The call of the wild is getting harder to hear. Peaceful, natural sounds — bird songs, rushing rivers and rustling grass — are sometimes being drowned out by noise from people in many of America’s protected parks and wilderness areas, a new study finds. Scientists measured sound levels at 492 places — from city parks to remote federal wilderness. They calculated that in nearly two-thirds of the Lower 48’s parks, the noise can at times be twice the natural background level because of airplanes, cars, logging, mining and oil and gas drilling. That increase can harm wildlife, making it harder for them to find food or mates, and make it harder for people to hear those natural sounds, the researchers said. Colorado State University biologist George Wittemyer said people hear only half the sounds that they would in natural silence. “They’re being drowned out,” said Wittemyer, a co-author of the research. In about 1 in five public lands, there’s a tenfold increase in noise pollution, according to the study in Thursday’s journal Science . “It’s something that’s sort of happening slowly,” Wittemyer said. Sounds are crucial Except for city parks, though, the researchers are not talking about sound levels that people would consider unusually loud. Even the tenfold increases they write about are often the equivalent of changing from the quiet of a rural area to a still pretty silent library. But that difference masks a lot of sounds that are crucial, especially to birds seeking mates and animals trying …
Scientists Propose More Precise Way to Measure Greenhouse Gas Effects
Researchers from Harvard University, Princeton University and the Environmental Defense Fund proposed a new, more precise way to measure the effects of greenhouse gas emissions on Earth’s climate in an article published on Thursday in the academic journal Science. The proposal would create a two-digit measurement system the scientists likened to blood pressure readings in medicine, which show the pressure on blood vessels both during heartbeats and in between them. It would help scientists and policymakers account for the fact that some greenhouse gases last longer than others in the atmosphere. “Different gases have widely different lifetimes in the atmosphere after emission and affect the climate in different ways over widely different time scales,” said co-author Michael Oppenheimer, a geosciences professor at Princeton. The system would show the effects of greenhouse emissions on a 20-year scale and a 100-year scale. Having a measurement that shows both numbers, the scientists argued, would let governments and other institutions trying to reduce greenhouse gas emissions and slow global warming decide which policies would be best in the short term and which should be adopted over the long term. Opposing groups’ methods It would also help in disputes between opposing advocacy groups. For example, according to the researchers, advocates for using natural gas as an energy source base their arguments on a 100-year timescale. But their opponents, activists lobbying against natural gas, use a 20-year time scale to show the effects of burning natural gas on the climate. An overwhelming majority of scientists believe …
Trump Tax Plan a Hastily Drawn Wish List, Analyst Says
Last week, the White House unveiled what it called “the largest tax reform in U.S. history.” Gary Cohn, who heads the President’s National Economic Council said, “We’re going to cut taxes for businesses to make them competitive and we’re going to cut taxes for the American people, especially low- and middle-income families.” But analysts say to call the one page proposal a plan, may be a bit of a stretch. Policy documents from the White House usually provide pages of detail says Scott Greenberg, a tax analyst at the conservative leaning Tax Foundation. He says it’ s more of a wish list. “That being said, it opens a window onto what the administration’s main priorities are,” he said. Aside from simplifying the nation’s notoriously complicated tax forms, the plan includes doubling the current standard deductions. For individual tax filers, that means zero taxes on the first $12,000 of income, and for couples filing jointly, no taxes on the first $24,000. According to Greenberg, “We estimated that the average household making between the 40th and 60th income percentile, so households right in the middle would be about 1.3 percent richer as a direct result of the various tax cuts.” But the Tax Foundation’s estimates show wealthier Americans would enjoy much larger gains, up to 16 percent more of their after tax income. William Gale, a senior fellow in Economic Studies at the Brookings Institution says, “It’s basically a massive tax cut for the very highest income households.” While Trump’s tax …
ГПУ очікує рішення щодо можливої видачі Каськова Україні менш ніж за півроку – Єнін
