The American Academy of Pediatrics conjures 10 Halloween pedestrian safety tips

• October 11, 2023

Dr. Sadiqa A. I. Kendi | (TNS) American Academy of Pediatrics

With Halloween around the corner, it’s a good time to consider ways to improve the safety of trick-or-treaters planning to roam neighborhoods and communities. The holiday brings delight to many but also heightens the risk of pedestrian injuries, as costumed characters dart from house to house or are distracted by scary sights and sounds, especially after nightfall.

Those who are handing out treats at home can also help improve safety by keeping pathways to the door well lit and free of any obstacles like bicycles or garden hoses that might block the path of visiting goblins, witches and ghosts. Drivers should be extra careful on the roads that day, especially between 5:30 and 9:30 p.m., when trick-or-treaters are most likely to be out.

It’s always best for an adult to accompany young children when they trick or treat. Often your town or park district will offer Halloween activities earlier in the day so you can avoid going out after dark. Older children should travel in groups and create a “buddy system” to get each other home safely and prevent walking alone.

Here are some more suggestions:

— For older children going out with friends, agree on a specific time when they should return home and get flashlights with batteries for everyone. Carry a cellphone for quick communication.

— Only go to homes with a porch light on and, ideally, a well-lit pathway.

— Make sure that shoes fit and costumes are short enough so kids don’t trip on them. Hats and/or masks should fit properly to prevent them from sliding over eyes and blocking vision.

— Remember reflective tape for costumes and trick-or-treat bags.

— Remain on well-lit streets and always use the sidewalk and crosswalks. If no sidewalk is available, walk at the far edge of the roadway facing traffic.

— Never cut across yards or use alleys.

— Only cross the street as a group in established crosswalks (as recognized by local custom). Never cross between parked cars or out of driveways.

— Don’t assume the right of way. Motorists may have trouble seeing trick-or-treaters. Just because one car stops doesn’t mean others will.

— Caution kids about the risk of distracted walking, including text messaging, talking on or looking at their phone phone and listening to music.

Research has shown that evenings from 6 to 9 p.m. are the riskiest times of day for child pedestrians at any time of year. About 64% of child pedestrian deaths occur in daylight hours or at dusk, and most (62%) child pedestrian traffic fatalities occurred mid-block, rather than at intersections.

While parents often worry about tainted candy on Halloween, cars and traffic are really the bigger concern. Let’s keep the scares to a minimum and enjoy this Halloween.

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ABOUT THE WRITER

Sadiqa A.I. Kendi, MD, MPH, FAAP, CPST, is the division chief of the pediatric emergency medicine division at Boston Medical Center and associate professor of pediatrics at the Boston University Chobanian & Avedisian School of Medicine. Dr. Kendi is an expert in pediatric injury prevention, with a focus on health equity.

©2023 Tribune Content Agency, LLC.

​ Orange County Register 

Check out all kinds of sleek rides at Cars N Copters in Huntington Beach

• October 11, 2023

Check out some of the coolest ways to meet that need for speed this weekend in Huntington Beach.

Cars N Copters on the Coast will roll into town Sunday, featuring some of the sleekest cars out there. There will be hypercars, exotics and luxury cars, including high-end brands such as Koenigseggs, Bugattis, Paganis, Mclarens, Lamborghinis and Aston Martins, parked along Pacific Coast Highway for people to check out.

Your interests lie more with the sky? The event also features helicopters from several local law enforcement agencies as well as some that are privately owned.

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Cars N Copters benefits the Huntington Beach Police and Community Foundation.

If you go

When: 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. on October 15

Where: 21351 Pacific Coast Hwy, Huntington Beach

Cost: Free admission

Information: carscopterscoast.org

​ Orange County Register 

Shonda Rhimes to bring ‘Black Barbie’ documentary to Netflix

• October 11, 2023

Karu F. Daniels | New York Daily News (TNS)

Netflix uber-producer Shonda Rhimes has snapped up the rights for “Black Barbie: A Documentary,” which chronicles Mattel’s 1980 introduction of the first Black doll, bringing some much-needed diversity to the iconic brand.

