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☆ Find out why this garden has been named ‘the most beautiful in Japan’ for 20+ years
▼ + stars: | 2023-11-16 | by ( Lilit Marcus | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +7 min

Shimane, Japan CNN —In Japan, gardening isn’t just a hobby – it’s an art form with spiritual significance. The US-based Sukiya Living magazine (formerly Journal of Japanese Gardening) has awarded the Adachi Museum its highest honor – most beautiful traditional garden – for more than 20 years running. Despite accolades coming from outside of Japan, the museum and gardens remain relatively unknown compared to those in Kyoto and Tokyo. Many Western visitors to Japan are confused when they visit a Japanese garden, only to not see a single flower. “Before looking at Japanese paintings, you can look at these Japanese gardens and understand them in this sequence.

Persons: ”, Sophie Walker, Robert Gilhooly, Takodori Adachi, Zenko Adachi, Adachi, Adachi's, thanyarat07, Lafcadio Hearn, genji maki Organizations: CNN, Japan CNN —, Adachi Museum of Art, Adachi Museum, “, Art, Mount Fuji, UNESCO, Museum of Art Locations: Japan, Shimane, Osaka, The, Kyoto, Tokyo, Tottori, San’in, Okayama, Honshu, Matsue, Adachi, Yasugi

☆ US reduces beef exports as cattle herd shrinks, squeezing Tyson Foods
▼ + stars: | 2023-11-10 | by ( Tom Polansek | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +5 min

The decline in cattle numbers, after years of drought fried pasture lands used for grazing, led to soaring U.S. beef prices. Higher prices incentivize companies to import cheaper beef and discourage U.S. beef purchases by buyers like China, Japan and Egypt. For Tyson, the loss of U.S. export business compounds margin pressure from higher cattle prices, Goldman Sachs analysts said. U.S. beef exports typically command higher margins than domestic shipments, they said. The USDA on Thursday raised its forecasts for beef imports in 2023 and 2024 in a monthly report.

Persons: Amira Karaoud, world's, Tyson, Cargill, Pete Bonds, Bonds, Goldman Sachs, Donnie King, Katelyn McCullock, McCullock, Derrell, Tom Polansek, Rod Nickel Organizations: Corydon , Indiana U.S, REUTERS, Rights, Tyson, U.S . Department of Agriculture, USDA, U.S ., U.S, Marketing, Center, Oklahoma State University, Thomson Locations: Corydon , Indiana, United States, China, Japan, Egypt, Texas, U.S, Tyson's, Florida, South Carolina, Australia, New Zealand, Paraguay, Paraguayan, Mexico

☆ Ukraine says it used a car bomb to take out a Russian-backed politician in an occupied city
▼ + stars: | 2023-11-08 | by ( Thibault Spirlet | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +2 min

Ukraine said it killed a Russian-backed lawmaker in eastern Ukraine on Wednesday. Mikhail Filiponenko, a deputy in Luhansk, died in a car bomb explosion, per Ukrainian intelligence. Mikhail Filiponenko, a member of the Russian-backed parliament in occupied Luhansk, and a former leader of its armed forces, died in a car bomb explosion on Wednesday, per the statement. Andriy Cherniak, a representative of Ukrainian intelligence, confirmed to Politico Europe that Ukraine was behind the bombing. Prior to that, Darya Dugina, a prominent war supporter and daughter of Aleksandr Dugin, commonly known as "Putin's brain," was assassinated by a car bomb outside Moscow in August 2022, Insider previously reported .

Persons: Mikhail Filiponenko, —, Andriy Cherniak, Filiponenko, Valery Gerasimov, Darya, Aleksandr Dugin Organizations: Politico, Service, Center, Reuters, Washington Post, General Staff Locations: Ukraine, Russian, Luhansk, Ukrainian, Politico Europe, Moscow, Donetsk

☆ Alabama sets date for first-ever US execution of death row inmate by nitrogen gas in 2024, governor says
▼ + stars: | 2023-11-08 | by ( Devon M. Sayers | Emma Tucker | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +3 min

CNN —Alabama has scheduled the nation’s first execution by nitrogen hypoxia, an alternative to lethal injection, its Republican governor said. He asked the state to be put to death by nitrogen gas rather than lethal injection after what he called a botched execution. Smith’s execution now is set to take place between January 25 and 26, according to a news release from Gov. The court’s action came after the justices divided 6-3 earlier in the term to allow Smith’s execution to go forward by lethal injection. Smith’s case was tried by a jury twice, Alabama Attorney General Steve Marshall has noted, both of which resulted in convictions.

