Man diagnosed with incurable disease tied to increasingly popular kitchen trend
Massachusetts health officials announced Tuesday that the state has confirmed its first case of an incurable lung disease linked to exposure to certain countertop stones.
The disease is particularly associated with quartz, which has become increasingly popular in recent years for its practicality and aesthetic, according to health officials.
The Massachusetts Department of Public Health (DPH) said a 40-year-old man, who has worked in the stone countertop industry for 14 years, was recently diagnosed with silicosis, a condition that can cause death.
“The confirmation of this case in Massachusetts is a tragic reminder that silicosis is not just a distant threat. It is here, and it is seriously impacting the health of workers in Massachusetts,” Emily H. Sparer-Fine, a director at DPH, said in a statement.
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The unnamed patient reportedly performed activities such as cutting, grinding and polishing, which can generate crystalline silica dust. When inhaled, this dust scars lung tissue and can lead to silicosis, DPH said.
The disease is preventable but irreversible and progressive, officials said. Symptoms include a persistent cough, shortness of breath, fatigue and chest pain. Because there is often a long latency period between exposure and symptom onset, diagnoses are frequently delayed, according to DPH.
As the disease progresses, it can result in serious complications, including lung cancer, tuberculosis and even death, the department added.
Officials added that “most cases of silicosis are work-related – it is very rare for silicosis to occur outside of workplace exposure.”
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Officials said the risk exists when handling natural stones, such as granite, but is especially high when working with engineered stone, such as quartz. While natural granite typically contains less than 45% silica, engineered stone can contain more than 90%, DPH reported.
“In recent years, the disease has become more prevalent among stone fabrication workers due to the rise in popularity of countertops made from engineered stone (also known as quartz or artificial stone),” DPH reported.
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The department noted that, while this is the first confirmed case in Massachusetts within this industry, more cases are expected due to the disease’s long latency period and the rising popularity of engineered stone.
Other states have also reported cases of silicosis. In a 2023 study, California researchers identified 52 quartz countertop workers with silicosis. Twenty of them had advanced disease and 10 died.
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Despite the disease’s potential severity, there has not been an outright ban on quartz in U.S. kitchens. By contrast, all work involving engineered stone has already been banned in Australia due to the severe risks it poses to workers. Other countries are also pushing for more regulations.
The DPH emphasizes that silicosis is “absolutely preventable” through proper workplace controls. The alert urges employers in the stone countertop fabrication industry to implement effective safety measures, such as wet cutting and proper ventilation, to minimize silica exposure and protect workers.
“Silicosis is a devastating, life-altering disease and one that is also absolutely preventable,” Public Health Commissioner Robbie Goldstein said in a statement.
Michigan coach lands in jail hours after firing over ‘inappropriate relationship’
Fired Michigan Wolverines head football coach Sherrone Moore was booked into jail on Wednesday night after the school’s athletic director dismissed him for having an “inappropriate relationship” with a staffer.
Moore, 39, was in Washtenaw County Jail in Michigan, Fox News Digital confirmed. No charges were listed.
Pittsfield police said they responded to a home as part of an assault investigation. Police said a suspect was taken into custody and that the incident does not appear to be random in nature. Police said the suspect was lodged in the Washtenaw County Jail pending review of charges by the Washtenaw County prosecutor.
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Police said the investigation was ongoing.
Earlier in the day, Moore was dismissed by the program. Michigan athletic director Warde Manuel said in a statement that “credible evidence was found that Coach Moore engaged in an inappropriate relationship with a staff member.”
“The conduct constitutes a clear violation of University policy, and U-M maintains zero tolerance for such behavior,” Manuel added.
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Following the news of the police investigation, the University of Michigan Athletic Department told Fox News Digital it “cannot comment on personnel matters” and had “nothing to share beyond the initial statement.”
Francis Xavier “Biff” Poggi was named the interim head coach and will be on the sidelines when Michigan takes on Texas in the Citrus Bowl on Dec. 31. Earlier this season, Poggi took over for Moore in two games as the head coach served a suspension for his role in a sign-stealing scandal.
Moore is married to his wife, Kelli. The two wed in 2015 and have three daughters together.
He took over as the team’s head coach in 2024 when Jim Harbaugh left for the Los Angeles Chargers job. The Wolverines were 8-5 in his first season and won the ReliaQuest Bowl.
This season, the Wolverines improved to 9-3, but lost to the Ohio State Buckeyes.
Moore has not yet commented on his dismissal.
Before he became head coach at Michigan, he was the team’s tight ends coach from 2018 to 2020 and three years as the offensive line coach from 2021-2023. He was the team’s offensive coordinator 2023 and served one game as a head coach when Harbaugh was suspended.
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He was a part of the coaching staff when the team won the national championship.
