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I had been saving to buy a house, but prices in Southern California have made that unlikely. I decided to stop focusing on trying to buy a house, which means I can put more toward retirement. I'm okay knowing I might be renting for life, as it means I can streamline my finances. Instead of using my HSA contributions toward health-related expenses, I'm investing my HSA funds. Now that I've nulled out savings to buy a home, my financial goals feel more streamlined.

Persons: I've, homeownership, Roth, it's, There's Organizations: Service, realtors Locations: Southern California, Wall, Silicon, Los Angeles

☆ Pooping, splooting, spitting: How wild animals beat the heat
▼ + stars: | 2023-08-04 | by ( Jack Bantock | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +5 min

CNN —Hottest day, hottest week, hottest month, and – increasingly likely – hottest year; 2023 has garnered unwanted records as the climate crisis escalates. From peculiar methods like “splooting,” to changing physiology altogether, here are four ways different creatures are trying to beat the heat. Splooting is a popular method of thermoregulation for squirrels, especially among larger species, as they do not lose much body heat through sweating, Devitz explained. A 2021 report noted that some animals are developing larger beaks, legs and ears to better regulate their body temperatures. Spitting and snottingTwo Australian animals put their bodily fluids to good use in the battle to beat the scorching temperatures of the outback.

Persons: –, you’ve, ”, splooting, Charlotte Devitz, Splooting, Devitz, “, Celal, ” Sara Ryding, Jami Tarris, Christine Cooper, Klaus, Dietmar Gabbert Organizations: CNN, Collins, Anadolu Agency, Getty, Deakin University Locations: New York City, Washington ,, Australian, Australia

☆ Jury reaches verdict in death penalty case for Pittsburgh synagogue mass shooter
▼ + stars: | 2023-08-02 | by ( Carolina Gonzalez | David K. Li | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +2 min

Jurors will need to be unanimous to impose the death penalty or else the gunman will receive life without the possibility of parole. The panel will now deliver its verdict to U.S. District Court Judge Robert Colville, who is bound to impose their decision against the gunman. Last month, this same jury found the shooter guilty on 63 criminal counts stemming from the attack in the Squirrel Hill neighborhood of Pittsburgh on October 27, 2018. Armed with an AR-15 and other weapons, the shooter barged into the synagogue and opened fire. Law enforcement, five of whom were injured in the shooting, returned fire and hit the gunman, who then surrendered.

Persons: Robert Gregory Bowers, Robert Colville, Dustin John Higgs Organizations: U.S, Department, U.S . Locations: Pittsburgh, U.S, U.S . Penitentiary, Terre Haute, Indiana

☆ Stories Like Norman Rockwell Paintings, if Rockwell Painted Guillotines
▼ + stars: | 2023-07-24 | by ( Dwight Garner | More About Dwight Garner | ) www.nytimes.com time to read: +2 min

In one of the new stories, people become obsessed with climbing ladders until one fellow disappears into the sky. “Green” is about a town that gets rid of its lawns and trees, only to long for them back. From hints in his diary, it appears that he liked to lie on her stomach and make love to her navel. In another scene, a naked little woman slides down a large man’s ear, to apparently profound effect. Little things become fashionable.

Persons: Millhauser, “, Rod Serling, ”, Gulliver, Nicholson Baker, shuddering Organizations: “, People Locations: strolls

☆ At sweltering Phoenix Zoo, showers for owls and icy treats for monkeys
▼ + stars: | 2023-07-21 | by ( Liliana Salgado | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

REUTERS/Liliana SalgadoPHOENIX, July 21 (Reuters) - On Day 22 of temperatures in Phoenix exceeding 110 degrees Fahrenheit (43 Celsius), a Eurasian eagle owl enjoyed a prolonged shower on Friday while monkeys and horses ate icy treats, some laced with Gatorade. The Phoenix Zoo has come up with myriad ways to cool off animals in the historic record-breaking heat wave, including hose-downs, mister lines, cooling pads, ponds, mud water, fans and air-conditioned buildings. So this is one of the ways that we help them cool down in this heat," said zookeeper Leslie Lindholm. And over in Monkey Village, tiny squirrel monkeys pulled frozen treats out of buckets. Reporting by Liliana Salgado in Phoenix; Editing by Mary Milliken and Rosalba O'BrienOur Standards: The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles.