Заступник Генерального прокурора України Євген Єнін заявив, що очікує протягом 1,5 місяця рішення суду у Панамі щодо можливого відновлення процедури екстрадиційної перевірки у справі колишнього голови Державного агентства з питань залучення інвестицій Владислава Каськова. Про це він сказав в ефірі «5 каналу». «Після того, як перевірку буде відновлено, протягом 2-3 місяців панамська влада обіцяє нам остаточне рішення з цього питання (видача Каськова Україні – ред.)», – зазначив Єнін. Наприкінці березня він повідомляв про відмову у політичному притулку Владиславові Каськову з боку панамської влади. Восени минулого року стало відомо про затримання Каськова в Панамі. Владислав Каськів обіймав посаду голови Держагентства з інвестицій та управління національними проектами України у 2010–2014 роках. Наприкінці березня 2016 року його оголосили в розшук. За даними ГПУ, Каськів розшукується за злочини, передбачені статтями Кримінального кодексу України «заволодіння чужим майном шляхом зловживання особою своїм службовим становищем, вчинене за попередньою змовою групою осіб, у особливо великих розмірах» і «службове підроблення, що спричинило тяжкі наслідки». Як заявляв міністр внутрішніх справ Арсен Аваков, Каськів вивів із України 255 мільйонів гривень. …
‘Exercise Without Workout’ Pill Being Tested
Pill Could Help People Who Can’t Exercise …
У Кривому Розі шахтарі, які не виходили із забою, вимагаючи підвищення зарплати, піднялись на поверхню – профспілка
У Кривому Розі працівники двох шахт ПАТ «Криворізький залізорудний комбінат» – «Батьківщина» та «Тернівська», які не виходили із забою, вимагаючи підвищення зарплати, після переговорів з керівництвом підприємства піднялись на поверхню. Про це Радіо Свобода повідомив голова міської організації Незалежної профспілки гірників України Юрій Самойлов. За його даними, генеральний директор підприємства Федір Караманиць особисто спілкувався з шахтарями, які не виходили із забою і проводили під землею збори трудових колективів. Як поінформував Юрій Самойлов, переговори завершились домовленостями щодо поетапного збільшення заробітної плати на підприємстві, починаючи з травня. «Від травня планується підвищення заробітної плати на 20%, з серпня – ще на 30%. Також планується поступове підвищення середньої зарплати до 25 тисяч гривень для основних категорій професій. З 11 травня збереться робоча група за участі представників трудових колективів та адміністрації підприємства для розроблення графіку підвищення заробітної плати. Єдине, оскільки це стихійна акція, тому частина шахт уже провела переговори, а частина ще в процесі», – сказав Юрій Самойлов. За словами гірників шахти «Тернівська», з якими вдалось поспілкуватись Радіо Свобода, працівники нічної зміни вже вийшли на поверхню, робота шахти впродовж дня не зупинялась. «Робота жодної з шахт сьогодні не припинялась, гірники відчувають свою відповідальність за робочий процес. Водночас трудові колективи залишають за собою право у випадку не знаходження порозуміння з адміністрацією провести повторні збори на робочих місцях», – сказали шахтарі. На Криворізькому залізорудному комбінаті Радіо Свобода підтвердили сам факт переговорів з робітниками, однак докладних коментарів поки не надали. У четвер в Кривому Розі після нічної зміни не вийшли на поверхню близько 400 працівників чотирьох шах ПАТ …
Tillerson Meets ASEAN Ministers to Seek Support on North Korea
U.S. Secretary of State Rex Tillerson met Southeast Asian foreign ministers on Thursday to seek their support in pressing North Korea to give up its nuclear and missile programs. Tillerson’s first meeting with all members of the 10-nation Association of Southeast Asian Nations will also address another pressing regional issue – China’s assertive pursuit of territory in the South China Sea, where several ASEAN members have competing claims. Tillerson told reporters at the start of the Washington meeting that he and his counterparts would discuss North Korea. Last week in the U.N. Security Council, Tillerson called on all U.N. members to fully implement U.N. sanctions on Pyongyang, which has ignored demands to abandon its weapons programs and is working to develop a nuclear-tipped missile capable of reaching the United States. He also called on countries to suspend or downgrade diplomatic ties with Pyongyang, saying it abuses diplomatic privileges to help fund the arms programs. Tillerson warned countries that if they did not do so, Washington would sanction foreign firms and people conducting business with North Korea. All ASEAN members have diplomatic relations with North Korea and five have embassies there. The Trump administration wants Southeast Asian countries to crack down on money laundering and smuggling involving North Korea and restrict legal business too, U.S. officials said. The administration has been working to persuade China, North Korea’s neighbor and only major ally, to increase pressure on Pyongyang. U.S. officials say they are also asking China to use its influence with more …
