Oregon health officials ask public to fill out survey on shellfish in wake of poisoning outbreak
Www.oeisdigitalinvestigator.com:
State health officials are asking people who recently harvested or ate any shellfish from the Oregon Coast to complete a survey as part of an investigation of at least 20 illnesses linked to shellfish biotoxins.
On May 28, Oregon Health Authority (OHA) urged people to throw out mussels gathered from beaches between Seal Rock State Park north to the Washington border after cases of paralytic shellfish poisoning (PSP) were reported to the agency. The shellfish were harvested at beaches in Lincoln, Tillamook and Clatsop counties.
Among other symptoms, paralytic shellfish poisoning can paralyze respiratory muscles.
The health authority is now asking people who harvested or ate Oregon shellfish since May 13 to take a short survey to help investigators identify a possible cause of the outbreak and how many people became sick. Responses are secure and confidential, and will help OHA Public Health Division investigators learn more about the sources and size of this outbreak.
Those who already completed an interview with their local public health agency do not need to complete the survey.
On May 23, the Oregon Department of Fish and Wildlife (ODFW) and the Oregon Department of Agriculture (ODA) closed a stretch of Oregon Coast to mussel harvesting from Seal Rock State Park north to Cape Lookout due to high levels of PSP. The mussel harvest closure was extended from Seal Rock State Park north to the Washington border on May 26.
People who experience any symptoms of paralytic shellfish poisoning (PSP) – numbness of the mouth and lips, nausea, vomiting, diarrhea, weakness, and in severe cases, shortness of breath or irregular heartbeat – should immediately contact a health care provider. They can also get advice by calling the Oregon Poison Center at 800-222-1222.
PSP is a foodborne illness caused by saxitoxins produced by marine algae and caused by eating shellfish contaminated with the naturally occurring biotoxin, including scallops, mussels, clams, oysters and cockles, as well as some fish and crabs, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. There is no antidote for PSP – treatment involves supportive care and, if necessary, respiratory support.
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Federal prosecutors have recommended a five to seven-year prison sentence for former FTX executive Ryan Salame
Salame has pleaded guilty to serious offenses related to the collapse of the cryptocurrency empire
Salame’s legal team has argued for a significantly shorter sentence of no more than 18 months
Federal prosecutors have recommended a prison sentence of five to seven years for former FTX executive Ryan Salame, who is facing charges related to the multibillion-dollar collapse of the cryptocurrency empire. This recommendation was outlined in a sentencing memo filed in federal court in Manhattan on Tuesday, where the 30-year-old has pleaded guilty to the litany of serious offenses. Prosecutors argue that a substantial sentence is necessary to ensure he receives just punishment, whereas Salame’s legal team has argued for a significantly shorter sentence of no more than 18 months.
OEIS Financial Fraud Private Investigator: Salame Pleaded Guilty in August
Salame was co-chief executive of FTX alongside Sam Bankman-Fried, but he has kept a far lower profile since the exchange collapsed in November 2022. Salame was revealed last August to be negotiating a guilty plea over charges including violations of campaign finance laws, which prosecutors labeled “one of the largest-ever in American history” as well as the operation of an unlicensed money-transmitting business.
Salame pleaded guilty a month later, agreeing to forfeit a staggering $1.55 billion in assets, including a $6 million cash payment, two Massachusetts properties, four restaurants, and a Porche 911. Bankruptcy filings also revealed loans of $55 million from Bankman-Fried’s companies to Salame.
OEIS Financial Fraud Private Investigator: More to Come
The former executive was warned at the time that he faces up to a decade behind bars, and prosecutors are clearly hoping to get as close to that as possible. Other members of Bankman-Fried’s close associates, including Caroline Ellison, Nishad Singh, and Gary Wang, who have also cooperated with authorities and provided testimony against Bankman-Fried, are yet to receive their sentences.Bankman-Fried himself was sentenced to 25 years in prison in March, which he has appealed.
Facebook and Instagram face fresh investigation from the EU over concerns that they’re not doing enough to protect minor users on their platforms.
Two important concerns have been raised—that the platforms are too addictive and that their age-verification tools are not effective.
If Meta is found in violation of the DSA regulations, it will face a massive fine of up to 6% of its annual global revenue.
