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☆ Death toll from US storms rises to 29
▼ + stars: | 2023-04-02 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

April 2 (Reuters) - The death toll from a violent storm that whipped up tornadoes in the Southern and Midwestern regions of the United States rose to at least 29 over the weekend, according to officials and media reports. In Memphis, Tennessee, two children and an adult were found dead on Saturday after the storm's heavy winds knocked trees onto several houses, according to the Memphis Police Department. In Tennessee's McNairy County, officials reported that an additional two people had died, having reported seven deaths earlier on Saturday, according to local media. U.S. President Joe Biden declared a "major disaster" in Arkansas on Sunday, ordering federal aid to help with the recovery. loadingSimilarly severe weather, including thunderstorms, was forecast for Tuesday in much of the Midwest between Chicago and Little Rock, Arkansas, the center said.

☆ Are Butterflies Wildlife? Depends Where You Live.
▼ + stars: | 2023-03-04 | by ( ) www.nytimes.com time to read: +10 min

The creatures are simply left out of state conservation statues, or their situation is ambiguous. “State agencies are really at the forefront of conservation for wildlife,” said Scott Black, executive director of the Xerces Society, a nonprofit group that advocates for insect conservation. Sometimes, aquatic insects come under the purview of state wildlife agencies. But across the states without insect authority, officials are often reluctant to broach adding it, Mr. Winton said. Seven of the states without insect conservation authority are in the West, which has felt the effects of climate change intensely.

☆ Meet 3 couples who bought luxury RVs after selling their homes to gain freedom
▼ + stars: | 2023-02-26 | by ( Jyoti Mann | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +5 min

They sold their home in 2018 and have been living in a Newmar Ventana luxury RV since then. The Roberts sometimes stay at luxury RV resorts that have amenities like a swimming pool, golf course and outdoor areas to relax. Joel and Deb BrettingenJoel and Deb Brettingen, from Chippewa Falls, Wisconsin, have been living in a luxury RV full-time for nine months after selling their home of 20 years. Joe and Sharon CarmichaelJoe and Sharon Carmichael in front of their RV with their granddaughter who comes to visit. Joe and Sharon CarmichaelJoe and Sharon Carmichael hit the road in their new motorhome after selling their house in 2015.

Early on Friday, the core of the cold air mass, driven from Arctic Canada into the United States by high-altitude air currents, was centered over the U.S. Plains, said weather service forecaster Bob Oravec. International Falls, Minnesota, was the coldest spot as of 7 a.m., with temperatures hovering around -36 F (-38 C). "It's moving into the Northeast" and temperatures will drop throughout the day on Friday, he said. By comparison, air temperatures in Eureka, Canada's northernmost Arctic weather station, were hovering at -41 F (-41 C) on Friday morning. Boston was about 22 above zero F (-6 C) on Friday morning, with temperatures expected to plummet throughout the day and hit -3 F (-19 C) by midnight.

Dangerous wind chills were likely in an area stretching from northern Pennsylvania to Maine starting early on Friday and through Saturday evening, the National Weather Service said in its forecast. "The wind chills have the potentially to be once-in-a- generation cold," the weather service said, urging people to either stay indoors or take precautions against frostbite and hypothermia. The wind chill factor describes the combined effect of wind and cold temperatures on exposed skin. In New Hampshire's Mount Washington State Park, atop the Northeast's highest peak, record-breaking wind chills of -110 degrees and wind speeds topping 100 miles (160 km) per hour were expected. Boston Mayor Michelle Wu declared a cold emergency for New England's biggest city for Friday through Sunday, as the city is expecting below-zero wind chills starting Friday.

☆ College wrestler missing after friends say he jumped into California ocean for 'polar plunge'
▼ + stars: | 2023-01-21 | by ( Minyvonne Burke | Minyvonne Burke Is A Senior Breaking News Reporter For Nbc News. | ) www.nbcnews.com time to read: +1 min

A San Francisco State University wrestler is missing after jumping into Esplanade Beach for a "polar plunge," friends and authorities said. San Francisco StateThe two other men were able to get out of the water and called 911 for help. The U.S. Coast Guard, California Highway Patrol's air unit, the San Bruno Police Department, and California State Parks Ocean Life Guards were also called in to assist. Friends told KTVU that Alsaudi and his wrestling teammates were doing a polar plunge, when people jump into cold water during the winter months. Alsaudi is a political science major at the university with a minor in Arab and Muslim Ethnicities and Diasporas Studies.

