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A severe winter storm swept across the eastern United States on Monday, causing hazardous travel conditions and resulting in at least five fatalities. The storm, which brought heavy snow and freezing rain, left over 175,000 people without power from Missouri to Virginia, while more than 2,400 flights were canceled. The National Weather Service warned of up to a foot of snow in Washington, D.C., where Congress was meeting to certify Donald Trump's election victory, marking the anniversary of the Capitol riots. Missouri reported two fatalities from sliding vehicles, while Kansas recorded three deaths from highway accidents. Officials, including Kentucky Governor Andy Beshear, urged residents to stay home due to dangerous road conditions. The storm is expected to bring further severe weather, including thunderstorms and plunging temperatures, with multiple states declaring emergencies as they work to manage the impact. 
Published: Jan 07 2025, 9 ameznews.inA Los Angeles tech entrepreneur, Mike Johns, experienced a harrowing incident on Monday when his self-driving Waymo taxi malfunctioned, trapping him in a parking lot as it circled the same spot eight times. Desperately attempting to reach Waymo's support team, Johns recorded a video expressing his confusion and frustration, questioning whether the vehicle had been hacked. Despite the unsettling experience, which he likened to a "sci-fi thriller," the situation was resolved after a few minutes, allowing him to catch his delayed flight to Southern California. Waymo attributed the incident to a software glitch, which has since been addressed. Although Johns remains an advocate for autonomous technology, he announced plans to revert to traditional ride services like Lyft and Uber, criticizing the current state of driverless technology as a "half-baked product" that fails to meet consumer needs.
Published: Jan 08 2025, 12 pmeznews.inAustralian scientists have unveiled a groundbreaking pest control strategy involving genetically engineered mosquitoes designed to produce toxic semen, which could combat tropical diseases like malaria and dengue fever. The "toxic male technique" aims to breed male mosquitoes that, after mating, deliver venomous proteins in their semen, ultimately killing female mosquitoes, the primary vectors of these diseases. Initial trials with fruit flies demonstrated that mating with these engineered males significantly reduced the lifespan of female flies. Researchers emphasize the need for rigorous safety testing before advancing to mosquito trials, ensuring the modified insects only express toxicity when released into the wild. This innovative approach, leveraging conditional expression techniques, could potentially replace traditional methods that merely sterilize male insects. The findings, published in Nature Communications, suggest that actively eliminating biting females may be a more effective strategy for controlling disease-carrying mosquito populations.
Published: Jan 08 2025, 12 pmeznews.inA six-month-old girl in Mumbai has been confirmed as the eighth case of human metapneumovirus (HMPV) in India and the third in Maharashtra. The infant was hospitalized on January 1 due to severe respiratory symptoms, including a significant drop in oxygen levels, but was discharged after five days. Previously, two cases were reported in Nagpur, involving a seven-year-old and a 13-year-old, while additional cases have emerged in Karnataka, Gujarat, and Tamil Nadu. In response to the situation, several states are advising the public to remain calm, with Mizoram establishing a monitoring committee. Isolation wards have been set up in three cities in Gujarat, and the Centre has urged states to enhance surveillance for respiratory illnesses. HMPV, a common respiratory virus typically causing mild infections, has no correlation with COVID-19, according to former WHO chief scientist Soumya Swaminathan, who also recommended mask-wearing as a precaution.
Published: Jan 08 2025, 10 ameznews.inFive years after the onset of Covid-19, the virus continues to circulate globally, with over 777 million cases and more than seven million deaths officially recorded, according to the World Health Organization (WHO). The pandemic has left lasting impacts, crippling health systems and economies, although infection and death rates have significantly declined since late 2022 due to increased immunity and less severe variants. In May 2023, the WHO declared the emergency phase over, marking a shift towards endemicity. However, the long-term effects of Covid, including long Covid, remain a concern, affecting millions. Vaccination efforts have seen over 13.6 billion doses administered, yet booster uptake is low, particularly among healthcare workers. As the world grapples with the legacy of Covid, experts warn of future pandemics, emphasizing the need for preparedness amid ongoing negotiations for a global treaty on pandemic response.
Published: Jan 08 2025, 11 ameznews.inRepublican Congressman Lance Gooden has criticized the Biden administration's investigation into billionaire Gautam Adani's companies, suggesting it is an attempt to disrupt the transition to Donald Trump’s presidency. In a letter to Attorney General Merrick Garland, Gooden questioned the necessity of the probe, which he argues could strain U.S.-India relations, a vital alliance given India’s status as a major economic partner. The Adani Group has faced allegations of defrauding U.S. investors through a bribery scheme linked to Indian government contracts, claims the conglomerate has dismissed as unfounded. Gooden urged the Justice Department to prioritize domestic issues like violent crime over foreign investigations, warning that targeting foreign investors could deter economic growth in the U.S. He also posed several questions regarding the legal implications of the case, including the potential for international tensions if India does not cooperate with extradition requests.
