Author: CNN

CNN
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Boulder, Colorado, has closed its main public library due to methamphetamine contamination in the facility’s bathrooms and some seating areas, city officials say.

The library first closed on December 20 after “higher than acceptable methamphetamine levels were found in restroom air ducts,” according to a news release from the City of Boulder.

The city closed the library “out of an abundance of caution” and to conduct environmental testing, according to the release. Testing found meth residue inside airducts in the main library’s bathrooms. The testing was ordered based on “a spike in reports of individuals smoking in public restrooms over the past four weeks,” according to the release.

“This is truly a sad situation and represents the impact of a widespread epidemic in our country,” said library director David Farnan in the release. “The city is consulting with Boulder County Public Health officials and will take all steps necessary to prioritize safety. We are committed to transparency and appropriate remediation.”

Further testing confirmed that contamination was almost entirely limited to the public-facing bathrooms and “on the surfaces of the exhaust ducts in these enclosed spaces,” the city said in a December 28 news release.

In addition to contamination in the bathroom, there is also “a limited amount of surface contamination in a few discrete locations in highly trafficked seating areas in the south portion of the building,” according to the release.

The earliest the library could reopen to the public is January 3, according to the release. The city is still waiting on a final report from the environmental testing before city and health department officials will meet to discuss next steps. The city plans to release the exact test results within the next week, the release says. Several other library branches remain open.

The restrooms and seating areas affected will have to undergo “professional remediation” before they are made accessible to the public again, according to the release. The seating areas may be repurposed with furniture that can be cleaned regularly.

“It is not yet clear if, and when, public restrooms will be brought back,” the city said in the release.

Meth contamination usually occurs when individuals touch residue on surfaces directly, according to the release. The city noted that meth contamination regulations were developed particularly for contexts where continual exposure is likely, such as in buildings where people are manufacturing meth, not just using it.

“Episodic exposures, such as in public buildings, present much less threat to health,” the city said in the release.

2021 saw an increase in the number of deaths from methamphetamine usage in the United States, according to data from the CDC.

CNN
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Northern California was inundated with widespread flooding and power outages as a powerful atmospheric river barreled into the region, forcing water rescues, several highway closures, evacuation warnings and shelter-in-place orders.

Despite the issues, the moisture is a bit of relief for drought-stricken California, which saw the driest beginning of the year on record and ended 2022 with drenched roadways, flooding rivers and thick mountain snow.

How much the parade of storms will make a dent in California’s drought conditions, however, remains to be seen.

Meanwhile the storm, which also brought strong winds, knocked out power to more than 300,000 homes and businesses across California and Nevada as of early Sunday, according to Poweroutage.US.

And as streets flooded and river water levels rose, the storm also forced residents of several small communities in northern California out of their homes on New Year’s Eve as evacuation orders and warnings were issued.

On top of urban flooding, several rivers began overflowing, including the Cosumnes and Mokelumne rivers and the Mormon Slough, according to the National Weather Service in Sacramento. Flood warnings were issued for the southern Sacramento Valley and Sierra foothills.

At one point Saturday, officials ordered residents in Wilton – roughly 20 miles from Sacramento – to leave the area immediately, warning that rising water may spill over onto roadways and cut off access to leave the area. Just about two hours later, Wilton residents were told to shelter in place after water made roads “impassable.”

Three communities near the city of Watsonville were also told to evacuate by the Santa Cruz County Sheriff’s Office due to creek flooding, while the rising San Lorenzo River waters prompted evacuations in the communities of Paradise Park and Felton.

In San Ramon, police used an armored rescue vehicle to evacuate residents from floodwaters.

“Flooding impacts continue to escalate as this rain continues with too many road closures to count at this point,” NWS said Saturday, telling residents to stay put amid reports of rock and mudslides across the foothills and road closures across the Sierra passes.

Sacramento Metropolitan Fire District crews were kept busy on Saturday, performing water rescues and responding to fallen trees on homes and cars, and to drivers whose vehicles became disabled after they drove through standing water, officials said.

Calling it “Stormageddon,” the Amador County Sheriff’s Office shared an image of cars up to their doorhandles in floodwaters and said there’s been reports of flooding, mudslides and trees blocking roadways.

Highway 50 was reopened just after midnight, hours after a section between Pollock Pines and Meyers was closed due to flooding from the American River, while another section was closed over Echo Summit for avalanche control work.

Interstate 80 was also partially closed near the Nevada line midday Saturday “due to multiple spinouts over Donner Summit,” according to the California Department of Transportation.

US Highway 101 – one of California’s most famous routes – was also temporarily closed in both directions in South San Francisco with California Highway Patrol reporting “water is not receding due to non-stop rainfall & high tides preventing the water to displace.”

In Sacramento County and adjacent areas, residents were advised to avoid travel as wind gusts of up to 55 mph toppled trees and covered roads with debris, according to a tweet from the National Weather Service in Sacramento.

The county proclaimed a state of emergency, saying the atmospheric river has caused “significant transportation impacts, rising creek and river levels and flooding” in the Wilton area.

An atmospheric river is a long, narrow region in the atmosphere which can transport moisture thousands of miles, like a fire hose in the sky.

