Popular Chicago museum reopens with big changes after renovations

Chicago’s popular Museum of Illusions is coming back after closing for renovations over the summer — and there are some big changes in store.

On Nov. 4, the museum will be celebrating its grand re-opening, having nearly doubled in size and now featuring over 20 new exhibits.

“The museum truly feels like a completely new space, and we can’t wait to open our doors to the Chicago community,” Stacy Stec, director of sales and marketing at LOL Entertainment, parent company of Museum of Illusions Chicago, said in a release. “With our latest additions and expansion, we’re pushing the boundaries even further when it comes to unraveling the mysteries of perception.”

With over 80 exhibits questioning realms of vision, perception and the human mind, visitors learn more about the inner-workings of the human brain and take photos in dazzling exhibits. Classic rooms like the Vortex Tunnel, Ames Room and Infinity Room will still be available for viewing. The museum will take at least an hour to walk through.

There will also be a selection of curated Chicago-specific installations unique to this city’s museum among the 47 other locations around the world, according to the release. For example, a new installation will include an opportunity for visitors to dangle from a second story window of a classic Chicago home.

“This expansion is not only an investment for the Museum of Illusions, but also a way for us to give back to the city,” said Rob Cooper, founder and CEO of LOL Entertainment. “MOI is already a staple in Chicago, and we believe that the investment we’re making in the community will continue to pay off for years to come.”

For more information about the Museum of Illusions Chicago and to purchase tickets, visit https://moichicago.com/. Tickets range from $23-28 and kids under 5 are free with an accompanying adult. 

The Museum of Illusions in Chicago is located at 25 E. Washington Ave. near Millennium Park.

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Is this one of the coldest Halloweens on record in Chicago?

With snow already falling across the Chicago area for Halloween, the spooky forecast appears to have finally arrived. But beyond the snow, temperatures could bring an even bigger fright, bringing one of the area’s coldest Halloweens on record.

So just how cold is it and where does it rank?

Chicagoans usually consider Halloween to be cold and maybe snowy, but most holidays haven’t been that cold, nor have they really been that snowy. In fact, according to the National Weather Service, the city of Chicago has only seen snow on eight Halloweens since recordkeeping began.

The area’s temperature and precipitation patterns usually change this time of year, so Halloween can seem cold in our memories, even if temperatures only drop from 75 to 60 degrees.

Residents may also still have 2019 fresh on their minds, when it was 33 degrees and the city had a record 3.4 inches of snowfall.

This year’s forecast isn’t quite at that level, but it is historically cold, with highs only reaching into the upper 30s.

While the day isn’t over yet, the forecasted high for Oct. 31 was around 38 degrees, which would make the holiday the fifth-coldest on record. 

The 30-year average high temperature for Oct. 31 is 56 degrees, while the average low is 41 degrees.

In all, 49 Halloweens have had highs in the 50s since records began 150 years ago. Compare that to 38 Halloweens in the 60s and 35 in the 40s.  We’ve also had 20 Halloweens in the 70s, and just one when the mercury exceeded 80 degrees.

With the wind, it’s going to feel like the mid-to-upper 20s during trick-or-treating hours. The wind will get stronger in the afternoon and evening as the low passes through. 

The Chicago area will see the chance for more scattered snow showers in the afternoon and evening too.

Temperatures are going to be above freezing, so we should see “wet” snow that melts on contact.  However, some accumulating snow on grass, cars, and elevated surfaces are possible.  This means Halloween costumes that aren’t water-resistant could also be wet, adding to the discomfort.

This is a very compact low-pressure system that’s going to be in and out of the area in a day, but the timing couldn’t be any worse for Halloween, so you’ll need to plan to stay dry and warm while out trick-or-treating.

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Announcers share thoughts on future of Bears' new stadium during SNF

There was plenty to say about Sunday night’s Chicago Bears loss to the Chargers, but tucked between plays in the 30-13 loss was an ear-perking conversation about the team’s future in Chicago.

It appears the announcers during the Sunday Night Football matchup on NBC have some feelings about the Bears’ potential move out of the city.

During the game, Bears President Kevin Warren, who is spearheading the team’s stadium plans, was shown on camera, prompting a discussion between Cris Collinsworth and Mike Tirico.

“They’ve purchased a lot of property out by Arlington Park, the racetrack used to be. A lot of folks thinking they’re gonna move out there,” Mike Tirico said on air. “But there’s still some conversations about other places in Chicago. Kevin Warren helped build that beautiful stadium in Minnesota that we all love. And that’s one of the main things that he’ll be handling and see if the city of Chicago steps up and gets involved in the conversation because, for some of us, the Bears on the lakefront — that just feels really good.”

For months, the Bears had been solely focused on the site of the former Arlington International Racecourse with the intention of exploring building a closed-roof stadium. Demolition work was completed earlier this month, according to the Daily Herald. The team, though, is now at an impasse with Arlington Heights over property valuation, as it affects future tax bills for the Bears.

As the Bears face some hiccups with the Arlington Heights location, several other suburbs have thrown their hats into the ring, while Chicago has continued to be in discussions.

Warren said in August that “everything is on the table.”

“There have been a lot of people sort of stepping up and saying, ‘What about our community? That’s a great thing if you’re with the Bears because you’re driving the price,” Collinsworth said.

Other locations added to the mix included Naperville, Waukegan, Aurora and Country Club Hills.

Chicago Mayor Brandon Johnson and Warren have also had two separate meetings.

“Today we met and discussed our shared values and commitment to the City of Chicago, the importance of deep roots and the need for equitable community investment throughout the city,” the pair said in a joint statement following their most recent meeting. “We are both committed to the idea that the city and its major civic institutions must grow and evolve together to meet the needs of the future. We look forward to continuing the dialogue around these shared values.”

