Articles by Internewscast

Technology

Intense White House confrontation as Karoline Leavitt attempts to instruct CNN’s Kaitlan Collins on her reporting

White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt clashed with CNN’s Kaitlan Collins in a tense exchange regarding Donald Trump’s threats to send National Guard troops to Portland. Leavitt, 28, became agitated with Collins, 33, during the Monday White House press briefing after the CNN reporter asked what actions the president would take following a federal judge’s decision to block his deployment of National Guard troops to Oregon’s largest city over the weekend. Collins highlighted that the judge, appointed by Trump during his first term, ruled against the deployment because the court determined it was ‘untethered to what was actually happening on the ground.’ ‘Which local officials in Portland have said that the National Guard is needed there, if any?’ Collins asked. Leavitt snapped back: ‘With all due respect to that judge, I think her opinion is untethered in reality and in the law.’ “We are appealing that decision, we expect a hearing soon, and we firmly believe in the president’s legal authority on this matter. We are confident that we will succeed based on the legal merits,” Leavitt stated. The exchange heated up as Collins responded: ‘But no local officials that you can point to that have said we need the National Guard? “Because I spoke to the police chief of Portland last week, he said that the president’s claims just don’t align with the actual situation,” Collins countered. Leavitt appeared irate at Collins’ line of questioning as she said she encouraged her ‘as a reporter to go on the ground and to take a look at it for yourself.’ ‘Because there’s been many members of the press, not press in this room, but independent journalists, some of whom we’ll be inviting to the White House very soon to share their stories, because they have been in the middle of these riots, and they have witnessed the anarchy that is taking place night after night,’ she continued. ‘It’s on video. You should play it on your show. You have a great opportunity in primetime on CNN to show your audience.’ The press secretary told Collins that she was ‘probably talking to partisan Democrat officials who are opposed to everything everything this president does.’ ‘You should also ask the people who live in Portland. We’ve actually heard from many members of the community who have said that this is complete civil disobedience. ‘It’s a mess. It’s been loud. It’s being troubling for neighbors in the community who are just trying to live peacefully. And these people are not there to peacefully protest. They are there to cause mayhem and havoc.’ Videos from Portland show crowds of black-clad, left-wing protesters regularly causing trouble outside an ICE depot in the city. Local residents have complained their lives have been made utterly miserable by the round-the-clock noise and chaos that is unfolding in response to Trump’s immigration crackdown. But anti-ICE protesters have been branded violent thugs, with independent journalist Katie Daviscourt left with a black eye after being attacked by an Antifa protester. The clash unfolded on the heels of a growing controversy surrounding Trump’s use of National Guard troops. The White House has attempted to use troops from Texas to crack down on crime in a number of Democrat-led cities, including Portland and Chicago, even as the city’s leaders say it would be unnecessary. On Sunday, Illinois Governor JB Pritzker accused Trump of trying to ‘invade’ his state, saying around 400 National Guard troops would be sent to Chicago to deal with anti-ICE protesters and Trump’s so-called war on crime. ‘We must now start calling this what it is: Trump’s Invasion,’ Pritzker said in an X post. ‘No officials from the federal government called me directly to discuss or coordinate. ‘It started with federal agents, it will soon include deploying federalized members of the Illinois National Guard against our wishes, and it will now involve sending in another state’s military troops.’

2 hours ago

Technology

Tense Peace in Aleppo Following Syrian Forces and Kurdish Fighters’ Confrontation

