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☆ UK ambulance staff follow nurses in striking over pay
▼ + stars: | 2022-12-21 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

[1/2] Ambulances are parked at the Hollymoor Ambulance Hub of the West Midlands Ambulance Service, operated by the West Midlands Ambulance Service NHS Foundation Trust, in Birmingham, Britain June 5, 2020. Health and Social Care Secretary Steve Barclay said the National Health Service (NHS) would prioritize those with life-threatening needs. "Ambulance workers – and the public – deserve better. An independent pay review body has awarded more than 1 million NHS workers a pay rise of at least 1,400 pounds ($1,704), equating to an increase of at least 4% for most ambulance staff, according to the government. The NHS Confederation, which represents national health service organisations, said the strike risked patient safety.

☆ Top 25 roundup: No. 5 Houston deals No. 2 Virginia first loss
▼ + stars: | 2022-12-18 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +10 min

2 Virginia its first loss, 69-61, Saturday in Charlottesville, Va.Marcus Sasser and Tramon Mark added 13 points each, while Jamal Shead had 11 points and four assists. Furst finished with 12 points and 13 rebounds, and Smith posted 10 points and 12 rebounds. Sam Mennenga led Davidson (7-4) with 14 points and Foster Loyer, Fletcher's brother, had 11 points. Kevin McCullar contributed 11 points, 11 rebounds and five steals, while KJ Adams and Jalen Wilson added 11 points apiece. Trayce Jackson-Davis had 13 points and a career-high nine blocked shots for Indiana (8-3), which lost its second straight game.

☆ East Coast ports including New York are winning a domestic trade war at the expense of California
▼ + stars: | 2022-12-15 | by ( Lori Ann Larocco | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +10 min

According to ITS Logistics which monitors rail cargo trends, the volume of freight moving out of the East Coast doubles that of the West Coast. East Coast ports making major investments East Coast ports like Georgia, Virginia and Maryland have been increasing their investment to accommodate the increase in rail capacity. "CSX continues to see the East Coast ports as a growth opportunity as volumes shift from congested West coast gateways," said Cindy Schild, CSX spokesperson. West Coast port declinewatch nowCargo volumes on the West Coast remained soft at the Port of Los Angeles in November, which saw a 21% decrease year over year in volumes. While the East Coast gains are significant, there was a "leveling" off of imports detected on the East Coast in November, according to port TEU data from the CNBC Supply Chain Heat Map.

She said “the double standard was obvious” with the way that Catherine, Princess of Wales, had been treated by sections of the British media compared to Meghan, particularly during their pregnancies. “British media is disproportionately white, and that shapes the way stories are framed,” he said. In the third episode, footage shows Meghan and Harry attending a memorial service for Stephen Lawrence, a Black teenager killed in an attack by white youths in London in 1993. Instead, Harry refers to “unconscious bias” within the royal family, which Meghan helped to educate him on. Princess Michael of Kent attends a Christmas lunch for the extended royal family at Buckingham Palace on Dec. 20, 2017, wearing a "blackamoor" brooch.

☆ Michael Jordan: The NBA has renamed its MVP trophy after the Bulls great
▼ + stars: | 2022-12-13 | by ( Amy Woodyatt | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +15 min

Andrew D. Bernstein/NBAE/Getty Images Jordan poses for a Little League Baseball photo in the late 1970s. Ken Levine/Getty Images Jordan famously shrugs his shoulders after hitting another 3-pointer during the 1992 NBA Finals versus Portland. "There is a reason you call someone the Michael Jordan of ... neurosurgery, or the Michael Jordan of rabbis, or the Michael Jordan of outrigger canoeing. Chip Somodevilla/Getty Images Jordan continues to promote Nike's Jordan Brand across the world. Jordan Brand/Getty Images Jordan cries at the Kobe Bryant memorial in Los Angeles in February 2020.

☆ Heavy snow in Britain disrupts travel; National Grid readies two coal plants
▼ + stars: | 2022-12-12 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

[1/5] A person walks through the snow as cold weather continues, in London, Britain, December 12, 2022. Operations in many parts of the city's underground network were either suspended or faced delays, while motorways witnessed gridlocks due to snow. The snow caused issues for commuters and holidaymakers at the start of a fortnight where rail workers and border officials plan industrial action. Southeastern, which operates rail services into London, advised passengers not to travel due to severe disruption caused by snow and ice. Meanwhile, Britain's National Grid (NG.L) on Monday issued a notification to warm two winter contingency coal plants.