Downtown San Francisco received 5.46 inches Saturday, meaning it was on track to become the second wettest day on record for the area, according to the National Weather Service in the Bay Area.

This heavy rainfall is expected to slide southward to Southern California on Saturday and Sunday, accompanied by gusty winds of 30 to 50 mph.

As some parts of Northern California deal with heavy rainfall, mountain areas have received thick snowfall accumulations.

A winter storm warning is in effect until 4 a.m. Sunday in the Sierra Nevada mountains from Yosemite National Park to Tulare County, where the Weather Service warned travel could be very difficult to impossible.

Snow accumulations of 1 to 2 feet were expected above 7,000 feet, and isolated accumulations of 5 feet were possible above 9,000 feet, the Weather Service said.

The UC Berkeley Central Sierra Snow Lab reported 7.5 inches of snow per hour between 4 and 5 p.m. Saturday in Soda Springs, about 30 miles from Lake Tahoe, sharing video of thick snow blanketing the area.

The lab said it had unofficial measurements of more than 30 inches of snow on Saturday.

Over a foot of new snow fell at Mammoth Mountain’s Main Lodge Saturday, the ski resort said on Facebook, adding that work will take place across the mountain since all lifts were coated in ice and “avalanche danger is extremely high.”

At the Nevada State line and Colfax, CHP reported “dangerous and treacherous” driving conditions with dozens of vehicles stuck on the I-80 and county roads.

“Caltrans, CHP and tow operators spent New Year’s Eve pulling out dozens of stranded vehicles,” the California Department of Transportation said.

CNN
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Three New York City police officers are in stable condition after being struck by a man wielding a machete in an unprovoked attack near Times Square, according to the NYPD commissioner.

The attack occurred just after 10 p.m. Saturday on West 52nd Street and 8th Avenue, outside a Times Square New Year’s Eve security screening zone, Commissioner Keechant Sewell said.

The suspect, identified only as a 19-year-old man, approached an officer and attempted to strike him over the head with a machete, Sewell said. The suspect then struck two additional officers before one fired his service weapon, striking the suspect in the shoulder. The suspect is being treated for his injuries, Sewell said.

The FBI, NYPD and Joint Terrorism Task Force are investigating, officials said in an early New Year’s Day joint news conference.

“I want to be very clear … there is no ongoing threat,” said Mike Driscoll, the FBI assistant director in charge of the New York field office.

“We believe this was a sole individual at this time,” he said, adding, “There is nothing to indicate otherwise.”

One officer, a recent graduate of the police academy, suffered a skull fracture and a large laceration to his head, Sewell said. Another officer, an 8-year veteran, suffered a laceration, the commissioner said. She did not elaborate on injuries to the third officer.

Driscoll said the FBI, through the task force, is working closely with NYPD to determine the nature of the attack and “will run every lead to the ground.”

The authorities did not elaborate on a possible motive and said the investigation is in preliminary stages.

New York Mayor Eric Adams praised the police response, saying responding officers immediately secured the scene and acted “with a level of professionalism that we expect from all of our officers.”

After getting their fellow officers assistance and subduing the suspect, responding officers returned to their posts “because we still had a city we had to protect,” Adams said, referencing New Year’s Eve celebrations.

CNN
 — 

Pope Francis led tributes to his predecessor on Saturday, after Pope Emeritus Benedict XVI died in a monastery in the Vatican at the age of 95.

“We are moved as we recall him as such a noble person, so kind and we feel such gratitude in our hearts, gratitude to god for giving him to the church, and to the world,” Francis said in Saint Peter’s Basilica while leading traditional vespers ceremony ahead of New Year’s Day.

“Gratitude to him for all the good he accomplished and above all for his witness of faith and prayer, especially in these last years of his life. Only God knows the value of his sacrifices for the good of the church,” Francis added.

Benedict, who was the first pontiff in almost 600 years to resign his position, rather than hold office for life, passed away on Saturday, according to a statement from the Vatican.

“With sorrow I inform you that the Pope Emeritus, Benedict XVI, passed away today at 9:34 in the Mater Ecclesiae Monastery in the Vatican,” the Director of the Press Office of the Holy See, Matteo Bruni said.

Francis went to see Pope Emeritus Benedict XVI soon after he passed away Saturday morning, according to Bruni.

The funeral of Pope Emeritus Benedict XVI will be held on Thursday in St. Peter’s Square in the Vatican City at 9:30 a.m. local time, Bruni said. The funeral will be led by Pope Francis.

The former pope’s body will lie in state in St. Peter’s Basilica in the Vatican from Monday for the faithful to bid farewell, Vatican News reported. As per the wish of Pope Emeritus, his funeral will be “simple,” Bruni said.

News of Benedict’s death came days after Pope Francis asked the faithful to pray for him, saying he was “very sick.”

His health had been in decline for some time.

Benedict stunned the Catholic faithful and religious experts around the world on February 11, 2013, when he announced plans to step down from his position as Pope, citing his “advanced age.”

In his farewell address, the outgoing pope promised to stay “hidden” from the world, but he continued to speak out on religious matters in the years following his retirement, contributing to tensions within the Catholic Church.

Benedict was a powerful force in the Catholic Church for decades. Born Joseph Ratzinger in Germany in 1927, he was the son of a policeman. He was ordained as a priest in 1951, made a cardinal in 1977, and later served as chief theological adviser to Pope John Paul II.

