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☆ New York’s Freedom Plaza development will feature skyscrapers joined by daring cantilevered ‘skybridge’
▼ + stars: | 2024-02-15 | by ( Christy Choi | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +5 min

The "skybridge" connecting the two hotel towers is set to feature a 150,000-gallon rooftop infinity pool. Bjarke Ingels GroupThe development is one of several projects competing for three casino gaming licenses recently approved for downstate New York by the state’s gaming commission. Bjarke Ingels GroupSoloviev Group has also promised that an unspecified percentage of the gaming profits, starting with a minimum $5 million donation, will go to an independently run non-profit community fund. Freedom Plaza will also contain public green space and a new Museum of Freedom and Democracy. Bjarke Ingels GroupUnaffiliated with Long Island University’s Museum of Democracy, the new institution will contain pieces of the Berlin Wall and works from the Soloviev Group’s art collection.

Persons: Bruce Munro, Le Corbusier, Wallace Harrison, Oscar Niemeyer, ”, Ray Pineault, “, Michael Hershman Organizations: CNN, New, United, Museum of Freedom and Democracy, British, Soloviev Group, BIG, UN, downstate, Soloviev, Mohegan, Museum of Freedom, Democracy, of Freedom and Democracy, Ingels Group, University’s Museum of Democracy Locations: New York City, Midtown Manhattan, Madison, Danish, North America, York City, York, New York, Long

☆ Dawn Project calls for Tesla boycott in Super Bowl ad campaign over self-driving capabilities
▼ + stars: | 2024-02-11 | by ( Eva Rothenberg | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +7 min

“Tesla has failed time and time again to address the failings in its defective self-driving software,” O’Dowd said Sunday in a statement. In a series of video tests by The Dawn Project, the cars run over a child-sized dummy on a school crosswalk and a fake baby in a stroller. The clips reportedly show two separate incidents involving Tesla cars with activated Autopilot features, according to The Dawn Project. The second ad alludes to an incident where “a self-driving Tesla blew past a stopped school bus,” injuring a child. According to O’Dowd, The Dawn Project set aside a bigger budget this year, anticipating they would purchase ad space in Sacramento.

Persons: Dan O’Dowd, Tesla, Elon, ”, “ Tesla, ” O’Dowd, Elon Musk, ” Tesa, “ It’s, O’Dowd, “, we’re, Washington “, Pete Buttigieg, Joe Biden’s, Biden, Ramishah Maruf, Chris Isidore Organizations: New, New York CNN — Tech, Tesla, Dawn Project, CNN, Dawn, Green Hills Software, CBS Sacramento, CBS, Traffic Safety Administration, National Transportation Safety Board, NHTSA Locations: New York, Santa Barbara , California, Washington ,, Atlanta, Austin , Texas, Tallahassee , Florida, Albany , New York, Sacramento , California, Washington , DC, Dover , Delaware, Traverse City , Michigan, Sacramento, CBS Sacramento, Washington, Traverse City, Delaware, Wilmington , Delaware

☆ Biden is skipping a Super Bowl interview for the second year in a row. It’s part of a larger media strategy
▼ + stars: | 2024-02-06 | by ( Oliver Darcy | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +5 min

New York CNN —President Joe Biden will be sitting on the sidelines this Sunday as the campaign for the 2024 election heats up. Regardless, the Super Bowl snub reflects a larger Biden strategy: The president is leaning far less than his predecessors on the traditional media apparatus to get his message out, opting instead for alternative mediums to address the American people. “We are being less traditional because less people get their news from traditional mediums than ever before,” the Biden campaign official said. Biden’s media strategy has renewed such questions, with critics skewering him for keeping an arm’s length from the establishment press. While the president has regularly engaged in gaggles with the White House press corps, such forums don’t naturally lend themselves to the type of aggressive questioning that might come in a sit-down interview.

Persons: Joe Biden, Biden, ”, Conan O’Brien, Anderson Cooper, skewering, Scott Pelley, Fareed Zakaria, “, ” Andrew Bates, Martha Kumar, Donald Trump, Barack Obama, Frank Sesno —, George Washington, Public Affairs —, ” Sesno, he’s Organizations: New York CNN, White, CBS News, Biden, YouTube, South, “, CNN, White House, CNN White House, George Washington University’s School of Media, Public Affairs Locations: New York, South Carolina

☆ She traveled every New York City subway line — and photographed every first and last stop
▼ + stars: | 2024-02-03 | by ( Alex Rees | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +6 min

CNN —It wasn’t until after photographer Rita Nannini left New York that she grew fascinated by the city’s subways. Rita Nannini Exiting the A train station at Far Rockaway—Mott Avenue in Queens, the easternmost subway station in New York City. Rita Nannini Escalators at the 96th Street stop at the end of the Q line in Manhattan's Upper East Side. Rita Nannini A flight of stairs ascends to the A train station at Ozone Park—Lefferts Avenue in Queens. Rita Nannini A decade-long photo project documenting every New York City subway line Prev Next“It’s often said it’s that (my images show) the end of the lines — the ‘last stops,’” she said.

