Showing posts tagged United States
Winter storm slams central US NBC News: A winter storm has pummeled the central U.S. More than 11 inches of snow have fallen on the ground in Wichita, Kansas, the most in 26 years - and it’s still snowing. The Weather Channel says snow totals will be formidable. Meanwhile, Kansas and Missouri have declared states of emergency. Follow storm updates on BreakingNews.com. Photo: Stalled vehicles are seen during a blizzard as traffic backs up on a major thoroughfare in Overland Park, Kansas, on Feb. 21. (Dave Kaup / Reuters) View high resolution

Winter storm slams central US

NBC News: A winter storm has pummeled the central U.S. More than 11 inches of snow have fallen on the ground in Wichita, Kansas, the most in 26 years - and it’s still snowing. The Weather Channel says snow totals will be formidable. Meanwhile, Kansas and Missouri have declared states of emergency.

Follow storm updates on BreakingNews.com.

Photo: Stalled vehicles are seen during a blizzard as traffic backs up on a major thoroughfare in Overland Park, Kansas, on Feb. 21. (Dave Kaup / Reuters)

US Postal Service to cut Saturday mail delivery JUST IN: The U.S. Postal Service is expected to announce later today that it will stop delivering mail on Saturdays but continue to deliver packages six days a week, The Associated Press reports.The plan is aimed at saving about $2 billion. Photo: U.S. Postal Service letter carrier Anthony Ow places letters in a mailbox as he walks his delivery route on July 30, 2009, in San Francisco, California. (Getty Images North America)

US Postal Service to cut Saturday mail delivery

JUST IN: The U.S. Postal Service is expected to announce later today that it will stop delivering mail on Saturdays but continue to deliver packages six days a week, The Associated Press reports.

The plan is aimed at saving about $2 billion.

Photo: U.S. Postal Service letter carrier Anthony Ow places letters in a mailbox as he walks his delivery route on July 30, 2009, in San Francisco, California. (Getty Images North America)

US rescinds military ban on women serving in combat U.S. Secretary of Defense Leon Panetta and Joint Chiefs of Staff Chairman Martin Dempsey formally signed a memo today to rescind a 1994 military ban on women serving in combat.“It’s clear to all of us that women are contributing in unprecedented ways to the military,” Panetta said. “If members of our military can meet the qualifications for the job, then they should have the right to serve regardless of creed or color or gender or sexual orientation.”More on Panetta and Dempsey’s remarks from BreakingNews.com.Photo: Sergeant Crystal Groves, a U.S. Marine, stands in formation during a ceremony for the 235th birthday of the Marines on Nov. 10, 2010, at Camp Delaram in Helmand province, Afghanistan. (Paula Bronstein / Getty Images)

US rescinds military ban on women serving in combat

U.S. Secretary of Defense Leon Panetta and Joint Chiefs of Staff Chairman Martin Dempsey formally signed a memo today to rescind a 1994 military ban on women serving in combat.

“It’s clear to all of us that women are contributing in unprecedented ways to the military,” Panetta said. “If members of our military can meet the qualifications for the job, then they should have the right to serve regardless of creed or color or gender or sexual orientation.”

More on Panetta and Dempsey’s remarks from BreakingNews.com.

Photo: Sergeant Crystal Groves, a U.S. Marine, stands in formation during a ceremony for the 235th birthday of the Marines on Nov. 10, 2010, at Camp Delaram in Helmand province, Afghanistan. (Paula Bronstein / Getty Images)

Flu season getting worse across US; 29 children killed so far The flu season is getting worse across the United States with 48 states reporting widespread geographic influenza activity, the Centers for Disease Control said in its weekly report. The season is hitting the elderly the hardest, but 29 children have also died so far. More than 5,000 people have been sick enough to be hospitalized, NBC News reports.More on the 2012-2013 US flu season on BreakingNews.com.Photo: Phamacist Prakash Deshpande injects Judith Echevarria with influenza vaccine at a Manhattan pharmacy. (Mario Tama/Getty Images)

Flu season getting worse across US; 29 children killed so far

The flu season is getting worse across the United States with 48 states reporting widespread geographic influenza activity, the Centers for Disease Control said in its weekly report.

The season is hitting the elderly the hardest, but 29 children have also died so far. More than 5,000 people have been sick enough to be hospitalized, NBC News reports.

More on the 2012-2013 US flu season on BreakingNews.com.

