The News

 Urinary tract infections, or UTIs, are on the rise—and they may be becoming more dangerous. The overall disease burden associated with UTIs has increased by more than 68 percent between 1990 and 2019. At the same time, the bacteria that cause UTIs have developed resistance to common drugs.

Usually, UTIs are thought of as more of a painful nuisance rather than dangerous or fatal. But for an elderly patient or someone with multiple medical conditions, the antibiotics that fight the infection can be essential. Failing to get these antibiotics contributes to the deaths of hundreds of thousands of people every year globally. Even when they aren't deadly, the more than 400 million annual worldwide UTI cases significantly strain limited medical resources. 

"We know UTIs are a tremendous cause of morbidity and even mortality, but they are also a huge burden on the U.S. healthcare system—contributing to well over $2 billion annually in healthcare costs," says Michelle Van Kuiken, a urologist and a urogynecologist at the University of California, San Francisco.

Working to ease this burden, scientists have been seeking to identify and understand lesser-known contributing factors. One culprit may come as a surprise: meat contaminated by Escherichia coli bacteria. 

What are UTIs and how dangerous are they?  

UTIs can start in any part of the urinary system and can affect the kidneys, bloodstream, and uterus, but they most commonly infect the bladder "with symptoms of urinary frequency, urgency to urinate (sometimes despite having an empty bladder), and burning during urination," says Craig Comiter, a urologist at Stanford University. Cramping, fever, malodor, and blood in the urine can also be signs of a bladder infection.  

UTIs occur when bacteria enter the urethra and infect the urinary tract—something that can occur during sexual activity, because of a genetic predisposition, or due to poor hygiene practices such as not wiping properly.  

UTIs are the most common infection treated outside of hospitals in the United States, affecting some 50-60 percent of women during their lifetime. Roughly a quarter of women also report repeat infections within six months.

While UTIs can happen to anyone, they are about 30 times more common in women because females have shorter urethras that are closer in proximity to the anus—a common source of bacteria. Broken down, "the groups at most risk for infections are sexually active women, elderly women, and immunosuppressed men and women," says Comiter. 

When UTIs only affect the bladder, they aren't considered dangerous and usually resolve without treatment—though antibiotics are frequently prescribed to speed the healing process up from weeks to days. When these infections spread to the kidneys, bloodstream, or to different areas of the reproductive system, however, they can lead to serious complications such as blood poisoning, sepsis, kidney damage, or kidney failure. 

When left untreated, "a very small percentage of these cases can even be life-threatening," explains Jacob Lazarus, an infectious disease physician at Massachusetts General Hospital and a bacterial cell biologist at Harvard Medical School. 

Why are the number of UTIs increasing?

The increasing number of UTI cases are due to several factors, one of which is a burgeoning population. "As the population increases, we expect more UTIs and more [of the disease burden associated with] UTIs because there are more people," says Lazarus.

On top of that, some of the conditions associated with UTIs, such as kidney stones and type 2 diabetes, are also on the rise. And a high number of teens and adults are sexually active. "In otherwise healthy women, sexual activity is the number one contributor to developing a UTI," says Van Kuiken.  

The global population is also getting older. "Because UTIs are more common in seniors, their prevalence is increasing as the population ages," says Comiter.  

SOURCE 

 A former Stoughton, Massachusetts, police detective has been federally indicted in the death of Sandra Birchmore, accused of killing her and then staging her apartment to make it appear she had committed suicide.

Matthew Farwell, 38, of North Easton, is accused of having a sexual relationship with Birchmore from the time she was 15 years old until she was 23, killing her sometime after she told him she was pregnant with his child. Federal prosecutors say he did so to prevent her from revealing their relationship and his alleged crimes tied to it.

"Sandra Birchmore survived years of grooming, statutory rape and then sexual violence, all at the hands of Matthew Farwell, who was employed throughout the relationship as an officer and then detective for the Stoughton Police Department," acting U.S. Attorney Joshua Levy said at a news conference on Wednesday.

