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  • How the ultra-wealthy infiltrated anti-capitalist Burning Man | CNN Business

    How the ultra-wealthy infiltrated anti-capitalist Burning Man | CNN Business

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    New York
    CNN
     — 

    Burning Man, the desert confab that descended into chaos over the weekend, isn’t quite the scrappy, free-spirited revelry that it once was.

    For many watching the disarray of Burning Man from afar, the rain and mud that left 70,000 people stranded quickly became a symbol of the festival’s departure from its roots.

    Or, more simply: how the billionaires ruined Burning Man.

    The festival began as a small gathering in 1986 on a San Francisco beach, and eventually grew into a gritty countercultural community of “Burners” who eschew commercialism within their makeshift city, erected annually in a desiccated lake bed known as the playa.

    There’s no money trading hands on the playa — that’s core to to the community’s “decommodification” ethos. But there is, increasingly, a lot of money on the playa.

    Going to Burning Man is, in some elite circles, akin to having climbed Everest or taken ayahuasca on a meditation retreat — a spiritually transformative experience, undertaken with a considerable safety net of privilege.

    Elon Musk, the world’s wealthiest person, has been a regular at Burning Man, telling Recode in 2014 that “if you haven’t been, you just don’t get it.” Mark Zuckerberg flew in for a day in 2012 to serve up grilled cheese sandwiches and even set up his own tent, according to his friend and Facebook co-founder Dustin Moskovitz. In 2018, shortly after she was indicted on federal fraud charges, Theranos founder Elizabeth Holmes retreated to the desert and burned an effigy for her failed startup, she told the New York Times.

    One of the 10 pillars of Burning Man is “radical self-reliance,” and in that spirit most revelers haul their own water and shelf-stable food in for the week, and “rely on their inner resources” for survival, according to the organization’s website.

    For the one-percenters in attendance, however, self-reliance can be outsourced.

    The ultra-wealthy have been known to fly in personal chefs for the week, and pay as much as $50,000 to camp in luxurious tents, as the New York Post reported in 2019. A Business Insider reporter, similarly, wrote about so-called fancy camps around the playa that came with chandeliers, party rooms and outdoor showers.

    “Burning Man is the perfect example of how many rich White people recreationally manufacture hardship because they are immune from it systematically,” wrote one user on X, formerly Twitter, this weekend.

    The infiltration of the jet set is the driving force behind the schadenfreude emanating from social media in response to video footage of Burners — some of whom paid $2,750 for a single ticket — tromping through ankle-deep mud, unable to drive out of the camp following unusually heavy rain.

    “It’s a tiny violin emoji for me,” wrote one TikTok user.

    While some festival-goers found the situation scary — a “Lord of the Flies” vibe, as one attendee described it — many seasoned Burners were taking the weather and road closures in stride, offering food and shelter to those who need it. While one person died at the festival, the death was “unrelated to the weather.”

    One attendee, Andrew Hyde, told CNN the rain and mud have taken the meaning of the event back to its roots.

    “You come out here to be in a harsh climate, and you prepare for that.”

    — Nouran Salahieh and Holly Yan contributed to this article.

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  • Death investigated at Burning Man while 70,000 festival attendees remain stuck in Nevada desert after rain | CNN

    Death investigated at Burning Man while 70,000 festival attendees remain stuck in Nevada desert after rain | CNN

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    CNN
     — 

    Authorities are investigating a death at the Burning Man festival in the Nevada desert as thousands of people remain trapped on site after heavy rains inundated the area and created thick, ankle-deep mud which sticks to campers’ shoes and vehicle tires.

    Attendees were told to shelter in place in the Black Rock Desert and conserve food, water and fuel after a rainstorm swamped the area, forcing officials to halt any entering or leaving of the festival.

    “A little over 70,000 people,” remained stranded Saturday, Sgt. Nathan Carmichael, with the Pershing County Sheriff’s Office, told CNN Sunday morning. Some people have left the site by walking out but “most of the RVs are stuck in place,” he said.

    On Sunday morning, event organizers said roads remained closed as they were “too wet and muddy” and more uncertain weather was likely on the way. While some vehicles were able to leave, others got stuck in the mud, organizers said on the event’s website.