The film, first shown at SXSW earlier this year, was written and directed by filmmaker Lagueria Davis, whose aunt Beulah Mae Mitchell worked at Mattel and was one of three Black women who advocated for the groundbreaking toy.

According to the documentary’s logline, “Black Barbie” examines “the importance of representation and how dolls can be crucial to the formation of identity and imagination.”

Cultural commentators, historians and consumers also weigh in on the impact of the doll. Mitchell and other Black women share their own stories of not seeing themselves represented, and how Black Barbie’s arrival affected them.

“Telling Black Barbie’s story has been such a personal journey and it warms my heart to celebrate the legacy of my aunt Beulah Mae Mitchell, Kitty Black Perkins and Stacey McBride Irby in our film,” Davis said in a statement about the documentary’s acquisition. “We couldn’t have asked for better collaborators than Shondaland and Netflix to bring this story to the world.”

During its 2022 International Women’s Day celebration, Mattel released a Barbie doll in Rhimes’ likeness — dressed in a replica of the outfit she wore for a Variety magazine cover story months before.

Netflix’s “Black Barbie” announcement comes on the heels of Greta Gerwig’s history-making, billion-dollar-plus feature film starring Margot Robbie as Barbie and Ryan Gosling as her anatomically correct male counterpart Ken. The all-star cast also features Issa Rae, Kate McKinnon, America Ferrera, Simu Liu and Academy Award winner Helen Mirren.

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©2023 New York Daily News. Visit at nydailynews.com. Distributed by Tribune Content Agency, LLC.

​ Orange County Register 

‘Taylor Swift: The Eras Tour’ film premiere shuts down The Grove shopping center — is Taylor coming?

• October 11, 2023

LOS ANGELES — Anyone planning to do some shopping at The Grove in the Fairfax District Wednesday will have to make other plans — thanks to Taylor Swift.

The upscale mall is closed for the day to accommodate the premiere of the highly anticipated movie “Taylor Swift: The Eras Tour.” A message on the mall’s website says only, “The Grove will be closed today. We look forward to seeing you tomorrow!”

The invitation-only event will be held Wednesday at the 14-screen AMC theater in the shopping mall. It’s unclear exactly who is on the guest list, or if Swift herself plans to attend. Swift is still touring, but she’s on a performance break until the tour picks up again next month in Argentina.

The movie is set to screen at 7 p.m., but those who received invitations were told to show up around 2 p.m., according to TMZ.

Swifties, get ready: Where to watch ‘Taylor Swift: The Eras Tour’ in Southern California

Swift has been making waves in the NFL recently thanks to her apparently budding romance with Kansas City Chiefs tight end Travis Kelce. The singer has been spotted hanging out in stadium luxury boxes with Kelce’s mother and other celebrities, including Ryan Reynolds, Hugh Jackman and Blake Lively.

Motorists in the area of The Grove could encounter some road closures or restrictions, with security expected to be high. Video from the scene Wednesday morning showed a large security presence on the perimeter of the mall, along with barricades to restrict vehicle traffic.

The movie chronicles Swift’s highly successful Eras Tour, which included six performances at SoFi Stadium in Inglewood. It is scheduled to open to the public Friday, and analysts have said more than $100 million in advance tickets have already been sold for the film.

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TMZ reported that 2,200 fans received invitations for Wednesday’s premiere event. Various media outlets reported that the owner of The Grove, former Los Angeles mayoral candidate Rick Caruso, is reimbursing the mall’s tenants for lost revenue they will suffer due to the daylong closure of the shopping center.

The Original Farmers Market adjacent to The Grove remained open. The market proclaimed on its social media pages that it will be open normal hours from 9 a.m. to 9 p.m. People heading to the market, however, may want to plan on some extra travel time due to the traffic restrictions in the area.

​ Orange County Register 

What’s that sound? A heart murmur can be innocent or serious

• October 11, 2023

Mayo Clinic Staff | (TNS) Mayo Clinic News Network

Lubb-dupp. Lubb-dupp. Those are the words that health care professionals often use to mimic the sound of your heartbeat. That steady, regular sound is made by your heart valves opening and closing as blood circulates through your heart.