Persons: Rita Nannini, Nannini, — Nannini, ’ ”, ” Nannini, — Parsons, Archer, it’s, Kate Jones, Jones, “, ’ ” Nannini, ‘, ” Organizations: CNN, World Trade, Brighton, Grand Central Station, Shuttle, JFK, Grand Central, Apple, Central, New, Metropolitan Transportation Authority, “, New York Locations: New York, Manhattan’s, Princeton , New Jersey, Manhattan, Forest Hills, Queens, Williamsbridge, Bronx, Brooklyn, Rockaway, New York City, Manhattan's, Coney, Broad, Bedford, East New York, South Ferry, Jamaica, —, York City, York, Inwood, ’, Midtown, New

☆ Like Her Parents, Michele Norris Is a Person of Letters
▼ + stars: | 2024-02-01 | by ( Elisabeth Egan | More About Elisabeth Egan | ) www.nytimes.com time to read: +2 min

They read, simply, “Race. : “My beautiful Black boys deserve HOPE!” Eventually Norris created a website, The Race Card Project, where correspondents could share their stories. “The post office was full of people of color who were strivers like my parents,” Norris said. “They had stuff that didn’t get where it was supposed to go, and the post office would sell it if no one claimed it,” Norris said. “My parents would give us a small amount of money, which seemed like a lot of money to me.

Persons: Michele Norris, “, ”, ” Norris, Barbara Cooney’s, Norris, — Norris Locations: Starbucks, Bowie, Md, Minneapolis, Ames , Iowa

Research suggests that higher education correlates with higher earnings. In four states, more than 60% of working age people had some form of post-high school education – exceeding the foundation’s broader goal. Nevada landed at the very bottom of the list, with an educational attainment rate of 42.7%. In the most recent version of the rankings, Massachusetts, Colorado and Vermont were ranked the highest for educational attainment. Post-high school educational attainment percentages for Black, Hispanic, Latino and Native American adults were all far below the national average, according to the report.

Persons: ” Courtney Brown, “ Organizations: Lumina Foundation, Research, U.S . Bureau of Labor Statistics, Lumina Foundation’s, Census, Survey, Washington . Washington , D.C, Lumina, U.S . News, American Locations: Indiana, United States, U.S, Kentucky, Rhode Island, . Alabama , Colorado , Florida, North Carolina, Colorado, Massachusetts, Utah, Minnesota, Vermont, Virginia , New Jersey, Washington . Washington ,, Puerto Rico, Nevada, Alaska, Louisiana, Tennessee, Mississippi, Alabama, Arkansas, West Virginia

WASHINGTON (AP) — The Biden administration is delaying consideration of new natural gas export terminals in the United States, even as gas shipments to Europe and Asia have soared since Russia’s invasion of Ukraine. A proposed LNG export terminal in Louisiana would produce about 20 times the greenhouse gas emissions of Willow, McKibben noted. “We need to have an even greater understanding of the (global energy) market need, the long-term supply and demand of energy resources and the environmental factors,'' she said. Symons called the gas project "bad for our nation, bad for our health and bad for our economy.'' "The true irony is this policy would hurt the climate and lead to increased (greenhouse gas) emissions, as it would force the world to pivot to coal'' instead of natural gas, Hynes said.

