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☆ The least affordable metro areas for America's middle class—5 of them are in California
▼ + stars: | 2024-04-24 | by ( Celia Fernandez | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +1 min

California remains one of the most expensive states to live in, according to a recent Creditnews Research study that found America's middle class is being priced out. In the report that asked, "Can America's Middle Class Still Afford Homeownership in 2024? ", the independent research house studied the relationship between income distribution and housing costs across America's 100 most populous metropolitan areas to find the most and least affordable places for the middle class. The least affordable metro areas were almost entirely on the Pacific coast. Five of the 10 least affordable metro areas are in California.

Organizations: Pew Locations: California, United States, San Francisco, San Diego

☆ Merrill's Lindsay Hans and Eric Schimpf were thrust to the top of the $3.3 trillion wealth unit last year. Here's a look at their new playbook.
▼ + stars: | 2024-04-22 | by ( Hayley Cuccinello | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +9 min

Thirteen months ago, Andy Sieg unexpectedly left Merrill Wealth Management to run Citi's ailing wealth unit. His replacements, Lindsay Hans and Eric Schimpf, had big shoes to fill. Hans and Schimpf were company veterans but lesser known before they were anointed to lead the $3 trillion wealth business attached to behemoth Bank of America. Schimpf is more soft-spoken than his cohead Hans, who was promoted to run the private wealth business one month before Sieg left. AdvertisementMerrill has the benefit of being part of a bank with some 69 million consumer bank clients.

Persons: Andy Sieg, Lindsay Hans, Eric Schimpf, Merrill, Hans, Schimpf, Sieg, Lindsay, it's, Sieg's, Louis Diamond, Schimpf's, Hans said, AdvisorHub Organizations: Service, Merrill Wealth Management, behemoth Bank of America, Business, Merrill, Army, UBS, Schimpf, Northeast, Merrill . Bank of America, Bank of America, Customers, Bank of, First, JPMorgan Locations: Los Angeles, Coast, New York City, Nevada, First Republic, Merrill

☆ I've been to 54 countries and have lived in 10. These 5 underrated places are worth the trip.
▼ + stars: | 2024-04-20 | by ( Alcynna Lloyd | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +11 min

Kate Boardman has visited 54 countries around the world and lived in 10, including the US. She's enjoyed spots like France and Bali but says people should visit underrated places like Oman. I've been to 54 countries and lived in 10, including the US. I also think spots like Cancun are super overrated; there are way cooler places to visit in Mexico. Kate Boardman/@wildkat.wandersI first lived in Guatemala in 2021, where I worked as a teacher at an international school.

Persons: Kate Boardman, She's, —, I've, Boardman, It's, You've, they're, @wildkat.wanders, Kate Boardman There's, There's, you've, Earth Organizations: Service, Antigua —, United Arab Locations: France, Bali, Oman, Ecuador, Guatemala, Massachusetts, Germany, Tblisi , Georgia, Paris, London, Cancun, Mexico, Iran, Maharloo, Georgia, Tbilisi, It's, Soviet Union, Kazbegi , Georgia, Turkish, Central America, Costa Rica, Tikal, Guatemala City, Antigua, Boardman, Livingston , Guatemala, El, United Arab Emirates, Yemen, Muscat, Caribbean

☆ These 10 retail brands are the fastest growing in the U.S., Yelp says
▼ + stars: | 2024-04-10 | by ( Amelia Lucas | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +6 min

Chains owned by publicly traded restaurant companies accounted for half of the top 10 fastest-growing retail brands in the U.S. last year, according to a new Yelp report. Of the 50 fastest-growing chains in Yelp's report, 35 were restaurant brands. Jack in the Box, First Watch and Dutch Bros were among the public restaurant chains included in the report, but they didn't crack the top 10. Popeyes' higher sales have encouraged franchisees to open more locations and led new operators to join the brand, Restaurant Brands executives have previously said. In 2023, Popeyes surpassed KFC as the second-most popular chicken chain in the U.S. by sales, trailing only Chick-fil-A.