    “Please do NOT drive at this time,” they added. “We will update you on the driving ban after this weather front has left the area.”

    The remote area in northwest Nevada was hit with 2 to 3 months’ worth of rain – up to 0.8 inches – in just 24 hours between Friday and Saturday morning. The heavy rainfall fell on dry desert grounds, whipping up thick, clay-like mud festivalgoers said was too difficult to walk or bike through.

    The sheriff’s office said it is investigating “a death which occurred during this rain event.” Authorities did not publicly name the person or provide details on the circumstances of the death.

    “The family has been notified and the death is under investigation,” the sheriff’s office said in a late Saturday news release.

    The individual was found on the playa and lifesaving procedures to revive them were not successful, Carmichael said Sunday, but did not share further details.

    Playa is the term used to describe sunken dry lake beds in deserts where water evaporates rather than running off, and even a small amount of rain can quickly soak a large area.

    Event organizers said they plan to burn the Man – the huge totem set on fire at the festival’s culmination – on Sunday night, if weather allows.

    The rainy conditions forecast over the area for Sunday afternoon had mostly passed to the east of the festival site, according to a social media post from organizers, though there is still a chance of showers and thunderstorms “for the rest of daylight hours” into the evening.

    Drone video shows vehicles stranded and stuck at Burning Man

    Authorities have not provided information on when roads could reopen, but the sunshine is expected to return Monday.

    Burning Man attendees walk through the mud on Saturday.

    “We do not currently have an estimated time for the roads to be dry enough for RVs or vehicles to navigate safely,” Burning Man organizers said in a Saturday evening statement. “Monday late in the day would be possible if weather conditions are in our favor. It could be sooner.”

    Organizers noted the rain falling on an already saturated playa overnight and Sunday “will affect the amount of time it takes for the playa to dry.”

    For now, the gate and airport into Black Rock City remain closed and no driving is allowed into or out of the city except for emergency vehicles, the organizers said on social media. Black Rock City is a temporary metropolis erected annually for the festival and comes complete with emergency, safety and sanitary infrastructure.

    The rain “made it virtually impossible for motorized vehicles to traverse the playa,” the Pershing County Sheriff’s Office said, noting people were advised to shelter in place until the ground has dried enough to drive on safely.

    Vehicles trying to drive out will get stuck in the mud, Burning Man organizers said Saturday. “It will hamper Exodus if we have cars stuck on roads in our camping areas, or on the Gate Road out of the city,” the organizers added.

    “If you are in BRC, please shelter in place & stay safe,” organizers said.

    Storms and heavy rains across Nevada flooded other parts of the state and may have led to another death. In Las Vegas, authorities found a person unresponsive and “entangled with debris,” on Saturday morning who is believed to be “a drowning victim,” according to Jace Radke, a spokesperson for the city. An investigation is ongoing, Radke said in a news release.

    Dawn brought muddy realization to the Burning Man encampment, where the exit gates remain closed indefinitely because driving is virtually impossible.

    Some festivalgoers hiked miles on foot in the thick mud to reach main roads while others stayed at their camps, hoping for conditions to improve.

    Hannah Burhorn, a first-time attendee at the festival, told CNN people were trudging through the mud barefoot or with bags tied around their feet.

    “People who have tried to bike through it and have gotten stuck because it’s about ankle deep,” Burhorn said. The mud is so thick it “sticks to your shoes and makes it almost like a boot around your boot,” she added.

    It’s unclear exactly how many people are stranded at the festival, but typically more than 70,000 people attend the weeklong event. It’s being held from August 28 to September 4 this year.

    There weren’t any reports of injuries as of Saturday afternoon, Sean Burke, the director of emergency management for Pershing County, told CNN.

    Amar Singh Duggal and his friends managed to leave the festival after hiking about 2 miles in the mud, he told CNN. He estimated it took them about 2 hours to get to a main road where they arranged to be picked up and taken to Reno, about a 120-mile drive from the event grounds.

    Heavy rain covered the ground with thick mud at Burning Man in Black Rock Desert.