Persons: Archie, Liliana Salgado PHOENIX, Lizzie Newman, zookeeper Leslie Lindholm, Jake, zookeeper Jyl Purdy, Amy Dietz, Liliana Salgado, Mary Milliken, Rosalba O'Brien Organizations: Phoenix Zoo, REUTERS, Gatorade, The Phoenix, Thomson Locations: Arizona, U.S, Phoenix, Europe, Asia, Belgian, Monkey

☆ Exclusive-Mystery X9 helicopter takes shape as potential successor to Airbus H145
▼ + stars: | 2023-06-18 | by ( Tim Hepher | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +4 min

PARIS (Reuters) - After a decade in the shadows, one of Europe’s mystery aerospace projects - the X9 helicopter - is taking shape as a potential future successor to Airbus Helicopters’ H145 light-twin chopper, with plans for a demonstrator underway, industry sources said. FILE PHOTO: An Airbus H145 French Securite Civile rescue helicopter takes off past Canadair aircrafts during the presentation of the 2023 plan to fight against wildfires, at Nimes-Garons airbase, France, April 25, 2023. A Berlin filing by Airbus Helicopters’ German subsidiary in 2020 noted its board had been briefed on the X9 and unspecified “further steps”. Any future H145 successor would regenerate the German side of Airbus Helicopters, formed from a 1992 merger between divisions of France’s Aerospatiale and MBB of Germany to counter U.S. rivals led by Bell, Boeing and Sikorsky. Those barriers are gradually fading as Airbus Helicopters adopts a system under which specialised sites pre-assemble major sections, which then converge on one site for final assembly.

Persons: Christian Hartmann, Lutz Bertling, Leonardo’s Organizations: PARIS, Airbus Helicopters, Airbus, Canadair, REUTERS, Airbus Helicopters ’, Reuters, Chase, Associates, Aerospatiale, Bell, Boeing, Sikorsky, Eurocopter Locations: Nimes, Garons, France, Donauwoerth, Germany, Bavarian, German, GERMANY, Paris, U.S, Spain, Marignane, Airbus Germany

☆ Exclusive: Mystery X9 helicopter takes shape as potential successor to Airbus H145
▼ + stars: | 2023-06-18 | by ( Tim Hepher | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +4 min

PARIS, June 18 (Reuters) - After a decade in the shadows, one of Europe's mystery aerospace projects - the X9 helicopter - is taking shape as a potential future successor to Airbus Helicopters' H145 light-twin chopper, with plans for a demonstrator underway, industry sources said. A Berlin filing by Airbus Helicopters' German subsidiary in 2020 noted its board had been briefed on the X9 and unspecified "further steps". The same unit later said it would focus on ensuring "the future viability of civil helicopters" at Donauwoerth, Germany. Any future H145 successor would regenerate the German side of Airbus Helicopters, formed from a 1992 merger between divisions of France's Aerospatiale and MBB of Germany to counter U.S. rivals led by Bell, Boeing and Sikorsky. Those barriers are gradually fading as Airbus Helicopters adopts a system under which specialised sites pre-assemble major sections, which then converge on one site for final assembly.

Persons: Lutz Bertling, Tim Hepher, Mark Potter Organizations: Airbus Helicopters, Airbus, Reuters, Chase, Associates, Aerospatiale, Bell, Boeing, Sikorsky, Eurocopter, Thomson Locations: Donauwoerth, Germany, Bavarian, France, German, GERMANY, Paris, U.S, Spain, Marignane, Airbus Germany

CNN —Robert Bowers, the gunman who killed 11 worshippers at Pittsburgh’s Tree of Life synagogue in 2018, was convicted by a federal jury Friday on all 63 charges against him. Bowers was also convicted of 11 counts of hate crimes resulting in death. The shooting unfolded on a day when the synagogue was hosting three congregations, Tree of Life, Dor Hadash and New Light, for weekly Shabbat services. In addition to the 11 killed, two worshippers and four responding police officers were wounded. Before the shooting, Bowers spent years posting about attacks on immigrants and Jewish people on Gab, a small social media platform used by far-right extremists.