Persons: Kenneth Eugene Smith’s, Kay Ivey, nodded, ”, Steve Marshall, Patrick Semansky, Smith, –, Elizabeth Dorlene Sennett, Sennett’s, Smith’s, CNN’s Jamiel Lynch, Ariane De Vogue, Dakin Andone Organizations: CNN, Alabama, Republican, Gov, Court Locations: Alabama, Washington

☆ Yemen's Houthi rebels are using the Israel-Hamas war to show off their growing arsenal, and US warships are in the crossfire
▼ + stars: | 2023-11-06 | by ( Paul Iddon | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +8 min

The US Defense Department later confirmed that the Houthi missiles had a range of no less than 2,000 kilometers, or about 1,240 miles. AdvertisementAdvertisementUSS Carney fires on Houthi missiles and drones over the Red Sea on October 19. A third incident, on October 31, saw Israel's advanced Arrow air-defense system intercept a Houthi ballistic missile and an Israeli F-35 stealth fighter shoot down a cruise missile. Houthi ballistic missiles "have long proven" inaccurate, and the group likely doesn't have a very large stockpile of advanced long-range missiles and drones, Bey added. Sailors in USS Carney's Combat Information Center during an operation to defeat Houthi missiles and drones on October 19.

Persons: Yemen's Houthi, —, Carney, MCS2 Aaron Lau, Houthis, Khaled Abdullah The, Matthew Bey, RANE, Khaled Abdullah, Bey, wasn't, Mason, ANDREW CABALLERO, REYNOLDS, Bryan Clark, Clark, Paul Iddon Organizations: US Navy, Service, Hamas, US Defense Department, REUTERS, Saudi, Ballistic, Houthi, Tomahawk, Patriot, Getty, Hudson Institute Locations: Israel, Yemen, Saudi Arabia, Taba, Nuweiba, Israeli, Gaza, Sanaa, Iran, Tehran, Riyadh, Yemeni, Mandeb

☆ Gaza workers expelled from Israel accuse Israeli authorities of abuse, including beatings
▼ + stars: | 2023-11-06 | by ( Ivana Kottasová | Nada Bashir | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +14 min

I know people whose rib cage was completely broken, some people died of torture,” he told CNN. An Israeli security official told CNN that the Israel Defense Forces (IDF) was aware of several incidents of “abuse” of Gazan workers by IDF soldiers. Several of the workers told CNN they were blindfolded and handcuffed for long periods of time. Palestinian workers deported by Israel make their return to the Gaza Strip in Rafah, Gaza, on November 3, 2023. They were then forced to walk for “about three hours” to cross into the enclave, several of them told CNN.

Persons: Muqbel Abdullah Al Radia, Abdullah Al Radia, Al Radia, Israel –, ”, Mahmoud Abu Darabeh, Beit Lahiya, Abu Darabeh, “, ” Abu Darabeh, Ibraheem Abu Mustafa, –, ‘, Israel, Yoav Gallant, Mohammed Zaanoun, ‘ Dehumanization, ’ Amani Sarahneh, Sarahneh, Dror Sadot, Sadot, “ We’ve, Mohamed Atallah, they’d, ” Bilal Aysha Organizations: Gaza CNN, CNN, Hamas, Israel’s, Palestinian Prisoners Society, West Bank, Israel Defense Forces, Reuters CNN, IDF, Gaza, “, Getty, Al, B’Tselem, Israeli Information Center, Human Rights, Friday Locations: Jerusalem, Gaza, Israel, Beit Lahiya, Rahat, Israeli, Ofer, Ramallah, Salem, Jenin, Beit, Rafah, Al, Gaza City, Territories

☆ The Youngest Senior
▼ + stars: | 2023-11-03 | by ( Debra Kamin | More About Debra Kamin | ) www.nytimes.com time to read: +1 min

When residents at Sun City Center, a sprawling retirement community in West Central Florida, struggle with their electronics, many of them now know who to call on: Maria Hodge, one of their newest residents, and also one of their youngest. Since moving to this 55-plus community last year, Ms. Hodge, 59, has become a fixture among the nearly 11,500 residents, where the average age is 79. She serves as secretary of the synchronized swim team. “We have people here who still have what we call the dino-phone,” she said. And most of the women on my swim team are challenged when it comes to electronics.”