Persons: Jack, Levi Strauss, Cava CAVA, Cava, Zachary Lucy, Scott Olson, Darden, Yum, Stephanie Dhue, Tim Hortons, Burger King, Randy Risling, Popeyes, Michael Siluk, Freddy's, Kyle Rivas, It's, Justin Sullivan Organizations: Dutch Bros, Publicly, Nordstrom, Costco, New York Stock Exchange, Pacific Coast League, Omaha Storm, Memphis Redbirds, AP, LongHorn, Getty, Darden, steakhouse, Parent, Yum Brands, Taco Bell, KFC, East, CNBC, Wawa, Toronto Star, Brands, Restaurant Brands, UCG, Thompson, Capital Partners, Rally House, Kansas City Chiefs, Tampa Bay Buccaneers, Subs Locations: U.S, Cava, Werner, Omaha , Nebraska, Nebraska, Skokie , Illinois, California, West, Wawa, Bethany Beach , Delaware, Philadelphia, It's, Louisiana, Lansing , Kansas, Kansas City , Missouri, Midwest, Pennsylvania, Arizona, Olive, Lincolnwood , Illinois, Jersey, Petaluma , California

Thousands of residents and visitors viewed the event from the baseball field at Hidalgo de Dolores Elementary School. Residents began renting out their homes after area hotels reached capacity. ET Cuatro Ciénegas Amid a vast landscape of gypsum dune fields — formed over millions of years — spectators viewed the eclipse. ET Dallas Crowds set up their picnic blankets alongside the Trinity River, which runs through Dallas, one of the largest cities to experience the total eclipse. ET Russellville More than 100 couples were married in a giant ceremony just minutes before the eclipse, during the Total Eclipse of the Heart festival.

Persons: — Dennis Overbye, Andrés Manuel López Obrador, ” Federico Garza, ”, David Bowie, Pink Floyd, Sun Ra, Taylor Swift Organizations: North America Today, Hidalgo de Dolores Elementary School, Nazas, Residents, Dallas Crowds, Russellville, Eclipse, Liverpool, Illinois Department of Transportation, Indiana, Indianapolis, Indianapolis Zoo, Lucas Oil, Roll Hall of Fame, Attica Railroad, Eclipse Fest, Buffalo State, Syracuse, Syracuse Mets, Worcester Red Sox, Hotels, Montreal Locations: North America, — Dennis Overbye Mexico, Sinaloa State, Mazatlán, Mexico, Hidalgo, Texas, Eagle, Dallas, Arkansas, Ozark, . Illinois, Southern Illinois, Midwest, . Ohio, Lake Erie, Cleveland, Taylor Swift . New York, Niagara Falls, England, Burlington , Vt, Burlington, Lake Champlain, Maine, Canada, U.S, Montreal, Fredericton , New Brunswick, New Brunswick, EclipseFest

Editor’s note: Follow along with CNN’s live updates of the total solar eclipse. Special eclipse momentsWhile totality is considered to be the most exciting part of a total solar eclipse, there are other special phases to watch for before the big moment arrives. Amateur astronomers prepare to watch a total solar eclipse in Mazatlan, Mexico, on Monday. After the total solar eclipse ends, it’s a bit of a wait for the next such celestial sightings in the United States. Those living in Alaska will catch a glimpse of a total solar eclipse on March 30, 2033, and a partial solar eclipse will shine over most of the US during that event.

Persons: Ron Jenkins, Karen Siegel, ” Siegel, Michael Zeiler, Heinz, Peter Bader, Pons, Brooks, Fernando Llano, it’s, Don’t Organizations: CNN, NASA, Indianapolis, GPS, Reuters, JPL, Caltech, Amateur Locations: United States, North America, Texas, Maine, Kerrville , Texas, Cleveland, Newfoundland, Canada, Mazatlan, Coast, Fort Worth , Texas, Texas , Oklahoma , Arkansas , Missouri , Illinois , Kentucky , Indiana , Ohio, Pennsylvania, New York , Vermont , New Hampshire, Vermont, Missouri, Indiana, Lincoln , New Hampshire, Newton , Massachusetts, Barton , Vermont, Mexico, Alaska, North Dakota, Montana, California , Nevada , Utah , Colorado , Kansas , Oklahoma , Arkansas , Mississippi, Alabama, Florida

