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This is the first part in a series exploring Baltimore’s overdose crisis. People in Baltimore have been dying of overdoses at a rate never before seen in a major American city. In the past six years, nearly 6,000 lives have been lost. The city set ambitious goals, distributed Narcan widely, experimented with ways to steer people into treatment and ratcheted up campaigns to alert the public. Many of those efforts to fight overdoses stalled, an examination by The New York Times and The Baltimore Banner has found.

Organizations: New York Times, Baltimore Locations: Baltimore, American, Appalachia, York

☆ Home sales slipped unexpectedly in April, despite big gains in supply
▼ + stars: | 2024-05-22 | by ( Diana Olick | In Dianaolick | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +3 min

Sales of homes priced below $100,000 fell 7.1% year over year, while sales of those priced over $1 million jumped 40%. The median price of an existing home sold in April was $407,600, an increase of 5.7% year over year. The median price in the Northeast was $458,500, up 8.5% year over year. The median price in the West was $629,600, up 9.3% from April 2023. Correction: The supply of homes priced at more than $1 million was up 34% year over year.

Persons: Lawrence Yun, Yun Organizations: National Association of Realtors, Realtors Locations: Issaquah Highlands, Issaquah , Washington, US, Midwest, West

Multiple fatalities and some injuries have been reported in the small city of Greenfield, Iowa – about 50 miles southwest of Des Moines – after a tornado carved a devastating path through the community Tuesday evening, Iowa State Patrol spokesperson Sgt. “There is basically nothing left,” Clel Baudler, a former Iowa state representative who lives a half mile from Greenfield, told CNN on Tuesday. Power outages across Iowa, Wisconsin and Illinois left nearly 200,000 homes and businesses in the dark as of Tuesday night, according to PowerOutage.us. A few tornadoes could strike from Texas to Arkansas, but hail and powerful winds are possible anywhere along the storms’ path. Heaps of rubble blanket Greenfield, Iowa, after a tornado touched down Tuesday.

Persons: Alex Dinkla, Dinkla, Clel, Kim Reynolds, Charlie Neibergall, Valerie Warrior, KCCI, “, ”, “ They’ll, CNN’s Jessica Jordan, Sara Smart, Amy Simonson Organizations: CNN, Midwest, Des Moines, Iowa State Patrol, Storm Prediction Center Locations: Iowa, Greenfield , Iowa, Des, Greenfield, Iowa , Wisconsin, Illinois, Texas, Vermont, Ohio, Great, Arkansas, Oklahoma, Dallas, Fort Worth, Nashville, St, Louis, Memphis, Cleveland, Tulsa, Columbus, Iowa , Minnesota , Wisconsin, Western Iowa, Prescott, Adams County, Montgomery County

☆ How RFK Kennedy Jr. turned from tragedy and tumult to environmentalism before becoming the face of vaccine skepticism
▼ + stars: | 2024-05-22 | by ( Brent D. Griffiths | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +10 min

Read previewRobert F. Kennedy's children have spent a lifetime trying to add their marks to their slain father's legacy. The first Kennedy to run for the presidency in decades, Robert F. Kennedy Jr. is doing so without the family's well-documented loyalty. Born into privilege in 1954, Robert F. Kennedy Jr. was raised between Massachusetts and suburban Virginia estates. Robert F. Kennedy Jr. was later a pallbearer at his father's funeral, joined by Astronaut John Glenn and former Defense Secretary Robert McNamara. Robert F. Kennedy Jr. was one of the pallbearers in his father's funeral.