One of his most significant steps up came in 1981 when he took over as head of the Congregation for the Doctrine of Faith, the Vatican office that oversees “the doctrine on the faith and morals throughout the Catholic world,” according to the Vatican.

Ratzinger became known as “Cardinal No” stemming from his efforts to crack down on the liberation theology movement, religious pluralism, challenges to traditional teachings on issues such as homosexuality, and calls to ordain women as priests.

He was elected pope in April 2005, following John Paul II’s death.

He was known to be more conservative than his successor, Pope Francis, who has made moves to soften the Vatican’s position on abortion and homosexuality, as well as doing more to deal with the sexual abuse crisis that has engulfed the church in recent years and clouded Benedict’s legacy.

In April 2019, Benedict discussed the sex abuse crisis in a public letter, claiming that it was caused in part by the sexual revolution of the 1960s and the liberalization of the church’s moral teachings.

In January 2020, Benedict was forced to distance himself from a book widely seen as undercutting Francis as he considered whether or not to allow married men to become priests in certain cases. The book, “From the Depths of Our Hearts,” argued in favor of the centuries-old tradition of priestly celibacy within the Catholic Church. Benedict was originally listed as co-author, but later clarified that he had only contributed one section of the text.

A year later, Benedict came under fire over his time as archbishop of Munich and Freising, between 1977 and 1982, following the publication of a Church-commissioned report into abuse by Catholic clergy there.

The report found that while in the post he had been informed of four cases of sexual abuse involving minors – including two that had occurred during his time in office – but failed to act. It also revealed Benedict had attended a meeting about an abuser identified as Priest X. Following the report’s publication, Benedict pushed back against accusations that he knew in 1980 that this priest was an abuser.

In a letter released by the Vatican amid the furor, Benedict wrote that he was “of good cheer” as he faced “the final judge of my life,” despite his shortcomings. He also issued a general apology to survivors of abuse.

Global leaders paid homage to the former pope, following his death. Justin Welby, the Archbishop of Canterbury and head of the Church of England, said he is “mourning” the former pope.

“Pope Benedict was one of the greatest theologians of his age – committed to the faith of the Church and stalwart in its defence,” Welby said in a statement Saturday.

“In all things, not least in his writing and his preaching, he looked to Jesus Christ, the image of the invisible God. It was abundantly clear that Christ was the root of his thought and the basis of his prayer.

“In 2013 Pope Benedict took the courageous and humble step to resign the papacy, the first Pope to do so since the fifteenth century. In making this choice freely he acknowledged the human frailty that affects us all,” he added.

Cardinal Timothy Dolan, Archbishop of New York, said he will remember the former pope with “love and gratitude.”

“Saddened to learn of the demise of His Holiness Pope Emeritus Benedict XVI,” European Parliament President Roberta Metsola tweeted Saturday.

“Europe mourns him. May he rest in peace.”

The leader of the Russian Orthodox Church, Patriarch Kirill, on Saturday told Pope Francis he had received news of Benedict’s passing with “sorrow,” according to the message shared on the official website of the Moscow Patriarchate.

“His Holiness’s many years of life marked a whole epoch in the history of the Roman Catholic Church, which he led in a difficult historical period, associated with many external and internal challenges,” Kirill said of Benedict.

Kirill added relations between the Russian Orthodox Church and the Roman Catholic Church had “developed significantly” during Benedict’s tenure, in an effort to “overcome the sometimes-painful legacy of the past.”

“On behalf of the Russian Orthodox Church, I express my condolences to you and the flock of the Roman Catholic Church,” he continued.

The Dalai Lama on Sunday offered his condolences to the members of the Catholic Church after Benedict’s death.

“I pray for our spiritual brother,” he wrote, “and offer my condolences to the members of the Catholic Church.”

“At a time when we are seeing tension in several parts of the world, we can take a lesson from the life of Pope Benedict and do what we can to contribute to religious harmony and global peace.”

US President Joe Biden said the late pontiff “will be remembered as a renowned theologian, with a lifetime of devotion to the Church, guided by his principles and faith.”

Biden, the second Catholic to serve as President of the United States, reflected on his meeting with Benedict at the Vatican in 2011, saying he remembered “his generosity and welcome as well as our meaningful conversation.”

“As he remarked during his 2008 visit to the White House, ‘the need for global solidarity is as urgent as ever, if all people are to live in a way worthy of their dignity.’ May his focus on the ministry of charity continue to be an inspiration to us all,” Biden added.

British Prime Minister Rishi Sunak also paid tribute. “I am saddened to learn of the death of Pope Emeritus Benedict XVI,” Sunak tweeted Saturday.

“He was a great theologian whose UK visit in 2010 was an historic moment for both Catholics and non-Catholics throughout our country.

Italy’s new Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni voiced her admiration for the former pope. “Benedict XVI was a giant of faith and reason. He put his life at the service of the universal Church and spoke, and will continue to speak, to the hearts and minds of men with the spiritual, cultural and intellectual depth of his Magisterium,” she tweeted Saturday.

Russian President Vladimir Putin, who is leading Moscow’s invasion of Ukraine, called the former pope “a staunch defender of traditional Christian values.”