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Panera now displaying warning about lemonade in all stores after lawsuit over customer's death

All Panera Bread restaurants are now displaying “enhanced” disclosures about the restaurant chain’s highly caffeinated lemonade, a spokesperson said Saturday, following a lawsuit that was filed by the family of a young woman who died after drinking the beverage.

Last Monday’s lawsuit, which was first obtained by NBC News, alleges that Sarah Katz, an Ivy League student with a heart condition, died after she drank Panera’s Charged Lemonade last year.

A large Charged Lemonade contains 390 milligrams — nearly the 400-milligram daily maximum of caffeine that the Food and Drug Administration says healthy adults can safely consume.

The legal complaint called Charged Lemonade a “dangerous energy drink” and argues that Panera failed to adequately warn consumers about its ingredients, which also include guarana extract, another stimulant. The large cup contains more caffeine than standard cans of Red Bull and Monster energy drinks combined, as well as the equivalent of almost 30 teaspoonfuls of sugar.

The caffeine content of Panera’s Charged Lemonade has always been listed in-store, Panera said. But in an exclusive statement to NBC News on Saturday, Panera said all of its stores throughout North America added more detailed disclosures about the beverage in the past several days.

Read the full story at NBCNews.com.

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Matthew Perry reflected on ‘ups & downs' in life one year before death

Originally appeared on E! Online

Just one year before his tragic death, Matthew Perry felt proud to be able to share his life story.

The “Friends” alum—who died at age 54 in an apparent drowning at his Los Angeles home Oct. 28—released his memoir “Friends, Lovers and the Big Terrible Thing” in November 2022. And amid recounting his rise to fame on the NBC sitcom, he gave insight into his decades-long sobriety journey.

In the book, Perry recalled battling drug and alcohol abuse since his teens, sharing he spent $9 million trying to get clean over the years. At the time of publication, he was 18 months sober.

“There’s been some real up and downs in my life,” Perry told E! News following the memoir’s release, “and this is a lot about the downs, but the further down you go, the more people you can help.”

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The “Fools Rush In” actor also shared why it meant so much to him that readers “took the story into their hearts.”

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“People have just loved it,” he said. “I shied away from nothing and I told the truth and the biggest thing was, the goal was, to help people and I know of a lot of people already who have been helped by it.”

In fact, Perry noted, “We’ve already heard about five different people that have read it and then checked into rehab the next day.”

Ultimately, knowing that his words inspired others to get sober truly made him “feel great.”

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Chicago man sentenced to 88 years for sexual assault at Oak Brook hotel

A 41-year-old Chicago man has been sentenced to 88 years in prison for sexually assaulting an Oak Brook hotel employee at gunpoint in 2019.

Julius Ramsey was found guilty in May 2021 of three counts of aggravated criminal sexual assault with a firearm, one count of aggravated kidnapping with a firearm and one count of aggravated criminal sexual abuse, according to the DuPage County State’s Attorney’s Office.

The attack happened in a vacant hotel room on Sept. 9, 2019, prosecutors said.

The employee, who worked at the Hyatt House at 210 W. 22nd St. in Oak Brook, managed to get away from Ramsey and call the police. She was taken to Elmhurst Hospital for treatment.

He voluntarily turned himself in to the Oak Brook police four days later. He was denied bond and has been in custody at DuPage County Jail since.

Ramsey was sentenced Friday to 22 years for each of the sexual assault and kidnapping convictions, and an additional seven years for sexual abuse to be served alongside the 88 years. He will have to serve 85% of his sentence before being eligible for parole.

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Less boo for your buck: For the second Halloween in a row, US candy inflation hits double digits

Spooked by the high price of Halloween candy? There’s not much relief in sight.

For the second year in a row, U.S. shoppers are seeing double-digit inflation in the candy aisle. Candy and gum prices are up an average of 13% this month compared to last October, more than double the 6% increase in all grocery prices, according to Datasembly, a retail price tracker. That’s on top of a 14% increase in candy and gum prices in October 2022.

“The price of candy has gotten to be outrageous,” said Jessica Weathers, a small business owner in Shiloh, Illinois. “It doesn’t make sense to me to spend $100 on candy.”

Weathers said she usually buys plenty of candy for trick-or-treaters and events at school and church. But this year, she only bought two bags and plans to turn off her porch light on Halloween when she runs out.

Other consumers are changing what they buy. Numerator, a market research firm, said its surveys show about one-third of U.S. consumers plan to trade down to value or store brands when buying candy for trick-or-treaters this year.

Weather is the main culprit for the higher prices. Cocoa prices are trading at 44-year highs after heavy rains in West Africa caused limited production in the season that began last fall. Now, El Nino conditions are making the region drier and are likely to linger well into the spring.

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“There may be no price relief in sight, at least through the first half of 2024,” said Dan Sadler, principal of client insights for Circana, a market research firm.

Kelly Goughary, a senior research analyst with Gro Intelligence, an agricultural analytics firm, said Ivory Coast — which produces around 40% of the world’s cocoa — is already showing the signs of one of its worst droughts since 2003.

Meanwhile, global sugar prices are at 12-year highs, Goughary said. India, the world’s second-largest sugar producer after Brazil, recently banned sugar exports for the first time in seven years after monsoon rains hurt the upcoming harvest. Thailand’s output is also down.

Those costs, combined with increases for labor, packaging, and ingredients like peanuts, are pushing up prices for all kinds of candy.

Discount grocer Aldi is advertising a 250-piece variety pack of Mars Inc. chocolate bars — including Milky Way, Twix and Snickers — for $24.98. Two years ago, the same package was advertised at $19.54.

Hershey Co. — which has raised its prices by 7% or more in each of the last seven quarters —acknowledged this week that higher prices are taking a toll on demand. Hershey’s North American confectionary sales volumes fell 1% in the July-September period.