Persons: —, Robert, Robert F, Kennedy, Kennedy Jr, McLean, Ethel Kennedy, wasn't, Kathleen, Joseph P ., Hubert Humphery's, Astronaut John Glenn, Robert McNamara, Michael Ochs, Jack Paar, Oprah, Frank M, Johnson Jr, Emily Black, Robert Morgenthau, JFK, Robert Boyle, Mary Richardson, Kerry Kennedy, Boyle, William Wegner, Wegner, Wegener, spasmodic dysphonia, Richardson, Cheryl Hines, Larry David Organizations: Service, Camelot, Business, RFK, Georgetown Preparatory School, Astronaut, Michael Ochs Archives, Georgetown Prep, Millbrook School, Harvard, JFK, RFK Jr, Civil, London School of Economics, University of Virginia Law School, Southern, of, The New York Times, Natural Resources Defense Council, Fishermen's Association, Washington Post, Hudson, Time Magazine, Los Angeles Times, STAT, World Health Defense Fund, Associated Press Locations: Massachusetts, Virginia, Hickory Hill, McLean , Virginia, New York, Charlottesville, Black's, Bloomington , Indiana, Dominican Republic, Manhattan, of New York, South Dakota, York, Hudson, Bedford

☆ How Red Lobster choked on its own Endless Shrimp deal
▼ + stars: | 2024-05-21 | by ( Allison Morrow | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +4 min

First, Red Lobster got screwed by private equity. Back in 2014, the Darden restaurant group spun off Red Lobster to a private equity firm. Thai Union, under Kenny’s direction, elbowed out other shrimp suppliers, “leaving Thai Union with an exclusive deal that led to higher costs to Red Lobster,” according to the filing. And if you’re the exclusive provider of shrimp to America’s biggest seafood chain, what’d be better than making that limited-time all-you-can-eat shrimp deal a permanent menu item? The all-you-can-eat shrimp deal alone didn’t doom Red Lobster, but boy did it do some damage at a time when the chain was already buckling.

Persons: Nathaniel Meyersohn, ”, Management wasn’t, Jonathan Tibus, Tibus, Paul Kenny, Kenny Organizations: New, New York CNN, Darden, Management, Thai Union, CNN Locations: New York, foundering, Bangkok, Thai

The 2024 list is out — and the best cities to live in are mostly in the South and the Midwest. AdvertisementThis year's top spots include a few cities consistently ranked among the best places to live, including booming Boise, Idaho, sandstone-hued Colorado Springs, and the southern banking hub of Charlotte, North Carolina. In addition to the availability of jobs and housing, US News & World Report places a strong emphasis on the overall standard of living in each area. AdvertisementAccording to US News & World Report, here are the 15 best places to live in the US. In these spots, residents are pretty satisfied with their lives, homes are relatively affordable, and there are plenty of jobs.

Persons: —, Louis, glamor Organizations: Service, Business, Federal Reserve Bank of St, US News Locations: United States, Boise , Idaho, Colorado, Charlotte , North Carolina, Austin , Texas, Carolina, Greenville, Charleston , South Carolina, Naples , Florida, Naples

☆ At Least 1 Dead as Damaging Storms Strike Iowa
▼ + stars: | 2024-05-21 | by ( Judson Jones | Orlando Mayorquín | ) www.nytimes.com time to read: +1 min

Damaging storms brought punishing winds and possible tornadoes to Iowa on Tuesday afternoon, leaving at least one dead and causing considerable destruction in the latest in a run of severe weather to have struck the Midwest in recent weeks. A woman suffered a storm-related death in Adams County, according to Lisa Brown, the county’s medical examiner. One of the structures appeared to have caught fire, releasing a large plume of smoke. Footage circulating on social media appeared to show extensive damage in a residential area of Greenfield, Iowa, a small city of about 2,000 residents in Adair County about 50 miles southwest of Des Moines. Video captured by a storm chaser showed a stretch of homes that had been reduced to piles of wood and rubble, and people being escorted away by emergency officials.

Persons: Lisa Brown Organizations: Des Moines . Locations: Iowa, Adams County, Des Moines, Greenfield , Iowa, Adair County

☆ Here's how much money you need to make to be middle class in each US state
▼ + stars: | 2024-05-20 | by ( Noah Sheidlower | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +4 min

A Business Insider analysis of US Census Bureau data reveals that while 52.7% of Utah's population falls in the middle class, just 42.3% of New Yorkers are middle class. Pew Research Center defines being middle class as earning between two-thirds and double each state's median income. Still, the median income per state can be as high as $101,000 and as low as $52,700, meaning that being middle class in one state could be either lower or upper class in another state. Many on the lower end of the middle class are particularly worried about having enough to meet all their daily needs while also saving for retirement. Do you feel middle class?

