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☆ U.S. holds sale of drilling rights off Alaska coast
▼ + stars: | 2022-12-30 | by ( Nichola Groom | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

Dec 30 (Reuters) - The Biden administration on Friday will hold a sale of oil and gas drilling rights off the coast of Alaska, the first federal auction in the region in more than five years. The agency had scrapped the Cook Inlet sale earlier this year before the IRA passed, citing a lack of industry interest. Cook Inlet stretches 180 miles (290 km) from Anchorage to the Gulf of Alaska. There are 14 active federal leases in Cook Inlet, all of which were purchased by Houston-based Hilcorp at the last federal auction in the region in 2017. Operating oil and gas platforms in the area are all in state waters, but oil production has declined substantially since peaking in the 1970s.

The Buffalo Airport, which has been closed since Dec. 23, was expected to reopen on Wednesday morning, according to a tweet. A little more than 1,400 energy customers in New York state were without power Wednesday morning — amounting to only 0.02% of the state — according to PowerOutage.us. Storms to batter the West CoastMeanwhile, a total of five separate storm systems will impact the West through next Monday. Oregon State Parks announced emergency closures for Ecola and Cape Meares because of high winds and the potential for falling trees. Colusa and Mendocino counties had 650 and just over 700 power outages as of Wednesday morning, respectively, according to PowerOutage.us.

Here are 12 of the weirdest and most fascinating animal behaviors scientists spotted in 2022. Here are 12 bizarre and amazing things animals were spotted doing, some of which had never been seen before. It turned out that at least 12 species of primates had been reported doing so, a review published in the Journal of Zoology in October found. A dolphin swallowed 8 venomous sea snakesA sea snake (indicated with pink arrow), moments before it is captured and eaten by a Navy dolphin. Though animals have often been spotted using tools, these usually are used to give the animal a clear survival advantage.

☆ More women are traveling alone. The hospitality industry is meeting demand with offerings like 'Alonemoons' — no partner required.
▼ + stars: | 2022-12-22 | by ( Mark Ellwood | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +7 min

When she started traveling alone, she said, the trend was less common and locals were often surprised to see her without a companion. The Solo Female Travelers Club, a 190,000-member social network and tour operator, surveys 5,000 women annually on their habits and opinions. A Gili Lankanfushi representative told Insider six women traveling alone had booked the package in the past 18 months. "I think it's a wonderful, life-affirming experience to be a woman traveling solo and experience the nurturing care you can get from strangers. Meg Jerrard, a cofounder of the Solo Female Travelers Club, recently started a consulting division of her company to help guide other businesses as they reevaluate their offerings and staff in light of growing demand from solo female travelers.

☆ YouTube scores a touchdown with NFL Sunday Ticket: What it means for streaming
▼ + stars: | 2022-12-22 | by ( Melissa Lee | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: 1 min

In this videoShare Share Article via Facebook Share Article via Twitter Share Article via LinkedIn Share Article via EmailYouTube scores a touchdown with NFL Sunday Ticket: What it means for streamingGoogle's YouTube lands the NFL whale for $2B annually over 7 years. With CNBC's Frank Holland and the Fast Money traders, Tim Seymour, Guy Adami, Dan Nathan and Courtney Garcia.

☆ Environmentalists sue to stop U.S. oil and gas auction off Alaska coast
▼ + stars: | 2022-12-21 | by ( Industry Insight | Saw Law Firms Move Past The Pandemic Into A More Client-Focused Service Environment | Thomson Reuters Institute | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

Dec 21 (Reuters) - Environmental groups sued the Biden administration on Wednesday to block a sale of oil and gas drilling rights off the coast of Alaska that is scheduled for next week. Interior had scrapped the Cook Inlet sale this year before the IRA passed, citing a lack of industry interest. "Cook Inlet is already experiencing severe effects of climate change, and new oil and gas leasing will only magnify those harms," the complaint said. Cook Inlet stretches 180 miles (290 km) from Anchorage to the Gulf of Alaska. Operating oil and gas platforms in the area are all in state waters, but oil production has declined substantially since peaking in the 1970s.

WASHINGTON, Dec 20 (Reuters) - The U.S. Senate planned to take its first vote on a $1.66 trillion government funding bill on Tuesday, as lawmakers scrambled to pass the measure and avert a possible partial government shutdown beginning on Saturday. The total funding proposed by the sweeping bill, is up from the approximately $1.5 trillion the previous year. It also includes funding to prepare for and respond to potential nuclear and radiological incidents in Ukraine. On the non-defense side of the ledger, the bill's negotiators have set funding at $800 billion, a $68 billion increase over the previous year. This was the second year in a row Congress included funding for hundreds of largely unrelated projects requested by individual lawmakers.