☆ Nigeria wants a road to rival the Pacific Coast highway. Landmark Beach stands in the way
▼ + stars: | 2024-04-05 | by ( Nimi Princewill | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +7 min

The beach resort and other sections of the Landmark site on the coastal right of way are billed to be pulled down, a government notice seen by CNN states. “People who bring in money to make cities like this effective will be very concerned (with the proposed demolition of the beach resort). Environment consultant Adeodun is urging authorities to conduct thorough environmental and social impact assessments before tearing down coastal businesses for the superhighway. “I understand that the original right of way for the road did not pass through Landmark Beach… Perhaps, revisiting the routes to ensure minimal environmental damage and preserve local businesses should be strongly considered,” he added. For Onwuanibe, the coastal highway, once rethought, should serve as a blessing for thriving businesses situated along the coast rather than a curse.

Persons: Paul Onwuanibe, –, Onwuanibe, Temitope Ajayi, ”, Ajayi, Similade Adeodun, ” Onwuanibe, “ We’ve, Adeodun, ” Adeodun, “ Organizations: Nigeria CNN —, CNN, Landmark Group, Lonely, Lagos State Ministry of Physical, Urban, “, Landmark, Landmark Realty Limited, Nigerian Economic Summit Locations: Lagos, Nigeria, Calabar, Cameroon, Victoria, Ireland, United States, Victoria Island, United Kingdom, Africa, Landmark Realty Limited Lagos

☆ 2,000 Motorists Stranded After Part of California’s Highway 1 Collapses
▼ + stars: | 2024-03-31 | by ( Edgar Sandoval | ) www.nytimes.com time to read: 1 min

A portion of scenic Highway 1 in the Big Sur area of California collapsed Saturday stranding about 2,000 motorists, mostly tourists, overnight. Officials with the California Department of Transportation said on Sunday that a section of the southbound highway located in the Central Coast, would remain closed to the public while crews worked on the affected areas. The highway, also known as the Pacific Coast Highway, features stretches of rocky cliffs, lush mountains, panoramic beaches and coastal redwood forests. Caltrans, the agency, did not give an estimate of when it expected to fully reopen the highway. Officials did not say what led to the collapse, but torrential rain battered the area near Rocky Creek Bridge, which is about 17 miles south of Monterey.

Organizations: California Department of Transportation, Pacific, Caltrans Locations: California, Central, Rocky, Monterey

☆ Louis Gossett Jr., 1st Black man to win supporting actor Oscar, dies at 87
▼ + stars: | 2024-03-29 | by ( ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +8 min

Louis Gossett Jr., the first Black man to win a supporting actor Oscar and an Emmy winner for his role in the seminal TV miniseries "Roots," has died. Gossett became the third Black Oscar nominee in the supporting actor category in 1983. "More than anything, it was a huge affirmation of my position as a Black actor," he wrote in his 2010 memoir, "An Actor and a Gentleman." "I knew too little to be nervous," Gossett wrote. Gossett went to Hollywood for the first time in 1961 to make the film version of "A Raisin in the Sun."

Persons: Louis Gossett Jr, Oscar, Gossett's, Neal L, Gossett, Nelson Mandela, Louis Gossett, Ben Vereen, LeVar Burton, John Amos, Richard Gere, Debra Winger, David Susskind, Ed Sullivan, Red Buttons, Merv Griffin, Jack Paar, Steve Allen, James Dean, Marilyn Monroe, Martin Landau, Steve McQueen, Frank Silvera, Sidney Poitier, Ruby Dee, Diana Sands, Billy Daniels, Sammy Davis Jr, Melvyn Douglas, Anne Baxter, Patrick O'Neal, Royce Corniche, Richard Pryor, Sharon Tate's, Charles Manson's, Louis Cameron Gossett, Louis Sr, Sadat, Dave Karger's, Satchel Paige, Josephine Baker, Oscar didn't, Satie, Robert Gossett, Hattie Glascoe, Christina Mangosing, Cyndi James, Reese Organizations: HOLLYWOOD, TCM, Associated Press, Oscar, Globe, Broadway, New York University, Hollywood, Beverly Hills Hotel, Universal Studios, Eracism Foundation, Rockford, Mamas, White Locations: CA, Hollywood , California, Santa Monica , California, Malibu, Brooklyn, Manhattan, Hollywood, Los Angeles County, Beverly Hills, Coney, Brooklyn , New York, Malibu .