Persons: —, Biden, Joe Biden, “, MAGA, Donald Trump, Bill McKibben, it’s, McKibben, Jennifer Granholm, Granholm, Vladimir Putin, Mike Sommers, Sommers, ”, ‘ ’ Granholm, we’re, Jeremy Symons, Symons, Shaylyn Hynes, Hynes, Trump Organizations: WASHINGTON, Democratic, Energy Department, Industry, Russia, Energy, American Petroleum Institute, U.S . LNG, Environmental Protection Agency, Venture, LNG Locations: United States, Europe, Asia, Ukraine, Alaska, Paris, Louisiana, U.S, Calcasieu, Gulf, Cameron Parish, Virginia

☆ ‘Hazbin Hotel’ Is a Childhood Dream Streamed Out to the World
▼ + stars: | 2024-01-22 | by ( Calum Marsh | ) www.nytimes.com time to read: +1 min

On Oct. 28, 2019, the animator and YouTube personality Vivienne Medrano celebrated a milestone: the release of “Hazbin Hotel,” a 30-minute pilot for an animated musical-comedy about a rehabilitation program that aspires to help Hell’s repentant demons get to Heaven. When she finally uploaded it to YouTube, Medrano was both relieved and excited — it felt like the culmination of something a long time in the making, and she was eager to show her work to her small but dedicated group of fans. She was not prepared for what happened next. Within months, it drew tens of millions of views and sent Medrano’s Patreon subscriptions skyrocketing; admirers coalesced into an ardent fandom that generated fan fiction, tribute art and elaborate costumes. (As of late January, it had nearly 95 million views.)

Persons: Vivienne Medrano, Medrano, Medrano’s Organizations: YouTube Locations: ”

☆ Photographs show the dramatic transformation of San Francisco’s salt ponds
▼ + stars: | 2024-01-10 | by ( Nell Lewis | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +8 min

But these shades are not mixed on a palette, they are unfiltered snapshots of San Francisco Bay’s salt ponds. Barbara BoissevainAlthough perhaps less photogenic, the shift is a positive sign, says Dave Halsing, executive project manager of the South Bay Salt Ponds Restoration Project. Today, Cargill still operates 12,000 acres of salt ponds, capable of crystallizing half a million tons of sea salt each year. She remembers visiting the salt ponds for the first time during a science class in third grade. She started by going up in the air once a year to photograph the salt ponds.

Persons: CNN — Barbara Boissevain’s, Mark Rothko, Dunaliella, Barbara Boissevain, Dave Halsing, ”, Boissevain, “, David Maisel Organizations: CNN, Cargill, Menlo Park, Meta, Facebook, Kehrer Verlag, San Jose State University Locations: Francisco, Salt, Manhattan, Dunaliella salina, Silicon, Menlo, Ravenswood Ponds

☆ The new architecture set to shape the world in 2024
▼ + stars: | 2024-01-10 | by ( Oscar Holland | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +11 min

Kéré’s Berlin-based firm says the building’s top-heavy appearance was inspired by the palaver tree, which traditionally served as a meeting place. Designed for developer s2e Technologies by US architecture firm Gensler, the four circular residential structures can accommodate a combined 84 households. But it is perhaps Bjarke Ingels, founder of Danish design firm BIG, that has had the greatest impact on the city’s once modest skyline. The first restored sections are set to be ready in time for this summer’s Paris Olympics. Norwegian architecture firm Snøhetta and local practice Blight Rayner — who together beat more than 20 entries in an international competition — say that the design was inspired by the flow of the Brisbane River.

Persons: David Chipperfield, Francis Kéré, Kéré, China Stefano Boeri, Bosco, Stefano Boeri, Mestres Wåge, Nicolai Tangen, NBBJ, Dror, EPIQ, Ecuador Uribe Schwarzkopf, Bjarke, Moshe Safdie, Jean Nouvel, Ma Yansong, Ingels, France Chatillon Architectes, Notre Dame isn’t, Chatillon, Nikken Sekkei, ”, “, Blight Rayner —, Aunty Lilla Watson Organizations: CNN, superlatives, Malaysia’s, Benin National Assembly, Forest, Kunstsilo, Keppel South, Enclave, s2e Technologies, Bjarke Ingels, BIG, UNESCO, Heritage, Notre Dame, Palais, Beaux -, Chatillon Architects, UAE Kerzner, United, “ Michelin, New York Times, Gang, Queensland Performing Arts Centre, Queensland Performing Arts Locations: India, Benin, Porto, Novo, Burkina Faso, Kéré’s Berlin, Nanjing, China, Milan, Italy, Europe, China’s, Kristiansand, Norway, Norwegian, Keppel, Keppel South Central, Singapore, London, Canada, London , Ontario, Quito, Ecuador, Bjarke Ingels Quito, Parque La Carolina, Paris, France, Dubai, UAE, United Arab Emirates, Hotel, Denver, USA, Denver , Colorado, Urban, Brisbane, Australia, Australian

Scientists have said carbon removal is needed to keep climate goals alive. Otherwise, the enormous price tag for world-scale carbon removal would need to fall to governments if there is any chance of these projects surviving. A major concern is that DAC technology is both expensive and unproven at scale. More mature carbon capture and storage (CCS) technology, which traps emissions at a point source like a smokestack, also requires a rapid scale up to make a difference. Their money will be made instead by marketing carbon removal credits to corporations not involved in fossil fuels that wish to offset unavoidable emissions, or to governments seeking to stay on track with climate targets.