Persons: Maria Hodge, Hodge, dino, ”, “ Organizations: Sun City Center, EMT Locations: West Central Florida

☆ Here’s how much your Thanksgiving meal will cost you this year
▼ + stars: | 2023-11-01 | by ( Parija Bhatnagar | Parija Kavilanz Cnn | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +5 min

New York CNN —Something wild has happened with turkey prices that’s going to make the cost of cooking the Thanksgiving meal more palatable to families on a tight budget. “Because turkey prices are down so much, and that’s the centerpiece of the meal, celebrating Thanksgiving at home will be more advantageous this year for families,” he said. Drop in turkey prices could bring down the overall cost of a Thanksgiving home-cooked mean this year. Food price increases have been easing this year, offering much-needed relief for many households. Canned food is still costlier heading into the Thanksgiving month compared to last year.

Persons: “ There’s, ”, Michael Swanson, Swanson, Christopher Walljasper, Wells Fargo’s, There’s, “ Russets, –, Danielle Wiener, Bronner Organizations: New, New York CNN, Wells, Food Institute, USDA Livestock Marketing, USDA Locations: New York, “, Pacific

☆ Opinion: My country abolished the death penalty. So can yours
▼ + stars: | 2023-10-29 | by ( Opinion Elbegdorj Tsakhia | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +7 min

He is commissioner of the International Committee against Death Penalty (ICDP). When I entered office in 2009, I quickly came to realize that use of the death penalty in Mongolia had been arbitrary, secretive and cruel. By the end of 2022, more than two-thirds of the world’s nations had done away with the practice, according to the Washington, DC-based Death Penalty Information Center. Research from Amnesty International found no evidence that the death penalty deterred crime more than life imprisonment. When I became Mongolia’s president, five crimes were eligible for the death penalty: two forms of terrorist attacks, sabotage, rape and aggravated murder.

Persons: Tsakhia, Read, Tharman Shanmugaratnam, it’s, who’s, Elbegdorj, –, Lui Tuck Yew, Tharman Organizations: International, CNN, International Covenant, Civil, Political, Amnesty, Central African, Research, Amnesty International Locations: Mongolia, Singapore, Washington, DC, Kazakhstan, Papua New Guinea, Sierra Leone, Central African Republic, Iran, Saudi Arabia, China, Thailand, Malaysia, United States

"The majority of my friends who are single and living alone are stressed about the cost of living," Kaishon Holloway, a single man living in New York City, tells CNBC. On top of being solely responsible for living costs that couples can split, single people are excluded from several financial benefits reserved for married couples. Kaishon Holloway says he and his single friends are stressed about the cost of living. Single people often have to choose between getting a roommate or covering the entire cost of a house or apartment on their own. In some cases, married couples have advantages that simply don't exist for single individuals, such as with income taxes.

Persons: Kaishon Holloway, it's, Juhohn Lee, Mark Licea, Bella DePaulo, Monique Morrissey, that's, Holloway Organizations: Census, CNBC, U.S, Missouri Economic Research, Information, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Economic Policy, Tax Locations: U.S, New York City, South Carolina, Missouri, New York

Arab citizens and permanent residents in Israel make up just over 20% of the country’s population. His ancestors were evacuated from Iqrit, a village north of Haifa, by Israeli forces during the 1948 war. Last Wednesday, Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and some opposition leaders joined an emergency war cabinet to manage the war. “Some people call it Turkish coffee, some call it Jerusalem coffee or Palestinian coffee or Israeli coffee … when I am in the mood, I call it Palestinian coffee,” he said, watching a spoonful of sugar bubble up from the bottom of the pot. “When I am not in the mood, I call it Jerusalem coffee … to avoid the politics”

Persons: Aya Najame, Najame, “, ” Najame, it’s, ” Ashraf Ashkar, ” Ashkar, Ashkar, Benjamin Netanyahu, Itamar Ben Gvir, Bezalel Smotrich, B’Tselem, Smotrich, we’re, ”, Diane Buttu, ’ ”, Buttu, ” Naim Khoury, Ivana Kottasova, CNN Naim Khoury, ” Khoury, ’ Abu Nader, Nader, –, Abu Nader, ” Buttu, there’s Organizations: Jerusalem CNN, West Bank, CNN, “, Israel Defense Forces, Palestinian, Palestinian Authority, Israeli Information Center, Human Rights, United Nations Office, Humanitarian Affairs Locations: Haifa, Jerusalem, Arab, Israel, Gaza, Lebanon, Syria, “ Haifa, Nisnas, Iqrit, Territories, Palestinian, Jerusalem’s Old City, Old City, ”, cezve

