OAKLAND — Whatever happens within the highly contentious Nov. 5 election is not going to change a lingering truth that hangs over the town: Oakland is spending extra money than it makes.

Despite an expected $95 million infusion from the town's coliseum sale next May, Budget Director Bradley Johnson said this week that cuts to some city services are simply unavoidable over time given a $120 million deficit, even when the cash arrives on time for the following two-year budget cycle.

For the whole 2023-24 fiscal yr that led to June, the town generated 14.9% less revenue than expected, in keeping with a report released this week that lays out specific numbers from the ultimate quarter of the yr.

The current fiscal yr, which ends next June, is in a “difficult situation,” the report said, with expenses expected to exceed revenues by $30 million.

“This reflects deeper, persistent imbalances between revenue and spending,” the report said.

This is on account of falling revenues again, including from taxes on real estate sales and business licenses, in addition to the Oakland police's continued overspending on officer extra time.

Those cuts could well include the police and fire departments, which Johnson said together account for three-quarters of Oakland's total general purpose fund.

“To the extent that they are not cut, it will mean even more disproportionate cuts to all other functions the city performs in its services,” Johnson said at a City Council committee meeting earlier this week. “There are no easy answers to this.”

Oakland's structural financial problems have persevered for several years, despite federal funding keeping the town afloat in the course of the COVID-19 pandemic.

Facing a historic deficit in the summertime of 2023, Mayor Sheng Thao proposed a budget — eventually approved by the City Council — that froze quite a few unfilled positions and merged some departments to avoid layoffs.

But home sales didn’t increase the next yr, due partially to the extremely high rates of interest imposed by the Federal Reserve to combat inflation in the course of the pandemic.

On a smaller scale, the town remains to be missing the revenue it had planned for 2023-24 from the sale of the old Raiders training facility — a net gain of $12 million that hasn't come despite a buyer, San Francisco Real Estate The Prologis company got here forward a few yr ago.

The property is currently leased to local soccer franchise Oakland Roots SC, which uses the power as a practice facility. Team officials declined to offer details on the status of the deal.

Thao tried a second time to avoid layoffs by freezing much more jobs and using all proceeds from the sale of the Colosseum for one-time expenses.

At the time, the sale had not yet been accomplished, leading the City Council to approve a proposed emergency budget that reduced the Oakland Police Department's officer positions even further than Thao's proposed budget called for, and a discount in service – generally known as a “Brown Out” – through multiple firefighting stations.

This emergency budget is now in effect after the backers of the group that purchased the Coliseum decided to not make additional payments to the town without insuring their ownership of the property against the town's dangerous financial situation.

But the worst cuts haven’t yet taken effect, because the town desires to drain reserves and unused funds within the meantime.

Thao, who faces recall within the upcoming election, has said in interviews she has no selection but to make use of revenue from the Coliseum for one-time salaries and other costs – a move sharply criticized by financial analysts who argue that The money must be invested for long run needs.

At this week's meeting, Fire Chief Damon Covington said the vegetation fire earlier this month would have been “virtually impossible” to combat if these deep emergency budget cuts had already occurred.

“We would have a different conversation,” Covington said of the damage from the fireplace, which officials said was ultimately limited to at least one constructing.

City Council members Janani Ramachandran, Treva Reid and Noel Gallo had voted over the summer to maneuver forward with the emergency budget immediately, although they countered criticism on that front with accusations that Thao had presented them with two bad options on the eleventh hour.

Financial experts say the town could have an alternative choice: It could ask unions to renegotiate their current labor contracts and conform to less money. Former city leaders took this route as the town tried to get better from the Great Recession within the late 2000s.

Union leaders didn’t address the prospect on the meeting earlier this week – which could rely upon how five City Council seats are elected in November, in addition to the recall of the mayor. However, they warned that further staff cuts wouldn’t be tolerated.

“I’m here to say,” said Julian Ware, the pinnacle of IFPTE Local 21, “deeper cuts cannot be the answer.”

LOS ANGELES – People hospitalized for COVID-19 early within the pandemic had an increased risk of significant “cardiac events” comparable to heart attacks and strokes, much like individuals with a history of heart disease, a newly published study found.

Researchers from USC, UCLA and the Cleveland Clinic analyzed greater than 10,000 COVID cases tracked by the UK Biobank to look at how COVID affected the chance of heart attacks and other heart threats.

Their study was published on Wednesday Journal Arteriosclerosis, Thrombosis and Vascular Biologyevaluated outcomes for individuals who became ailing in the primary yr of the pandemic and followed them over a period of nearly three years.

The findings underscore that in “people who have no evidence of heart disease, severe COVID disease poses a significantly increased risk of heart attack, stroke and death,” said lead researcher Hooman Allayee, a professor of population and public health sciences at Keck USC School of Medicine.