Persons: — Organizations: Service, Pew Research, Business, Census Locations: In Texas, Minnesota, Utah , Idaho, Alaska, States, Delaware , Wisconsin, Wyoming, Midwest, New York , Louisiana, Massachusetts, New Jersey , Maryland, New Hampshire, . New York , California , Connecticut, Virginia, Alaska , Utah, Idaho, Washington , DC . Mississippi, West Virginia, . New York, Massachusetts , Montana, Hawaii, Colorado, nsheidlower@businessinsider.com

☆ With JPMorgan, Mastercard on board in biometric 'breakthrough' year, you may soon start paying with your face
▼ + stars: | 2024-05-20 | by ( Todd Wasserman | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +5 min

In January, Steak 'N Shake, a fast-casual restaurant in the Midwest, started installing facial recognition kiosks in its 300 locations for patron check-in. "We believe our partnership with JPMorgan is a watershed moment for biometric payments as it represents the first time a leading merchant acquirer has agreed to push biometric payments to its merchant customers," Miller said. "JPMorgan brings the kind of credibility and assurance that both merchants and consumers need to adopt biometric payments." The majority still prefer fingerprint scans to facial recognition, according to a 2023 survey from PYMENTS, but age is a factor. Juniper Research forecasts over 100% market growth for global biometric payments between 2024 and 2028, and by 2025, $3 trillion in mobile, biometric-secured payments.

Persons: PopID, Dennis Gamiello, John Miller, Miller, acquirer, Sheldon Jacobson, Jacobson Organizations: Foods, Mastercard, NEC, Target, AliPay, KFC, JPMorgan, Consumers, Juniper Research, University of Illinois, Facebook Locations: Flippy, Pasadena , Calif, Midwest, Brazil, Asia, Pacific, Illinois, China, McDonald's, U.S, Urbana, Champaign

☆ Millions are at risk for severe weather as storms could bring tennis ball-sized hail today
▼ + stars: | 2024-05-19 | by ( Dalia Faheid | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +5 min

CNN —Millions across parts of the Central Plains are at risk for severe weather Sunday that could bring tornadoes, tennis ball-sized hail and damaging winds to the area. “Destructive wind swaths of 80-100 mph may occur, with localized extreme gusts exceeding 100 mph possible,” the Storm Prediction Center warned. The severe weather in Houston Thursday included a derecho with 100 mph winds. “Scattered severe storms are expected to affect the region Sunday afternoon and evening,” the National Weather Service in Wichita said. Through early next week, the Central US faces an increasing threat of severe weather and excessive rainfall, according to the National Weather Service.

Persons: “ We’re, Matt Elliott, “, Storms Organizations: CNN, Storm, Storm Prediction Center, Storm Prediction, National Weather Service Locations: Central, Gulf Coast, Plains, United States, Florida, Georgia, South Carolina, Central Plains, Houston, Kansas, Dodge City, Salina, Hutchinson, Garden City, Hays, Wichita, Michigan , Wisconsin, Illinois, Chicago, Detroit, Mississippi, Lower Michigan, Harris County

☆ Mercedes-Benz workers in Alabama vote against unionizing in blow to big UAW push
▼ + stars: | 2024-05-17 | by ( Ramishah Maruf | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +7 min

Out of the valid votes counted, 56% of workers voted “no,” while 44% voted “yes” for unionization, according to Mercedes-Benz. Under relatively new UAW president Shawn Fain, the UAW had shifted its strategy for a membership push in non-unionized factories, many of which are located in the American South. David Johnston, right, a worker at Mercedes, thanks UAW President Shawn Fain following a press conference in Tuscaloosa, Alabama on May 17, 2024, after workers at two Alabama Mercedes-Benz factories voted overwhelmingly against joining the United Auto Workers union. Alabama is not Michigan, and we are not the Sweet Home to the UAW,” Ivey said in the statement. People react as the result of a vote comes in favour of the hourly factory workers at Volkswagen's assembly plant to join the United Auto Workers (UAW) union, at a watch party in Chattanooga, Tennessee, U.S., April 19, 2024.

