quantum supremacy . ''
Quantum supremacy is achieved when a quantum computer can best the performance of a supercomputer at just one task .
`` Quantum computational advantage is like a threshold , '' Lu Chaoyang , professor of the University of Science and Technology of China , told China 's state news agency Xinhua .
`` It means that , when a new quantum computer prototype 's capacity surpasses that of @ @ @ @ @ @ @ particular task , it proves that it will possibly make breakthroughs in multiple other areas , '' Chaoyang said .
Last year , Google 's quantum computer became the first to achieve quantum supremacy , performing calculations in a matter of minutes that scientists estimated would take a supercomputer 10,000 years to complete .
Unlike Google 's Sycamore computer , which used superconducting materials to manage qubits -- bits of quantum information -- the new Chinese computer , called Jiuzhang , is photon-based , using light to move and store quantum bits .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ , researchers used it to carry out a type of calculation called boson sampling .
The researchers described their success in a new paper published this week in the journal Science .
Gaussian boson sampling is a classical simulation algorithm that 's difficult for classical computers to perform .
Boson sampling calculates the distribution of outputs from a straight-line optical circuit featuring multiple inputs and outputs .
Jiuzhang was able to perform the calculations by sending photons through a series of optical circuits guided by mirrors .
Moving through the circuits , the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ simultaneously down different paths .
During their repeated trips through the circuitry , photons are split and merged -- interfering with one another as dictated by quantum mechanics .
The photons spit out the other the end of the circuits provide a quantum calculation -- qubits that translate to the distribution of outputs .
Jiuzhang completed the boson sampling calculations in just a few minutes .
Scientists estimated the same calculations would take some of the world 's fastest supercomputers more than half-a-billion years .
The researchers responsible for Jiuzhang 's design claim @ @ @ @ @ @ @ perform calculations useful to graph theory , machine learning and quantum chemistry .
Similarly , computer engineers with Google have claimed Sycamore can be reprogrammed to perform a variety of calculations .
But so far , quantum supremacy has been achieved using esoteric calculations chosen not because they 're particularly useful , but because they 're quite hard for classic computers to perform .
Still , the latest news suggests quantum computers , including both those using superconductor and those relying on photons , are closer to offering applicable supremacy .
`` The @ @ @ @ @ @ @ are able to achieve this regime ... shows that the whole field is advancing in a very mature way , '' quantum physicist Fabio Sciarrino of Sapienza University of Rome told Science News .

A new photon-based computer called Jiuzhang, using light to move and store quantum bits, has achieved "quantum supremacy," researchers say. Photo by TheDigitalArtist /Pixabay
Dec. 4 (UPI) -- A new type of quantum computer, developed by a team of scientists from several Chinese research institutions, has achieved "quantum supremacy." Quantum supremacy is achieved when a quantum computer can best the performance of a supercomputer at just one task. Advertisement
"Quantum computational advantage is like a threshold," Lu Chaoyang, professor of the University of Science and Technology of China, told China's state news agency Xinhua.
"It means that, when a new quantum computer prototype's capacity surpasses that of the strongest traditional computer in handling a particular task, it proves that it will possibly make breakthroughs in multiple other areas," Chaoyang said.
Last year, Google's quantum computer became the first to achieve quantum supremacy, performing calculations in a matter of minutes that scientists estimated would take a supercomputer 10,000 years to complete.
Unlike Google's Sycamore computer, which used superconducting materials to manage qubits -- bits of quantum information -- the new Chinese computer, called Jiuzhang, is photon-based, using light to move and store quantum bits.
To prove the computer's quantum supremacy, researchers used it to carry out a type of calculation called boson sampling. The researchers described their success in a new paper published this week in the journal Science.
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Gaussian boson sampling is a classical simulation algorithm that's difficult for classical computers to perform. Boson sampling calculates the distribution of outputs from a straight-line optical circuit featuring multiple inputs and outputs.
Jiuzhang was able to perform the calculations by sending photons through a series of optical circuits guided by mirrors. Moving through the circuits, the photons encounter beam splitters, sending photons simultaneously down different paths.
During their repeated trips through the circuitry, photons are split and merged -- interfering with one another as dictated by quantum mechanics.
The photons spit out the other the end of the circuits provide a quantum calculation -- qubits that translate to the distribution of outputs.
Jiuzhang completed the boson sampling calculations in just a few minutes. Scientists estimated the same calculations would take some of the world's fastest supercomputers more than half-a-billion years.
The researchers responsible for Jiuzhang's design claim the quantum computer could be adapted to perform calculations useful to graph theory, machine learning and quantum chemistry.
Similarly, computer engineers with Google have claimed Sycamore can be reprogrammed to perform a variety of calculations.
But so far, quantum supremacy has been achieved using esoteric calculations chosen not because they're particularly useful, but because they're quite hard for classic computers to perform.
Advertisement
Still, the latest news suggests quantum computers, including both those using superconductor and those relying on photons, are closer to offering applicable supremacy.
"The fact that now the two different platforms are able to achieve this regime ... shows that the whole field is advancing in a very mature way," quantum physicist Fabio Sciarrino of Sapienza University of Rome told Science News.


upi--2020-12-04--U.S. B-52, joined by NATO fighter planes, completes Barents Sea exercise

Dec. 4 ( UPI ) -- A U.S. B-52 bomber joined NATO fighter planes for exercises over the Barents Sea , bordered by Norway and Russia , the U.S. European Command announced .
The mission emphasized integration exercises over the remote Arctic sea between the bomber from the 5th Bomb Wing of Minot Air Force Base , N.D. , and F-16 fighter planes of Greece and Norway .
They also practiced refueling operations with the involvement of U.S. and Turkish KC-135 aircraft .
The U.S. crews flew to their home base immediately after the exercises .
The B-52 , known @ @ @ @ @ @ @ use by the U.S. Air Force since 1955 .
Regarded as a long-range heavy bomber , the plane is capable of flying at 50,000 feet in altitude .
The NATO drill , announced Thursday by the U.S. European Command , was the latest in regular assignments for the planes .
A U.S. Air Force B-52 bomber joined Ukrainian fighter planes and five NATO intelligence planes in September in an exercise over the Black Sea .
One B-52 , in another mission over the Black Sea in September , was intercepted by two Russian @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the U.S. Air Force to say the Russian pilots `` flew in an unsafe and unprofessional manner '' while crossing within 100 feet of the B-52 , causing turbulence and restricting the B-52 's ability to maneuver .
In August , four B-52s of Minot Air Force Base ceremonially flew over all 30 NATO countries , accompanied by allied aircraft , in a statement of solidarity .

A U.S. Air Force B-52 bomber joined Greek and Norwegian fighter planes for an exercise over the Barents Sea, the U.S. European Command said this week. Photo by A1C Jessi Monte/U.S. Air Force
Dec. 4 (UPI) -- A U.S. B-52 bomber joined NATO fighter planes for exercises over the Barents Sea, bordered by Norway and Russia, the U.S. European Command announced. The mission emphasized integration exercises over the remote Arctic sea between the bomber from the 5th Bomb Wing of Minot Air Force Base, N.D., and F-16 fighter planes of Greece and Norway. Advertisement
They also practiced refueling operations with the involvement of U.S. and Turkish KC-135 aircraft. The U.S. crews flew to their home base immediately after the exercises.
The B-52, known as the Stratofortress, has been in use by the U.S. Air Force since 1955. Regarded as a long-range heavy bomber, the plane is capable of flying at 50,000 feet in altitude.
The NATO drill, announced Thursday by the U.S. European Command, was the latest in regular assignments for the planes.
A U.S. Air Force B-52 bomber joined Ukrainian fighter planes and five NATO intelligence planes in September in an exercise over the Black Sea.
One B-52, in another mission over the Black Sea in September, was intercepted by two Russian Su-27 fighter planes.
The intercept prompted the U.S. Air Force to say the Russian pilots "flew in an unsafe and unprofessional manner" while crossing within 100 feet of the B-52, causing turbulence and restricting the B-52's ability to maneuver.
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In August, four B-52s of Minot Air Force Base ceremonially flew over all 30 NATO countries, accompanied by allied aircraft, in a statement of solidarity.


upi--2020-12-04--CDC recommends 'universal' use of face masks to prevent COVID-19 spread

Dec. 4 ( UPI ) -- Compelling evidence now supports the benefits of cloth face masks to prevent people with COVID-19 from spreading it , as well as to prevent people without the coronavirus from picking it up , according to guidance released Friday by the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention .
Citing evidence from studies of the protective effects of face coverings , the agency now recommends `` universal use of face masks '' -- except while at home .
Research published earlier this fall indicates that face coverings , including N95 masks without valves , block @ @ @ @ @ @ @ respiratory droplets that are emitted from the nose and mouth when breathing or talking .
These respiratory droplets can spread COVID-19 if people infected with the virus do n't take precautions , including wearing masks , to prevent others from being exposed to them , even when they have no outward symptoms , the CDC said .
`` Consistent and correct use of face masks is a public health strategy critical to reducing respiratory transmission of [ COVID-19 ] , particularly in light of estimates that approximately one half of new infections are @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , '' the agency said in the report released Friday .
Since the spring , when the pandemic first began to make its way across the United States , the CDC has recommended face masks for people aged 2 and older , but has not expressly stated that masks should be worn outdoors and indoors , by everyone , except while at home .
Mandating the use of masks in public has been controversial and the cause for protest in some parts of the country , in spite of the scientific evidence supporting @ @ @ @ @ @ @ COVID-19 and other respiratory viruses .
President-elect Joe Biden has indicated he plans to ask the public to wear masks for 100 days after he takes office .