One of essentially the most striking findings: Hospitalization for COVID in 2020 increased the chance of heart attacks and other cardiac events a lot that it was ultimately comparable to individuals who had heart disease previously but had not had COVID, the study found .

Although the evaluation showed that the extra risk was particularly large in individuals with severe cases, the researchers emphasized that it was still evident in patients who had contracted some type of COVID.

The study found that this risk was about twice as high in individuals who had been infected with COVID in any respect levels of severity and 4 times as high in hospitalized cases as in individuals who had not had COVID.

The study notes that the increased risk “shows no obvious signs of abatement up to nearly three years after SARS-CoV-2 infection and suggests that COVID-19 continues to pose a significant public health burden with ongoing negative effects cardiovascular risks,” they wrote.

Scientists also found that risk varies by blood type: Hospitalization for COVID increased the chance more in individuals with blood types A, B, or AB than in individuals with blood type O.

“Your genetics actually play a role in this increased risk of future heart attacks and strokes,” said James Hilser, a Keck doctoral student in biochemistry and molecular medicine who helped write the paper.

Allayee said that when someone walks into a health care provider's office and is newly diagnosed with diabetes, “it doesn't matter what their cholesterol is… They're prescribed a lipid-lowering medication. They're prescribed a baby aspirin.”

But when doctors take into consideration heart attack prevention, “no one takes COVID — whether serious or not — into account when treating a patient,” Allayee said. Given the outcomes, he said, “This is something that doctors should be discussing,” as should cardiac care regulators.

The study, funded by the National Institutes of Health, had some limitations: It only checked out COVID cases early within the pandemic, before vaccines became available. (Another study A study published earlier this yr, which also relied on UK Biobank data, found that the incidence of heart attacks and strokes was generally lower after each dose of a COVID vaccine.)

The researchers also warned that some COVID patients could have had undiagnosed heart disease after they were hospitalized, which might not be apparent within the UK Biobank data.

___

©2024 Los Angeles Times. Visit at latimes.com. Distributed by Tribune Content Agency, LLC.

Originally published: October 17, 2024 at 12:55 p.m

DALLAS — Investigators say a Southwest Airlines jet that exhibited an unusual “Dutch roll” motion during flight was parked outside during a severe storm after which underwent routine maintenance, after which pilots noticed strange movements within the rudder pedals.

After the May 25 incident, Southwest mechanics found “significant” damage to the tail of the plane, where the rudder is situated, however the National Road Safety Committee said on Tuesday that it was not yet known when the damage occurred.

The aircraft, a Boeing 737-800was grounded for greater than a month but resumed operations last week, in response to data from Flightradar24.com.

The Dutch roll is a swaying, rhythmic combination of yaw, or sideways sliding of the tail, and pitching of the wingtips. The Southwest jet experienced this motion at 34,000 feet and again after descending to 32,000 feet on the flight from Phoenix to Oakland, California.

This condition will be dangerous, and modern aircraft have a yaw damper to stop the vibrations typical of the Dutch roll motion.

After the plane landed, Southwest mechanics discovered fractures within the metal bracket and ribs that hold an emergency power unit to the rudder system. Investigators examined the damaged parts last week in Ogden, Utah.

The NTSB said the plane was parked overnight on the New Orleans airport on May 16 during thunderstorms with wind gusts as much as 85 mph, heavy rains and a tornado warning.

John Cox, a former pilot turned safety consultant, said the NTSB's preliminary report indicates the plane was more than likely damaged in the course of the storm. He said the near-hurricane-force winds can have caused the parked jet's rudder to swing forwards and backwards.

Cox said it was “absolutely impossible” that the Dutch Roll could have caused such severe damage and that he didn’t consider it was related to maintenance work.

“I don't see this as a Max problem. I don't see this as a 737 problem at the moment,” he said. “I see this as a one-off event.”

Southwest inspected its 231 Max jets last month and located no further damage to the rudder actuators, in response to the NTSB. No problems have been encountered in the brand new planes the corporate has received since then.

Dallas-based Southwest declined to comment.

It could take a yr or more for the NTSB to find out a probable cause for the incident.

Hurricane Beryl was the last Atlantic storm to rapidly intensify. It quickly developed from a tropical storm into the strongest June Atlantic hurricane on record. meet the Grenadine Islands with wind speeds of 240 km/h and a destructive storm surge on July 1, 2024, after which intensified further into the basin first Category 5 storm on record.

Beryl was still a robust Category 4 hurricane on July 3, when its eye wall roamed the coast of Jamaica and was heading towards the Cayman Islands. A hurricane warning was in effect for giant parts of the Mexican Yucatan Peninsula.

The damage attributable to Beryl especially on Carriacou and Petite Martinique, was extensivesaid Grenada's Prime Minister Dickon Mitchell at a press conference. “Within half an hour, Carriacou was razed to the ground.”