    “We made it, but it was pure hell (walking) through the mud,” Duggal said. “Each step felt like we were walking with two big cinder blocks on our feet.”

    Among those attending the festival was DJ Diplo and comedian Chris Rock.

    Rock posted a video on Instagram of thick mud and Diplo posted a series of videos in which he said a fan offered him and Rock a ride out of the site.

    The DJ said they walked several miles and were able to get to a nearby airport.

    Meanwhile, attendees who typically dedicate their time to making art and building community are now also focused on rationing supplies and dealing with connectivity issues.

    “There is super limited bandwidth and a lot of people at the camp (are) trying to cancel flights and arrange for extended time here” due to the weather, Burhorn told CNN via text message from a Wi-Fi camp.

    A still from a drone video shows vehicles trying to leave the Burning Man festival on Sunday, September 3.

    Still, the poor conditions have not stopped the creativity, said Burhorn, who had traveled from San Francisco.

    “People are building mud sculptures,” she said.

    Andrew Hyde, another attendee stuck at the Burning Man, said despite the muddy conditions making it difficult to walk, the weather has taken the meaning of the event back to its roots.

    “You come out here to be in a harsh climate, and you prepare for that,” Hyde told CNN’s Paula Newton. “So in many ways, everybody here just kind of made friends with their neighbors and it’s a community event.”

    Morale at the event is OK and there’s generally no panic among the attendees, Hyde said, describing music returning overnight.

    There are worries about the additional rain causing delays, however, and the unknowns of worsening conditions.

    “I think the concern is if we have another rain,” he said. “People need to go back to their jobs, back to the responsibilities they have back home.”

    A rainbow appears at Burning Man in Black Rock Desert, Nevada, on September 2, 2023.

    Organizers announced Saturday night they’ll be putting mobile cell trailers in different positions, configuring the organization’s Wi-Fi system for public access and deploying buses to nearby Gerlach to take people who might walk off the playa to Reno.

    “This is not likely a 24-hour operation at this time,” the festival said in a statement on its website.

    Organizers are also resourcing four-wheel-drive vehicles and all-terrain tires to help ferry medical and other urgent situations to the blacktop.

    There have been people who managed to walk to a main road and were waiting for transport from the festival organizers Saturday night, the Pershing County Sheriff’s Office said.

    Resources have been brought in from around northern Nevada to help people with medical needs on the event grounds, the sheriff’s office said.

    “Burning Man is a community of people who are prepared to support one another,” Burning Man said on its website. “We have come here knowing this is a place where we bring everything we need to survive. It is because of this that we are all well-prepared for a weather event like this.”

    “We have done table-top drills for events like this,” organizers added. “We are engaged full-time on all aspects of safety and looking ahead to our Exodus as our next priority.”

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  • Tens of thousands at Burning Man told to conserve water and food after heavy rains leave attendees stranded in Nevada desert | CNN

    Tens of thousands at Burning Man told to conserve water and food after heavy rains leave attendees stranded in Nevada desert | CNN

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    CNN
     — 

    Tens of thousands of people attending the Burning Man festival in the Nevada desert are being told to conserve food, water and fuel as they shelter in place in the Black Rock Desert after a heavy rainstorm pummeled the area, festival organizers said.

    Attendees were surrounded by thick, ankle-deep mud and organizers halted vehicles from traveling in or out of the festival after heavy rains started saturating the area Friday evening.

    Hannah Burhorn, a first-time attendee at the festival, told CNN in a phone interview Saturday the desert sand has turned into thick clay and puddles and mud are everywhere. People are wrapping trash bags and Ziploc bags around their shoes to avoid getting stuck, while others are walking around barefoot.

    “It’s unavoidable at this point,” she said. “It’s in the bed of the truck, inside the truck. People who have tried to bike through it and have gotten stuck because it’s about ankle deep.”

    The gate and airport into Black Rock City, a remote area in northwest Nevada, remain closed and no driving is allowed into or out of the city except for emergency vehicles, the organizers said on X, the social media platform formerly known as Twitter.

    “Do not travel to Black Rock City! Access to the city is closed for the remainder of the event, and you will be turned around,” one statement read.