Persons: Shawn Fain, Fain, ”, ” “, ” Fain, David Johnston, Kim Chandler, “, Kay Ivey, Vance, ” Ivey, Mercedes, Tesla, Seth, Wheaton, Mercedes plant’s, It’s, Mercedes Benz, ” Wheaton, “ It’s, Chris Isidore, Nathaniel Meyersohn Organizations: New, New York CNN, United Auto Workers, Mercedes, Benz, The National Labor Relations Board, UAW, Alabama, Big Three, Volkswagen, International, Team, Workers, Alabama Gov, Benz US International, Member, ” CNN, US, BMW, Honda, Hyundai, Mazda, Nissan, Subaru, Toyota, Volvo, Seth Herald, Reuters, Chattanooga, Volkswagen didn’t, Cornell University School of Industrial and Labor Relations ’, CNN, P Global Market Intelligence Locations: New York, Benz, Alabama, United States, Chattanooga , Tennessee, American, Tuscaloosa , Alabama, MBUSI, Alabama , Georgia , Mississippi, South Carolina , Tennessee, Texas, Michigan, U.S, Cornell University School of Industrial and Labor Relations ’ Buffalo

☆ A man convinced me to leave my career and become a housewife. We split 15 years ago, and I still regret quitting.
▼ + stars: | 2024-05-17 | by ( Jennifer Stavros | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +4 min

Years ago, in what feels like another life, I elected to trade my freedoms to be a housewife because my then-husband said it was the right thing to do. I would never wish this experience to be insisted on anyone, especially knowing everything I do now. My ex-husband insisted I didn't need to worry about things because he would care for me. But 15 years after my marriage, I'm still trying to compensate for the time and heart lost in that one decision. If I had a time machine, I would, without hesitation, go back and change my choice of being a housewife in my 20s.

Persons: I'd, Young, didn't, Harrison Butker, I'm Organizations: Kansas Chiefs Locations: Midwest, San Diego

☆ At Last, Detroit Sees Population Grow, New Estimates Show
▼ + stars: | 2024-05-16 | by ( Julie Bosman | ) www.nytimes.com time to read: +1 min

After decades of painful decline, Detroit’s population grew in 2023, according to new estimates released on Thursday by the Census Bureau. The increase — to 633,218 from 631,366 residents — was slight, lifting Detroit to slightly below levels of 2021. City leaders have long promised to reverse Detroit’s long decline in residents brought on by the shrinking of the auto industry, flight to the suburbs and municipal bankruptcy. The new census estimates showed similar, moderate population rebounds for many big cities in the Midwest and Northeast after previous pandemic-era declines. In the Midwest, cities of that size grew 0.1 percent in 2023 after declining an average of 0.2 percent the year before.

Persons: — Organizations: Census, Detroit Locations: Midwest

☆ What’s at stake in the union election at a Mercedes-Benz plant in Alabama
▼ + stars: | 2024-05-16 | by ( Ramishah Maruf | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +9 min

New York CNN —A high-stakes union election is underway at a Mercedes-Benz plant near Tuscaloosa, Alabama, the only plant for the luxury automaker in North America. The fallout will be significant whether the workers at Mercedes-Benz vote to join the United Auto Workers union or not. And last month, it won a union election at a Volkswagen plant in Chattanooga, Tennessee, its first victory in three attempts to organize the factory. Though a union win could generate momentum, it doesn’t mean a victory will mean other plants can overcome management opposition at other foreign-owned plants. Non-union automakers have already begun their response to the big union victories thus far.