In guidance published Friday, the CDC now urges "universal" mask wearing when outside the home to prevent spread of COVID-19. File Photo by John Angelillo/UPI | License Photo
Dec. 4 (UPI) -- Compelling evidence now supports the benefits of cloth face masks to prevent people with COVID-19 from spreading it, as well as to prevent people without the coronavirus from picking it up, according to guidance released Friday by the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Citing evidence from studies of the protective effects of face coverings, the agency now recommends "universal use of face masks" -- except while at home. Advertisement
Research published earlier this fall indicates that face coverings, including N95 masks without valves, block up to 80% of the fine respiratory droplets that are emitted from the nose and mouth when breathing or talking.
These respiratory droplets can spread COVID-19 if people infected with the virus don't take precautions, including wearing masks, to prevent others from being exposed to them, even when they have no outward symptoms, the CDC said.
"Consistent and correct use of face masks is a public health strategy critical to reducing respiratory transmission of [COVID-19], particularly in light of estimates that approximately one half of new infections are transmitted by persons who have no symptoms," the agency said in the report released Friday.
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Since the spring, when the pandemic first began to make its way across the United States, the CDC has recommended face masks for people aged 2 and older, but has not expressly stated that masks should be worn outdoors and indoors, by everyone, except while at home.
Mandating the use of masks in public has been controversial and the cause for protest in some parts of the country, in spite of the scientific evidence supporting their important role in preventing spread of COVID-19 and other respiratory viruses.
President-elect Joe Biden has indicated he plans to ask the public to wear masks for 100 days after he takes office.


upi--2020-12-04--Watch: Venomous snake captured in small child's bedroom

Dec. 4 ( UPI ) -- Reptile specialists responded to a home in Australia to capture a potentially deadly snake @ @ @ @ @ small child 's bedroom .
Snake Catches Ipswitch & Logan posted a video to Facebook @ @ @ @ @ found slithering around a small child 's bedroom in Flinders View , Queensland .
The @ @ @ @ @ as an eastern brown snake , one of the most venomous species in the world @ @ @ @ @ snakes often enter homes through open doors and windows , and sometimes also enter through @ @ @ @ @ are carried inside by pets .

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Dec. 4 (UPI) -- Reptile specialists responded to a home in Australia to capture a potentially deadly snake found slithering loose in a small child's bedroom.
Snake Catches Ipswitch & Logan posted a video to Facebook showing the snake that was found slithering around a small child's bedroom in Flinders View, Queensland.
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The snake catchers identified the serpent as an eastern brown snake, one of the most venomous species in the world.
The reptile removers said snakes often enter homes through open doors and windows, and sometimes also enter through gaps in garage doors or are carried inside by pets.


upi--2020-12-04--World's first commercially printed Christmas card on sale for $25,000

Dec. 4 ( UPI ) -- The world 's first commercially printed Christmas card , originally marketed in 1843 , is being sold through a Boston-based book dealer for $ 25,000 .
The card , created by Henry Cole , John Calcott Horsley and Joseph Cundall in the same year that Charles Dickens ' A Christmas Carol was first published , shows a large family -- including a young girl -- gathered around a table drinking glasses of wine .
The card proved controversial at the time , with members of Britain 's temperance movement decrying the depiction of alcohol @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Schiller , president of Battledore Ltd. , the New York antiquities dealership that currently owns the card , said the card was so controversial when it was released that it was three years before another Christmas card was commercially printed .
About 1,000 copies of the card were originally produced , and around 30 are known to still exist .
The one being sold through Boston-based book dealer Marvin Getman as one of `` the finest known copies '' still in circulation .
The card went on sale Friday with an asking price @ @ @ @

The world's first commercially-printed Christmas card, created by Henry Cole, John Calcott Horsley and Joseph Cundall in 1843, is being sold through a Boston-based book dealer for $25,000. Photo courtesy of Battledore Ltd.
Subscribe | UPI Odd Newsletter Subscribe Dec. 4 (UPI) -- The world's first commercially printed Christmas card, originally marketed in 1843, is being sold through a Boston-based book dealer for $25,000. The card, created by Henry Cole, John Calcott Horsley and Joseph Cundall in the same year that Charles Dickens' A Christmas Carol was first published, shows a large family -- including a young girl -- gathered around a table drinking glasses of wine. Advertisement
The card proved controversial at the time, with members of Britain's temperance movement decrying the depiction of alcohol consumption by the young girl.
Justin Schiller, president of Battledore Ltd., the New York antiquities dealership that currently owns the card, said the card was so controversial when it was released that it was three years before another Christmas card was commercially printed.
About 1,000 copies of the card were originally produced, and around 30 are known to still exist. The one being sold through Boston-based book dealer Marvin Getman as one of "the finest known copies" still in circulation.
The card went on sale Friday with an asking price of $25,000.


upi--2020-12-04--Developing nor'easter to unleash 1st blizzard of season in New England

The official start to winter is less than three weeks away , but Mother Nature did n't get the memo apparently .
Less than one week after a storm hammered parts of the Ohio Valley and Great Lakes with heavy snow , forecasters are warning of a storm that will develop hundreds of miles farther to the east and is likely to bring heavy snow and punishing winds .
Not only is it likely to become the first nor'easter of the season , but it can evolve into the first blizzard of the season across part of New England this @ @ @ @ @ @ @ snow to parts of the southern Plains at midweek will re-energize along the Eastern Seaboard and take a track just off the coast of the northeastern United States from late Friday to Saturday night , putting central and northern New England in the path of the heaviest snow .
A storm track just offshore will allow the storm to undergo significant strengthening , which will add to the intensity of impact across New England .
The same anticipated scenario will allow the mid-Atlantic and central Appalachians to dodge much , but not all @ @ @ @ @ @ @ As the storm begins to strengthen , drenching rain and thunderstorms are expected to first pivot across the Southeast and break out in part of the mid-Atlantic region into Friday evening .
Then rain and thunderstorms are likely to erupt across the Interstate 95 corridor of the mid-Atlantic and southeastern New England from Friday night to Saturday .
`` There is the likelihood of heavy and gusty thunderstorms and the potential for locally severe storms that could produce isolated tornadoes , especially in the panhandle of Florida into Friday evening and then eastern @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , '' storm warning meteorologist Joe Curtis said .
Rain is expected to be heavy enough to cause localized urban flooding from central Virginia to southeastern Massachusetts .
From Saturday to Saturday night , the storm will rapidly strengthen , tapping into colder air and Atlantic Ocean moisture with New England in the crosshairs .
`` Boston will be on the edge of the heavy snow with 1-3 inches forecast in the heart of the downtown area as some rain will fall for a time , but a 3- to 6-inch snowfall is @ @ @ @ @ @ @ accumulations trending upward farther to the north and west , '' AccuWeather senior meteorologist John Feerick said .
Feerick added that a slight shift in the storm track could cause the heavy snow to shift into the downtown area of Boston or possibly farther to the west in Massachusetts .
From central southern New Hampshire to northern Maine , as well as parts of New Brunswick and the Eastern Townships of Quebec , an all-out blizzard is anticipated with the worst conditions from late Saturday to Saturday night .
Forecasters expect the combination @ @ @ @ @ @ @ 40-60 mph to cause not only extensive blowing and drifting snow but also whiteout conditions .
Travel will be dangerous and may be impossible for a time with 12-18 inches of snow in store .
Snow may fall at the rate of 2 inches per hour or greater in the heaviest snow bands of the storm .
Snowfall of this intensity , combined with blowing and drifting , is likely to overwhelm road crews and some roads may close as a result .
`` Around New York City , rain is mostly likely @ @ @ @ @ @ @ in on Saturday , but there is a slight chance of wet snow mixing in at the tail end of the storm late Saturday or early Saturday evening , '' Feerick said .
A small amount of accumulating snow is forecast over parts of northwestern New Jersey , the Hudson Valley of New York state and even in the mountains of West Virginia , western Maryland , northern and western Pennsylvania and parts of western and central New York state from the storm from Friday night to Saturday night .
In addition to @ @ @ @ @ @ @ blizzard in New England , forecasters will also be monitoring for the potential for this storm to go through the process that meteorologists call bombogenesis .
A nor'easter is a storm that simply brings stiff northeasterly winds to a broad area along the coast in the eastern part of the United States .
Bombogenesis , or rapid strengthening , occurs when the central barometric pressure of a storm plummets by 0.71 of an inch of mercury ( 24 millibars ) within 24 hours .
When a storm undergoes this level of intensification , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ cyclone .
Regardless of the classification of the storm , winds can become powerful enough along the coast in New England and on eastern Long Island , N.Y. , to break tree limbs , knock over poorly rooted trees , lead to sporadic power outages and even cause minor property damage .
As quickly as the storm will arrive early this weekend , it will be just as quick to exit on Sunday .
However , blustery conditions will prevail in the mid-Atlantic , and winds are likely to still howl across New @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , New Brunswick and eastern Quebec .
Chilly conditions are forecast to linger through early next week from the Great Lakes to a large part of the Atlantic coast in the wake of the storm , and that may set the stage for a round of winterlike conditions in areas farther to the south .
Snow may fall and accumulate in parts of the Carolinas , southern and eastern Virginia and perhaps southeastern Maryland and Delaware on Monday .

