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☆ Why More American Weapons Will Soon Be Made Outside America
▼ + stars: | 2024-03-01 | by ( Damien Cave | ) www.nytimes.com time to read: +1 min

On the grassy plains of Australia’s vast interior, an industrial evolution in the American war machine is gathering momentum. In munitions factories with room to grow, Australia is on the verge of producing heaps of artillery shells and thousands of guided missiles in partnership with American companies. Made to Pentagon specifications, the weapons will be no different from those built in the United States, and only some of what rolls off the line will stay in Australia. The rest are intended to help replenish U.S. stockpiles or be sold to American partners in an era of grinding ground wars and threats from major powers. It is all part of an Australian push to essentially become the 51st state for defense production, an ambitious vision that is now taking shape with a giant yellow mixer for explosives and a lightning-protected workshop for assembling missiles known as GMLRS — or “gimmlers.”

Persons: ” Organizations: Pentagon Locations: Australia, United States

☆ A historic Texas ranch on the market for $180 million has been devastated by wildfires, owners say
▼ + stars: | 2024-03-01 | by ( Joshua Zitser | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +3 min

About 80% of Turkey Track Ranch, listed for $180 million, has been destroyed by wildfire. The fire has spread to nearly 1.1 million acres — an area bigger than Rhode Island. AdvertisementMost of a historic Texas ranch, on the market for $180 million, was badly burned by wildfires spreading across the Texas Panhandle, the owners said Thursday. AdvertisementAccording to Icon Global, the Dallas-based brokerage running the marketing for the property's sale, the Turkey Track Ranch was one of the original ranches of the Panhandle. Situated in northern Texas, the ranch was overrun by the Smokehouse Creek Fire, the largest of several wildfires blazing through the Panhandle.

Persons: —, It's, Greg Abbott, Joe Biden Organizations: Service, Texas Panhandle, Adobe, Panhandle, West, West Odessa Volunteer Fire Department, Austin American, Statesman, Texas Gov Locations: Turkey, Rhode, Texas, Dallas, West Odessa, Maine, Mexico

CNN —The wildfire in Texas has already killed two people, demolished hundreds of structures and obliterated thousands of cattle as it became the biggest blaze in the state’s history. Some 8 million people across the Central Plains are under “red flag” warnings and temperatures are above normal in the Texas Panhandle. So far, the Smokehouse Creek Fire has spread across more than 1 million acres and has become the biggest Texas wildfire on record. And the fire is just one of five blazes currently scorching the Texas Panhandle, destroying as many as 500 structures. Sunday’s fire weather threat will be greatest for the Texas Panhandle and western Texas, according to the Storm Prediction Center.

Persons: Cindy Owen, Jennifer Mitchell, Owen’s, Joyce Blankenship, “, ”, Nathan Blankenship, could’ve, Sid Miller, GoFundMe, Greg Abbott, he’d, Sammy Schafer, Leah Millis, ” Abbott, it’s, there’s, Miller, Shane Pennington, Pennington, “ It’s, they’re, ” Pennington, he’s, “ We’ve, ” Miller, We’ve, ” CNN’s Gene Norman, Rebekah Riess, Sara Tonks, Eric Zerkel, Sarah Davis Organizations: CNN, Texas Panhandle, Storm Prediction Center, Storm Prediction, Texas, M, Service, Texans, Connect, Services, Texas Panhandle Gov, Reuters Locations: Texas, Plains, South Dakota, Denver, Colorado Springs, Colorado, Lubbock, Amarillo, Oklahoma, Central, Amarillo , Midland, Odessa, Moore County, Gray County, Oldham County, Hutchinson County, Pampa , Texas, Hemphill County, Fritch, Canadian , Texas

It swerves and is hit by a grenade, dropped from a Ukrainian drone. Russian soldiers appear to stagger away from it, one rolling. Yet since the fall of Avdiivka on February 17, Ukrainian military officials have reported regular Russian assaults on Robotyne. Two Russian soldiers can be seen clambering inside the ruins of a dugout, one manhandling a shovel. Ukrainian drone pilots now face Russian counterparts who have replaced their units but at a much larger scale, they said.