☆ Fact Check-False claims about the sun and clouds at night shared online
▼ + stars: | 2023-01-18 | by ( Reuters Fact Check | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +5 min

Contrary to online claims, the earth is 93 million miles from the sun, is not flat and there is plenty of night-time footage of the planet taken from space, experts told Reuters. It also says the earth is flat and questions why clouds can’t be seen in nighttime images of the earth taken from space. Orsola de Marco, an astrophysicist at Macquarie University in Sydney, told Reuters that visibility of clouds at night could also depend on camera angle and the light source. Rather than a spacecraft looking directly through a cloud, shooting from an angle makes clouds more visible because more light can be reflected off the clouds, she said. Photos shared by the European Space Station at night showing clouds can be seen (here), (here), and (here).

☆ Judge Fires at New Jersey’s Gun Law
▼ + stars: | 2023-01-16 | by ( The Editorial Page | ) www.wsj.com time to read: 1 min

Massive resistance used to be a phrase associated with Southern opposition to the Supreme Court’s Brown v. Board of Education ruling on racial integration. These days it describes how progressive institutions resist the Supreme Court’s rulings on guns, race and regulation. In June the High Court ruled that the ability to carry a firearm outside the home is fundamental to the Second Amendment. New Jersey politicians responded by declaring a host of public places from state parks to theaters off-limits to guns—and last week federal Judge Renée Marie Bumb called foul on the state by blocking enforcement of specific provisions that have been challenged in lawsuits. The temporary stay will last until a hearing and ruling on the plaintiffs’ request for a preliminary injunction.

☆ Hiking has become a nationwide New Year's Day tradition
▼ + stars: | 2023-01-01 | by ( The Associated Press | ) www.nbcnews.com time to read: +3 min

Just 380 people participated in the initial First Day Hike in 1992 at the nearly 7,000-acre Blue Hills Reservation just south of Boston. On Sunday, tens of thousands of people are expected to take part in First Day Hikes at hundreds of parks in all 50 states. The late Patrick Flynn, the former supervisor at Blue Hills, came up with the original plan. In 2012, First Day Hikes went nationwide when the National Association of State Park Directors endorsed the idea. Elijah Bristow State Park near Eugene is even offering a first day horseback ride.

☆ Special Report: Boy Scouts, Catholic dioceses find haven from sex abuse suits in bankruptcy
▼ + stars: | 2022-12-30 | by ( Kristina Cooke Mike Spector Benjamin Lesser Dan Levine Disha Raychaudhuri | Kristina Cooke | Mike Spector | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +19 min

The Boy Scouts, for instance, said on a website the group set up for restructuring that it launched a “comprehensive noticing campaign” in the media. He sought compensation in the Boy Scouts bankruptcy in June, long after a deadline of November 16, 2020 for filing claims. The Boy Scouts bankruptcy reorganization plan, approved by a judge in September, halts all lawsuits against the Boy Scouts, local councils, churches and other organizations that chartered scouting activities. His case was halted by the Boy Scouts bankruptcy. Later that year, in August, he filed his lawsuit against defendants including a Boy Scouts local council and DeSandre.

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

☆ ‘I just want a home to go back to’: Months after a historic flood, relief remains elusive for some in Kentucky
▼ + stars: | 2022-12-23 | by ( Minyvonne Burke | Minyvonne Burke Is A Senior Breaking News Reporter For Nbc News. | ) www.nbcnews.com time to read: +7 min

Reducing the red tapeIn the weeks and months after the flood, FEMA received more than 16,700 applications for disaster assistance. More than 60% of Kentucky flood victims who applied for assistance have been approved, it said. To assist with the process of getting aid, FEMA said its specialists have contacted Kentucky flood survivors directly, requesting any missing information and scheduling inspections. Beshear’s office also sent $500 grants to residents who qualified for FEMA assistance. The checks were a part of more than $12.2 million donated to the Team Eastern Kentucky Flood Relief Fund.

☆ A ship that sank mysteriously 86 years ago has resurfaced as Utah's Great Salt Lake continues to dry up
▼ + stars: | 2022-12-17 | by ( Bethany Dawson | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +3 min

Water levels in Utah's Great Salt Lake have reached historic lows revealing a shipwreck. Great Salt Lake State Park Manager Dave Shearer said, "It's very exciting to see a piece of history." Speaking to ABC4, Great Salt Lake State Park Manager Dave Shearer said that the ship plied the lake's waters in several different roles. —Senator Mitt Romney (@SenatorRomney) December 9, 2022The Great Salt Lake, the largest saltwater lake in the Western Hemisphere, is drying up due to a megadrought, PBS has reported. Speaking last week about the Great Salt Lake and its diminishing size, Senator Mitt Romney said: "A shrinking Great Salt Lake poses a significant threat to Utah and our neighboring states."