Persons: Robert Bowers, Bowers, David Klug Diane Rosenthal, Cecil, David Rosenthal, ‘, ’, Rabbi Jeffrey Myers, ” Myers, ” “, ”, Jonathan Greenblatt, that’s, ” Greenblatt, Dan Frankel, “, Frankel, ” Bowers, Robert Bowers David Klug, Robert Colville, Elisa Long, ” Long, Eric Olshan, ” Olshan, Dor Hadash, Andrea Wedner, Rose Mallinger, ’ ”, Mary Hahn, – Organizations: CNN, U.S, Attorney, Defamation League, Pennsylvania, Hebrew Immigrant Aid Society, Police, Immigrant Aid Society Locations: Maryland, New York

☆ A pristine region of the Pacific Ocean targeted for deep-sea mining contains 5,000 new marine species, say scientists
▼ + stars: | 2023-06-03 | by ( Bethany Dawson | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +3 min

Scientists have discovered thousands of new species in an area of the Pacific Ocean. They found 5,578 species in the Clarion-Clipperton Zone, a 1.7 million square mile region. Of the 5,578 new species discovered, around 88% to 92% were "new to science," the report says. An array of crustaceans found in the Clarion-Clipperton Zone. A discovery in the Clarion-Clipperton Zone.

Persons: —, Adrian Glover, Muriel Rabone, Glover Organizations: Service, Privacy, United States Department of, Natural Environment Research Council, Guardian, International, Authority Locations: Hawaii, Mexico, Clarion, Zone

☆ Every president's favorite foods, including squirrel stew, jelly beans, and hoecakes
▼ + stars: | 2023-06-02 | by ( Ellen Cranley | Taylor Ardrey | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +1 min

Presidents of the United States have had some eccentric choices for favorite foods. From squirrel stew to cheeseburger pizza, these commanders-in-chief didn't let their time in office change their tastes. Here are the favorite foods of all 46 presidents. Though the Executive Mansion hosts some of the country's most exclusive and upscale dinners, each president has different tastes for everyday fuel. From squirrel stew to cheeseburger pizza, here are all 46 presidents' favorite treats:

Persons: didn't, — Organizations: Service Locations: United States

☆ First Drought, Then Flood. Can the West Learn to Live Between Extremes?
▼ + stars: | 2023-05-31 | by ( Brooke Jarvis | ) www.nytimes.com time to read: +5 min

Since New Year’s, storm after storm had pummeled the state, dropping epic quantities of water and snow. Houses and farms and dairies flooded, and people were using excavators to hastily build earthen dikes around their properties. In a valley where powerful interests had long jockeyed for access to water, the arguments were now about who would bear the flood. A froth of brown storm water started to spread toward the houses. Had someone intentionally cut the levee, jeopardizing Allensworth, not to mention someone else’s farm, to save his own?

Persons: Deanna Jackson, Gonzales, Ruben Guerrero, Floodwater, Jack Mitchell, Allensworth, ” Guerrero, ”, Kiara Rendon, Denise Kadara, Allen Allensworth, Kadara, Rendon Organizations: Cal Fire, Navy Locations: Year’s, Tulare, Allensworth, ”, California, farmworkers

☆ Scientists have discovered over 5,000 new species in the Pacific Ocean, from sea cucumbers to 'gummy squirrels' — check them out
▼ + stars: | 2023-05-28 | by ( Bethany Dawson | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +3 min

Scientists have discovered thousands of new species in an area of the Pacific Ocean. They found 5,578 species in the Clarion-Clipperton Zone, a 1.7 million square mile region. Of the 5,578 new species discovered, around 88% to 92% were "new to science," the report says. The new species were found in the Clarion-Clipperton Zone (CCZ), an area of the ocean floor between Hawaii and Mexico that spans 1.7 million square miles. A discovery in the Clarion-Clipperton Zone.

☆ Under Xi Jinping, China's military has become an untouchable nationalist symbol
▼ + stars: | 2023-05-26 | by ( Nectar Gan | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +11 min

Yue’s alleged transgression: “uglifying” and “insulting” China’s military, the People’s Liberation Army (PLA). Under Xi, China passed a law in 2018 to ban the slander of national “heroes and martyrs,” a crime punishable by up to three years in prison. To outsiders, it may appear puzzling that China’s military, the largest and one of the most powerful in the world, would be so easily offended by a seemingly tame joke. Xi has staked his legitimacy on returning China to its former greatness, and a strong and powerful military plays a key role in driving that nationalist agenda. He has also ramped up China’s military posturing, sending fighter jets and warships to the Taiwan Strait and around the disputed islands with Japan.

☆ The joke that cost $2 million: China imposes huge fine for comedian’s army-themed quip
▼ + stars: | 2023-05-17 | by ( Chris Lau | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +4 min

As the official backlash grew, Li canceled all his performances while the entertainment company that represents him, Shanghai Xiaoguo Culture Media, issued an apology. He went on to say that their chase after a squirrel one day reminded him of eight words, before he unleashed the controversial punchline, according to audio posted to Chinese social media site Weibo. Shanghai Xiaoguo Culture Media is one of the biggest stand-up comedy show producers in the country. ‘Low form of art’Li had already apologized on Chinese social media platform Weibo, where he has 136,000 followers. Shanghai Xiaoguo Culture Media previously said it had suspended the comedian from all productions indefinitely.