Persons: Climeworks, ”, Vikrum Aiyer, Sultan al, Jaber, Vicki Hollub, Mike Avery, Christoph Gebald, Richard Valdmanis, Marguerita Choy Organizations: Reuters, REUTERS, Occidental Petroleum, BlackRock, U.S ., Occidental, 28th United, OPEC, United Arab, International Energy Agency, IEA, Global CCS Institute, Stratos, DAC, Department of Energy, Thomson Locations: Tracy , California, Texas, In Louisiana, 28th United Nations, Dubai, United Arab Emirates, Louisiana, Iceland, California, U.S, UAE, Occidental

☆ Climate: The UAE is hosting the world’s biggest annual summit. It’s also planning a massive fossil fuel expansion
▼ + stars: | 2023-11-22 | by ( Angela Dewan | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +14 min

The flurry of forest conservation deals with Zimbabwe, Zambia, Kenya, Liberia and Tanzania were announced in the months ahead of the annual United Nations’ COP28 climate summit, being hosted this year in December by the United Arab Emirates. The annual climate summit is where global leaders and negotiators from nearly 200 countries will convene to decide how and when to ramp down fossil fuel use. Its parent company, Global Carbon Investments, has already agreed to transfer $1.5 billion to Zimbabwe in “pre-financing for carbon credits.” That’s more than the country spends on education and childcare, which combined are Zimbabwe’s biggest national expense. Minimum Emissions” slogan is a viable climate solution, even as global temperatures soar and scientists press for rapid fossil fuel cuts. Ironically, COP28 could be the arena that transforms ADNOC into a global oil major.

Persons: CNN —, Sheikh Ahmed Dalmook Al Maktoum, —, Sultan Al Jaber —, Al Jaber, ”, Sultan Al Jaber, Callaghan O'Hare, Reuters Al Jaber, ADNOC, Jamie Henn, It’s, Henn, “, Philip Morris, ” Henn, Renat Heuberger, Zinyange Auntony, Julia Jones, ’ ” Justin Kenrick, ” Patrick Galey, “ ADNOC, COP28, Bethlehem Feleke Organizations: CNN, Carbon, United Nations, United, Blue, US Department of Commerce, Abu Dhabi National Oil Company, US, Reuters, Free Media, Climate Watch, UN, COP28, Global Carbon Investments, Mucheni conservancy, Getty, “, Bangor University, Peoples, Forest Peoples Programme, Shell, BP, Global, Energy Locations: Dubai, United Kingdom, Zimbabwe, Zambia, Kenya, Liberia, Tanzania, United Arab Emirates, UAE, Abu Dhabi, Houston, UN, COP28, Africa, “, Swiss, Mucheni, Binga, AFP, Wales, Azerbaijan, Nairobi

From there, the carbon can either be moved directly to permanent underground storage or it can be used in another industrial purpose first, variations that are respectively called carbon capture and storage (CCS) and carbon capture, utilization, and storage (CCUS). Another form of carbon capture is direct air capture (DAC), in which carbon emissions are captured from the air. REUTERS/David Stanway/File Photo Acquire Licensing RightsOne stumbling block to rapid deployment of carbon capture technology is cost. Countries including the U.S. have rolled out public subsidies for carbon capture projects. The Inflation Reduction Act, passed in 2022, offers a $50 tax credit per metric ton of carbon captured for CCUS and $85 per metric ton captured for CCS, and $180 per metric ton captured through DAC.

Persons: David Stanway, Benjamin Longstreth, Petra Nova, Simone Stewart, Stewart, Leah Douglas, Marguerita Choy Organizations: 28th United, United, United Arab Emirates, CCS, Global CCS Institute, Drillers, International Energy Agency, REUTERS, U.S, CCUS, DAC, Task Force, U.S . Department of Energy, Navigator, U.S ., National Wildlife Federation, Thomson Locations: 28th United Nations, United Arab, U.S, Norway, Iceland, China, Canada, Qatar, Australia, Texas, Louisiana, Wuhu, Anhui province, North America, East Africa, U.S . Midwest

☆ An Italian ski resort shut down by climate change plans to reopen with artificial snow. Not everyone is happy
▼ + stars: | 2023-11-18 | by ( Barbie Latza Nadeau | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +8 min

Now, plans to build a multi-million-dollar ski facility on a snowless northern Italian mountain may prove equally challenging. The Lake Como town of Bellagio is among communities backing the reopening of ski facilities. Old turnstiles, ski lift pillars, and even a map of now-vanished pistes can still be found on the mountain. Snow could become even more scarce in the future as the impacts of the climate crisis accelerate. The first plans for the Monte San Primo ski area were passed and the money pledged in early 2022.