Beryl's strength and rapid intensification were unusual for a storm so early within the season. This 12 months it is especially alarming as meteorologists predicted a exceptionally energetic hurricane season within the Atlantic.

Rapidly intensifying storms can put coastal communities at great risk and leave lasting scars. In 2022, for instance, Hurricane Ian devastated parts of Florida after the storm rapidly intensified. To this present day, residents are still recovering from the results.

What causes rapid intensification of hurricanes, and has climate change made rapid intensification more likely?

I research hurricanesincluding their formation and their intensification, and am a part of a U.S. Office of Naval Research initiative rapid intensification. I also work with scientists on the National Atmospheric and Oceanic Administration to research data collected by reconnaissance aircraft that fly into hurricanes. Here's what we're learning.

How did Hurricane Beryl intensify so quickly?

Rapid intensification occurs when a hurricane's intensity increases by at the very least 35 miles per hour over a 24-hour period. Beryl far exceeded that threshold, increasing from tropical storm strength (70 miles per hour) to major hurricane strength (130 miles per hour) over a 24-hour period.

A Key ingredient for rapid intensification is warm water. The water temperature have to be above 27 degrees Celsius (80 degrees Fahrenheit) and extend to greater than 45 meters below the surface. This reservoir of warm water provides the energy needed to drive a hurricane.

Scientists measure this energy reservoir as the warmth content of the ocean. The heat content of the ocean before Beryl was already extraordinarily high in comparison with previous years. The heat content of the oceans within the tropical Atlantic doesn’t normally reach such high levels until early September, when the hurricane season typically reaches its peak.

Beryl is a storm more typical of the height of hurricane season than of June, and its rapid intensification and strength are likely because of the unusually warm waters.

In addition to the high heat content of the oceans, studies have shown that other environmental aspects typically in order that rapid intensification can happen. These include:

My research has shown that when this mix of things is present, a hurricane more efficient use of energy It gathers from the ocean to power its winds, relatively than having to fight against drier, cooler air moving in from the storm's surroundings. The process known as ventilation.

At the identical time, more air is drawn inward toward the middle, rapidly increasing the strength of the vortex, just like how a figure skater pulls their arms inward to create spins. Rapid amplification is comparable to a figure skater pulling each arms quickly and shut to the body.

Does climate change affect the likelihood of rapid intensification?

As the oceans warm with climate change and the ocean heat content increases, it is affordable to assume that rapid intensification may change into more common. There is evidence that rapid intensification of storms has change into more common within the Atlantic.

In addition, the intensity peaks of hurricanes have increased on average by 25 to 30% when comparing hurricane data between 1971–1990 and 2001–2020. This has led to faster intensification events comparable to Beryl.

This faster intensification is because of environmental aspects: warm waters, low vertical wind shear, and a moist atmosphere that occur more incessantly, giving hurricanes more opportunity to accentuate rapidly.

The excellent news for anyone living in a region vulnerable to hurricanes is that Hurricane forecast models are recuperating in predicting rapid intensification prematurely, in order that they can provide residents and emergency managers more advance warning of potential threats. NOAA’s latest hurricane model, the hurricane evaluation and forecast systemguarantees further improvement in hurricane forecasts, and artificial intelligence could Providing additional tools to predict rapid intensification.

This article, originally published on July 2, 2024, has been updated with Beryl's arrival in Jamaica.

Hurricane Beryl was the last Atlantic storm to rapidly intensify. It quickly developed from a tropical storm into the strongest June Atlantic hurricane on record. meet the Grenadine Islands with wind speeds of 240 km/h and a destructive storm surge on July 1, 2024, after which intensified further into the basin first Category 5 storm on record.

Beryl was still a robust Category 4 hurricane on July 3, when its eye wall roamed the coast of Jamaica and was heading towards the Cayman Islands. A hurricane warning was in effect for big parts of the Mexican Yucatan Peninsula.

The damage brought on by Beryl especially on Carriacou and Petite Martinique, was extensivesaid Grenada's Prime Minister Dickon Mitchell at a press conference. “Within half an hour, Carriacou was razed to the ground.”

Beryl's strength and rapid intensification were unusual for a storm so early within the season. This yr it is especially alarming as meteorologists predicted a exceptionally energetic hurricane season within the Atlantic.

Rapidly intensifying storms can put coastal communities at great risk and leave lasting scars. In 2022, for instance, Hurricane Ian devastated parts of Florida after the storm rapidly intensified. To today, residents are still recovering from the consequences.

What causes rapid intensification of hurricanes, and has climate change made rapid intensification more likely?

I research hurricanesincluding their formation and their intensification, and am a part of a U.S. Office of Naval Research initiative taking a look at rapid intensification. I also work with scientists on the National Atmospheric and Oceanic Administration to research data collected by reconnaissance aircraft that fly into hurricanes. Here's what we're learning.

