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Ticker: Steward plans to close hospital in Stoughton; Delta expects strong Christmas travel 

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 11:08:02 GMT

A long-term care and rehabilitation hospital intends to shut down due to multi-million-dollar losses, making Stoughton the latest community to lose a health care facility as part of a growing trend throughout the commonwealth.Dallas-based Steward Health Care, which describes itself as the largest owner of community-based hospitals in Massachusetts and fourth biggest private employer, plans to close its New England Sinai Acute Long-Term Care and Rehabilitation Hospital (NESH) by early April.“Nearly 75% of Steward hospital patients are public pay (Medicare and Medicaid) which chronically underpay, sometimes at rates less than the cost of delivering services,” Steward said in a press release this week. “As a result of these chronic low reimbursement rates, Steward has lost $22 million from NESH operations and cannot afford to keep the facility open. Unlike ‘non-profit’ systems, Steward does not have a multibillion-dollar investment portfolio to fall back o...

The Chicago Bulls suddenly are playing with pace. How did that happen? Can they keep it up when Zach LaVine returns?

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 11:08:02 GMT

The Chicago Bulls finally are picking up the pace.Through the first quarter of the season, the Bulls have been the slowest team in the NBA. Their average pace of 96.61 — measured by the number of possessions in a 48-minute game — is nearly eight fewer than the Indiana Pacers, who lead the league with their up-tempo offense.But that trend is beginning to change. The Bulls improved to a 98.85 pace in their last two wins entering Wednesday night’s game against the Charlotte Hornets at the United Center. If they played at that pace every game, they would be 22nd in the league. That still ranks in the bottom third — but it also keeps up with competitive teams like the Boston Celtics.Even those who aren’t stats junkies probably noticed this difference. The Bulls didn’t take forever to settle into their half-court offense. They pushed the ball up the court to probe mismatches, then initiated action before the shot clock hit 15. And the result was two of ...

Police say 3 dead, fourth wounded and shooter also dead in University of Nevada, Las Vegas attack

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 11:08:02 GMT

By KEN RITTER and RIO YAMATLAS VEGAS (AP) — Three people were fatally shot Wednesday and a fourth person critically wounded in an attack on the University of Nevada, Las Vegas campus, police said. The suspected shooter also was found dead.The attack just before noon sent police swarming onto the campus, which is just a couple of miles from the world-famous Las Vegas Strip while students barricaded themselves in classrooms. Authorities gave the all-clear about 40 minutes after the first report of an active shooter.Police haven’t released the identity of the shooter or the motive for the attack. The shootings took place in a city still scarred by an October 2017 attack by a gunman at the Mandalay Bay casino that killed 60 people and wounded hundreds more.THIS IS A BREAKING NEWS UPDATE. AP’s earlier story follows below.LAS VEGAS (AP) — A person opened fire Wednesday on the University of Nevada, Las Vegas campus, and at least three victims were taken to hospitals...

3 dead, 1 in critical condition after shooting on UNLV campus, suspect dead

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 11:08:02 GMT

LAS VEGAS (KLAS) -- The Las Vegas Metropolitan Police Department said three victims are dead and one is in critical condition at a local hospital following a shooting on UNLV's campus. Las Vegas police are reporting a suspect in the UNLV campus shooting Wednesday is dead and police are evacuating one building at a time. Sheriff Kevin McMahill said there is no further threat to campus. A post from Las Vegas Metropolitan Police Department officials confirmed that there were at least three victims, although the extent of those victims' injuries is unknown. Officials say the number of victims could change. 988 Suicide & Crisis Lifeline providing mental health support following UNLV shooting Metropolitan police responded to reports of an active shooter at the UNLV campus at around 11:45 a.m. and said "There appears to be multiple victims at this time." Law enforcement responds to active shooter at UNLV campus on Dec. 6, 2023. (KLAS)Law enforcement responds to active shooter at UNLV...

Travel industry bouncing back after rough few years during COVID-19 pandemic

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 11:08:02 GMT

The travel industry which was the brink of failure during COVID-19 is now celebrating a big comeback with travel agencies saying it’s booming and “stronger than ever.”“It definitely hasn’t compensated for the hole that was done during the pandemic but we are going to come out of it,” said Teena Dowd, owner and travel agent with Vacations for Canadians. “People are eager and willing to travel right now and ready to go. So it’s going to take us a little bit of time to get through it, but we are definitely coming out of it.”Dowd said they have had to make some adjustments to accommodate the increase in interest. “We’ve had to make some adjustments to adapt to the growth we’ve experienced over the last two years.”Richard Skull, the Travel Industry Council of Ontario (TICO) President, said this comeback is consistent throughout the industry. “Sales through travel agencies and tour operators have been very strong this...