Photo: Phamacist Prakash Deshpande injects Judith Echevarria with influenza vaccine at a Manhattan pharmacy. (Mario Tama/Getty Images)

Obama unveils gun proposals, says ‘we are responsible for each other’ Saying “the only way we’ll change is if the American people demand it,” President Obama has announced a $500 million program of executive actions and legislative proposals to curb gun violence following the school shooting in Newtown, Connecticut. NBC News reports some of the main legislative proposals backed by Obama and Vice President Joe Biden are: requiring criminal background checks on all gun sales, including private sales    banning “military-style” assault weapons    limiting ammunition magazines to 10 rounds      strengthening penalties for gun trafficking The president also laid out a series of 23 executive actions - free from a Congressional blockade — intended to strengthen existing laws, augment mental health measures and promote federal research on gun crime through the Centers for Disease Control. Read more on BreakingNews.com.Photo: President Barack Obama speaks about proposals to reduce gun violence as Vice President Joe Biden watches on Jan. 16, 2013. (Mandel Ngan / AFP - Getty Images)

Obama unveils gun proposals, says ‘we are responsible for each other’

Saying “the only way we’ll change is if the American people demand it,” President Obama has announced a $500 million program of executive actions and legislative proposals to curb gun violence following the school shooting in Newtown, Connecticut.

NBC News reports some of the main legislative proposals backed by Obama and Vice President Joe Biden are:

  • requiring criminal background checks on all gun sales, including private sales   
  • banning “military-style” assault weapons   
  • limiting ammunition magazines to 10 rounds     
  • strengthening penalties for gun trafficking

The president also laid out a series of 23 executive actions - free from a Congressional blockade — intended to strengthen existing laws, augment mental health measures and promote federal research on gun crime through the Centers for Disease Control.

Read more on BreakingNews.com.

Photo: President Barack Obama speaks about proposals to reduce gun violence as Vice President Joe Biden watches on Jan. 16, 2013. (Mandel Ngan / AFP - Getty Images)

ER visits tied to energy drinks doubles since 2007, survey finds AP: A new government survey suggests the number of people seeking emergency treatment after consuming energy drinks has doubled nationwide during the past four years, the same period in which the supercharged drink industry has surged in popularity in convenience stores, bars and on college campuses. From 2007 to 2011, the government estimates the number of emergency room visits involving the neon-labeled beverages shot up from about 10,000 to more than 20,000. Most of those cases involved teens or young adults, according to a survey of the nation’s hospitals released late last week by the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration. Photo: Reza Estakhrian / Getty Images stock via NBCNews.com

ER visits tied to energy drinks doubles since 2007, survey finds

AP: A new government survey suggests the number of people seeking emergency treatment after consuming energy drinks has doubled nationwide during the past four years, the same period in which the supercharged drink industry has surged in popularity in convenience stores, bars and on college campuses.

From 2007 to 2011, the government estimates the number of emergency room visits involving the neon-labeled beverages shot up from about 10,000 to more than 20,000. Most of those cases involved teens or young adults, according to a survey of the nation’s hospitals released late last week by the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration.

Photo: Reza Estakhrian / Getty Images stock via NBCNews.com

CDC: Flu spreads to 47 US states, but may be starting to wane Flu activity remains high across the US, but there are signs this year’s bad season may be waning in some areas, NBC News reports.Forty-seven states reported widespread flu activity as of the week ending Jan. 5, up from 41 the previous week. Twenty-four states and New York City reported high levels of flu, but that was down from 29 states the week before, according to new data released by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.Photo: Russell Waddley of Miami receives a flu shot in early December from Alina Pastoriza Garcia at a CVS pharmacy’s MinuteClinic. (Joe Raedle / Getty Images file)

CDC: Flu spreads to 47 US states, but may be starting to wane

Flu activity remains high across the US, but there are signs this year’s bad season may be waning in some areas, NBC News reports.

Forty-seven states reported widespread flu activity as of the week ending Jan. 5, up from 41 the previous week. Twenty-four states and New York City reported high levels of flu, but that was down from 29 states the week before, according to new data released by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.

Photo: Russell Waddley of Miami receives a flu shot in early December from Alina Pastoriza Garcia at a CVS pharmacy’s MinuteClinic. (Joe Raedle / Getty Images file)

NOAA: 2012 was warmest year ever for US NBC News: 2012 was the warmest year on record in the contiguous United States, according to scientists with The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration.The average temperature for 2012 was 55.3 degrees Fahrenheit, 3.2 degrees above normal and a full degree higher than the previous warmest year recorded — 1998 — NOAA said in its report. It was also a historic year for “extreme” weather, scientists with the federal agency said. With 11 disasters that surpassed $1 billion in losses, including Superstorm Sandy, Hurricane Isaac, and tornadoes across the Great Plains, Texas, and the Southeast and Ohio Valley, NOAA said 2012 was second only to 1998 in the agency’s “extreme” weather index.Photo: People crowd the beach at Coney Island in Brooklyn, N.Y., on June 30, 2012. (Eric Thayer / Reuters)

NOAA: 2012 was warmest year ever for US

NBC News: 2012 was the warmest year on record in the contiguous United States, according to scientists with The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration.