Persons: Ukraine CNN —, Maja Rappard, “, ” Bohdan, ”, Anton, shellfire Organizations: Ukraine CNN, CNN, 15th National Guard, Robotyne, 65th Mechanised Brigade, NATO Locations: Orikhiv, Ukraine, Ukrainian, Belgian, Russian, Avdiivka, Lviv

☆ A.I. Frenzy Complicates Efforts to Keep Power-Hungry Data Sites Green
▼ + stars: | 2024-02-29 | by ( Patrick Sisson | ) www.nytimes.com time to read: +1 min

Now, those arid ranch lands are offering a new moneymaking opportunity: data centers. Lancium, an energy and data center management firm setting up shop in Fort Stockton and Abilene, is one of many companies around the country betting that building data centers close to generating sites will allow them to tap into underused clean power. In the past, companies built data centers close to internet users, to better meet consumer requests, like streaming a show on Netflix or playing a video game hosted in the cloud. But the growth of artificial intelligence requires huge data centers to train the evolving large-language models, making proximity to users less necessary. But as more of these sites start to pop up across the United States, there are new questions on whether they can meet the demand while still operating sustainably.

Persons: ”, Ali Fenn Organizations: Netflix Locations: West Texas, Fort Stockton and Abilene, United States

☆ Live Updates: Smokehouse Creek Fire grows rapidly in Texas
▼ + stars: | 2024-02-27 | by ( Christina Maxouris | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +2 min

Different police and fire departments across Texas have mobilized units to help crews battle Smokehouse Creek Fire. Flower Mound Fire DepartmentThe ongoing wildfires have been largely driven by high winds and dry air. And high wind warnings and red flag warnings remain in effect in the region until 8 p.m. local time. "The Texas A&M Forest Service reports that several large wildfires ignited yesterday under warm, dry, and windy conditions across the Texas Panhandle," Texas Gov. A cold front that's pushing through the area Tuesday evening will bring cooler air and shift winds.

Persons: Greg Abbott, Chad Myers Organizations: Texas, M Forest Service, Texas Panhandle, CNN Locations: Texas, South Plains, Texoma, East Texas

☆ How America’s once great department stores became a dying breed
▼ + stars: | 2024-02-27 | by ( Chris Isidore | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +12 min

But department stores, focused on America’s middle class, are fading. The victims of shifting consumer tastes were not the department stores that anchored the local mall, it was the small, locally owned stores along downtown shopping districts that were closing their doors. And possibly even more than the big box competitors, department stores have suffered from consumers shifting to buying items online rather than in person. The steady closing of the department stores that once served as “anchors” of malls across suburban America has been another nail in the coffin of many malls, hurting the department stores that remained in hollowed-out malls with a fraction of their earlier traffic. Saunders said one of the primary problem for Macy’s is that its holding company, formerly known as Federated Department Stores, spent much of its resources on buying other department store brands, such May’s Department Stores, and Filene’s, rather than investing in the stores its held.

Persons: New York CNN —, Neil Sauders, ”, JC Penney, It’s, “, Neil Saunders, Shannon Stapleton, Saunders, ” Saunders, Al Bello, Sunny Zheng, Macy’s, Tony Spring, Taylor, Brian Snyder, Eddie Lambert, Michael Brown, Kearney, ” Brown, Mike Segar, Richard W, Sears, Alvah Roebuck, Sears Roebuck, Bettmann, PhotoQuest, Jack Manning, Frank Scherschel, Owen, Lucille Jagusch, Arlene Hardt, Martin Luther King Jr, Michael Ochs, Ron Frehm, Ralf, Finn Hestoft, Mark Peterson, Seth Meyers, Hugh Jackman, NBCUniversal, Kaylin Wilson, Jim Cole, Rene Johnston, Maria Alejandra Cardona, Scott Olson, Cesar Villasenor, Mel Melcon, Sarah Blesener, Paul Hennessy, Patti Naleck, Naleck, Stacey Wescott, Brown Organizations: New, New York CNN, American, Walmart, Company, Department, Sears, Target, GlobalData, JCPenney, Research, RadioShack, Reuters Sears, Federated Department Stores, May’s, Reuters, Chicago History, Sears Roebuck, Roebuck, Hulton, AP, AP Soldiers, Michael Ochs Archives, Getty, Bettmann, Kmart, Bloomberg, Toronto Star, Reuters Residents, Los Angeles Times, New York Times, Chicago Tribune, Tribune, Service Locations: New York, GlobalData, America, Nanuet , New York, North Redwood , Minnesota, Chicago, El Paso , Texas, Jackson , Mississippi, Tucson , Arizona, Caracas, Venezuela, Niles , Illinois, Morton Grove , Illinois, Baltimore, White Plains , New York, Woodfield , Illinois, Hicksville , New York, Nashua , New Hampshire, Mentor , Ohio, Mississauga , Ontario, Hialeah , Florida, Janesville , Wisconsin, Santa Monica , California, Rockaway , New Jersey, Leesburg , Florida, Schaumburg , Illinois