☆ Charities Give the Gift of Guilt
▼ + stars: | 2022-12-16 | by ( Peter Funt | ) www.wsj.com time to read: 1 min

I’m writing notes on a pad furnished by Save the Children, with a pen that came from Boys Town. A colorful calendar on my desk was sent to me by California’s State Parks Foundation. The cards I’m mailing this season have a return-address label provided by the Shriners Hospitals for Children. I didn’t ask for any of this stuff, so should I feel guilty for using it? The holiday season is prime time for charities—extending to Dec. 31, which is the cutoff for donations to qualify as 2022 tax deductions.

☆ Hiker dies after falling off New Hampshire mountain while taking photos with his wife, officials say
▼ + stars: | 2022-12-12 | by ( Julianne Mcshane | ) www.nbcnews.com time to read: +1 min

A hiker died Saturday after falling off the summit of a New Hampshire mountain while taking pictures with his wife, officials said. The couple were at the top of Mount Willard around 10:30 a.m. when the unidentified man fell over the edge and down a steep cliff, NBC Boston reported. Mountain Rescue Service personnel rappelled down the cliff and found the hiker dead about 2:30 p.m., about four hours after his fall, according to the news station. The rescue team raised the man's body back up the summit and took it back to the trailhead parking area about 6:45 p.m., NBC Boston reported. In February, a 67-year-old man died while hiking up Mount Willard to go ice climbing, CBS Boston reported at the time.

☆ This graphic shows how many more stars you can see under truly dark skies vs. city, suburban, and rural areas
▼ + stars: | 2022-12-05 | by ( Paola Rosa-Aquino | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +6 min

Astronomers classify night skies from dark to bright using the Bortle Scale, ranked from one to nine. Light pollution is when artificial light washes out the night sky and makes it hard to see stars. While it might not be as potentially harmful as other kinds of pollution, light pollution can affect human health. Level four classifies the transition from suburban to rural areas, where you can see the Milky Way. The night sky is brimming with stars, making it harder to parse out faint constellations.

☆ Remaking the River That Remade L.A.
▼ + stars: | 2022-11-10 | by ( Michael Kimmelman | Photographs Adali Schell | ) www.nytimes.com time to read: +33 min

Remaking the River That Remade L.A.February 1938 was a wet month in Los Angeles. Reservoirs overflowed, dams topped out and floodwaters careered down Pacoima Wash and Tujunga Wash toward the Los Angeles River. The Los Angeles River was never a storybook river of the kind that, like the Hudson or the Seine, we associate with great cities. Among the naysayers is a venerable organization called Friends of the Los Angeles River, founded by the Texas-born poet and performance artist Lewis MacAdams. “With all the problems L.A. is facing,” he said, “even if it costs $50 billion to fix the river, we should just effing do it.”The headwaters of the Los Angeles River aren’t easy to find.

Nicole, newly classified as a hurricane, was packing sustained winds of up 75 miles per hour (120 km per hour) as it made landfall on Grand Bahama Island, the Miami-based National Hurricane Center reported. Grand Bahama, Bimini and the Berry Islands in the northwest corner of the island nation remained under a hurricane warning. As the storm closed in earlier in the day, some Bahamas residents fled their homes amid fierce winds and flooding. Storm surge caused widespread devastation to Florida's Gulf Coast when the last major storm, Hurricane Ian, crashed ashore there on Sept. 28, causing an estimated $60 billion in damage and claiming more than 140 lives. Several counties along the Florida coast issued mandatory orders and voluntary evacuation advisories for homes near the shore and on barrier islands.

☆ The top most relaxed places to live in the US and why South Dakota leads the pack
▼ + stars: | 2022-10-26 | by ( Jordan Hart | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +3 min

South Dakota ranked above Hawaii and Illinois for most relaxed, analysts from Diamond Rehab Thailand say. South Dakota claimed the number one spot, beating out the likes of Hawaii and Alaska. A March report from WalletHub ranked the state 48th in its list of most-to-least stressed states based on work, money, family, and health-related stress. According to the survey, people in South Dakota rank second only to Minnesota in the average number of hours they sleep each night. However, the state ranked in the top five for the average hours worked per week.