Stoughton police, the Norfolk District Attorney's Office and the Massachusetts Attorney General's Office all released statements on the indictment soon after its release Wednesday — Stoughton Police Chief Donna McNamara called the allegations "a horrific injustice," while a spokesman for District Attorney Michael Morrissey said the office looks "forward to supporting and assisting Federal authorities as they pursue this prosecution." Attorney General Andrea Joy Campbell called Farwell's alleged actions "malicious, predatory, and horrific." Read their full statements below.

Birchmore, who was three months pregnant, was found dead at her apartment in Canton in 2021. While her death was originally ruled a suicide, according to the Boston Globe, a pathologist hired by her family found Birchmore's death was in fact a homicide. According to the U.S. Attorney's Office, the federal investigation reexamined old evidence and discovered "critical new evidence" that led to the indictment.

Levy declined to comment on why federal investigators originally became involved in the case, but said Wednesday they have been looking into it for around a year.

According to court documents, Birchmore became pregnant and around December 2020 told Farwell he was the father of her child. In January 2021, someone allegedly called the Stoughton Police Department to report that Farwell had been having sex with Birchmore.

Birchmore, according to Levy, was reportedly excited about the pregnancy. In fact, according to the FBI, just days before her death Birchmore was making phone calls inquiring about a newborn photoshoot and baby clothes.

Meanwhile, Levy said, Farwell reacted negatively. He spent years grooming Birchmore and this series of events had him "losing control," "losing patience", and "losing his temper."

In February 2021, Farwell strangled Birchmore to death and then staged her apartment to make the death look like a suicide, the indictment states. He is accused of killing Birchmore "with malice aforethought, willfully, deliberately maliciously and with premeditation, and with the intent to prevent the communication by any person to law enforcement officer of information relating to the commission or possible commission of a federal offense." The official charge is one count of killing a witness or victim, and one count of wire fraud. If convicted, Farwell faces a minimum of life in prison.

Prosecutors also allege that before her death, Farwell told Birchmore to delete evidence that he had sex with her before her 16th birthday. After her death, he researched how to delete data from his own phone, court documents state. He is also accused of lying to the Massachusetts State Police investigators who initially handled the case.

"Let me be clear, Matthew Farwell's gun and badge did not grant him the authority to ignore the Constitution, and they certainly did not entitle him to sexually abuse and rape a child before killing her and her unborn baby in an attempt to cover up his alleged crimes," said Stephen Kelleher, assistant special agent in charge of FBI Boston.

Levy said his office and the FBI will share the results of their investigation with the Norfolk County District Attorney's Office and the other relevant state agencies so they can determine if state charges will be filed.

SOURCE 

 South Korean singer Taeil has quit the boy band NCT after being accused of sexual crime, his record label announced on Wednesday. The allegations were first communicated to the authorities in June, and Taeil’s departure from the band was announced on August 28 in a statement shared by SM Entertainment. According to Soompi, the label said that Taeil had mutually agreed to depart the bad after being “accused in a criminal case related to a sexual crime”.

The label also apologised for Taeil’s alleged actions, although the singer hasn’t yet commented on the matter. “We have recently learned that Taeil has been accused in a criminal case related to a sexual offense,” the label’s statement read. “As we were assessing the facts related to the matter, we recognized the severity of the situation and determined that Taeil can no longer continue his activities with the team (NCT). After discussing with Taeil, we have decided on his departure from the group. Taeil is currently cooperating fully with the police investigation. We will provide further statements as the investigation progresses. We deeply apologize for the concern and distress caused by our artist.”

NCT, or Neo Culture Technology, debuted in 2016 and has several sub-groups under the larger umbrella. Taeil was a part of NCT 127; other groups are called NCT Dream, and NCT Wish. According to reports, Taeil’s NCT band mates have unfollowed him on social media following the allegations; some have deleted pictures of him from their timelines. Fans have also expressed their anger by destroying photos of the singer, and abandoning him on social media.

SM Entertainment was forced to address a sex scandal involving NCT members Johnny and Haechan earlier this year. In recent times, several reports of sexual misconduct have emerged out of Korea’s hugely influential idol culture. A chatroom expose in 2019 affected scores of celebrities, and went on to be known as the landmark Burning Sun scandal, which shed light on incidents of rape and sex trafficking.