☆ Now is the 'perfect time' to check your Social Security benefit, says CFP—even if you're years away from retirement
▼ + stars: | 2024-02-26 | by ( Ryan Ermey | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +3 min

"Review your 401(k) balance, review your bank balances, review your credit limits, and yes, check on your Social Security Statement." Just create an account on the Social Security Administration's website (you'll have to submit some identifying documents) and download your form. The strategies around timing when to claim Social Security depend on myriad factors. "That way you can look at [your estimated retirement income] in total with your 401(k), Roth IRA and Social Security benefits." Why now's a good time to check your Social Security statement

Persons: Jared Friedman, isn't, aren't, Friedman, you'll, Roth, you've Organizations: Social Security, Redwood Financial, Security, Roth IRA Locations: Scotch Plains , New Jersey

☆ Exceptionally warm weather on the way for central, eastern US due to pattern change
▼ + stars: | 2024-02-23 | by ( Mary Gilbert | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +4 min

The core of the unseasonable warmth spreads east on Tuesday to encompass much of the Great Lakes and Ohio Valley. A storm forecast to develop near the Great Lakes late Tuesday could unload rain and thunderstorms on much of the East into Thursday. Across the Midwest and Great Lakes, snowfall is a few feet below what’s normal by this point. Ice is also almost nowhere to be found on the Great Lakes. Close to 40% of the Great Lakes are typically covered in ice by late February, but total ice coverage was near a record-low 6% Thursday.

Persons: Louis, Dallas, Paul Organizations: CNN, CNN Weather Omaha, Triple, ., Ohio Locations: Dallas, Minneapolis, Philadelphia, Gulf of Mexico, St, Chicago, CNN Weather Omaha , Nebraska, Texas, Mexico, Lakes, Ohio, Cleveland, Coast, . Philadelphia, New York City, Gulf, Midwest, Northeast, Great, Syracuse , New York, Erie , Pennsylvania

Former President Donald J. Trump, the front-runner for the Republican nomination, has repeatedly attacked central elements of the Inflation Reduction Act, including tax credits for purchasing electric vehicles. “Otherwise it’s all going to be on the chopping block.”The Inflation Reduction Act contains various tax credits and other subsidies to incentivize companies to deploy more clean energy projects. It also includes tax breaks for consumers to offset the cost of electric vehicles, heat pumps and other energy-efficient appliances. That could cut the number of eligible vehicles, potentially hindering progress toward the Biden administration’s goal of having electric vehicles make up half of new car sales by 2030. The estimated cost of the Inflation Reduction Act’s energy incentives has effectively doubled since it passed, largely because forecasters believe the legislation will be more popular than they originally expected.