How did Hurricane Beryl intensify so quickly?

Rapid intensification occurs when a hurricane's intensity increases by at the very least 35 miles per hour over a 24-hour period. Beryl far exceeded that threshold, increasing from tropical storm strength (70 miles per hour) to major hurricane strength (130 miles per hour) over a 24-hour period.

A Key ingredient for rapid intensification is warm water. The water temperature should be above 27 degrees Celsius (80 degrees Fahrenheit) and extend to greater than 45 meters below the surface. This reservoir of warm water provides the energy needed to drive a hurricane.

Scientists measure this energy reservoir as the warmth content of the ocean. The heat content of the ocean before Beryl was already extraordinarily high in comparison with previous years. The heat content of the oceans within the tropical Atlantic doesn’t normally reach such high levels until early September, when the hurricane season typically reaches its peak.

Beryl is a storm more typical of the height of hurricane season than of June, and its rapid intensification and strength are likely as a consequence of the unusually warm waters.

In addition to the high heat content of the oceans, studies have shown that other environmental aspects typically in order that rapid intensification can happen. These include:

My research has shown that when this mix of things is present, a hurricane more efficient use of energy It gathers from the ocean to power its winds, relatively than having to fight against drier, cooler air moving in from the storm's surroundings. The process known as ventilation.

At the identical time, more air is drawn inward toward the middle, rapidly increasing the strength of the vortex, much like how a figure skater pulls their arms inward to create spins. Rapid amplification is comparable to a figure skater pulling each arms quickly and shut to the body.

Does climate change affect the likelihood of rapid intensification?

As the oceans warm with climate change and the ocean heat content increases, it is affordable to assume that rapid intensification may turn out to be more common. There is evidence that rapid intensification of storms has turn out to be more common within the Atlantic.

In addition, the intensity peaks of hurricanes have increased on average by 25 to 30% when comparing hurricane data between 1971–1990 and 2001–2020. This has led to faster intensification events akin to Beryl.

This faster intensification is as a consequence of environmental aspects: warm waters, low vertical wind shear, and a moist atmosphere that occur more ceaselessly, giving hurricanes more opportunity to accentuate rapidly.

The excellent news for anyone living in a region liable to hurricanes is that Hurricane forecast models are improving in predicting rapid intensification upfront, so that they may give residents and emergency managers more advance warning of potential threats. NOAA’s latest hurricane model, the hurricane evaluation and forecast systemguarantees further improvement in hurricane forecasts, and artificial intelligence could Providing additional tools to predict rapid intensification.

This article, originally published on July 2, 2024, has been updated with Beryl's arrival in Jamaica.

Hurricane Beryl was the last Atlantic storm to rapidly intensify. It quickly developed from a tropical storm into the strongest June Atlantic hurricane on record. meet the Grenadine Islands with wind speeds of 240 km/h and a destructive storm surge on July 1, 2024, after which intensified further into the basin first Category 5 storm on record.

The damage attributable to Beryl especially on Carriacou and Petite Martinique, was extensivesaid Grenada's Prime Minister Dickon Mitchell at a press conference. “Within half an hour, Carriacou was razed to the ground.”

Beryl's strength and rapid intensification were unusual for a storm so early within the season. This yr it is especially alarming as meteorologists predicted a exceptionally lively hurricane season within the Atlantic.

Rapidly intensifying storms can put coastal communities at great risk and leave lasting scars. In 2022, for instance, Hurricane Ian devastated parts of Florida after it rapidly intensified. To this present day, residents are still recovering from the consequences. As Beryl further intensified on a route across the Caribbean Sea on July 2, Jamaica was affected by a hurricane warning and other islands, including Grand Cayman, were under commentary.

What causes hurricanes to rapidly intensify, and has climate change made rapid intensification more likely?

I research hurricanesincluding their formation and their intensification, and am a part of a U.S. Office of Naval Research initiative rapid intensification. I also work with scientists on the National Atmospheric and Oceanic Administration to investigate data collected by reconnaissance aircraft that fly into hurricanes. Here's what we're learning.

How did Hurricane Beryl intensify so quickly?

Rapid intensification occurs when a hurricane's intensity increases by at the very least 35 miles per hour over a 24-hour period. Beryl far exceeded that threshold, increasing from tropical storm strength (70 miles per hour) to major hurricane strength (130 miles per hour) over a 24-hour period.

A Key ingredient for rapid intensification is warm water. The water temperature have to be above 27 degrees Celsius (80 degrees Fahrenheit) and extend to greater than 45 meters below the surface. This reservoir of warm water provides the energy needed to drive a hurricane.

Scientists measure this energy reservoir as the warmth content of the ocean. The heat content of the ocean before Beryl was already extraordinarily high in comparison with previous years. The heat content of the oceans within the tropical Atlantic doesn’t normally reach such high levels until early September, when the hurricane season typically reaches its peak.