The average temperature for 2012 was 55.3 degrees Fahrenheit, 3.2 degrees above normal and a full degree higher than the previous warmest year recorded — 1998 — NOAA said in its report.

It was also a historic year for “extreme” weather, scientists with the federal agency said. With 11 disasters that surpassed $1 billion in losses, including Superstorm Sandy, Hurricane Isaac, and tornadoes across the Great Plains, Texas, and the Southeast and Ohio Valley, NOAA said 2012 was second only to 1998 in the agency’s “extreme” weather index.

Photo: People crowd the beach at Coney Island in Brooklyn, N.Y., on June 30, 2012. (Eric Thayer / Reuters)

Putin says he will sign anti-US adoptions bill

AP: Russian President Vladimir Putin says he ‘doesn’t see any reasons’ against a bill banning Americans from adopting Russian children and that he ‘intends to sign it’ into law.

The Russian parliament voted for the bill, which is part of a larger measure retaliating against a US law calling for sanctions against Russians deemed guilty of human rights violations.

BREAKING: US economy adds 146,000 jobs in NovemberThe U.S. economy added a solid 146,000 jobs in November and the unemployment rate fell to 7.7 percent, the lowest since December 2008. The government said Superstorm Sandy had only a minimal effect on the figures.AP reports: Hiring remained steady during the storm and in the face of looming tax increases. But the government said employers added 49,000 fewer jobs in October and September than initially estimated. And the unemployment rate fell from 7.9 percent in October mostly because more people stopped looking for work and weren’t counted as unemployed. Photo: A man walks past destroyed homes on the Rockaway Peninsula in the Queens borough of New York on Nov. 27, 2012. (Seth Wenig/AP Photo) View high resolution

BREAKING: US economy adds 146,000 jobs in November

The U.S. economy added a solid 146,000 jobs in November and the unemployment rate fell to 7.7 percent, the lowest since December 2008. The government said Superstorm Sandy had only a minimal effect on the figures.

AP reports:

Hiring remained steady during the storm and in the face of looming tax increases. But the government said employers added 49,000 fewer jobs in October and September than initially estimated. And the unemployment rate fell from 7.9 percent in October mostly because more people stopped looking for work and weren’t counted as unemployed.

Photo: A man walks past destroyed homes on the Rockaway Peninsula in the Queens borough of New York on Nov. 27, 2012. (Seth Wenig/AP Photo)

US unemployment rate falls to 8.1% in August U.S. employers added 96,000 jobs in August. The unemployment rate fell to 8.1%, from 8.3%, but only because more people gave up looking for work, The Associated Press reports.Photo: Job seekers fill out applications during the 11th annual Skid Row Career Fair in Los Angeles, California, on May 31, 2012. (David Mcnew / Reuters)

US unemployment rate falls to 8.1% in August

U.S. employers added 96,000 jobs in August. The unemployment rate fell to 8.1%, from 8.3%, but only because more people gave up looking for work, The Associated Press reports.

Photo: Job seekers fill out applications during the 11th annual Skid Row Career Fair in Los Angeles, California, on May 31, 2012. (David Mcnew / Reuters)

West Nile cases in US jump 25% over last week The number of cases of West Nile virus reported in the U.S. rose 25% in the latest week. The number of deaths from the mosquito-borne disease jumped 32%, health officials say. Reuters reports: The 1,993 cases reported so far in 2012, up from 1,590 reported the week before, is the highest number of West Nile cases reported to federal health officials through the first week in September since the disease was first detected in the United States in 1999, the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention said. Photo: A Culex quinquefasciatus mosquito is shown on a human finger in this undated photograph from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. This type of mosquito is associated with transmission of the West Nile virus. (Handout / Reuters) View high resolution

West Nile cases in US jump 25% over last week

The number of cases of West Nile virus reported in the U.S. rose 25% in the latest week. The number of deaths from the mosquito-borne disease jumped 32%, health officials say.

Reuters reports:

The 1,993 cases reported so far in 2012, up from 1,590 reported the week before, is the highest number of West Nile cases reported to federal health officials through the first week in September since the disease was first detected in the United States in 1999, the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention said.

Photo: A Culex quinquefasciatus mosquito is shown on a human finger in this undated photograph from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. This type of mosquito is associated with transmission of the West Nile virus. (Handout / Reuters)

US, Spain battle for gold in men’s basketball final For the second straight Olympics, men’s basketball teams from the United States and Spain faced off for a gold medal. See the results on BreakingNews.com.Photo: Team USA’s Lebron James is pictured at the men’s gold medal basketball match in London today. (Brian Snyder / Reuters)

US, Spain battle for gold in men’s basketball final

For the second straight Olympics, men’s basketball teams from the United States and Spain faced off for a gold medal. See the results on BreakingNews.com.

Photo: Team USA’s Lebron James is pictured at the men’s gold medal basketball match in London today. (Brian Snyder / Reuters)