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At least 20 people across 17 states have been hospitalized due to severe gastrointestinal illness as more than 1,000 cases of the parasitic infection cyclosporiasis have been reported across the country, the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) reports .

The CDC and the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) are investigating several clusters of the illness in Illinois, New York, Pennsylvania and Texas, according to CNN . However, the worst-hit state so far is Michigan, with 1,251 cases reported as of July 9, the Michigan Department of Health and Human Services (MDHHS) reported . According to the Associated Press (AP), this marks the biggest cyclosporiasis outbreak in the state's history.

Cyclosporiasis is a gastrointestinal illness caused by the protozoan parasite Cyclospora cayetanensis , which can enter the body when someone consumes food or water contaminated with the parasite. It then infects the small intestines, invading epithelial cells that line the gut, causing inflammation and leading to watery and often "explosive" diarrhea, according to the CDC . Symptoms usually kick in around a week after infection and can last over a month without antibiotic treatment. While the illness can go away on its own, it is also common for symptoms to disappear for a bit and then return.

Cyclosporiasis is not usually life-threatening, but it can cause severe illness and dehydration, particularly in young children, older adults and people with compromised immune systems. In rare cases, the condition may lead to complications like biliary disease, in which the flow of bile gets blocked and impacts the liver and digestive health, according to the MDHHS .

As of July 1, there was no evidence of a single, multistate outbreak of cyclosporiasis, but the CDC is investigating several clusters. According to an email from the health agency, many of the clusters appear to be linked to Mexican-style restaurants, a chain of grocery stores and a catered event, CNN reported . The FDA is conducting trace-back investigations on white and green onions, cucumbers and cilantro, according to CNN.

Meanwhile, the MDHHS warned that, while the source of the current outbreak is still uncertain, previous Cyclospora outbreaks have been linked to contaminated fresh produce, including raspberries, basil and bagged salad.

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Cyclosporiasis cases tend to rise during the spring and summer, with May 1 to Aug. 31 considered "cyclosporiasis season," according to the CDC. However, there have been more cases than usual this year: Whereas Michigan typically reports 50 cases over a whole year, the state has seen over 1,000 cases in just a few weeks, the AP reported.

Compared with outbreaks of E. coli and Salmonella , clusters of Cyclospora are much harder to trace back to their source. This is because the parasite can reproduce sexually, meaning its genetic material is mixed up with each generation, according to Charles River Laboratories . However, Dr. Natasha Bagdasarian , Michigan's chief medical executive, told the AP that "there is clearly a linked outbreak happening right now."

To minimize your risk of becoming infected with Cyclospora , wash all fruits and vegetables thoroughly before eating them; cut away any bruised or damaged areas; and refrigerate cut, peeled or cooked produce as soon as possible, the Michigan Department of Agriculture and Rural Development recommends. If you are experiencing sudden gastrointestinal issues, health officials suggest you visit your local health care provider.

This article is for informational purposes only and is not meant to offer medical advice.

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Credit: C. Scott Brown / Android Authority

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The Galaxy Tab S12 Plus has stopped by the Bureau of Indian Standards for certification.

The tablet was also spotted on the Safety Korea database.

The listing in the Safety Korea database includes a live image of the tablet.

The latest entries into the Galaxy Tab series are on the way. Samsung will be expanding the lineup with the Galaxy Tab S12 Plus and Ultra later this year. As the company continues its progress on both tablets, the Plus has recently been spotted on a couple of certification databases. One of those listings also gives us our first look at the upcoming tablet.

Starting with the Bureau of Indian Standards (via 91mobiles ), the Galaxy Tab S12 Plus appeared with the model numbers SM-X840 and SM-X846B. The former refers to the Wi-Fi model, while the latter is for the 5G variant. This information isn’t new, as these model numbers were revealed earlier this year when the tablet was spotted on the GSMA IMEI database. However, this latest appearance serves as an indicator that the tablet is getting closer to launch.

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Two of the Milky Way's gigantic spiral arms appear to be much farther away than we realized, scientists have discovered after listening to the echoes of distant cosmic explosions. The findings could potentially force us to reconsider our galaxy's mass and maybe even its shape, researchers say.

