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Life expectancy rises, but still trails pre-COVID level

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 10:48:25 GMT

(The Hill) – The average life expectancy for 2022 ticked up from the previous year but still remained below pre-pandemic levels, according to the most recent data published Wednesday by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC).The CDC measures life expectancy as the average number of years a baby born in a certain year could expect to live, taking for granted that death rates hold constant.In 2022, it was 77.5 years, a dramatic 1.1-year increase from the 76.6-year life expectancy in 2021.Still, the change does not fully make up for the loss of 2.4 years of life expectancy from 2019 to 2021, which, the CDC said, “resulted mostly from increases in excess deaths due to the COVID-19 pandemic.”For at least the last two decades, life expectancy rose steadily each year, but declined dramatically from 78.8 years in 2019 to 77 years in 2020, and then to 76.6 years in 2021.“We basically have lost 20 years of gains,” the CDC’s Elizabeth Arias said, the Associated Press reported.Lif...

Could Barton Springs be renamed?

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 10:48:25 GMT

AUSTIN (KXAN) – The Austin Parks and Recreation Board created a Barton Springs Bathhouse working group in July 2023 with two objectives: recommending a new name for the bathhouse and recommending ideas on how to incorporate educational installations on the racial and cultural history of perhaps Austin’s most famous swimming pool. When presenting the potential names for the bathhouse at the board meeting on Monday, the working group discussed how it would frequently come back during the renaming process to whether “Barton” was an appropriate name for the springs. MORE: Things you may not know about historic Barton Springs “I think at some point, all of us started referring to [Barton] spring as ‘The Spring,’” said Pedro Villalobos, Chair of the Parks and Recreation Board. “That's because of the baggage that it carries with it.”“We are recommending based off of William Barton's known ownership of enslaved people – and given the Confederate Monument Resolution passed by City Cou...

Austin awards $3.5M in grants to local musicians

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 10:48:25 GMT

AUSTIN (KXAN) — The City of Austin's Economic Development Department allocated $3.5 million in grant funding to 368 local professional musicians, bands and independent promotors, city officials announced in a Wednesday release. The 2023 Live Music Fund Event Program offered $5,00 and $10,000 grants "to help encourage, promote, improve, and showcase Austin's diverse live music industry," the release said. Community, connections and chords: How Austin maintains its live music reputation Per city officials, half of grant recipients identified as "majority diverse race/ethnicity," while 32% of grantees identified as women or non-binary, per the release. A complete breakdown of grantees is available online.“Through the Live Music Fund Event Program, we stand by our commitment to Austin’s diverse artistic community, celebrating the rhythm of our city’s identity,” said Sylnovia Holt-Rabb, director of the Economic Development Department, in the release. “These grants empower musicians, ba...

Steve Sarkisian builds Longhorns culture into championship contender

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 10:48:25 GMT

AUSTIN (KXAN) - Mired in the throes of a 5-7 season in 2021, Texas football saw some really tough moments. It was the first year for Longhorns Head Coach Steve Sarkisian who has worked since day one to implement a new culture with the Longhorns."It was kind of a struggle because a lot of players weren't all the way bought into it like our team is now," said Longhorns junior tight end Ja'Tavion Sanders about the culture in 2021. "You had 80% of the team bought in. Twenty percent not." Like Texas’ Jonathon Brooks, OKST’s Ollie Gordon II emerged from relative unknown to star in 2023 Now in year three for Sanders and Sarkisian, the team has continued to note how everyone is bought in. And Texas is showing the progress on the field advancing to the Big 12 Championship Game.For the Texas players, they see a different coach. The culture instilled doesn't come without time spent with members of the organization."The interactions I would say is probably the coolest thing," said Longhorns ...

Gophers football: Father of Athan Kaliakmanis speaks out on transfer decision

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 10:48:25 GMT

The father of Athan Kaliakmanis declined to comment to the Pioneer Press on Tuesday about the Gophers quarterback’s decision to enter the NCAA transfer portal.On Wednesday morning, Athan’s father, Alex Kaliakmanis, spoke out — soft of.“Trying very hard not to comment on a program that our family decided to cut ties with,” Alex wrote on X. “But want to set the record straight and will start with this. Competition with a mythical inbound QB was absolutely not a factor in entering the transfer portal.”A source told the Pioneer Press on Monday that head coach P.J. Fleck met with the quarterbacks since the regular season finale loss to Wisconsin and would not commit to a starting quarterback for the 2024 season and shared the program would look for competition via the transfer portal.The Gophers started that pursuit with a scholarship offer to New Hampshire graduate transfer QB Max Brosmer on Monday.Alex Kaliakmanis did not immediately respond to a request for further comment on Wednesda...