Persons: Matteo Colombo, ”, Roberto Fumagalli, Fumagalli, doesn’t, Monte, George Clooney “ We’ve, George Clooney, “, hasn’t, ” Fumagalli, Snow, Roberto Fumagalli ‘, Angelo Barindelli, Alessandro Fermo, It’s, won’t Organizations: CNN, Getty, World Wildlife Fund, Italian Alpine, Alamy, Hollywood, Protesters, Lombardy Regional Council, Facebook, Monte Locations: Messina, Venice, San, Lake Como, Bellagio, Monte San, Mauritius, Cardiff, Bristol, Italy, Ethiopia, of Africa, Lombardy, Monte San Primo

☆ Clap with me now for Marlon Wayans
▼ + stars: | 2023-11-16 | by ( Allison Hope | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +6 min

CNN —Comedian and actor Marlon Wayans loves his son unconditionally. Wayans shared the gender identity of his son, 23-year-old Kai Wayans, recently when he revealed details of a comedy special that he plans to release about their journey to acceptance. Despite the genre of Wayans’ special, the challenges trans people are facing in this moment is no laughing matter. “Trans youth are hurting right now,” said Melanie Willingham-Jaggers, executive director of GLSEN, a national network of educators, students and local chapters fighting for inclusive education. “I want them to be free in spirit, free in thought, free to be themselves,” Wayans said.

Persons: Marlon Wayans, Wayans, Kai Wayans, ”, Melanie Willingham, “, ” Wayans, “ I’m, Trevor, Ronita Nath, ” Nath, Trevor Project’s, Ally, Nonbinary, Ash Orr, ” Orr, Marlon, Susan Thronson, PFLAG, Allison Hope Organizations: CNN, LGBT Health, San Francisco State University, Mental Health, Nonbinary Young, National Center, Transgender Equality’s, Trans, National Center for Transgender Equality, PFLAG, New Yorker, The New York Times, Washington Post, Slate Locations: New

☆ COP28’s big challenge: green cash for poor states
▼ + stars: | 2023-11-15 | by ( George Hay | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +7 min

Rather than drawing attention to this paucity of ambition, al-Jaber wants states to commit to trebling global capacity of renewable energy by 2030. Progress in China and the West is largely a function of cash: these regions accounted for 84% of the $1.3 trillion committed to global climate finance in 2022. They calculate that by 2030, developing countries need to invest around $2.4 trillion a year in order to decarbonise their economies. The problem is that the developed world has consistently missed targets to channel climate cash to less developed counterparts. In September al-Jaber announced a $4.5 billion scheme to deploy UAE state cash and private sector resources to help Africa decarbonise.

Persons: al, Jaber, hasn’t, Nicholas Stern, Stern, Ajay Banga, Mark Carney, Shriti Vadera, Larry Fink, Joko Widodo, UAE Crown Prince Mohammed bin Zayed, Nahyan, Breakingviews, Peter Thal Larsen, Oliver Taslic, Thomas Shum Organizations: Reuters, United, Conference of, Abu Dhabi National Oil Company, United Nations, International Energy Agency, The, IEA, World Bank, concessional, Bank, Bank of England, Prudential, BlackRock, U.S, Indonesian, Africa decarbonise, UAE Crown, Thomson Locations: United Arab Emirates, Abu Dhabi, Paris, China, The U.S, British, Egypt, Indonesia, Japan, South Africa, Vietnam, U.S, Al, UAE, Africa, COP28, Dubai

Steam feeding into the Unit 3 turbine generator of the Vogtle nuclear power plant in Waynesboro, Ga. “The United States is now committed to trying to accelerate the deployment of nuclear energy,” John Kerry, President Biden’s climate envoy, said in September. One recent Pew survey found that 57 percent of Americans favor more nuclear plants, up from 43 percent in 2016. A NuScale engineer gave a tour of a control room simulator, modeling the company’s plans for new nuclear reactors, in 2013. “The demand for clean energy is almost unprecedented,” said Maria Korsnick, president of the Nuclear Energy Institute, an industry group.