The Milky Way is a barred spiral galaxy made up of a dense central region containing a supermassive black hole (dubbed Sagittarius A*), orbited by four major arms — the Sagitarrius arm , the Scutum-Centaurus arm, the Perseus arm and the Outer arm — that curve and stretch outward like a giant pinwheel. Most of our galaxy's stars and gas are tightly packed together in these cosmic limbs, although some stars, including the sun , exist in the gaps between them or within other smaller structures .

Until now, researchers have estimated the size of these arms based on the Milky Way's rotation rate , because it is impossible to see our galaxy's entirety from Earth's position inside the galaxy. This, in turn, has helped us estimate the galaxy's total size (around 100,000 light-years across) and its mass, which is equivalent to around 1.5 trillion suns, according to NASA .

However, this way of measuring the massive structures is not foolproof and has led to several uncertainties about our galaxy since we first discovered its spiral shape around 175 years ago, Live Science's sister site Space.com reported .

"We usually model the Milky Way's outer arms indirectly based on what we know of how our galaxy rotates, but doing it this way leaves room for error," study first author Beatrice Vaia , a researcher at the Italian National Institute for Astrophysics who led the new study as part of her doctorate, said in a statement . The farther away from the galactic center, the more uncertain the measurements become, she added.

In the new study, published June 19 in the journal Astronomy and Astrophysics , researchers came up with a new method of measuring the arms using the most powerful and luminous explosions in the universe, known as gamma-ray bursts (GRBs). As X-ray light from these cosmic outbursts passes through dense clouds of gas, like those within our galaxy's arms, it creates luminous rings, or echoes, whose size corresponds to their distance from Earth.

Researchers studied echoes of X-ray light leftover from GRBs as the radiation from these powerful cosmic explosions passed through gas clouds in our galaxy's arms. (Image credit: X-ray: NASA/CXC/INAF/B. Vaia et al.; Optical: Pan-STARRS; Image processing: NASA/CXC/SAO/N.Wolk & P.Edmonds) The team used data from NASA's Chandra X-ray Observatory and the European Space Agency's XMM-Newton observatory (both of which orbit Earth) to analyze echoes from three different GRBs that shone through gas clouds in the Perseus, Outer and Scutum-Centaurus arms, respectively. This revealed that both the Outer and Scutum-Centaurus arms are likely around 10% farther from Earth than we thought. This may not sound like much, but it equates to several thousand light-years.

The biggest potential implication of this discovery is that our galaxy is wider and, therefore, probably more massive than we realized, which could have major knock-on effects for our understanding of our cosmic neighborhood.

"The differences are small, but any revision of these distances is important because they are so fundamental for understanding our galaxy," study co-author Ilaria Fornasiero , an astronomer at the University of Bologna in Italy, said in a separate statement . "For example, this could mean that astronomers have to revise estimates of the mass of the galaxy, because that affects how wide the arms stretch."

The new positions of the Outer and Scutum-Centaurus arms (shown in red) suggest that the Milky Way is not as perfectly symmetrical as we thought. (Image credit: NASA/CXC/SAO/M.Weiss) Animations released alongside the new paper show how the Milky Way might look based on the new data, revealing the Outer and Scutum-Centaurus arms extending farther into intergalactic space, making our galaxy look more like a lopsided snail's shell than a perfect spiral.

These visualizations do not necessarily show the true shape of the galaxy, as the Sagitarrius arm and other minor galactic limbs have not been measured using the same methodology. However, the fact that the Perseus arm was not as distant as the other two GRB-illuminated limbs hints at a surprising asymmetry throughout our galaxy that cannot be easily explained.

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The researchers are now on the hunt for more GRBs that can be used to map out the rest of our galaxy's shape and help us better understand what our cosmic neighborhood actually looks like. However, finding these cosmic explosions is easier said than done.

"We're relying on the universe to provide us with these events, and so far, over 25 years, we've only found a handful that we can use," study co-author Andrea Tiengo , an astronomer at Scuola Universitaria Superiore Pavia in Italy, said in the statement. "That said, we will continue to be on the lookout for more."

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Could Microsoft sell off Xbox amid the company's biggest restructuring strategy yet?

Analysts say Xbox, as it stands, would be too expensive for even some of the biggest buyers

It's suggested that big players would be more interested in purchasing "specific pieces" of the business

As Xbox goes through its biggest restructuring yet, and the seemingly never-ending stream of bad news for those involved continues, the future of the gaming company is uncertain.

