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☆ The true cost of Mexico's Maya Train
▼ + stars: | 2023-05-05 | by ( Noah Lewis | Robert Leslie | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: 1 min

Mexico is rushing to complete a new train line around the Yucatan Peninsula that will link tourist resorts with cities and famous Maya sites. But large areas of tropical forest have been cut down, and activists say a unique network of sinkholes called cenotes are also at risk.

☆ DeSantis collects wins as Florida Legislature caps whirlwind session, teeing up possible White House bid
▼ + stars: | 2023-05-05 | by ( Kevin Breuninger | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +10 min

Florida Governor Ron DeSantis speaks during a conference titled "Celebrate the Faces of Israel" at Jerusalem's Museum of Tolerance, on April 27, 2023. Measures like the restrictive abortion law DeSantis signed could help him in a GOP primary, but may reduce his appeal in a general election. Lawmakers have also passed multiple measures that could help clear DeSantis' path to the White House, if and when he decides to run. "The entire session was focused on Governor DeSantis' run for president," said Jim Clark, a University of Central Florida senior lecturer and political commentator, in an interview. On top of those issues, DeSantis in March waded into the "school choice" debate by signing a bill expanding Florida's school voucher system.

☆ See the pitch deck these 2 best friends made on Canva to raise $675,000 for their tequila brand
▼ + stars: | 2023-05-04 | by ( Lauren Crosmedlicott | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +4 min

They registered their tequila brand, Pimantae, while working full-time jobs in 2021. They decided to pursue angel investors and used a pitch deck they made on Canva. They considered crowdfunding and venture capital as financing options, but settled on approaching angel investors. With their first investor locked in, other investors started expressing interest. They closed their pre-seed round in September 2022 having raised £545,000, or around $675,000, between 13 angel investors and Distill Ventures — far exceeding their original £250,000 goal.

☆ Foods and drinks packaged for kids are higher in sugar and lower in nutrition, study shows
▼ + stars: | 2023-05-04 | by ( Madeline Holcombe | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +4 min

Products with marketing that appealed to children were higher in sugars and lower in all other nutrients, according to the study, published Wednesday in the journal PLOS One. The study looked at nearly 6,000 packaged foods to analyze their number of marketing strategies aimed at children and their nutritional information. “We are likely underestimating just how much marketing children are exposed to on food packages in real time — and packaging is just one of the ways that food companies target children with food marketing,” she said. And governments will need to step in to regulate companies’ ability to target children directly when marketing products that can harm their health, she added. Mulligan recommends talking to kids about how companies use marketing and how it might influence their choices.

☆ Iranian president in Damascus for first visit since Syrian war began
▼ + stars: | 2023-05-03 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

DAMASCUS, May 3 (Reuters) - Iranian President Ebrahim Raisi landed in Damascus on Wednesday for talks with his Syrian counterpart Bashar al-Assad, Syrian state media reported, in the first visit by an Iranian head of state since war broke out in Syria in 2011. Raisi's visit comes as Iran and regional rival Saudi Arabia rebuild ties after years of tensions. Syrian state media said "a number of agreements" would be signed during the two-day visit. An Israeli rocket strike on Damascus in February killed Iranian military experts and Tehran has used the flow of aid in the aftermath of the deadly Feb. earthquake to bring in arms. Assad has never publicly acknowledged that Iranian forces have operated on his behalf in Syria's civil war, saying Tehran has only military advisers on the ground.

☆ ‘Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3’ Review: Raccoon Tears and a Final Mixtape
▼ + stars: | 2023-05-03 | by ( Maya Phillips | ) www.nytimes.com time to read: +2 min

A powerful god-figure, the High Evolutionary has genetically altered Rocket, other animals and even children to create a perfect race to inhabit his imagined utopia. But the shift also feels belabored and emotionally manipulative; scenes upon scenes of shot, blown up, tortured and incinerated C.G.I. It seems “Guardians” needs this much gratuitous trauma bait to establish its stakes and prove that the bad guy is, in fact, bad. Something like Thanos Lite or a knockoff Dr. Frankenstein, the High Evolutionary represents one of the central problems the franchise is facing in a post-“Endgame” M.C.U. “There is no god — that’s why I stepped in,” the High Evolutionary says at one point.

☆ Where the Milkshakes Are Served With a Celebration of Black Culture
▼ + stars: | 2023-05-02 | by ( Kayla Stewart | ) www.nytimes.com time to read: +1 min

On a corner in Central Harlem, just blocks from the Apollo Theater and Marcus Garvey Park, stands Harlem Shake, a diner designed to look as though it’s been there for decades. The walls are covered with Jet magazine covers and photographs, some signed, of Black American musicians and celebrities: Regina Hall, Diddy, Maya Angelou, Questlove. Its retro diner-style menus and swivel bar stools evoke nostalgia for an era of charm — and upheaval — in American culture. Rasheeda Purdie, a neighborhood resident of 14 years, finds comfort in how distinctly Harlem the restaurant is. “Sharing food is almost like a love language,” said Dardra Coaxum, an interior designer and Harlem native who opened the restaurant with Jelena Pasic.

