COVID-19 outbreak hits epidemiology conference
A COVID-19 outbreak struck a recent CDC epidemiology conference, infecting at least 181 attendees, officials said.
The U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention’s four-day Epidemic Intelligence Service Conference was held at an Atlanta hotel in late April, hosting 1,800 people in person. Of 1,443 attendees who responded to a post-event survey, 13% said they later tested positive for the coronavirus, according to findings released Friday.
Among those who were infected, slightly more than half said they were unaware of any prior bouts with the virus.
CDC guidance in effect during the conference, based on local COVID-19 conditions in the Atlanta area, said people could choose to wear masks if they wished, but stopped short of recommending the practice for everyone. Nearly three-quarters of survey respondents said they did not wear a face covering during the conference.
Health officials have routinely said mask use reduces the risk of infection, particularly in crowded indoor settings where air circulation might be poor.
The survey data showed a greater chance of infection the longer a person attended the conference, which was held April 24-27.
“Specifically, respondents who tested positive reported attending the conference on average for all four days, and the risk of infection was 70% greater among those who attended for three or more days versus those who attended for two or fewer days,” the CDC said in a statement.
No one was hospitalized as a result of the infections, according to survey data. Virtually all survey respondents said
LOS ANGELES — Actor Danny Masterson was convicted of two counts of rape Wednesday after his second trial on charges that he sexually assaulted several women he met through the Church of Scientology in the early 2000s.
Jurors hung on a third count after deliberating for a little more than a week. They contacted Los Angeles County Superior Court Judge Charlaine Olmedo around 11 a.m. Wednesday to say that they had reached a verdict on two of the three rape counts against Masterson but that were hopelessly deadlocked on a third.
Jurors previously hung on all counts against Masterson during a trial in late 2022.
The courtroom was packed with a mix of Masterson’s relatives, supporters and other observers. The actor’s wife, Bijou Phillips, let out a pained cry shortly after the verdict was read and began sobbing.
Most of the allegations against
Masterson aired in the roughly two-week trial first surfaced in 2017. The victims — identified in court as Chrissy B., Jen B. and N. Trout — were all practicing Scientologists when they met Masterson through the church.
Jurors convicted Masterson of sexually assaulting Jen B. and N. Trout but were unable to reach a verdict on the allegations involving Chrissy B, who was Masterson’s longtime girlfriend around the height of his fame for his role as Steven Hyde on the sitcom “That ‘70s Show.”
On the count involving Chrissy B., jurors said they were deadlocked at a vote tally of 8 to 4 in favor of a conviction.
Masterson did not visibly react to the verdict and was led out of the courtroom in handcuffs.
His defense attorneys were not immediately available for comment and prosecutors left the courtroom without comment.
Two of the women said they waited more than a decade to come forward because church officials discouraged them from contacting law enforcement, leaving them to choose between their faith and accountability for the man who allegedly raped them.
All of the women had relatives in Scientology and said they feared they would be excommunicated and labeled “suppressive persons” if they went against Masterson and the church.
LOS ANGELES — Nine minors were arrested Tuesday after a melee near the San Clemente Pier over Memorial Day weekend in which a group of 30 teens and young adults pummeled three off-duty Marines, according to the city’s mayor.
Orange County deputies arrested five of the juveniles — four boys and one girl — on suspicion of felony assault, said San Clemente Mayor Chris Duncan. The Orange County Sheriff’s Department said the five were booked into Orange County Juvenile Hall. Duncan said four additional minors were arrested on other charges.
The suspects’ identities have been withheld because they are minors, according to authorities.
The Marines were kicked and punched by the group late Friday, according to the Orange County Sheriff’s Department.
An altercation broke out between the Marines and young people at about 9:50 p.m., the Sheriff’s Department said.
Authorities did not say what caused the fight, but one of the Marines told KCBS-TV Channel 2 that it started after he asked the other group to stop lighting fireworks at the beach because firework debris had hit him in the face.
Video obtained by KTLA-TV Channel 5 shows three Marines walking away from the group of young people. The video then shows someone sucker-punching a Marine from behind before the Marine charges at the group.
A melee ensues, and at least two Marines are shown on the ground, curled up in the fetal position, with people in the crowd striking them in the head and upper body before two adults intervene and stop the beatings.
“The barbaric assault on off-duty Marines at the San Clemente Pier goes against everything we stand for in San Clemente, and it’s no excuse that teenagers were involved,” Duncan said.