CNN
 — 

The man arrested in connection with the November killings of four University of Idaho students who were found stabbed to death attended a nearby university in Washington state and traveled across the country in December to spend the holidays with his parents.

Bryan Christopher Kohberger, 28, was arrested in Monroe County, Pennsylvania, on Friday on an arrest warrant for first-degree murder charges issued by the Moscow, Idaho, Police Department and the Latah County Prosecutor’s Office, according to the criminal complaint.

The four slain students – Kaylee Goncalves, 21; Madison Mogen, 21; Xana Kernodle, 20; and Kernodle’s boyfriend, Ethan Chapin, 20 – were each stabbed multiple times in the early morning hours of November 13 at an off-campus house in the small college town of Moscow.

Kohberger was apprehended at his parents’ house in Pennsylvania, where Kohberger went several days before Christmas, Monroe County Chief Public Defender Jason LaBar told CNN. A white Elantra authorities had been looking for in connection with the killings was also at the parents’ house, the attorney added.

“He was home for the holidays,” LaBar said.

Kohberger’s father traveled with him from Washington state to Pennsylvania, according to the public defender and a person who claims to have interacted with the father and son earlier in December.

That person, who asked not to be identified, said they did not know the father and son but engaged in friendly conversation with them at an auto maintenance shop on December 16 in Pennsylvania, while the two were getting their Elantra serviced. (A separate person also confirmed to CNN the father and son did business at the location on December 16.)

The father told the individual he flew to Washington state and made the cross-country trip with Kohberger, adding his son would be traveling to the west coast alone after the holidays. Police have not indicated the suspect’s father is in any way implicated in the killings. CNN has attempted to contact the father for comment.

The person described the younger Kohberger as “a little awkward,” but not suspiciously so. The suspect reportedly told the person he wanted to go into the field of behavioral criminal justice and become a professor.

Kohberger is a graduate student at Washington State University’s Department of Criminal Justice and Criminology, according to a now-removed university graduate directory, which was seen by CNN earlier Friday.

Kohberger had finished his first semester as a PhD student in the school’s criminal justice program earlier in December, the university said in a Friday statement.

Earlier that day, university police assisted authorities in executing search warrants at his office and apartment, both located on the school’s Pullman campus.

Pullman is about a 15-minute drive from Moscow, where the killings took place.

Kohberger intends to waive his extradition hearing to Idaho, set for January 3, to expedite his transport to the state, LaBar said, adding his client is “eager to be exonerated” of the charges.

Kohberger was previously an undergraduate and graduate student at DeSales University, according to a statement on the school’s website. DeSales is a Catholic university in Pennsylvania, according to its official Facebook page.

He graduated with a bachelor’s degree in 2020 and earlier this year completed his “graduate studies for the Master of Arts in criminal justice program,” according to a university spokesperson.

Kohberger’s attorney described his client as “very intelligent,” adding “he understands where we are right now.”

In a post removed from Reddit after the arrest was made public, a student investigator associated with a DeSales University study named Bryan Kohberger sought participation in a research project “to understand how emotions and psychological traits influence decision-making when committing a crime.”

The post said, “In particular, this study seeks to understand the story behind your most recent criminal offense, with an emphasis on your thoughts and feelings throughout your experience.”

CNN reached one of the principal investigators of the study, a professor at DeSales University, but they declined to comment on the matter. The university has not responded to comment.

A spokesperson for Northampton Community College, also in Pennsylvania, confirmed Kohberger was a student there and graduated with an Associate of Arts and Psychology degree in 2018.

Earlier in December, authorities asked the public for information about a white 2011-2013 Hyundai Elantra they believed was in the “immediate area” of the crime scenes around the time of the killings.

After an overwhelming number of tips, investigators narrowed their focus to Kohberger by tracing ownership of the Elantra back to him, according to two law enforcement sources briefed on the investigation.

His DNA also matched DNA recovered at the crime scene, according to the sources, who also explained authorities believed Kohberger left the area and went to Pennsylvania after the crime.

A surveillance team with the FBI tracked the suspect for several days in the area where he was arrested, the sources added.

One law enforcement source said Kohberger is believed to have driven across the country to his parents’ house in the Elantra. Authorities had also been surveilling his parents’ house, the source said.

Authorities kept Kohberger under surveillance while investigators from Moscow’s police department, the Idaho State Police and the FBI worked with prosecutors to develop sufficient probable cause for an arrest warrant.

The suspect’s family is “very shocked,” LaBar, the attorney, said, adding they are in “awe over everything that’s going on” and believed this was “out of character for Bryan.”

Authorities still want to hear from people who may be able to shed more light on Kohberger.

“This is not the end of this investigation, in fact, this is a new beginning,” Latah County Prosecutor Bill Thompson said Friday. “You all now know the name of the person who has been charged with these offenses, please get that information out there, please ask the public, anyone who knows about this individual, to come forward.”

“Report anything you know about him, to help the investigators, and eventually our office and the court system, understand fully everything there is to know about not only the individual, but what happened and why,” Thompson added.

Authorities received roughly 400 calls in the hour after Kohberger’s arrest was announced, Moscow Police Chief James Fry said, adding he hopes tips will help investigators learn more about the suspect.