ГПУ сподівається рішення американського суду щодо Лазаренка до кінця року – Єнін
Заступник Генпрокурора України Євген Єнін сподівається до кінця року на завершення суду у США щодо колишнього прем’єр-міністра Павла Лазаренка. Про це він повідомив в ефірі «5 каналу» ввечері 4 травня. «До кінця цього року ми очікуємо рішення американського суду в справі Лазаренка, після цього ми розпочинаємо переговорний процес з американцями щодо повернення (активів – ред.)», – зазначив Єнін. За його словами, кошти можуть бути повернуті України за півроку-рік після вироку. Павло Лазаренко втік із України 1999 року і врешті опинився у США, де без успіху домагався притулку й натомість був засуджений більш ніж на вісім років позбавлення волі, значного штрафу і конфіскації майна за звинуваченнями, пов’язаними з відмиванням коштів. 2012 року він вийшов на волю після закінчення терміну і, за повідомленнями, отримав право на мешкання у США, де й живе з родиною – другою дружиною, своєю колишньою перекладачкою на судах у США, і їхніми трьома дітьми. Тим часом правоохоронні органи США далі продовжують з’ясовувати подробиці щодо відмитих ним коштів. …
NASA Video Reveals Cassini Ring Plunge
NASA has released stunning video taken by the Cassini space probe as it took the first of its “grand finale” dives between Saturn and its rings. The images were taken April 26 as Cassini made a southerly pass over Saturn. It captures the vortex on the planet’s north pole and continues to the hexagonal jet stream. “I was surprised to see so many sharp edges along the hexagon’s outer boundary and the eye-wall of the polar vortex,” said Kunio Sayanagi, an associate of the Cassini imaging team based at Hampton University in Virginia, who helped produce the new movie. “Something must be keeping different latitudes from mixing to maintain those edges,” he said. During the plunge, Cassini dropped from 72,400 kilometers to 6,700 kilometers above the clouds. The Cassini probe was launched in 1997 and arrived at Saturn in 2004. Some mission highlights include the possible discovery of an ocean and hydrothermal activity on the moon Enceladus as well as liquid methane seas on Titan, another icy Saturn moon. Its mission is scheduled to end in September as the probe dives into Saturn’s thick atmosphere where it will burn up. …
EU Accepts Amazon’s e-book Commitments
The European Union’s competition watchdog says it accepts commitments made by online giant Amazon to change part of its e-book contracts to avoid fines for anti-competitive behavior. Amazon has promised not to enforce any contract clause that might oblige other publishers to offer it similar terms and conditions as those offered to competitors. The EU Commission said Thursday that it has made the commitments legally binding. Amazon could be fined 10 percent of annual turnover if it reneges over the next five years. EU Competition Commissioner Margrethe Vestager said the “decision will open the way for publishers and competitors to develop innovative services for e-books, increasing choice and competition to the benefit of European consumers.” The Commission says Europe’s e-books market is worth more than 1 billion euros ($1.1 billion). …
Eurozone Economy Growing at ‘Fastest Rate in 6 Years’
A closely watched survey indicates that economic growth across the 19-country eurozone struck a 6-year high in April. Financial information company IHS Markit says Thursday that its purchasing managers’ composite output index — a broad gauge of economic activity — rose to 56.8 in April from 56.4 the previous month. The reading was at its highest level since April 2011. Anything above 50 indicates expansion. Chris Williamson, the firm’s chief business economist, said the survey portrays “an economy that is growing at an encouragingly robust pace and that risks are moving from the downside to a more balanced situation.” He said it’s consistent with quarterly growth of 0.7 percent. On Wednesday, figures showed the eurozone grew by 0.5 percent in the first quarter. …
Trump Chooses Expert on Addiction to Lead Mental Health Agency
President Donald Trump’s pick to marshal the government’s response to the opioid epidemic and assist people with mental illness doesn’t quite fit the mold of some of his other nominees. Psychiatrist Elinore McCance-Katz isn’t an outsider bent on disrupting the system. Instead, she’s an academic expert on addiction with extensive state government and federal experience, and a reputation for relying on science. She spent time at the federal Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration, the agency she has been nominated to lead. The strongest opposition to her nomination isn’t coming from Democrats and advocacy groups, but from a Republican who says she’s been part of the problem. Helped draft action plan McCance-Katz, 60, now serves as chief medical officer for the Rhode Island agency