Following the deadly Hamas rampage across southern Israel on Oct. 7, which killed more than 1,300 people, Israel ordered an immediate cut-off of the country’s water supplies to the Gaza Strip. REUTERS/Ahmed ZakotOn Sunday, Israel’s energy minister said that a decision to renew water supplies to parts of southern Gaza was agreed on between Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and U.S. President Joe Biden. On Monday, Hamas said that Israel had yet to resume water supplies for the Gaza Strip despite pledging to do so, while an Israeli official responded that some water was being provided to an area in the south of the enclave. Bar chart comparing the daily water consumption in litres per capita in Gaza and Israel. Map showing 3 desalination plants and 6 wastewater plants in the Gaza Strip.

Persons: Khan Younis, Ahmed Zakot, Benjamin Netanyahu, Joe Biden, Israel, ” Organizations: United Nations, REUTERS, U.S, Health, WHO, Palestinian Central Bureau of Statistics, Water, Palestinian Water Authority, Records, UNSCO Atlas, Sustainable, Resources, Israeli Information Center, Human Rights, World Bank Locations: Gaza, Israel, Sinai, Egypt, B’Tselem, Territories

☆ Israelis desperately seek word on missing kin from Hamas attack
▼ + stars: | 2023-10-08 | by ( Dan Williams | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

Though long used to war, Israel was blindsided by the multi-pronged attack by Hamas gunmen in which hundreds were killed. One mother spoke with Reuters after giving her DNA sample and handing over a brush with hair follicles from her son, who was at an outdoor dance party that was stormed by Hamas gunmen. Outside the police center, a man prayed with a rabbi as his fiancee filled in a report for her missing brother. Its location was Khan Younis, a city in Gaza. "I surely identified my wife, my two daughters and my mother-in-law on some kind of a cart, and terrorists of Hamas all around them," he said.

Persons: Yoni Asher, Miro Maman, Nir Oz, Khan Younis, Hugh Lawson Organizations: REUTERS, Reuters, Thomson Locations: Gaza, Ganot Hadar, Israel, Airport City

There are businesses still functional ... That’s a public health issue,” Koger continued, adding that there are also significant “cultural concerns” associated with the debris removal. The debris removal not only is occurring on an island in the Pacific Ocean, but Maui has no landfills certified to take hazardous waste. Cultural monitors, who are Native Hawaiians from Maui, are also accompanying the EPA and eventually the Corps during the cleanup. The Corps said plans are being worked out to move debris to a temporary site then eventually to permanent disposal sites in Maui County. Even so, Maui County Council Vice-Chair Yuki Lei Sugimura often hears from many anxious residents looking to return and build a new home.

Persons: ”, Cory Koger, ” Koger, Steve Calanog, King Kamehameha, ” Calanog, Micah Kamohoali’i, Wayne Tanaka, Yuki Lei Sugimura, “, Michael Casey Organizations: Environmental Protection Agency, EPA, U.S . Army Corps of Engineers, West Coast ., National Park Service, Hawaii Department of Health, Corps, Information Center, Sierra Club of Hawaii, “, AP Locations: Maui, Kula, Lahaina, Paradise, California, Oregon , Colorado, New Mexico, they’re, That’s, Oregon, West Coast, Hawaii, Lahaina Hongwanji, United States, Maui County, Central Maui

NEW YORK (AP) — Sister Helen Prejean remembered when she first spoke with Jake Heggie about adapting her book “Dead Man Walking.”“I don’t know boo-scat about opera,” she told him. It’s established in a lot of these abolitionist countries that there is no death penalty — the government, we don’t kill people for their crimes. The Met and Carnegie Hall plan to present excerpts at Sing Sing on Sept. 28 with DiDonato, Sister Helen as the narrator and inmates as the chorus. There have been 1,575 executions in the U.S. since the Supreme Court allowed the death penalty to be reinstated in 1976, according to the Death Penalty Information Center. Twenty-four states have death penalty laws, 23 do not and three have governor-imposed moratoriums, the center said.