DAMASCUS – On Tuesday morning, a tense tranquility took over the neighborhoods in Aleppo, a city in northern Syria. This followed a night of clashes between Syrian security forces and Kurdish fighters. The violence came as tensions grow between the central government in Damascus and Kurdish authorities in northeast Syria. The state-operated Syrian news agency SANA mentioned that on Monday evening, the Kurdish-led Syrian Democratic Forces attacked checkpoints manned by the Internal Security Forces, resulting in one fatality and four injuries. According to SANA, SDF forces fired mortar shells and heavy machine guns into residential areas in Aleppo’s Sheikh Maqsoud and Achrafieh neighborhoods, leading to civilian casualties. However, the exact number of those injured or killed was not specified. The SDF denied attacking the checkpoints and said its forces withdrew from the area months ago. Syrian state-run TV reported Tuesday morning that a ceasefire had been reached without giving further details. In March, the new interim President Ahmad al-Sharaa, previously the head of an insurgent group that played a role in ousting the former Syrian President Bashar Assad, signed an agreement with the U.S.-supported, Kurdish-led Syrian Democratic Forces, which govern much of northeastern Syria. Under the agreement, the SDF was to merge its forces with the new Syrian army, but implementation has stalled. While Damascus aims to reassert control over all of Syria, the SDF is intent on retaining the semi-autonomous status of northeast Syria. Parliamentary elections were held in most of Syria on Sunday, but did not take place in areas under SDF control. In April, scores of SDF fighters left the two predominantly Kurdish neighborhoods in Aleppo as part of the deal with Damascus. On Tuesday, the SDF released a statement blaming government military units for “repeated attacks” on civilians in the two Aleppo neighborhoods, claiming they have imposed a blockade on them. Government forces then attempted “to advance with tanks and armored vehicles, targeting residential areas with mortar shells and drone strikes, which has led to civilian casualties and significant damage to property,” the SDF said, which “provoked the residents and pushed them to defend themselves, alongside the internal security forces in the neighborhoods.”

2 hours ago

Technology

Engineer Discovered Dead Without a Neck at Girlfriend’s Quaint Cottage

An engineer was discovered deceased at his girlfriend’s charming Connecticut cottage after sustaining severe injuries following a physical confrontation the previous night. Shane DeJongh died on October 6, 2023 from what investigators initially believed to be natural causes, The Hartford Courant reports. However, his sister, Robyn van Ekelenburg, immediately suspected foul play after she flew in from California to view his body and noticed ‘something wrong with his neck.’ Robyn mentioned that it was so swollen, it appeared as if he didn’t have a neck at all. An autopsy determined DeJongh, 53, had several skin contusions on his head, an abrasion on his left ear and had suffered a brain bleed. He also had a hemorrhage in his neck and fractured his ‘left superior cornu of the thyroid cartilage’, the report stated. The coroner’s report indicated that DeJongh’s death was due to a ‘cardiac arrhythmia following physical altercation with blunt injuries to the head and neck, complicated by hypertensive and atherosclerotic cardiovascular disease,’ officially declaring his death a homicide. It has now been two years since the engineering manager passed away and his family still has no answers in the case. In March, the family initiated a civil lawsuit against DeJongh’s girlfriend, Natasha Vadasz, but it was withdrawn last week. This was to incorporate both an additional defendant and plaintiff into the complaint. According to the lawsuit, which was reviewed by the Courant, Vadasz, 51, had put her three-bedroom, 1,495-square-foot house in Cheshire up for sale shortly before DeJongh’s death. The couple were preparing to relocate to Georgia after DeJongh accepted a new job offer there. They went out for drinks with their realtor the night he died to celebrate what they believed would be the next chapter in their lives. But he was found dead in his bed the next morning, still wearing the clothes he went out in. Investigators initially believed he suffered a ‘heart attack’, but the coroner later ruled the death was a homicide. Van Ekelenburg claims the family suspects they know who is responsible for her brother’s death – though did not explicitly name this individual. ‘We don’t know what really happened that night,’ she told the newspaper. ‘It’s like trying to put a puzzle together without all the pieces. But whatever the case is, Shane was the only one with injuries that night.’ Vadasz’s house sold in March last year and she moved out-of-state, public property records reveal. She has not been charged with any crime and no arrests have yet been made in DeJongh’s case. Vadasz, however, is named as a defendant in the family’s withdrawn civil suit, which seeks monetary and punitive damages, as well as other associated costs. She declined the Courant’s request for comment, referring the newspaper to her attorney. DeJongh family attorney Kenneth Krayeske confirmed the suit was withdrawn last week so that the engineer’s daughter, Zoey DeJongh Quinn, could be added as a plaintiff. An additional defendant will also be added to the complaint, although Krayeske did not reveal their identity. The attorney said the lawsuit is not aiming to get an arrest, but instead to get ‘damages for the family from this terrible wrong that they’ve suffered’. Cheshire Police Chief Frederick Jortner in a statement to the Daily Mail, confirmed a ‘comprehensive investigation’ into DeJongh’s death has been conducted. Investigators carried out ‘multiple interviews and extensive forensic analysis’. ‘At this time, the incident remains an active and ongoing investigation under the direction of the State’s Attorney’s Office, Part A, New Haven,’ Jortner told the Daily Mail on Monday. ‘No further details will be released at this time in order to preserve the integrity of the investigation.’ The Daily Mail has contacted the state’s attorney’s office, Krayeske and attorneys for Vadasz for further information. DeJongh grew up in California and moved to Connecticut in 2020 after accepting a position with circuit board manufacturer APCT, Inc. He had a ‘strong work ethic’ and was a creative-minded individual who was ‘continuously involved in projects’, his obituary states. The engineer was also an accomplished musician who wrote and composed songs across several genres of music. He also performed at multiple fundraiser events. He had a passion for boating and fishing, and is said to have caught ‘countless bass and other exotic fish’. He also enjoyed home improvement projects, gardening, camping, traveling, cooking and entertaining. ‘Shane put love into everything he did and had had a passion for life,’ his obituary states.