ANKARA/BAGHDAD, May 2 (Reuters) - ISIS leader Abu Hussein al-Qurashi's six-month rule ended when he detonated a suicide vest during a Turkish special forces raid in northwest Syria on Saturday after refusing to surrender, a senior Turkish security official said. Turkish President Tayyip Erdogan said on Sunday Qurashi "was neutralized" as part of the intelligence forces' operation. Images of the site provided by the security official showed a red-roofed building with most of the walls on its ground floor blown out. An Iraqi intelligence official said: "The only safe haven for the senior Daesh (ISIS) leaders is in Syria, and specifically in areas bordering Turkey." A Turkish security official declined to comment on any Iraqi intelligence involvement in the operation.

☆ Syrian refugees deported from Lebanon face arrest, conscription, say relatives
▼ + stars: | 2023-05-01 | by ( Maya Gebeily | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +5 min

[1/5] Youssef, a Syrian refugee and single father of two girls, attends an interview with Reuters, in Beirut, Lebanon April 26, 2023. One refugee told Reuters he and his three brothers were detained in a raid on a camp in Lebanon in late April. Another refugee said he was briefly held by the Fourth Division after being deported but paid smugglers to return to Lebanon. The Access Center for Human Rights (ACHR), a rights organisation, said it had documented the detention of at least two deported Syrians by the Fourth Division. Youssef, a Syrian refugee and single father-of-two, said he was so afraid of being deported and conscripted that he had stopped leaving his home in Lebanon.

☆ Arab ministers discuss how to normalise ties with Syria
▼ + stars: | 2023-05-01 | by ( Suleiman Al-Khalidi | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +3 min

AMMAN, May 1 (Reuters) - A group of Arab foreign ministers held a landmark meeting with their Syrian counterpart in Jordan on Monday to discuss how to normalise ties with Syria as part of a political settlement of the country's more than decade-old conflict, officials said. Jordan has called on Syria to engage with Arab states jointly on a step-by-step roadmap to end the conflict, tackling the issues of refugees, detainees, drug smuggling and Iran-backed militias in Syria - all of which affect its neighbours. Amman has been fighting armed groups smuggling narcotics from Syria, including the highly-addictive amphetamine captagon. Arab states and those most impacted by the conflict are trying to reach consensus on whether to invite Assad to the Arab League summit on May 19 in Riyadh, to discuss the pace of normalising ties with Assad and on what terms Syria could be allowed back. Washington, which said it would not change its policy towards the Syrian government which it terms a "rogue" state, has urged Arab states to get something in return for engaging with Assad.

☆ Eva Longoria shares 5 essential Mexico experiences
▼ + stars: | 2023-04-30 | by ( Marnie Hunter | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +6 min

Editor’s Note: CNN Original Series “Eva Longoria: Searching for Mexico” airs on CNN Sundays at 9 p.m. ET/PT. Here are just five of the essential experiences Longoria recommends to Mexico visitors. “There are so many indigenous cultures still vibrant in Mexico,” Longoria said. El Tajín “is one of the best-preserved pre-Hispanic cities in Mexico,” Longoria says in the Veracruz episode. With a conchaActress reveals daily ritual when she's in Mexico City 00:40 - Source: Eva Longoria: Searching for MexicoExploring requires stamina – and maybe a little sugar and caffeine.

☆ Veracruz state: Home of the flying Voladores, Mexico's top coffee and more
▼ + stars: | 2023-04-29 | by ( Tim Leffel | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +8 min

The Voladores of Veracruz in Mexico have a history that goes back at least 1,400 years. “The flying ritual has never had a learning age, it is a project of a lifetime,” he says. Nearly all of the Voladores train in or around Papantla, where the flying schools prepare young people to take over for those who are eventually aging out. Coffee, ancient ruins and an overlooked capital cityMen with ankle ropes flying deftly around a pole are not the only export from this state, though. The big draw, however, is Mexico’s second most important archaeological museum after the one in Mexico City.

☆ The search for 100,000 new species in Earth’s oceans
▼ + stars: | 2023-04-29 | by ( Ashley Strickland | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +5 min

CNN —In some ways, Earth’s oceans are as alien to us as distant moons in the solar system. When scientists dived to the twilight zone and the mesophotic zone directly above it in recent years, they found colorful fish and sprawling pristine coral reefs. The global initiative seeks to find 100,000 unknown species over the next 10 years. While scientists believe 2.2 million marine species exist in Earth’s oceans, they estimate that they’ve only found 240,000, according to Ocean Census. Identifying new species also enables conservationists to find ways to protect them as Earth changes due to the climate crisis.