WASHINGTON, Dec 20 (Reuters) - Democrats and Republicans in the U.S. Congress were moving forward with a $1.66 trillion government funding bill, scrambling to pass a measure, which includes record military spending, before temporary funding runs out on Friday. The total funding proposed by the sweeping bill, released early on Tuesday, is up from the approximately $1.5 trillion the previous year. This money would be on top of the record $858 billion in military spending for the year, which is up from last year's $740 billion and also exceeds Biden's request. On the non-defense side of the ledger, the bill's negotiators have set funding at $800 billion, a $68 billion increase over the previous year. This was the second year in a row Congress included funding for hundreds of largely unrelated projects requested by individual lawmakers.

☆ Listen to 'the bloop,' a strange noise recorded in the southern Pacific Ocean that stumped scientists for years
▼ + stars: | 2022-12-20 | by ( Paola Rosa-Aquino | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +3 min

In 1997, NOAA scientists recorded a haunting, strange sound in the southern Pacific Ocean's depths. These underwater microphones the US Navy originally developed were 2,000 miles apart in the Pacific Ocean. Below, you can listen to the bloop sped up 16 times:Over the years, theories about the mysterious ocean sound's origin abounded. An adult blue whale swimming in the eastern Pacific Ocean. Icequakes occur when glaciers fracture in the ocean, cracking ice.

☆ ‘The Whale’: Inside a Debate About a Portrait of Severe Obesity
▼ + stars: | 2022-12-17 | by ( John Jurgensen | ) www.wsj.com time to read: 1 min

This copy is for your personal, non-commercial use only. Distribution and use of this material are governed by our Subscriber Agreement and by copyright law. For non-personal use or to order multiple copies, please contact Dow Jones Reprints at 1-800-843-0008 or visit www.djreprints.com. https://www.wsj.com/articles/the-whale-obesity-brendan-fraser-11671241108

At 190 minutes, the running time of “Avatar: The Way of Water” is longer. Jake and Neytiri have had numerous children and adopted Kiri (Sigourney Weaver), the daughter of a human scientist’s avatar body. Rather than invaders exploring the land they’ve invaded, the second “Avatar” film is about the encounter of two different indigenous societies. But the human colonizers —preparing to strip-mine Pandora for its minerals and its biological resources (including space whale essence) — are the aliens. Rather than invaders exploring the land they’ve invaded, the second “Avatar” film is about the encounter between two different indigenous societies.

☆ 14 Best Gifts for Dog Lovers
▼ + stars: | 2022-12-15 | by ( ) www.wsj.com time to read: +10 min

Browse the ideas below, and take a look at our roundups of expert-approved products to keep your pet calm and the best gifts for cat lovers too. For the bakerThe Dash Dog Treat Maker—a small waffle iron with bone-shaped plates—lets your pal whip up homemade dog treats. Dockx eased her golden retriever’s separation anxiety while she was at work with a Snuggle Puppy, a plush toy with a battery-powered heartbeat. To brush up on dog speak, DeWillems recommends “Doggie Language: A Dog Lover’s Guide to Understanding Your Best Friend,” which decodes canine body language through illustrations that highlight subtle nuances in their mannerisms. For the devoted dog dadDog Dad Hats Custom Dog Dad Hats $69 at Dog Dad HatsAny proud parent will dig a Dog Dad Hat, with a custom embroidered illustration of their pet’s portrait.

☆ 'Avatar: The Way of Water' review roundup: See it on the biggest screen possible, critics say
▼ + stars: | 2022-12-15 | by ( Sarah Whitten | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +6 min

"The Way of Water" follows Jake Sully (Sam Worthington) and Neytiri (Zoe Saldana) who are now the parents of four Na'vi children. Read more: "Avatar: The Way of Water" could be headed for a $175 million opening weekend Critics are adamant that audiences should watch "The Way of Water" on the biggest screen possible, lauding the film for its you-won't-believe-this-is-computer-generated visuals and bombastic sound design. Here's what critics thought of "Avatar: The Way of Water" before its Friday release. Avatar: The Way of Water Courtesy: Disney Co.Ma did note that "The Way of Water" is "jaw-droppingly beautiful," likening it to watching a David Attenborough documentary rather than a CGI feature. Avatar: The Way of Water Courtesy Disney Co.Mick LaSalle, San Francisco Chronicle

☆ Whales help mitigate climate change by pooping carbon into the ocean and taking more with them when they die, scientists say
▼ + stars: | 2022-12-15 | by ( Marianne Guenot | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +5 min

They act as carbon vaults by sinking to the bottom of the ocean when they die, scientists said. Though it may not be a solution to the climate crisis on its own, their ability to store carbon is another reason to encourage their numbers to rise in the oceans, the scientists said. Whales naturally store carbon by living their lifeWhales capture carbon mainly by pooping and dying. "You can think of whales as like big floating trees in the ocean," Pearson said. The whales can then feed on these new lifeforms, in huge quantities, locking that carbon in their body for many decades.