Persons: Biden, Donald J, Trump, “ We’ve, Frank Pallone Jr, Thomas Pyle, ’, Pyle, Kevin Book, Sean Rayford, ” Mr, John Ketchum, Ketchum, “ It’s, Mr, Sasha Mackler, David Carroll, we’ve, Carroll, T.J . Kirkpatrick, ” Michael Kikukawa, Lori Esposito Murray, Ms, Murray, Jeanna Smialek Organizations: Republican, Democratic, Company, Biden, House Energy, Commerce, American Energy Alliance, ClearView Energy Partners, The New York Times, NextEra Energy, Republicans, Center, Engie, White, Economic Development, Conference Board, “ Locations: States, China, New Hampshire, America, Indiana, Texas, Irvine , Calif

ATLANTA (AP) — Since Jimmy Carter entered hospice care at his home in south Georgia one year ago, the former U.S. president has celebrated his 99th birthday, enjoyed tributes to his legacy and lost his wife of 77 years. Those advocates commend the Carter family for demonstrating the realities of aging, dementia and death. Almost half of Medicare patients who died that year did so under hospice care. JIMMY CARTER’S ENDURANCE IS NOT UNUSUALIn 2021, the average stay of hospice patients who died was 92 days, MedPAC calculated. About 10% of enrollees who die in hospice care stayed more than 264 days.

Persons: Jimmy Carter, Rosalynn Carter, Carter, “ It’s, ”, Angela Novas, it’s, “, Mollie Gurian, ” Gurian, Gurian, Chip Carter, Jimmy, Rosalynn, Novas, JIMMY CARTER’S, ’, Jimmy Carter’s, JIMMY CARTER, ” Novas Organizations: ATLANTA, Hospice Foundation of America, Medicare, Advisory, Novas, The Washington Post Locations: Georgia, Washington, Plains, U.S, “

☆ Jimmy Carter’s Long Goodbye
▼ + stars: | 2024-02-17 | by ( Peter Baker | ) www.nytimes.com time to read: +1 min

But Jimmy Carter has been confounding expectations throughout a life that has lasted nearly a century. As it turns out, there have been more final days than he or anyone around him anticipated. Hospice care is meant to ease the end for both patient and family, prescribed for those with less than six months to live. About half of those who enter hospice care last no more than 17 days. Mr. Carter, the only president ever to live to age 99, seems destined to keep pushing the limits.

Persons: Jimmy Carter, Carter Locations: Plains , Ga

(AP) — The Missouri Supreme Court on Wednesday rejected the latest attempt by Republican state officials to block taxpayer dollars from going to Planned Parenthood, citing a failure in the state's legal appeal. The high court's decision upholds a ruling by a trial judge, who found that a 2022 funding bill violated the state constitution. The Supreme Court said Republican Attorney General Andrew Bailey's office failed to appeal the equal protection claim and it thus must stand. Missouri's Republican-led Legislature has tried for years to block any health care funding from going to Planned Parenthood because of its association with abortion. Lawmakers have been trying since then to reinstate a ban on funding for Planned Parenthood.

Persons: Andrew Bailey's, Yamelsie Rodriguez, Emily Wales Organizations: JEFFERSON CITY, Missouri Supreme, Republican, Missouri's Republican, U.S, Supreme, Lawmakers, Democratic Locations: Mo, Missouri, Louis Region, Southwest Missouri, Missouri's

☆ 11 US cities with the best mix of jobs, pay, and affordability
▼ + stars: | 2024-02-07 | by ( Noah Sheidlower | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +7 min

Raleigh and Boise also placed high for large cities, while Idaho Falls ranked first for small cities. Per the rankings, only 11 large cities and seven small cities were classified as Tier 1, placing high among many metrics. Big cities also saw their tech sectors grow much faster than small cities. Philadelphia jumped 130 places between 2023 and 2024 in the large cities list, while Manhattan, Kansas, rose 160 places for small cities. AdvertisementFour of the top seven small cities were in Idaho, exemplified by Coeur d'Alene, Twin Falls, and Pocatello.