responsible for substance abuse and mental health services. She was on a task force that produced a nationally recognized opioid action plan for the state. After a stint at SAMHSA during the Obama administration, McCance-Katz penned an article last year strongly critical of the federal agency, alleging “hostility toward psychiatric medicine” and failure to address the treatment needs of mentally ill people. That may have caught the eye of the White House, along with a post-election piece that cast Trump’s victory as positive change for people with mental illness. Now the president wants to send McCance-Katz back to SAMHSA. Coordinating 112 programs Congress recently elevated the job of agency director to a new position with the higher rank of …
Scientists Track Beetles to Stop a Plant Plague
Modern agriculture is feeding more people more cheaply than ever, with large-scale farms that grow just one or a few crops. But there are risks in this way of feeding the world. A new book explores how large-scale agriculture invites large-scale attacks of pests and diseases. VOA’s Steve Baragona met the author, who is enlisting the public to try to stay ahead of the next crop plague. …
‘Mr. Trash Wheel’ Gobbles up Garbage
An unusual machine working in Baltimore, with more than 20,000 followers on Facebook and Twitter, has just celebrated its third birthday. Imaginatively named “Mr. Trash Wheel,” this hybrid-powered contraption is responsible for preventing the city’s trash from reaching its inner harbor. VOA’s George Putic reports. …
Plan to Trim Brazil’s Social Security Clears Hurdle
President Michel Temer’s proposal to reform Brazil’s costly social security system cleared a committee vote Wednesday, but the measure, deeply unpopular with voters, faces an uphill battle in the full Congress. The committee voted 23-14 to approve the constitutional amendment, which would make Brazilians work longer and reduce pension benefits to plug a widening budget deficit at the root of the country’s worst recession. Temer spokesman Alexandre Parola told reporters the vote numbers showed that “Brazilian society recognizes the urgent need for reforming the social security system.” Presidential aides said, however, the government was not certain it had secured the two-thirds vote needed in the full chamber to approve a bill that is crucial to Temer’s efforts to recover investor confidence and restore investment and growth. A vote in the full house planned for next week has been put back to allow the government coalition to muster the necessary 308 votes by swaying lawmakers worried about angering voters ahead of next year’s elections. A generous system Pension reform is a contentious issue in Brazil, which has one of the world’s most generous social security systems, allowing retirement on average at the age of 54 with almost full benefits, compared with 72 years in Mexico. The bill sets a minimum retirement age for the first time in Brazil, at 65 for men and 62 for women. Changes to the country’s labor laws and pension system triggered violent clashes between demonstrators and police in Brazil’s main cities Friday during the first national …
VA Official Looks to Close About 1,100 VA Buildings
Veterans Affairs Secretary David Shulkin says his department is seeking to close perhaps more than 1,100 VA facilities nationwide as it develops plans to allow more veterans to receive medical care in the private sector. At a House hearing Wednesday, Shulkin said the VA had identified more than 430 vacant buildings and 735 that he described as underutilized, costing the federal government $25 million a year. He said the VA would work with Congress in prioritizing buildings for closure and was considering whether to follow a process the Pentagon had used in recent decades to decide which of its underused military bases to shutter, known as Base Realignment and Closure, or BRAC. “Whether BRAC is a model that we should take a look, we’re beginning that discussion with members of Congress,” Shulkin told a House appropriations subcommittee. “We want to stop supporting our use of maintenance of buildings we don’t need, and we want to reinvest that in buildings we know have capital needs.” Aging buildings In an internal agency document obtained by The Associated Press, the VA pointed to aging buildings it was reviewing for possible closure that would cost millions of dollars to replace. It noted that about 57 percent of all VA facilities were more than 50 years old. Of the 431 VA buildings it said were vacant, most were built 90 or more years ago, according to agency data. The VA document did not specify the locations. While President Donald Trump’s budget blueprint calls for a …
Urban League Report Notes Gains by Blacks, Hispanics in US