You may have heard the term “heart murmur.” A murmur is an extra heart sound that can be heard by a stethoscope. Sometimes, the murmur sounds like a humming, which can be faint or loud. It might be temporary or persistent. Heart murmurs may be present at birth or develop later in life during pregnancy, phases of rapid growth like adolescence or from a fever or anemia.

The murmur may disappear as quickly as it comes if it has a temporary cause. However, a murmur also could be persistent and loud, easily heard and sound like a churning mill wheel or cooing seagull. This might indicate a serious heart problem.

What causes a heart murmur?

Multiple factors can cause a murmur. It could be a heart valve problem or a hole in the heart.

The valves in your heart act as doors between the chambers, or rooms, of the heart. In the case of a murmur, a valve may be tight or leaky. When heart valves are very tight or narrow, this is called stenosis. A murmur also might be from a leaky valve, called regurgitation.

A murmur also may occur from high blood flow in people with a fever or with low red blood cells, called anemia.

Some people have a family history of heart murmur and heart disease. Some are born with a congenital condition causing a murmur. Others have had a recent severe infection or illness that could damage a heart valve and need immediate medical attention.

What are the symptoms?

Innocent or harmless heart murmurs don’t typically cause symptoms, and most aren’t serious.

Symptoms of a serious or worrisome heart murmur depend on the cause and require evaluation by a health care professional. These symptoms may include:

— Blue or gray lips or fingernails

— Chest pain

— Fainting

— Fever

— Leg swelling

— Lingering cough

— Shortness of breath

— Sudden weight gain

— Swollen liver or neck veins

— Worsening fatigue

How is it diagnosed?

It’s common for a heart murmur to be detected during a physical exam being given for another reason. If a health care professional hears a murmur, you’ll be asked questions about your personal and family history that could indicate a reason for the murmur.

Several criteria are used to determine if a murmur is innocent or worrisome, including:

— Volume — The loudness of the murmur is evaluated on a scale from 1 to 6. The loudest heart murmur is a 6.

— Location — The location of the murmur in the heart will be identified, along with whether the sound spreads to the neck or back.

— Pitch — The murmur may be high-, medium- or low-pitched.

— Timing of the murmur — A murmur that occurs when blood leaves the heart is a systolic murmur. A murmur that occurs when the heart fills with blood is called a diastolic murmur. A murmur also may be heard throughout the heartbeat. When the murmur is heard as blood passes through the heart, it may be a sign of a larger heart problem.

You will need to undergo testing to determine the cause of the heart murmur. Your health care professional will likely order an ultrasound picture of your heart, called an echocardiogram or echo, to show detailed images of your heart’s valves, chambers, structure and function.

Once the cause has been found, some people will need repeated evaluation. Others may need surgery to treat the cause of the murmur, especially if it is to adjust a tight or leaky valve or to close a hole in the heart.

In some situations, people may need to take antibiotics before going to a dentist to protect the heart valves from potential infection. This infection, called endocarditis, can be spread via the bloodstream during dental work.

It’s important to learn if a heart murmur is innocent or serious so you can get the proper treatment.

____

Michel Barsoum, M.B., Ch.B. , is a cardiologist and vascular medicine specialist with Mayo Clinic Health System in Chippewa Falls , Eau Claire and Rice Lake , Wisconsin.

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©2023 Mayo Clinic News Network. Visit newsnetwork.mayoclinic.org. Distributed by Tribune Content Agency, LLC.

​ Orange County Register 

Irvine Global Village this weekend features cuisine, culture from around the world

• October 11, 2023

The Irvine Global Village Festival is back at the Great Park; this marks the popular event’s 22nd year.

The multicultural event features music, art, food, kids’ activities, exhibits, a global marketplace and more, all to celebrate Irvine’s diverse community.

In the Kid’s Village families can experience karate demonstrations, learn to write their names in different languages, get a henna tattoo and more.

Several stages will showcase music and dancing from around the world, as well as martial arts and cultural ceremonies and there will be roving performers as well.

More than 30 food booths are planned.

If you go

When: 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. Oct. 14

Where: Great Park, 8000 Great Park Blvd., Irvine

Cost: Free admission

Information: cityofirvine.org

​ Orange County Register 

Ozempic for weight loss is disrupting companies’ business model

• October 11, 2023

Leslie Patton | (TNS) Bloomberg News

As sales of appetite-suppressing drugs such as Ozempic and Mounjaro skyrocket, corporate America is grappling with the question: How does a less-hungry, less-impulse-prone consumer affect my business model?