Persons: Austin, —, Milken, hasn't, Richmond , Virginia —, Paso Robles, El Centro Organizations: Milken Institute, Raleigh, Idaho Falls, Service, Boise, Bureau of Labor Statistics, Idaho National Laboratory, Obispo Locations: Boise, Austin, Raleigh, Los Angeles, Long, Glendale and New York, Jersey, White, Sunbelt, Provo, Orem, Utah, Salt Lake City, Elgin , Illinois, Houston, , Texas, Richmond , Virginia, Charleston, North Charleston, South Carolina, Philadelphia, Manhattan , Kansas, Wichita, Lawrence, Kansas, Idaho, Coeur d'Alene, Twin Falls, Pocatello . Idaho, California, San Luis, Arroyo Grande, Modesto, El

☆ Green Plains stock jumps after company announces strategic review, standstill with Ancora
▼ + stars: | 2024-02-07 | by ( Rohan Goswami | In Rohangoswamicnbc | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +2 min

Ethanol producer and agri-tech company Green Plains said Wednesday that it would initiate a strategic review, a year after activist investor Ancora sent a letter to its board encouraging it to do just that. Ancora, a 6.8% shareholder per FactSet data, and Green Plains have also signed a cooperation agreement, which includes a standstill. The strategic review will explore value enhancements up to and including a merger or sale, the company said. Green Plains had diversified beyond pure-play ethanol production to build out clean sugar and corn oil production. Green Plains is one of the largest domestic producers of ethanol and was founded in 2004.

Persons: Ancora, Todd Becker, Robinson Organizations: Plains, Department of Energy, Norfolk, Disney, Hasbro, 13D, CNBC PRO Locations: Green, Green Plains, U.S

☆ The vast majority of California flood victims’ losses won’t be covered by insurance
▼ + stars: | 2024-02-05 | by ( Chris Isidore | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +3 min

Story highlights Less than 1% of homes in the affected area have flood insurance LA has over 10 million residents but fewer than 15,000 flood insurance policies Federal flood insurance covers $250,000 worth of damageThe typical homeowners’ policy won’t cover loss from flood damage. That is covered by the National Flood Insurance Program, a part of the Federal Emergency Management Agency. Even some of those with flood insurance could find their policies won’t cover all of their losses. Homeowners can buy excess flood insurance coverage to match the limits of coverage on their homeowners policies, but many do not bother to do so. The NFIP estimates that more than 40% of NFIP flood insurance claims come from outside the high-risk flood zones.

Persons: Lee Organizations: New, New York CNN, National Flood Insurance, Federal Emergency Management Agency, Southern, Bureau, Fort Myers, Homeowners Locations: New York, California, Florida, Southern California, Angeles County, Lee County , Florida, Fort, United States

The highway is the most politically charged slice of a politically turbulent country. It winds 180 miles from Pakistan’s capital, Islamabad, through the fertile plains of Punjab Province to Lahore, the nation’s cultural and political heart. For centuries, it was known only as a sliver of the Grand Trunk Road, Asia’s longest and oldest thoroughfare, linking traders in Central Asia to the Indian subcontinent. As Pakistan heads into national elections on Thursday, the road is buzzing. Politics dominates the chatter between its vendors and rickshaw drivers, their conversations seeped in a culture of conspiracy, cults of political personality and the problems of entrenched military control.

Locations: Pakistan’s, Islamabad, Punjab Province, Lahore, Central Asia, Pakistan

☆ New Macy's CEO Tony Spring looks to revive a 166-year-old retailer fighting for relevance
▼ + stars: | 2024-02-04 | by ( Melissa Repko | In Melissa-Repko | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +9 min

Spring is former CEO of Bloomingdale's and begins as Macy's CEO in February 2024, succeeding longtime Macy's CEO Jeff Gennette, right. Spring will step onto a bigger stage and inherit the iconic department store's issues when he takes over the role of Macy's CEO on Sunday. He said after leading "the better-run part of the business" in Bloomingdale's, Spring needs to bring those "softer skills" to Macy's. Wooing investors and brandsIn his new role, Spring will have to charm investors, shoppers and hot brands. Macy's struggles have turned the retailer into a target for the activist investors Spring will face down as he becomes CEO.