“We want information on that individual,” the chief told CNN. “We want that updated information so that we can start building that picture now. Every tip matters.”

Editor’s Note: Get inspired by a weekly roundup on living well, made simple. Sign up for CNN’s Life, But Better newsletter for information and tools designed to improve your well-being.

CNN
 — 

Are you celebrating the first day of 2023 with a hangover?

If so, you might be looking for a method to ease your misery. There are certainly a lot of so-called hangover cures, some dating back centuries.

“The ancient Greeks believed that eating cabbage could cure a hangover, and the Romans thought that a meal of fried canaries would do the trick,” said Dr. John Brick, former chief of research at the Center of Alcohol Studies, Education and Training Division at Rutgers University in New Jersey, who authored “The Doctor’s Hangover Handbook.”

“Today, some Germans believe that a hearty breakfast of red meat and bananas cures hangovers. You might find some French drinking strong coffee with salt, or some Chinese drinking spinach tea,” he said. “Some of the more unusual hangover cures are used by some people in Puerto Rico, who rub half a lemon under their drinking arm.”

In truth, the only cure for a hangover is time, according to the National Institute on Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism.

“A person must wait for the body to finish clearing the toxic byproducts of alcohol metabolism, to rehydrate, to heal irritated tissue, and to restore immune and brain activity to normal,” according to the institute. That recovery process can take up to 24 hours.

Are there things you can do to ease your transition? Possibly, experts say, but many common hangover “cures” may make your hangover worse. Here’s how to separate fact from fiction.

Having another drink, or the “hair of the dog that bit you,” is a well-known cure for a hangover, right? Not really, experts say.

The reason some people believe it works is because once the calming effects of alcohol pass, the brain on a hangover is overstimulated. (It’s also the reason you wake up in the middle of the night once your body has metabolized alcohol.)

“You’ve got this hyperexcitability in the brain after the alcohol is gone,” said Dr. Robert Swift, a professor of psychiatry and human behavior at Brown University’s Warren Alpert Medical School in Providence, Rhode Island.

“If you look at the brain of somebody with a hangover, even though the person might feel tired, their brain is actually overexcited,” he said.

Consuming more alcohol normalizes the brain again, “because you’re adding a sedative to your excited brain,” Swift said. “You feel better until the alcohol goes away and the cycle repeats in a way.”

The answer is yes, depending on hangover symptoms, Brick said. If you’re a coffee drinker, skipping your morning cup of joe may lead to caffeine withdrawal on top of your hangover.

But coffee can irritate the stomach lining, which is already inflamed by alcohol, Brick said. So if you are queasy and nauseous, coffee may only make matters worse.

“If you have a hangover, have a quarter of a cup of coffee,” Brick suggested. “See if you feel better — it takes about 20 minutes for the caffeine to start to have some noticeable effect.

“If coffee doesn’t make you feel better, don’t drink anymore. Obviously, that’s not the cure for your hangover.”

Forget eating a greasy breakfast in the wee hours after a night of drinking — you’re adding insult to injury, Swift said: “Greasy food is harder to digest, so it’s probably good to avoid it.”

Eating greasy food also doesn’t make much sense. The alcohol we drink, called ethyl alcohol or ethanol, is the byproduct of fermenting carbohydrates and starches, usually some sort of grain, grape or berry. While it may create some tasty beverages, ethanol is also a solvent, Brick said.

“It cuts through grease in your stomach much the same way it cleans grease off oily car parts,” he said.

Instead, experts suggest using food to prevent hangovers, by eating before you have that first drink.

“Eating food loaded with protein and carbohydrates can significantly slow down the absorption of alcohol,” Brick said. “The slower the alcohol gets to your brain, the less rapid the ‘shock’ to your brain.”

Alcohol dehydrates, so a headache and other hangover symptoms may be partly due to constricted blood vessels and a loss of electrolytes, essential minerals such as sodium, calcium and potassium that your body needs.

If you’ve vomited, you’ve lost even more electrolytes, and all of this can lead to fatigue, confusion, irregular heart rate, digestive problems and more.

Replacing lost fluids with water or a type of sports drink with extra electrolytes can help boost recovery from a hangover, Swift said.

Taking over-the-counter pain meds can be dangerous, especially if you take too many while intoxicated, experts say. Taking an acetaminophen, such as Tylenol, can further damage your overtaxed liver, while aspirin and ibuprofen can irritate your stomach lining.

“You should never, never take alcohol with acetaminophen or Tylenol,” Swift said. “You can actually cause liver damage from an overdose of Tylenol.”

But aspirin, ibuprofen and naproxen are “theoretically” OK, he added.

“Even though they tend to be anti-inflammatory in the body, they can cause inflammation in the stomach,” Swift said. “Don’t take them on an empty stomach; always take anti-inflammatories with food.”

While most alcohol is handled by the liver, a small amount leaves the body unchanged through sweat, urine and breathing.

Get up, do some light stretching and walking, and drink plenty of water to encourage urination, Brick said.

“Before you go to sleep and when you wake up, drink as much water as you comfortably can handle,” he said. You can also take a multivitamin “before you hit the shower in the morning (to) replenish lost vitamins, minerals and other nutrients.”

If you would rather have something warm and soothing, Brick suggested broth or other homemade soups.

