explainer

What is red tide? Inside the toxic phenomenon destroying Florida’s marine life

What is red tide? Inside the toxic phenomenon destroying Florida’s marine life

Florida is experiencing its most toxic red tide in more than a decade, decimating at least 120 miles of its Gulf of Mexico coast since November 2017.

According to officials with the Florida Department of Environmental Protection, thousands of dead marine animals have been found washing up on the state’s beaches.

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What is rhabdomyolysis? Workout, rare condition sends teen to hospital

What is rhabdomyolysis? Workout, rare condition sends teen to hospital

Seventeen-year-old Jared Shamburger of Houston thought his post-workout soreness after a 90-minute weightlifting session was nothing out of the ordinary at first. Then he was hospitalized for five days.

According to KTRK, Shamburger had recently joined a gym to work out with his older brother and dad, both of whom had been lifting weights for years. But after last week’s lengthy workout left him sore, swollen and hospitalized, the teen was diagnosed with a rare condition known as rhabdomyolysis — or rhabdo.

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What does it mean to be pansexual? Singer Janelle Monae speaks out about sexuality

What does it mean to be pansexual? Singer Janelle Monae speaks out about sexuality

In an exclusive interview with Rolling Stone, Grammy-nominated singer Janelle Monae addressed her sexuality, a subject that’s long been speculated under the limelight.

Monae spoke to the magazine about being in relationships with men and women and said that while she initially identified as bisexual, after learning about pansexuality, she realized she identifies with it as well.

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What is K2? Synthetic marijuana causing bleeding from eyes and ears

What is K2? Synthetic marijuana causing bleeding from eyes and ears

Since March 7, 22 people in Illinois have experienced severe bleeding from their eyes and ears after using a synthetic cannabinoid also known as K2 or spice, according to the Chicago Tribune.

“Despite the perception that synthetic cannabinoids are safe and a legal alternative to marijuana, many are illegal and can cause severe illness,”Nirav D. Shah, director of the Illinois Department of Public Health , said in a statement Tuesday. “The recent cases of severe bleeding are evidence of the harm synthetic cannabinoids can cause.”

Read the full story at AJC.com.

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Who are the Rohingya Muslims? 7 things to know about the ‘world’s most persecuted minority’

Who are the Rohingya Muslims? 7 things to know about the ‘world’s most persecuted minority’

Since last August, more than 700,000 Rohingya refugees have fled a brutal military crackdown in the Buddhist majority country of Myanmar, where they are denied citizenship and reportedly face an array of human rights abuses, to seek refuge in Bangladesh.

And many other Rohingya refugees were turned away, leaving thousands stranded at sea.

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Was the Las Vegas gunman a terrorist? Under Nevada law, possibly. Under federal law? Not exactly.

Was the Las Vegas gunman a terrorist? Under Nevada law, possibly. Under federal law? Not exactly.

On Sunday night, a gunman from Mesquite, Nevada, opened fire at a crowd of more than 20,000 country music fans in Las Vegas, killing at least 59 and leaving more than 527 with injuries.

When asked if authorities believed the massacre to be an act of terrorism, Clark County Sheriff Joe Lombardo said, “No, not at this point. We believe it was a local individual. He resides here locally. .… We don’t know what his belief system was at this time.”

Read the full story at AJC.com.

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