Persons: Helen Prejean, Jake Heggie, ”, “, you’re, Tony, Olivier, Ivo van Hove, Joyce DiDonato, Helen, ” Heggie, it’s, It’s, ” Prejean, Saint Joseph of Medaille, Prejean, Jason Epstein, Knopf Doubleday, Tim Robbins, Susan Sarandon, Heggie, Frederica von Stade, Lotfi Mansouri, Terrence McNally, Mansouri, ” McNally, ” “ Sondheim, Stephen Sondheim's, Robbins, McNally, Joe Mantello, Susan Graham, von, ” Joshua Kosman, ” DiDonato, DiDonato, “ I’ve, ” Von Hove, Graham, de, I’ve Organizations: Metropolitan Opera, Knopf, UCLA, UCLA's Center, Art, Cal, San Francisco Opera, Opera House, von Stade, San Francisco Chronicle, New York City Opera, Houston, City Opera, Sing, Illinois Youth Center, Carnegie Hall Locations: New Orleans, New York, New, Madrid, Francisco’s, Ossining , New York, Chicago, U.S

RICHMOND, Va. (AP) — Months after withdrawing from a data-sharing interstate compact to fight voter fraud, Virginia Gov. Glenn Youngkin's administration on Wednesday announced a series of recent steps it has taken to improve the accuracy of the state's voter rolls. Among them is the launch of new, individual data-sharing agreements with five other states and Washington, D.C., the Virginia Department of Elections said in a news release. “Secure elections start with accurate voter lists,” Elections Commissioner Susan Beals said Wednesday, two days before the start of early voting in this year's legislative elections. Virginia voters can check their registration status online.

Persons: Glenn Youngkin's, Susan Beals, ERIC, It’s, There’s, Aaron Mukerjee, Bob McDonnell, It's, Donald Trump’s, Beals, Andrea Gaines, Gaines, ” Organizations: Virginia Gov, Wednesday, D.C, Virginia Department, Elections, Registration, Democratic Party of Virginia, Virginia, Republican, GOP, Associated Press Locations: RICHMOND, Va, Virginia, Washington, Washington , Georgia , Ohio, South Carolina , Tennessee, West Virginia, “ Virginia, North Carolina, Maryland

MADISON, Wis. (AP) — The Republican-controlled Wisconsin Senate was set to vote Thursday on firing the battleground state's top elections official — a move that was denounced by Democrats as illegitimate and is expected to draw a legal battle. Nonpartisan Wisconsin Elections Commission Administrator Meagan Wolfe has been the subject of conspiracy theories and threats from election skeptics who falsely claim she was part of a plan to rig the 2020 vote in Wisconsin. The bipartisan elections commission deadlocked in June on a vote to nominate Wolfe for a second four-year term. In addition to carrying out the decisions of the elections commission, Wolfe helps guide Wisconsin’s more than 1,800 local clerks who actually run elections. Since the 2020 election, some Republicans have floated the idea of abolishing or overhauling the elections commission.

Persons: Meagan Wolfe, Wolfe, Devin LeMahieu, Josh Kaul, Kaul, Michael Haas, Scott Walker's, ERIC Organizations: Republican, Wisconsin Senate, GOP, Democratic, Biden, Trump, Republicans, Government, Board, Republican Gov, National Association of State, Registration, Associated Press, America Statehouse News Initiative, America Locations: MADISON, Wis, Wisconsin

☆ Trump surrenders for his Georgia indictment during primetime, giving him the media circus he'd hoped for
▼ + stars: | 2023-08-24 | by ( Jacob Shamsian | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +5 min

Trump and his allies had hoped to use arraignments to get media attention, media reports previously said. The sheriff who oversees the jail system has said Trump's mugshot and fingerprints will be taken for the National Crime Information Center. A presidential historian said in March that if Trump's mugshot is made public, it'll likely cement himself as "folk hero" among his supporters. At the arraignment, Trump and the other defendants will be formally presented with the criminal charges and can enter pleas. Trump is the first former president to face any criminal charges for a first, second, third, or fourth time.

