Experts urge planning ahead amid record Thanksgiving rush

Published Mon, 23 Dec 2024 18:54:31 GMT

Experts urge planning ahead amid record Thanksgiving rush A bustling Miami International Airport Monday morning marked the start of the holiday travel rush as families made their way to reunite for the Thanksgiving weekend.Amid the excitement for festive gatherings, travelers remain vigilant for potential disruptions. “The plane was broken. I had to stay in a hotel overnight, me and my wife. Today’s her birthday a matter of fact,” said one traveler. “But we gotta catch this plane.”The number of people traveling 50 miles or more from home for Thanksgiving is expected to reach 55.4 million this week, a slight increase over last year, according to AAA projections.“We’re projecting this to be the third highest Thanksgiving forecast that we’ve looked at, and we’ve been looking at holiday travel since 2000,” said AAA spokesperson Aixa Diaz. The majority of travelers, nearly 89%, are opting for road trips, taking advantage of a bit of relief at the pump. GasBuddy.com reports the national...

MDPD officer shot in Miami Gardens; 2 suspects at large

Published Mon, 23 Dec 2024 18:54:31 GMT

MDPD officer shot in Miami Gardens; 2 suspects at large A Miami-Dade Police officer was shot in Miami Gardens, officials said. The incident occurred just after 10:30 a.m., Monday, in the area of NW 152nd Street and 22nd Avenue. https://twitter.com/MiamiDadePD/status/1726655503579947193?s=207Skyforce hovered over the scene where heavy police presence was visible as well as a large perimeter set up in the vicinity. A red pickup truck could also be seen at the scene of the shooting. It is unclear if the truck was being driven by the officer or suspects involved. According to police, the incident occurred after an altercation between two men escalated, resulting in the officer being grazed in the head by a bullet. The suspects fled the scene and are currently at large.SWAT members could be seen going door-to-door searching for the suspects. According to a witness, he first heard a single gunshot followed by multiple gunshots in quick succession. The injured officer was transported to Jackson Memorial Hospital and is reported to be in stable ...

Police report sheds new details on arrest of Bruins’ Milan Lucic, who is expected to face assault charge in court

Published Mon, 23 Dec 2024 18:54:31 GMT

Police report sheds new details on arrest of Bruins’ Milan Lucic, who is expected to face assault charge in court A police report is shedding new light on the arrest of Bruins veteran winger Milan Lucic, who is expected to be arraigned on a charge of assault and battery in Boston Municipal Court this week.Lucic was previously arrested on Saturday morning at his North End apartment in Boston following what was reported to be a domestic incident, leading to the Bruins placing him on indefinite leave.A police report obtained by 7NEWS described how officers were called to Lucic’s apartment in the North End by his wife, who had called police stating her husband attempted to choke her.According to the report, officers met with her in the apartment’s lobby and learned that the incident occurred after, sometime during the night, Lucic had come home and could not find his cell phone.She said Lucic accused her of hiding the phone and demanded it back, and that when she told him she did not have it or know where it was, he grabbed her by the hair and pulled her backwards as she tried to walk a...

Serious crash in Marshfield, road closed for hours

Published Mon, 23 Dec 2024 18:54:31 GMT

Serious crash in Marshfield, road closed for hours Marshfield Police responded to a serious motor vehicle accident on Monday, causing the closure of Plain Street (Route 139) in Marshfield from Old Plain Street to Flaggler Drive. SKY7-HD spotted the accident earlier today, seeing significant to the front of a red SUV. https://twitter.com/Marshfield_PD/status/1726622137199509553Police said the area could be blocked off for several hours.This is a developing story; stay with 7NEWS on-air and online for the latest updates.

What long-term care looks like around the world

Published Mon, 23 Dec 2024 18:54:31 GMT

What long-term care looks like around the world Jordan Rau, KFF Health News | KFF Health News (TNS)Around the world, wealthy countries are struggling to afford long-term care for rapidly aging populations. Most spend more than the United States through government funding or insurance that individuals are legally required to obtain. Some protect individuals from exhausting all their income or wealth paying for long-term care. But as in the United States, middle-class and affluent individuals in many countries can bear a substantial portion of the costs.Here’s how five other countries pay for long-term care.JapanLong-term care insurance is mandatory for Japanese citizens age 40 and over, while in the United States only a small portion of people voluntarily obtain coverage. Half the funding for Japan’s program comes from tax revenues and half from premiums. Older adults contribute 10% to 30% of the cost of services, depending on their income, and insurance picks up the rest. There is a maximum amount people must spend from their inc...