☆ Whales can have an important but overlooked role in tackling the climate crisis, researchers say
▼ + stars: | 2022-12-15 | by ( Rachel Ramirez | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +4 min

Much like the ocean, soil and forests, whales can help save humanity from the accelerating climate crisis by sequestering and storing planet-heating carbon emissions, researchers say. In a paper published Thursday in the journal Trends in Ecology & Evolution, climate researchers suggest that whales are important, but often overlooked, carbon sinks. As the need grows for nature-based solutions such as tree planting to help solve the climate crisis, Pearson said it is important to understand the ability of whales to trap carbon. “You can think of protecting whales as a low risk and low regret strategy, because there’s really no downside,” Pearson told CNN. But there remain big gaps in knowledge to fully determine how whale carbon should be used in climate mitigation policies.

☆ 'The Whale' reaches the big screen after a decadelong journey from the stage
▼ + stars: | 2022-12-12 | by ( Rendy Jones | ) www.nbcnews.com time to read: +6 min

“‘The Whale’ was seminal for me, both in my career but also, kind of, for me personally. It was the first time that I had … really personal stuff from my own history and put it into a play,” Hunter said. The story is set in Moscow, Idaho, where Hunter grew up, and, like Charlie, Hunter said he, too, had a fraught relationship with religious fundamentalism and self-medicated his depression with food. “I’m out of the closet, I’m fine now, but that masks a lot of stuff that I just had not processed. I think it’s worth talking about.”While “The Whale” deals with heavy subject matter, Hunter said it’s still a hopeful film.

[1/4] Cast members Jay Ellis, Miles Teller, Tom Cruise, Glen Powell and Greg Tarzan Davis, and producer Jerry Bruckheimer pose for photographs during a news conference to promote the film 'Top Gun: Maverick' at a hotel in Seoul, South Korea, June 20, 2022. REUTERS/Heo RanLOS ANGELES, Dec 12 (Reuters) - Nominations for the annual Golden Globe awards for film and television were announced on Monday. Winners will be announced Jan. 10 in a televised ceremony on Comcast Corp's (CMCSA.O) NBC. The broadcaster dropped the Globes telecast last year after a Los Angeles Times investigation highlighted the organization's ethical and financial failures and revealed that none of the then-87 members were Black. Following is a list of nominees in key categories:MOVIESBEST DRAMA“Avatar: The Way of Water”“Elvis”“The Fabelmans”“Tar”“Top Gun: Maverick”BEST COMEDY OR MUSICAL“Babylon”“The Banshees of Inisherin”“Everything Everywhere All At Once”“Glass Onion: A Knives Out Mystery”“Triangle of Sadness”BEST ACTOR, DRAMAAustin Butler: “Elvis”Brendan Fraser: “The Whale”Hugh Jackman: “The Son”Bill Nighy: “Living”Jeremy Pope: “The Inspection”BEST ACTRESS, DRAMACate Blanchett: “Tar”Olivia Colman: “Empire Of Light”Viola Davis: “The Woman King”Ana de Armas: “Blonde”Michelle Williams: “The Fabelmans”BEST ACTOR, COMEDY OR MUSICALDiego Calva: “Babylon”Daniel Craig: “Glass Onion: A Knives out Mystery”Adam Driver: “White Noise”Colin Farrell: “The Banshees of Inisherin”Ralph Fiennes: “The Menu”BEST ACTRESS, COMEDY OR MUSICALLesley Manville, “Mrs.

[1/4] Director James Cameron arrives at the world premiere of 'Avatar: The Way of Water' in London, Britain December 6, 2022. Hollywood's big question about "Avatar: The Way of Water" is whether the follow-up to the highest-grossing movie of all time can attract enough moviegoers to recoup its massive production and marketing costs. The 2009 movie remains the highest-grossing film in history with $2.9 billion in global ticket sales. Some disliked wearing 3D glasses, or objected to paying the 3D ticket surcharge. On opening weekend, Robbins predicts "The Way of Water" will rack up at least $150 million at domestic theaters.

☆ Golden Globe Awards 2023: See the full list of nominees
▼ + stars: | 2022-12-12 | by ( Lisa Respers France | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +7 min

CNN —The nominees for the 80th Golden Globe Awards were announced on Monday. Mayan Lopez and Selenis Leyva, two of the stars from “Lopez vs. Lopez,” announced the range of film and television nominees as selected by members of the Hollywood Foreign Press Association (HFPA). Favored Oscars contender “The Banshees of Inisherin” led the film categories, with nominations including best musical or comedy film. It stars Colin Farrell and Brendan Gleeson. The ceremony, which was not broadcast last January over controversy surrounding the HFPA, will return to NBC on Jan. 10.