“We know that value and affordability continue to be top-of-the-line for consumers as budgets are stretched,” Hershey’s President and CEO Michele Buck said Thursday on a conference call with investors.

Buck said Hershey is trying to meet consumers’ needs with offerings in value stores and pack sizes at various price points.

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Best Buy recalls nearly 1 million pressure cookers after over a dozen reports of burn injuries

Best Buy is recalling nearly 1 million pressure cookers and separate inner pots due to a defect that can cause hot foods to spew out, posing burn hazards.

The recalled pressure cookers, sold under the brand Insignia, have incorrect volume markings on their inner pots that can cause consumers to overfill them. As a result, hot food and liquids can be ejected from the device when it’s vented or opened, according to a Thursday notice from the U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission.

To date, Best Buy has received 31 incident reports of the cookers’ contents being expelled under pressure, including 17 reports of burn injuries — some of which were second-degree and severe burns.

The 930,000 Insignia Multi-Function Pressure Cookers and inner pots — which were sold separately as replacements — under recall were sold at Best Buy stores nationwide, as well as online on Best Buy’s website and Amazon from October 2017 through June of this year.

Consumers can identify the recalled pressure cookers and inner pots, with six- and eight-quart capacity, by their model numbers. The name Insignia appears on the front of each unit and on its permanent label.

Those owning the recalled devices should stop using them immediately, the CPSC said. Consumers can contact Best Buy for a free replacement of the inner pot and floating locking valve.

Best Buy, which is based in Richfield, Minnesota, will not provide refunds or replacements for pressure cookers returned in stores, according to a notice on the company’s website. To receive a replacement kit, impacted consumers must register online. Only consumers who own the recalled pressure cooker — not just the inner pot — are eligible.

“Nothing is more important to us than our customers’ safety,” Best Buy said Friday, adding that the company is also contacting customers who purchased the now-recalled products directly.

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Cook County doctor reveals the COVID symptoms she's seeing most

As medical experts prepare for a potential rise in cases of flu, RSV and COVID amid peak virus season this winter, what should you watch for when it comes to symptoms?

A Chicago-area doctor said she’s noticed shifts in the most common symptoms her patients have reported when contracting the COVID-19 virus this fall.

Dr. Chantel Tinfang, a family medicine physician with Sengstacke Health Center at Provident Hospital of Cook County, noted that patients who haven’t received the fall booster, but may have been vaccinated or boosted roughly a year ago, are “still experiencing symptoms, and they get really sick.”

“I have prescribed medication over the past few weeks to treat some patients because they were not really getting better after staying home,” Tinfang said.

People who contract COVID may exhibit a wide range of symptoms, including the common ones listed below, as defined by the CDC:

• Fever or chills
• Cough
• Shortness of breath or difficulty breathing
• Fatigue
• Muscle or body aches
• Headache
• New loss of taste or smell
• Sore throat
• Congestion or runny nose
• Nausea or vomiting
• Diarrhea

But Tinfang noted that, anecdotally, the recent cases she’s seen have reported less of the fever, body aches and chills, and more presented with sore throat, fatigue and coughing.

“We still see some patients experiencing decreased appetite, a loss of taste or smell. So it kind of depends,” she said. “One patient was just very, very tired. Like she couldn’t really do much. And that’s when you know … it’s different. It’s not just coughing and shortness of breath. We still see that though.”

She suggested consulting with your doctor if your symptoms don’t begin to improve outside of the recommended isolation period.

“Sometimes the symptoms can linger, and that’s a sign that we need to actually act,” Tinfang said. “But some people will go ahead and recover just by drinking fluid and resting.”

The guidelines for isolating have not changed since May, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.

Those who test positive for COVID-19, are urged to stay home for at least five days and isolate. The CDC notes that people are “likely most infectious during these first five days.”

Those who have mild symptoms can end isolation after day five if they are fever-free for 24 hours, without using fever-reducing medication, but those with more moderate or severe illnesses may need to wait until day 10. Those who have mild symptoms that are not improving should also wait until those symptoms are improving and they are fever-free for 24 hours.

But people with more severe illness may also want to consult with their doctor before ending isolation and could need a viral test to end their isolation period, according to the guidelines.

The CDC notes that “some people who have been infected with the virus that causes COVID-19 can experience long-term effects from their infection, known as long COVID or post-COVID conditions (PCC).”

The conditions and symptoms include a wide range of health problems, which can last “weeks, months, or years,” according to the agency.

“Most people with COVID-19 get better within a few days to a few weeks after infection, so at least four weeks after infection is the start of when long COVID could first be identified,” the CDC states.

But what Tinfang noticed about vaccination status appears to be in line with a recent report from the Illinois Department of Public Health.

In late summer, officials approved updated shots that have a single target, an omicron descendant named XBB.1.5. They replaced vaccines that targeted the original coronavirus strain and a much earlier omicron version. Last month, the CDC recommended the new shots for everyone 6 months and older.

Americans have been urged to get different iterations of the vaccines for more than 2 and 1/2 years. This year, COVID-19 deaths and hospitalizations fell to lower levels than seen in the previous three years.

Cases remain low compared with the pandemic’s early months. Even so, health officials say about 18,000 hospitalization and 1,200 deaths are still being reported each week.

On Friday, Illinois’ health department reported that hospitalizations were rising in at least six counties in the state, despite an overall downward trend in hospitalizations in recent weeks, according to the CDC’s national COVID Data Tracker for the week ending Oct. 14.

“Studies have consistently shown that COVID-19 vaccines lower the risk of getting symptomatic COVID-19 and improve protection against serious illness, hospitalization and death,” IDPH said in a release. “New evidence is also emerging that it can protect you from long COVID and flu vaccines are also protective against heart disease.”