SOURCE 

 Pixar exploded onto the movie scene in 1995, thanks to Toy Story, which was the company’s first feature-length film, and something that revolutionized animation forever. It was a technological marvel, establishing that entire films could be computer animation. The unbelievably good Toy Story 2 ensured Pixar ended the 1990s on a high, and then the company began the 2010s in a triumphant way, thanks to the long-awaited Toy Story 3.

As for what happened between 1999 and 2010? Well, Pixar kept its creative streak going throughout. It got to the point where arguably no other animation studio making feature films has ever had as strong a decade as Pixar had in the 2000s. The following seven films should hopefully prove this, with the company’s worst film of the decade still being relatively well-received, and the other six pretty much being untouchable animation classics.

So, for all the positivity about Pixar’s 2000s output, it is clear that one film stands out as being comparatively weak: Cars. It comes smack in the middle of the company’s 2000s movies; the fourth of seven. Still, it did little to trip up or weaken the hot streak overall, mainly because it’s far from a terrible movie, and also because Pixar put out three absolute bangers in 2007, 2008, and 2009, all of which overshadow Cars, critically speaking.

But as for this 2006 movie? It takes place in a world ruled by cars, and follows a race car getting stranded in a small town on his way to compete in what he thinks is a very important race. There’s a message here, some car-related comedy, and typically high-quality animation, as one would expect from Pixar. Some of its characters are annoying, it’s not ideally paced, and it doesn’t hit too hard emotionally, but it is a more-than-solid family film, albeit one that might appeal more to kids than adults (whereas with better Pixar films, younger and older viewers are likely to enjoy them equally).

 T. CLAIR SHORES, Mich. (WXYZ) — Marguerite Johnston saw Tuesday's storm roll through Grosse Pointe, saying it knocked out power and brought down power lines like the one sparking on the ground right outside her door.

"I was coming down this street and all of a sudden, kaboom! A light flashing — it was a transformer over there,” Johnston said.

DTE Energy is warning of the danger, saying they have reports of 1,000 downed lines. They are urging people to stay at least 25 feet away, adding kids and pets especially should stay indoors.

“We cannot stress enough the hazards that can be created by the wire downs that this storm has generated,” said Brian Calka, DTE Energy vice president of distribution operations. "Power lines are not always arcing and sparking and making a lot of noise. Power lines that are really just sitting there quiet are equally as dangerous as those that are presenting themselves as such.”

The storm also knocked out power to 200,000 customers, causing damage all over metro Detroit including in St. Clair Shores.

It sounded like a lightning strike but no lightning hit," said Evan Couto, who was in his living room when the tree went down. "It just blew over in the wind. I heard a loud thud and came out to this... It don't hit any houses. Neighbor had a car in the driveway, missed that by a couple inches.”

DTE says they have thousands of crews out working to restore power and 800 more coming in to help from around the Midwest. Many will arrive late Tuesday night or early Wednesday morning.

WATCH LIVE HERE

 BIRMINGHAM, Ala. (TND) — A high school quarterback from Alabama has died after suffering a brain injury during a Friday night football game.

Caden Tellier, a junior at Morgan Academy, suffered a brain injury during a game against Southern Academy in Selma and was flown to the University of Alabama at Birmingham hospital, headmaster Bryan Oliver told AI.com.

Alabama Independent School Association (AISA) wrote about the incident on Facebook and said they "fully support" the school's decision to suspend all school activities for the week.

"We fully support Morgan Academy's decision to suspend all school activities this week, giving their community time to come together, reflect, and support one another through this heartbreaking time."

The school announced his death Saturday night with an in-memoriam post on social media.

"It is with a heavy heart that I must inform you that Caden Tellier has gone to be with his Lord and Savior," Oliver wrote in a statement. "Caden loved the Lord with all his heart and was a shining light every day he graced the halls of Morgan Academy. He was a student, a friend, and athlete and most important Christ follower."

A GoFundMe shared by the school has raised nearly $76,000 to help cover medical, life flight, and funeral expenses as well as time out of work.