Persons: Shawn Fain, Fain, ”, —, Tesla, Mercedes, Mercedes ’, “, MBUSI, Wheaton, Mercedes plant’s, It’s, Mercedes Benz, ” Wheaton, “ It’s, Harry Katz, ” Katz, Katz, ’ ” Katz, they’ve, CNN’s Chris Isidore, Nathaniel Meyersohn Organizations: New, New York CNN, Benz, Mercedes, United Auto Workers, UAW, Big Three, Volkswagen, Kia, Toyota, US, BMW, Honda, Hyundai, Mazda, Nissan, Subaru, Volvo, Team, The National Labor Relations Board, Benz US International, Member, Volkswagen didn’t, Cornell University School of Industrial and Labor Relations ’, CNN, “ Labor, Big, – GM, Ford, Cornell University School of Industrial and Labor Relations, P Global Market Intelligence, General Motors Locations: New York, Tuscaloosa , Alabama, North America, Chattanooga , Tennessee, United States, Vance , Alabama, Tuscaloosa, ”, Cornell University School of Industrial and Labor Relations ’ Buffalo, Alabama, Alabama , Georgia , Mississippi, South Carolina , Tennessee, Texas

Blum turned to programs mostly in states where abortion access — and, by extension, abortion training — is likely to remain protected, like California, Colorado, and New Mexico. The AAMC analysis found the number of applicants to OB-GYN residency programs in abortion ban states dropped by 6.7%, compared with a 0.4% increase in states where abortion remains legal. For internal medicine, the drop observed in abortion ban states was over five times as much as in states where abortion is legal. The AAMC analysis notes that even in states with abortion bans, residency programs are filling their positions — mostly because there are more graduating medical students in the U.S. and abroad than there are residency slots. Stulberg and others worry that this self-selection away from states with abortion restrictions will exacerbate the shortages of physicians in rural and underserved areas.

Persons: — Isabella Rosario Blum, Blum, —, “, ”, Atul Grover, ” Jack Resneck Jr, Wade, Resneck, Beverly Gray, Gray, Duke, Rohini Kousalya Siva, Kousalya Siva, “ We’re, Debra Stulberg, Stulberg, Hannah Light, Olson, Dr, Sanjay Gupta Organizations: Health, —, Association of American Medical Colleges, KFF Health, OB, Research, Action Institute, American Medical Association, Duke University School of Medicine, MedStar Washington Hospital Center, Washington , D.C, D.C, American Medical Student Association, Department of Family Medicine, University of Chicago, University of California, CNN, CNN Health, Residents, KFF Locations: Arizona, California , Colorado, New Mexico . Arizona, Seattle, Midwest, U.S, North Carolina, Washington ,, Maryland , New Hampshire , New York, Washington, Virginia, Tennessee, San Francisco, California, New York

☆ As Insurers Around the U.S. Bleed Cash From Climate Shocks, Homeowners Lose
▼ + stars: | 2024-05-13 | by ( Christopher Flavelle | Mira Rojanasakul | ) www.nytimes.com time to read: +28 min

2013 2014 2015 2016 2017 2018 2019 2020 2021 2022 2023 Colo. Colo. Mass. Iowa Iowa Neb. 2013 2014 2015 2016 2017 2018 2019 2020 2021 2022 2023 Colo. Colo. Mass. Iowa Iowa Neb. 2013 2014 2015 2016 2017 2018 2019 2020 2021 2022 2023 Colo. Colo. Mass.