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What to know about Día de los Muertos ahead of the vibrant cultural celebration

While Americans get ready for Halloween at the start of next week, many others are also preparing to celebrate a rich cultural tradition that originated in Mexico immediately afterwards.

Día de los Muertos, or Day of the Dead, is a two-day holiday that is meant to reunite the living and the dead, and is often viewed as a celebration of life for loved ones who have passed away.

Contrary to the mourning of most gatherings surrounding death, Día de los Muertos is viewed as a yearly occasion where the dead rejoin their families in celebration.

Among the most recognizable features of Día de los Muertos celebrations are colorful skulls, often depicting death in a light-hearted and humorous way.

From sugar candies and clay decorations to face painting, skulls, or calaveras, are the most ubiquitous component to the tradition.

The celebration begins on Nov. 1 at midnight with “Día de los Angelitos” or “Day of the little angels,” where loved ones who died as children are believed to be reunited with their families for 24 hours.

During this time, an altar, known as an ofrenda, is accompanied by the child’s favorite snacks, toys and photographs to encourage a visit from their departed children. The names of the children are often written on a sugar skull.

On Nov. 2 at midnight, “Día de los Difuntos” is celebrated to remember departed adults who are loved ones.

While the night is often also a light-hearted celebration filled with laughter and memories, the ofrendas take on a decidedly more adult theme for Día de los Difuntos, with tequila, mezcal and pulque often included while playing games together.

The culmination of the celebration then begins at noon on Nov. 2, when Día de los Muertos is officially celebrated, remembering the spirits of all of the departed.

This part of the celebration is public, often featuring festivals in cities with parades and calavera painted faces in vibrant remembrance of loved ones.

Cemetery visits are also common during this part of the holiday, when marigold flowers, gifts and sugar skulls with the departed’s name on them laid near the gravestone.

At this time, it is also customary to clean the gravestone of the departed and restore its original color.

According to Cesáreo Moreno, the Chief Curator and Visual Arts Director for the National Museum of Mexican Art, Día de los Muertos began in the last 500 years as a combination of ancient indigenous cosmology and Roman Catholic tradition.

Moreno added that this year’s Día de los Muertos exhibit at the museum is focusing on those who lost their lives in earthquakes this year in Syria, Turkey and Morocco.

As Mexico is also a country prone to devastating earthquakes, Moreno said the exhibit is meant to remember and celebrate the families who were lost in the devastating natural disasters.

Another section in this year’s exhibit will include work done by local artists to remember women who have disappeared or died in acts of violence all over the world.

“We’re trying to again remember them and keep them keep them alive in our memories and, you know, with hope that they are many of them are found,” Moreno said.

The museum is located at 1852 West 19th Street in Chicago’s Pilsen neighborhood.

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What we know about the suspected gunman in Maine shootings

The suspected gunman in a mass shooting in Maine that claimed at least 18 lives and injured 13 others is a U.S. Army Reserve veteran who sought mental health treatment over the summer, according to a law enforcement bulletin reviewed by NBC 5 Investigates and information law enforcement officials.

NBC 5 Investigates has confirmed with U.S. Army Reserves that Robert Card is assigned to the 3rd Battalion, 304th Infantry Regiment in Saco, Maine.

A manhunt was still underway Thursday afternoon for Card whose whereabouts were unknown.

Court records reviewed by NBC 5 Investigates show that a judge granted a prosecutor’s request Thursday to withhold from public view certain information contained in Card’s arrest warrant.

The assistant attorney general wrote that “an arrest has not yet been made and disclosure of information in the affidavit may impede on the law enforcement’s ability to conduct their investigation. A number of witnesses still need to be interviewed.”

Law enforcement sources told NBC News that over the summer his commanders sent him for psychiatric treatment after he reported hearing voices and made threats to shoot up a National Guard base. A law enforcement bulletin stated Card was committed to a mental health facility for two weeks before being released.

Maine laws allow for gun ownership without a permit, and two senior law enforcement officials told NBC News that the suspect legally purchased the weapon used during Wednesday night’s shootings.

Maine also has a “yellow flag” law that allows law enforcement to take away an individual’s firearms, but only after they’ve been taken into protective custody and if a medical professional finds a “likelihood of foreseeable harm.”

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It wasn’t immediately clear what specific action was taken after the suspect’s mental health treatment.

An emailed statement to NBC Boston from a court spokesperson said mental health cases and weapons restriction cases are confidential.

The family of the suspected gunman told NBC News that he had been experiencing an “acute” mental health episode for months and had a “manic belief” that people were saying negative things about him before Wednesday’s massacre.

On Thursday, NBC 5 Investigates spoke to Former State Rep. Kathleen Willis, who was the chief sponsor of Illinois’ red flag law in 2018.

“In the state of Illinois, if you are put into a mental health facility, that automatically revokes your FOID card for a certain period of time, and I guess we need to recognize why was that not done in Maine or was this in the pipeline to be done and hadn’t followed through?” she said.

Illinois’ law allows individuals to petition the court directly to remove firearms from their loved ones if they pose a risk of danger to themselves or others.

“And it’s not a permanent taking away of their guns,” Willis said. “It’s a temporary taking away of guns until they get their life back in order.”

Another major difference between the gun laws in Illinois and Maine: In wake of the Highland Park massacre last summer, Illinois passed an assault weapons ban.  

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Halloween candy is getting more expensive — these are the 10 states where prices have gone up the most

The prices in the candy aisle feel a lot more like a trick than a treat these days.

Consumers looking to stock up on Reese’s Cups, Snickers and pouches of Skittles are being met with a bad case of sticker shock at the register thanks to sugar shortages driving up the cost of production. 

This year Americans are expected to spend $3.6 billion on Halloween candy, up from $3.1 billion last year, according to the National Retail Federation. 