Persons: Donald Trump, Trump, Trump's, Team Trump, he'll, Scott McAfee, Fani Willis, Rudy Giuliani, Sidney Powell, Jenna Ellis, John Eastman, Willis, McAfee, Jack Smith Organizations: Service, Crime Information, Guardian, The New York Times, Team, Fulton, Republican Party, Trump, Republican Locations: Atlanta, Wall, Silicon, Georgia, Fulton, Manhattan, Fulton County

☆ Thailand: Visit of King's estranged sons comes at a delicate time for monarchy
▼ + stars: | 2023-08-20 | by ( Helen Regan | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +12 min

Vacharaesorn Vivacharawongse is blessed by a Buddhist monk during a religious ceremony at Wat Yannawa temple in Bangkok, Thailand, on August 10. Vacharaesorn Vivacharawongse visits the Foundation for Slum Child Care supported by the Royal Family, in Bangkok on August 8. Of the two sons, analysts say Vacharaesorn could be the one to watch for any future role within the royal family. Vacharaesorn Vivacharawongse prays during a religious ceremony at Wat Yannawa temple in Bangkok, Thailand, August 10. The places they visited were significant, nothing too official but enough to exhibit their connections to the country and royal family, analysts say.

Persons: Thailand’s, Maha Vajiralongkorn, Vacharaesorn Vivacharawongse, Vacharaesorn, Chakriwat Vivacharawongse, King, ” Vacharaesorn, Bangkok’s Suvarnabhumi, Athit Perawongmetha, Pavin Chachavalpongpun, Thais, King Bhumibol Adulyadej, –, Bajrakitiyabha, Vajiralongkorn, Yuvadhida Polpraserth, Vivacharawongse, Princess Sirivannavari, Queen, ”, Paul Handley, “, Never, King Vajiralongkorn, ’, Thitinan Pongsudhirak, Handley, Chakriwat, Prince Mahidol –, Pavin Organizations: CNN, Reuters, Kyoto University’s Center, Southeast Asian Studies, Foundation for Slum Child, King’s Guard, Thai Crown, Elections, Thai, Chulalongkorn University, “, New, ” CNN, Center, BTS, Siriraj Hospital Locations: Bangkok, United States, United Kingdom, New York, Thailand, Bangkok’s, Wat Yannawa, Thai, Hong Kong

☆ Virginia becomes eighth US state to exit voter data-sharing pact
▼ + stars: | 2023-08-10 | by ( Josephine Walker | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +3 min

Member states of the Electronic Registration Information Center, or ERIC, partnership share voter registration and identification data to avoid having people registered to vote in multiple states. There are now only seven Republican-led states among the 25 remaining in the compact. Many Republican-led states have also tightened voting rules in recent years in what they describe as an effort to prevent fraud. "It really exposes the hypocrisy of states that are talking the most about voter fraud," Clapman said. "They're inflating concerns about voter fraud and are also pulling out of and damaging the best tool that states have to detect voter fraud."

Persons: Tom Brenner, ERIC, Donald Trump's, Trump, Susan Beals, Beals, Glenn Youngkin, Shane Hamlin, Hamlin, Alice Clapman, University's, Clapman, Josephine Walker, Scott Malone, Andy Sullivan Organizations: Arlington County School Board, REUTERS, Republican, Member, of Columbia, Former U.S, Reuters, Republican Virginia, Center for Justice, Thomson Locations: Arlington, Arlington , Virginia, U.S, Virginia, . Virginia, Ohio, Iowa, Florida , Missouri, West Virginia , Louisiana, Alabama, Texas, New

☆ Invasive hammerhead worms are longtime New Yorkers, and they may be here to stay
▼ + stars: | 2023-08-04 | by ( Mindy Weisberger | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +8 min

Invasive hammerhead flatworms have distinctive curved heads, striped bodies ranging in color from light yellow to dark brown, and they can secrete tetrodotoxin — a neurotoxin found in puffer fish and blue-ringed octopuses. Five species of invasive hammerhead worms — four in the genus Bipalium and one in Diversibipalium — are established in North America, said Bruce Snyder, an associate professor of biology at Georgia College and State University. Today, most hammerhead worms (also known as broadhead planarians) are concentrated in the Southeast, where they favor warm, damp habitats. Bazzano Photography/Alamy Stock PhotoTo date, more than 3,000 sightings in southeastern states of just one invasive hammerhead species — Bipalium kewense — have been shared to the citizen scientist database iNaturalist. Hammerhead tetrodotoxin, which disrupts neurons’ signaling to muscles, can sicken pets if they eat the worms, according to the New Jersey Department of Environmental Protection.