The official start to winter is less than three weeks away, but Mother Nature didn't get the memo apparently. Less than one week after a storm hammered parts of the Ohio Valley and Great Lakes with heavy snow, forecasters are warning of a storm that will develop hundreds of miles farther to the east and is likely to bring heavy snow and punishing winds.
Not only is it likely to become the first nor'easter of the season, but it can evolve into the first blizzard of the season across part of New England this weekend.
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The storm that brought heavy snow to parts of the southern Plains at midweek will re-energize along the Eastern Seaboard and take a track just off the coast of the northeastern United States from late Friday to Saturday night, putting central and northern New England in the path of the heaviest snow.
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A storm track just offshore will allow the storm to undergo significant strengthening, which will add to the intensity of impact across New England. The same anticipated scenario will allow the mid-Atlantic and central Appalachians to dodge much, but not all, of the storm's effects.
As the storm begins to strengthen, drenching rain and thunderstorms are expected to first pivot across the Southeast and break out in part of the mid-Atlantic region into Friday evening. Then rain and thunderstorms are likely to erupt across the Interstate 95 corridor of the mid-Atlantic and southeastern New England from Friday night to Saturday.
"There is the likelihood of heavy and gusty thunderstorms and the potential for locally severe storms that could produce isolated tornadoes, especially in the panhandle of Florida into Friday evening and then eastern part of North Carolina during Friday night," storm warning meteorologist Joe Curtis said.
Rain is expected to be heavy enough to cause localized urban flooding from central Virginia to southeastern Massachusetts.
From Saturday to Saturday night, the storm will rapidly strengthen, tapping into colder air and Atlantic Ocean moisture with New England in the crosshairs.
"Boston will be on the edge of the heavy snow with 1-3 inches forecast in the heart of the downtown area as some rain will fall for a time, but a 3- to 6-inch snowfall is expected to start around Route 128 with accumulations trending upward farther to the north and west," AccuWeather senior meteorologist John Feerick said.
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Feerick added that a slight shift in the storm track could cause the heavy snow to shift into the downtown area of Boston or possibly farther to the west in Massachusetts.
From central southern New Hampshire to northern Maine, as well as parts of New Brunswick and the Eastern Townships of Quebec, an all-out blizzard is anticipated with the worst conditions from late Saturday to Saturday night.
Forecasters expect the combination of heavy snow and wind gusts frequenting 40-60 mph to cause not only extensive blowing and drifting snow but also whiteout conditions. Travel will be dangerous and may be impossible for a time with 12-18 inches of snow in store.
Snow may fall at the rate of 2 inches per hour or greater in the heaviest snow bands of the storm. Snowfall of this intensity, combined with blowing and drifting, is likely to overwhelm road crews and some roads may close as a result.
"Around New York City, rain is mostly likely to simply end as westerly winds kick in on Saturday, but there is a slight chance of wet snow mixing in at the tail end of the storm late Saturday or early Saturday evening," Feerick said.
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A small amount of accumulating snow is forecast over parts of northwestern New Jersey, the Hudson Valley of New York state and even in the mountains of West Virginia, western Maryland, northern and western Pennsylvania and parts of western and central New York state from the storm from Friday night to Saturday night.
In addition to the storm evolving into a nor'easter and blizzard in New England, forecasters will also be monitoring for the potential for this storm to go through the process that meteorologists call bombogenesis. A nor'easter is a storm that simply brings stiff northeasterly winds to a broad area along the coast in the eastern part of the United States. Bombogenesis, or rapid strengthening, occurs when the central barometric pressure of a storm plummets by 0.71 of an inch of mercury (24 millibars) within 24 hours. When a storm undergoes this level of intensification, it is referred to as a bomb cyclone.
Regardless of the classification of the storm, winds can become powerful enough along the coast in New England and on eastern Long Island, N.Y., to break tree limbs, knock over poorly rooted trees, lead to sporadic power outages and even cause minor property damage.
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As quickly as the storm will arrive early this weekend, it will be just as quick to exit on Sunday. However, blustery conditions will prevail in the mid-Atlantic, and winds are likely to still howl across New England as the snow exits northern Maine, New Brunswick and eastern Quebec.
Chilly conditions are forecast to linger through early next week from the Great Lakes to a large part of the Atlantic coast in the wake of the storm, and that may set the stage for a round of winterlike conditions in areas farther to the south.
Snow may fall and accumulate in parts of the Carolinas, southern and eastern Virginia and perhaps southeastern Maryland and Delaware on Monday.


upi--2020-12-04--Oscar Isaac to portray Solid Snake in 'Metal Gear Solid' adaptation

Dec. 4 ( UPI ) -- Oscar Isaac has been cast as Solid Snake , the lead role in Sony @ @ @ @ @ video game Metal Gear Solid .
Jordan Vogt-Roberts ( Kong : Skull Island ) is @ @ @ @ @ a script by Derek Connolly .
Avi Arad is producing .
The film is based @ @ @ @ @ the Metal Gear Solid series by renowned game developer Hideo Kojima .
The title was @ @ @ @ @ in 1998 .
Kojima developed four more sequels with Metal Gear Solid V : The @ @ @ @ @ .
Metal Gear Solid follows Solid Snake , a retired soldier who must use stealth @ @ @ @ @ located on Shadow Moses , a remote island near Alaska that has been taken over @ @ @ @ @ named Foxhound .
Metal Gear refers to a giant mech in the game that has @ @ @ @ @ obtains .
Isaac will next be seen in Dune , HBO 's Scenes From A @ @ @ @ @ in Marvel 's Moon Knight series .

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Oscar Isaac (R) and his wife Elvira Lind arrive for the 92nd annual Academy Awards on February 2020. Isaac will be taking on the lead role in Sony's "Metal Gear Solid" film. File Photo by Jim Ruymen/UPI | License Photo
Dec. 4 (UPI) -- Oscar Isaac has been cast as Solid Snake, the lead role in Sony's upcoming film adaptation of video game Metal Gear Solid. Jordan Vogt-Roberts (Kong: Skull Island) is directing the film based off a script by Derek Connolly. Avi Arad is producing. Advertisement
The film is based on the first game in the Metal Gear Solid series by renowned game developer Hideo Kojima. The title was released for the PlayStation 1 in 1998. Kojima developed four more sequels with Metal Gear Solid V: The Phantom Pain arriving in 2015.
Metal Gear Solid follows Solid Snake, a retired soldier who must use stealth to infiltrate a weapons facility located on Shadow Moses, a remote island near Alaska that has been taken over by a special forces unit named Foxhound.
Metal Gear refers to a giant mech in the game that has nuclear strike capabilities that Foxhound obtains.
Isaac will next be seen in Dune, HBO's Scenes From A Marriage and the title role in Marvel's Moon Knight series.