With costumes factored in, the average American is expected to spend a record $108.24 on the spooky holiday. The previous record was 2021’s $102.71. 

However, while candy prices are going up nationwide, some states are experiencing bigger price hikes than others.

Scholarship database Scholaroo analyzed the increase in candy prices since 2020 using data from the candy and chewing gum price index.

For instance, while residents of Hawaii can expect to pay 7.7% more for candy in 2023 than they did in 2022, Pennsylvania shoppers will be paying 13.15% more. For comparison, the cost of U.S. goods and services overall are up 3.7% from this time last year.

These are the states where Halloween candy prices have increased the most, and the least, since last year.

The 10 states where candy prices have increased the most since 2022

1. Maryland: 13.56% increase
2. Pennsylvania: 13.15% increase
3. New Jersey: 12.3% increase 
4. Maine: 12.29% increase
5. Vermont: 11.93% increase
6. New Hampshire: 11.0% increase
7. Delaware: 11.78% increase
8. New York: 11.5% increase
9. Utah: 11:23% increase
10. Connecticut: 11.1% increase

The 10 states where candy prices have increased the least since 2022

1. Alaska: 5.64% increase
2. Colorado: 7.3% increase
3. Oregon: 7.44% increase
4. Washington: 7.53% increase
5. Hawaii: 7.7% increase
6. Michigan: 7.79% increase
7. Arizona: 7.92% increase
8. Wisconsin: 8.39% increase
9. North Carolina: 8.42% increase
10. Virginia: 8.45% increase

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Common chocolate products may contain unsafe levels of heavy metals, Consumer Reports finds

Some of your favorite sweet treats may contain heavy metals, a new report warns.

The report, published Oct. 25, 2023, in Consumer Reports, found heavy metals — lead and cadmium — in chocolate chips, chocolate bars, brownie mix and hot cocoa from major retailers and specialty brands alike.

Among the 48 products Consumer Reports tested, lead and cadmium were detected in every single one. And 16 chocolate products contained heavy metals in amounts that exceeded levels of concern, the report says. Previously, Consumer Reports found lead and cadmium in 23 dark chocolate bars, TODAY.com reported.

The National Confectioners Association, an industry trade group, counters that these products are fine to consume.

“Chocolate and cocoa are safe to eat and can be enjoyed as treats as they have been for centuries,” Christopher Gindlesperger, NCA spokesman, tells TODAY.com in a statement. “Food safety and product quality remain our highest priorities and we remain dedicated to being transparent and socially responsible.”

Test results

Cadmium is a cancer-causing agent, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention say, and long-term exposure can lead to kidney disease and fragile bones. Exposure to lead can cause neurological issues and is particularly dangerous for children, the CDC says.

In this study, lead and cadmium were found in cocoa solids, which are present in higher concentrations in dark chocolate than in milk chocolate. Heavy metals may enter the cocoa plant via contaminated soil or as dust while the beans are processed outdoors after they’re harvested, the report explains.

Consumer Reports tested the levels of lead, cadmium, arsenic and mercury in three samples from 48 chocolate products, including bars, chocolate chips, cake and brownie mixes and hot cocoa mixes. The team averaged the results from the three samples and measured those results against the standards set out in California’s maximum allowable dose levels (MADL) for heavy metals in food.

“We chose (to measure against the California MADL) because the FDA has not set levels in these types of products, so there is no federal level set,” James Rogers, Ph. D., director and acting head of product safety testing at Consumer Reports, tells TODAY.com.

Additionally, the Consumer Reports team decided these levels “were health-protective for people,” Rogers says, “and in lieu of any federal levels, we felt that those are the best levels to use.”

Of the 48 products tested, Consumer Reports found that all of them had detectable levels of lead and cadmium. And 16 showed levels of cadmium or lead in a single serving of the product that exceeded Consumer Reports’s level of concern. However, none of the products the organization tested posed a risk of exposure to arsenic or mercury.

While industry representatives “tend to say that their products do not exceed certain levels,” Rogers says, “obviously our testing shows something different.”

The high levels of lead found in these chocolate products were particularly surprising to Judit Marsillach, Ph.D., assistant professor in the department of environmental and occupational health sciences at the University of Washington School of Public Health.

Cadmium levels, while also concerning, were not as frequently above the Consumer Reports level of concern as lead levels were, Marsillach, who was not involved with the report, tells TODAY.com.

“If the plant absorbs cadmium, then (one would think) cadmium would be more likely to be found higher in general than lead,” she says. But only two products, both dark chocolate bars, were over 100% of Consumer Reports’s levels. Meanwhile, 15 products in the study had high levels of lead.

“How is that lead getting there?” Marsillach says, adding that she’d be curious to know more about these companies’s cultivation and processing practices “because I think it’s a very high level of lead.”

While our diet is just one of many ways we can be exposed to heavy metals throughout our lives, these levels are concerning, she says.

Chocolate products with the highest levels of lead or cadmium per serving in the Consumer Reports study included:

• Perugina 85% Dark Chocolate
• Evolved Signature Dark 72% Cacao Chocolate Bar
• Hu Dark Chocolate Gems
• Good & Gather Semi-Sweet Mini Chocolate Chips
• Droste Cacao Powder
• Hershey’s Cocoa Naturally Unsweetened 100% Cacao
• Great Value Milk Chocolate Flavor Hot Cocoa Mix
• Starbucks Hot Cocoa Classic
• Ghirardelli Premium Brownie Mix Double Chocolate
• Bob’s Red Mill Gluten Free Chocolate Cake Mix
• Simple Mills Almond Flour Baking Mix – Chocolate Muffin and Cake Mix

Safer choices

Consumer Reports detected heavy metals in every product they tested. But some products contained far less lead and cadmium than others, according to the report.