13 Republicans defy GOP leaders, advance bill reversing Trump union order
Thirteen House Republicans joined Democrats in advancing a bill to reverse President Donald Trump‘s executive order cracking down on federal worker unions on Wednesday evening.
The bill was led by Rep. Jared Golden, D-Maine, who forced a vote on the measure via a mechanism called a discharge petition. It’s designed to force a vote on legislation over the wishes of leadership provided it gets support from a majority of House lawmakers.
A motion to proceed with debate and a vote on the final bill passed the House in a 222-200 vote. All 209 voting Democrats voted with 13 Republicans to advance the bill, which is now headed for another House-wide procedural hurdle Thursday.
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If it survives a House “rule vote,” the final vote to pass the repeal will also take place Thursday.
The Republicans who voted to advance the legislation were Jeff Van Drew, R-N.J., Nicole Malliotakis, R-N.Y., Nick LaLota, R-N.Y., Brian Fitzpatrick, R-Pa., Rob Bresnahan, R-Pa., Don Bacon, R-Neb., Mike Lawler, R-N.Y., Tom Kean, R-N.J., Ryan Mackenzie, R-Pa., Zach Nunn, R-Iowa, Chris Smith, R-N.J., Pete Stauber, R-Minn., and Mike Turner, R-Ohio.
Five House Republicans had signed onto Golden’s petition along with 213 Democrats — Fitzpatrick, Bresnahan, Bacon, Lawler, and LaLota.
Golden’s bill is called the Protect America’s Workforce Act and is aimed at repealing a March 2025 executive order by Trump.
Trump’s order blocked collective bargaining with unions at an array of federal agencies, including parts of the departments of Defense, State, Veterans Affairs, Justice and Energy.
It also affected workers at the departments of Homeland Security (DHS), Treasury, Health and Human Services (HHS), Interior and Agriculture.
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Successful discharge petitions are rare in the House, with most lawmakers in the majority party generally wary of being in open defiance of their party leaders.
But most of the Republicans who backed Golden’s measure are expected to either face at least somewhat tough re-election bids or have districts located in blue states where bipartisanship is expected on certain key issues.
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Discharge petitions have also become a more frequent exercise in the House this year, with the GOP grappling with a razor-thin majority that only allows Republicans to lose two votes on any party-line measure.
Republicans like Lawler, LaLota, Malliotakis and others have also been supported by unions.
The legislation will now be debated in the House before a final vote. It must then be taken up and approved in the Senate and head to Trump’s desk for his signature to be enacted.
Actress Wendy Davis struck and killed by vehicle in Manhattan theater district at 60
“The Marvelous Mrs. Maisel” actress Wendy Davis died Monday after a car crash. She was 60.
According to authorities, the actress, who went by the stage name Wenne Alton Davis, was struck by a vehicle while crossing the street around 9 p.m. Monday at the intersection of West 53rd Street and Broadway in New York.
Davis suffered severe trauma to her head and body as a result of the collision and was transferred to Mount Sinai West Hospital. She was pronounced dead.
The driver of the 2023 Cadillac XT6 was a 61-year-old male who stayed behind after the accident. As of Wednesday, he faces no charges no arrest has been made and an investigation by the NYPD Highway District Collision Investigation Squad remains ongoing.
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Her manager, Jamie Harris, told The New York Times Davis moved to New York in her 20s, originally to pursue stand-up comedy, before transitioning to acting, even working at John F. Kennedy International Airport to support herself while trying to break into the entertainment industry.
“She had a huge love for New York, for acting, for her colleagues at JFK and, most of all, her family and her circle of friends (which was also huge),” Harris told The New York Times.
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In addition to playing a police officer in a 2023 episode of “The Marvelous Mrs. Maisel,” Davis also appeared in “Girls5eva,” “Blindspot,” “New Amsterdam” and “The Normal Heart.”
When speaking with the Daily News, Davis’ neighbor, Edward Reynoso, shared that, just hours before her death, Davis told him, “I love you, I appreciate you.”
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“It was so weird to me because I felt like she was saying goodbye,” Reynoso said. “Now that this happened, it all seems so odd to me.”
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Machado returns to public view after months in hiding following disputed election
Venezuelan opposition leader María Corina Machado appeared in public Thursday for the first time in 11 months in Norway as her daughter accepted the Nobel Peace Prize award on her behalf.
Machado had been in hiding since Jan. 9, when she was briefly detained after joining supporters in Venezuela’s capital, Caracas. Her recognition came after mounting a peaceful challenge to Venezuelan President Nicolás Maduro’s government.
The crowd chanted, “Freedom!” as Machado stepped onto the hotel balcony in Oslo, Norway, and waved to her supporters before joining them in singing Venezuela’s national anthem.