“These will also help to replace lost salts, including potassium and other substances,” he said, “but will not make you sober up faster or improve impairment due to intoxication or hangover.”

Store shelves are packed with so-called hangover cures. Unfortunately, there’s no proof they work. In 2020, researchers published what they called the “world’s largest randomised double-blind placebo-controlled” trial of supplements containing vitamins, minerals, plant extracts and antioxidants and found no real improvement in hangover symptoms.

Even if one solution works, it likely won’t fix all your symptoms, experts say.

“The effects of alcohol and alcoholic beverages are so complicated, so complex,” Swift said, “that any solution might address one or two of the symptoms but won’t address them all.”

What does work for a hangover? Time. It will take time for your body to release all the toxins causing your misery, experts say. And the only way to prevent a hangover is to abstain.

CNN
 — 

It’s never too late for more bump photos.

Actress Sophie Turner gave birth to her second child in July – but she’s still showing off pictures of her adorable baby bump on Instagram.

Turner welcomed her second child with her husband, musician Joe Jonas, in July. The duo got married in 2019 and Turner gave birth to their first child, daughter Willa, in 2020.

The 26-year old actress posted a series of throwback pictures, many of them featuring her pregnant belly, on Instagram on Friday. One photo shows a heavily pregnant Turner apparently in a hospital bed, while another documents her baby bump from below. The photo series also features her husband and actress and singer-songwriter Cynthia Erivo.

“What a year friends,” she wrote in the caption.

Turner rose to fame with her role as Sansa Stark on HBO’s hit series “Game of Thrones.” (CNN, like HBO, is owned by Warner Bros. Discovery.) She also recently played a role on on the HBO Max drama miniseries “The Staircase.”

CNN
 — 

It’s the time of year for merriment and all that it might entail. But indulgences of alcohol often lead to less-than-pleasant mornings after.

Since there’s no magic hangover pill (not yet, anyway), what can you do when you overdo it?

The answer, for many, lies in carbohydrates. A hangover is essentially severe dehydration and a drop in blood sugar, which leaves the overindulged feeling a range of symptoms: nausea, fatigue, irritability and aches.

In spite of this sobering reality, we still sometimes find ourselves feeling hungover on occasion, desperate for a “cure.” Tackling dehydration and elevating low blood sugar levels is key, and drinking plenty of water and fueling the body with carbs, healthy fats and protein can help.

Of course, the best way to avoid a hangover is to abstain from drinking. If that’s unappealing, you’ll have to find a way to power through.

A book by Lauren Shockey, “Hangover Helper,” is filled with recipes from around the world for the DIY crew among us. Most of the following food and drink items are readily available for purchase.

From currywurst to pickle juice and avocado toast, here’s a look at how people all over the world turn to food and drink to mitigate a hangover:

Although experts advise to avoid alcohol the next day, many people swear by a little “hair of the dog.” Nothing beats the Bloody Mary if this is the direction you so choose.

While you can find it all over the world, the drink has special significance in Paris, where it was invented in 1921 at Harry’s New York Bar.

Many bars around the world have put their own spin on the Bloody Mary (horseradish is now more common than not), but at Harry’s, it’s still made the classic way: vodka, tomato juice, Tabasco, salt, pepper, lemon and Worcester sauce.

Hot, melted cheese is a critical part of pizza’s allure when hungover, but pizza isn’t the only way to get your cheese fix. In London, simple cheese on toast is a thing of beauty and also a breeze to make at home, no matter how much you’re struggling.

Slide bread under the broiler – or grill, as they say in the UK – to lightly toast both sides, then slather on butter and spicy mustard and pile grated cheddar on top. Slide back under the broiler until the cheese is melted. Voila! You’re now that much closer to getting through the day.

Although Berliners will enjoy a currywurst at any time of day, this classic German snack is perhaps best the day after a big night out in Berlin.

For the uninitiated, a currywurst consists of fried pork sausage sliced into bite-size chunks, then doused in a spiced curried ketchup before being dusted with curry powder.

The rich sauce, meaty sausage and subtle heat from the spicing wakes up the dulled senses and provides a revitalizing boost. It’s even better when paired with fries.

Flæskestegssandwich (pork roast sandwich) is like gold to the irritable and hungry. Danish cuisine, often associated with beautifully presented, minimalist plates of foraged ingredients, is actually more diverse.

The country’s signature sandwich is all about messy, delicious indulgence. Think thick slices of roasted and grilled pork neck nestled in a soft bun with crispy crackling, pickled cucumbers, red cabbage and a spicy mayonnaise.

Have it to help ward off a hangover (Kødbyens Høker, an outdoor kiosk in the city’s meatpacking district is popular for a reason), or make it your first stop when you wake up with a massive headache and hunger.

Anyone who’s spent a night out drinking with the locals in Manila can attest to the city’s ability to have a good time.

Chef Jordy Navarra opened up Toyo Eatery in 2016; it’s famed for its refined reinterpretations of Filipino classics.

“As for eating after heavy drinking … many Filipinos usually go for tapsilog,” Navarra said. “It’s basically like cured, semi-dried or marinated beef with garlic rice and a fried egg. I really like how it’s simple, filling and super-convenient, with places that sell it all over metro Manila.”