Persons: CNN —, they’ve, Peter Ducey, ” Ducey, “, Bruce Snyder, they’re, ” Snyder, ”, Hammerhead tetrodotoxin, Ducey, adventitium, Libbie Hyman, Hyman, Snyder, it’s, ” Mindy Weisberger Organizations: CNN, State University of New, Georgia College, State University, US Department of, Species Information, “, Maine Department of Agriculture, Conservation, Forestry, New Jersey Department of Environmental Protection, ”, hammerheads, Pennsylvania State University’s College of Agricultural Sciences, Scientific Locations: Washington , DC, Yorkers, New York, State University of New York, Cortland, “, North America, Southeast Asia, California, Oregon, Maine, New Jersey, Long, Westchester County, New York City, Europe, Asia, Pennsylvania

☆ China wants to limit teens to no more than two hours a day on their phones
▼ + stars: | 2023-08-03 | by ( Simone Mccarthy | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +5 min

Children under eight would be able to use their phones for only 40 minutes a day, while those between eight and 16 would get an hour of screen time. “On the other hand, it’s easier for us parents to control our kids screen time,” she said. China has one of the world’s largest internet user bases, with roughly 1.07 billion people in the country of 1.4 billion having access to the web, according to the China Internet Network Information Center. The regulation could be useful to “help parents to supervise the children” and limit screen time. Impact on tech firmsThe new measures could present challenges for tech companies, which are typically held responsible for enforcing regulations.

Persons: ”, “, Kuaishou Organizations: Hong Kong CNN, Cyberspace Administration, ”, Mobile, CNN, China Internet Network Information, Apple, Huawei Locations: Hong Kong, China, Beijing, China’s Zhejiang, China’s Zhuhai, Weibo, lockstep

☆ Fact Check-Surviving cameras do not prove nuclear tests are ‘fake’
▼ + stars: | 2023-07-28 | by ( Reuters Fact Check | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +4 min

Cameras used to film nuclear tests were placed far enough away from the test site or designed to withstand the blast and radiation. However, photography of nuclear tests has been well documented since 1945, with safeguards such as camera distance and special design features to withstand explosions. Footage by the Federal Civil Defense Administration of 1950s nuclear tests is viewable (here). The world’s first nuclear test was conducted by the United States in 1945, known as the Trinity test. It is well documented that cameras or film can survive nuclear tests and is not proof that footage of the tests is fake.

Persons: “, Joe Rogan, Alan Carr, ” Carr, Peter Kuran, ”, Carr, Kuran, Annie, Read Organizations: United, YouTube, Federal Civil Defense Administration, CNN, Los Alamos National Laboratory, Trinity, Atomic Heritage Foundation, White, Missile, Museum, Teapot, Defense Technical, Operation Teapot, Reuters Locations: United States

The project launched on Monday, with eyeball scans taking place in countries including Britain, Japan and India. Applicants lined up to have their irises scanned by the device, before waiting for the 25 free Worldcoin tokens the company says verified users can claim. Worldcoin's data-collection is a "potential privacy nightmare," said the Electronic Privacy Information Center, a U.S. privacy campaigner. Worldcoin tokens were trading around $2.30 on the world's largest exchange, Binance, on Tuesday. For many users, the promise of financial gains from the crypto coins was enough to make them hand over personal data.

Persons: Sam Altman, Saeki Sasaki, Worldcoin, Ali, Madeleine Stone, Sujith, Elizabeth Howcroft, Medha, Mark Potter Organizations: Reuters, Privacy, Big Brother Watch, Thomson Locations: TOKYO, BENGALURU, Britain, Japan, India, Tokyo, U.S, London, Bengaluru, Medha Singh, Anton

July 21 (Reuters) - Alabama executed a man early on Friday for beating an elderly woman to death two decades ago, the state's first execution since Governor Kay Ivey lifted a suspension on capital punishment in February following a review. Barber argued to the United States Court of Appeals that his execution should be halted because he is at substantial risk of serious harm and "torture" under current protocols. Legal and ethical questions have swirled around capital punishment in the United States after several lethal injections have been botched in recent years. The number of executions in the United States has drastically fallen since 1999, when a record 98 executions were carried out. Capital punishment was reinstated in the United States in 1976.

Persons: Kay Ivey, James Barber, William Holman, Barber, Dorothy Epps, Ivey, Brendan O'Brien, Daniel Trotta, Gursimran Kaur, Bharat Govind Gautam, Sandra Maler, Andrew Heavens Organizations: William, William Holman Correctional, U.S, Supreme, Republican, Department of Corrections, United States, of Appeals, Thomson Locations: Alabama, . U.S, Atmore , Alabama, Harvest , Alabama, United States, Chicago

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