Beryl is a storm more typical of the height of hurricane season than of June, and its rapid intensification and strength are likely resulting from the unusually warm waters.

In addition to the high heat content of the oceans, studies have shown that other environmental aspects typically in order that rapid intensification can happen. These include:

My research has shown that when this mix of things is present, a hurricane more efficient use of energy It gathers from the ocean to power its winds, quite than having to fight against drier, cooler air moving in from the storm's surroundings. The process is named ventilation.

At the identical time, more air is drawn inward toward the middle, rapidly increasing the strength of the vortex, much like how a figure skater pulls their arms inward to create spins. Rapid amplification is comparable to a figure skater pulling each arms quickly and shut to the body.

Does climate change affect the likelihood of rapid intensification?

As the oceans warm with climate change and the ocean heat content increases, it is affordable to assume that rapid intensification may grow to be more common. There is evidence that rapid intensification of storms has grow to be more common within the Atlantic.

In addition, the intensity peaks of hurricanes have increased on average by 25 to 30% when comparing hurricane data between 1971–1990 and 2001–2020. This has led to faster intensification events resembling Beryl.

This faster intensification is resulting from environmental aspects: warm waters, low vertical wind shear, and a moist atmosphere that occur more steadily, giving hurricanes more opportunity to accentuate rapidly.

The excellent news for anyone living in a region vulnerable to hurricanes is that Hurricane forecast models are recuperating in predicting rapid intensification upfront, in order that they may give residents and emergency managers more advance warning of potential threats. NOAA’s latest hurricane model, the hurricane evaluation and forecast systemguarantees further improvement in hurricane forecasts, and artificial intelligence could Providing additional tools to predict rapid intensification.

Hurricane Beryl was the last Atlantic storm to rapidly intensify. It quickly developed from a tropical storm into the strongest June Atlantic hurricane on record. meet the Grenadine Islands with wind speeds of 240 km/h and a destructive storm surge on July 1, 2024, after which intensified further into the basin first Category 5 storm on record.

The damage brought on by Beryl especially on Carriacou and Petite Martinique, was extensivesaid Grenada's Prime Minister Dickon Mitchell at a press conference. “Within half an hour, Carriacou was razed to the ground.”

Beryl's strength and rapid intensification were unusual for a storm so early within the season. This yr it is especially alarming as meteorologists predicted a exceptionally energetic hurricane season within the Atlantic.

Rapidly intensifying storms can put coastal communities at great risk and leave lasting scars. In 2022, for instance, Hurricane Ian devastated parts of Florida after it rapidly intensified. To today, residents are still recovering from the consequences. As Beryl further intensified on a route across the Caribbean Sea on July 2, Jamaica was affected by a hurricane warning and other islands, including Grand Cayman, were under commentary.

What causes hurricanes to rapidly intensify, and has climate change made rapid intensification more likely?

I research hurricanesincluding their formation and their intensification, and am a part of a U.S. Office of Naval Research initiative rapid intensification. I also work with scientists on the National Atmospheric and Oceanic Administration to investigate data collected by reconnaissance aircraft that fly into hurricanes. Here's what we're learning.

How did Hurricane Beryl intensify so quickly?

Rapid intensification occurs when a hurricane's intensity increases by at the very least 35 miles per hour over a 24-hour period. Beryl far exceeded that threshold, increasing from tropical storm strength (70 miles per hour) to major hurricane strength (130 miles per hour) over a 24-hour period.

A Key ingredient for rapid intensification is warm water. The water temperature should be above 27 degrees Celsius (80 degrees Fahrenheit) and extend to greater than 45 meters below the surface. This reservoir of warm water provides the energy needed to drive a hurricane.

Scientists measure this energy reservoir as the warmth content of the ocean. The heat content of the ocean before Beryl was already extraordinarily high in comparison with previous years. The heat content of the oceans within the tropical Atlantic doesn’t normally reach such high levels until early September, when the hurricane season typically reaches its peak.

Beryl is a storm more typical of the height of hurricane season than of June, and its rapid intensification and strength are likely on account of the unusually warm waters.

In addition to the high heat content of the oceans, studies have shown that other environmental aspects typically in order that rapid intensification can happen. These include:

My research has shown that when this mixture of things is present, a hurricane more efficient use of energy It gathers from the ocean to power its winds, somewhat than having to fight against drier, cooler air moving in from the storm's surroundings. The process is named ventilation.

At the identical time, more air is drawn inward toward the middle, rapidly increasing the strength of the vortex, much like how a figure skater pulls their arms inward to create spins. Rapid amplification is comparable to a figure skater pulling each arms quickly and shut to the body.

Does climate change affect the likelihood of rapid intensification?