☆ ‘The Whale’ Review: Brendan Fraser for Best Actor? Fat Chance
▼ + stars: | 2022-12-09 | by ( Kyle Smith | ) www.wsj.com time to read: +1 min

If any movie released this season can be counted upon to reduce your pizza consumption, it’s “The Whale,” in which the title figure is an unfortunate 600-pound writing instructor brought to the edge of death by his own eating habits. He consumes candy by the bag and chicken by the bucket. He is on first-name terms with his pizza-delivery guy. And he’s portrayed by Brendan Fraser , whose triumphant comeback this film is meant to be, in a bid for one of those acting Oscars that really should go to the makeup and prosthetics department. Lots of screen time is spent on voyeuristic fascination with how Charlie manages; he has a handle over his bed to allow him to pull up and out of it, and he takes his shirt off so we can see the sores on his back.

☆ 'The Whale' review: Brendan Fraser's standout performance can't keep Darren Aronofsky's film afloat
▼ + stars: | 2022-12-09 | by ( Brian Lowry | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +3 min

CNN —The love showered on Brendan Fraser out of film festivals inflates expectations for “The Whale” wildly out of proportion, in a movie based on a play that occurs almost entirely within a lone apartment. Weighted down not by its morbidly obese protagonist but rather its stick-thin supporting players, Fraser deserves praise for his buried-under-makeup performance, but that’s not enough to keep the movie afloat. Adapted by Samuel D. Hunter from his play, “The Whale” actually derives its title from the book “Moby Dick,” although the convincing enormity of Charlie’s physique obviously provides another meaning. As poignant and heartbreaking as Charlie’s plight is, “The Whale” can’t transcend the line between theater and film. While it’s easy to root for Fraser to earn accolades, in the annual hunt for award-worthy movies, consider this another one that got away.

☆ Here's the 2023 playbook stock market investors should follow as they sit on a $2 trillion cash pile, according to Bank of America
▼ + stars: | 2022-12-07 | by ( Matthew Fox | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +3 min

Investors are sitting on a $2 trillion cash pile, but they should wait before investing it in stocks. Bank of America said "timing is everything" and investors will see stock buying opportunities in early 2023. "History reveals superlative returns after the last Fed hike," Bank of America said. "Active US household investors, the $40 trillion whale in equity markets, never sold aggressively enough in 2022 to reverse the $4.2 trillion equity inflows since COVID." BofA expects new market leadership in 2023 as 5% inflation levels become the new normal, compared to prior years of just 2%.

“Spoiler Alert” opened in U.S. theaters Dec. 2. “Women Talking” opened in select U.S. theaters Dec. 2. “The Whale” opens in U.S. theaters Dec. 9. “Babylon” opens in U.S. theaters Dec. 23. “I Wanna Dance With Somebody” opens in U.S. theaters Dec. 23.

☆ Fearsome spinosaurus wasn't the scourge of prehistoric seas after all
▼ + stars: | 2022-12-05 | by ( Ashley Strickland | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +7 min

Sereno and his team returned to their work with Spinosaurus in search of answers about what life had really been like for the fearsome dinosaur. James GurneyNext, the team turned to Spinosaurus’ tail. Dr. Frank Fish, tail mechanics expert and professor of biology at West Chester University of Pennsylvania, took the lead. Fish compared the Spinosaurus tail with those of alligators and other reptiles and found the dinosaur would have been too rigid to function well underwater. Spinosaurus fossils have largely been found in the riverbank deposits of Niger’s inland basins, which are distant from prehistoric marine coastlines.

☆ E-commerce tech startup Rokt valued at $2.4 bln in latest funding amid plans for IPO
▼ + stars: | 2022-12-05 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +1 min

Dec 5 (Reuters) - Tech startup Rokt said on Monday it raised its valuation to $2.4 billion in a secondary funding round led by investment firm Square Peg and asset manager Wellington Management, and is planning for an initial public offering encouraged by the e-commerce boom. Growth in e-commerce since the COVID-19 pandemic has led to a demand for marketing software companies such as Rokt. The company uses artificial intelligence and machine learning to analyze online shoppers and their engagement with products and services. "This has further propelled Rokt's growth and we're pleased to see this expression of support from existing investors as Rokt looks towards an IPO," Buchanan added. New York-based Rokt was valued at $1.95 billion in December last year after it raised capital in a Series E funding round led by Tiger Global that also saw participation from Wellington Management, Whale Rock Capital Management, Pavilion Capital and Square Peg.

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