African-Americans and Hispanics, the largest racial and ethnic minorities in the United States, made positive strides economically and educationally during the past year but continue to lag behind whites, a civil rights group’s annual study contends. “The theme of this year’s State of Black America report is ‘protecting our progress,’ ” National Urban League CEO Marc Morial said. In its study, released Tuesday, the league found the standard of living for African-Americans was 72.3 percent of that of whites, on average. For Hispanics, the equality index was a bit higher, at 78.4 percent. The index measures quality of life for blacks and Hispanics in terms of economics, health, education, social justice and civic engagement. Minority employment is at its highest level in almost a decade, but “any progress made towards racial equality is increasingly under threat.” Morial said. More minorities have health care at a time when efforts are underway to roll back expanding coverage, he added. Improvements in education The report indicated that African-Americans made gains in education, with a growing percentage of blacks staying in school and obtaining associate degrees. According to the report, racial disparities plague minorities in terms of social justice equality. As examples, the report noted that more blacks are jailed after being arrested than is the case with whites, and that whites posted a greater decline than blacks in their likelihood of being victims of violent crime. The study also found a troubling rise in hate crimes committed against members of religious and …
You Are Welcome Here, US Colleges Assure Overseas Students
On a trip to India, the president of Portland State University reassured prospective students they’d be safe on his campus. Purdue University sent overseas applicants a note from two mayors touting Indiana’s “friendly smiles” and hospitality. And dozens of other schools produced online videos to welcome foreign students. As U.S. colleges face new but significant declines in applications from abroad, many are rolling out marketing efforts to combat fears of harassment and concerns that President Donald Trump’s stance on immigration reflects a United States that is becoming less welcoming to foreigners. “Students are telling us that they don’t feel safe here in the United States. That they’re concerned about discrimination, racism,” said Katharine Johnson Suski, admissions director at Iowa State University. “This year it was a little more important to make sure that they felt comfortable with their decision.” Drop in overseas students expected Colleges and universities have received a financial boost in recent years from international students, who are typically charged higher tuition rates than American peers who live in state. Some schools have come to rely on revenue from foreign students, whose enrollment has climbed sharply over much of the past decade, according to federal data. But there is evidence enrollment figures at some schools could drop next fall. Nearly half the nation’s 25 largest public universities saw undergraduate applications from abroad fall or stagnate since last year, according to data colleges provided to The Associated Press in response to public records requests. Eight schools did not provide …
«Київгаз» відімкнув газопостачання 40 котельням у Києві за борги – заява
У «Київенерго» повідомили про припинення постачання газу до 40 столичних котелень, які забезпечували гарячою водою 225 об’єктів, зокрема, 189 житлових будинків, 11 шкільних і дошкільних заходів і 2 лікувальні заклади. За даними підприємства, причиною відімкнення є заборгованість «Київенерго» перед «Київгазом» за послуги транспортування газу, яка станом на 1 травня становила 199,2 мільйони гривень. «Основною причиною зростання боргів за газ є збільшення заборгованості споживачів за теплову енергію, послуги централізованого опалення й гарячого водопостачання. Станом на 1 квітня борг столиці за теплоенергію становив майже 5 мільярдів гривень. Частка боргу держави перевищила 1,4 мільярда гривень, з них 1,2 мільярда – це некомпенсовані пільги й субсидії в теплопостачанні», – йдеться у повідомленні на сайті «Київенерго». 1 травня стартувала оновлена програма нарахування субсидій. Відтепер, зокрема, на субсидії можуть претендувати люди, що живуть у садових будинках, а соціальна норма для непрацездатних людей зросте. …
Royal Caribbean Cruises Returning to New Orleans
Royal Caribbean International has announced it will resume weeklong cruises from New Orleans to the Bahamas and Mexico’s Yucatan Peninsula. News outlets report Royal Caribbean said in a news release Monday that their 2,435-passenger Vision of the Seas cruise ship will relocate in December 2018 to the Port of New Orleans after a three-year hiatus. The company announced the move as part of an overview of its 2018-2019 fleet plans. After a two-year agreement with the Port of New Orleans ended in 2014, the Miami-based company chose to end sailings from the city. The departure came despite several years of growth for the city as a cruise hub. The 915-foot ship will sail from Miami to Los Angeles before setting sail for New Orleans. …