Here’s how to get ahead of travel nightmares this holiday season

Published Mon, 23 Dec 2024 18:54:31 GMT

Here’s how to get ahead of travel nightmares this holiday season By Lebawit Lily Girma, Bloomberg NewsHopefully you’ve heeded the experts and booked your end-of-year travel earlier than you did last year. But no matter how well you’ve gotten ahead of your holiday plans, if you’re one of the almost 50% of Americans who say they’re traveling sometime between Thanksgiving weekend and January, there’s a good chance you could experience disruptions this winter season.Almost a quarter (24%) of flights out of U.S. airports have faced delays so far this year, according to the U.S. Department of Transportation — up from 19% in 2021. That means your flight has a more than 1 in 5 chance of not leaving on time. The winter storms and technology issues that snarled operations for Southwest Airlines Co. in December 2022 could easily affect a different carrier this season, says Mike Arnot, an airline industry analyst and spokesperson for aviation data company Cirium.Yet, U.S. airlines are better prepared for operational challenges this season, experts at Cirium ...

No shots for Spot? Study finds owners’ vaccine hesitancy can extend to pet dogs

Published Mon, 23 Dec 2024 18:54:31 GMT

No shots for Spot? Study finds owners’ vaccine hesitancy can extend to pet dogs Jeremy Childs | Los Angeles Times (TNS)LOS ANGELES — Individuals who are skeptical of vaccines for themselves are also more like to question the need or efficacy of getting shots for their four-legged companions, according to a recent study.In the study, published in the medical journal Vaccine, researchers asked 2,200 Americans their thoughts on vaccines and whether they were dog owners. If they were, respondents were then asked whether they would vaccinate their dogs for rabies.Approximately half of the pet owners surveyed expressed some degree of vaccine hesitancy — with 53% saying they believed vaccines administered to dogs were unsafe, ineffective or unnecessary, the study found.That group was 6% more likely to have dogs that were not vaccinated for rabies, and 27% more likely to oppose rabies vaccine mandates when compared with survey respondents who did not express vaccine hesitancy, according to predicted probabilities outlined in the study.Matt Motta, an assistant professor...

State using Transportation Building to house migrants, homeless

Published Mon, 23 Dec 2024 18:54:31 GMT

State using Transportation Building to house migrants, homeless Some migrant families who were unable to enter an already overfilled state shelter system will be temporarily housed at the Transportation Building in Boston.With the state’s Emergency Assistance shelters filled to their 7,500 family capacity, a small number of new arrivals to Massachusetts will be housed at 10 Park Plaza in Boston, home of the headquarter for the state’s transportation agencies including the Massachusetts Bay Transportation Authority, according to officials with the Healey administration.“In order to ensure that families eligible for Emergency Assistance shelter have a safe and warm place to sleep at night when there is not a shelter unit immediately available, the administration is utilizing space at 10 Park Plaza as a temporary, overnight facility,” Emergency Assistance Director Scott Rice said in a statement.Families will arrive Monday night, a DOT official told the Herald. They will be housed in a conference room, which was apparently being filled with co...

2 people killed in shooting outside an Anchorage Walmart

Published Mon, 23 Dec 2024 18:54:31 GMT

2 people killed in shooting outside an Anchorage Walmart ANCHORAGE, Alaska (AP) — Two people were shot and killed Sunday night outside a Walmart in south Anchorage, and police say they are searching for a suspect.Police found the bodies of a man and woman behind two trucks in the parking lot, near the store’s entrance. A firearm was also found, police said in a statement issued late Sunday evening.Police have released few other details but did say they believe it is an isolated incident. There have been no arrests, and police said it remains an active investigation.Police spokesperson Renee Oistad said in an email that they do not anticipate releasing any more information until Tuesday.Sean Keating, an APD officer and crime scene team leader, told the Anchorage Daily News that it was fortunate no one else was injured by gunfire.“That just happened right outside the main entrance. It’s just insane,” Keating said.The store was evacuated before closing for the day, and officers helped people reach their vehicles, avoiding the crime scene.Pol...

Encroaching wildfires prompt North Carolina and Tennessee campgrounds to evacuate

Published Mon, 23 Dec 2024 18:54:31 GMT

Encroaching wildfires prompt North Carolina and Tennessee campgrounds to evacuate PINNACLE, N.C. (AP) — Wildfires have prompted campgrounds in North Carolina and Tennessee to evacuate starting Sunday while firefighters prepared for high winds and low humidity on Monday, though officials hoped for some help from expected rain.The National Weather Service’s office in Morristown, Tennessee, office issued a red flag warning into Tuesday in the East Tennessee mountains and southwest North Carolina, with winds between 25 and 50 mph Monday afternoon, increasing to 40 to 70 mph on Monday night with 80 mph gusts possible in some places. In North Carolina, a youth camp and about a dozen homes were evacuated Sunday evening as the fire spread in the Sauratown Mountains in Stokes County, said Jimmy Holt, a ranger with the N.C. Forest Service, on Monday. About 50 children were safely evacuated from the Mountain Top Youth Camp and residents of about 12 threatened homes were advised to evacuate as the fire spread, Holt said. No injuries or damage to structures have been re...