The Loop Fantasy Football Report Week 13: Bevy of byes will be unlucky for many

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 10:48:25 GMT

We’ve only got a couple of weeks left in the fantasy football regular season. A very good time to have all your standout players in action. And a very bad time to have the NFL’s biggest bye week.Alas, this week’s slate of games will not include six teams with a slew of vital fantasy performers: the Buffalo Bills, Baltimore Ravens, Las Vegas Raiders, Chicago Bears, New York Giants and, of course, your Minnesota Vikings.We feel your pain, as nearly half of The Loop’s regular starters will be watching Red Zone along with us on Sunday. To help you out, we’ll break down the five main position groups, list the Sunday casualties and then offer some waiver-wire options you might be able to call on to save your postseason prospects.>> Quarterbacks – Bye bye Josh Allen, Lamar Jackson, Josh Fields and Joshua Dobbs.Options: Steelers’ Kenny Pickett, Colts’ Gardner MInshew and Buccaneers’ Baker Mayfield.CINCINNATI, OHIO – NOVEMBER 26: Kenny Pickett #8 of the Pittsburgh Steelers runs w...

Ways to prevent package thefts this holiday season

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 10:48:25 GMT

ALBANY, N.Y. (NEWS10) -- With many people taking advantage of online sales around the holidays, including on Black Friday and Cyber Monday, the Albany Police Department is warning of increased risks of package thefts. In addition to Albany County, package thieves, also known as porch pirates, have been an issue across the Capital Region in recent years. Get the latest news, weather, sports and entertainment delivered right to your inbox! According to statistics by Capital One Shopping, around one in every four people in New York lose at least one package to theft per year. To prevent package thefts, the Albany Police Department recommends online shoppers follow these tips: Schedule your delivery - Make sure that you are home when your package arrives. If you can't be home at the time of the delivery, connect with a neighbor and see if they can hold onto the package for you.Send the package to an alternate location - Have your package sent to a neighbor's home or someone you trust ...

Cahokia Heights Police search for 'persons of interest' in Thanksgiving homicide

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 10:48:25 GMT

CAHOKIA, Ill. --Police are searching for two persons of interest in a Thanksgiving homicide. They are looking for Scorian Cortez Johnson Jr., 21, of Granite City, Illinois and Michael T. Hunter, 20, of Belleville, Illinois. They are considered armed and dangerous.Police were called to the 300 block of Adele Street on November 23 at around 4 p.m. They found two teens with gunshot wounds inside a stolen black sedan.One of the victims, showing signs of life, was taken to a hospital. He died later from his injuries.Police attempted to find a suspect using police dogs but were unable to find anyone in the area. The Illinois State Police are also assisting with the investigation.Anyone with information about their location should call Cahokia Heights Police at 618-825-2681

14th Street in downtown Denver to close Thursday to Sunday during Israel conference, Parade of Lights

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 10:48:25 GMT

A portion of 14th Street in downtown will close starting Thursday through Sunday evening for several large events, the Denver Police Department reported.The street will close from Stout Street to Welton Street in front of the Colorado Convention Center at 6 a.m. Thursday and will reopen about 8 p.m. Sunday.The days of the closure coincide with the Global Conference for Israel, expected to attract around 2,500 people to downtown Denver.A pro-Palestinian group called for activists to “shut down” the conference, a four-day gathering in Denver of prominent Jewish leaders and supporters of Israel at which Gov. Jared Polis is expected to speak.The annual conference has become the latest focal point of local reaction to Israel’s war in the Gaza Strip, which it launched in response to Hamas’ deadly Oct. 7 terrorist attack on Israeli soil. The conference, organized by the Jewish National Fund-USA, is set to begin Thursday and last until Sunday.It is the 22nd annual gathering, according to Sa...

Nearly 100K gallons of sewage spills; Orange County beach closed

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 10:48:25 GMT

A stretch of the Orange County coast has been closed due after tens of thousands of gallons of sewage was spilled in Laguna Beach.The Orange County Health Care Agency closed the coastal area from Laguna Avenue to Blue Lagoon in Laguna Beach, officials announced Wednesday morning."The spill volume is an estimated total of 94,500 gallons, and was caused by a break in a force main sewer line in Laguna Beach," the agency said in a news release.The water is closed to swimming and water-contact sports until water monitoring meets "acceptable standards," officials said.For information regarding Orange County ocean, bay or harbor postings and closures, call 714-433-6400 or visit OCBeachInfo.com. To report a sewage spill, call 714-433-6419.