Persons: Biden, ” John Kerry, Biden’s, “, ”, Jacopo Buongiorno, Jimmy Carter, Rosalyn Carter, Bruce Springsteen, Dan Reicher, Gavin Newsom, Reicher, Clinton, Jeffrey Collins, Arnie Gundersen, John Williams, “ It’s, Patty Durand, Julie Kozeracki, Kendrick Brinson, Jay Wileman, Bill Gates, Dow, Roger Blomquist, NuScale Power, Jose Reyes, Adam Stein, it’s, they’re, Ahmed Abdulla, Robert Taylor, Leah Nash, NuScale, David Schlissel, Joshua Freed, didn’t, Maria Korsnick Organizations: Unit, Republicans, Nuclear Regulatory Commission, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Associated Press, Madison, Natural Resources Defense, California Gov, Democrat, Associated, Fairewinds Associates, Components, Workers, Georgia, Southern Company, Georgia Power, Georgia Public Service Commission, Energy Department, The New York Times, GE, Hitachi Nuclear Energy, Vogtle . Ontario, Tennessee Valley Authority, Argonne, National Laboratory, Energy, Nuclear Regulatory, NuScale, ”, Breakthrough Institute, Carleton University, Soaring, Institute for Energy Economics, United, Nuclear Energy Institute Locations: U.S, Waynesboro, Ga, Savannah, Georgia, United States, ”, Pennsylvania, Texas, Virginia, Jenkinsville, Vogtle, South Carolina, South, Canada, Tennessee, Argonne, Chicago, Idaho, Wyoming, California, Alaska, Maryland, Pueblo County, Colo

☆ Opinion | With the Death Toll in Gaza Rising, Palestinians Are Not Just Numbers
▼ + stars: | 2023-11-12 | by ( Farah Stockman | ) www.nytimes.com time to read: +2 min

The project’s mission is to give Palestinians a chance to tell their own stories without relying on Western gatekeepers or foreign intermediaries. It is perhaps why Gallup polls show sympathy for Palestinians rising since 2018, particularly among millennials and Democrats. It used to be difficult in the United States to hear a Palestinian perspective on the conflict. But the number of outlets that have been accused of bias in recent weeks has also diluted the impact of such criticism. He also insisted that peaceful coexistence can be achieved only once Israelis understand the injustice that Palestinians endure and address it.

Persons: Pam Bailey, Alnaouq, “ Organizations: Google, Gallup Locations: United States, Europe, Washington, Israel, Gaza, Britain, London

This time, liberal and moderate candidates took control in high-profile races in conservative Iowa, and the swing states of Pennsylvania and Virginia. Pennsylvania saw a number of Democratic victories in school boards, particularly in districts that have recently seen GOP-led school boards adopt policies targeting transgender students, as well as reading materials and curriculum on LGBTQ+ history. Turn PA Blue, a partisan political organization, said Democrats gained control of at least seven school boards and gained ground in a half-dozen others in Pennsylvania, a swing state. In the Central Bucks School District north of Philadelphia, Democrats flipped three seats, ousting the incumbent school board president, and retained two others, giving the party majority control. School board politics have also become contentious in Virginia since 2021, when Republican Gov.

Persons: “, ” Randi Weingarten, Michael Geer, ”, ’, Bonnie Chang, Glenn Youngkin, Toni Morrison, Stephen Chbosky, Kirk Twigg, Mike Pence, Kim Reynolds, Brittania Morey, ___ Mulvihill, Matthew Barakat, John Hanna, Heather Hollingsworth Organizations: —, The American Federation of Teachers, Liberty, Associated Press, Conservative, PA Family Institute, Pennsylvania, Democratic, GOP, Central Bucks School District, Philadelphia Inquirer, Republicans, Turn Bucks, School, Republican Gov, Linn, Mar Community School District, Gov Locations: HARRISBURG, Pa, Iowa, Pennsylvania, Virginia, York County, Philadelphia, Bucks County, Central Bucks, Spotsylvania County, Washington, D.C, Loudoun County, Cedar Rapids, Cherry Hill , New Jersey, Falls Church , Virginia, Topeka , Kansas, Mission , Kansas

☆ New Phase of Gateway Tunnel Project in Hudson River to Begin
▼ + stars: | 2023-11-03 | by ( Patrick Mcgeehan | ) www.nytimes.com time to read: +1 min