The name of the game in Manila is trying to get ahead of the hangover by going all in on a big, greasy meal at the end of a boozy night.

Sydney’s café culture is famous for its healthy brunch dishes. Smashed avocado on toast, now a ubiquitous item on trendy brunch menus around the world, is an Australian invention.

It’s a delicious, healthy dish following eight hours of sober sleep, but it’s also a go-to option for when you’re hungover.

Avocado’s high potassium content helps with replenishing that key nutrient, and eggs, which contain Vitamin A, make the dish a solid hangover pick. Add a little hot sauce to kick up the flavor, and you might start to feel your senses wake up.

Tokyo overflows with Michelin-starred restaurants, but a multicourse tasting menu is probably not what you want if you’re feeling rough around the edges.

Hisato Hamada, co-founder of Wagyumafia, a fast-casual chain famous for its luxurious Kobe beef sandwiches, says his go-to hangover remedy is to eat before bed after a night out.

Hamada likes eki-soba, which are soba noodles found in train stations.

“Since eki-soba is located on the [train] station platform, you can get it on your way home, and it’s usually prepared super quick, meaning you can have a bowl within 30 seconds of ordering (very helpful when you’re drunk),” says Hamada.

“My favorite kind comes with tempura and a raw egg, extra shredded negi (Chinese leek) and a Tokyo-style thick soy sauce that is warm and nourishing. Overall it’s a very comforting and filling quick meal to get you back in working order.”

Thailand has one of the world’s richest food cultures – along with a renowned nightlife scene – so it’s no surprise that there’s a plethora of nourishing, soul-restoring foods from which to choose after a long night out.

Perm Paitayawat, on Instagram as @theskinnybib, is a food writer, researcher and an authority in Thai and Asian food cultures.

“The first and foremost hangover-battling food choice for Bangkokians is ‘Khao Tom Kui’: a Thai-Chinese rendition of piping hot starchy rice porridge with sides that range from braised meat to spicy salad,” explains Perm, who also swears by eating before going to bed.

Chips, gravy and curd cheese: If that isn’t music to a pounding head, then nothing is. In Canada, it’s the unofficial national dish of poutine that locals reach for the day after the night before.

While the classic version is a dependable hangover helper, there are dozens of ways to execute poutine, a Montreal favorite.

With additions such as bacon, pulled pork and duck carnitas, it’s sort of a “go big or go home” situation.

“Lorne sausage – also known as square sausage – is regarded as a national institution and a hangover miracle by most Scots I know,” says Simon Attridge, executive chef of Gleneagles, a luxury hotel set in the Scottish Highlands.

These square-shaped thick slabs of rich, fatty and flavorful beef sausage fit on a roll like a glove. The roll of choice is important to discerning hungover gourmands. Most opt for a special light and airy roll, called a morning roll, sold by the half dozen in every local store across Edinburgh and beyond.

“Its legendary status is, of course, not attributed to any nutritional value,” explains Attridge, “but to its utter deliciousness and restorative qualities. Washed down with a can of Irn Bru [a Scottish carbonated drink], this national delicacy is the stuff of hangover dreams!”

Dublin has an infamous pub culture, so it’s no surprise Ireland has devised a day-after breakfast remedy.

“Dublin hangovers can be brutal,” confesses Dublin native and award-winning oyster chef Simon Lamont. He is fond of one of his home country’s favorite cures: the breakfast blaa.

A bread conceived in the city of Waterford but embraced in the capital in recent years, the greasy meat and carb option involves a generously buttered, soft floury bread roll – or blaa – filled with bacon, sausage and black pudding.

“Brown sauce [traditional British condiment similar to ketchup] is the condiment of choice. And wash it down with a rock shandy [lemonade, sparkling water and bitters] or a pint of stout,” advises Lamont, who adds that “if that doesn’t work, a tray of freshly shucked oysters, obviously!”

A bacon, egg and cheese (BEC) is never a bad idea, but you know when it’s a brilliant idea? When you’re struggling with a brutal hangover but don’t have the option of staying in bed with Hulu and sleeping it off. Maybe you have matinee theater tickets or an important meeting.

Whatever it is, rest assured, there’s a nearby corner bodega ready to fry up an egg or two, top it with cheese (American, obviously) and greasy bacon before putting the whole thing on a fresh white roll or English muffin. Butter is essential. Salt and pepper are part of the territory, and ketchup is optional.

Oh, and no matter what time it is – 8 a.m.? noon? – it’s perfectly acceptable to ditch your usual regular coffee for an ice-cold can of real Coke.

Stroudsburg, Pennsylvania
CNN
 — 

Authorities tracked the man charged in the killings of four Idaho college students all the way to Pennsylvania and surveilled him for several days before finally arresting him on Friday, sources told CNN.

Bryan Christopher Kohberger, 28, was arrested in his home state of Pennsylvania and charged with four counts of murder in the first degree, as well as felony burglary in connection with the stabbing deaths of four University of Idaho students in November, according to Latah County Prosecutor Bill Thompson.

Still, investigators have not publicly confirmed the suspect’s motive or whether he knew the victims. The murder weapon has also not been located, Moscow Police Chief James Fry said Friday.