☆ You Know Him From N.B.A. Games. You Know His House From ‘Selling Sunset.’
▼ + stars: | 2024-03-27 | by ( Sam Lubell | ) www.nytimes.com time to read: +1 min

So it makes sense that James Goldstein’s house, hovering over a canyon atop Beverly Hills, Calif., is one of the most strange, fascinating and perplexing architectural projects in the world. Goldstein, 84, a controversial figure who made his fortune investing in mobile-home parks in California, may be familiar to you. He’s that leathery-skinned, frizzy-haired guy always sitting courtside at N.B.A. “The word subtle doesn’t exist for me,” Goldstein said, dressed in all-black tennis gear and a palm tree-emblazoned black jacket. He’s sitting on the sprawling lower terrace of his home’s recently-completed (for now), three-level addition, which is a separate compound overlooking the towers of Century City and, beyond that, the glinting bend of the Pacific Coast.

Persons: James Goldstein’s, Goldstein, —, John Lautner, Rihanna, ” Goldstein Locations: Beverly Hills, Calif, California, N.B.A, Paris, Milan, City, Pacific Coast

It will be the last total solar eclipse visible in the contiguous U.S. until 2044. When Is the Total Solar Eclipse? What Time Will the Total Solar Eclipse Begin and How Long Will It Last? The total solar eclipse provides an opportunity to study the sun’s corona, or the outermost part of its atmosphere. Is the Total Solar Eclipse Expected to Boost the Economy?

Persons: Bill Nelson, They've, ”, Pam Melroy, “, ” Melroy, Melroy Organizations: NASA, roosters, Eclipse, ” NASA, American Astronomical Society, Perryman Locations: North America, U.S, Mexico, Canada, Newfoundland, Tennessee, Michigan, Texas

☆ All Orcas Are Classified as a Single Species. Should They Be?
▼ + stars: | 2024-03-26 | by ( Emily Anthes | ) www.nytimes.com time to read: +1 min

Killer whales are some of the most cosmopolitan creatures on the planet, swimming through every one of the world’s oceans. Although their habitats and habits vary widely, all killer whales are considered part of a single, global species: Orcinus orca. (Despite their common name, killer whales are actually part of a family of marine mammals known as oceanic dolphins.) In a paper published in the journal Royal Society Open Science on Tuesday, the scientists proposed giving new species designations to two groups of animals, one known as resident killer whales and the other often called Bigg’s killer whales. Although both types live in the eastern North Pacific, they have different diets: the resident orcas eat fish, with a particular predilection for salmon, while the Bigg’s orcas hunt marine mammals such as seals and sea lions.

Organizations: Royal Society, Science Locations: Africa, Hawaii, Coast, United States, Canada, North Pacific

☆ Why this snowy Japanese island is a food lover’s paradise
▼ + stars: | 2024-03-07 | by ( Milly Chan | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +10 min

Hokkaido, Japan CNN —Hokkaido, Japan’s northernmost main island, is unlike anywhere else in the country. Chef Tomoyuki Takao in the kitchen of his eponymous Hokkaido restaurant. “I realized that the indigenous Ainu people were the most knowledgeable about the forest,” Takao says. It was the first Japanese wine ever served in the iconic restaurant Noma in Copenhagen, and is a firm favorite on Takao’s wine list. The ocean’s winter bountyVideo Ad Feedback Discover why these clams taste best in winter 06:25 - Source: CNNSeafood is an integral part of Hokkaido’s food culture.