    More than 70,000 people attend the weeklong event annually, which this year is being held from August 28 to September 5. It’s unclear how many of those were stranded due to the weather.

    The city is expecting more showers overnight on Saturday, organizers said in a weather forecast update. The National Weather Service said showers and thunderstorms are expected to return Saturday evening and continue throughout Sunday, with temperatures ranging from highs in the 70s to a low overnight of 49 degrees.

    Rainfall reports from the National Weather Service suggest up to 0.8 inches of rain fell in the area from Friday morning through Saturday morning – approximately two to three months of rainfall for that location this time of year. Even small rainfall totals can lead to flooding in the dry Nevada desert.

    Flood watches were in effect in northeast Nevada, to the east of Black Rock City. Those watches noted individual storms were producing up to one inch of rainfall, but higher totals — as much as 3 inches — would be possible through the weekend.

    The Bureau of Land Management, which has jurisdiction over the land the festival is held on, is advising people heading to Burning Man to “turn around and head home,” as roads remain closed in the area, according to a statement obtained by the Reno Gazette-Journal.

    Mud fills a Burning Man campsite after heavy rain in Nevada's Black Rock Desert on September 1, 2023.

    “Rain over the last 24 hours has created a situation that required a full stop of vehicle movement on the playa. More rain is expected over the next few days and conditions are not expected to improve enough to allow vehicles to enter the playa,” the statement read.

    The festival, which began in 1986, is held each summer in Black Rock City – a temporary metropolis that is erected annually for the festival. The city comes complete with planning services, emergency, safety and sanitary infrastructure.

    It is best known for its concluding event, in which a large wooden symbol of a man is ignited. The event attracts tens of thousands each year and in the past, celebrities from Sean “Diddy” Combs to Katy Perry have attended.

    The tens of thousands of attendees travel to and from the city along a two-lane highway to get to the festival, according to its website. The festival was canceled in 2020 and 2021 due to the coronavirus pandemic.

    Burning Man participants dedicate their time to making art and building community. They can learn how to spin fire, or to pole dance, to make shrink art jewelry or build a giant sculpture of two people embracing and burn it down.

    Some on-site preparations for this year’s Burning Man were impacted by tropical storm Hilary in August, with high winds, rainfall and even flooding reported in the desert, CNN reported.

    Amber Kramer, a resident of Kings Beach, California, told CNN she’s staying in an RV with her group and “feels fine as long as we have food and water.”

    “My camp and I are on the roof [of the RV] trying to make the best of it,” Kramer said. She said she’s concerned for those staying in tents because the area is forecast to see more rain.

    “People with RVs have been asked by camp leaders if they have room for people with tents because they are expecting another storm,” she said.

    Kramer said she’s seen many people trudging around the camp with garbage bags strapped to their feet with duct tape in order to maneuver through the mud.

    Rainfall reports from the National Weather Service suggest up to 0.8 inches of rain fell at Black Rock City in Nevada from Friday morning through Saturday morning.

    Burhorn, who traveled from San Francisco, California, said the mud is so thick that it “sticks to your shoes and makes it almost like a boot around your boot,” making it even more difficult to move around, she added.

    She added she and her friends were not expecting any rain – only extreme heat. Burhorn said people trapped in the desert have limited cell service, making it almost impossible to get news on weather conditions or receive updates from festival organizers.

    “It’s all been completely word of mouth,” she said. “I just talked to my boyfriend on the phone who gave me a weather update. I was like, ‘can you tell me what’s going on in the news? We have no clue.’”

    Festival attendees say the grounds are caked with thick mud after heavy rains soaked the Black Rock Desert

    Burhorn said the mud is so thick that it “sticks to your shoes and makes it almost like a boot around your boot,” making it even more difficult to move around, she added.

    The silver lining, Burhorn said, is people are walking from camp to camp to check on others and make sure they have enough food and water. “People are still really looking out for each other, which is like a bubble of love.”