Persons: Spring, Jeff Gennette, Melissa Repko, Macy's, Tony Spring, Bloomingdale's, Neil Saunders, Gennette, Tony, I'm, Sandro, Alice, Olivia, GlobalData's Saunders, Saunders, Jan, Arkhouse, Gavriel Kahane Organizations: CNBC, Herald, Investors, Maxx, Walmart, Cornell University, Arkhouse Management, Brigade Capital Management Locations: New York, Macy's, White Plains , New York, Bloomingdale's

☆ 8 more of our stocks report earnings next week. Here's what we want to see
▼ + stars: | 2024-02-03 | by ( Zev Fima | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +13 min

The three major averages posted gains for the fourth week in row, lifted by strong quarterly earnings results for most of the Big Tech companies and a strong jobs report. A weaker ADP Employment report on Wednesday provided no read-through to the monster January jobs report Friday. Here's what we're keeping an eye on in the coming week: 1. Earnings: It's another big earnings week head for the portfolio, with 8 more of our companies reporting. Consistency is what we appreciate most from nat gas giant Linde , so we're hoping for another quarter of solid earnings growth Tuesday.

Persons: Estee Lauder, Eli Lilly, Mounjaro, Nelson Peltz, Estée Lauder, Tyson, CARR, Jacobs, Willis Towers Watson, Edwards, Walt Disney, Oscar Health, Philip Morris, Armour, BAX, BILL, Jim Cramer's, Jim Cramer, Jim, George Frey Organizations: Big Tech, Dow Jones Industrial, Nasdaq, PMI, Apple, Starbucks, Procter, Gamble, GE Healthcare, DuPont, Linde, Ford, General Motors, Trian Partners, Disney, ESPN, Wynn Resorts, Wynn, Vegas, Prix, Estée Lauder Companies, Caterpillar, McDonalds Corp, Allegiant Travel, Bowlero Corp, Tyson Foods, TSN, Air Products & Chemicals, IDEXX Laboratories, CNA Financial Corp, CNA, Timken Company, Graham Corporation, Mesa Laboratories, Sphere Entertainment, Loews Corp, Technologies, Vertex Pharmaceuticals, Semiconductors, Simon Property Group, Amkor Technology, FMC Corporation, FMC, BellRing Brands, Crown Holdings, ChampionX Corporation, Golub Capital BDC, Flexsteel Industries, Kilroy Realty Corp, Gladstone Capital Corp, Unibanco, S.A, Snack Foods Corp, Kimball Electronics, Skyline Corp, Cabot Corporation, Simpson Manufacturing Co, Varonis Systems, Co, GE HealthCare, Linde plc, LIN, Spotify Technology S.A, BP, Hertz Global Holdings, AeroSystems Holdings, Toyota Motor Corp, Cummins, CMI, Software Technologies, AGCO Corporation, Carrier Global Corporation, Lear Corp, CONSOL Energy, Centene Corporation, Gartner, Arcbest Corp, CTS Corporation, Energizer Holdings, Hamilton Lane Incorporated, KKR, Precision Drilling Corporation, Frontier Group Holdings, Waters Corp, Alfa Laval, Aramark Holdings Corp, FirstService Corporation, Garden Sports Corp, New Jersey Resources Corp, nVent Electric plc, PJT Partners, Resources, Sensata Technologies, Ford Motor Company, Enphase Energy, Grill, VF Corp, Edwards Lifesciences Corp, Gilead Sciences, Lumen Technologies, Cognizant Technology Solutions Corp, Weatherford International plc, Amcor plc, Arrowhead Pharmaceuticals, Advanced Energy Industries, Uber Technologies, CVS Health, Roblox Corporation, Ares Capital Corp, Bunge, XPO Logistics, Scotts Miracle, Gro Company, Berry Global, Flex LNG, Equinor ASA, Griffon Corporation, OneMain Holdings, Brookfield Asset Management, Emerson Electric Co, Hilton Worldwide Holdings, Reynolds Consumer Products, Silicon Laboratories, Brands, Sciences, CDW Corp, Fox Corporation, WYNN, PayPal, Arm Holdings plc, ARM, Axcelis Technologies, Mattel, Paycom, Annaly Capital Management, McKesson Corp, Health Corporation, O'Reilly Automotive, Allstate Corp, Fluence Energy, Power Systems, Digital Turbine, Blue Bird Corp, Everest Group, Omega HealthCare, Coty, COTY, ConocoPhillips, Cameco Corp, Philip Morris International, Spirit Airlines, Hershey Company, Lightspeed Commerce, Aurora Cannabis, Lincoln National Corp, P, Tenet Healthcare Corp, Asbury Automotive Group, Arrow Electronics, Baxter International, PetMed, Boyd Gaming Corp, FirstEnergy Corp, Motorola Solutions, Terex Corp, PepsiCo, Growth, AMC Networks, Owl, American Pipeline, TELUS International, Magna International, Newell Brands, Jim Cramer's Charitable, CNBC, Bloomberg, Getty Locations: U.S, China, Macau, Wynn Macau, Valvoline, VVV, ALFVY, Madison, New Jersey, Gilead, Ceridian, ORLY, Paycor, Aurora, Provo , Utah