Published: Jan 08 2025, 11 ameznews.inAbdul Qadir Mumin, the Somali leader of the Islamic State (IS) group, has emerged as a pivotal figure within the organization, despite lacking an official title. Analysts suggest he may be effectively managing IS's global operations from Somalia, controlling financial networks that extend to regions like Congo and South Africa. Mumin, who previously lived in Sweden and England, gained notoriety as a radical preacher before defecting from Al-Shabaab to IS in 2015. He is believed to finance various militant groups, including the Allied Democratic Forces in Uganda. While some observers speculate he could be viewed as a caliph, his Somali origins and the group's traditional leadership criteria complicate this notion. The shift of IS's focus towards Africa, alongside Mumin's survival amid a leadership purge, underscores the evolving dynamics within the organization, which still maintains a centralized command in the Middle East.
Published: Jan 08 2025, 11 ameznews.inResearch from Queen's University Belfast has revealed that a dog's stress levels at the vet can be significantly influenced by their owner's emotional state. In a controlled study involving 28 owner-dog pairs, both parties wore heart-rate monitors to assess stress during veterinary visits. The findings indicated that dogs' heart rates decreased as they acclimated to the clinic environment, suggesting that allowing dogs time to adjust could enhance their comfort and improve the accuracy of veterinary assessments. Notably, the study showed a direct correlation between the stress levels of owners and their dogs, indicating a phenomenon known as "emotional contagion." This highlights the importance of a calm environment for both owners and pets during vet visits. Furthermore, the research suggests that the stress of unfamiliar humans can also impact dogs, underscoring the need for a holistic approach to veterinary care that considers the emotional well-being of both animals and their owners.
Published: Jan 08 2025, 11 ameznews.inIn a provocative move, President-elect Donald Trump has shared a map depicting Canada as part of the United States, following his declaration of a potential "golden age" for America. This announcement came shortly after he threatened to use "economic force" to integrate Canada as the 51st state, citing concerns over Canada's military spending and reliance on U.S. defense. Speaking from his Mar-a-Lago estate, Trump emphasized the benefits of eliminating the "artificially drawn line" between the two nations, while asserting that Canada must contribute more to its own defense. In response, Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau firmly rejected the notion of merging the two countries, stating, "There isn’t a snowball’s chance in hell" that Canada would become part of the U.S. Trump, who has a history of contentious relations with Trudeau, has repeatedly floated the idea since his electoral victory on November 5.
Published: Jan 08 2025, 10 ameznews.inMelania Trump has signed a lucrative $40 million deal with Amazon to produce a documentary about her life, set to stream on Prime Video in mid-2025. Directed by Brett Ratner, the film will feature appearances from her husband, Donald Trump, and their son, Barron. The deal includes a two-to-three-episode follow-up docuseries, with Melania serving as an executive producer, allowing her significant control over the content. Sources indicate that Melania has grown more comfortable in the public eye, leveraging her private nature to create intrigue and drive up her value. This collaboration follows a meeting between Amazon founder Jeff Bezos and Donald Trump at Mar-a-Lago, where Bezos announced a $1 million donation to Trump's inaugural fund. An Amazon spokesperson expressed enthusiasm for sharing Melania's unique story with a global audience, promising a rare glimpse into the life of the former First Lady.
Published: Jan 08 2025, 8 ameznews.inIn a shocking incident on New Year's Day, a decorated soldier, Matthew Livelsberger, used generative AI, specifically ChatGPT, to plan an attack outside the Trump International Hotel in Las Vegas. Livelsberger, 37, fatally shot himself in a rented Tesla Cybertruck packed with fuel containers and fireworks, which subsequently exploded, injuring seven bystanders. Investigations revealed that he sought information on the legality of fireworks in Arizona and explosive targets through the AI chatbot. Las Vegas Sheriff Kevin McMahill described this as a concerning first instance of ChatGPT being used to assist in creating a dangerous device, highlighting the potential misuse of accessible AI technology. OpenAI, the creator of ChatGPT, stated that their tools are designed to discourage harmful actions and confirmed they are cooperating with law enforcement in the ongoing investigation.
Published: Jan 08 2025, 8 am
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