2 hours ago

Technology

Key Discussions Between Israel and Hamas Launch in Egypt on Gaza War Anniversary Eve

CAIRO — Israeli and Hamas representatives initiated indirect discussions on Monday at an Egyptian resort concerning a U.S.-proposed peace plan aimed at ending the devastating conflict in Gaza as it approaches its second anniversary. There are still numerous uncertainties surrounding the proposal presented by U.S. President Donald Trump last week, such as the disarmament of the militant group – a crucial demand from Israel – and the future administration of Gaza. Trump has suggested that reaching an agreement on Gaza could lay the groundwork for a Middle East peace process that might transform the region. Despite Trump’s directive for Israel to halt the bombing, Israeli forces continued their airstrikes on Gaza, resulting in at least 19 casualties over the past 24 hours, according to the territory’s Health Ministry. An official from Egypt mentioned that negotiations commenced Monday afternoon at the Red Sea resort of Sharm el-Sheikh. The official spoke on condition of anonymity as he was not authorized to publicly discuss the talks. Leading the Israelis is chief negotiator Ron Dermer, whereas Khalil al-Hayyah spearheads the Hamas delegation. Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s office stated that foreign policy adviser Ophir Falk would be present for Israel, but it was uncertain whether Dermer had arrived yet. Egypt’s state-owned Al-Qahera News television channel reported that the discussions commenced with a meeting between Arab mediators and the Hamas delegation. The mediators will subsequently meet with the Israeli delegation, the channel reported. Egyptian and Qatari mediators will discuss the outcome of their meetings with both parties, before U.S. envoy Steve Witkoff joins the talks, it said. Trump’s son-in-law Jared Kushner is also expected to join the talks, Egypt’s state-run al-Ahram reported. Hamas said negotiations will focus on the first stage of a ceasefire, including the partial withdrawal of Israeli forces as well as the release of hostages held by the militants in Gaza in exchange for Palestinian prisoners in Israeli detention. This latest push for peace comes after Hamas accepted some elements of the U.S. plan that Israel also said it supported. Under the plan, Hamas would release the remaining 48 hostages – about 20 of whom are believed to be alive – within three days. It would give up power and disarm. The talks in Egypt are expected to move quickly. Netanyahu said they would be “confined to a few days maximum,” though some Hamas officials have warned that more time may be needed to locate bodies of hostages buried under rubble. Egyptian President Abdel-Fattah el-Sisi hailed Trump’s efforts, underscoring the importance of preserving the U.S.-crafted “peace system” in the Middle East since the 1970s, which he said “served as a strategic framework for regional stability.” El-Sisi spoke in a televised address commemorating the anniversary of the start of the 1973 war with Israel that led to Egypt reclaiming the Sinai Peninsula, where Sharm el-Sheikh is located. US wants Israeli bombing to stop The U.S. has said Israel’s heavy bombardment of Gaza would need to stop for the hostages to be released. Israel says it’s largely heeding Trump’s call. The Israeli military said it is mostly carrying out defensive strikes to protect troops, though dozens of Palestinians have been killed since the military’s statement Saturday night. Gaza’s Health Ministry said Monday that the bodies of 19 people, including two aid-seekers killed by Israeli strikes and gunfire, had been brought to hospitals over the past 24 hours. Another 96 were wounded. The deaths brought the Palestinian toll to 67,160 since the Hamas attack on Oct. 7, 2023, triggered the war, with nearly 170,000 wounded, the ministry said. The ministry does not differentiate between civilians and combatants, but says more than half of the deaths were women and children. The ministry is part of the Hamas-run government, and the U.N. and many independent experts consider its figures to be the most reliable estimate of wartime casualties. Hamas-led militants abducted 251 people and killed around 1,200, mostly civilians, in the Oct. 7 attack. Most of the largely Israeli hostages have been released in ceasefires or other deals. Meanwhile, families of Israeli hostages petitioned the Nobel Prize Committee to award the Nobel Peace Prize to Trump for what they called his unprecedented contributions to global peace. “At this very moment, President Trump’s comprehensive plan to release all remaining hostages and finally end this terrible war is on the table,” the families wrote. “For the first time in months, we are hopeful that our nightmare will finally be over.” In a commemoration ceremony for Israelis killed at the Nir Oz Kibbutz on Oct. 7, Daniel Lifshitz said the primary focus of talks should be the swift release of all remaining hostages. “Israel will pay painful concessions by releasing mass murderers and terrorists that killed many among our friends and families here in Israel, but we cherish life and in Trump we trust to make it happen,” said Lifshitz, grandson of slain hostage Oded and released hostage Yocheved Lifshitz. ‘Living in fear, war and displacement’ In Gaza, families of Palestinian babies born on the day the war began hoped to celebrate their second birthday with the sound of laughter and cheers instead of the cacophony of bombs and bullets. The babies’ mothers have been repeatedly displaced and live in constant fear for their safety. They also lack access to health care. Amal al-Taweel and her husband, Mostafa, had their son, Ali, after three years of trying for a child. They now live in a tent without proper sanitation, food, vaccinations or toys. “I was envisioning a different life for him … He couldn’t experience what a safe family life feels like,” al-Taweel said. The Vatican marked the second anniversary of the Oct. 7 attacks by condemning the “inhuman massacre” of innocent people in Israel and calling for the return of hostages. But it also said Israel’s razing of Gaza is itself a disproportionate massacre, and called on countries to stop supplying Israel weapons to wage the war. “Those who are attacked have a right to defend themselves, but even legitimate defense must respect the principle of proportionality,” Vatican secretary of state, Cardinal Pietro Parolin, said on the eve of the anniversary. “The perverse chain of hatred can only generate a spiral that leads nowhere good.” Lidman reported from Tel Aviv, Israel, and Shurafa from Deir al-Balah, Gaza Strip. Associated Press Writer Nicole Winfield in Rome contributed to this report.