As the oceans warm with climate change and the ocean heat content increases, it is affordable to assume that rapid intensification may turn out to be more common. There is evidence that rapid intensification of storms has turn out to be more common within the Atlantic.

In addition, the intensity peaks of hurricanes have increased on average by 25 to 30% when comparing hurricane data between 1971–1990 and 2001–2020. This has led to faster intensification events similar to Beryl.

This faster intensification is on account of environmental aspects: warm waters, low vertical wind shear, and a moist atmosphere that occur more regularly, giving hurricanes more opportunity to accentuate rapidly.

The excellent news for anyone living in a region susceptible to hurricanes is that Hurricane forecast models are convalescing in predicting rapid intensification upfront, in order that they can provide residents and emergency managers more advance warning of potential threats. NOAA’s latest hurricane model, the hurricane evaluation and forecast systemguarantees further improvement in hurricane forecasts, and artificial intelligence could Providing additional tools to predict rapid intensification.

Gayle King, a superb friend of Oprah Winfrey, explained intimately why a serious “stomach problem” prevented the media star from appearing on “CBS Mornings” on Tuesday.

King said Winfrey was hospitalized with the “stomach issue,” which she described as “stomach flu.” Page Six reported.

“She had some kind of stomach problem – stomach flu – stuff was coming out of both ends,” King explained on her morning news show. by TMZ. King then said she wouldn't “go into too much detail” about her friend's simultaneous vomiting and diarrhea – although that was type of the case.

“Needless to say, she ended up in the hospital, dehydrated and needing an IV, it was a very serious matter,” King said.

Winfrey's hospitalization got here five months after the 70-year-old talk show personality admitted to taking an unspecified weight-loss drug, much like Ozempic, to “control” her weight and “stay healthy.”

But Winfrey's rep reiterated King's statement that her friend's hospitalization was resulting from stomach flu, Page Six reported. The rep also said Winfrey was given an IV for hydration and was “resting and improving day by day.”

Winfrey was scheduled to introduce creator David Wroblewski, whose novel “Familiaris” is her book club's latest pick, Page Six reported. King said she hoped her friend “wasn't mad at me for revealing the gruesome details.” King felt she needed to disclose a number of the details to “make it clear that (the book) is important to her and it really bothers her that she couldn't be here today. She loved that book so much.”

Perhaps King gave the “stomach flu” explanation because she and Winfrey expected some people to ask if their weight-loss medication had something to do with it.

Last October, CNN reported to a brand new study that means that folks taking common injectable weight-loss drugs akin to Wegovy, Ozempic, Saxenda and Victoza could also be at higher risk for serious digestive problems akin to gastric paralysis, pancreatitis and intestinal obstruction in comparison with people taking other kinds of weight-loss drugs.

But the study found that the danger of developing these diseases remains to be small, CNN reported. Still, demand for the drugs has exploded, and tens of thousands and thousands of individuals worldwide are actually taking them. Researchers estimate that even risks as rare as these could mean lots of of 1000’s of recent cases, CNN reported.

Winfrey made headlines in December when she admitted she had began taking weight-loss drugs to finally address her weight and body image issues that had played out in the general public eye over the past few many years. Her “body journey” also became an everyday topic on her hit daytime talk show, which ran for 25 seasons. People reported.

“For 25 years, it was a public sport to make fun of me,” Winfrey told People in December. “I was blamed and shamed, and I blamed and shamed myself.”

Winfrey told People that she now has a greater handle on tips on how to maintain a healthy weight long-term – and free herself from shame once and for all – by integrating weight-loss medication right into a “holistic approach” to her health that also includes regular exercise and other lifestyle changes.

Winfrey told People that it was a relief to finally realize that she should stop blaming herself for her weight, explaining, “I have a predisposition that no amount of willpower can control.”

Winfrey said: “Obesity is a disease. It's not about willpower – it's about the brain.”

In a Weight Watchers special on television, Winfrey also expressed regret at being “a staunch participant in this diet culture.” She said, “Through my platforms, through (my O magazine), through the talk show for 25 years and online, I have been a major contributor to it.”

“I can't tell you how many weight-loss shows and makeovers I've done, and they've been a staple of my life since I started working in television,” Winfrey said.

The French Broad River winds through the mountains of western North Carolina, fed by dozens of mountain streams, and passes through the town of Asheville. At over 2,000 feet above sea level and greater than 250 miles from the coast, it's unlikely that anyone here would wish to organize for a hurricane.

Nevertheless, through the years, the remnants of several hurricanes have swept through this region, causing the region's rivers to overflow their banks.

When these storms Back to back fightthe devastation may be enormous. In September 2004, for instance, the remnants of hurricanes Frances, Ivan and Jeanne All of them brought excessive rainfall to western North Carolina inside a matter of weeks, overwhelming the French Broad and other rivers within the Asheville area.

The history of western North Carolina is only one example of the risks posed by inland tropical cyclones.

