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Measles deaths cost of poor leadership

The two recent measles-related deaths in Lancaster County, including that of a newborn, were the first in Pennsylvania in 35 years. Sadly, as vaccination rates decline across the commonwealth and the country, they will likely not be the last. The deaths occurred amid a major measles outbreak in Lancaster that has sickened nearly 400 people. Nationwide, the number of cases grew to a 35-year high. In normal times, federal and state government officials would work together to contain the outbreak, protect the public, and use the incident to urge residents to get vaccinated. But under ...

Trying to declutter without starting a fight with husband

Dear Annie: I am desperate to declutter our house, but my husband has a very hard time letting go of anything. Our closets are overflowing, the garage is packed, and we have boxes of things we haven’t opened in years. There are old tools, clothes that no longer fit, broken electronics, stacks of paperwork and even things from hobbies he hasn’t touched in decades. Every time I suggest donating or throwing something away, he finds a reason we might need it someday. I’m not trying to get rid of everything or make our home look like a showroom. I just want to be able to open a closet ...

Cardiac patient’s thirst runs rampant

Dear Dr. Roach: I’m 74 years old, and I was diagnosed with congestive heart failure with a recent ejection fraction of 25%. My cardiologist has me taking empagliflozin (Jardiance) and furosemide (Lasix) daily. With moderate cardio exercise therapy every other day and two diuretics daily, my thirst runs rampant during the evenings, and I find myself drinking fluids to compensate. Am I nullifying the intended purpose of the diuretics? — D.P. Answer: The main purpose of diuretics is to remove excess salt and water from the body. However, we all need some salt and water, so the ...

Robin Morgan, poet whose allies included Jane Fonda and Gloria Steinem, dies at 85

NEW YORK (AP) — Robin Morgan, a wholesome child star of the 1940s and ’50s who grew up to become an all-American radical as a poet, essayist, editor and second-wave feminist, has died. She was 85. Morgan, who was still working on new books and poems, died Saturday in New York after suffering a series of health problems in recent weeks, said her son, Blake Morgan. Her death came just days after that of her close friend and fellow activist Gloria Steinem. During the 1960s and ‘70s, Morgan embodied and inspired historic changes in how women lived and thought. As she was happy to ...

Count your tricks, not your losers in this deal

Bridge By Philip Adler When you are in a trump contract, you start by counting losers. But on some deals (I estimate around 20 percent), you do better to count winners. So, in an ideal world, you count both before playing from the dummy at trick one. South is in five clubs. What should he do after West leads the spade king? North’s double was negative, promising four hearts. South’s two-spade cue-bid was an artificial game-force. Then probably either South should have bid three no-trump over three clubs, or North should have cue-bid three spades over three diamonds to ask his ...

Using salt to kill weeds can have other consequences

Do Just One Thing By Danny Seo Salt may seem like an easy, natural weed killer, but use it with caution. It works by dehydrating plants, but it’s nonselective and can permanently damage soil, making it impossible for anything else to grow there. It is an eco-friendly option to remove weeds growing in cracks between driveways, sidewalks or patio pavers –– not in garden beds or lawns. Mix one part salt with two to three parts hot water, then carefully apply it directly to the weeds’ leaves on a dry, sunny day to avoid runoff into surrounding plants. n n n A worn refrigerator ...