Health

Mark Ratcliffe, 67, died after entering heavy seas at Withernsea while attempting to rescue a mother and her teenage daughter, and his actions are being considered for a royal bravery award.

CDC data show at least 11 million flu cases and 5,000 deaths as of Dec. 27, and 8.2% of outpatient visits were for flu-like illness—the highest rate recorded since 1997.

Piscataway police say they shot a man who charged at officers during a response to a report of a person with a knife; after the shooting, officers found three people dead inside the house and investigators from the Middlesex County Prosecutor's Office and the New Jersey Attorney General's Office are handling the case.

A British Heart Foundation analysis reports working-age adults in England consume about 8.4g of salt per day, which the study says equates to roughly 155 packets of ready-salted crisps a week and exceeds the UK guideline of 6g daily.

State health officials report a surge in flu cases linked to three recent pediatric deaths and say many hospital units are operating near or above 90% capacity.

Winchester Coroner's Court reported the couple died from carbon monoxide poisoning, and they leave four children.

A randomized trial reported that adding megestrol, a synthetic progesterone, to standard anti-estrogen therapy slowed tumor growth over a two-week pre-surgery period in women with ER-positive breast cancer; low and high doses showed similar effects and longer-term benefit is undetermined.

Thailand's Health Ministry has drafted rules to restrict cannabis sales to licensed medical facilities, herbal shops, pharmacies and traditional practitioners, and the draft is under legal review; officials say patients who rely on medical cannabis will not be affected.

Harvard researcher Ashley Whillans reports that couples who spend money on time-saving services often report higher relationship satisfaction; therapists caution that outsourcing chores does not by itself resolve deeper communication or fairness problems.

Contracts covering about 20,000 New York State Nurses Association members expired at the start of 2026, and nurses at Mount Sinai and other city hospitals say safe staffing, workplace safety and benefits are central bargaining issues as a larger strike looms involving up to 12 hospitals.

A UK-wide ban on adverts for foods high in fat, salt and sugar is set to begin on Monday, stopping such adverts on television before 21:00 and at any time online; the government estimates the move could prevent around 20,000 cases of childhood obesity.

High-resolution ALMA data and detailed 2D modeling confirm a rotating equatorial disk and a smaller CO-rich outflow around the Red Rectangle; the disk mass is reported at about 0.01 solar masses and its lifetime is estimated near 10,000 years.

The article introduces a weeklong Brain Health Challenge led by reporter Dana Smith that highlights everyday habits—like sleep, diet and exercise—that support cognition, and includes a quiz activity for readers to try and share.

MTA fare and toll increases took effect Sunday across the LIRR, Nassau buses, city subways and bridge/tunnel crossings. The MTA says the additional revenue will support safe, fair and reliable service.

Authorities say a Paulsboro man shot and killed a woman and wounded a child at a home; he was charged with first-degree murder and related counts. The child was taken to a hospital and the suspect faces a possible 30-years-to-life sentence if convicted.

Jelly Roll told Men's Health he lost about 275 pounds over five years and that his renewed sex drive has improved intimacy with his wife.

Mark Ratcliffe, 67, has been named after dying while trying to help two people in the sea near Withernsea; a 45-year-old woman's body was recovered and police continue to search for one person reported missing.

Jeremiah Raber was life-flighted after a reported blood sugar spike to 993 and possible liver failure; he later posted that he was doing better and expected to leave the hospital the next day.

Fred Trump died at age 83 with Alzheimer's, and the Alzheimer's Association says having a parent with the disease can raise a person's risk.

A cigarette butt and genetic genealogy linked a suspect to two alleged child sexual assaults from 2000 and 2003, and police arrested 58-year-old David James Zimbrick, who is being held on $1 million bond.

Multiple yellow and amber warnings are in place across the UK for snow and ice, with the Met Office reporting significant accumulations for parts of northern Scotland and disruption to roads and rail; a UKHSA amber cold-health alert covers much of England until 9 January.

The National Weather Service has issued a lake-effect snow warning for parts of Oneida, Onondaga and Madison counties through Saturday morning, with heavy bands and significant accumulation possible; Syracuse and Utica are among the cities in the impacted area.

Former President Jair Bolsonaro was discharged from a Brasília hospital after four medical procedures and returned to a Federal Police superintendency while a Supreme Federal Tribunal justice rejected his lawyers' latest humanitarian house-arrest request.

A new H3N2 subclade K variant is driving a sharp rise in flu cases and hospitalizations across the U.S., and the CDC reports high activity in 32 states as this season's vaccine is reported to be less well matched to the circulating strain.

Authorities said the body of 4-year-old Johnathan Everett Boley was found after a two-day search and his dog was discovered alive nearby; the boy's father was arrested on explosives-related charges that officials said were unrelated to the disappearance.

President Trump told The Wall Street Journal he takes 325 mg of aspirin daily and has done so for about 25 years; experts in the article note that is higher than the usual 81 mg low-dose and that bleeding risk increases with age.

Officials say Angelina Minor pleaded guilty to manslaughter after a March 2024 intoxicated crash that killed her 4-year-old son; prosecutors say she violated supervised release, a warrant has been issued and sentencing was delayed until early 2026.

Sixteen-year-old Scarlett Durden collapsed at home on Dec. 25 after opening presents and was later pronounced dead; hospital staff told her mother it appeared to be sudden cardiac death and an autopsy is pending.

In a Dec. 30 letter, CMS told states they are no longer required to report childhood immunization rates for Medicaid and CHIP; states may still provide the data voluntarily.

A small study had 24 adults eat two kiwifruit daily for eight weeks and reported higher skin vitamin C alongside increases in measured skin density and cell renewal.