upi--2020-12-04--USS Sioux City returns home after exercises, drug interdictions

Dec. 4 ( UPI ) -- The littoral combat ship USS Sioux City returned home , the Navy said Friday , after a deployment of over three months in the Caribbean Sea and Pacific Ocean .
The ship , commissioned in 2018 , was deployed on Aug. 30 from its homeport of Naval Station Mayport , Fla. , to the Navy 's 4th Fleet , where it participated in a multilateral interoperability exercise with the British Royal Navy 's HMS Medway and the Jamaican Coast Guard Cutter HMJS Nanny of the Maroons .
With U.S. Coast Guard Law Enforcement Detachment @ @ @ @ @ @ @ about 2,120 kilograms of cocaine , conducted a medical evacuation for a tanker in distress and delivered over 36,000 pounds of supplies for hurricane assistance and disaster relief in Honduras , the Navy said in a statement Friday .
The Freedom-class littoral combat ship , noted for its capability to operate in shallow water , typically carries an MH-60S Seahawk helicopter and an MQ-88 unmanned aerial vehicle .
During the deployment the ship traveled approximately14 , 000 nautical miles , visited six ports , and launched its aircraft 304 times , the statement @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Secretary Mark Esper directed the U.S. Southern Command to conduct an enhanced counternarcotics effort in the area .
The program involves 22 nations and 16 federal agencies , including the U.S. Coast Guard , the FBI , the U.S. Drug Enforcement Agency and Immigration and Customs Enforcement .
`` The success of this deployment is a direct reflection of the hard work that the Sioux City sailors have put in over the past nine months , '' said Cmdr .
Dan Reiher , the USS Sioux City 's commanding officer .
`` This @ @ @ @ @ @ @ motto of 'Forging a New Frontier , '' because we have begun to define the capabilities of Sioux City and littoral combat ships as a whole . ''

The littoral combat ship USS Sioux City returned to Naval Station Mayport, Fla., after exercises, humanitarian efforts and drug interdictions in the Caribbean Sea and Pacific Ocean. Photo courtesy of U.S. Navy
Dec. 4 (UPI) -- The littoral combat ship USS Sioux City returned home, the Navy said Friday, after a deployment of over three months in the Caribbean Sea and Pacific Ocean. The ship, commissioned in 2018, was deployed on Aug. 30 from its homeport of Naval Station Mayport, Fla., to the Navy's 4th Fleet, where it participated in a multilateral interoperability exercise with the British Royal Navy's HMS Medway and the Jamaican Coast Guard Cutter HMJS Nanny of the Maroons. Advertisement
With U.S. Coast Guard Law Enforcement Detachment 104, the USS Sioux City intercepted about 2,120 kilograms of cocaine, conducted a medical evacuation for a tanker in distress and delivered over 36,000 pounds of supplies for hurricane assistance and disaster relief in Honduras, the Navy said in a statement Friday.
The Freedom-class littoral combat ship, noted for its capability to operate in shallow water, typically carries an MH-60S Seahawk helicopter and an MQ-88 unmanned aerial vehicle.
During the deployment the ship traveled approximately14, 000 nautical miles, visited six ports, and launched its aircraft 304 times, the statement added.
The deployment came after then-Defense Secretary Mark Esper directed the U.S. Southern Command to conduct an enhanced counternarcotics effort in the area.
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The program involves 22 nations and 16 federal agencies, including the U.S. Coast Guard, the FBI, the U.S. Drug Enforcement Agency and Immigration and Customs Enforcement.
"The success of this deployment is a direct reflection of the hard work that the Sioux City sailors have put in over the past nine months," said Cmdr. Dan Reiher, the USS Sioux City's commanding officer. "This deployment gives a new meaning to our motto of 'Forging a New Frontier," because we have begun to define the capabilities of Sioux City and littoral combat ships as a whole."


upi--2020-12-04--House passes bill to decriminalize marijuana; faces long odds in Senate

Dec. 4 ( UPI ) -- The House voted Friday to decriminalize marijuana at the federal level and became the first chamber of Congress to do so , though Senate Republican leader Mitch McConnell has indicated he 's unlikely to take up the bill in the upper chamber .
The House passed the bill , called the MORE Act , largely along party lines -- 228-164 .
In addition to removing marijuana from the list of federally controlled substances , it would expunge some prior criminal records for marijuana possession and provide finding to help communities impacted by the war @ @ @ @ @ @ @ D-N.Y. , and Matt Gaetz , R-Fla. , introduced the bill , saying the government should not treat marijuana as a `` criminal justice problem . ''
`` I have long believed that the criminalization of marijuana has been a mistake , and the racially disparate enforcement of marijuana laws has only compounded this mistake , with serious consequences , particularly for communities of color , '' Nadler said in a statement before Friday 's vote .
McConnell , though , criticized House Democrats for taking up the issue as Congress attempts to @ @ @ @ @ @ @ round of COVID-19 relief .
`` The House of Representatives is spending this week on pressing issues like marijuana .
You know , serious and important legislation befitting this national crisis , '' he said on the Senate floor Thursday .
`` But here in the Senate , I put forward a serious and highly targeted relief proposal including the elements which we know the president is ready and willing to sign into law . ''
Even if the full Congress passed the MORE Act and the president signed it into law , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ marijuana for it to be legal there .
Recreational use of marijuana is already legal in 15 states , the District of Columbia , the Northern Mariana Islands and Guam .
Several other states have legalized it for medical use .
According to a Gallup poll last month , 68 % of Americans favored making marijuana legal , the greatest share since the pollster began asking the question in 1969 , when just 12 % supported legalization .

The 2020 U.S. Capitol Christmas Tree is lit on Wednesday night at the official lighting ceremony, on the grounds of the U.S. Capitol in Washington, D.C. Photo by Kevin Dietsch/UPI | License Photo
Dec. 4 (UPI) -- The House voted Friday to decriminalize marijuana at the federal level and became the first chamber of Congress to do so, though Senate Republican leader Mitch McConnell has indicated he's unlikely to take up the bill in the upper chamber. The House passed the bill, called the MORE Act, largely along party lines -- 228-164. Advertisement
In addition to removing marijuana from the list of federally controlled substances, it would expunge some prior criminal records for marijuana possession and provide finding to help communities impacted by the war on drugs.
Reps. Jerrold Nadler, D-N.Y., and Matt Gaetz, R-Fla., introduced the bill, saying the government should not treat marijuana as a "criminal justice problem."
"I have long believed that the criminalization of marijuana has been a mistake, and the racially disparate enforcement of marijuana laws has only compounded this mistake, with serious consequences, particularly for communities of color," Nadler said in a statement before Friday's vote.
McConnell, though, criticized House Democrats for taking up the issue as Congress attempts to come to an agreement on a new round of COVID-19 relief.
"The House of Representatives is spending this week on pressing issues like marijuana. You know, serious and important legislation befitting this national crisis," he said on the Senate floor Thursday.
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"But here in the Senate, I put forward a serious and highly targeted relief proposal including the elements which we know the president is ready and willing to sign into law."
Even if the full Congress passed the MORE Act and the president signed it into law, individual states would still need to legalize marijuana for it to be legal there. Recreational use of marijuana is already legal in 15 states, the District of Columbia, the Northern Mariana Islands and Guam. Several other states have legalized it for medical use.
According to a Gallup poll last month, 68% of Americans favored making marijuana legal, the greatest share since the pollster began asking the question in 1969, when just 12% supported legalization.


upi--2020-12-05--BTS' 'BE' tops the U.S. album chart

BTS' 'BE' tops the U.S. album chart

Dec. 5 ( UPI ) -- BE , the latest offering from K-pop stars BTS , is the No .
@ @ @ @ @ States this week .
Coming in at No .
2 on the Billboard 200 chart @ @ @ @ @ Stallion 's Good News , followed by Ariana Grande 's Positions at No .
3 @ @ @ @ @ For the Stars Aim For the Moon at No .
4 and Future & Lil @ @ @ @ @ Baby Pluto at No .
5 .
Rounding out the top tier are Taylor Swift @ @ @ @ @ 6 , Luke Combs ' What You See is What You Get at No .
@ @ @ @ @ Starting Over at No .
8 , Juice WRLD 's Legends Never Die at No @ @ @ @ @ 's My Gift at No .
10 .

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BTS' "BE" is No. 1 on the Billboard 200 album chart. File Photo by Jim Ruymen/UPI | License Photo
Dec. 5 (UPI) -- BE, the latest offering from K-pop stars BTS, is the No. 1 album in the United States this week. Coming in at No. 2 on the Billboard 200 chart dated Saturday is Megan Thee Stallion's Good News, followed by Ariana Grande's Positions at No. 3, Pop Smoke's Shoot For the Stars Aim For the Moon at No. 4 and Future & Lil Uzi Vert's Pluto x Baby Pluto at No. 5. Advertisement
Rounding out the top tier are Taylor Swift's Folklore at No. 6, Luke Combs' What You See is What You Get at No. 7, Chris Stapleton's Starting Over at No. 8, Juice WRLD's Legends Never Die at No. 9 and Carrie Underwood's My Gift at No. 10.