But there's some unexpected good news: The rate of new gonorrhea cases fell for the first time in a decade. Total cases surpassed 207,000 in 2022, the highest count in the United States since 1950, according to data released Tuesday. About 59,000 of the 2022 cases involved the most infectious forms of syphilis. STD testing was disrupted during the COVID-19 pandemic, and officials believe that's the reason the chlamydia rate fell in 2020. “We are encouraged by the magnitude of the decline,” Mermin said, though the gonorrhea rate is still higher now than it was pre-pandemic.

Persons: It's, gonorrhea, Philip Chan, Meghan O’Connell, O'Connell, Jonathan Mermin, ” Mermin Organizations: U.S . Centers for Disease Control, Prevention, CDC, Brown University, Plains Tribal, ’, U.S . Department of Health, Human Services, District of Columbia, CDC’s National Center, HIV, Associated Press Health, Science Department, Howard Hughes Medical Institute’s Science, Educational Media Group, AP Locations: United States, U.S, Providence , Rhode Island, Alaska, South Dakota, New Mexico, South, Rapid City , South Dakota

☆ Leading Museums Remove Native Displays Amid New Federal Rules
▼ + stars: | 2024-01-26 | by ( Julia Jacobs | Zachary Small | ) www.nytimes.com time to read: +1 min

The American Museum of Natural History will close two major halls exhibiting Native American objects, its leaders said on Friday, in a dramatic response to new federal regulations that require museums to obtain consent from tribes before displaying or performing research on cultural items. “The halls we are closing are artifacts of an era when museums such as ours did not respect the values, perspectives and indeed shared humanity of Indigenous peoples,” Sean Decatur, the museum’s president, wrote in a letter to the museum’s staff on Friday morning. That will leave nearly 10,000 square feet of exhibition space in the storied museum on the Upper West Side of Manhattan off-limits to visitors; the museum said it could not provide an exact timeline for when the reconsidered exhibits would reopen. “Some objects may never come back on display as a result of the consultation process,” Decatur said in an interview. “But we are looking to create smaller-scale programs throughout the museum that can explain what kind of process is underway.”

Persons: Sean Decatur, ” Decatur, ” Organizations: American Museum of, Eastern Locations: Eastern Woodlands, Manhattan

☆ Lion attacks: How to stay safe on safaris in Africa
▼ + stars: | 2024-01-25 | by ( Forrest Brown | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +17 min

It was July of 2022, and the co-founder of Discover Africa Safaris was out in the bush near the Khwai River in northern Botswana. African lions are fully capable of attacking, killing and even eating humans, and it’s generally estimated about 250 people a year die in lion attacks. WLDavies/E+/Getty ImagesOnly about 23,000 lions remain in sub-Saharan Africa, found mostly in Eastern and Southern Africa, Muruthi said. Before your trip, It's important to study up on safety tips -- such as remaining inside your safari vehicle when lions and other wild animals approach. Secondly, fleeing indicates to the lion you’re frightened and now possible prey, turning what might have initially been a mock charge to test you into a real attack.