2 hours ago

Technology

Chicago Police Refute Claims of Failing to Support Federal Authorities

CHICAGO () — The Chicago Police Department is refuting claims that officers were directed to “stand down” during weekend events involving federal immigration enforcement officers, one of which resulted in a woman being shot. The Fraternal Order of Police, a law enforcement advocacy group that has endorsed Donald Trump for the 2024 presidential election, claimed that Chicago police were instructed not to assist Immigration and Customs Enforcement officers who were allegedly “physically threatened” by an agitated group. A National Fraternal Order of Police spokesperson noted that both the FOP and the Chicago branch believe in responding to an officer in need, regardless of circumstances. Contrasting these claims, a Chicago Police Department spokesperson provided a statement affirming that officers did engage in incidents with federal agents, including the shooting scene where a woman was hospitalized following the federal officers’ gunfire. According to a Department of Homeland Security spokesperson, the woman had been threatening federal officers with a semiautomatic weapon inside a vehicle that had trapped federal agents. DHS officials report that the shooting took place on the city’s Southwest Side after U.S. Customs and Border Protection agents were attacked by “domestic terrorists” who used vehicles to ram into federal officers. The woman, injured by “defensive fire” from CBP agents, was driving one of the vehicles and had a semiautomatic weapon, a DHS news release said. Officials said that the woman who was shot by police has a history of “doxxing agents.” The city’s police department said that officers also responded to calls for service involving federal officers who were the victims of two hit-and-run crashes. The crashes were not related to the shooting incident, the city spokesperson said, but in each case, officers responded and documented the incidents. However, in an audio call of communications between Chicago police officers obtained by , the department’s chief of patrol can be heard saying,” Clear everybody up. … We’re not responding over there” in the location where federal agents shot the woman. Seven seconds later, the patrol chief repeats that “we’re not sending anyone over to that location.” Despite the audio of the call, Chicago police officials are denying that officers were told not to respond to the incident. Larry Snelling, Chicago police superintendent, denied that officers were told to stand down. At a news conference on Monday, Snelling defended Chief of Patrol Jon Hein, and said that no such order was given to instruct officers not to respond to the scene. “I would never tell our officers to stand down because if our officers were in trouble and we needed help from other officers, I would expect those officers to step in and help us,” Snelling said. “And that’s the same thing we do on our side. When someone is in trouble, we’re going to step in.” Snelling provided a timeline of events from the weekend shooting, which outlined the response time of Chicago police officers to the scene. He said that city cops remained on scene until the investigation was taken over by a federal law enforcement agency. He said there may have been “miscommunication” and acknowledged that phone conversations may have taken place with dispatchers. However, he called reports that Hein, the chief of patrol, ordered officers to “stand down” as being false. “The Chief of Patrol would never tell anyone to stand down,” Snelling told reporters on Monday. Under Chicago’s so-called “sanctuary city” policies and the Illinois Trust Act, local police are prohibited from cooperating with federal agencies in federal immigration enforcement efforts. However, the department said that it will always protect all individuals from harm while prioritizing public safety and the sanctity of human life. Despite not engaging in federal immigration enforcement efforts, Snelling warned residents and protesters about targeting law enforcement officers and agents. He said when federal officers are boxed in, it is reasonable for believe that they are being ambushed. He said anyone found to target federal agents intentionally by boxing in a federal vehicle is believed to be committing a crime involving deadly force. “We need to be clear about these laws,” Snelling said on Monday, “We cannot become a society where we just decide to take everything into our own hands and start to commit laws against law enforcement. It is a crime.” He added: “I get that there are a lot of emotions out there but that does not mean you get to commit a crime.” However, Ret. Chicago Police Lt. John Garrido called Mayor Brandon Johnson’s “ICE Free Zone” executive order that prohibits ICE from using city property in its operations “absolutely ridiculous.” “If the city would just calm down and just cooperate and coordinate with ICE, you wouldn’t have the situations that we’re having now,” Garrido said. “(ICE) is going to be here. They’re here. They’re not going anywhere, so let’s coordinate efforts to make it safe for everyone.” Garrido said that by officers refusing to respond to assist federal officers over the weekend, the city essentially made the case for the Trump administration to send in National Guard troops. “You basically just handed it to them and said, ‘OK, now we’re able to send in the troops because local law enforcement isn’t able to help,” Garrido said.