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  • McDonald’s found liable after child suffers burns from ‘hot’ chicken nuggets, Florida jury finds | CNN Business

    McDonald’s found liable after child suffers burns from ‘hot’ chicken nuggets, Florida jury finds | CNN Business

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    New York
    CNN
     — 

    A South Florida jury returned a split verdict in a civil lawsuit filed against McDonald’s and one of its franchisees that alleged “dangerously hot” chicken nuggets from a Happy Meal burned a toddler, according to CNN affiliate WPLG.

    The jury on Thursday found that McDonald’s and franchise owner Upchurch Foods liable for failing to properly warn or provide reasonable instructions on the possible harm from the hot McNuggets dispensed at a Tamarac, Florida, drive-thru, the news station reported. However, only Upchurch Foods was found to be negligent. Jurors also found there was no inherent defect in putting McNuggets on the market and no breach of implied warranty.

    The suit was filed in 2019 against McDonald’s and Upchurch Foods. The Fort Lauderdale jury said both were at some fault for the burns sustained by Philana Holmes and Humberto Caraballo Estevez’s daughter when the hot nuggets fell on to her lap, WPLG reported.

    The complaint said Holmes bought and paid for the Happy Meal from the drive-thru and then drove away. The nugget fell and became lodged between her 4-year-old daughter’s leg and car seat, the law firm representing the plaintiffs said.

    “The Chicken McNuggets inside of that Happy Meal were unreasonably and dangerously hot (in terms of temperature),” and caused her “skin and flesh around her thighs to burn,” the complaint alleged, leaving her “disfigured and scarred.”

    The complaint said the franchise should have known the nuggets were “unfit for human handling,” had a duty not to sell them, and it should have adequately trained and supervised its employees.

    The law firm representing the plaintiff, Fischer Redavid, said in a blog post that the case will go to a second trial to “determine the damages owed to our client.”

    The case echoes the infamous McDonald’s hot coffee lawsuit of the ’90s, in which a woman spilled coffee on her lap and suffered third-degree burns. A jury agreed with her contention that the coffee was unreasonably hot. Fischer Redavid noted that the plaintiff in that case was initially awarded nearly $3 million, but she settled for less after an appeal.

    “This is not the infamous Hot Coffee case; this is Olivia’s case,” the law firm said in a statement to WPLG. “She’s an adorable, innocent child who was severely burned through no fault of her own.”

    In a statement, McDonald’s called it an “unfortunate incident” but that they “respectfully disagree with the verdict.” McDonald’s defense said it had no control over the injuries and damages.

    “Our sympathies go out to this family for what occurred in this unfortunate incident, as we hold customer safety as one of our highest priorities,” local McDonald’s owner and operator, Brent Upchurch, said in a statement. “That’s why our restaurant follows strict rules in accordance with food safety best practices when it comes to cooking and serving our menu items, including Chicken McNuggets.”

    Upchurch said the Tamarac location “did indeed follow” safety protocols.

    Fischer Redavid’s statement said the verdict “reflected the truth, the facts, and the law.”

    “We don’t view this as a ‘split verdict.’ Two defendants went to trial, denying liability. A jury found both liable.”

    – CNN’s Danielle Wiener-Bronner contributed to this report

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  • 4 people hospitalized after battery fire in United plane cabin | CNN

    4 people hospitalized after battery fire in United plane cabin | CNN

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    CNN
     — 

    A fire from the battery of an electrical device aboard a United Airlines flight forced a Newark-bound plane to return to San Diego on Tuesday and sent four people to the hospital, officials say.

    The flight crew aboard United Flight 2664 prevented the fire from spreading further, and the plane returned to the airport, according to a tweet from the San Diego Fire Department.

    Emergency personnel responded and are currently treating passengers, said San Diego International Airport (SAN) spokesperson Sabrina LoPiccolo in a phone interview with CNN.

    FlightAware data shows that the aircraft, a Boeing 737 MAX 8, took off from the airport at 7:07 a.m. Pacific Time and landed back in San Diego at 7:51 a.m.

    Fire crews evaluated all passengers and crew, and four people were taken to the hospital. Two others declined further treatment, according to another tweet from the San Diego Fire Department.

    FAA spokesperson Ian Gregor told CNN the fire was from a laptop battery. “The FAA will investigate,” Gregor said.