Persons: Steve Conradie, Discover Africa Safaris, — “, ‘, ” Conradie, “, ”, ’ Steven Conradie, …, Conradie, Philip Muruthi, He’s, Muruthi, Masai, ’, ” Muruthi, Paul A, Andre Van Kets, Van Kets, Martin Harvey, It’s, you’re, don’t, they'll, Robert Muckley, There’s, Anup Shah, ” Van Kets, I’d, — Organizations: CNN, Discover, Lion Recovery, African Wildlife Foundation, Masai Mara, Reserve, East, ” Lions, International Union for, Nature, Sacramento Zoo, PLOS, Africa Tourists, Bank, Kenya Geographic, San Diego Zoo Wildlife Alliance, Lions, … Locations: Discover Africa, Botswana, South Africa, Africa, Zimbabwe, Hwange, Kenya, Saharan Africa, Eastern, Southern Africa, Tanzania, East Africa, California, Namibia

But the initial count matches the confirmed number of human cases in 2022, after 15 were recorded in 2021. Political Cartoons View All 253 ImagesNine of the 13 provisional human cases in 2023 occurred in Chad, two in South Sudan and one each in Cameroon and Mali. The provisional count includes no Guinea worm cases in Ethiopia, down from one case in 2022. Humans typically contract Guinea worm disease through contaminated water sources that contain organisms that eat Guinea worm larvae. Donald Hopkins, the Carter Center's senior advisor for Guinea worm eradication and architect of the eradication campaign, credited residents in the affected areas.

Persons: Jimmy Carter, House Carter, ”, Jason Carter, Carter, Rosalynn Carter, uptick, Donald Hopkins, Carter Center's, ” Hopkins Organizations: ATLANTA, The Carter, House, Carter Center Locations: Guinea, Africa, Asia, Plains , Georgia, Angola, Cameroon, Chad, South Sudan, Mali, Ethiopia

☆ Artist Carl Andre, known for minimalist sculptures and a murder trial, dies at 88
▼ + stars: | 2024-01-25 | by ( Wallace Ludel | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +8 min

American artist and sculptor Carl Andre pictured at London's Whitechapel Gallery in London on March 15, 1978. Andre’s work often consisted of industrially fabricated forms made from simple, raw material — such as metal, granite, wood, and brick — arranged in free-standing patterns. His death passing was confirmed on Wednesday by the Paula Cooper Gallery, with which the artist had worked since 1964. “My father always said, ‘I am old school and European, and my wife does not work,’” Andre told the magazine. Ken Hively/Los Angeles Times/Getty ImagesIn 1970, after just over a decade in New York, Andre received his first major museum survey, at the Guggenheim Museum.

Persons: Carl Andre, — Carl Andre, Paula Cooper, Ana Mendieta, Andre, ” Andre, George Andre —, “, Margaret Johnson, ‘, ’ ” Andre, ”, Frank Stella, Stella —, “ They’re, They’re, Ken Hively, Peter Schjeldahl, “ Andre, Mendieta, Helen Molesworth, Angeles’s Museum of Contemporary Art —, “ Carl Andre, Melissa Kretschmer Organizations: The Art, CNN, Phillips Academy, Kenyon College, Army, Northeastern University —, Tate, Los Angeles Times, Guggenheim Museum, The New York Times, Dia Beacon, Angeles’s Museum of Contemporary Art, Artforum Locations: London, American, New York City, Quincy , Massachusetts, United States, Sweden, “ The, Andover , Massachusetts, Beverly Hills, New York, Greenwich Village

☆ ‘Hot drought’ in the West is unprecedented in at least 5 centuries, study suggests
▼ + stars: | 2024-01-24 | by ( Rachel Ramirez | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +3 min

CNN —The West’s recent heat-driven megadroughts are unprecedented in at least 500 years, new research shows. “Hot drought” — when extreme drought and heat occur simultaneously — has increased in severity and frequency over the last century due to human-caused climate change, according to a study published Wednesday in the journal Science Advances. While the previous study measured the length and width of the tree rings to gauge drought conditions, King’s research analyzed the density of the rings to measure how temperatures changed over time. “More dense rings mean warmer temperatures, and less dense rings mean cooler temperatures, typically,” King explained. “Water security and wildfire will become bigger problems until climate change is stopped,” said Overpeck, who was not involved with the study but has done research on hot droughts.

Persons: ”, Karen King, ” King, King, Jonathan Overpeck, Overpeck Organizations: CNN, University of Tennessee, University of Michigan’s School for Environment, Sustainability Locations: Knoxville, Pacific Northwest, Utah , Arizona, Colorado

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