Persons: Tomoyuki Takao, CNN “, “, ” Takao, Takao, ”, Sonoko Fukae, “ I’ve, Yu Uchida, Uchida, ” Uchida, Japow isn’t, Soga, Yoichi, Soga’s, ” Takahiko, Akio Kashiwamura, ” Kashiwamura, Kashiwamura, doesn’t, Akemi Yokoyama, Kazuki Akazawa, Akazawa, it’s Organizations: CNN, Japan CNN, Michelin, European, Ebetsu, ”, CNN Seafood Locations: Hokkaido, Japan, Sapporo, French, Honshu, Shikisai, Copenhagen, Takao, Burgundy, France, Okhotsk, ”, Notsuke, Tomakomai

☆ Mexican Navy Helicopter Accident Kills 3, Another 2 Missing
▼ + stars: | 2024-03-06 | by ( March | At P.M. | ) www.usnews.com time to read: 1 min

MEXICO CITY (Reuters) - The Mexican navy said on Wednesday that three people were dead and two more were missing after a helicopter accident earlier in the day. The navy said in a statement that the helicopter accident occurred "moments after" taking off from a navy ship around 200 nautical miles (370 km) southwest of Lazaro Cardenas, Michoacan, on the Pacific coast. The cause is still unknown, it added.

Organizations: MEXICO CITY Locations: MEXICO, Lazaro Cardenas, Michoacan

☆ These are the best scenic family road trips for families, from a parent and travel expert who's been to all 50 states.
▼ + stars: | 2024-02-25 | by ( Taryn White | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +6 min

Road trips are the ultimate symbol of freedom, discovery, and the boundless beauty of the US. As a travel expert, I believe these three incredible routes are the best if you're looking to go on an amazing road trip experience with your own family. AdvertisementTake a road trip through ArizonaFrom majestic mountains to captivating canyons, Arizona's glorious scenery cannot be fully realized by visiting just one destination. For a rush of adrenaline, set out on a whitewater rafting excursion with companies like Advantage Grand Canyon. Families can also take a boat cruise on Lake Powell and visit the Glen Canyon Dam.

Persons: I've, Dana Point, Battery, Taryn White, Coyote, Lake Powell Organizations: Business, Santa Barbara Zoo, San Luis Obispo, Aquarium, California Academy of Sciences, Roanoke Star, Biltmore Estate, River Arts, Asheville Museum of Science, North Carolina Arboretum, Biltmore, Asheville Glamping, Railway Locations: California, Dana, Los Angeles, San Francisco, Santa Barbara, Ellwood, San Luis, Big, Carmel, Monterey, Golden, Battery Spencer, Virginia, North Carolina, North Carolina ., Shenandoah, Smoky, Crabtree Falls . Roanoke, Mountain, Meadows, Dan ,, Asheville, River Arts District, Bohemian, Arizona, Phoenix, Sedona, Boynton Canyon, Grand, El Tovar, Williams, Bend, Lake Powell

Charlotte, a rust-colored stingray the size of a serving platter, has spent much of her life gliding around the confines of a storefront aquarium in North Carolina's Appalachian Mountains. And she hasn't shared a tank of water with a male of her species in at least eight years. Let's have some pups!” said Brenda Ramer, executive director of the Aquarium and Shark Lab on Main Street in downtown Hendersonville. There’s no way,” Ramer said. Southern California lifeguards encourage people to do the so-called stingray shuffle as they wade through the water, in large part because of round stingrays.

Persons: Charlotte, hasn't, ’, ”, Brenda Ramer, Kady Lyons, Lyons, “ I’m, ” Lyons, “, ” Ramer, ” Charlotte, Ramer, that's, “ I'm, “ It’s Organizations: California condors, Georgia Aquarium Locations: California, Hendersonville, Atlanta, North Carolina, Charlotte, Mexico, Southern California

☆ U.S. Gas Producers Are Racing to Sell to Asia. And Mexico Is Key.
▼ + stars: | 2024-02-13 | by ( Max Bearak | ) www.nytimes.com time to read: +1 min

As soon as next year, the United States’ fossil fuel industry will gain its first foothold on a valuable shortcut to sell natural gas to Asia. The shortcut goes straight through Mexico. The terminal is symbolic of an enormous shift underway in the gas trade, one that will influence fossil-fuel use worldwide for decades and have consequences in the fight against climate change. The American fracking boom has transformed the United States into the world’s largest gas producer and exporter. Demand is particularly growing in China, India and fast-industrializing Southeast Asian countries.

