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The 19th International AIDS Conference ended on Friday. It was held in Washington, DC, the first time ever in the United States due to President Obama's lifting of the US entry ban for those with HIV. Former President Clinton and Representative Nancy Pelosi were in attendance.
Former U.S. president Bill Clinton addressed the conference's final session Friday. He said he has spoken to health care workers who say there is not enough funding for pregnant women and mothers. The U.S. says it is donating an additional $80 million to help eliminate mother-to-child infections by 2015.
Organ recipients show off new health at transplant games.
Over 800 organ transplant recipients will participate in Olympic-style Transplant Games of America, held in Grand Rapids, Mich., Saturday through Tuesday.
The 22nd annual event has a two-pronged mission, says Spectrum Health Heart Transplant Program medical director Michael Dickinson: to raise awareness for organ donation and help donor families celebrate the life of their loved ones.
West Nile Virus Carrier
Ohio's first human West Nile case of 2012 confirmed. Ohio's state Department of Health reported a confirmed case of West Nile Virus in an 85 year old man at a hospital near Cincinnati. The agency is reporting a large increase in mosquitoes this year.
On Thursday, Melrose, Massachusetts reported that the West Nile Virus had been detected in mosquitoes there. Health Director, Ruth Clay said it was earlier in the season than usual and had been found in other local communities as well.
The Center For Disease Control has this map of the US with the WNV reported activity since July 24th.
Explorers find sunken German U-Boat off Mass.. Nearly 70 years after being sunk following a sea battle off the coast of Nantucket, explorers have located the U-550 after searching for two decades.
Just the nose of U-boat was visible on sonar on the first pass, but the team was delirious after the second pass when the sonar image made it obvious they’d found it, Mazraani said. Quick dives to the wreck to beat bad weather confirmed the find with pictures.
Strong Storms Threaten Ozone Layer over U.S., study says. On Thursday, researchers drew the first link between climate change and ozone loss over populated areas.
“It’s the union between ozone loss and climate change that is really at the heart of this,” said James G. Anderson, an atmospheric scientist and the lead author of the study.
For years, Dr. Anderson said, he and other atmospheric scientists were careful to keep the two concepts separate. “Now, they’re intimately connected,” he said.
Analysis: Evidence for climate extremes, costs, gets more local. Scientists are now finding more evidence and are taking big steps in attributing a human fingerprint to particular weather events.
A study this month, for instance, showed that greenhouse gas emissions had raised the chances of the severe heatwave in Texas in 2011 and unusual heat in Britain in late 2011. Other studies of extremes are under way.
Growing evidence that the dice are loaded towards ever more severe local weather may make it easier for experts to explain global warming to the public, pin down costs and guide investments in everything from roads to flood defenses.
How the drought will affect consumers (and what you can do about it).
Grocery Prices - Prices will rise in the next 6 weeks, but the big shock will be in the beginning of 2013. For 2012 the USDA forecasts all grocery prices increasing 2.5 to 3.5 percent. Beef and veal are predicted to go up 4 to 5 percent.
Gasoline Prices- Although the drought will affect gas prices, only 40% of the corn crop is used to produce ethanol. However, changes in the price of crude oil will likely have an impact on the price of gasoline.
Electricity Costs - Water is used for cooling in electric generating plants and with a drought the plants will not have enough water to run at max capacity. Some shortages may occur.
Caribbean Flamingo Chick
This Caribbean Flamingo Chick was the first ever born at Jacksonville Zoo and Gardens and was hatched from an egg acquired from the National Zoo in Washington.
The pink plastic flamingo is a Florida icon and although this wee little fellow doesn't look a bit like the real thing, he will soon enough.
The Jacksonville Zoo obtained two eggs from the National Zoo in Washington, DC with this one hatching on July 20th. The other egg is expected to hatch this weekend. This is the first flamingo hatchling since the zoo opened in 1914. The zoo believes their current population is too small to kick off any breeding.
What has been happening in your local news this week?