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U.S.-born kitefoiler J.J. Rice dies at age 18 in diving accident weeks before his Olympics debut
United States-born kitefoiler J.J. Rice, who was set to represent Tonga at the Paris Olympics, died in a diving accident. He was 18.
Rice’s father Darren Rice confirmed his son’s death Monday to the Matangi Tonga newspaper.
Jackson James Rice was set to become the first Caucasian to represent Tonga at an Olympic Games. His death happened Saturday at Faleloa, on the island of Ha’apai in the Tonga archipelago.
He was free diving from a boat when he suffered a suspected shallow water blackout, Matangi Tonga reported. Efforts to revive him were unsuccessful.
“I was blessed with the most amazing brother in the whole world and it pains me to say that he’s passed away,” Rice’s sister Lily said in a Facebook post. “He was an amazing kitefoiler and he would have made it to the Olympics and come out with a big shiny medal. He made so many amazing friends all over the world.”
Rice had recently returned to Tonga after competing in the 2024 Formula Kite World Championships in France, the Matangi Tonga reported.
Rice was born in the United States to British-born parents but grew up on Ha’apai where his parents operate a tourist lodge. “I’ve lived in Tonga my whole life, I see myself as a Tongan,” he told Matangi Tonga last month. “I don’t see myself as anything else.”
Rice often posted videos of himself training in Tonga on his Instagram account.
In an Instagram post last month, Rice said he wanted to “say a big thank you to everyone who has supported, mentored, given me a couch to stay on and pushed me to my absolute limit.”
“Thank you firstly to my mum and dad without you guys nothing would be possible,” he wrote.
Rice finished eighth at the Sail Sydney event in December to earn his Olympic place. Kitefoiling will be an Olympic sport for the first time in Paris.
Rice recently had been training and competing in Europe.
Kitefoilers race on boards that are lifted off the water on foils and can reach speeds of more than 30 mph.
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Popular gluten free tortilla strips recalled over possible contamination with wheat
A food company known for popular grocery store condiments has recalled a package of tortilla strips that may be contaminated with wheat, the U.S. Food and Drug Administration said Friday. The product is meant to be gluten-free.
Sugar Foods, a manufacturing and distribution corporation focused mainly on various toppings, artificial sweeteners and snacks, issued the recall for the “Santa Fe Style” version of tortilla strips sold by the brand Fresh Gourmet.
“People who have a wheat allergy or severe sensitivity to wheat run the risk of serious or life-threatening allergic reaction if they consume the product,” said Sugar Foods in an announcement posted by the FDA.
Packages of these tortilla strips with an expiration date as late as June 20, 2025, could contain undeclared wheat, meaning the allergen is not listed as an ingredient on the label. The Fresh Gourmet product is marketed as gluten-free.
Sugar Foods said a customer informed the company on Nov. 19 that packages of the tortilla strips actually contained crispy onions, another Fresh Gourmet product normally sold in a similar container. The brand’s crispy onion product does contain wheat, and that allergen is noted on the label.
No illnesses tied to the packaging mistake have been reported, according to the announcement from Sugar Foods. However, the company is still recalling the tortilla strips as a precaution. The contamination issue may have affected products distributed between Sept. 30 and Nov. 11 in 22 states: Arizona, California, Colorado, Florida, Georgia, Iowa, Idaho, Illinois, Indiana, Maryland, Maine, Michigan, Minnesota, North Carolina, New Jersey, Ohio, Oregon, Pennsylvania, Texas, Utah, Virginia and Washington.
Sugar Foods has advised anyone with questions about the recall to contact the company’s consumer care department by email or phone.
CBS News reached out to Sugar Foods for more information but did not receive an immediate reply.
This is the latest in a series of food product recalls affected because of contamination issues, although the others involved harmful bacteria. Some recent, high-profile incidents include an E. coli outbreak from organic carrots that killed at least one person in California, and a listeria outbreak that left an infant dead in California and nine people hospitalized across four different states, according to the Center for Disease Control and Prevention. The E. coli outbreak is linked to multiple different food brands while the listeria outbreak stemmed from a line of ready-to-eat meat and poultry products sold by Yu-Shang Foods.
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Gazan chefs cook up hope and humanity for online audience
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Serving up home-cooked dog food
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