2 hours ago

Technology

Jilly Cooper’s Wishes for Her Funeral

I think about death quite a lot. Not in a particularly terrified sort of way, but I do think about it. I faced a significant loss two years ago when my mother, my aunt, and my two beloved dogs passed away around the same time. My mother’s departure was swift and exceptional, which has made me reflect a lot. You start pondering: ‘Why didn’t I express this or that?’ My mother always remarked: ‘I’m not afraid of death, just the journey to it.’ Similarly, novelist Rose Macaulay mused: ‘I’m thinking of departing this summer.’ Conversely, CS Lewis believed that dying felt like being homesick. It was like clawing at the door of the world, yearning to return, which is certainly a distressing notion. I have a vision of my mum in her dressing gown and little corned feet, trying to get back and crying and crying. Personally, I wish to arrive in Heaven where my dogs would run to greet me on a sunlit lawn, accompanied by family members. That’s my ideal picture. I do think Heaven ought to be cleansed of people one doesn’t like very much. Or it wouldn’t be Heaven, would it? I dread the thought of dying in pain. I recently read John Bayley’s memoir about Iris Murdoch – our generation often fears Alzheimer’s. A stroke is also undesirable due to the dependency it imposes. A friend underwent a Caesarean section, during which she was clinically dead, reaching a place filled with beautiful light, joyful people, and an angel. She felt a thrill and a strong desire to enter, but the angel gently stopped her with: ‘Hold on, terribly sorry. You can’t proceed yet; there are people on earth who need you.’ So back she went. She said it was the most wonderful, welcoming feeling. The day I returned from my mother’s funeral, a big, black bird had got stuck in the drawing room. It was bashing against the window and I asked my husband Leo to free it. As he put his hands around it, I thought, that is what death ought to be: a terrifying moment, bashing against the window, then big hands cover you and suddenly you are out of the window into a new life. That’s a good way to go. We always went to church when I was small. My grandfather was a clergyman, a canon, in Yorkshire. I do try and go at Christmas and Easter, and I feel guilty if I don’t. I am going to try to go more. God is one of those things, like reading Dickens, that I’m going to get round to later. My will doesn’t say anything about the funeral. One is arrogant enough to think that the children would be too upset to want a huge party. I’d like a notice in the papers, because it would stop people ringing up and asking if I could open a fete the following week. I know I should be an organ donor. My darling Aunt Gwen wanted to donate all her organs, and we had terrible visions of my poor cousin having to go round all the hospitals in Yorkshire with a carrier bag. When you’re that age, they don’t need all your organs, do they? They could have my legs, as an example of fat Yorkshire thighs. I’ve gone off burial because of this awful survey, which said that about 500 people a year in France climb out of their coffins. Cremation might be easier. I threw my mother’s ashes over a wild flower meadow, burying a few in a small grave with a headstone that had a family crest, a rabbit and her dates. For my own funeral, I think I’d want to look quite tidy, wearing a bra and a trouser suit, because of my legs. And I’d like a photograph of Leo and the children in the coffin. And champagne, chocolates, and a copy of Pope John Paul II’s record. It is hysterical: pop music going in the background, and him saying: ‘Be still my children, do not be frightened.’ It would be a terrific suck-up present to either God or the Devil when I got there. I’d like two priests to conduct the service: Mr Farrow, from the village, who is a darling, and a great friend called Father Damian, of Prinknash Abbey. He is wonderful. He used to be in the record business and would really ginger things up. I’d like Mahler’s Symphony of a Thousand, played by the Bournemouth Symphony Orchestra, the Royal Opera House orchestra and the Royal Scottish National Orchestra – all my pet orchestras that helped with my recent novels. They’ll make a terrific din in the churchyard at Bisley. And I’d like the Lacrimosa from Verdi’s Requiem, and the Good Friday music from Wagner’s Parsifal, with its symbols of rising from the dead. I’d also want the Brideshead Revisited music. For readings, there is a poem by WE Henley, and it says, ‘So be my passing!/My task accomplished and the long day done. /My wages taken, and in my heart,/Some late lark singing.’ That makes me cry. And for all our drinking mates, I’d like So We’ll Go No More a-Roving. And a poem by Christina Rossetti that includes the lines: ‘When I am dead, my dearest,/Sing no sad songs for me.’ Afterwards, there will be a party in our Gloucestershire garden, looking over the valley. My son Felix said he wouldn’t want to share me with millions of people and would rather have a small gathering, which is really very sweet. But a big party could spread over the lawn and all my friends would be there. I suppose people are bound to talk about me. I always do the same thing at funerals: gossip, gossip, gossip, Oh, God, one mustn’t speak ill of the dead, gossip, gossip. One of the nicest funerals I went to had a lot of wolfhounds at the party, and that was a frightfully good idea, because every time somebody got drunk, they could lean against a large dog. I’d like to be buried near our dogs’ graveyard with a slate headstone by Roger Venables, with my dates and an engraving of my best dog, Barbara. ‘Jilly wasn’t quite so silly’ would be a lovely epitaph, but is too trite. There is a wonderful one for the explorer Alexander Laing: ‘Something strong and genial and immensely kind has gone out of this world.’ It would not work for me, because I’m not strong. Schubert’s gravestone shows him arriving in Heaven, looking very surprised, and an angel putting a laurel wreath on his head. In my dreams, I’d like to have an angel putting a wreath on me. But I think it is rather unlikely.

2 hours ago

Technology

“Long Covid Symptom Often Confused with Cold Symptoms”

A common cold symptom could also be a sign of long Covid. Most people recover from coronavirus within a few weeks of the symptoms first appearing. The NHS has cautioned that some individuals may experience more severe illnesses, with symptoms that can linger for an extended duration. Long Covid, or post-COVID syndrome, is usually diagnosed when Covid symptoms persist beyond 12 weeks. The condition’s complete scope is not entirely known, as stated by the NHS, with it being a newly emerging health issue still under investigation. Identifying long Covid can be challenging because the symptoms differ greatly among individuals. Common symptoms of long Covid Long Covid symptoms can be quite varied, and many might confuse these signs with those of a regular cold or flu. For example, symptoms such as a sore throat and runny nose might suggest either a cold or long Covid depending on the duration of the symptoms.