upi--2020-12-05--U.S. hits single-day record for new cases at 227,885

Dec. 5 ( UPI ) -- The United States hit a new single-day record of new COVID-19 cases -- 227,885 .
The number recorded Friday brings the total number of cases in the country since the start of the pandemic to more than 14 million cases , according to Johns Hopkins University 's global tracker .
It marked a new single-day record and the fourth time the country has topped 200,000 new cases in day .
The country also reported 2,607 new deaths , bringing the total number of U.S. deaths to over 279,000 .
In the past week , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ No .
1 killer , University of Washington researchers said Friday .
The country reported 11,820 COVID-19-related deaths in the past week , which `` makes COVID-19 the No .
1 cause of death in the United States of America this week , '' the Institute for Health Metrics and Evaluation researchers said in a briefing .
Ischemic heart disease , which killed 10,724 people in the past week , was the No .
2 killer , the data shows .
Fifty-four percent of Americans now know someone who has died or been @ @ @ @ @ @ @ out of 10 are bothered by others who do n't wear masks in public , according to a survey from Pew Research Institute .
New York Gov .
Andrew Cuomo announced Friday 11,271 new COVID-19 cases and 60 COVID-19-related deaths statewide .
In California , a surge in COVID-19 cases has been reported in prisons with more than 4,000 active cases among inmates and another 1,430 among staff , marking the highest numbers since the pandemic began .
The active cases bring the total numbers up to more than 22,300 , including 90 @ @ @ @ @ @ @ COVID-19 cases per 1,000 or 20 % of the total inmate population , according to the California Department of Corrections and Rehabilitation .
The rate statewide among the general public is about 32 cases per 1,000 people .
California Gov .
Gavin Newsom announced a stay-at home order to go into effect in regions that drop below 15 % intensive care unit capacity .
Though no region has hit that threshold , Bay Area leaders said they were implementing the order preemptively to curb the spread of the coronavirus .

Medial workers push a patient on a stretcher from an ambulance into the Emergency Room entrance of Maimonides Medical Center in New York City on Friday. Photo by John Angelillo/UPI | License Photo
Dec. 5 (UPI) -- The United States hit a new single-day record of new COVID-19 cases -- 227,885. The number recorded Friday brings the total number of cases in the country since the start of the pandemic to more than 14 million cases, according to Johns Hopkins University's global tracker. Advertisement
It marked a new single-day record and the fourth time the country has topped 200,000 new cases in day.
The country also reported 2,607 new deaths, bringing the total number of U.S. deaths to over 279,000.
In the past week, COVID-19 has become the United States' No. 1 killer, University of Washington researchers said Friday.
The country reported 11,820 COVID-19-related deaths in the past week, which "makes COVID-19 the No. 1 cause of death in the United States of America this week," the Institute for Health Metrics and Evaluation researchers said in a briefing.
Ischemic heart disease, which killed 10,724 people in the past week, was the No. 2 killer, the data shows.
Fifty-four percent of Americans now know someone who has died or been hospitalized due to COVID-19, and seven out of 10 are bothered by others who don't wear masks in public, according to a survey from Pew Research Institute.
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New York Gov. Andrew Cuomo announced Friday 11,271 new COVID-19 cases and 60 COVID-19-related deaths statewide.
California Gov. Gavin Newsom announced a stay-at home order to go into effect Saturday in regions that dropped below 15% intensive care unit capacity.
Southern California's intensive care unit capacity dropped below 15% on Saturday, to 12.5%, according to the California Department of Public Health. ICU capacity fell to 8.6% in the San Joaquin Valley region. The stay-at-home order covers 11 counties including Los Angeles, Orange, Riverside, San Bernardino, Ventura and San Diego.
In California, a surge in COVID-19 cases has been reported in prisons with more than 4,000 active cases among inmates and another 1,430 among staff, marking the highest numbers since the pandemic began.
The active cases bring the total numbers up to more than 22,300, including 90 deaths. This equates to about 227 COVID-19 cases per 1,000 or 20% of the total inmate population, according to the California Department of Corrections and Rehabilitation. The rate statewide among the general public is about 32 cases per 1,000 people.


upi--2020-12-05--SpaceX to carry heart tissue, fiber optics lab to space station

ORLANDO , Fla. , Dec. 4 ( UPI ) -- SpaceX plans to launch cargo to the International Space Station on Sunday morning , including simulated heart tissue for a medical experiment , a holiday meal and the first privately owned airlock .
A Falcon 9 rocket has been prepared for liftoff at 11:17 a.m. EST from Complex 39A at Kennedy Space Center in Florida .
The launch had been planned for Saturday , but was delayed because of poor weather in the area designated for recovery of the first-stage booster .
The heart experiment includes 192 chunks of tissue @ @ @ @ @ @ @ -- three men and three women -- that will be kept healthy in a small laboratory .
Other projects on board the mission , SpaceX CRS-21 , include research on microbes that could be used to break down rocky material on asteroids ; a tool being tested for quick and accurate blood analysis in microgravity ; and another human tissue study regarding the effects of spaceflight on post-traumatic osteoarthritis and bone loss .
For the upcoming holidays , NASA also is sending all the fixings food for a celebratory meal .
Items being @ @ @ @ @ @ @ turkey , cornbread dressing , jellied cranberry sauce , potatoes au gratin , macaroni and cheese , French vanilla cappuccino , shortbread cookies and decorative sparkle gel .
The experiments are part of NASA 's goal to accelerate science on the space station as it hosts seven astronauts , the most in years .
Four astronauts arrived Nov. 16 on SpaceX 's first operational flight of the Crew Dragon capsule .
The flight will be the first for SpaceX 's upgraded cargo Dragon capsule .
When it arrives at the space station , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ marking the first time two Dragon capsules are docked there .
`` It 's a really big vehicle and takes a lot of cargo up .
It has 20 percent more volume than the previous version , '' Sarah Walker , SpaceX director of Dragon mission management , said at a press conference Friday .
The goal of the heart experiment is to determine how heart tissue changes in microgravity .
Scientists at Stanford University in California believe the tissue will show signs of atrophy , or weakening , lead researcher Joseph Wu @ @ @ @ @ @ @ to do an actual heart biopsy on astronauts to see how microgravity affects them , so these tissues are the next best thing , '' said Wu , a professor of medicine and radiology who directs the Stanford Cardiovascular Institute .
Wu and his staff already sent a smaller sample of such tissue in a previous experiment .
The sample on this trip will help them decide what drugs they can test in space on future experiments .
`` I 'm confident we will see changes in the tissue when it is tested @ @ @ @ @ @ @ returned to Earth , where we will compare them to similar samples we 've kept here , '' Wu said .
`` I 'm hopeful that will lead us to new drug treatments for heart disease in the future . ''
The new treatments would be not just for astronauts but also for the general population -- for such conditions as ischemia or arrhythmia , he said .
Riding in SpaceX 's capsule with the heart experiment is a small manufacturing laboratory to make fiber optics in space .
Several experiments at the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ fiber optics made in microgravity are better because they have fewer imperfections than those made on Earth .
The new project , led by researchers at the University of Southern California , will be the first to scale up production of such fiber for medical and high-tech defense applications , said Dmitry Starodubov , lead researcher on the fiber optics project and a research professor at the university .
`` I would call this a quantum leap in space manufacturing , '' Starodubov said .
`` What we are launching is fully automated @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ability to operate independently from the ground . ''
Under the capsule , in SpaceX 's storage trunk , NASA and Pittsburgh-based space company Nanoracks plan to ferry the company 's Bishop Airlock to the space station .
Astronauts plan to install the airlock on the exterior of the space station , where it will release science experiments and small satellites into space .
Having a private airlock just for science experiments and small satellites will allow more efficient use of the station 's airlocks and allow for more commercial activity , according @ @ @ @ @ @ @ of the airlock , which cost about $ 15 million , for the opportunity to have private enterprise utilize it , according to the company .
NASA signed an agreement with the company for the idea .