☆ JetBlue and American announced 11 all-new routes as the pair beefs up its controversial Northeast Alliance — see the full list
▼ + stars: | 2022-12-09 | by ( Taylor Rains | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +6 min

JetBlue Airways and American Airlines announced 11 new routes as part of their Northeast Alliance. Walter Bibikow/Getty ImagesJetBlue will start once-daily flights between New York and Hyannis near Cape Code in the spring of 2023. Just dance/ShutterstockJetBlue will start once-daily flights between New York and Bermuda in the spring of 2023. Aleenah AnsariJetBlue will start once-daily flights between Boston and Vancouver in the spring of 2023. American will start once-daily flights between New York and Knoxville on May 5.

☆ Brits told to rethink Christmas plans with strikes set to hit flights and train travel
▼ + stars: | 2022-12-09 | by ( Jenni Reid | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +1 min

A train makes its way through the snow in Penistone, South Yorkshire, in March 2022. Passengers face Christmas travel disruption as workers strike over pay and working conditions. LONDON — Passengers traveling into or around the U.K. over the holiday period face significant disruption due to strikes, with the government urging people to reconsider their plans. Airport staff working for the U.K. Border Force are due to walk out from Dec. 23 to 26, and again from Dec. 28 to New Year's Eve. It will impact services at the U.K.'s busiest airport, London Heathrow, as well as London Gatwick, Manchester, Birmingham, Cardiff and Glasgow.

☆ Rare cosmic collision acted like one of the ‘factories of gold’ in the universe
▼ + stars: | 2022-12-08 | by ( Ashley Strickland | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +5 min

The gamma-ray burst, called GRB 211211A, lasted about a minute. Gamma-ray bursts are considered among the strongest and brightest explosions in the universe, and they can range from a few milliseconds to several hours in length. An artist's illustration of GRB 211211A shows the kilonova and gamma-ray burst (right) and ejected material from the explosion (left). After determining that a kilonova created the infrared light, astronomers grew even more puzzled by the gamma-ray burst’s duration. Gamma-ray bursts caused by these rare explosions have only ever been observed to last less than two seconds, but this signal lasted for at least one minute.

☆ Border Force workers at British airports to strike over Christmas - union
▼ + stars: | 2022-12-07 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +1 min

LONDON, Dec 7 (Reuters) - Border Force workers at several major British airports including the country's busiest, London's Heathrow, will go on strike for several days over the Christmas period in a dispute over pay, the PCS trade union said on Wednesday. The union said staff employed by the Britain's interior ministry, the Home Office, in passport booths would take action at Heathrow and Gatwick airports as well as Birmingham Airport, Cardiff Airport, Glasgow Airport, Manchester Airport and the Port of Newhaven. A Heathrow spokesperson said the airport was working with airlines and Border Force on plans to mitigate disruption. "The Home Office advises that immigration and customs checks may take longer during peak times on strike days, and Heathrow will support Border Force to minimise these impacts with the aim of processing passengers through the border as efficiently as possible," the spokesperson said. Reporting by Farouq Suleiman, writing by Sarah Young; Editing by Kate Holton, William MacleanOur Standards: The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles.

☆ Same-sex couples wary despite federal marriage rights bill
▼ + stars: | 2022-12-06 | by ( Associated Press | ) www.nbcnews.com time to read: +6 min

That prompted Democrats to act quickly to protect same-sex marriage while the party still holds the majority in both chambers of Congress. The Senate passed the Respect for Marriage Act last week with support from 12 Republicans; it’s expected to easily win approval in the House before being signed by President Joe Biden. Ten years later, the U.S. Supreme Court let stand a federal appeals court ruling that declared the state ban unconstitutional. The legislation wouldn’t codify, or enshrine into law, the Supreme Court decision requiring states to issue same-sex marriage licenses. “Is the Respect for Marriage Act good enough?

☆ Fact Check-London and Manchester not minority white cities, ONS says
▼ + stars: | 2022-11-30 | by ( Reuters Fact Check | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +3 min

They are not minority white, however, but have less than 50% identifying as “white British”. In a video, Farage says: “The Office for National Statistics figures are out today, showing that London, Birmingham and Manchester are all now minority white cities. The ONS told Reuters that these claims confuse “white British” and “white other”. The cities that have a white minority are Birmingham and Leicester, the ONS told Reuters. London and Manchester are not now minority white cities, according to the 2021 census.

☆ Tornadoes reported as storms cause flooding, damage across the South
▼ + stars: | 2022-11-30 | by ( The Associated Press | ) www.nbcnews.com time to read: +5 min

The National Weather Service confirmed that tornadoes hit the ground in Mississippi on Tuesday evening and Alabama was in the forecast path of the storms during the overnight hours. The national Storm Prediction Center said in its storm outlook that affected cities could include New Orleans; Memphis and Nashville in Tennessee; and Birmingham, Alabama. Additional reports of property damage near Columbus were received by the Weather Service, according to Lance Perrilloux, a forecaster with the agency. Craig Ceecee, a meteorologist at Mississippi State University, peered out at “incredibly black” skies through the door of a tornado shelter in Starkville. The National Weather Service reported nearly 4 inches of snow on the ground at the airport by noon.

