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Fort Lauderdale sets ups 3 sandbag distribution sites as Tropical Storm Bret gains strength

Published Wed, 12 Feb 2025 11:54:51 GMT

As Tropical Storm Bret gains strength as it makes its way westward across the Atlantic Ocean, in an abundance of caution, the City of Fort Lauderdale will distribute sandbags to residents.The free sandbag distribution will take place on June 24 and 25 starting at 8 a.m. until 3 p.m.The locations where residents can pick up their sandbags include the following:Floyd Hull Stadium, located at 2800 SW 8th Ave.Mills Pond Park, located at 2201 NW 9th Ave.Shirley Small Park, lactated at 1230 SW 34th Ave.To receive free sandbags, residents must show proof of residency.

A 33-year-old man fell 4,000 feet to his death from the Grand Canyon Skywalk in Arizona, authorities say

Published Wed, 12 Feb 2025 11:54:51 GMT

(CNN) — A man fell 4,000 feet to his death from a popular tourist attraction walkway in the Grand Canyon, according to authorities in Arizona.The man, only identified as a 33-year-old male, was on the Skywalk at Grand Canyon West before he went over the edge, plunging into the canyon below, the Mohave County Sheriff’s Office Search and Rescue said in a Facebook post.On June 5, a technical rope rescue team responded to the Skywalk – a horseshoe-shaped glass bridge that extends 70 feet out over the canyon’s rim – after a report of someone going over the edge.Two rope specialists “responded with (a) Kingman (Department of Public Safety) Ranger helicopter to the scene and determined the man was deceased,” the post read. The sheriff’s office said it is investigating the incident.The man’s body was later transferred to the Hualapai Nation, a federally recognized Indian Tribe located in northwestern Arizona, the sheriff’s office reported.Located outside of Grand Ca...

Ballsy EU Commission moves to make Russia pay for Ukraine

Published Wed, 12 Feb 2025 11:54:51 GMT

LONDON — The European Commission has a plan to help pay for the reconstruction of war-torn Ukraine using Russian state assets. It’s a daring move and a sign of a shift toward something that once looked impossible.It would be an unprecedented legal feat, one strongly advocated by Ukraine and its allies but which is already kicking up a storm among governments. The EU executive’s intention to throw its weight behind such a move — confirmed by Commission President Ursula von der Leyen on Wednesday —  will require some delicate politics over the next few months.The plan is fraught with political, legal and economic risks. It has consequences for the role of foreign reserves in stabilizing currencies, as well as for the international protection of state property — and potentially could be endlessly litigated in court. The idea of making the aggressor pay for war damages isn’t new, but to go after foreign reserves frozen under Western sanctions would be. “On one hand, it&#...

West eyes Romania as possible F-16 training site for Ukrainian pilots

Published Wed, 12 Feb 2025 11:54:51 GMT

A coalition of Western countries is eyeing Romania as a possible location to train Ukrainian pilots to fly F-16 fighter jets, according to a current and a former Defense Department official with knowledge of the effort.Specifically, the group is working to negotiate a contract to conduct the aircraft training at a site in Romania, said the people, who were granted anonymity to discuss the contours of an agreement that has not yet been finalized. It’s likely that Lockheed Martin, which builds the F-16, would conduct the training, the people said.Details about the training program have been slow to emerge since President Joe Biden lent his support to the effort last month. The Netherlands and Denmark are leading the multinational training effort, but the partners have not yet settled the question of which countries would provide the aircraft required for training.European officials would neither confirm nor deny that the proposal to train Ukrainian pilots in Romania is under disc...

The US Coast Guard is bringing in more ships, vessels to search for lost Titanic tourist submersible

Published Wed, 12 Feb 2025 11:54:51 GMT

A Canadian surveillance vessel has detected underwater noises in the area where rescuers are searching for a submersible that went missing in the North Atlantic while bringing five people down to the wreck of the Titanic, authorities said Wednesday.Coast Guard officials were bringing in more ships and other vessels to search the more narrowly defined area, though the exact location and source of the sounds has not yet been determined. The full scope of the search was twice the size of Connecticut in waters 2 1/2 miles deep, said Captain Jamie Frederick of the First Coast Guard District.“This is a search and rescue mission, 100%,” Frederick said. “When you’re in the middle of a search and rescue case, you always have hope.”But even those who expressed some optimism warned that many obstacles remain: from pinpointing the vessel’s location, to reaching it with rescue equipment, to bringing it to the surface — assuming it’s still intact — before the passe...