While some question whether it would be in Microsoft's best interest to sell off the gaming company, industry analysts have suggested that the move would be a hugely expensive endeavour for interested parties, but it's possible that the Xbox we know could be dismantled piece by piece.

Microsoft's major Xbox restructuring announcement, which Xbox CEO Asha Sharma called a "reset," confirmed that thousands of employees were affected by layoffs, including 1,600 immediate job cuts with another 1,600 to come before the end of the current financial year.

The company has also let go of four studios, including Compulsion Games and Double Fine Productions, which are returning to independence, and Senua and State of Decay 3 creators, Ninja Theory and Undead Labs, which are currently looking for new ownership.

This new strategy follows a year of struggles for Xbox, which has increased the prices of its consoles once again, cancelled and shuttered several games and studios , with Sharma now admitting that the company is "not healthy" in its current state, with Game Pass being a key fault.

"Our business today is not healthy," Sharma said in an email sent to Xbox employees. "We are operating at margins that are 3-10x lower than comparable platform and publishing businesses. We entered Gen 9 with a smaller install base and a higher cost structure. To grow, we bet on Game Pass, multi-platform, and a broader portfolio of content. While those businesses have created meaningful value, they did not grow at the pace we expected."

Before the recent upheaval, The Information (via Reuters ) reported that Sharma was looking to speed up development on games in The Elder Scrolls , Fallout , and Halo franchises and that Microsoft is considering options for its Xbox gaming unit, including a potential spinoff or restructuring ​as a wholly owned subsidiary.

While some believe that the recent restructuring is a plan to make Xbox easier to sell, analysts have suggested to The Verge that there wouldn't be many interested stakeholders who would purchase the entire business, mainly because it would be too expensive considering Xbox's current portfolio.

"I think all options are on the table, considering the drastic measures already put in place to try and restructure the business at both a cyclical and structural level," said Yoshio Osaki, president and CEO of market research firm IDG Intelligence.

Similarly, New York University professor Joost van Dreunen told The Verge, "A wholesale divestiture of Xbox remains on the table, and it looks likelier given Xbox's struggles with rising hardware costs and Microsoft's focus on AI and infrastructure."

He added, "It's never been clear what role Xbox plays in Microsoft's flywheel," but a full sale is the "less likely path" since there are few buyers, including giants like Netflix, Amazon, and Tencent, who would want or afford "an entire interactive-entertainment conglomerate running north of $23 billion in annual revenue."

Instead, Van Dreunen said the likelier scenario is that big players might go after "specific pieces" of the business, with Osaki noting "it's possible that "individual studios, IPs, and teams are sold or spun off piecemeal.”

Sharma revealed her vision for Xbox after taking up the position of CEO in January and said she plans to return to the spirit of what the company was founded on, as well as reduce "the artificial divide between different types of devices."

With the latest part of her plan underway, which has notably delivered another crushing blow to the studios under Xbox's ownership, it's unclear right now where the gaming giant is headed.

According to Osaki, the full vision will be clear by "year-end," while van Dreunen thinks it will be "within 24 months."

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Bosses are seemingly confused that mass AI in favor of human workers isn't always a success

AI operating costs are often higher than expected

However some firms are happy to adapt and refocus where needed

Bosses are being left confused at the high cost of moving to AI-centric models, with many seemingly baffled that replacing human workers with agents isn't instantly saving them huge amounts of money, new research has claimed.

A new KPMG report found nearly a third of business leaders reported some difficulties with getting to grips with AI operating costs in their organizations.

The news comes as several major AI providers, including the likes of Anthropic and OpenAI, have moved some services toward usage-based billing, rather than flat-rate subscriptions, in recent months.

Making AI effective

The report saw KPMG survey 2,145 senior leaders across 20 countries, finding 29% were struggling to understand the rise in operating costs as they looked to scale AI across their business, with a similar proportion also highlighting a limited understanding of AI costs and economics as a major challenge to deploying AI agents.

"As usage-based pricing models become more common, many organizations are still building the capabilities required to forecast, monitor, and manage AI spending effectively," KPMG said.

When things do go wrong, the report highlighted how leaders were often unclear who should take responsibility, particularly in the case of hallucinations or errors by AI models.