☆ Australian Parliament censures former prime minister
▼ + stars: | 2022-11-30 | by ( The Associated Press | ) www.nbcnews.com time to read: +5 min

CANBERRA, Australia — Australia’s former Prime Minister Scott Morrison on Wednesday listed his achievements in government including standing up to a “bullying” China as he unsuccessfully argued against being censured by Parliament for secretly amassing multiple ministerial powers. A censure motion against Morrison, who remains an opposition lawmaker, has no effect other than to tarnish his political legacy. The censure motion said that by failing to inform his Cabinet, Parliament and the Australian people of his additional ministerial powers, Morrison had undermined responsible government and eroded public trust in Australia’s democracy. Morrison’s successor, Prime Minister Anthony Albanese, this month held Australia’s first official bilateral meeting with Chinese President Xi Jinping since Morrison’s predecessor, Prime Minister Malcolm Turnbull, in 2016. In calling for Morrison’s censure, Albanese said the former prime minister had demonstrated hubris, arrogance and denial but no contrition.

CNN —Severe storms and tornadoes swept through parts of the South from Tuesday into Wednesday morning, killing at least two people in Alabama and damaging homes, other buildings and downing trees in several states, officials said. Tornadoes decimate parts of AlabamaThe tornado that killed two in the Flatwood area near Montgomery had winds estimated at 110 mph, the National Weather Service said. The storm, which might have included a tornado, sounded “like a train coming through,” Perkins told CNN on Wednesday. “We were successful in getting (to) some people that had to hunker down in their homes that were messed up,” Austin told CNN on Wednesday. Some parts of the South, including between Huntsville and Birmingham in Alabama, saw between 2 and 4 inches of rain Tuesday.

☆ Tornadoes reported as storms cause flooding and damage across the South
▼ + stars: | 2022-11-30 | by ( Chantal Da Silva | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +3 min

Area residents were provided a light show as severe weather accompanied by some potential twisters affected parts of Louisiana and Mississippi. The National Weather Service confirmed tornadoes had hit the ground in Mississippi on Tuesday, while tornadoes were also confirmed by radar in Alabama, NWS Birmingham said. A number of areas reported damage to homes and neighborhoods, while the Caldwell Parish Sheriff's Office in Louisiana confirmed that at least two people were injured in connection with severe weather. A line of strong to severe thunderstorms was expected to quickly move southeastward across southern Alabama, the Florida Panhandle and central/southern Georgia through midday Wednesday, it said. Forecasters had previously warned that heavy rain and hail the size of tennis balls were possible in the severe weather expected to continue into Wednesday.

☆ AT 2022cmc: Rare cosmic event beamed light at Earth from 8.5 billion light-years away
▼ + stars: | 2022-11-30 | by ( Ashley Strickland | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +5 min

But the rare cosmic event actually occurred 8.5 billion light years away from Earth, when the universe was just a third of its current age — and it has created more questions than answers. This graphic shows how a tidal disruption event might look in space. Carl Knox/OzGrav/Swinburne University of TechnologyWhen a star is torn apart by a black hole’s gravitational tidal forces, it’s known as a tidal disruption event. Observing more events like this could reveal how black holes launch such powerful jets across space, according to the researchers. “Scientists can use AT 2022cmc as a model for what to look for and find more disruptive events from distant black holes.”

☆ Drug and alcohol deaths increasing among US adults 65 and older, CDC data shows
▼ + stars: | 2022-11-30 | by ( Jacqueline Howard | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +8 min

In 2020, more than 5,000 adults 65 and older in the United States died of a drug overdose. Though drug overdose death rates for older adults tend to be lower than for other age groups – and made up just 0.2% of total deaths among adults 65 and older in 2020 – such deaths have been climbing. Between 2000 and 2020, the rates rose from 2.4 to 8.8 deaths per 100,000 people among adults 65 and older. Between 2000 and 2020, drug overdose deaths increased more among men than women, rising from 2.7 to 12.3 deaths per 100,000 men compared with 2.3 to 5.8 per 100,000 women. “Because of ageism, we typically do not think of older adults as having a substance use disorder nor do we think of older adults for being at-risk for a drug overdose.