In 1955 Connie, closely followed by Dianecaused a few of the worst flooding within the inland waters of Pennsylvania, New Jersey, New York, and Massachusetts. Diane became generally known as the primary billion-dollar storm. The combined impacts prompted Congress to fund extensive studies of hurricane meteorology and mitigation measures.

Vermont was hit by Tropical Storm Irene in 2001, which destroyed a whole bunch of homes. In 1998, Tropical Storm Charley moved nearly 200 miles up the Rio Grande Valley and Flooding within the dry landscape of Texaswith devastating consequencesThe remnants of Hurricane Ida in 2022 caused nearly $84 billion in damage as its heavy rains caused flooding in states from Louisiana to New York.

I’m a historical geographer of flood hazards and the way communities exacerbate and reply to risk. With the 2024 Atlantic hurricane season, which runs from June 1 to November 30, expected to be exceptionally eventful, storms like this one are a reminder for mountain communities and other inland regions across the United States to organize.

Hard lessons from the mountains of North Carolina

Western North Carolina is a vital case study of a hurricane risk that could appear rare but can have catastrophic consequences, and the way some communities are starting to reply.

In July 1916, the Asheville area inundated by successive tropical storms River bridges and roads were torn apart, shops washed away and enormous parts of the town were flooded.

The first tropical storm reached Mississippi and moved into the southern Appalachians. While it lingered over western North Carolina, 6 to 10 inches (15 to 25 centimeters) of rain fell within the mountains, which drained into streams after which rivers, including the French Broad.

Every week later, a second tropical storm made landfall, this time in South Carolina, heading toward the already saturated bottom of the French Broad River basin, dropping 12 to fifteen inches of rain near Brevard. Weather Bureau meteorologists wrote: saturated soils allowed 80% to 90% of the brand new precipitation flows from the mountains into the tributaries of the French Broad River.

In Asheville, the river rose to 23.1 feet – a record high, greater than 5 feet higher than any previous or subsequent crest. The water washed away bridges and damaged most businesses and industries within the flood plain.

Dozens of individuals died within the floods and trade was disrupted for weeks. The Santee River, which flows from the Blue Ridge Mountains toward the ocean, destroyed around 280,000 hectares of farmland in South Carolina.

The response to the storms of 1916 was not sufficient

After the storms there was We are talking about replacing some destroyed buildings were replaced with flood-resistant structures. However, the importance of railroad service and limited land for business and industrial use necessitated reconstruction near the river. Congress authorized a flood control study in 1930, but no structural protections were built. Revised constructing codes and land use restrictions to scale back the impact of flooding got here much later.

In September 2004, the region was again hit by a series of tropical storm disasters.

Hurricane Frances reached Florida and eventually moved over the Blue Ridge Mountains into western North Carolina. Remnants of the hurricane dropped 8 to 12 inches of rain near Asheville. Black Mountain received 15 inches of rain, which flowed right into a tributary of the French Broad River and caused widespread flooding where the rivers converge. The storm severed a water principal and cut off drinking water supplies to Asheville residents.

Shortly after Frances arrived, Hurricane Ivan raced onto the Alabama coast and moved inland, bringing one other 4 to 12 inches of rain to the French Broad Basin inside three days. Saturated soils on the mountain slopes lost their footing and caused quite a few landslidesand parts of Asheville and Brevard were flooded. Remnants of Hurricane Jeanne brought more rain to Western North Carolina a couple of days later.

It shouldn’t be enough to make use of the past to plan the longer term

Traditionally, officials planning for hazards equivalent to hurricanes have relied on records of past events to guide their decisions. However, this approach assumes that the climate is stable, and that is just not the case.

Warmer temperatures allow the air to carry more moisture, meaning tropical cyclones – and inland thunderstorms – can bring more rain.

This may be particularly problematic when huge storms move inland and cause streams and rivers to overflow their banks. Back-to-back storms may be much more destructive. New development in areas that weren’t previously subject to such severe flooding could turn out to be more vulnerable because the climate warms.

Some communities are starting to take into consideration how the risks might worsen in the longer term.

In the Asheville area, Buncombe County’s hazard reduction plan now explicitly addresses hurricane risks and recognizes that “future events are likely.”

After the 2004 flood, the county modified using a water reservoir to permit for floodwater storage as well. It now requires that latest buildings constructed within the 2004 flooded areas be 2 feet above the bottom flood elevation. The city of Brevard, 30 miles south of Asheville, restricted construction activity in flood-prone areas to limit future losses.

Asheville has Green spaces along the French Broad River and has made efforts to extend stormwater retention behind dams on tributaries. But modifying stormwater drainage systems is dear when existing systems are designed for historical rainfall levels slightly than the rainfall levels that climate change will bring.