In an audio recording of a phone call published on the Nobel website, Machado said she wouldn’t be able to arrive to Oslo in time for the award ceremony, but that many people had “risked their lives” to get her there.
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“I am very grateful to them, and this is a measure of what this recognition means to the Venezuelan people,” she said.
Her daughter, Ana Corina Sosa, accepted the Nobel Prize in her place, saying that her mother “wants to live in a free Venezuela” and “will never give up on that purpose.”
“That is why we all know, and I know, that she will be back in Venezuela very soon,” Sosa added.
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Outside the hotel, Machado interacted and hugged people in the crowd, as they snapped pictures and sprinkled her with chants of “President! President!”
“I want you all back in Venezuela,” Machado said.
Machado’s appearance came after President Donald Trump on Wednesday announced the U.S. seized a Venezuelan oil tanker, a move that could further strain relations with Maduro’s government, which already is subject to extensive U.S. sanctions targeting the country’s oil sector.
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Since September, U.S. military strikes have targeted alleged narcotraffickers near Venezuela at least 22 times, killing 87 people. Trump has also recently said Maduro’s “days are numbered” and refused to rule out a ground operation in Venezuela.
Steve Yates, senior research fellow for China and national security policy at The Heritage Foundation, said on “Fox News @ Night” on Wednesday that Machado’s visit overseas was an opportunity to get “greater international support” for her cause, adding that Trump might benefit from having more of America’s allies in Europe support a “non-invasion” approach.
The Venezuelan opposition leader has previously been outspoken in her support for the Trump administration’s actions against Maduro’s regime and the country’s narcotrafficking network.
After the award was announced in October, the newly minted Nobel Peace Prize winner dedicated the award to both Trump and the “suffering people of Venezuela.”
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Machado said during a “Fox & Friends Weekend” interview last month that Venezuela was standing at the “threshold of freedom,” highlighting her new “freedom manifesto” that envisions a future without the Maduro regime.
Trump unfazed as bathroom blunder interrupts Air Force One briefing with reporters
Turns out the most aggressive follow-up question aboard Air Force One came from the lavatory door.
A mid-flight press gaggle aboard Air Force One turned unexpectedly chaotic — and instantly viral — on Tuesday when a bathroom door behind President Donald Trump suddenly swung open and bumped him mid-sentence, prompting the president to stop, turn and deadpan, “Hello. Somebody’s in there. Come on out!”
The press corps burst into laughter, briefly drowning out the briefing as the unidentified occupant yanked the door shut and refused to emerge again.
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Trump had been responding to a question just moments after teasing a reporter wielding a boom mic.
“You’re gonna have to take it easy with that thing. It’s a government plane, but I’d like to take care of it.”
Before he could continue, the lavatory door popped open at just the wrong moment. A startled, unidentified staffer bumped the president’s shoulder and slammed the door so quickly it nearly jammed.
Trump smirked before knocking on the lavatory door and saying, “Hello. Somebody’s in there. Come on out!”
The staffer stayed inside for the rest of the briefing.
Once the room regained composure, Trump shifted straight back to policy, picking up a question on health savings accounts and health insurance reform as if nothing had happened.
“I don’t want to give the insurance companies any money,” he said. “They’ve been ripping off the public for years. Obamacare.”
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The tonal whiplash of slapstick interruption followed by hard policy only seemed to amplify the comedic moment, with White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt visible in the background of the pool shot trying to lure the mystery stowaway out of the lavatory.
Leavitt was seen giggling with a Secret Service agent moments later.
Air Force One gaggles are typically high-stakes exchanges in tight quarters, and unpredictable mishaps aren’t unheard of. It is rare for a bathroom door, however, to become the star of the show over a presidential response.
Despite the disruption, Trump continued taking questions as the mystery staffer remained hidden in the lavatory. The White House did not immediately respond to Fox News Digital’s request to identify the individual.
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The brief but memorable incident now joins the running list of unscripted moments aboard the nation’s most famous aircraft.
The White House did not immediately respond to Fox News Digital’s request for comment.
Trump administration creates new militarized zone in Southern California
The Trump administration announced Wednesday plans to establish a new militarized zone along the U.S.–Mexico border in California.
The Department of the Interior said roughly 760 acres in San Diego and Imperial Counties will be placed under Navy jurisdiction to “strengthen ongoing border security operations.”
Adding the installation will effectively allow federal personnel to detain suspected illegal immigrants for trespassing on U.S. territory.
The department described the National Defense Area as a high-traffic corridor for illegal crossings. The zone will reportedly stretch from the western boundary of the Otay Mountain Wilderness Area to about one mile west of the California–Arizona state line, with Navy control set for three years.
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Interior Secretary Doug Burgum said the move directly advances what President Donald Trump has identified as his top national priorities.