☆ South Carolina Democrats Elect First Black Woman to Run State Party
▼ + stars: | 2023-04-29 | by ( Maya King | ) www.nytimes.com time to read: +2 min

She won with the support of nearly 700 of the party’s roughly 1,000 state delegates in a standing vote. Before delegates for Mr. Upson could stand up to vote for him, he conceded to Ms. Spain in a short speech calling for party unity. What’s Next: Primary Prep and Party RepairAs the next chair, Ms. Spain will be responsible for preparing the state party for its moment in prime time: voting first in the 2024 Democratic presidential primary election. Ms. Spain’s leadership will offer Palmetto State Democrats a chance to make up those losses and get ready for the national stage. In a news conference after her victory, Ms. Spain offered a message to the South Carolina voters waiting for more meaningful change from the Democratic Party.

☆ As Biden Runs Again, Black Voters’ Frustration Bubbles
▼ + stars: | 2023-04-29 | by ( Maya King | Reid J. Epstein | ) www.nytimes.com time to read: +1 min

In his campaign announcement, Mr. Biden made no secret of the importance of Black voters to his re-election. The state party is preparing to hold its presidential primary first in the nominating process — a move Mr. Biden and Democrats said was made to give Black voters more influence. Mr. Biden’s allies maintain that his administration has delivered for Black voters but that he has failed to trumpet some of his progress. The economy, a top concern for Black voters, has recovered from its pandemic doldrums, though inflation, which spiked last summer, remains higher on a sustained basis than it has been for decades. “The president and vice president have made issues Black Americans care most about a priority and are running to finish the job,” said Kevin Munoz, a spokesman for Mr. Biden’s campaign.

☆ Iranian president to visit Syria next week
▼ + stars: | 2023-04-28 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +1 min

BEIRUT, April 28 (Reuters) - Iranian President Ebrahim Raisi will visit Damascus next week, a senior regional source close to the Syrian government told Reuters on Friday. The visit will be the first by an Iranian president to Syrian President Bashar al-Assad since war broke out in Syria in 2011. The senior regional source told Reuters that a warming of ties between Saudi Arabia and Iran, as well as a thaw in Arab states' isolation of Syria, had paved the way for the visit. This month, regional sources revealed that Iran had secretly brought weapons and other military equipment to Syria by disguising the transfers as part of the relief effort following the devastating February earthquakes in Syria and Turkey. Reporting by Laila Bassam, Writing by Maya Gebeily; Editing by Kevin LiffeyOur Standards: The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles.

☆ European investigators question Lebanon c.bank chief's assistant in fraud probe
▼ + stars: | 2023-04-27 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

BEIRUT, April 27 (Reuters) - European investigators in Beirut questioned an assistant to Lebanon's central bank governor on Thursday as part of a probe into whether the governor embezzled and laundered hundreds of millions of dollars in public funds, local media and a judicial source said. Marianne Houayek, 42 and a longtime assistant to the governor, was scheduled to be questioned as a suspect, according to a schedule for the European investigators seen by Reuters. A French court document seen by Reuters says up to $5 million euros from the central bank ultimately went to Houayek via accounts in Switzerland and Luxembourg. The European investigators questioned the governor in Beirut in March and returned on Monday for further hearings. The European investigators are also set to question caretaker finance minister Youssef el-Khalil, who still serves as the central bank's head of financial operations, as well as other top officials of the bank.

☆ Carol Burnett's birthday special' is an elegant (and hilarious) event
▼ + stars: | 2023-04-26 | by ( Marianne Garvey | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +9 min

Hulton Archive/Getty Images Burnett peeks at a portrait of herself that was being painted by artist Dmitri Vails in 1963. CBS/Getty Images Burnett interacts with the audience of her new variety show, "The Carol Burnett Show," in 1967. CBS/Getty Images Burnett, left, and Cher perform a skit on "The Sonny & Cher Comedy Hour" in 1972. CBS/Getty Images Burnett poses with her memoir "One More Time" at a book signing in Beverly Hills, California, in 1986. Will Hart/NBC/Getty Images Carol Burnett Square was unveiled in Los Angeles in front of her alma mater, Hollywood High School, in 2013.

☆ 13 hot spots for real-estate investors seeking solid rental income returns and cheaper property instead of high prices and taxes, according to an expert who's spent 2 decades investing around the glob
▼ + stars: | 2023-04-22 | by ( Laila Maidan | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +9 min

With the right locations, he believes investors could double their cash investment in the next five years based on property appreciation and rental income. you'll also need to pay taxes on rental income which varies by state. If you plan on generating short or long-term rental income, find a strong rental or property manager. If you're on a budget but want to invest in a good shorter-term rental property for Airbnb, look in high-traffic destinations, he said. Top picks for short-term rental income are internationalized destinations that have easy air access, great amenities, and a lack of hotel competition.