Lab-grown meat is cleared for sale in the United States

Published Wed, 12 Feb 2025 11:54:51 GMT

New York (CNN) — Cultivated meat, also known as lab-grown meat, has been cleared for sale in the United States.Upside Foods and Good Meat, two companies that make what they call “cultivated chicken,” said Wednesday that they have gotten approval from the US Department of Agriculture to start producing their cell-based proteins.Good Meat, which is owned by plant-based egg substitute maker Eat Just, said that production is starting immediately. Cultivated or lab-grown meat is grown in a giant vat, much like what you’d find at a beer brewery.Good Meat, which has been selling its products in Singapore, advertises its product as “meat without slaughter,” a more humane approach to eating meat. Supporters hope that cultured meat will help fight climate change by reducing the need for traditional animal agriculture, which emits greenhouse gases.The company had previously announced that it was partnering with chef and restaurateur José Andrés ...

Explosion hits a building in Paris, injuring 24. Police are trying to determine the cause

Published Wed, 12 Feb 2025 11:54:51 GMT

By SYLVIE CORBET and ANGELA CHARLTON (Associated Press)PARIS (AP) — A strong explosion hit a building in Paris’ Left Bank on Wednesday, leaving 24 injured and igniting a fire that sent smoke soaring over city monuments and prompted the evacuation of surrounding buildings, police said. The cause of the blast was not immediately known. The facade of a building in the 5th arrondissement, or district, collapsed, and emergency services were working to determine if anyone was still inside, a Paris police official said. The explosion happened near the historic Val de Grace military hospital.Paris police chief Laurent Nunez said the building where the explosion occurred was a private school, the Paris American Academy, which was founded in 1965 and offers teaching in fashion design, interior design, fine arts and creative writing.The fire was contained but not yet extinguished. Some 270 firefighters were involved in putting out the flames and 70 emergency vehicles were on the sc...

Ask the Pediatrician: What does the research say about social media and your child’s mental health?

Published Wed, 12 Feb 2025 11:54:51 GMT

Megan A Moreno, MD, FAAP and Jenny Radesky, MD, FAAP | (TNS) American Academy of PediatricsSocial media plays an important role in the lives of many tweens and teens. More than one-third (35%) of 13- to 17-year-olds reported using social media sites such as YouTube, TikTok, Instagram, Snapchat and Facebook “almost constantly” in 2022. And while many social media platforms set a minimum age of 13 to sign up, 38% of kids ages 8-12 say they have used social media.All this media use can influence young people in a variety of ways. And with a reported rise in depression and anxiety among teens, you may wonder how social media may impact your child’s mental health. Research suggests it depends on how they use it. Understanding potential connections between social media and mental health can help you guide your kids toward healthy social media habits.One of the ways kids use social media is for social connection. Sharing photos and comments on social media platforms can h...

Yankees star Aaron Judge up for Best Male Athlete at ESPYs after breaking AL home run record

Published Wed, 12 Feb 2025 11:54:51 GMT

All Rise at the ESPYs!Yankees captain Aaron Judge has been nominated for Best Male Athlete, ESPN announced Wednesday.The hulking slugger broke Roger Maris’ American League single-season home run record last season blasting 62 on his way to winning American League MVP honors. Judge, 6-7, capitalized on his monster campaign by inking a nine-year, $360 million contract this winter and was also named the franchise’s first captain since Derek Jeter retired.Judge will battle it out with recently-crowned NBA Finals MVP Nikola Jokic of the Denver Nuggets, Kansas City Chiefs quarterback Patrick Mahomes and World Cup winner Lionel Messi for the award handed out by the World Wide Leader.The career Bomber smacked the final two homers of his epic chase on the road. His 61st came at Rogers Centre in Toronto against the Blue Jays on Sept. 28. Then, he smoked his record-breaking 62nd at Globe Life Field in Arlington, Texas on Oct 4 just days before the season came to an end.“It...

Bankrate: Why is portfolio diversification important for investors?

Published Wed, 12 Feb 2025 11:54:51 GMT

Portfolio diversification involves investing in many different securities and types of assets so that your overall return doesn’t depend too much on any single investment. Financial experts often recommend a diversified portfolio because it reduces risk without sacrificing much in the way of returns. In fact, you may ultimately earn a higher long-term investment return by holding a diversified portfolio.Here’s how diversification works, why it’s so important and how to diversify your portfolio.Key takeaways—Diversification involves spreading your money across a variety of investments and asset classes.—A diversified portfolio helps to reduce risk and may lead to a higher return.—Investments that move in opposite directions from one another will add the greatest diversification benefits to your portfolio.What is diversification?Diversification means owning a variety of assets that perform differently over time, but not too much of any one investment or type. In terms of stock investi...