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A SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket is being prepared Friday to launch the first Dragon 2 spacecraft to the International Space Station on a resupply mission for NASA from the Kennedy Space Center in Florida. Photo by Joe Marino/UPI | License Photo
ORLANDO, Fla., Dec. 4 (UPI) -- SpaceX plans to launch cargo to the International Space Station on Sunday morning, including simulated heart tissue for a medical experiment, a holiday meal and the first privately owned airlock. A Falcon 9 rocket has been prepared for liftoff at 11:17 a.m. EST from Complex 39A at Kennedy Space Center in Florida. The launch had been planned for Saturday, but was delayed because of poor weather in the area designated for recovery of the first-stage booster. Advertisement
The heart experiment includes 192 chunks of tissue engineered from blood cells of six people -- three men and three women -- that will be kept healthy in a small laboratory.
Other projects on board the mission, SpaceX CRS-21, include research on microbes that could be used to break down rocky material on asteroids; a tool being tested for quick and accurate blood analysis in microgravity; and another human tissue study regarding the effects of spaceflight on post-traumatic osteoarthritis and bone loss.
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For the upcoming holidays, NASA also is sending all the fixings food for a celebratory meal.
Items being carried on the resupply mission include roasted turkey, cornbread dressing, jellied cranberry sauce, potatoes au gratin, macaroni and cheese, French vanilla cappuccino, shortbread cookies and decorative sparkle gel.
The experiments are part of NASA's goal to accelerate science on the space station as it hosts seven astronauts, the most in years. Four astronauts arrived Nov. 16 on SpaceX's first operational flight of the Crew Dragon capsule.
The flight will be the first for SpaceX's upgraded cargo Dragon capsule. When it arrives at the space station, it will join the Crew Dragon, marking the first time two Dragon capsules are docked there.
"It's a really big vehicle and takes a lot of cargo up. It has 20 percent more volume than the previous version," Sarah Walker, SpaceX director of Dragon mission management, said at a press conference Friday.
The goal of the heart experiment is to determine how heart tissue changes in microgravity. Scientists at Stanford University in California believe the tissue will show signs of atrophy, or weakening, lead researcher Joseph Wu said.
"It's too difficult to do an actual heart biopsy on astronauts to see how microgravity affects them, so these tissues are the next best thing," said Wu, a professor of medicine and radiology who directs the Stanford Cardiovascular Institute.
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Wu and his staff already sent a smaller sample of such tissue in a previous experiment. The sample on this trip will help them decide what drugs they can test in space on future experiments.
"I'm confident we will see changes in the tissue when it is tested in space and when some samples are returned to Earth, where we will compare them to similar samples we've kept here," Wu said. "I'm hopeful that will lead us to new drug treatments for heart disease in the future."
The new treatments would be not just for astronauts but also for the general population -- for such conditions as ischemia or arrhythmia, he said.
Riding in SpaceX's capsule with the heart experiment is a small manufacturing laboratory to make fiber optics in space.
Several experiments at the space station over the years have proven fiber optics made in microgravity are better because they have fewer imperfections than those made on Earth.
The new project, led by researchers at the University of Southern California, will be the first to scale up production of such fiber for medical and high-tech defense applications, said Dmitry Starodubov, lead researcher on the fiber optics project and a research professor at the university.
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"I would call this a quantum leap in space manufacturing," Starodubov said. "What we are launching is fully automated, so it's unique in its ability to operate independently from the ground."
Under the capsule, in SpaceX's storage trunk, NASA and Pittsburgh-based space company Nanoracks plan to ferry the company's Bishop Airlock to the space station. Astronauts plan to install the airlock on the exterior of the space station, where it will release science experiments and small satellites into space.
Having a private airlock just for science experiments and small satellites will allow more efficient use of the station's airlocks and allow for more commercial activity, according to NASA.
Nanoracks funded the construction of the airlock, which cost about $15 million, for the opportunity to have private enterprise utilize it, according to the company. NASA signed an agreement with the company for the idea.


upi--2020-12-05--Tanning bed use linked to higher risk for endometriosis in study

Young women who regularly visit tanning salons may have an increased risk of developing endometriosis , a new study suggests .
Researchers said the findings , from a large study of U.S. women , do n't prove that tanning beds help cause the painful pelvic condition .
But , they noted , the study might give women more incentive to avoid indoor tanning .
Endometriosis is a condition in which tissue similar to the lining of the uterus begins to form outside the uterus -- often on the lining of the pelvis , the ovaries or fallopian tubes .
Its @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , bowel and urinary problems , and infertility .
Endometriosis affects about 10 % of women during their reproductive years , according to the Endometriosis Foundation of America .
The precise cause of the disorder is unclear , though researchers suspect there 's a genetic component since it tends to run in families .
When it comes to modifiable risk factors , little is known , said lead author Leslie Farland , an assistant professor at the University of Arizona College of Public Health , in Tucson .
In the new study , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ whether exposure to ultraviolet , or UV , light -- from sunshine or tanning beds -- had any relationship with endometriosis risk .
Farland said their curiosity was based on two past findings : Women with endometriosis may have a higher risk of melanoma skin cancer than other women do .
And endometriosis seems to be more common among women with `` sun-sensitive '' skin , which burns easily and tends to freckle .
It all suggests that UV exposure could be involved , she said .
For the study , Farland and @ @ @ @ @ @ @ 116,000 U.S. women who were part of the long-running Nurses ' Health Study II .
Between 1989 and 2015 , nearly 4,800 were diagnosed with endometriosis .
Overall , women who had regularly used tanning beds as teens and young adults were somewhat more likely to be diagnosed with endometriosis , the findings showed .
Women who had used tanning beds three or more times a year between the ages of 15 and 35 had a 30 % greater risk than non-users , the researchers found .
The results , published online this @ @ @ @ @ @ @ do not prove cause and effect .
Instead , Farland said , they do raise questions : Why is indoor tanning related to endometriosis , and could it be due to inflammation or immune dysfunction ?
One theory on causes of endometriosis is that a faulty immune system fails to find and destroy endometrial tissue growing outside the uterus .
Dr. Dan Martin is scientific and medical director of the Endometriosis Foundation of America .
He called the new findings an `` interesting observation , '' but said they are puzzling , too @ @ @ @ @ @ @ higher endometriosis risk .
But women who had lived in sunnier climes as teens and young adults showed a slightly reduced risk .
Then there was this : Researchers could not gauge the women 's actual exposure to sunshine , but those with more sunburns -- and presumably a good dose of sun -- had a heightened risk of endometriosis .
Farland agreed that the findings appear to conflict .
But in theory , there 's an explanation , she said : Sunlight -- and specifically the ultraviolet B radiation it emits -- @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , which is anti-inflammatory and helps regulate immune function .
In contrast , tanning beds involve high-intensity exposure to mostly UVA radiation , which studies have linked to increased cell damage and weakened immune function .
Women with multiple sunburns , meanwhile , may have been those with sun-sensitive skin -- the type linked to higher endometriosis risk .
All of that , however , is speculative , Farland stressed .
Martin took it all with a grain of salt .
He said tanning bed use -- or residence in sunny places -- @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , yet unidentified , factors that influence endometriosis risk .
Plus , Martin noted , while a 30 % relative increase in endometriosis risk might sound substantial , it 's actually a small statistical difference , which increases the chance it 's not a true effect .
Despite the complicated findings , both Martin and Farland pointed to a straightforward message : Avoid tanning beds .
`` We already know they raise the risk of skin cancer , '' Martin said .
`` So this gives you one more potential reason to avoid @ @ @ @ @ @ @ are needed to understand why indoor tanning is tied to endometriosis risk , and whether `` a vitamin D pathway '' could be protective .
For more on endometriosis , visit the Endometriosis Foundation of America .

Young women who regularly visit tanning salons may have an increased risk of developing endometriosis, a new study suggests.
Researchers said the findings, from a large study of U.S. women, don't prove that tanning beds help cause the painful pelvic condition.
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But, they noted, the study might give women more incentive to avoid indoor tanning.
Endometriosis is a condition in which tissue similar to the lining of the uterus begins to form outside the uterus -- often on the lining of the pelvis, the ovaries or fallopian tubes. Its symptoms include abnormal periods, pelvic pain, bowel and urinary problems, and infertility.
Endometriosis affects about 10% of women during their reproductive years, according to the Endometriosis Foundation of America.
The precise cause of the disorder is unclear, though researchers suspect there's a genetic component since it tends to run in families.
When it comes to modifiable risk factors, little is known, said lead author Leslie Farland, an assistant professor at the University of Arizona College of Public Health, in Tucson.
Advertisement
In the new study, Farland and her colleagues wanted to see whether exposure to ultraviolet, or UV, light -- from sunshine or tanning beds -- had any relationship with endometriosis risk.
Farland said their curiosity was based on two past findings: Women with endometriosis may have a higher risk of melanoma skin cancer than other women do. And endometriosis seems to be more common among women with "sun-sensitive" skin, which burns easily and tends to freckle.
It all suggests that UV exposure could be involved, she said.
For the study, Farland and her team looked at data on roughly 116,000 U.S. women who were part of the long-running Nurses' Health Study II. Between 1989 and 2015, nearly 4,800 were diagnosed with endometriosis.
Overall, women who had regularly used tanning beds as teens and young adults were somewhat more likely to be diagnosed with endometriosis, the findings showed.
Women who had used tanning beds three or more times a year between the ages of 15 and 35 had a 30% greater risk than non-users, the researchers found.
The results, published online this week in the journal Human Reproduction, do not prove cause and effect.
Instead, Farland said, they do raise questions: Why is indoor tanning related to endometriosis, and could it be due to inflammation or immune dysfunction?
Advertisement
One theory on causes of endometriosis is that a faulty immune system fails to find and destroy endometrial tissue growing outside the uterus.
Dr. Dan Martin is scientific and medical director of the Endometriosis Foundation of America. He called the new findings an "interesting observation," but said they are puzzling, too.
Tanning bed use was linked to higher endometriosis risk. But women who had lived in sunnier climes as teens and young adults showed a slightly reduced risk.
Then there was this: Researchers could not gauge the women's actual exposure to sunshine, but those with more sunburns -- and presumably a good dose of sun -- had a heightened risk of endometriosis.
Farland agreed that the findings appear to conflict. But in theory, there's an explanation, she said: Sunlight -- and specifically the ultraviolet B radiation it emits -- spurs the body to produce vitamin D, which is anti-inflammatory and helps regulate immune function.
In contrast, tanning beds involve high-intensity exposure to mostly UVA radiation, which studies have linked to increased cell damage and weakened immune function.
Women with multiple sunburns, meanwhile, may have been those with sun-sensitive skin -- the type linked to higher endometriosis risk.
All of that, however, is speculative, Farland stressed.
Advertisement
Martin took it all with a grain of salt. He said tanning bed use -- or residence in sunny places -- could simply be markers of some other, yet unidentified, factors that influence endometriosis risk.
Plus, Martin noted, while a 30% relative increase in endometriosis risk might sound substantial, it's actually a small statistical difference, which increases the chance it's not a true effect.
Despite the complicated findings, both Martin and Farland pointed to a straightforward message: Avoid tanning beds.
"We already know they raise the risk of skin cancer," Martin said. "So this gives you one more potential reason to avoid them."
Farland said further studies are needed to understand why indoor tanning is tied to endometriosis risk, and whether "a vitamin D pathway" could be protective.
For more on endometriosis, visit the Endometriosis Foundation of America.
Copyright 2020 HealthDay. All rights reserved.


