Portland Officials Propose to Re-Ban Public Drug Use, Governor to Declare ‘Fentanyl Emergency’

Published on December 12, 2023

Portland’s Central City Task Force (PCCTF) has proposed to restore a ban on illicit drug use in public areas as part of the city’s long-term plan to solve its “most pressing challenges.” The PCCTF was launched in August to address issues like homelessness, public safety, drug use, and crime in Portland after the Oregon Health Authority warned in May that, on average, three residents are dying every day from an unintended drug overdose. Task force co-chairs Oregon Gov. Tina Kotek and Dan McMillan, president and CEO of The Standard insurance company, recently released the task force’s action plan of ten priority recommendations for 2024, including banning controlled substances and reducing barriers to prosecuting large drug trades....

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Bird Flu Kills Over 900 Seals, Sea Lions in South Brazil

December 12, 2023
SAO JOSE DO NORTE, Brazil—Nearly 1,000 seals and sea lions in southern Brazil have died from bird flu outbreaks, say authorities, who are scrambling to isolate the deadly virus from commercial poultry flocks.The southernmost state of Rio Grande do Sul has confirmed an unprecedented 942 sea mammal deaths following infection by the highly pathogenic avian influenza (HPAI), which was reported for the

‘Rabies-Like’ ABLV Virus Found in Bat in South Australia

December 12, 2023
South Australians are being warned to be careful around bats after the Australian Bat Lyssavirus (ABLV) was discovered in the state.The state’s health department warned residents not to handle bats after the “rabies-like disease” was detected in a bat.The virus has been discovered five times this year and nine times since 2012 in South Australia. However, only one percent of bats carry the virus.“