In the nearly seven weeks since the students were found stabbed to death in an off-campus home, investigators have conducted more than 300 interviews and scoured approximately 20,000 tips in their search for the suspect. News of the killings – and the long stretch of time without a suspect or significant developments – have rattled the University of Idaho community and the surrounding town of Moscow, which had not seen a murder in seven years.

Investigators honed in on Kohberger as the suspect through DNA evidence and by confirming his ownership of a white Hyundai Elantra seen near the crime scene, according to two law enforcement sources briefed on the investigation.

Kohberger, who authorities say lived just minutes from the scene of the killings, is a PhD student in Washington State University’s Department of Criminal Justice and Criminology, the school confirmed.

He drove cross-country in a white Hyundai Elantra and arrived at his parents’ house in Pennsylvania around Christmas, according to a law enforcement source. Authorities began tracking him at some point during his trip east from Idaho.

“Sometime right before Christmas we were zeroing in on him being in or going to Pennsylvania,” the source told CNN.

An FBI surveillance team tracked him for four days before his arrest while law enforcement worked with prosecutors to develop enough probable cause to obtain a warrant, the two law enforcement sources said.

Genetic genealogy techniques were used to connect Kohberger to unidentified DNA evidence, another source with knowledge of the case tells CNN. The DNA was run through a public database to find potential family member matches, and subsequent investigative work by law enforcement led to him as the suspect, the source said.

Kohberger was arraigned Friday morning in Pennsylvania and is being held without bail, records show.

Kohberger intends to waive his extradition hearing to expedite his transport to Idaho, Monroe County Chief Public Defender Jason LaBar said in a statement to CNN on Saturday.

“Mr. Kohberger is eager to be exonerated of these charges and looks forward to resolving these matters as promptly as possible,” LaBar said.

LaBar later told CNN Kohberger arrived in Pennsylvania around December 17 to celebrate the holidays with his family.

“His father actually went out (to Idaho) and they drove home together,” LaBar said.

He said Kohberger’s white Hyundai Elantra was found at his parents’ house, where authorities apprehended him early Friday. LaBar said his client’s father, Michael, answered the door to police. Father and son were both cooperative, he said.

LaBar said he has recommended his client be psychologically tested before court proceedings.

Kohberger is in a cell alone, LaBar, said and “on 24-hour watch by the guards there to ensure his safety.”

LaBar said the extradition hearing is a “formality proceeding.” He said all the Commonwealth needs to prove is that his client resembles or is the person on the arrest warrant and that he was in the area at the time of the crime.

LaBar said he spoke to Kohberger for around an hour Friday evening, discussing where he was at the time of the killings. “Knowing of course that it’s likely they have location data from his cell phone already putting him on the border of Washington and Idaho,” LaBar told CNN, “it was an easy decision obviously, since he doesn’t contest that he is Bryan Kohberger.”

Kohberger is “shocked a little bit,” LaBar said.

LaBar added, “We don’t really know much about the case. I don’t have any affidavit or probable cause. I didn’t want to discuss the case with him because I’m merely his representation for this procedural issue as to whether or not he wants to be extradited back to Idaho.”

Even with a suspect charged, law enforcement’s work is far from over, prosecutors said.

“This is not the end of this investigation. In fact, this is a new beginning,” Thompson said Friday night.

Thompson urged people to continue submitting tips, asking anyone with information about the suspect “to come forward, call the tip line, report anything you know about him to help the investigators.”

Since the killings of the four students – Kaylee Goncalves, 21; Madison Mogen, 21; Xana Kernodle, 20; and Ethan Chapin, 20 some community members have grown frustrated as investigators have yet to offer a thorough narrative of how the night unfolded. Authorities have released limited details, including the victims’ activities leading up to the attacks and people they have ruled out as suspects.

Fry told reporters Friday state law limits what information authorities can release before Kohberger makes an initial appearance in Idaho court. The probable cause affidavit – which details the factual basis of Kohberger’s charges – is sealed until the suspect is physically in Latah County, Idaho, and has been served with the Idaho arrest warrant, Thompson said.

Kohberger is a resident of Pullman, Washington, a city just about nine miles from the site of the killings, authorities said. His apartment and office on the Washington State University’s Pullman campus were searched by law enforcement Friday morning, the university confirmed in a statement.

In June 2022, he finished graduate studies at DeSales University, where he also was an undergraduate, according to a statement on the school’s website. He also got an associate degree from Northampton Community College in 2018, the college confirmed to CNN.

LaBar called Kohberger “very intelligent.”

The attorney said he spoke with Kohberger’s family Friday night for 15 to 20 minutes.

“They’re also very shocked,” he said. “Out of character for Bryan… The FBI, local police, Idaho State Troopers were at their house at approximately 3 a. m. yesterday knocking on the door and announcing themselves to enter, out of real shock and awe to them.”

In a Reddit post removed after Kohberger’s arrest was announced, a student investigator named Bryan Kohberger who was associated with a DeSales University study sought participation in a research project “to understand how emotions and psychological traits influence decision-making when committing a crime.”

“In particular, this study seeks to understand the story behind your most recent criminal offense, with an emphasis on your thoughts and feelings throughout your experience,” the post said.

CNN reached one of the principal investigators of the study, a professor at DeSales University, but they declined to comment on the matter. The university has not responded to requests for comment.