Locations: United States, Asia, Mexico, Coast, Panama, American, China, India

☆ Where to see April’s total solar eclipse
▼ + stars: | 2024-02-11 | by ( Marnie Hunter | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +11 min

CNN —The total solar eclipse passing over a swath of North America is less than two months away. The August 2017 total solar eclipse is seen from John Day Fossil Beds National Monument near Mitchell, Oregon. There’s a lunchtime Solar Eclipse Watch Party in downtown Dallas on eclipse Monday with live music and food trucks. Indianapolis, IndianaIndianapolis is located along the center line of the path of totality for the April 8 total solar eclipse. The city’s last total solar eclipse was nearly 100 years ago on January 25, 1925, according to a Rochester eclipse website.

Persons: it’s, Airbnb, “, John, Adrees Latif, Dave Clark, that’s, Clark, Michael Zeiler, GreatAmericanEclipse.com, Jay Anderson, ”, ” Anderson, Cerra, David Esquivel, Esquivel, El, Natalia Silyanov, There’s, Christopher Roth, Anderson, Adam Stiles, Catharines, Geoff Robins, haven’t Organizations: CNN, Reuters, CNN Travel, Planetarium Torreón, Astronomical Society of Mazatlán, Llano Visitor Center, Chamber of Commerce, Enchanted, Natural Area, Natural, ., Dallas , Texas Dallas, Eclipse Watch Party, Dallas, Dallas Museum of Art, Dallas Arboretum, Botanical, Sixth, Eclipse, Indianapolis Motor Speedway, NASA, Indy, Euclid, Great Lakes Science Center, NASA’s Glenn Research Center, Circle, Cleveland Museum of, Wade, Wade Oval, Destination Cleveland, Rochester Museum & Science Center, Niagara Falls Tourism, Niagara Parks, . Parks, Getty Locations: North America, Mexico, Canada, Texas , Oklahoma , Arkansas , Missouri , Illinois , Kentucky , Indiana , Ohio, Pennsylvania, New York , Vermont , New Hampshire, Maine, Texas, Mitchell , Oregon, Torreón, Mexican, Coahuila, That’s, las, Mazatlán, Sinaloa, El Faro, Llano , Texas, Llano, Enchanted Rock, Dallas , Texas, Dallas, Fort Worth, Dealy, Russellville , Arkansas, Russellville, Indianapolis , Indiana Indianapolis, Indianapolis, Cleveland , Ohio Cleveland, Lake Erie, Edgewater, Euclid Beach, There’s, Cleveland, Independence, North Olmsted, Beachwood, Westlake, Destination Cleveland . Rochester , New York Rochester, Rochester, Ontario, Niagara, Niagara Falls, The City, St, ., AFP

The sun is about to pull another disappearing act across North America, turning day into night during a total solar eclipse. Photos You Should See View All 15 ImagesHere's what to know about April’s extravaganza and how to prepare:WHAT HAPPENS DURING THE TOTAL SOLAR ECLIPSE? By a cosmic stroke of luck, the moon will make the month’s closest approach to Earth the day before the total solar eclipse. WHEN IS THE NEXT TOTAL SOLAR ECLIPSE? The next total solar eclipse, in 2026, will grace the northern fringes of Greenland, Iceland and Spain.

Persons: Kelly Korreck, Neil Armstrong's, won’t, NASA’s Organizations: Michigan —, Indianapolis Motor, Armstrong Air, Space Museum, NASA, Space, Pacific, Associated Press Health, Science Department, Howard Hughes Medical Institute’s Science, Educational Media Group, AP Locations: North America, Texas, Oklahoma, New England, Canada, Mazatlán, Mexico, Newfoundland, U.S, — Tennessee, Michigan, Dallas, Rock , Arkansas, Indianapolis, Cleveland , Ohio, Buffalo , New York, Montreal, Seattle, Portland , Oregon, Africa, Tiffin , Ohio, Russellville , Arkansas, Wapakoneta , Ohio, Virginia, Greenland, Iceland, Spain, Alaska, Western Canada, Montana, North Dakota, Northern California, Cape Canaveral , Florida, Carbondale , Illinois