Persons: Dave Langston’s, Langston, ”, Dave, Linda Langston, Conn ., S.D, N.M, “, Dave Jones, Carolyn Kousky, “ It’s, Sridhar Manyem, Bill Montgomery, Kristin Heiges, Eldon Neighbor, That’s, Tom O’Meara, Kelsey Kremer, Reinsurers, Doug Ommen, Brandi Mace Storm, David Storm, Tim Kuehner’s, Brandi Mace Storm’s, haggling, Pekin, Mace Storm, Susan Crisler, Tim Kuehner, Tony J, Larson, Chesleigh Fowler, Kelley Erstine, Mr, Erstine, ” Kevin Walters, California Colorado Utah Washington Matt Child, Matthew Baker, Ariz, ” Mr, Baker, Amy Bach, United, Dave Langston, Ommen, Tim Zawacki, Lyndsey Layton, Douglas Alteen, Claire O'Neill, Matt McCann Organizations: IOWA MINNESOTA SOUTH, COLORADO ARKANSAS, NEBRASKA COLORADO, SOUTH, New York Times, Ark . Iowa Ariz, Minn, La . Iowa Iowa Neb, Neb . Texas Idaho Ga, ND Iowa, S.D . Miss, Wash . Ohio Utah Wis, University of California Berkeley, Treasury Department, Environmental Defense Fund, State, NOAA, Celina Insurance, Secura Insurance, Secura, Homeowners, Swiss, Des Moines Register, Associated, “, Iowa, Iowa Minnesota Wisconsin, Pekin Insurance, Pekin, Christensen Group Insurance, Travelers, Nationwide, Indiana Ohio Michigan Illinois, . Arkansas Kentucky Florida Tennessee, Tennessee Department of Commerce and Insurance, ”, Washington, Wildfire, California Colorado, California Colorado Utah Washington, P Global Market Intelligence Locations: Iowa, IOWA MINNESOTA, IOWA MINNESOTA SOUTH DAKOTA NEBRASKA, COLORADO, COLORADO ARKANSAS KENTUCKY ILLINOIS, IOWA MINNESOTA SOUTH DAKOTA, NEBRASKA COLORADO ARKANSAS, KENTUCKY ILLINOIS, SOUTH DAKOTA NEBRASKA, COLORADO ARKANSAS, Iowa , Minnesota, South Dakota , Nebraska , Colorado , Arkansas , Kentucky, Illinois, Cedar Rapids, Cedar Rapids , Iowa, Marshalltown , Iowa, Florida , California, Louisiana, Iowa , Arkansas , Ohio, Utah, Washington, Colo, Mass, Colo . Calif, Calif, Colo . Ala, Colo ., Mont, Fla, Ark . Iowa, Colo . Ill, S.D, N.D, Conn, Del . Idaho Fla, Miss, Neb ., Ky, Ga, Hawaii Mont, N.M . Iowa Fla, Mont ., La . Iowa, Neb . Texas Idaho, ND, Md, Ill, Wyo, Ill . Idaho, . Ill, Minn, Ind, S.D . Vt, La . Texas Mont, Neb . NC, Neb . Mich, N.M, S.D ., Va . Ore . Ohio Mo . Texas, Tenn, Wash . Ohio Utah, Okla, Tenn . Utah, Wis, S.D . Va . Ore . Ohio Mo . Texas, California, American, U.S, Pennsylvania, Arizona, Wisconsin, United States, Marshalltown, Iowa Minnesota, Iowa Minnesota Wisconsin South Dakota, Celina, Pekin, Des Moines, Minnesota, Illinois , Indiana , Ohio, Illinois , Indiana, Michigan, Arkansas, Kentucky, Tennessee, . Arkansas Kentucky Florida, Georgia , Kentucky, Mississippi, Washington State, California Colorado Utah, Salt Lake City, Phoenix, Flagstaff, it’s, Gilbert, Seattle, Colorado, Florida’s, Central City , Iowa, Georgia

☆ The Solar Storm Fried GPS Systems Used by Some Farmers, Stalling Planting
▼ + stars: | 2024-05-13 | by ( Livia Albeck-Ripka | ) www.nytimes.com time to read: +1 min

The powerful geomagnetic storm that cast the northern lights’ vivid colors across the Northern Hemisphere over the weekend also caused some navigational systems in tractors and other farming equipment to break down at the height of planting season, suppliers and farmers said. Many farmers have come to rely on the equipment, which uses GPS and other navigational technology and helps them to plant more efficiently and precisely by keeping rows straight and avoiding gaps or overlap. In Minnesota, some farmers who had planned to spend Friday night sowing seeds were hamstrung by the outages. “I’ve never dealt with anything like this,” said Patrick O’Connor, the owner of a farm about 80 miles south of Minneapolis that mainly grows corn and soybean. Mr. O'Connor said that after being rained out for two weeks, he got into his tractor around 5 p.m., hoping to spend the night planting corn.