☆ French prosecutors accuse Lebanon central bank chief of hiding fraud
▼ + stars: | 2023-04-21 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +3 min

BEIRUT/PARIS, April 21 (Reuters) - French prosecutors have told Lebanon's central bank governor Riad Salameh they plan to press preliminary fraud and money laundering charges against him, partly based on allegedly forged bank statements used to conceal his wealth, according to French court documents seen by Reuters. During that hearing, French prosecutors intend to press the preliminary charges and formally name him a suspect. As part of his response to accusations, Salameh sent French prosecutors a 65-page memo supplied by Marwan Kheireddine, the chairman of Lebanon's AM Bank. But according to the French court documents seen by Reuters, French investigators have reached the conclusion the bank statements were fake. Salameh "used fake records of bank accounts at AM Bank… provided by Marwan Kheireddine, to justify in a deceitful manner the origin of his properties or revenues," French prosecutors say in the court documents.

☆ India court acquits 69 Hindus of murder of 11 Muslims during 2002 riots
▼ + stars: | 2023-04-20 | by ( ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +2 min

An Indian court on Thursday acquitted 69 Hindus, including a former minister from the ruling Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP), of the murder of 11 Muslims during communal riots in the western state of Gujarat in 2002. A total of 86 Hindus were accused of the killings in the Naroda Gam district of Ahmedabad, 17 of whom died during trial. We will study the grounds on which the court has acquitted the accused persons,” Pathan said. Kodnani was also an accused in a case in which 97 people were killed in the 2002 riots. At least 1,000 people, mostly Muslims, were killed across Gujarat in the 2002 riots.

☆ Saudi foreign minister visits Assad, further easing Syria's isolation
▼ + stars: | 2023-04-18 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +3 min

[1/6] Syria's President Bashar al-Assad meets with Saudi Foreign Minister Prince Faisal bin Farhan, in Damascus, Syria, in this handout released by SANA on April 18, 2023. The statements made no mention of an Arab League summit that Riyadh is due to host next month. On Friday, Gulf Arab foreign ministers and their counterparts from Egypt, Iraq and Jordan discussed Syria's possible return to the body at a meeting in Saudi Arabia, but no agreement was reached. Saudi Arabia has said in recent months that isolating him was not working. Syria's foreign minister, who recently visited Saudi Arabia, Algeria and Tunisia, has said his country's return to the Arab League would be "almost impossible before correcting bilateral relations".

☆ Lebanon postpones local elections by a year to avoid more paralysis
▼ + stars: | 2023-04-18 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

BEIRUT, April 18 (Reuters) - Lebanon's parliament on Tuesday voted to extend the terms of municipal councils and other local officials, delaying elections to avoid further political paralysis in a country still in the throes of an economic meltdown. Staggered municipal and council elections had been scheduled for May but funding has not yet been secured by the state, according to caretaker Interior Minister Bassam Mawlawi. Some parliamentarians, including from the Lebanese Forces party boycotted the vote, saying elections were a right. Others have disputed parliament's ability to legislate at all, arguing that the constitution stipulates it should elect a president before working on laws. Lawmakers have held repeated sessions to elect a new president in recent months but no candidate was able to secure a majority.

☆ Tim Scott Goes Positive and Hopes His Party Will Come Along
▼ + stars: | 2023-04-15 | by ( Maya King | ) www.nytimes.com time to read: +2 min

Mr. Scott, the son of a single mother and the grandson of a man forced to drop out of elementary school to pick cotton, has made his compelling personal story a feature of his public speeches and interviews. “Only made in America is my story.”Mr. Scott’s history and positive message, however, can sometimes seem at odds with the mood of many in his party. “The ones who are negative are the ones who are loudest,” said Kathy Crawford, 67, an independent voter and lifelong Charleston resident who said she would support Mr. Scott in the Republican primary if he ran. Voters, she said, “want to bring the country back together, and they want a positive message.”And Mr. Scott’s message could resonate with a key audience in the Republican primary: conservative evangelical Christians. Mr. Scott has spent significant time focusing on evangelical voters in his tour of early primary states, often meeting with small groups of religious leaders in between quasi campaign stops.

☆ 35 Ways Real People Are Using A.I. Right Now
▼ + stars: | 2023-04-14 | by ( Francesca Paris | Larry Buchanan | ) www.nytimes.com time to read: +24 min

People are using ChatGPT and other A.I. Here’s how 35 real people are using A.I for work, life, play and procrastination. People are using A.I to …Plan gardens. Chris Norn Researcher at the University of Washington Two years ago researchers cracked the code on using A.I. When you run a Dungeons & Dragons game, Mr. Green says, you have to be creative, but that almost always means pulling from existing fantasy literature.

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