2 hours ago

Politics

Illinois Leaders Celebrated During Hispanic Heritage Month Ceremony

ILLINOIS (WCIA) — State Comptroller Susana Mendoza honored three Illinois community leaders at a ceremony for Hispanic Heritage Month on Monday. The leaders recognized are a Vice President from Richland Community College, the Peoria Police Chief, and a village worker near St. Louis. These honorees highlighted the stress stemming from discrimination faced by many Hispanic individuals and the crucial role of supporting the success of other Hispanic leaders. “To me, Hispanic heritage is a time for both celebration and reflection on our history, our strengths, and our collective responsibility to honor past generations and the values that have shaped our community,” stated Isaac Zúñiga, Executive Vice President of Academics and Student Success at Richland Community College. Mendoza is the first Hispanic woman elected to statewide office in Illinois history.

3 hours ago

Technology

Witness the Emotional Reunion: Reece Walsh and His Ex Connect at the NRL Grand Final After Welcoming a Baby at Age 18

Reece Walsh was joyfully reunited with his former partner Freda Puru in touching moments with their daughter following his pivotal role in the Broncos’ stunning victory in the NRL grand final. Just after the fullback received the Clive Churchill Medal for his standout performance, the ex-couple was seen embracing their daughter Leila in a photo shared by Puru on her Instagram. The Daily Mail had exclusively reported their separation in May 2023, disclosing that Walsh had unfollowed her on social media and removed all their photos together. She still doesn’t feature on his Instagram, but she and Walsh were all smiles after he triumphed in the biggest match of his life. Right before the grand final kicked off, Walsh’s father, Rodney, shared his experience of how Reece revealed the news that he and Puru were expecting a child when he was only 18. Rodney, who also recounted the challenges the NRL star overcame due to his mother’s struggles with drug addiction, remembered how anxious Reece was when he made the announcement. ‘He was a bit worried to tell us he was having a kid,’ Rodney told News Corp. ‘The way I reacted, I was calm. ‘He said, “Far out, Dad, I thought you would be way worse than that.” ‘But I had kids when I was young, too, there’s not a lot you can do about it. ‘But once it’s done, it’s done, you just move on and give her the best life we can.’ Reece Walsh is well-known for doting on Leila, who is a regular at his games and Broncos training sessions. Walsh brought Leila up on stage with him as he accepted his premiership ring after the thrilling 26-22 triumph over the Broncos on Sunday night. He then gently placed the diamond-studded ring on her index finger as they sat surrounded by confetti, absorbing the jubilant atmosphere together. After the match, Walsh said his desire to be tough for his Brisbane ‘brothers’ helped inspire one of the greatest grand final performances in the game’s history. While Walsh spent his time drinking out of toilet bowl-shaped cups and live-streaming Brisbane’s festivities, critics were weighing up where his extraordinary performance ranked among the great grand final efforts by an individual. Nathan Cleary’s famous 2023 performance to sink the Broncos is widely regarded as the finest Clive Churchill Medal effort, with Walsh on the losing end that time. Luke Priddis’ masterclass in 2003, Cooper Cronk’s showing in 2012 and Billy Slater’s blitz in 2017 regularly rank among the other top ones. But while recency bias can be a factor, the likes of Johnathan Thurston, Darren Lockyer and Phil Gould have all ranked Walsh’s effort on Sunday night as No.1. Always known as an electric attacking player, Walsh’s epic 30-metre try when he beat five men was an instant grand final classic in the first half. He also set up three tries, but it was the three try-saving plays he made in the second half that ultimately proved just as vital. ‘I am not known for the tough stuff but I did all of that for them tonight,’ Walsh said. ‘They are my brothers. I play for them and I will do anything for them. I have so much respect for all of them and I will do whatever it takes. ‘I am blessed to be part of the team. ‘As a four-year-old kid all I wanted to do was play for the club. ‘When I think about all the greats, I feel honoured. ‘I feel like this is a bit of redemption for the 2015 and 2023 teams and for every single person that lives and bleeds for this club. We did it for them. ‘It’s been 19 years and we’ve just etched our names in history.’

3 hours ago