Paramedics told investigators that Elijah McClain had ‘excited delirium,’ a disputed condition

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 11:08:02 GMT

BRIGHTON, Colo. (AP) — Two paramedics on trial over the 2019 death of Elijah McClain told investigators in videotaped interviews previously unseen by the public that the 23-year-old Black man had ” excited delirium,” a disputed condition that some say is unscientific and rooted in racism.McClain died after being stopped by police while walking home from a convenience store, then forcibly restrained and injected with ketamine by the paramedics in the Denver suburb of Aurora. Initially no one was charged because the coroner’s office could not determine exactly how McClain died. But social justice protests over the 2020 murder of George Floyd drew renewed attention to McClain’s case — which led to the 2021 indictment of the paramedics and three officers.Starting in 2018, paramedics in Aurora were trained to use ketamine, a sedative, to treat “excited delirium” after approval from state regulators. Under their training, if they determined that an agitated person they were treating...

Boy Scout abuse claims fund shouldn’t pay $21 million in lawyers’ fees, judge says

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 11:08:02 GMT

DOVER, Del. (AP) — The judge presiding over the Boys Scouts of America’s bankruptcy has rejected a $21 million fee request from attorneys hired by law firms representing survivors of child sexual abuse.A group of personal injury firms called the Coalition of Abused Scouts for Justice wanted to have its legal fees and expenses paid by the Boy Scouts and by the trust fund established to compensate men who were abused as children by Boy Scout leaders and volunteers.Judge Laurie Selber Silverstein denied the fee request Tuesday, having earlier expressed concern that any payment to attorneys representing coalition law firms would come from the pockets of abuse claimants.Law firms are expected to take roughly 40% of any payments to clients from the $2.4 billion trust fund established for abuse survivors. Nevertheless, coalition attorneys argued that Silverstein should grant their “relatively modest” fee request because of the “extraordinary contribution” they made in developing a Boy Scou...

California inmate charged with attempted murder in attack on Kristin Smart’s killer

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 11:08:02 GMT

FRESNO, Calif. (AP) — A twice-convicted killer has been charged with attempted murder for a prison yard attack on a fellow inmate convicted of the high-profile killing of California college student Kristin Smart, who vanished 27 years ago, prosecutors said Wednesday. A complaint filed Nov. 30 also charged Jason Richard Budrow, 43, with counts involving crimes by a prisoner and possessing a weapon as well as enhancements for great bodily injury, the Fresno County District Attorney’s Office said. Prosecutors allege that Budrow slashed the neck of inmate Paul Flores with a “manufactured weapon” Aug. 23 at Pleasant Valley State Prison in Coalinga. Flores was hospitalized but returned to the prison two days later.Flores was recently transferred to the prison to serve a sentence of 25 years to life for the murder of Smart, then 19, who disappeared from California Polytechnic State University in San Luis Obispo over Memorial Day weekend in 1996. Flores was arrested in 2021, convicted in 20...

Ex-Nashville mayor to run for GOP-held US House seat, seeking a political return years after scandal

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 11:08:02 GMT

NASHVILLE, Tenn. (AP) — Former Nashville Mayor Megan Barry on Wednesday announced a Democratic run for the U.S. House seat held by Republican Rep. Mark Green, seeking a political comeback more than five years after the fallout from an extramarital affair cut her tenure short.In an announcement video, Barry cited several reasons for trying to return to elected office — a spate of mass shootings at schools, including earlier this year at a Nashville Christian elementary school; Tennessee’s abortion ban; the closure of rural hospitals; and the opioid epidemic. Barry is running in one of three congressional districts that carved up Nashville during Republican-led redistricting last year. Due to line-drawing efforts by Republican state lawmakers that favor their own party, the GOP last year won another seat that previously centered on Nashville and was long held by Democrats. Barry is running as a Democrat, campaign spokesperson Brian Córdova confirmed.“I look at the total dysfunct...

Shortage of Ozempic, 2 other diabetes drugs expected to last into 2024: Health Canada

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 11:08:02 GMT

Health Canada says it is working with manufacturers to make diabetes drugs, including Ozempic, more available during a worldwide shortage fuelled by high demand that’s expected to last into the new year.  It says Novo Nordisk, which markets Ozempic, is expecting a shortage in Canada of the 0.25 mg, 0.5 mg and 1 mg injection pens until early2024.Eli Lilly, which markets Trulicity and Mounjaro, is also expecting lower supplies of both drugs throughout early 2024.Health Canada says efforts are being made to increase manufacturing capacity but it will take time to build up supply levels.In the meantime, it is recommending that prescribers do not start new patients on the drugs, unless there are no suitable alternatives and there’s a clinical reason to do so.The regulator says the drugs, often used for weight loss, should be conserved for people who have no other treatment choices as both drug companies are asking pharmacists to limit refill prescriptions to a 30-day supply.T...