☆ 2 Nashville millennials share how they're fighting loneliness in a broken housing market
▼ + stars: | 2023-05-17 | by ( Eliza Relman | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +9 min

Car-centric neighborhoods with few shared spaces exacerbate loneliness, research has found. She moved into a walkable neighborhood in downtown Nashville and paid $500 a month to rent a room in a house with roommates. She credits the neighborhood's walkability, shared spaces, and dense housing with boosting her social connections. And those ties are much easier to form in neighborhoods with welcoming shared spaces and programming. "We have the green spaces in the neighborhood to do all that kind of stuff, which is something we just didn't have in the old neighborhood," Hughes said.

☆ Chinese authorities slap comedy firm with $2 mln fine after military joke
▼ + stars: | 2023-05-17 | by ( Casey Hall | Thomson Reuters | Casey Has Reported On China'S Consumer Culture Her Base In Shanghai For More Than A Decade | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

The incident has strongly divided the Chinese public over what sort of jokes are inappropriate as performances such as stand-up comedy become increasingly popular and also highlighted the limits of appropriate content in China where authorities say it must promote core socialist values. In response to the fine, Xiaoguo Culture blamed the incident on "major loopholes in management" and said it had terminated Li's contract. Reuters could not immediately reach Li for comment and Weibo appears to have banned him from posting to his account there. Founded in Shanghai in 2015, Xiaoguo Culture's popularity has grown in sync with China's embrace of stand-up comedy and had known for raising the profile of hundreds of local comedians. (This story has been refiled to add a dropped word in the headline and fix a typo in paragraph 1)($1 = 6.9121 Chinese yuan renminbi)Reporting by Casey Hall; Editing by Michael PerryOur Standards: The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles.

☆ Chinese stand-up comedian forced to apologize after military joke angers officials
▼ + stars: | 2023-05-16 | by ( Chris Lau | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +4 min

He went on to say that one day his two energetic canines gave chase to a squirrel, which reminded him of eight words, before he delivered the controversial punchline, according to audio posted to Chinese social media site Weibo. “Fine style of work, capable of winning battles,” he said, flipping a well known Chinese Communist Party slogan referring to the PLA. Shanghai Xiaoguo Culture Media described the joke as “inappropriate” before offering an apology in a statement on Monday. Comedians make a name for themselves by taking part in these shows and often expand their careers to live shows – as Li did. Last May, former investigative journalist Luo Changping was sentenced to seven months in prison and ordered to offer a public apology for calling Chinese soldiers portrayed in a blockbuster movie about the Korean war “stupid.”Li’s sense of humor divided users on Chinese social media.

☆ Rickie Fowler picks up snake with golf club at Wells Fargo Championship
▼ + stars: | 2023-05-08 | by ( Jack Bantock | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +2 min

During the Wells Fargo Championship at Quail Hollow on Saturday, Rickie Fowler was on hand to provide a safe demonstration. North Carolina is home to a range of snake species, many of which inhabit the waters of the Tar Heel state. Comments on the PGA’s Twitter post wavered on what species of snake Fowler handled, but it is thought to be a northern watersnake, a nonvenomous species native to North America. Angling his wedge, Fowler gently hooked the snake to lift it out from between a gap in the rocks before it slithered away. Rickie Fowler the ... snake charmer?!

☆ Trump's rape trial defense? His accuser and her friends have Trump Derangement Syndrome
▼ + stars: | 2023-05-06 | by ( Jacob Shamsian | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +13 min

Donald Trump's lawyers have tried to undermine E. Jean Carroll, who accuses him of rape. Just moments later, Trump's lawyers rested their case as well, without presenting any evidence. Carroll and her friends, Trump's lawyers suggest, all have Trump Derangement Syndrome. According to Trump's lawyers, the whole lawsuit is a conspiracy schemed up by ardent Trump critic George Conway. AP Photo/John MinchilloTrump's attorney pointed out that Birnbach had said Trump and his allies had symptoms of Trump Derangement Syndrome.