A cross-country winter storm system is expected to bring severe weather conditions to the South and Northeast. Jackson, Mississippi, is in the center of the severe weather risk area, with other cities to watch being Memphis, Tennessee; New Orleans; Birmingham, Alabama; and Shreveport, Louisiana. The storm system will shift east on Wednesday, bringing strong thunderstorms, heavy rain and wind to the East Coast. Atlanta; Mobile, Alabama; New Orleans; and Tallahassee, Florida, could all see strong storms, especially in the first half of the day. The northern side of this cross-country storm system will bring snow, which will affect the Upper Midwest.

☆ How do real estate investors 'do the numbers?' An investor with 9 properties shares the method — and spreadsheet — that helps him identify a good deal and avoid the bad ones.
▼ + stars: | 2022-11-29 | by ( Kathleen Elkins | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +13 min

It's also correlated with risk: Generally, a high cap rate points to a riskier investment, since a high cap rate means a lower property value. A "good cap rate" depends on your market and how much risk you're willing to tolerate. To calculate cap rate, you need to know your NOI, which is your estimated annual rent minus your annual operating expenses. To calculate NOI, you subtract annual operating expenses from annual rent, which is an assumption based on rent prices in the area. He's not the only investor who focuses on cash flow: Mike Zuber, who owns over 100 units in Fresno, California, says that cash flow should be a top priority when evaluating investment properties.

CNN —Three astronauts lifted off to China’s nearly completed space station on Tuesday, marking the beginning of the country’s long-term presence in space. The Shenzhou-15 spacecraft is expected to dock with the Tiangong Space Station about 6.5 hours after launch. VCG/Getty ImagesSmaller than the ISSOnce construction is completed, the space station is expected to last for 15 years. Tiangong, which means heavenly palace, is smaller than the International Space Station but similar in its modular design. The new space station will typically house three rather than six astronauts.

☆ Another tech bubble bursts: 2022 has been brutal for Silicon Valley workers
▼ + stars: | 2022-11-27 | by ( David Ingram | David Ingram Covers Tech For Nbc News. | ) www.nbcnews.com time to read: +28 min

Gem: 100A maker of recruiting software, the startup cut a third of its workforce Nov. 1, The Information reported. HealthCare.com: 149The health insurance marketplace announced the job cuts Aug. 3, Miami Inno reported, citing state regulatory filings. Fabric: 120The robotics startup said July 13 that it was layoffing off 40% of them, TechCrunch reported, citing company confirmation. It affected about 300 people, the Silicon Valley Business Journal reported, citing company confirmation. Policygenius: 170The online insurance company cut about 25% of its staff, Axios reported June 6, citing company confirmation.

Heavy rain and strong winds are expected in the southern Great Plains this weekend from Texas stretching to Mississippi where it's already raining, threatening post-Thanksgiving travel plans, according to the National Weather Service. Nearly 55 million people were expected to travel 50 miles or more from their homes this Thanksgiving weekend — 98% of pre-pandemic levels, according to AAA. Although the severe weather risk is very low on Sunday, there will be the potential for strong winds and frequent lightning that could impact travel, especially in the Northeast. Another developing storm system will also continue to bring heavy rain in addition to mountain snow to the Pacific Northwest this weekend, according to the weather service. Winter weather advisories are in place for parts of the Cascades and Northern Rockies, including northern Idaho, Montana, and southeast Wyoming.

☆ When I started yoga for an injured back, I was the only Black person. Now I have my own studio.
▼ + stars: | 2022-11-26 | by ( Julie Halpert | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +5 min

When I was lifting weights, I pulled a muscle in my back, and a friend recommended a yoga class. I became a teacher and wanted Trap Studio to be a place where everyone could learn and be themselves. A friend recommended a yoga class. When I got into yoga, I was going into the Detroit suburbs and I was the only Black person in the class. I want to take the elite factor out of yogaI started The Trap Yoga and Massage Studio in 2016.

☆ Fans pause action for Friday prayers during first World Cup in a Muslim country
▼ + stars: | 2022-11-25 | by ( Andrew Mills | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

DOHA, Nov 25 (Reuters) - As noon approached, muezzins across Qatar called Muslim soccer players, fans and officials to the first Friday prayers of the first World Cup to take place in a Muslim country. Unusually for soccer, Muslim fans say Qatar's World Cup has accommodated them like never before - with stadium prayer rooms, concessions selling halal food and no beer-swilling supporters to contend with in the stands following a stadium alcohol ban. For now, Muslim fans are just enjoying an event that caters to their needs. Ridwaan Goolam Hoosen, an avid South African soccer fan, is used to having to leave the grounds to find a prayer space, including at the 2010 World Cup in South Africa. "It feels as if this World Cup is for me, it works for me, it fits for me...This is the first of its kind like this," Goolam Hoosen said.

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