Companies from Walmart Inc. to Conagra Brands Inc. are weighing how much to factor the diabetes drugs known as GLP-1s, increasingly being used for weight loss, into their strategies. Moves they make now could reverberate for years to come, so the pressure’s high to get it right.

“Companies will overreact. The smart money will take action, but act slowly,” said Gary Stibel, chief executive officer of New England Consulting Group, which advises consumer and health care companies.

John Furner, CEO of Walmart’s U.S. operations, recently said the retailer is seeing a “slight pullback in the overall basket” of food purchases as a result of the drugs, but added it’s too early to draw definitive conclusions. Conagra CEO Sean Connolly told investors recently that his company’s scientists are looking at the data, and the maker of Slim Jim and Swiss Miss could offer smaller portions in the coming years if that’s the way preferences evolve.

Companies are intensifying their scrutiny of the drugs amid a growing sense in the scientific community that the treatments represent a real breakthrough. Scientists have studied the GLP-1 hormone for more than three decades, but the newer, more potent drugs such as Wegovy and Mounjaro have opened the door for new discoveries and potential use beyond obesity and diabetes.

‘Brand-new territory’

“We’re still learning what else it might be good for,” said Daniel Drucker, a co-discoverer of the GLP-1 hormone who works as a professor of medicine at the University of Toronto. “This is brand-new territory.”

In the business world, most executives are still taking a cautious approach.

Adnan Durrani, CEO of Saffron Road, which makes frozen meals, chicken wraps and crunchy-chickpea packaged snacks, said snack companies “are talking about making smaller pack sizes and things like that, and that’s kind of nutty thinking because it’s just too early to know how much it’s going to impact consumer behavior.”

He recalled the olestra fad of the 1990s, when the fat substitute rapidly invaded the food aisle before being discarded due to its unpleasant side effects.

Bill Chidley, co-founder of brand consultant ChangeUp, cited the “whipsaw effect” that such trends can create, recalling SnackWell’s fat-free and low-fat cookies, which have now disappeared from the market. “Now, all of sudden you’ve got a product that is totally out of position,” he said. “The world flipped over.”

Atkins Diet

The Atkins Diet, which restricts intake of carbohydrates and gained popularity in the early 2000s, is also instructive. It fueled a whole category of products, including low-carb ketchup, ice cream and soft drinks. American Italian Pasta Co., which at the time was the largest U.S. pasta maker, and Krispy Kreme were pummeled by the diet, while Interstate Bakeries Corp., which was then the maker of Twinkies, cited the trend when it filed for bankruptcy in 2004.

But by 2005, companies including General Mills Inc. were reversing course as the diet’s popularity faded amid a lack of evidence it achieves durable weight loss.

“We’ve lived through what I think turned out to be a fad that we predicted would be a fad,” Richard Rosenfield, then an executive at California Pizza Kitchen, said in 2005. “It never seemed to affect our business. We did great through that craze.”

Nonetheless, remnants of the Atkins Diet still linger: Chipotle Mexican Grill Inc. has burrito bowls for the carb-conscious that are now labeled as Keto and Paleo friendly. Starbucks Corp. sells high-protein boxes with cheese and eggs.

The experience could prove instructional today as analysts recalibrate their projections based on the expected impact from the drugs, which have long been used to treat diabetes but are increasingly being taken for obesity and weight loss. Walmart, for example, may want to think twice before it dramatically shrinks its grocery section.

Even so, recent findings are eye-opening. A survey of GLP-1 users by Jefferies showed that more than 40% of respondents said they were eating out less. A similar percentage reported ordering less when they did. About 70% said they’re eating less overall, and roughly the same amount reported “increased awareness of nutritional benefits for foods.”

Based on the results, Jefferies analysts say packaged-food companies including Campbell Soup Co., Hershey Co. and Post Holdings Inc. could be adversely affected. But the picture isn’t so clear, with the analysts also pointing out that about 60% of respondents intend to stop using GLP-1s once they reach their target weight.

“So the question remains if the new eating habits will continue once the drug usage fades,” they wrote.

