Boxer Prichard Colon dies at 33 after suffering severe brain injury in 2015 fight

FILE -- Prichard Colon, left, exchanges punches with Daniel Calzada during a junior middleweight title boxing match, Saturday, April 11, 2015, at New York. Colon won by TKO. (AP Photo/Mary Altaffer)

A former professional boxer has died after suffering a devastating brain injury during a fight more than a decade ago.

Prichard Colon’s father, Richard Colon, confirmed his son’s death Thursday on social media.

“I regret to inform you of the passing of my son Prichard from this earthly world. He is now in a better place,” the father shared.

Prichard Colon, 33, was a Puerto Rican super welterweight boxer and a rising star in the sport, winning his first 16 fights.

Prichard Colon was also favored in the fight where he suffered a brain bleed against boxer Terrel Williams in northern Virginia in 2015.

Multiple outlets reported that Prichard Colon complained about Williams landing repeated blows to the back of his head that night.

It was also reported that Prichard Colon started showing symptoms in his dressing room soon after the bout. He was rushed to the Inova Fairfax Hospital, where doctors performed surgery to relieve pressure on his brain.

However, the injuries were life-changing for the young boxing star, who reportedly went into a coma for more than 200 days and needed round-the-clock medical assistance ever since.

“I did everything possible to fulfill his wish, his dream of bringing him on vacation to Puerto Rico as much as he desired, but couldn’t,” his father continued. “Thank you for so many years of love and prayers. As much as you can, please keep us in your prayers.”

Scientists have created new viruses using AI

FILE -- Generic virus graphic. (Source: MGN)

Artificial Intelligence has been used to design brand new viruses.

According to The New York Times, scientists have used AI to create viruses in hopes of medical advances, but it has also raised concerns that the technology could possibly be used to invent dangerous pathogens.

The study, which was shared online, says this was the first time complete genomes were successfully designed by AI that resulted in 16 novel viruses.

The team reportedly used AI to recognize natural DNA patterns before using the data to create viruses not found in nature.

“Our approach expands what synthetic genomics can achieve alongside methods such as directed evolution and rational engineering,” the study shared.

The viruses that were made were said not to pose a threat to humans because they were similar to a naturally occurring virus that can infect only bacteria.

But the breakthrough has also provoked fears that the reported technology used points to AI’s ability to design new biology outside of the natural world.

Dr. Moritz Hanke, with the Johns Hopkins Center for Health Security, shared with The NY Times that governments and scientific organizations have been slow to develop guardrails that could block the creation of a deadly virus.

“There’s just a huge disconnect,” Hanke was quoted as saying regarding the situation.

According to the BBC, the technology used in the study was similar to what ChatGPT uses, but in this case it predicted the language of life rather than sequences of text.

Prof Patrick Cai, of the Manchester Institute of Biotechnology, called the study an “important milestone.”

“The significance extends far beyond phages; it suggests that genome language models are beginning to learn the design principles encoded by evolution, opening the door to AI-assisted genome writing,” Cai was quoted by the BBC.

Researchers noted that they did not provide the model used with data about viruses that infect humans, and they also used safety measures to exclude similar viruses that infect other animals, plants and fungi. Therefore, the technology used could not generate genomes of viruses that could threaten humans.

Chipotle pulls jalapeños as possible source of salmonella outbreak

FILE -- Chipotle image. (Mike Mozart/Flickr/CC BY 2.0)

Chipotle announced Tuesday that it is removing jalapeños from some of its restaurants amid the ongoing salmonella outbreak as a precaution.

The company released a statement saying they were able to identify jalapeños as a potential common ingredient possibly connected to the outbreak that is affecting the supply chain of several food service retailers in Minnesota.

“Out of an abundance of caution, we proactively removed the jalapeños from our restaurants and replaced them with product from different growers,” a portion of the statement read.

Company officials said the restaurant’s ingredient traceability system helped identify the potentially compromised peppers from a single lot and where they were distributed.

However, the restaurants where the possibly contaminated peppers were distrubed to was not immediately released.

