Monday, May 4th Edition |
Are you a Star Wars fan? If so, may the fourth be with you.
Let’s dive in today …
Today’s Big Story
Hantavirus Outbreak on Cruise Ship
Virus spread by rodents is also believed to have sickened three others, WHO says

Maybe it’s the pandemic trauma, but seeing all these headlines about a possible hantavirus outbreak on a cruise ship has made me a little nervous. On Sunday, the World Health Organization said hantavirus—a rare disease often caused by contact with droppings from infected rodents—was confirmed in one case on a cruise ship in the Atlantic Ocean and suspected in five others. Three people died, one passenger was in intensive care in South Africa, and two ailing crew members remained on board and were in need of urgent medical care, the cruise line Oceanwide Expeditions said.
It’s most commonly transmitted by breathing in particles of dried rodent droppings or urine. But in rare cases, it may spread among people, according to the CDC. However, hantaviruses found throughout the United States are not known to spread among people. Last year the virus killed Betsy Arakawa, the wife of Gene Hackman.
Symptoms usually start with fatigue, fever and muscle aches, but can also include headaches, dizziness, chills and additional problems such as nausea, vomiting, diarrhea and abdominal pain. The disease can then progress to coughing, shortness of breath and tightness in the chest as the lungs fill with fluid. More than one third of patients may die from serious respiratory infections known as hantavirus pulmonary syndrome.
How common is it? Well, the disease was first characterized in the United States in 1993 after an outbreak in the Four Corners area of the Southwest by a team of CDC staffers and local New Mexico clinicians. Fourteen people ultimately died in the outbreak. The disease is most frequently reported in the western United States, and particularly the Southwest, where deer mice are common. But the hantavirus family is also a concern in Europe and Asia, where a different version of the virus is spread by other rodent species, and can cause hemorrhagic fever with renal syndrome. Just to be safe, I might pick up a fresh pack of face masks.
|
Spirit Airlines Shutdown
A TikToker rallies pledges to buy the carrier after its abrupt weekend collapse
Spirit Airlines was once a potent force in the American aviation ecosystem. Its demise will reveal how strong that influence had been in recent years when air travel had already begun moving away from the low-fare model that Spirit pioneered. The airline’s shutdown over the weekend (after years of financial troubles) resulted in the loss of 17,000 part-time and full-time jobs, and disrupted the plans of tens of thousands of travelers.
Can it be revived? That’s what some fans are hoping for as a TikToker has announced calls for regular people to rally together to purchase the airline. Within hours the former frequent Spirit flyer had thrown up a website. TechCrunch said it’s “a janky, one-hour job, by his own admission, but by Sunday, 36,000 founding patrons had pledged nearly $23 million, crashing his servers in the process.” And now, it’s already got more than $88 million in “unverified pledges,” so who knows what’ll happen.
|

Health & Fitness Debriefing
The Trends You Need to Know About Right Now
Is jerky really healthy for you? The danger hiding in those warm, sunny days and the new secrets to longevity.
Today on
The classic penny loafer isn’t going anywhere, but the options have never been better. Here are the styles—across materials and price points—that deliver right now.