Persons: I’ve, ”, Patrick O’Connor, O'Connor Organizations: Northern Hemisphere Locations: United States, Canada, Minnesota, Minneapolis

☆ The Home Insurance Crunch: See What’s Happening in Your State
▼ + stars: | 2024-05-13 | by ( Christopher Flavelle | Mira Rojanasakul | ) www.nytimes.com time to read: +4 min

The Home Insurance Crunch: See What’s Happening in Your StateAs climate change makes disasters more frequent and severe, the insurance industry is in tumult. Even in the Northeast, where homeowners insurance was still generally profitable last year, trends are worsening. In the state of Profitability of homeowners insurance in Iowa Source: AM Best Ratio of revenue to costs for homeowners insurance statewide. To measure the financial health of the homeowners insurance industry, The New York Times assembled data that compares revenues with costs for insurers in each state. The data show that homeowners insurance was unprofitable in 18 states last year, up from eight in 2013.

Smarter grids, like Chattanooga's, are just part of what it will take to modernize the American grid in the coming decades. A troubled transition to renewable energyOffshore wind farms are one of the growing areas of renewable energy. And the Edwards & Sanborn project, the US's largest solar energy and energy storage project in California, came online in January. Renewable energy is not only cleaner than fossil fuels but also often less expensive. Breaking down barriersThe US grid isn't designed for fluctuating renewable energy, so much of it goes to waste because clean-energy projects can't connect to the grid.

Persons: Kevin Schneider, Harris, Joe Rand, Joshua Rhodes, barleyman, Edwards, Rand, Philip Odonkor, Seib, headwinds, Julia Bovey, Ørsted, Bovey, Paul Denholm, We'll, Denholm, There's, PATRICK T, FALLON, we're, Schneider, We've, EPB, MISO, it's Organizations: Infrastructure, Service, Pacific Northwest National Laboratory, Nationwide, Biden, Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory, University of Texas, Renewables, Sanborn, of Systems, Enterprises, Stevens Institute of Technology, Trump, Fork, Eversource Energy, National Renewable Energy Laboratory, Getty, Infrastructure Law Locations: Chattanooga , Tennessee, Chattanooga, EPB, Austin, Maine, North Carolina, California, United States

☆ Smoke-Filled Skies Leave Midwest Fearing Another Season of Polluted Air
▼ + stars: | 2024-05-13 | by ( Ernesto Londoño | ) www.nytimes.com time to read: +1 min

A cloud of smoke from Canadian wildfires suddenly blanketed Minnesota on Sunday evening, marring what had otherwise been a sun-drenched weekend and leaving some residents wondering whether the misery of last summer was starting all over again. A thick haze of smoke had repeatedly hung over cities in the Midwest and on the East Coast throughout the summer last year, leaving some communities breathing air so polluted that schools were closed and sporting events canceled. For now, experts say that a similar pattern has indeed appeared to have emerged. “We’re expecting a pretty active wildfire season in Canada,” said David Brown, an air quality meteorologist at the Minnesota Pollution Control Agency. For now, he added, people on the East Coast appear unlikely to endure the kind of periods of highly polluted air that startled many people last year.

Persons: “ We’re, ”, David Brown, Mr, Brown Organizations: Minnesota Pollution Control Agency Locations: Minnesota, East, Canada, Quebec, Ontario

☆ Missed the dazzling northern lights show? You might get another chance Saturday night
▼ + stars: | 2024-05-11 | by ( Ramon Sanchez | Ray Sanchez | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +6 min

Carlos Avila Gonzalez/San Francisco Chronicle/Getty Images The northern lights shine in the night sky above the Molenviergang in Aarlanderveen, the Netherlands, early May 11. Alexey Malgavko/Reuters The northern lights are seen in a rural area west of Fort Lauderdale, Florida, on Friday, May 10. Courtesy Luke Culver People photograph the northern lights from Whitley Bay, England, on May 10. Courtesy Jan Reed The northern lights glow in the night sky in Brandenburg, Germany, on May 10. Increased solar activity causes auroras that dance around Earth’s poles, known as the northern lights, or aurora borealis, and southern lights, or aurora australis.