Usage patterns

The usage patterns are another unknown. Patients often regain weight once they’ve stopped taking the drugs and experts say they may need to be on the medications for the rest of their lives to keep weight off permanently.

Bank of America analysts also projected risks in snacking and beverages, given the GLP-1s lower appetites and also appear to reduce the impulse to drink.

It isn’t just the obvious food-related categories that could be disrupted. Weight loss from GLP-1s could drive wardrobe revamps, according to Bank of America, particularly among the affluent who can budget for these medications, which currently cost more than $1,000 a month. Plus-size retailers such as Torrid Holdings Inc. could see sales decline, while Lululemon Athletica Inc. and Hoka sneaker parent Deckers Outdoor Corp. could benefit from healthier lifestyles.

Jessica Ramírez, an analyst at Jane Hali & Associates, said the pandemic provides a recent potential case study, noting that after COVID restrictions eased, many consumers gained a lot of weight, while others shed it. “They had to replenish their wardrobe,” Ramírez said, noting that apparel companies didn’t have an issue adjusting their offerings.

Companies now face the daunting task of weighing the evolving data to determine the right strategy.

“We always go through these cycles of a new miracle drug, a new miracle food ingredient,” said Saffron Road’s Durrani. “It’s really early days.”

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(With assistance from Madison Muller, Jeannette Neumann, Tiffany Kary and Tonya Garcia.)

___

©2023 Bloomberg L.P. Visit bloomberg.com. Distributed by Tribune Content Agency, LLC.

​ Orange County Register 

Michelle Steel: The United States must stand with Israel against Hamas terrorism

• October 11, 2023

The world saw the face of evil as Hamas terrorists launched countless missiles targeting Israeli civilians, invaded peaceful towns, killed over 900 innocent people, and dragged men, women, and children into Gaza to endure unspeakable horrors. At least 22 Americans were killed and several were among those taken hostage. My heart is breaking for the Israeli people who are suffering unimaginable pain. The images and stories coming from the region are nothing short of barbaric and the only acceptable response to these tragedies should be complete and utter support of our ally Israel as it fights to defend its people and bring these terrorists to justice.

President Joe Biden and Congress’ reaction in the coming days is vital. In President Biden’s address to the United States he gave his heartfelt support for the innocent people of Israel and committed to give aid to our ally, but conspicuously gave no mention of any strategy dealing with Iran, Hamas’ benefactor. Leading up to this attack, President Biden’s actions regarding Iran have been deplorable. He has empowered the rogue state, lifting sanctions worth $25 billion, waiving Iraq to send $10 billion to Iran, renegotiating the Iran nuclear deal, and authorizing $6 billion in exchange for hostages that is all but guaranteed to be funneled to Hamas or other terrorist proxies. This is a total of $43 billion to the Iranian regime.

I hope this war is a wake-up call to President Biden and his administration. Now is not the time to retreat from the global stage. The world needs the United States on the front lines, gathering support to aid our ally Israel and strangle the Iranian regime’s ability to ever orchestrate this depravity again.

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President Biden must unequivocally throw his entire administration’s support behind Israel, immediately freeze his $6 billion payment to Iran and all aid to the Palestinians, properly enforce Iranian sanctions, and immediately halt talks with the regime about re-entering the ineffective and dangerous nuclear deal. We must do everything possible to ensure Iran does not obtain nuclear weapons. If this is what Iran is capable of without nuclear weapons, imagine what it can accomplish armed with such power.

In conjunction, Congress must be swift in sending aid to our ally Israel as they fight for the safety of their families, including replenishing the Iron Dome, and pass additional ironclad sanctions against Iran. That is why I am calling for an immediate vote on my bill, the Solidify Iran Sanctions Act, to make sanctions established by the Iran Sanctions Act of 1996 that are set to expire in 2026 permanent.

As our ally suffers one of the darkest days of her recent history, now is the time to stand up to swiftly bring justice to the evil regime that chants “death to the Jews” and “death to America.” I urge President Biden to end his tolerance of Iran’s terrorist agenda and stand side by side with our ally as they fight for their right to exist.

Michelle Steel represents California’s 45th congressional district.

​ Orange County Register