Some of the products with the lowest amounts of lead and cadmium in the Consumer Reports study included:

• Sam’s Choice Dark Chocolate 72% Cocoa
• Lindt Classic Recipe Milk Chocolate Bar
• Ghirardelli Premium Baking Bittersweet Chocolate Chips 60% Cacao
• Nestlé Toll House Semi-Sweet Morsels
• Navitas Organics Organic Cocoa Powder
• Nestlé Toll House 100% Pure Cocoa
• Ghirardelli Premium Hot Cocoa Mix
• Swiss Miss Milk Chocolate Flavor Hot Cocoa
• Betty Crocker Fudge Brownie Mix
• Great Value Devil’s Food Chocolate Cake Mix

Industry response

Industry representatives tell TODAY.com that their products are safe for consumers.

“Our chocolate and cocoa products are safe to eat. We apply strict standards to ensure our products are high quality and comply with all applicable regulatory requirements, including limits for cadmium and lead,” a Nestlé spokesperson tells TODAY.com.

“Minerals such as lead and cadmium are present in the environment, and as a result, agricultural products such as cocoa, may contain these substances in very small amounts,” the statement continues. “We work with our suppliers on an ongoing basis to closely monitor and minimize the presence of these substances in our foods as much as possible. Food safety and quality remain our highest priority.”

Nestlé also owns the Toll House and Perugina brands and produces the Starbucks hot cocoa tested in this report.

“Evolved Chocolate products test well below the levels set in the As You Sow heavy metal settlement, the most rigorous standards in the chocolate industry,” the company says in a statement to TODAY.com. The statement says Evolved “regularly tests raw materials and finished goods to ensure compliance and ultimately, consumer safety.”

Target tells TODAY.com that its Good & Gather products remain safe, as well. “At Target, we’re committed to providing high-quality, safe products for our guests. The products in this report meet all federal product safety requirements,” a company spokesperson said in a statement. (There are no federal limits for the amount of lead and cadmium that most foods can contain.)

Mondelēz International, which owns Hu, and Hershey’s both directed TODAY.com to the NCA for comment.

Walmart, Simple Mills, Bob’s Red Mill, Droste, Lindt (which also owns Ghirardelli), Conagra (owners of Swiss Miss) and General Mills (owners of Betty Crocker) did not respond to requests for comment. Navitas Organics declined to comment.

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What to do if you love chocolate:

The U.S. Food and Drug Administration did not immediately respond to TODAY.com’s request for comment.

“Our advice always has been, No. 1, don’t panic because we’re looking at chronic exposure over the long-term for most consumers,” Rogers says. “We’re not saying to go cold turkey on chocolate.”

However, people who may be more vulnerable to impacts of heavy metal exposure — particularly children and pregnant people — may want to avoid eating certain brands of chocolate that contain heavy metals, he says. And they “should be kept away as far as possible from these products that have high amounts of heavy metals,” Rogers adds.

Marsillach agrees, noting that more cadmium and lead can accumulate in the bodies of pregnant people and children. And, in general, she and Rogers advise people to consume chocolate in moderation as part of a varied diet.

For chocolate lovers, though, it may be worth taking a look at what type of treats you’re buying and eating. “If you eat a lot of chocolate and the chocolate happens to have high levels of heavy metals, that can be a concern,” Marsillach says.

Still, you don’t need to avoid it all together. Instead, opt for the products that turned up lower amounts of heavy metals in this report, Rogers advises. And he hopes the information in this report “empowers the consumer to make wise choices when they go shopping and (about) what they decide to consume.”

Also, keep in mind that milk chocolate generally contains lower amounts of heavy metals than dark chocolate because it’s made with fewer cocoa solids. And kids tend to prefer milk chocolate anyway because it’s not as bitter as dark chocolate, Marsillach says.

“I don’t want (people) to be alarmed,” Marsillach says, “but I do want them to be well informed to make good decisions.” 

This story first appeared on TODAY.com. More from TODAY:

• Alaska pilot says he took ‘magic mushrooms’ 2 days before allegedly try to stop plane mid-flight
• Should you save your childhood trophies when you are an adult?
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Trump storms out of fraud trial after judge clashes with his attorneys, fines him $10,000 for violating gag order

Donald Trump stormed out of his $250 million New York fraud trial Wednesday, shortly after a judge fined him for violating his gag order and then rejected a defense attorney’s bid for a verdict in Trump’s favor.

The visibly angry former president’s sudden departure elicited gasps from the courtroom and sent his own Secret Service agents chasing after him, NBC News reported.

Trump left while Michael Cohen, his former personal lawyer who is a star witness against him in the case, was still on the stand.

Cohen, under cross-examination, said he did not recall if Trump had asked him to inflate the values of his assets on financial records at the heart of the civil case.

Cliff Robert, an attorney for the Trump family, then asked Manhattan Supreme Court Judge Arthur Engoron for a directed verdict based on Cohen’s answer. The judge denied the request — and Trump immediately got up and left.

It was only the latest clash between the judge and the defendants that afternoon.

Shortly beforehand, Engoron fined Trump $10,000 for once again violating a gag order barring him from targeting the judge’s staff.

Engoron had summoned Trump to the witness stand to explain comments he made outside the courtroom earlier in the day, when he complained about a “very partisan judge with a person who’s very partisan sitting alongside him, perhaps even much more partisan than he is.”

The judge took that as a reference to his law clerk, Allison Greenfield, who sits next to Engoron in court.

Trump had previously been barred from making public statements about Engoron’s staff, after he sent a social media post attacking Greenfield on the second day of the trial.

Under questioning from Engoron about his latest remarks, Trump said that he was referring to Cohen, who has been testifying throughout the trial day.

But Engoron said that answer was not credible, based on the language Trump used.