☆ Terrorized by Gangs, Ecuador Embraces the Hard-Line ‘Noboa Way’
▼ + stars: | 2024-02-07 | by ( Annie Correal | Federico Rios | ) www.nytimes.com time to read: +1 min

Since Ecuador’s president declared war on gangs last month, soldiers with assault rifles have flooded the streets of Guayaquil, a sprawling Pacific Coast city that has been an epicenter of the nation’s yearslong descent into violence. They pull men from buses and cars looking for drugs, weapons and gang tattoos, and patrol roads enforcing a nighttime curfew. Yet when people see soldiers pass, many clap or give them a thumbs-up. “We applaud the iron fist, we celebrate it,” said Guayaquil’s mayor, Aquiles Álvarez. “It has helped bring peace.”In early January, Guayaquil was hit by a wave of violence that could prove to be a turning point in the country’s long-running security crisis: Gangs attacked the city after the authorities moved to take charge of Ecuador’s prisons, which gangs largely controlled.

Persons: “, ”, Aquiles Organizations: Guayaquil’s Locations: Guayaquil, Pacific Coast, Ecuador

☆ ‘Like going to the moon’: The world’s most terrifying ocean crossing
▼ + stars: | 2024-02-04 | by ( Julia Buckley | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +19 min

And it’s not just the winds making the waters rough – the Drake is basically one big surge of water. We’re not gambling.”Even with that extra safety margin, though, he admits that crossing the Drake can be a hairy experience. A dangerous thrillAurora Expeditions' Greg Mortimer ship has a patented bow to make a Drake crossing more stable. “The only thing that works for me is going to the ship’s medic for a scopolamine patch,” he says. “If you were going to the moon, you’d expect the journey to be uncomfortable but it’d be worth it,” she says.

Persons: CNN —, ” Alfred Lansing, Ernest Shackleton’s, Drake, ”, it’s, Mike Hill, Adam ”, Alexander Brearley, –, ” “, Storm Isha, Brearley, That’s, It’s, Clelia, Fiona Stewart, Garett McIntosh, Horn, “, Stanislas Devorsine, Sue Flood, Le Commandant Charcot, ” Devorsine, Devorsine, “ We’re, Jamie Lafferty, “ Drake, Greg Mortimer, Tyson Mayr, He’s, Mundy, Edwina Lonsdale, ” Lonsdale, Sylvia Earle, Lonsdale, DreamPictures, acupressure, ” Jamie Lafferty, I’ve, ” Warren Cairns, There’s Organizations: CNN, British Antarctic Survey, Atlantic, “, AP, South America –, Aurora Expeditions, Institute of Polar Sciences, National Research Council of Locations: Antarctica, isn’t, South America, Ireland, Panama, Europe, South, California, New York, Cape Horn, South Africa, Australia, New Zealand, –, France, Cape, National Research Council of Italy, it’s, Lonsdale

☆ ‘Save the Whales’ was a shining success. Now can humpbacks save us from ourselves?
▼ + stars: | 2024-02-04 | by ( Bill Weir | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +15 min

Antarctic Peninsula CNN —About 15 billion miles from where you sit, two 12-inch golden records are hurtling through outer space with multilingual greetings to the universe from 55 humans and one humpback whale. WWF's Johnson said the whales are not harmed by this -- to the whales, the dart feels like "a mosquito bite." It feels like “a mosquito bite” to the whales, Johnson said, but what they can test for is priceless: from stress hormones to toxins to — most importantly — pregnancy rates. Ten million copies were inserted into National Geographic magazine in 1979 — the largest single pressing in history — and a global movement to Save The Whales grew big enough to … save the whales. Seth Wenig/AP“I don’t think a wind turbine can kill a whale,” Friedlaender told CNN.