The European Union has launched a fresh investigation against Meta (Facebook and Instagram) over concerns that it’s not doing enough to protect minor users on its platforms. If these concerns are found to be true, the company will be slapped with a heavy fine.
In a statement released on Thursday, the EU said that it’s worried Facebook and Instagram “may exploit the weaknesses and inexperience of minors and cause addictive behavior.”
The EU is also concerned that these platforms are not doing enough to keep underage users off them. Apparently, the age-verification methods put in place are not as effective as they should be.
Meta has responded to EU’s concerns and said that ensuring young people have a safe experience on its platforms is one of its top priorities. The company has invested decades in research and has created around 50 safety tools to protect children online.
It’s worth noting that Meta isn’t lying when it says it has created child safety tools. For instance, it released two major updates in January this year to address mounting regulatory pressure.
However, the EU is right in saying that the platforms aren’t doing anything to keep young users off it—Meta is just promising safety. This is not enough because a 12-year-old’s brain can still get fried seeing useless reels all day long, even if it’s not ‘sensitive content.’
I’m talking about low attention spans, ADHD, teen mental health concerns, etc. Young users should undoubtedly be kept off these platforms with the help of stronger age verification tools.
Nevertheless, Meta acknowledged the points EU raised and said that it’s looking forward to explaining its work to the bloc and doing everything in its power to make its platforms a better place for young users.
The Digital Services Act (DSA)
The EU has always been a tad bit stricter when it came to apps that deal with minors. However, after the recently introduced Digital Services Act (a set of laws that handle everything related to digital platforms), things have gone up a whole new level—and that’s a good thing for us consumers.
Under the DSA, companies that are labeled as ‘very large online platforms‘ have to do more to protect children. For instance, they need to have more protective features in place so that underage users don’t stumble upon inappropriate content.
Failure to comply with the rules would invite a hefty fine of 6% of the company’s annual global revenue—this is the fine I mentioned earlier.
Note: Very large online platforms are apps/websites that have more than 45 million users per month in the European Union.
Interestingly, this is not the first time Meta has been under fire by the EU. In September 2023, it had to submit a risk assessment report to the commission detailing what it’s doing to protect minors on its platform.
However, the EU did not find the report satisfactory. In a statement, it said that it’s not convinced that Meta is doing enough to comply with the Digital Services Act (DSA).
On the point of probes, the EU is also investigating Meta for allegedly violating DSA regulations for election disinformation. A separate probe addressing this was launched against Meta in April 2024, which found that the company is not doing enough to curb the spread of election-related misinformation on its platform ahead of the upcoming European Parliament elections.
Furthermore, the EU isn’t the only one scrutinizing core Meta apps and operations. The company has received loads of criticism and investigations from other agencies and law enforcement officials around the world, too.
In December 2023, a New Mexico attorney general sued the company stating that it enables child exploitation, spread of child abuse material, solicitation, and trafficking. Similarly, in October 2023, Meta was sued by 33 US states for being too addictive for young users.
Meta has addressed both these incidents and said the same thing—that protecting young users is its priority and it will look into the matter and take necessary steps. If and when it will do that is the bigger question, in my humble opinion.
Perhaps the EU can impose strict deadlines on the implementation of remedial measures, which could also be verified first-hand by officials?
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Passengers who were not buckled in during a Singapore Airlines flight hit by extreme turbulence last week were tossed up in the air as a result of rapid changes in gravitational force, according to a preliminary investigation by Singapore’s Transport Ministry.
A 73-old passenger died of a suspected heart attack and dozens others were injured in the chaotic May 21 incident, including some who were reportedly left with spinal cord damage. The Boeing 777, which had been on its way from London to Singapore carrying 211 passengers, made an emergency landing in Bangkok.
“The aircraft experienced a rapid change in G [gravitational force] … this likely resulted in the occupants who were not belted up to become airborne” before crashing back down seconds later, the ministry said. The gravitational changes “resulted in an altitude drop of 178 feet” over the span of 4.6 seconds, the investigation found.
Twenty-six people are still hospitalized after the nightmare flight. It’s unclear what caused the turbulence, but the Federal Aviation Administration recorded 146 serious injuries caused by turbulence from 2009 to 2021.