“Don’t do it again or it will be worse,” Engoron warned after issuing the fine.

Engoron’s ruling is the second time Trump has been found in violation of his gag order in the civil fraud trial. Engoron fined Trump $5,000 last week, warning that future violations could carry much more severe sanctions, including imprisonment.

The fireworks came at the end of the second day of testimony from Cohen, who faced a barrage of attacks about his credibility as a witness.

Trump and his legal team had spent much of the previous trial day targeting Cohen’s criminal history, attempting to paint him as a “serial liar” whose word could not be trusted.

Trump doubled down Wednesday during a mid-morning break, saying Cohen “went to jail for lying” and branding him “a totally discredited witness.”

New York Attorney General Letitia James’ civil case accuses Trump, his two adult sons, the Trump Organization and top executives of falsely inflating the values of Trump’s real estate properties and other assets in order to get tax benefits and better loan terms.

James seeks around $250 million in damages, and she wants to bar Trump and his co-defendants from running another business in New York.

In his first day on the stand, Cohen had accused Trump of directing him and another Trump Organization executive to falsely inflate the values of his assets on financial statements.

Trump “would look at the total assets and say, ‘I’m actually not worth $4.5 billion. I am really worth more like $6 billion,'” Cohen testified under oath.

But Trump’s attorney Alina Habba grilled Cohen on cross-examination, highlighting his 2018 guilty plea on charges including lying to Congress. Habba asked him if he lied to the judge in that case during his plea hearing, and Cohen replied that he had.

On Wednesday, Habba picked up where she left off, needling Cohen on his admission of lying to the judge before accusing him of “cashing in” on his current antagonism toward Trump.

Cohen has implicated his former boss in some of the crimes that he himself pleaded guilty to, including making secret hush-money payments to women who said they had extramarital affairs with Trump, and lying about his business dealings with Russia. Trump has pleaded not guilty in a separate New York criminal case charging him with falsifying business records related to the hush-money payments.

Cohen, Trump’s once-loyal aide, is now a star witness against him in James’ trial. Cohen’s 2019 testimony to Congress about Trump’s allegedly fraudulent business practices is what led James to open her sweeping investigation.

Judge Arthur Engoron, who will deliver verdicts in the no-jury trial, has already found Trump liable for fraud and ordered the cancellation of the defendants’ New York business certificates. The trial, which is expected to stretch into late December, will resolve James’ six remaining claims.

Cohen’s ‘animosity’ toward Trump in focus

Habba, in an apparent attempt to establish a financial motive for the witness, contrasted Cohen’s current loathing for Trump with his past statements overflowing with praise for his then-boss.

Cohen confirmed in court that he once had said he would “take a bullet” for Trump and had vowed to “never walk away” from him.

She then questioned whether Cohen sought a job in Trump’s White House following his 2016 election victory. Cohen said he did not, adding that he received the job of personal attorney that he had asked for.

Habba quoted Cohen’s words from his tell-all memoir “Disloyal,” saying that “of course” he was “cashing in” on his relationship with Trump.

When she asked if Cohen had “significant animosity” toward Trump, Cohen replied, “Yes, I do.”

Cohen also agreed that his career now involves publicly attacking Trump.

The bubbling tensions between the lawyers and the witness occasionally boiled over.

“I have answered every question that you want. Why are you screaming at me?” Cohen asked Habba at one point. 

Trump, who stared down Cohen in court on Tuesday, repeatedly attacked his former lawyer in between the proceedings. He called Cohen a “proven liar,” a “felon” and a “disgrace” outside the courtroom.

Read more of CNBC’s politics coverage:

• Israel-Hamas war live updates: Hamas says it will release civilian hostages if Israel stops Gaza strikes
• Trump’s statements pose ‘grave threats’ that justify a gag order, judge says in DC election case
• Jim Jordan loses first House speaker vote, prepares for second ballot

He launched more attacks on social media, writing Tuesday evening that Cohen “was a complete and total disaster” in the trial.

“Lie after lie, and getting caught each time,” claimed Trump.

Cohen declined CNBC’s request for comment ahead of his testimony Wednesday, noting in an email that Engoron has directed him not to discuss the case while he is a witness.

An attorney for Cohen did not respond to a request for comment.

This is developing news. Please check back for updates.

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E. coli outbreak at suburban school linked to 22 other cases in 10 states: CDC

An E. coli outbreak at a suburban Chicago high school has been linked to nearly two dozen other cases in the U.S. spanning at least 10 states, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.

According to the CDC, a Huntley High School outbreak that consisted of at least nine cases of the Shiga Toxin-Producing E. coli is tied to “a larger multistate outbreak.” That outbreak now consists of at least 22 cases in 10 states, according to the investigation.

The McHenry County Health Department said Wednesday the outbreak at the school “has been declared over with no new cases” reported in the last 20 days.

“At this time, no definitive source for the cluster of illness has been identified,” the department said in a statement to NBC Chicago. “It is noteworthy that this particular strain of STEC identified with this cluster of illness has been linked to similar clusters/cases across the country.”

The department originally said the investigation was “complicated” and had “multiple potential exposures within the school and outside of the school.”

According to a press release, any child who experiences symptoms of E. coli must be kept home until they are symptom-free for at least 48 hours.

E. coli is extremely contagious, with officials saying it can be spread by:

-Swallowing water while swimming, or drinking water contaminated with STEC bacteria

-Person-to-person transmission, where the bacteria passes from stool or soiled fingers of one person to another through food handling or direct contact.

-Animal contact by touching or handling animals carrying the bacteria

“Sometimes we get these clusters of cases, and these outbreaks that occur within the communities,” said Dr. Irfan Hafiz, chief medical officer at Northwestern McHenry, Huntley, and Woodstock Hospitals. “That’s what we’re seeing in the Huntley community right now.”