Construction of the long-delayed rail tunnel under the Hudson River is about to speed up, as the project gets an additional injection of $3.8 billion in federal funding. Senator Chuck Schumer, Democrat of New York and the majority leader, will announce the latest grant from Washington on Friday, just before he and Pete Buttigieg, the transportation secretary, are scheduled to proclaim the start of work this month on the next phase of the $16.1 billion tunnel on Manhattan’s West Side, known as the Gateway project. This new, early phase of the project involves constructing a concrete casing for trains to pass through under the Hudson Yards section of Midtown Manhattan, between the river’s edge and Pennsylvania Station. On the New Jersey side of the river, work is scheduled to begin, also this month, on the realignment of a highway so that the digging of the tunnel can begin. Plans laid out by the project’s sponsor, the Gateway Development Commission, call for two giant boring machines to grind their way through the cliff, under the river and into the bedrock of Manhattan.

Persons: Chuck Schumer, Pete Buttigieg Organizations: Pennsylvania, Gateway Development Commission Locations: Hudson, New York, Washington, Midtown Manhattan, Jersey, Manhattan

☆ Insight: US solar panel manufacturing boom threatened by cheap imports
▼ + stars: | 2023-11-03 | by ( Nichola Groom | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +7 min

[1/5] Solar panels from SunPower are installed on residential buildings at a model home display in the Eureka Grove neighborhood of Granite Bay, California, U.S., October 5, 2021. But global solar panel prices have collapsed due to a wave of new Asian production capacity in recent months, leading many in the U.S. solar industry to worry many of these proposed factories may be uneconomical. U.S. officials have repeatedly warned that over-reliance on Chinese clean energy technology could pose a security risk similar to Europe's historical dependence on Russian natural gas. A White House spokesperson did not respond to questions about recent market challenges facing domestic solar manufacturers, but said Biden's policies had generated a huge wave of investment and were revitalizing American manufacturing. Mike Carr, executive director of the Solar Energy Manufacturers for America trade group, said factories could be delayed, extending U.S. dependence on China.

Persons: Nathan Frandino, Joe Biden’s, ”, Edurne Zoco, Wood Mackenzie, Mike Carr, ” Carr, Brian Lynch, Jekyll, Hyde, Lynch, Danny O'Brien, Meyer Burger, Hari Achuthan, Richard Valdmanis, David Gregorio Our Organizations: REUTERS, P, U.S . International Trade Commission, Companies, Reuters, Energy, Solar Energy Manufacturers, America, Insights, U.S . Commerce Department, Solar Energy Industries Association, Convalt Energy, Treasury Department, Commerce Department, Thomson Locations: Eureka Grove, Granite Bay , California, U.S, Europe, China, United States, Malaysia, Thailand, Cambodia, Vietnam, India, Mexico, Hanwha, Colorado, Asia, New York, Maine

☆ Sam Altman warns AI could kill us all. But he still wants the world to use it
▼ + stars: | 2023-10-31 | by ( Samantha Kelly | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +10 min

New York CNN —Sam Altman thinks the technology underpinning his company’s most famous product could bring about the end of human civilization. As many as 300 million full-time jobs around the world could eventually be automated in some way by generative AI, according to Goldman Sachs estimates. Challenges aheadWhen starting OpenAI, Altman told CNN in 2015 he wanted to steer the path of AI, rather than worrying about the potential harms and doing nothing. OpenAI CEO Sam Altman addresses a speech during a meeting at Station F in Paris on May 26. Sam embodies that for AI right now.”The world is counting on Altman to act in the best interest of humanity with a technology by his own admission could be a weapon of mass destruction.

Persons: Sam Altman, OpenAI’s ChatGPT, Altman, ChatGPT, Goldman Sachs, ”, Patrick Semansky, ‘ Kevin Bacon, Mairo, ” Altman, Kamala Harris, Joe Biden, OpenAI, Elon Musk, Kyunghyun Cho, JP Lee, Greg Brockman, SeongJoon Cho, Kevin Bacon, Aaron Levie, “ I’ve, he’s, ” Levie, Bern Elliot, “, Rowan Curan, Forrester, –, Biden, Joel Saget, Emily Bender, Margaret O’Mara, O’Mara, Gates, Jobs Organizations: New, New York CNN, World Economic, Privacy, Technology, Capitol, Silicon, White House, New York University, Softbank Ventures, Bloomberg, Getty, CNN, Gartner Research, Israeli Defense Force, University of Washington, Laboratory Locations: New York, Washington ,, Washington, Valley, Silicon, Silicon Valley, Milan, Italy, Softbank Ventures Asia, Seoul, South Korea, Big Sur, Paris, AFP, Manhattan