Apple Posts Surprise Dip in iPhone Sales, Shares Fall
Apple Inc. reported a surprise fall in iPhone sales for its second quarter on Tuesday, indicating that customers may have held back purchases in anticipation of the 10th-anniversary edition of the company’s most important product later this year. Under pressure from shareholders to hand over more of its $250 billion-plus hoard of cash and investments, Apple boosted its capital return program by $50 billion, increased its share repurchase authorization by $35 billion and raised its quarterly dividend by 10.5 percent. Investors were unmoved, sending shares of the world’s most valuable listed company down 1.9 percent at $144.65 in after-hours trading. Apple sold 50.76 million iPhones in its fiscal second quarter ended April 1, down from 51.19 million a year earlier. Analysts on average had estimated iPhone sales of 52.27 million, according to financial data and analytics firm FactSet. Apple Chief Financial Officer Luca Maestri argued the decline was not as bad as it looked, given the peculiarities of how phone sales are calculated. The company reports what are called “sell-in” figures for the iPhone, a measure of how many units it sells to retailers, rather than “sell-through” figures, which measure how many phones are actually sold to consumers. Maestri said the company reduced the volume of inventory going through its retail channel by about 1.2 million units in the quarter, meaning the company sold about 52 million phones to customers on a sell-through basis. Despite the dip in unit sales, iPhone revenues rose 1.2 percent in the quarter, helped by …
Добовий режим закачування газу в українські сховища з травня зріс удвічі – «Укртрансгаз»
Україна наростила темпи заповнення газосховищ з початку травня, повідомляє речник компанії-оператора газотранспортної системи «Укртрансгаз» Максим Білявський. За даними компанії, йдеться про 42 мільйони кубометрів газу щодня, це удвічі більше, аніж раніше. «З початку поточного року в підземні сховища газу було закачано 0,6 мільярдів кубічних метрів блакитного палива, що у два рази більше за показники аналогічного періоду минулого року. Зокрема у квітні газосховища поповнились на 0,43 мільярдів кубів, що також у два рази більше за минулорічні показники. Станом на сьогоднішній день у вітчизняних ПСГ (підземні сховища газу – ред.) зберігається 8,478 мільярдів кубів блакитного палива, а закачування відбувається на п’ятьох сховищах», – йдеться у повідомленні прес-служби «Укртрансгазу». За їхньою інформацією, протягом опалювального сезону зі сховищ відібрали 6,7 мільярдів кубів газу, що 21% ніж за аналогічний період минулого року. Водночас, в «Укртрансгазі» повідомляють, що за 4 місяці зріс також транзит газу у країни Європейського союзу територією України на 23 %. …
Світовий банк надав Україні 150 мільйонів доларів кредиту
Рада виконавчих директорів Світового банку затвердила 2 травня кредит для України в розмірі 150 мільйонів доларів з метою підтримки малих і середніх підприємств, орієнтованих на експорт. Про це йдеться в повідомленні на сайті банку. «Україна має креативний і унікальний діловий потенціалом і може виробляти високоякісну конкурентоспроможну продукцію», – заявила директор Світового банку по Україні, Білорусі та Молдові Сату Кахконен. «Однак багато перешкод обмежують можливості України в експорті. Однією з них є нестача якісного фінансування. Доступ до довгострокових фінансів для малих і середніх підприємств допоможе країні збільшити експорт і сприятиме пожвавленню економічного зростання в Україні», – додала вона. Очікується, що проект під назвою «Доступ до довгострокових фінансів» здійснюватиме ТОВ «Укрексімбанк», надавши субкредити банкам, які, в свою чергу, вкладуть гроші в різні малі та середні підприємства в Україні. Ці підприємства, як повідомили в Світовому банку, будуть відібрані з огляду на їхню фінансову стабільність і потенціал. Світовий банк є одним з найбільших міжнародних партнерів України. Ця інституція надає підтримку у здійсненні енергетичних, комунальних, транспортних, соціальних проектів тощо. …
Mystery Illness Kills 12 in Liberia
Global health experts are striving to identify a mysterious illness in Liberia that has already killed 12 people. Officials with the World Health Organization in Monrovia have already ruled out Ebola, yellow fever and a regional virus called Lassa. They have sent samples to the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention in Atlanta for further tests. The illness causes fever, vomiting, diarrhea and headaches. At least 21 cases have been confirmed so far and nearly all of the victims had attended the funeral of a religious leader last month in Sinoe County. The health experts are looking for a link between the victims and food and drinks they may have consumed at the funeral. …