Reuters reported that the U.S. Food and Drug Administration is leading ​a traceback investigation to identify the source, with ​evidence suggesting the contaminated food item appears to have also been served at other Mexican-style restaurants.

A spokesperson for Chipotle continued, stating that the Minnesota Department of Health has confirmed it has no ongoing concerns with the chain and that the health and safety of its guests and employees remains its highest priority.

According to Minnesota health officials, the state identified 110 Salmonella cases tied to the outbreak. Among the 84 people who were interviewed after developing symptoms, 75 reported eating at Chipotle from June 14 to July 14, The Wall Street Journal reported.

Salmonella is a leading cause of foodborne illness in the United States and can cause serious and sometimes fatal infections, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.

Study shows which states are seeing the biggest reductions in SNAP benefits

FILE -- Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program assistance. (KBTX)

Washington

More people in the U.S. are reportedly losing food assistance due to a law that was enacted last July.

According to a study by the Center on Budget and Policy Priorities, a nonpartisan research and policy institute, deep cuts have been made to federal funding for food assistance through the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program since the Budget Reconciliation Act of 2025 was implemented.

Researchers estimate that SNAP participation nationwide has fallen by more than 4.5 million people, or 11%, since the “Big Beautiful Bill” went into place in July 2025.

The Associated Press reported that the tax and spending bill was nearly 900 pages and included a collection of tax breaks, spending cuts and new money for national defense and deportations.

Among the included spending cuts were to such government programs as SNAP.

Republicans reported at the time the bill was trying to balance the safety net programs for the population they were designed to serve while rooting out waste, fraud and abuse.

When it comes to the SNAP participation declines reported since the bill’s implementation, Arizona has seen the most among U.S. states.

According to the institute’s report, Arizona has seen a 55% decline from July 2025 to April 2026. Other states that have also reportedly seen the steepest downtrends are Louisiana at 21%, Florida at 19% and Oklahoma at 18%.

Researchers said they expect these declines to continue as states fully implement eligibility restrictions and take actions to lower their error rates.

Republicans said the bill will save on federal government spending while holding states accountable and making those that have higher payment errors regarding SNAP benefits pick up some of the program costs.

According to the Department of Agriculture, more than 37 million people nationwide received SNAP benefits in March, a drop of nearly 5 million from a year earlier.

The USDA has also shared information for those interested in applying for SNAP benefits, along with the latest qualifications.

Cause of death revealed for 18-year-old ‘Godzilla’ actress Kaylee Hottle, reports say

FILE -- Kaylee Hottle arrived at the premiere of "Godzilla x Kong in 2024 in Los Angeles.(Richard Shotwell | Richard Shotwell/Invision/AP

Authorities have reportedly released the cause of death for Hollywood actress Kaylee Hottle following a deadly crash earlier this week in Maryland.

According to multiple reports, the Maryland medical examiner determined the 18-year-old died from multiple blunt force injuries, with her death being ruled an accident.

Hottle was a passenger in a 1995 Honda Accord that crashed in Ijamsville early Tuesday morning, the Frederick County Sheriff’s Office reported.

According to the sheriff’s office, the car, driven by a 19-year-old man, went off the right side of a two-lane road and hit a culvert.

Hottle was taken to a trauma center for her injuries, where she later died. The driver was taken to a hospital for non-life-threatening injuries while the other passenger refused medical treatment at the scene.

The sheriff’s office said excessive speed was believed to have been a factor in the crash. However, the collision remains under investigation.

Hottle, who was deaf, starred in the 2021 movie “Godzilla vs. Kong” as Jia, a Skull Island native who could communicate with King Kong using sign language. She reprised the role in the 2024 movie “Godzilla X Kong: The New Empire.”

Hottle was also a senior at the Texas School for the Deaf. The school shared the news of her death in an Instagram post.

“Please keep Kaylee’s loved ones in your thoughts as we mourn this tremendous loss together,” the post said.

Her father, Joshua Hottle, also shared the news of her death in American Sign Language during a Facebook livestream. In the video, titled “I am taking a flight that I would never like to take,” he said he was traveling from Texas to recover her body.

An Atlanta native, Hottle was also said to be from a multigenerational deaf family, getting her acting start in commercials.