The organizer of the fundraiser, Kristen Jones, shared that Caden was an organ donor.

 Though it’s tough to believe, Labor Day is right around the corner. A long weekend calls for rest, relaxation, and, of course, shopping. If there’s one thing I can count on it’s that Amazon will always release hundreds of jaw-dropping holiday deals—and Labor Day weekend 2024 is no exception. Lucky for you, you don’t have to wait until the end of the month to score epic discounts; the retailer just dropped early LDW sales up to 90 percent off (yes, 90). 

Below, browse through the 50 best markdowns worth snagging ASAP. You’ll find closet must-haves including Coach bags, Levi's jeans, Adidas sneakers, and Calvin Klein bras. In the beauty department, check out K-Beauty skin care and the secret to silky smooth hair. If you act quickly, you can even get your hands on home and tech deals such as Apple devices and Dyson cleaning gadgets. The best part? Prices start at just $8.        

Best Amazon Early Labor Day Deals Overall 

• Coach Eve Shoulder Bag, $237 (Originally $395)
• Apple Airpods Max Wireless Headphones, $429 (Originally $549)
• Levi's 720 High-Rise Super Skinny Jeans, $21 (Originally $70) 
• Crest 3D Whitestrips, $45 (Originally $60)
• Yankee Candle Large Pink Sands Candle, $17 (Originally $31)
• Adidas 70s Running Sneakers, $46 (Originally $70)
• Cosrx Snail Mucin Power Repairing Essence Serum, $15 (Originally $25)
• Warner's Easy Does It Wireless Bra, $21 (Originally $42)
• Trendy Queen Oversized Fleece Pullover, $24 with coupon (Originally $53) 
• Shark IX141 Cordless Stick Vacuum, $200 (Originally $260)

Coach Eve Shoulder Bag

Considering the early holiday sale selection is nothing short of overwhelming, I narrowed down the top 10 finds to kickstart your shopping spree. Above, check out butt-lifting Levi’s jeans for up to 70 percent off. Plus, snag the perfect everyday Coach shoulder bag, along with a comfy wireless bra and fall-perfect fleece hoodie. Don’t miss the viral Cosrx snail mucin serum or impressively discounted Crest teeth whitening strips. Plus, grab Apple Airpods Max Headphones and a Shark vacuum while they’re both on sale.           

Levi's 94 Baggy Wide-Leg Jeans

Best Labor Day Fashion Deals

Now that you’ve started your holiday weekend haul, peruse Amazon’s fashion department for reliable picks like the Hanes Perfect T-Shirt while it’s under $10. You can also score discounted Levi’s denim including these 55-percent-off mom jeans and a stylish wide-leg pair. As for intimates, don’t skip the Calvin Klein Modern Bralette and now-$22 Running Girl sports bra—both of which deliver an oh-so-comfy feel without skimping on support. When it comes to shoes, grab these autumn-ready clogs from Sarah Jessica Parker-worn brand Dr. Scholl's. And for a little arm candy, shop this chic Anne Klein watch on sale.

• Coach Tabby Shoulder Bag, $450  
• Calvin Klein Modern Bralette, $21 (Originally $30) 
• Hanes Perfect T-Shirt, $9 (Originally $12) 
• Levi's Baggy Wide-Leg Jeans, $56 (Originally $80) 
• Anrabess Knit Lounge Two-Piece, $30 with coupon (Originally $43)
• Dr. Scholl's Louis Iconic Clog Mules, $39 (Originally $85)  
• Anrabess Oversized Sweatshirt, $20 with coupon (Originally $44)
• Running Girl Criss-Cross Sports Bra, $22 (Originally $23)
• Levi's Baggy Jeans, $36 (Originally $80)
• Anne Klein Leather Strap Watch, $21 (Originally $65)  

Anua Heartleaf Pore Control Cleansing Oil

Best Labor Day Beauty Deals

Fall is on the horizon and now is the perfect time to revamp your beauty regimen. Shop a nourishing Eos shea butter body lotion to maintain baby-smooth skin amid impending low temperatures. As for your face, grab the rich under-$20 CeraVe night cream and wrinkle-smoothing SimplyVital retinol moisturizer. Plus, stock up on Korean beauty favorites such as a Beauty of Joseon eye serum and Anua cleansing oil. To elevate your hair care lineup, shop the luxe Olaplex No. 5 conditioner, a hydrating hair mask, and the hack for keeping flyaways at bay.   