Persons: Chad Myers, it’ll, Alastair Johnstone, Andrew Chin, Sanka Vidanagama, Carlos Avila Gonzalez, Josh Walet, Robert Nemeti, Jean, Christophe Bott, Max Slovencik, Alexey Malgavko, Luke Culver, Ian Forsyth, Robert F, Geoff Robins, Rich, Jan Reed, Patrick Pleul, Jenny Kane, Adam Vaughan, Jacob Anderson, Peter Byrne, Biden, it’s, Dr, Hakeem Oluseyi, Bill Nye, Guy, ”, “ Organizations: CNN, National Oceanic, Prediction, Midwest, Getty, San Francisco Chronicle, Keystone, AFP, Luke Culver People, Rockies, National Weather Service Locations: Alabama, Ohio, Pacific Northwest, North America, Gulf, ”, Sheffield, England, Manning, British Columbia, Christchurch , New Zealand, AFP, Berryessa , California, Aarlanderveen, Netherlands, Debrad, Slovakia, Anadolu, Le, Dessous, Switzerland, Vienna, Siberian, Tara, Russia's Omsk, Fort Lauderdale , Florida, Whitley Bay, Brunswick , Maine, London , Ontario, Ontario, Tennessee, Washington, Memphis , Tennessee, Rich Hill , Missouri, Brandenburg, Germany, Estacada , Oregon, Cumming , Georgia, Crosby , England, Edinburgh, Scotland, Crosby Beach, Liverpool, Texas, Coast, Sweden, South Africa, United States

☆ The New York Times News Quiz, May 10, 2024
▼ + stars: | 2024-05-10 | by ( ) www.nytimes.com time to read: 1 min

This year, two adjacent broods of cicadas — Brood XIX and Brood XIII — will emerge from the soil all at once across the Midwest and Southeast U.S. When was the last time there was a dual emergence of the two groups?

Persons: XIII Locations: Midwest, Southeast U.S

☆ Take a look inside Menards, the Midwest home-improvement chain owned by Wisconsin's richest billionaire
▼ + stars: | 2024-05-09 | by ( Talia Lakritz | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +2 min

As the founder of home-improvement retailer Menards, John Menard Jr. is Wisconsin's richest billionaire with a net worth of $22.9 billion. John Menard Jr. (left) congratulates IndyCar driver Simon Pagenaud on his victory at the 2016 Angie's List Grand Prix of Indianapolis. Menard Jr. is a controversial figure known for his frugality and iron-handed management style. Menard Jr. denied any inappropriate conduct, his attorney told the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel. Menard Jr. is also an avid race-car enthusiast, sponsoring Menards race cars at NASCAR and IndyCar events.

Persons: John Menard Jr, Simon Pagenaud, Khris Hale, Menard, Menards, Menard Jr Organizations: Prix, Indianapolis, Getty, Forbes, University of Wisconsin, Prosecutors, Milwaukee Journal Sentinel, NASCAR Locations: Eau Claire, Milwaukee, Wisconsin

☆ 15 big US cities where you can buy a house even if you make less than $100,000
▼ + stars: | 2024-05-08 | by ( Alcynna Lloyd | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +3 min

Realtor.com identified 15 large US cities with the lowest incomes needed to afford a home. Some of the most affordable cities for homebuyers who earn less are in the South and Midwest. download the app Email address Sign up By clicking “Sign Up”, you accept our Terms of Service and Privacy Policy . Realtor.com has identified 15 large cities where homebuyers can make less than $100,000 a year — about the typical income of a household with two or more married or related members — and still afford to purchase a median-priced property. Here are the 15 US cities where prospective buyers with relatively lower incomes can still purchase houses, according to Realtor.com.

Persons: Realtor.com, —, Danielle Hale, Hale Organizations: homebuyers, Service, West Locations: South, Midwest . Pittsburgh, California

☆ Tornadoes Are Coming in Bunches. Scientists Are Trying to Figure Out Why.
▼ + stars: | 2024-05-08 | by ( Delger Erdenesanaa | ) www.nytimes.com time to read: 1 min

Tornadoes tend to travel in packs these days, often with a dozen or more forming in the same region on the same day. On the worst days, hundreds can form at once. More than a dozen tornadoes were reported on both Monday and Tuesday this week across the Great Plains and the Midwest, according to the Storm Prediction Center run by the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration. Two weeks ago, on the most active day in April, 105 tornadoes were reported. While outbreaks like these happened have always happened, they have become more common in recent decades.

Organizations: Storm, National Oceanic, Atmospheric Administration

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