“President Trump has made it clear that securing our border and restoring American sovereignty are top national priorities,” Burgum said. “This action delivers on that commitment. By working with the Navy to close long-standing security gaps, we are strengthening national defense, protecting our public lands from unlawful use, and advancing the President’s agenda to put the safety and security of the American people first.”
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The Department added that the corridor’s heavy traffic of illegal crossings has contributed to both “significant national security challenges” and environmental degradation. Militarizing the area will reportedly “enhance border operations while minimizing ecological damage” associated with sustained illegal activity.
The Interior Department said it coordinated the move with the Navy to ensure it is lawful and consistent with the land’s original purpose — having been reserved in 1907 by President Theodore Roosevelt for border protection.
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In recent months, the administration has established several national defense areas, including sites in Texas, Arizona and New Mexico. The moves were made to aggressively expand military authority along the southern border, including deploying federal troops and expanding rules to crack down on illegal migration, border security and overall crime.
Fox News Digital reached out to the Department of Interior and the Navy for more information.
Gruesome discovery near iconic boardwalk leaves investigators hunting for answers
A human skull and other remains were discovered in the bushes this week at Coney Island in Brooklyn, according to authorities.
The skull was found off Riegelmann Boardwalk between W. 32 Street and W. 33rd Street shortly before 6 p.m. on Tuesday, ABC 7 reported.
The New York City Police Department was investigating the discovery when additional remains were located at the spot on Wednesday, according to the report.
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Officers pulled human arms, legs and other bones from the heavy brush.
However, some of the person’s body parts remain unaccounted for.
Investigators said the remains had been in the bushes for a while.
The Medical Examiner has not yet released the person’s cause of death.
The person has not yet been identified.
The discovery of the body parts remains under investigation.
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One resident who spoke to Fox News Digital called the discovery “spooky” and “unsettling.”
“It is crazy, hopefully it doesn’t happen again,” another resident said.
Taylor Swift tells critics who want her to ‘go away’ that she doesn’t want to
Taylor Swift has a simple response to critics who tell her it’s time to step out of the spotlight.
During her Wednesday appearance on “The Late Show with Stephen Colbert,” the 35-year-old singer spoke about the people she can turn to for advice in the industry, saying one of the things she “look[s] up to the most in people is career longevity.”
“Career longevity, friendship longevity, longevity in their relationships,” she said. “‘How do you keep a good thing going?’ I think there are certain corners of our society that really love that and look up to longevity.”
She continued: “There are also corners that are like, ‘Give someone else a turn. Can’t you just go away so that we can talk about how good you were?’ I’m like, ‘I don’t want to.'”
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Swift went on to say that there are three people she can turn to for advice, naming singer-songwriter Stevie Nicks, record producer and songwriter Max Martin and her fiancé, professional football player, Travis Kelce, noting, “I can talk to him about any of this.”
The “Anti-Hero” singer also spoke about how 2025 was “a good year” for her, saying she feels “so grateful” after getting engaged to Kelce and getting her masters back in the same year.
“Those two things that you just mentioned, getting engaged to the love of my life, getting my music back, those are two things that just never could have happened,” she told Colbert. “They could have just never happened. It wasn’t like it was a ‘Oh, it’s just a matter of time.’ Both of those things could have just never arrived in my life. I’m so grateful for both of those things happening.”
She then credited her fans as the reason she was able to get her masters back.
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Kelce and Swift announced their engagement on Instagram in August, sharing a joint post that featured Kelce on one knee as the two of them were surrounded by flowers, with the caption, “Your English teacher and your gym teacher are getting married 🧨.”
The two began dating after he attended one of her stops during the Eras Tour and later went on his podcast, “New Heights,” to share how disappointed he was not to have met her following the concert.
The Eras Tour was a massive undertaking for Swift. It spanned nearly two years, beginning in March 2023 and concluding in December 2024, during which she traveled to five continents and performed 149 shows, each of which was three hours long.
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The singer also revealed that she had the stomach flu ‘multiple times’ during the Eras Tour, and performed despite not feeling well.
“My goal was like, never let them know you have the stomach flu,” Swift said.
Swift explained she felt like a “flickering lightbulb” at the end of every show, and had a very specific routine in place to wind down.
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“I’ll go back to the hotel, get out of the costume, into the bath. Immediately into the bath, mermaid time. And then I get, like, the most amount of room service possible,” she said. “My kind of profession is coming up with ideas for stuff, so if I can kind of turn off the ideas for a second, very exciting.”
Part of turning off the ideas part of her brain involves true crime, with the singer also noting, “I’ll put on my Dateline.” She also admitted to listening to audiobooks, which usually involve a mysterious love story, murder plot or ghosts, or characters who turn out not to be who they initially seem to be.
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