☆ Viral TikTok shows bison charge woman in Texas park
▼ + stars: | 2022-10-18 | by ( Julianne Mcshane | ) www.nbcnews.com time to read: +3 min

A Texas hiker is warning other outdoor enthusiasts to beware of bison through a viral TikTok video that shows one charging her on a trail, sending her to the hospital with non-life-threatening injuries. Clark, the Texas Park and Wildlife Department, and United Regional Wichita Falls, the hospital where Clark said she received treatment, did not immediately respond to requests for comment. Once nearly extinct, bison now number half a million, with most part of private herds, according to the Texas Park and Wildlife Department. Caprock Canyons State Park is the home of the Texas State Bison Herd, which is monitored by park officials, according to the department. "As a rule, bison require at least 50 yards (half a football field) between them and people," the Texas Park and Wildlife Department said.

☆ James Lastovic, ‘Days of Our Lives’ actor, found after going missing in Hawaii
▼ + stars: | 2022-10-12 | by ( Lisa Respers France | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +1 min

CNN —Former “Days of Our Lives” actor James Lastovic and his roommate are safe after his mother said they went missing while out on hiking in Hawaii. According to her post, the pair “asked for info about KOKEE state PARK so they could take the long trail hike.”Early Wednesday, the elder Lastovic posted an update saying that the two were “safe and sound” in Kauai. “UPDATE: my sister and james are okay, they got lost on their hike but made it back to their car and are on their way back to resort now,” the posting read. James Lastovic played Joey Johnson from 2015 to 2017 on “Days of Our Lives” and returned briefly in 2020. He also played Christian Keene in the TV series “Insatiable,” and Cane in the 2021 film, “This Game’s Called Murder.”

A single perk from the Amex Marriott Bonvoy Business card got my family a free night at the Courtyard Erie Bayfront. Marriott BonvoyThe Marriott Bonvoy Business® American Express® Card has a $125 annual fee. Awards can be used for one night (redemption level at or under 35,000 Marriott Bonvoy® points) at hotels participating in Marriott Bonvoy®. Amex OffersAmerican Express cards, including the Marriott Bonvoy Business® American Express® Card, get you access to a program called Amex Offers**. Other Amex Marriott Bonvoy Business perksThe Marriott Bonvoy Business® American Express® Card comes with other benefits that can save you even more money and make your travel experience better.

☆ My partner and I reduced our cost of living by 80% and saved over $100,000 after moving into a van. Here why it's the best decision we've made.
▼ + stars: | 2022-08-03 | by ( Pollyanna Brown | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +6 min

This is how van life has enabled them to save $108,000 since 2020, as told to PollyAnna Brown. In September 2020, I got a management company to bring me brand deals for user-generated content — content that aligned my channel with sponsored items. By cutting our expenses, growing my business, and doing van life our way, we've saved $108,899.92 in just over two years. Van life also requires more oil changes, and we had to increase our phone plan so that we could hot spot for WiFi. That's how we've approached van life, and we love it.

☆ 'If it blows up, it's cool': The far-out philosophy that explains why Elon Musk won't let a few baby sea turtles stop SpaceX's quest to get to Mars
▼ + stars: | 2022-04-05 | by ( Adam Rogers | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +25 min

In the case of Elon Musk v. Charismatic Megafauna, the agency intends to publish its final report in late April. Musk went on: "Either explicitly or implicitly some people seem to think that humans are a blight on the Earth's surface. Musk is talking about existential risk, the idea that something — an asteroid, a rogue artificial intelligence — might kill every human on Earth. And if you assume that future human minds will "mainly be implemented in computational hardware instead of biological neuronal wetware," as Bostrom does, you end up with a mind-boggling 1054 human lives. Musk has made the defense of "future life" his mission.

☆ Made Men: A photo tour of the most notorious sites of New York Mafia history – and what they look like now
▼ + stars: | 2021-07-23 | by ( Andrew Lichtenstein | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +25 min

Andrew Lichtenstein for InsiderManhattan's Hell's Kitchen neighborhood, on the western edge of Midtown, got its name from its crowded tenements. On March, 13, 2019, Gambino family crime boss Frankie Cali was shot dead in the driveway outside his Todt Hill home. Andrew Lichtenstein for InsiderThe service road to the Belt Parkway runs through the northern edge of the Brighton Beach neighborhood. John Gotti's Family Home, Howard Beach, QueensThe home where John Gotti, the leader of the Gambino crime family. It's here that John Gotti, the leader of the Gambino crime family and thus the 'Godfather' of the American mafia, lived and raised his family.

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