Hafiz said the cause of such outbreaks is typically a “common food source or water source.”

“There’s some type of contaminated meats or some kind of fruit or vegetables that are contaminated,” Hafiz said. “Sometimes it could be pool water that’s not completely chlorinated. Those are some potential sources that have been known to occur.”

Symptoms of E. coli typically include an acute onset of diarrhea and/or vomiting. Nausea, abdominal cramps, fever and body aches are also typical symptoms, all of which can last for 5-to-10 days.

The illness often has an incubation period of 2-to-10 days, according to officials.

“If you are having symptoms, you definitely don’t want to be handling food, you don’t want to be serving food,” Hafiz said. “If you’re taking care of somebody that has symptoms, definitely hand washing and taking precautions is necessary.”

No further information was immediately available.

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Mike Johnson, a staunch conservative from Louisiana, is elected House speaker with broad GOP support

Republicans eagerly elected Rep. Mike Johnson as House speaker Wednesday, elevating a deeply conservative but lesser-known leader to the seat of U.S. power and ending for now the political chaos in their majority.

Johnson of Louisiana swept on the first ballot with support from all Republicans anxious to put the past weeks of tumult behind and get on with the business of governing.

A lower-ranked member of the House GOP leadership team, Johnson emerged as the fourth Republican nominee in what has become an almost absurd cycle of political infighting since Kevin McCarthy’s ouster as GOP factions jockey for power. While not the party’s top choice for the gavel, the deeply religious and even-keeled Johnson has few foes and an important GOP backer: Donald Trump.

“I think he’s gonna be a fantastic speaker,” Trump said Wednesday at the New York courthouse where the former president, who is now the Republican front-runner for president in 2024, is on trial over a lawsuit alleging business fraud.

Trump said he hadn’t heard “one negative comment about him. Everybody likes him.”

Three weeks on without a House speaker, the Republicans have been wasting their majority status — a maddening embarrassment to some, democracy in action to others, but not at all how the House is expected to function.

Far-right members have refused to accept a more traditional speaker, and moderate conservatives don’t want a hard-liner. While Johnson had no opponents during the private roll call late Tuesday, some two dozen Republicans did not vote, more than enough to sink his nomination.

But when GOP Conference Chair Rep. Elise Stefanik rose to introduce Johnson’s name Wednesday as their nominee, Republicans jumped to their feet for an extended standing ovation.

“House Republicans and Speaker Mike Johnson will never give up,” she said.

Democrats again nominated their leader Rep. Hakeem Jeffries of New York, criticizing Johnson as an architect of Trump’s legal effort to overturn the 2020 presidential election he lost.

With Republicans controlling the House only 221-212 over Democrats, Johnson could afford just a few detractors to win the gavel. He won 220-209, with a few absences.

Overnight the endorsements for Johnson started pouring in, including from failed speaker hopefuls — Rep. Jim Jordan, the hard-charging Judiciary Committee chairman, gave his support, as did Majority Leader Steve Scalise, the fellow Louisiana congressman, who stood behind Johnson after he won the nomination.

“Mike! Mike! Mike!” lawmakers chanted at a press conference after the late-night internal vote, surrounding Johnson and posing for selfies in a show of support.

Anxious and exhausted, Republican lawmakers are desperately trying to move on.

Johnson’s rise comes after a tumultuous month, capped by a head-spinning Tuesday that within a span of a few hours saw one candidate, Rep. Tom Emmer, the GOP Whip, nominated and then quickly withdraw when it became clear he would be the third candidate unable to secure enough support from GOP colleagues after Trump bashed his nomination.

“He wasn’t MAGA,” said Trump, referring to his Make America Great Again campaign slogan.

Attention quickly turned to Johnson. A lawyer specializing in constitutional issues, Johnson had rallied Republicans around Trump’s legal effort to overturn the 2020 election results.

Elevating Johnson to speaker would give Louisianians two high-ranking GOP leaders, putting him above Scalise, who was rejected by hard-liners in his own bid for speaker.

Deeply religious, Johnson is affable and well liked, with a fiery belief system. Colleagues swiftly started giving their support.

“Democracy is messy sometimes, but it is our system,” Johnson said after winning the nomination. “We’re going to restore your trust in what we do here.”

Rep. Matt Gaetz, R-Fla., who led a small band of hard-liners to engineer McCarthy’s ouster at the start of the month, posted on social media that “Mike Johnson won’t be the Speaker the Swamp wants but, he is the Speaker America needs.”

Republicans have been flailing all month, unable to conduct routine business as they fight amongst themselves with daunting challenges ahead.

The federal government risks a shutdown in a matter of weeks if Congress fails to pass funding legislation by a Nov. 17 deadline to keep services and offices running. More immediately, President Joe Biden has asked Congress to provide $105 billion in aid — to help Israel and Ukraine amid their wars and to shore up the U.S. border with Mexico. Federal aviation and farming programs face expiration without action.

Many hard-liners have been resisting a leader who voted for the budget deal that McCarthy struck with Biden earlier this year, which set federal spending levels that far-right Republicans don’t agree with and now want to undo. They are pursuing steeper cuts to federal programs and services with next month’s funding deadline.

Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene of Georgia said she wanted assurances the candidates would pursue impeachment inquiries into Biden and other top Cabinet officials.

During the turmoil, the House was led by a speaker pro tempore, Rep. Patrick McHenry, R-N.C., the bow tie-wearing chairman of the Financial Services Committee. His main job was to elect a more permanent speaker.

Some Republicans — and Democrats — wanted to give McHenry more power to get on with the routine business of governing. But McHenry, the first person to be in the position that was created in the aftermath of the Sept. 11, 2001, terror attacks as an emergency measure, declined to back those overtures. He, too, received a standing ovation.

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