Evangelical Christian conservatives have long had allies in top Republican leadership in Congress. Religious conservatives cheered Johnson's election Wednesday, after which he brought his Bible to the rostrum before taking the oath of office. “Someone asked me today in the media, ‘People are curious, what does Mike Johnson think about any issue?’” Johnson said Thursday in a Fox News interview. One might call him a happy warrior.”Progressive faith leaders expressed alarm at Johnson‘s election, and his remarks on Wednesday evoking the Bible as saying authorities are chosen by God. He still voted with most House Republicans to overturn Biden's victories in two states.

Persons: Mike Johnson, Johnson's, “, ’ ” Johnson, Donald Trump’s, Paul Raushenbush, Paul Ryan, John Boehner, Newt Gingrich, Johnson, Kevin McCarthy, McCarthy, Matt Gaetz, Brent Leatherwood, Leatherwood, what's, — Johnson, Kristen Waggoner, Albert Mohler, Johnson’s speakership, ”, ” Mohler, Fea, ” Raushenbush, Nathan Empsall, Empsall, Joe Biden's, Amanda Tyler, Johnson “, ” Tyler, David Crary, Holly Meyer Organizations: Fox, Interfaith Alliance, Southern Baptist, Southern, Liberty University, Southern Baptist Convention, Liberty Commission, Southern Baptists, Defending, ADF, Shreveport Times, U.S, Supreme, Freedom Guard, Southern Baptist Theological Seminary, Messiah University, Christian, Fea, Faithful, Republicans, Capitol, Baptist, Religious Liberty, Lilly Endowment Inc, AP Locations: Southern, Virginia, Louisiana, Shreveport, Kentucky, Louisville , Kentucky, Pennsylvania, United States, Israel, America, Faithful America

Hailed by Xi as a “project of the century,” the BRI has emerged as a glaring symbol of China’s rise as a global power. Chinese investment in BRI projects has tapered off as the world’s second-biggest economy slows. The opening ceremony of Cambodia's Morodok Techo National Stadium, funded by China's Belt and Road Initiative, in Phnom Penh on December 18, 2021. Later that year, Xi pledged that China would not build any new coal-fired power projects abroad. The BRI has also spurred other countries to increase their own efforts toward supporting infrastructure projects in the developing world.

Persons: Russia’s Vladimir Putin, Xi Jinping, Xi, –, Cambodia's, Lon Jadina, William & Mary, Marshall, China, ” Organizations: Beijing CNN, Initiative, China's, Getty, BRI, Boston, Global, Policy, William &, Marshall Plan, Global Development Policy Center, World Bank, Global Development, United Arab, European Union Locations: Beijing, China, Israel, Asia, Latin America, Africa, Europe, Ukraine, United States, Phnom Penh, AFP, Papua New Guinea, Kenya, Sri Lanka, West Africa, America, Southeast Asia, Hambantota, Saudi Arabia, United Arab Emirates, France, Germany, Italy, East

☆ The 500-year-old hamam bringing Istanbul’s past to life
▼ + stars: | 2023-09-28 | by ( Alice Barnes-Brown | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +10 min

CNN —Closed to the public for more than a decade, the stunning Zeyrek Çinili Hamam has just reopened its wooden doors to the world. A team of archaeologists and historians at the hamam helped those institutions to identify exactly where their Iznik tiles came from. Ottoman know-how and seamless minimalism come together inside the Çinili Hamam to create the ultimate zone-out space. The glass stars on the domed ceilings (a signature of Ottoman hamam design) allow just enough natural light to shimmer in, but not so much that it dazzles. Yazgan says the Zeyrek Çinili Hamam will closely replicate time-honored Ottoman bathtime traditions.

Persons: Hamam, Mimar Sinan, Suleiman the, Çinili, ”, Koza Yazgan, “, Sinan, London’s, Yazgan, Brüeckner –, Hammam, Murat Germen, Murat, Germen Murat Germen, puffy, ‘, Istanbul’s, It’s Organizations: CNN, hamam, Istanbul Biennial, Marmara Group, Egyptian Museum, UNESCO, Hagia Locations: Istanbul’s Zeyrek, Fatih, Zeyrek, Cairo, Abu Dhabi, Mimar, Turkey, Istanbul, Ayasofya, Hagia Sofia, Ottoman, hamams, Aivita, Marmara, Valens, –

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