• SimplyVital Retinol and Collagen Cream, $23 (Originally $40)
• CeraVe Skin Renewing Night Cream, $18 (Originally $22)  
• Anua Heartleaf Pore Control Cleansing Oil, $18 (Originally $20)
• Samnyte Hair Wax Stick, $8 with coupon (Originally $10) 
• Beauty of Joseon Revive Eye Serum, $11 (Originally $17) 
• Anua Niacinamide Serum, $17 (Originally $24)
• Olaplex No. 5 Bond Maintenance Conditioner, $21 with coupon (Originally $30)
• Eos Shea Better Vanilla Cashmere Body Lotion, $9 (Originally $11)
• Maybelline Lash Sensational Sky High Mascara, $10 (Originally $13)
• Arvazallia Hydrating Argan Oil Hair Mask, $13 (Originally $17) 

Apple AirTag 4-Pack

Best Labor Day Tech Deals

Amazon’s tech section is brimming with popular electronics from brands you know and love. Score Apple devices including under-$100 second generation Airpods and discounted Airpods Pro. Plus, grab a majorly marked down MacBook Air, and $100-off Apple Watch. If you have a trip on your calendar, you’ll need to stock up on $25 Apple AirTags to keep watch of your valuables; act quickly and you can score this four-pack for $80 (a.k.a. just $20 apiece!). Beyond Apple sales, snag Govee smart lights, a Roku outdoor camera, and a Marshall portable speaker, starting at $25.      

• Apple Airpods (2nd Generation), $90 (Originally $129)
• Apple Airpods Pro (2nd Generation), $190 (Originally $249) 
• Apple MacBook Air 13-Inch Laptop, $849 (Originally $1,099)  
• Apple Watch Series 9, $329 (Originally $429)
• Apple AirTag 4-Pack, $80 (Originally $99)  
• Apple AirTag, $25 (Originally $29)
• Amazon Fire TV Stick, $25 (Originally $40) 
• Roku Outdoor Camera, $50 (Originally $60)
• Govee Smart Light Bulbs, $25 with coupon (Originally $35)
• Marshall Emberton Portable Bluetooth Speaker, $120 (Originally $170)

Ninja Air Fryer Pro

Best Labor Day Home Deals

Looking to transform your space for the upcoming season? Check out Amazon’s home sales, which include this handy spin scrubber that’s a whopping 90 percent off. Speaking of finds to keep your home spiffy, a Dyson air purifier and Bissell vacuum are both wildly discounted ahead of fall. To embrace the autumnal season, you’ll want to grab this salted caramel-scented Yankee Candle that’s sure to deliver extra cozy vibes. For your kitchen, shop the game-changing Ninja Air Fryer Pro and viral Creami ice cream maker, along with the Dash mini waffle maker that will transform the way you do breakfast. 

• Yankee Candle Large Salted Caramel Candle, $17 (Originally $31) 
• Dyson Hot and Cool Air Purifier, $429 (Originally $530)
• Ninja Air Fryer Pro, $90 (Originally $120)
• Nbonebs Electric Spin Scrubber, $40 (Originally $400)
• Bedsure Ultra Soft Faux Fur Throw Blanket, $26 (Originally $31) 
• Songmics Home Area Rug, $24 (Originally $39)
• Ninja Creami Ice Cream Maker, $195 (Originally $230) 
• Dash Mini Waffle Maker, $30 (Originally $35)
• Bissell CleanView Vacuum, $50 (Originally $60)
• Levoit Core Air Purifier, $186 (Originally $220)

Apple Airpods Wireless Headphones

CeraVe Skin Renewing Night Cream

Dr. Scholl's Louis Iconic Clog Mule

Calvin Klein Modern Bralette