Several communities in Massachusetts reported significant snowfall over the weekend, with Haverhill in Essex County and Tyngsboro in Middlesex County receiving 18 inches or more. Other areas in the central and northeastern parts of the state also reported substantial snow accumulation, with Ashburnham, Dunstable, and Leominster among those receiving at least 17 inches. A midweek storm is expected to bring further impact to the state.
On World AIDS Day 2023, the World Health Organization (WHO) will commemorate the event under the theme "Let communities lead." Recognizing the vital role of communities in the HIV response, WHO emphasizes the need to enable and support communities in their leadership roles. Events in Geneva include a commemoration event at the UNAIDS Red Ribbon Café and a visit to Checkpoint Genève, a community-led initiative. In Zimbabwe, the WHO Regional Office for Africa will join UNAIDS Executive Director Winnie Byanyima to commemorate lives lost to AIDS and participate in the ICASA conference, the largest HIV conference in Africa.
UNAIDS is calling for urgent support to let communities lead in the fight to end AIDS ahead of World AIDS Day. A new report by UNAIDS highlights the critical role communities play in the fight against AIDS and the barriers they face, including underfunding and harmful policies. The report showcases the impact of community-led HIV programs, such as increased access to treatment and prevention services. However, community-led responses are often unrecognized, under-resourced, and even under attack. UNAIDS is urging governments and donors to fully support community-led initiatives and remove barriers to their leadership roles in HIV plans and programs.
For the second year in a row, Ohio residents will be able to legally set off commercial fireworks at home around the Fourth of July. House Bill 172 allows for the purchase and use of fireworks, but local communities have the option to impose limitations. Several communities in Ohio have banned the use of consumer-grade fireworks, while others permit their use during specific holidays.
Microsoft's AI-powered Designer tool, which generates designs for presentations, posters, and digital postcards, is now available in preview on Windows 11 for Teams users. The tool accepts text prompts or uploaded images and leverages OpenAI's text-to-image AI to ideate designs. Microsoft's ultimate goal is to monetize Designer through Microsoft 365 Personal and Family subscriptions. Additionally, Teams users can now create Teams calls from inside any new or existing GroupMe chat, and Windows 11 users can create and join communities focused on various topics.
Microsoft Teams on Windows 11 now supports communities, allowing users to create and manage groups, share and invite members, create and host events, moderate content, and get notified about important activities. The built-in Teams app also includes Microsoft Designer, an AI art tool that generates images for event invitations or social media posts using text prompts. Additionally, Microsoft is adding polls to communities in Teams and improving the moderation aspects of who can join a community for owners. GroupMe, the mobile group messaging service that Microsoft acquired in 2011, is also getting support for Microsoft Teams calling.
New COVID-19 outbreaks have been reported in the Oakville and Burlington communities, with several cases linked to social gatherings. Health officials are urging residents to continue following public health guidelines, including wearing masks, practicing physical distancing, and avoiding large gatherings.
WhatsApp has introduced a new feature that gives group admins more control over who can join a group. The feature allows admins to manage requests to join a group in one place and approve or reject users with a click. The messaging platform has also added a feature that lets users search a contact's name to see which groups they have in common. The new features will be rolled out globally over the coming weeks.