    Flight attendants who are credited with containing the fire are among those taken to the hospital, according to the airline.

    “Our crew acted quickly to contain the device and medical personnel met the aircraft upon arrival at the gate,” said United Airlines spokesperson Charles Hobart in a statement to CNN. “Several flight attendants were taken to the hospital as a precaution, and two customers were evaluated onsite.”

    “We thank our crew for their quick actions in prioritizing the safety of everyone on board the aircraft and we are making arrangements to get our customers to their destinations,” Hobart added.

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  • tWitch remembered in moving tribute from ‘Ellen’ producer: His ‘light still burns in us’ | CNN

    tWitch remembered in moving tribute from ‘Ellen’ producer: His ‘light still burns in us’ | CNN

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    Editor’s Note: If you or someone you know is struggling with suicidal thoughts or mental health matters, please call or text the 988 Suicide & Crisis Lifeline to connect with a trained counselor or visit the Lifeline site.



    CNN
     — 

    Stephen “tWitch” Boss is being remembered for the joy he sparked by his friend and former colleague, “The Ellen DeGeneres Show” executive producer Andy Lassner.

    In a moving tribute to Boss, Lassner wrote about the many lives the late star touched.

    “So many people on social media are posting pictures of themselves with Twitch. Talking about their close friendships with him,” Lassner began his post alongside a photo of Boss smiling. “Talking about the texts they exchanged with him just last week. Talking about the conversation they once had with him. The thing is – it’s all true. It’s all real.

    “Those who knew him are not trying to make this tragedy about themselves. They are just trying to convey to you who Twitch was,” Lassner continued. “He made everything about you. He made you feel like the most important person in the world. And he did this for everybody. Not just the people he needed or that were ‘important’. He did it for everybody. It’s doesn’t sound real. But it is. All of it.”

    Lassner described the positive impact of Boss, who started working on “The Ellen DeGeneres Show” in 2014 as a DJ and later became the co-executive producer of the former talk show.

    “He was everyone’s friend. He really did care for every single person who worked at the show and everyone in his life,” he wrote. “And the thing is if you met him just once – you felt that feeling. That light. That’s why I think you and I are hurting. Because we all counted on him. He was our flame. Our joy. Our dancer.”

    Boss, who died by suicide earlier this week at age 40, is being eulogized for his kindness and radiant light. Lassner called on people to honor his legacy.

    “There was a heavy burden that none of us realized he was carrying. He must have been so tired,” he wrote. “But we didn’t know because he never wanted it to be about him. Ever. So now we can either spend all of our time wondering why and how and never being satisfied with the answers we imagine. Or we can focus on being grateful for the gift he gave us by allowing us to take light from his flame.

    “The thing is that light still burns in us. All of us,” Lassner concluded his post. “Let’s try and share that light with the people we love. It’s really all we can do. And that’s enough. It’s more than enough.”

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  • Jay Leno released from the hospital after burn injuries | CNN

    Jay Leno released from the hospital after burn injuries | CNN

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    CNN
     — 

    Jay Leno has been discharged from the hospital after sustaining burn injuries in a gasoline fire about nine days ago.

    The former “Tonight Show” host, 72, was discharged from Grossman Burn Center in Los Angeles on Monday, the Center announced in a statement, along with sharing a photo of the comedian with some members of his care team.

    “Comedian Jay Leno was released from the Grossman Burn Center today,” the hospital said in a press release. “Jay will receive follow-up care at the Grossman Outpatient Burn Clinic for burns to his face, chest and hands he received during a fire at his home garage.”

    Leno, an avid car collector, had been working underneath a vehicle on when he was burned. He has undergone two surgical procedures to treat his injuries, Dr. Peter Grossman, his physician, previously announced.

    “I am pleased with Jay’s progress, and I am optimistic that he will make a full recovery,” Grossman said Monday.

    “Jay would like to let everyone know how thankful he is for the care he received, and is very appreciative of all of the well wishes,” the hospital added in their statement. “He is looking forward to spending Thanksgiving with his family and friends and wishes everyone a wonderful holiday.”

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