upi--2020-12-05--On This Day, Dec. 5: NASA test launches Orion spacecraft

Dec. 5 ( UPI ) -- On this date in history : In 1776 , the first scholastic fraternity in America , Phi Beta Kappa , was organized at William and Mary College in Virginia .
In 1848 , U.S. President James Polk confirmed the discovery of gold in California , leading to the `` gold rush '' of 1848 and '49 .
In 1933 , prohibition of liquor in the United States was repealed when Utah became the 36th state to ratify the 21st Amendment to the U.S. Constitution .
In 1945 , five U.S. Navy Avenger torpedo-bombers disappeared @ @ @ @ @ @ @ of the Atlantic known as the Bermuda Triangle .
Fourteen airmen on the planes were lost and 13 others in a search plane killed .
In 1955 , in one of the early civil rights actions in the South , African Americans declared a boycott of city buses in Montgomery , Ala. , demanding seating on an equal basis with white people .
The boycott was prompted by the arrest of Rosa Parks , a black woman who refused to give up her bus seat to a white man .
In 1988 , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ broadcast editors named President-elect George H.W .
Bush and incoming first lady Barbara Bush as male and female newsmakers of the year .
In 1993 , Rafael Caldera Rodriguez was elected president of Venezuela .
In 2001 , factions in war-shaken Afghanistan agreed on an interim government , naming Hamid Karzai as their new leader .
In 2002 , U.S. Sen. Strom Thurmond , R-S.C. , celebrated his 100th birthday on Capitol Hill .
Thurmond , who retired the following year , had served in the Senate since 1954 , making him both @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
He died June 27 , 2003 .
In 2008 , former NFL star O.J .
Simpson was sentenced to up to 33 years in prison for holding up two sports memorabilia dealers at gunpoint in a Las Vegas hotel .
He was released in October 2017 .
In 2009 , an explosion and fire ignited by fireworks killed 156 people and injured dozens of others at a Russian nightclub in the Urals .
In 2013 , Nelson Mandela , who spent 27 years in prison and helped end apartheid in South Africa @ @ @ @ @ @ @ of 95 .
`` He is now resting .
He is now at peace , '' President Jacob Zuma said .
`` Our nation has lost its greatest son .
Our people have lost a father . ''
In 2014 , NASA successfully test launched its Orion spacecraft , its hope for the future of manned space travel and an eventual trip to Mars .
In 2017 , the International Olympic Committee banned the entire Russian Olympic team from the 2018 Winter Games in South Korea over a doping scandal .
Select Russian @ @ @ @ @ @ @ team name `` Olympic athletes from Russia . ''
In 2018 , former President George W. Bush eulogized his father , former President George H.W .
Bush during a memorial service at the National Cathedral in Washington , D.C .

1/5
A United Launch Alliance Delta IV Heavy rocket launches NASA's Orion Spacecraft at the Cape Canaveral Air Force Station, Florida, on December 5, 2014. File Photo by Joe Marino-Bill Cantrell/UPI | License Photo
Dec. 5 (UPI) -- On this date in history: In 1776, the first scholastic fraternity in America, Phi Beta Kappa, was organized at William and Mary College in Virginia. Advertisement
In 1848, U.S. President James Polk confirmed the discovery of gold in California, leading to the "gold rush" of 1848 and '49.
In 1933, prohibition of liquor in the United States was repealed when Utah became the 36th state to ratify the 21st Amendment to the U.S. Constitution.
In 1945, five U.S. Navy Avenger torpedo-bombers disappeared on a routine flight in the area of the Atlantic known as the Bermuda Triangle. Fourteen airmen on the planes were lost and 13 others in a search plane killed.
In 1955, in one of the early civil rights actions in the South, African Americans declared a boycott of city buses in Montgomery, Ala., demanding seating on an equal basis with white people. The boycott was prompted by the arrest of Rosa Parks, a black woman who refused to give up her bus seat to a white man.
UPI File Phot
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In 1988, a UPI poll of U.S. newspaper and broadcast editors named President-elect George H.W. Bush and incoming first lady Barbara Bush as male and female newsmakers of the year.
In 1993, Rafael Caldera Rodriguez was elected president of Venezuela.
In 2001, factions in war-shaken Afghanistan agreed on an interim government, naming Hamid Karzai as their new leader.
In 2002, U.S. Sen. Strom Thurmond, R-S.C., celebrated his 100th birthday on Capitol Hill. Thurmond, who retired the following year, had served in the Senate since 1954, making him both the longest-serving and oldest member of Congress. He died June 27, 2003.
File Photo by Roger L. Wollenberg/UPI
In 2008, former NFL star O.J. Simpson was sentenced to up to 33 years in prison for holding up two sports memorabilia dealers at gunpoint in a Las Vegas hotel. He was released in October 2017.
In 2009, an explosion and fire ignited by fireworks killed 156 people and injured dozens of others at a Russian nightclub in the Urals.
Advertisement
In 2013, Nelson Mandela, who spent 27 years in prison and helped end apartheid in South Africa, died in Johannesburg at the age of 95. "He is now resting. He is now at peace," President Jacob Zuma said. "Our nation has lost its greatest son. Our people have lost a father."
In 2014, NASA successfully test launched its Orion spacecraft, its hope for the future of manned space travel and an eventual trip to Mars.
In 2017, the International Olympic Committee banned the entire Russian Olympic team from the 2018 Winter Games in South Korea over a doping scandal. Select Russian olympians were allowed to participate under the team name "Olympic athletes from Russia."
In 2018, former President George W. Bush eulogized his father, former President George H.W. Bush during a memorial service at the National Cathedral in Washington, D.C.


upi--2020-12-05--Famous birthdays for Dec. 5: Paula Patton, Frankie Muniz

Dec. 5 ( UPI ) -- Those born on this date are under the sign of Sagittarius .
-- Martin @ @ @ @ @ of the United States , in 1782 -- Rock and Roll Hall of Fame member @ @ @ @ @ Penniman , in 1932

1/2
Paula Patton arrives for American Film Institute's 47th annual Life Achievement Award tribute gala to actor Denzel Washington at the Dolby Theatre in the Hollywood section of Los Angeles on June 6, 2019. The actor turns 45 on December 5. File Photo by Jim Ruymen/UPI | License Photo
Dec. 5 (UPI) -- Those born on this date are under the sign of Sagittarius. They include: Advertisement
-- Pope Julius II in 1443
-- Martin Van Buren, eighth president of the United States, in 1782
-- Poet Christina Rossetti in 1830
-- U.S. Army Gen. George Custer in 1839
-- Film director Fritz Lang in 1890
-- German physicist Werner Heisenberg in 1901
-- Walt Disney in 1901
File Photo courtesy of Agence de presse de France
-- U.S. Sen. Strom Thurmond, R-S.C., in 1902
-- Film director Otto Preminger in 1905
-- Thai King Bhumibol Adulyadej in 1927
-- Rock and Roll Hall of Fame member Little Richard, born Richard Penniman, in 1932
-- Author Joan Didion in 1934 (age 86)
-- Writer Calvin Trillin in 1935 (age 85)
-- Songwriter J.J. Cale 1938
-- Opera tenor Jose Carreras in 1946 (age 74)
-- Football Hall of Fame member Jim Plunkett in 1947 (age 73)
File Photo by Ed Locke/UPI
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-- Comedian/actress Margaret Cho in 1968 (age 52)
-- Actor Kali Rocha in 1971 (age 49)
-- Actor Paula Patton in 1975 (age 45)
-- Actor Lauren London in 1984 (age 36)
-- Actor Frankie Muniz in 1985 (age 35)


upi--2020-12-05--Sudden death more common than thought in very young with epilepsy