☆ E. Jean Carroll's friend testifies that they didn't 'scheme' to make up a rape allegation to 'stop' Trump
▼ + stars: | 2023-05-04 | by ( Ashley Collman | Jacob Shamsian | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +6 min

Testimony continued in E. Jean Carroll's rape and defamation lawsuit against Donald Trump on Thursday. Carol Martin told jury about how Carroll confided in her about the alleged rape in the mid-1990s. Former President Donald Trump and E. Jean Carroll. "I'm here because I want to reiterate and remember what my friend E. Jean Carroll told me 27 years ago. In another message, Martin said she thinks Carroll was "acting a little scary" and was "in too deep" but "loving the adulation."

19 of our favorite Amazon Pet Day dealsAmazon#1 Yaheetech Cat Tree - $66 $51 (with coupon)Wow, that's a lot of cat tree for your money. In our testing for the best dog beds, this was easily our favorite calming bed. Amazon#6 AirTag Breakaway Cat Collar - $12.99 $7.98If you fancy picking up some AirTags from the deal below, these affordable collars are a decent match as they have a disc slot for Apple's tracking device. ), be sure to head on over to our best cat collar guide. We named it the best dog harness because it's suitable for dogs that walk nicely on leash as well as vigorous pullers.

☆ Can Artistry Be Built Into a Machine?
▼ + stars: | 2023-05-02 | by ( Oliver Whang | ) www.nytimes.com time to read: +2 min

One day recently, on a table in Jean Oh’s lab in the Squirrel Hill neighborhood of Pittsburgh, a robot arm was busy at a canvas. Her doctoral student, Peter Schaldenbrand, stood alongside. In recent years, Mr. Schaldenbrand has led an effort to bridge the sim-to-real gap between sophisticated image-generation programs like Stable Diffusion and physical works of art like drawings and paintings. This has mainly been manifest in the project known as FRIDA, the latest iteration of which was rhythmically whirring away in a corner of the lab. The process of moving from language prompts to pixelated images to brushstrokes can be complicated, as the robot must account for “the noise of the real world,” Dr. Oh said.

☆ She’s More Than the Creator of Peter Rabbit
▼ + stars: | 2023-04-26 | by ( Tanya Mohn | ) www.nytimes.com time to read: +1 min

This article is part of our Museums special section about how art institutions are reaching out to new artists and attracting new audiences. Beatrix Potter’s tales about the frolics and misadventures of Peter Rabbit, Squirrel Nutkin, Jemima Puddle-Duck and other animals have charmed children around the globe for well over a century. Now, a new traveling exhibition explores how the English artist and author’s passion and curiosity for the natural world and scientific study inspired her books — and her life. “She creates these little enchanting, watercolor worlds and fills them with characters in gardens and ponds,” said Trinita Kennedy, a senior curator at the Frist Art Museum in Nashville, where “Beatrix Potter: Drawn to Nature” is on view through Sept. 17. It closed there in January, and after its run at the Frist it will head to the High Museum of Art in Atlanta and the Morgan Library & Museum in New York.

[1/2] Police officers guard the Tree of Life synagogue following Saturday's shooting at the synagogue in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, U.S., October 28, 2018. REUTERS/Aaron JosefczykApril 24 (Reuters) - The man accused of opening fire and killing 11 worshippers in a Pittsburgh synagogue in the deadliest antisemitic attack in U.S. history faces a potential death sentence at the end of a federal trial that begins on Monday with jury selection. Robert Bowers, 50, is accused of dozens of charges, including 11 counts of hate crimes resulting in death, in a massacre that unfolded at Pittsburgh's Tree of Life synagogue on Oct. 27, 2018. In seeking the death penalty, federal prosecutors will try to prove aggravating factors in their case against Bowers, including that he substantially planned the attack and that he targeted vulnerable victims. Federal authorities said Bowers entered the synagogue in the city’s Squirrel Hill neighborhood where many residents are Jewish, armed with multiple firearms.

☆ A gold miner found a mysterious grapefruit-sized fur ball. It turned out to be a 'perfectly preserved' 30,000-year-old squirrel.
▼ + stars: | 2023-04-11 | by ( Chris Panella | Morgan Mcfall-Johnsen | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +4 min

But X-ray scans have revealed this grapefruit-sized lump is actually a 30,000-year-old mummified ground squirrel from the Ice Age. A ground squirrel for the agesAn illustration of the mummified ground squirrel curled up in its burrow during hibernation. "I study bones all the time and they're exciting, they're really neat. Wolfgang Kaehler/LightRocket via Getty Images"Some people get really, really excited when they find that giant woolly mammoth leg or, you know, the big tusks or the big skulls. But for me, the Arctic ground squirrel fossils, the nests, and now this mummified squirrel, are really the coolest things that we do have.

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