It noted that why having human leadership be accountable is important, "governance ultimately succeeds or fails through day-to-day operating practices."

"Organizations need clear rules for when employees can intervene, who owns AI-related costs, how AI outputs are reviewed and what happens when systems fail. While most organizations report having at least some governance mechanisms in place, relatively few describe these practices as fully embedded," the report said.

When costs have outweighed the expected value, the report found a surprising amount of contrition from its participants, with nearly half of organizations saying they had rephased AI deployments in that case.

"These actions do not signal reduced confidence in AI," the report warned. "Rather, they suggest a growing willingness to evaluate where AI creates meaningful value and where it does not. Organizations appear increasingly focused on concentrating investment where expected returns are strongest."

"We’re seeing a clear divide between organizations with leadership accountability at the top and those without," added Steve Chase, KPMG Global Head of AI and Digital Innovation, KPMG International.

"These companies are seeing materially better results across the board such as greater confidence, higher value realization and established ROI."

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Nintendo is celebrating the 45th Anniversary of Donkey Kong today, so I've hit the digital badlands of eBay. That original date refers to everyone's favorite gorilla's first outing in arcades, but I'm taking things back to the home console this week. Looking to build the ultimate Donkey Kong collection in time for the big boy's birthday? I've got you covered.

Below, you'll find every major Donkey Kong game released into our hands and homes (though I've omitted re-releases in the form of compilations, mini-games, virtual consoles, digital bonuses, and DSI-only downloads), alongside eBay's average sold price at the time of writing.

In short, it's everything you need to start plugging some holes in your collection or start right from scratch with the cheapest pickups. We're taking this banana-train all the way through to the Nintendo Switch and Switch 2 to boot - where the games listed will run alongside their lowest prices on the web right now.

Before Cranky Kong gets ahead of me, just note that some of the prices below may seem a little high at first glance. That's because this is a full average of all recently sold listings - whether it's pristine in box or simply a cart in a bag.

Donkey Kong Game and Watch games

1982

Donkey Kong Game & Watch

1982

Donkey Kong Jr Game & Watch

1982

Donkey Kong 2 Game & Watch

1984

Donkey Kong Circus Game & Watch

1984

Donkey Kong 3 Game & Watch

1984

Donkey Kong Hockey Game and Watch

Donkey Kong NES games

1986

Donkey Kong

1986

Donkey Kong Jr

1986

Donkey Kong 3

1983

Donkey Kong Jr. Math

Donkey Kong SNES games

1994

Donkey Kong Country

1995

Donkey Kong Country 2: Diddy Kong's Quest

1996

Donkey Kong Country 3: Dixie Kong's Double Trouble

Donkey Kong Game Boy games

1994

Donkey Kong

1996

Donkey Kong Land

1996

Donkey Kong Land 2

1997

Donkey Kong Land 3

2000

Donkey Kong Country

N64 Donkey Kong games

1997

Donkey Kong Racing

1999

Donkey Kong 64

Donkey Kong Game Boy Advance games

2003

Donkey Kong Country

2004

Donkey Kong Country 2: Diddy Kong's Quest

2004

Mario vs Donkey Kong

2005

Donkey Kong Country 3: Dixie Kong's Double Trouble

2005

Donkey Kong: King of Swing

Donkey Kong GameCube games

2003

Donkey Konga

2004

Donkey Konga 2

2004

Donkey Kong Jungle Beat

2005

Donkey Konga 3: Tabehōdai! Haru Mogitate 50 Kyoku

Donkey Kong Nintendo DS games

2006

Mario vs Donkey Kong 2

2007

Donkey Kong Racing

2007

Donkey Kong: Jungle Climber

2010

Mario vs Donkey Kong: Mini-Land Mayhem

Donkey Kong Wii games

2008

Donkey Kong Jungle Beat

2007

Donkey Kong Barrel Blast

2010

Donkey Kong Country Returns

Donkey Kong 3DS games

2013

Donkey Kong Country Returns 3D

Donkey Kong Wii U games

2014

Donkey Kong Country: Tropical Freeze

Donkey Kong Nintendo Switch games

2018

Donkey Kong Country Tropical Freeze

2024

Mario vs. Donkey Kong

2025

Donkey Kong Country Returns HD

Donkey Kong Nintendo Switch 2 games

2025

Donkey Kong Bananza