Sudden , epilepsy-related death is more common than thought in infants and children , a new study suggests .
It also found that Black and multiracial youngsters are at higher risk for what 's known as sudden unexpected death in epilepsy , or SUDEP .
It occurs in otherwise healthy people with epilepsy , most often when they 're asleep or resting .
Researchers analyzed data on 1,769 infants and children in nine U.S. states who died suddenly and unexpectedly of natural causes between 2015 and 2017 .
Of those deaths , the researchers categorized 3 % as SUDEP and @ @ @ @ @ @ @ The death rate from SUDEP was 0.26 per 100,000 live births in infants and children , 63 % higher than the 0.16 per 100,000 rate previously reported , according to the authors of the study to be presented Friday at the American Epilepsy Society 's virtual annual meeting .
Research presented at meetings is typically considered preliminary until published in a peer-reviewed journal .
Children under 14 accounted for 73 % of the deaths .
The researchers also found that the SUDEP death rate is 1.5 times higher in black and multiracial infants @ @ @ @ @ @ @ than in white children -- 0.22 per 100,000 .
SUDEP occurred in 32 white infants and children , 16 Black or multiracial infants and children , and six Hispanic infants and children .
`` While SUDEP is traditionally considered a more significant issue in adults , these findings add to the growing research that it is more common in infants and children than we believed , particularly for certain groups , '' said lead author Vicky Whittemore , program director at the U.S. National Institute of Neurological Disorders and Stroke , in Bethesda @ @ @ @ @ @ @ n't discuss SUDEP with parents because they consider it rare and do n't want to frighten them , '' she said .
`` But it 's important physicians who have young patients discuss the risk with parents . ''
These findings can help increase awareness of SUDEP .
`` This ongoing research is focused on understanding the underlying causes of SUDEP , the risk factors involved and how the brain changes over time in people with chronic epilepsy , which can contribute to SUDEP , '' Whittemore said .
`` Based on this @ @ @ @ @ @ @ and disseminated . ''
There 's more on SUDEP at the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention .

Sudden, epilepsy-related death is more common than thought in infants and children, a new study suggests.
It also found that Black and multiracial youngsters are at higher risk for what's known as sudden unexpected death in epilepsy, or SUDEP.
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It occurs in otherwise healthy people with epilepsy, most often when they're asleep or resting.
Researchers analyzed data on 1,769 infants and children in nine U.S. states who died suddenly and unexpectedly of natural causes between 2015 and 2017.
Of those deaths, the researchers categorized 3% as SUDEP and 1% as possible cardiac death/SUDEP.
The death rate from SUDEP was 0.26 per 100,000 live births in infants and children, 63% higher than the 0.16 per 100,000 rate previously reported, according to the authors of the study to be presented Friday at the American Epilepsy Society's virtual annual meeting.
Research presented at meetings is typically considered preliminary until published in a peer-reviewed journal.
Children under 14 accounted for 73% of the deaths.
The researchers also found that the SUDEP death rate is 1.5 times higher in black and multiracial infants and children -- 0.32 per 100,000 -- than in white children -- 0.22 per 100,000.
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SUDEP occurred in 32 white infants and children, 16 Black or multiracial infants and children, and six Hispanic infants and children.
"While SUDEP is traditionally considered a more significant issue in adults, these findings add to the growing research that it is more common in infants and children than we believed, particularly for certain groups," said lead author Vicky Whittemore, program director at the U.S. National Institute of Neurological Disorders and Stroke, in Bethesda, Md.
"Physicians often don't discuss SUDEP with parents because they consider it rare and don't want to frighten them," she said. "But it's important physicians who have young patients discuss the risk with parents."
These findings can help increase awareness of SUDEP.
"This ongoing research is focused on understanding the underlying causes of SUDEP, the risk factors involved and how the brain changes over time in people with chronic epilepsy, which can contribute to SUDEP," Whittemore said. "Based on this information, prevention strategies can be developed and disseminated."
There's more on SUDEP at the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.
Copyright 2020 HealthDay. All rights reserved.


upi--2020-12-04--NBA suspends random marijuana testing for 2020-21 season

Dec. 4 ( UPI ) -- The NBA and the National Basketball Players Association have reached an agreement to suspend randomized drug tests for marijuana during the 2020-21 season .
`` Due to the unusual circumstances in conjunction with the pandemic , we have agreed with the NBPA to suspend random testing for marijuana for the 2020-21 season and focus our random testing program on performance-enhancing products and drugs of abuse , '' NBA spokesperson Mike Bass said in a statement Friday .
The NBA had a similar policy for the 22 teams competing inside the league 's bubble at @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , Fla. , this past summer .
It remains unclear whether the league will return to its normal testing practices next season .
The NBA is the latest league to begin rolling back marijuana restrictions .
MLB removed marijuana from its drugs of abuse list in December 2019 and shifted its focus to opioids and other substances of abuse .
In the new collective bargaining agreement between the NFL and its players ' union , the threshold for determining a positive test was raised and punishments were removed .
The NHL still requires @ @ @ @ @ @ @ n't punish players for positive test results .
The NBA 's pandemic-shortened season , which will consist of 72 regular-season games , will begin Dec. 22 .
The first half of the 2020-21 schedule was revealed Friday evening .

The NBA's pandemic-shortened season, which will consist of 72 regular-season games, will begin Dec. 22. File Photo by Gary C. Caskey/UPI | License Photo
Dec. 4 (UPI) -- The NBA and the National Basketball Players Association have reached an agreement to suspend randomized drug tests for marijuana during the 2020-21 season. "Due to the unusual circumstances in conjunction with the pandemic, we have agreed with the NBPA to suspend random testing for marijuana for the 2020-21 season and focus our random testing program on performance-enhancing products and drugs of abuse," NBA spokesperson Mike Bass said in a statement Friday. Advertisement
The NBA had a similar policy for the 22 teams competing inside the league's bubble at the Walt Disney World Resort near Orlando, Fla., this past summer. It remains unclear whether the league will return to its normal testing practices next season.
The NBA is the latest league to begin rolling back marijuana restrictions. MLB removed marijuana from its drugs of abuse list in December 2019 and shifted its focus to opioids and other substances of abuse.
In the new collective bargaining agreement between the NFL and its players' union, the threshold for determining a positive test was raised and punishments were removed. The NHL still requires random testing, but the league doesn't punish players for positive test results.
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The NBA's pandemic-shortened season, which will consist of 72 regular-season games, will begin Dec. 22. The first half of the 2020-21 schedule was revealed Friday evening.


upi--2020-12-05--U.S. hits single-day record for new cases at 227,885; Calif. counties start stay-at-home orders

Dec. 5 ( UPI ) -- The United States hit a new single-day record of new COVID-19 cases -- 227,885 .
The number recorded Friday brings the total number of cases in the country since the start of the pandemic to more than 14 million cases , according to Johns Hopkins University 's global tracker .
It marked a new single-day record and the fourth time the country has topped 200,000 new cases in day .
The country also reported 2,607 new deaths , bringing the total number of U.S. deaths to over 279,000 .
In the past week , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ No .
1 killer , University of Washington researchers said Friday .
The country reported 11,820 COVID-19-related deaths in the past week , which `` makes COVID-19 the No .
1 cause of death in the United States of America this week , '' the Institute for Health Metrics and Evaluation researchers said in a briefing .
Ischemic heart disease , which killed 10,724 people in the past week , was the No .
2 killer , the data shows .
Fifty-four percent of Americans now know someone who has died or been @ @ @ @ @ @ @ out of 10 are bothered by others who do n't wear masks in public , according to a survey from Pew Research Institute .
New York Gov .
Andrew Cuomo announced Friday 11,271 new COVID-19 cases and 60 COVID-19-related deaths statewide .
California Gov .
Gavin Newsom announced a stay-at home order to go into effect Saturday in regions that dropped below 15 % intensive care unit capacity .
Southern California 's intensive care unit capacity dropped below 15 % on Saturday , to 12.5 % , according to the California Department of @ @ @ @ @ @ @ 8.6 % in the San Joaquin Valley region .
The stay-at-home order covers 11 counties including Los Angeles , Orange , Riverside , San Bernardino , Ventura and San Diego .
In California , a surge in COVID-19 cases has been reported in prisons with more than 4,000 active cases among inmates and another 1,430 among staff , marking the highest numbers since the pandemic began .
The active cases bring the total numbers up to more than 22,300 , including 90 deaths .
This equates to about 227 COVID-19 cases per 1,000 @ @ @ @ @ @ @ population , according to the California Department of Corrections and Rehabilitation .
The rate statewide among the general public is about 32 cases per 1,000 people .