Extreme weather events, including mountain and inland flooding, have gotten a more common problem within the United States. I consider they should be more widely considered in disaster planning in any respect levels. For communities, preparing for these future risks means Learning from the floods of the past But we must also remember that future storms could cause flooding of previously unimagined proportions.

GREENFIELD, Iowa — Powerful storms ripping through the Midwest spawned several tornadoes, including a fierce twister that ripped through a small Iowa town Tuesday, leaving a desolate landscape of destroyed homes and businesses, downed trees, smashed cars and widely scattered debris, and causing an unknown variety of injuries.

Iowa State Patrol spokesman Sgt. Alex Dinkla said several people were injured in Greenfield, a town of about 2,000 people about 55 miles southwest of Des Moines, and there was extensive damage within the town. He didn’t know the extent of the injuries.

After the storm, parts of Greenfield seemed to be destroyed. Mounds of broken wood, branches, automotive parts and other debris littered the lots where homes once stood. Cars lay broken and bent while damaged houses stood askew against the grey and overcast sky. The trees had hardly any branches or leaves.

Multiple tornadoes were reported across the state, and one also appears to have brought down several 250-foot-tall wind turbines. Television station KCCI-TV in Des Moines, Iowa, showed a minimum of three wind turbines toppled by an apparent tornado in southwest Iowa, and a minimum of one was on fire with black smoke billowing from the bent structure.

Wind farms are built to resist tornadoes, hurricanes and other strong winds. According to the U.S. Department of Energy, turbines are designed to shut down when winds exceed certain thresholds, typically around 55 miles per hour. They also lock and feather their blades and switch into the wind to attenuate stress.

The Adair County Health System hospital in Greenfield was damaged by the storm, but Mercy One spokesman Todd Mizener said he had no further details. The hospital is connected to Mercy One and officials were en path to Greenfield to evaluate the damage.

The city describes itself as “the friendly wave as you walk,” with tree-lined streets — before the storm — and “the bang of fireworks or the twinkle of lights” on special holidays. Greenfield also calls itself the “perfect place to grow” and prides itself on being a town where business owners know their name and neighbors help their neighbors, in response to its visitor page.

Mary Long, the owner of Long's Market in downtown Greenfield, said she rode out the storm at her store on the community's historic town square, which was largely spared damage. Long said there appears to have been widespread damage on the east and south sides of town.

“I could hear this roar, like the proverbial freight train, and then it was just over,” she said.

Camille Blair said the Greenfield Chamber of Commerce office where she works closed before the storm around 2 p.m. She left her house to explain the extensive damage and debris lying around.

“There is pretty significant roof damage on several homes that I know will need completely new roofs,” she said. “And I can see from my house that it was kind of straight down the street.”
In far southwest Iowa, a video posted on social media showed a tornado northwest of Red Oak. Further east and north, the National Weather Service issued multiple tornado warnings for areas near the cities of Griswold, Corning, Fontanelle and Guthrie Center, amongst others.

Iowa was already prepared for severe weather after the National Weather Service's Storm Prediction Center gave many of the state a high likelihood of severe thunderstorms with the opportunity of strong tornadoes. Des Moines public schools ended classes two hours early and canceled all evening activities prematurely of the storms.

Earlier within the day, residents in west Omaha, Nebraska, woke as much as sirens blaring and widespread power outages as torrential rain, strong winds and enormous hail hit the realm. The deluge of greater than 5 inches of rain in lower than two hours flooded basements and swamped cars. Television station KETV showed firefighters arriving to rescue people from vehicles.

In Illinois, dust storms forced authorities to shut sections of two highways on account of poor visibility. Wind gusts between 35 mph (56 km/h) and 45 mph (74 km/h) hit the McLean area, in response to National Weather Service meteorologist Chuck Schaffer.

“There is no visibility at times,” the state police posted on the social media platform X.

The storms followed days of maximum weather that devastated much of the central a part of the country. Strong winds, large hail and tornadoes swept across parts of Oklahoma and Kansas late Sunday, damaging homes and injuring two in Oklahoma.

Another round of storms ravaged Colorado and western Nebraska on Monday night, seeing the town of Yuma, Colorado, covered in hail the dimensions of baseballs and golf balls, turning streets into rivers of water and ice. Front-end loaders were used Tuesday to maneuver half-foot-high hail.

Tuesday's storms are expected to bring similarly strong winds, heavy rain and enormous hail to Minnesota and parts of northern Missouri, said Bob Oravec, chief meteorologist on the National Weather Service.

He said the system is anticipated to maneuver south on Wednesday, bringing even worse weather conditions to parts of Texas, Oklahoma, Arkansas and southern Missouri.

McFetridge reported from Des Moines, Iowa, and Beck reported from Omaha, Nebraska. Associated Press writers Steve Karnowski in Minneapolis, Josh Funk in Omaha, Colleen Slevin in Denver and Juan Lozano in Houston contributed to this report.