Persons: Anderson Cooper, Carl Sagan, ” Sagan, could’ve, “, Ari Friedlaender, Friedlaender, ”, Chris Johnson, ” Eva Prendergast, WWF's Johnson, Evelio Contreras, Bill Weir, Johnson, ” Friedlaender, Shepherd, WWF’s Johnson, Roger, Katy Payne, David Keyton, Frank Watlington, cetologist Scott McVay, Donald Trump, ” Trump, Seth Wenig, that’s, Biden, ” Johnson, Twain, CNN “, ” Brenda McCowan, Fred Sharpe, ” McCowan, ’ ” Sharpe, Natalia Botero, Acosta, ’, Maria Camila Medina Martínez, Julian Quinones, ” Carl Sagan Organizations: Antarctic Peninsula CNN, “, ” CNN CNN, University of California, International Monetary Fund, World Wildlife Fund, Ocean Endeavor, CNN, UC Santa Cruz, Shepherd Global, Norwegian Aker, United Nations, Geographic, Whales, International Whaling Commission, Atlantic, Republican, Templeton Foundation, Whale SETI, UC Davis Locations: Santa Cruz, Colombia, British, Antarctica, Norwegian, Southern, Orkney, Bermuda, Japan, Norway, Iceland, Atlantic, South Carolina, Lido Beach , New York, Davis, Alaska, Columbia, Colombian, Tribuga, United Nations, Palau, Chile, Maldives

☆ ‘We’re Broken’: Wildfires on Chile’s Coast Kill 64 and Leave Hundreds Missing
▼ + stars: | 2024-02-04 | by ( Annie Correal | John Bartlett | ) www.nytimes.com time to read: 1 min

Days after devastating wildfires swept through Chile’s Pacific Coast, officials said on Sunday that at least 64 people had been killed and hundreds remained missing and warned that the number of dead could rise sharply. “That number is going to go up, we know it’s going to go up significantly,” President Gabriel Boric said on Sunday, describing the fires in the Valparaíso region as the worst disaster in the country since a cataclysmic earthquake in 2010 left more than 400 people dead and displaced 1.5 million. Thousands of homes were destroyed in the fires, which swept through the coastal hills toward the resort of Viña del Mar starting Friday, propelled by high winds. The fires came as many were vacationing in Viña del Mar and roared through hillside settlements where many older residents were not able to escape.

Persons: Gabriel Boric Organizations: Chile’s, Viña del Mar Locations: Coast, Viña, Viña del Mar

☆ Colombia, a Usually Wet Nation, Reels Amid Widespread Wildfires
▼ + stars: | 2024-01-29 | by ( Annie Correal | Genevieve Glatsky | ) www.nytimes.com time to read: +1 min

Helicopters hauling buckets of water fly toward the mountains where fires burn, a thick haze periodically covers the sky, and residents have been ordered to wear masks and limit driving because of the poor air quality. For a full week, firefighters have been battling fires in the mountains around Bogotá, Colombia’s capital, as dozens of other blazes have burned across the country, in what officials say is the hottest January in three decades. The president has declared a national disaster and asked for international help fighting the fires, which he says could reach beyond the Andes Mountains and erupt on the Pacific Coast and in the Amazon. Colombia’s fires this month are unusual in a country where people are more accustomed to torrential rain and mudslides than fire and ash. They have been attributed to high temperatures and drought exacerbated by the climate phenomenon known as El Niño.

Locations: Bogotá, Coast

PUEBLA, Mexico (AP) — A four-year-old giraffe named Benito arrived Tuesday at his new home in a large animal park in central Mexico. The 7.5-acre (3-hectare) enclosure at the Africam Safari park in central Puebla state already holds seven giraffes, including three females. At the Africam park, Benito will start eating leaves from the acacia tree, one of the favorite foods of giraffes in their native habitat in Africa. The trip to the Africam Safari park, which started late Sunday, took around 30 hours, less than originally expected. At the Africam Safari park, the giraffes live in a much larger space that more closely resembles their natural habitat.

Persons: Benito, ”, Frank Carlos Camacho, munch, “ Benito, Camacho, “, —, ” Camacho, Flor Ortega, Benito couldn’t, zookeepers Organizations: Ciudad Juarez, National Guard, Modesto Locations: PUEBLA, Mexico, Puebla, Ciudad Juarez, Ciudad, El Paso , Texas, Africa, Africam, Sinaloa, Pacific

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