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US pledges $3 billion for climate aid to poor countries at COP28

The U.S. will pledge $3 billion toward a United Nations fund meant to help developing countries slash greenhouse gas emissions and adapt to climate change — an effort that could help rebuild trust in rich nations’ promises of aid amid pivotal climate talks in Dubai.

The pledge of support for the Green Climate Fund, described by State ...Read more

Exxon among 50 oil producers in controversial climate pact at COP28

Exxon Mobil Corp. and Saudi Arabia’s Aramco, the world’s largest private and state-sector oil companies, led a pledge by 50 oil and gas producers at the COP28 climate summit to cut emissions from their own operations.

The deal is controversial given none of the companies are agreeing to reduce oil and gas production. But they are planning ...Read more

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Biden delivers COP28 crackdown on methane leaks from oil wells

WASHINGTON — The Biden administration moved Saturday to crack down on methane emissions from the oil and gas sector, by finalizing newly strengthened mandates forcing companies to replace leaky equipment and regularly search for escaping gas.

The final regulation announced by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency and Biden administration ...Read more

'Unusual' ancient graves found near Arctic, but no remains discovered inside, study says

Just south of the Arctic Circle, within the vast forests of northern Finland, lies a sandy field dotted with dozens of “unusual” pits.

Workers stumbled upon the site, known as Tainiaro, six decades ago, and since then, its origins have remained elusive.

But now, upon conducting a comprehensive analysis of the site, researchers have ...Read more

King Charles urges action to slow world's descent into danger

King Charles III made an impassioned plea for more climate action at the COP28 summit in Dubai, asserting British commitment to combating global warming amid doubts about Prime Minister Rishi Sunak’s own green agenda.

In a speech that made his long- and strongly held views on climate change plain, the British monarch got specific, especially...Read more

COP28 scores early win with $260 million for climate damages

Nearly 200 nations agreed on how to run a fund to help vulnerable countries deal with more extreme weather, and rich nations pledged at least $260 million to start the program, marking a breakthrough as global climate negotiations opened in Dubai.

Delegates at the COP28 summit on Thursday adopted a framework for the World Bank-hosted fund ...Read more

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A California dry farmer's juicy apples show how agriculture can be done with less water

SAN LUIS OBISPO, Calif. — Leaves rustled as Mike Cirone reached into a tree and gently picked an apple. The orchard was filled with a profusion of ripe fruit in shades from golden-green to pinkish red.

But unlike other crops that guzzle water from canals and wells, this bounty of apples grew on its own without irrigation.

Cirone specializes...Read more

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Following worrying rockfish population data, Maryland looks to cancel spring trophy season for 2024

After five straight years of troubling data on the population of young rockfish in the Chesapeake Bay, Maryland officials plan to enact emergency regulations canceling this spring’s trophy season for recreational anglers.

The rules would eliminate the once exciting two weeks each spring when anglers targeted large fish swimming up the bay to ...Read more

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This road in Detroit is the first in the country to charge an EV, project leaders say

DETROIT — A new quarter-mile stretch of road in Detroit can charge electric vehicles as they zoom down the street — a first in the nation, according to project leaders.

The Michigan Transportation Department and city of Detroit on Wednesday opened the segment on 14th Street between Marantette and Dalzelle streets near Michigan Central ...Read more

Myung J. Chun/Los Angeles Times/TNS

From decarbonization to electric cars, California hopes to showcase climate leadership at COP28 summit

World leaders are gearing up for COP28, an annual U.N. climate conference that will begin this week in Dubai, and California is expected to play a sizable role in the proceedings.

Representatives from Gov. Gavin Newsom’s administration will attend and speak on the Golden State’s progress toward clean energy goals, zero-emission vehicles and...Read more

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Israeli president due in UAE in first foreign trip since war

Israel’s President Isaac Herzog is planning a quick visit to Dubai later this week to take part in COP28, the United Nations climate talks, several people familiar with the situation said.

It will be his first trip abroad since the war with Hamas erupted last month. The plans are subject to last-minute changes if there are significant ...Read more

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'Deep disappointment:' Global climate envoy Newsom is alienating environmentalists at home

Gov. Gavin Newsom has been positioning himself as a global climate leader this year, evangelizing California environmentalism in China and at the United Nations. But at home, he is increasingly at loggerheads with leading environmentalists.

Environmental groups and tribes say the governor’s plan to protect water supply from climate change ...Read more

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QVC helped pioneer shopping from home. Here's how the company is changing -- and competing against TikTok

From its sprawling, 1,500-worker studio headquarters in Chester County, Pennsylvania, QVC and its affiliates developed home-shopping TV, packing channels for more than 30 years with live hosts and celebrities pitching clothing, kitchen goods, electronics, jewelry, and many other products to millions of viewers and filling their orders from ...Read more

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Minnesota turkey farmers say expanded rural broadband could help detect bird flu sooner

KENSINGTON, Minnesota — Just over 5 miles from where folklore has long claimed Vikings scribbled Scandinavian etchings on a runestone, Erica Sawatzke surveys thousands of chirping baby birds in her long barn.

Automatic feed and water lines hum. A monitoring system — hooked up to a landline — alerts Sawatzke's phone when barn temperatures,...Read more

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Tech review: More gadget gift ideas for the holidays

Black Friday and Cyber Monday are over, but the holiday shopping season is still in full swing.

Here are three more gadgets I’ve been reviewing that I think would make nice gifts.

The prices listed here are manufacturers suggested retail pricing, and you may find them cheaper when you shop.

Laifen Swift High-Speed Hair Dryer

You probably ...Read more

CNET/TNS

2023 video game gift guide: Here is the gear to make holidays great for your favorite gamer

Gamers love to gear up and snatch any piece of equipment that will help them beat a final boss or help with their stats in online competition. The problem gift buyers face is that there are a dizzying array of controllers, headsets and gadgets on the market.

Here’s a guide that helps you cut through those options in hopes of finding the ...Read more

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Jim Rossman: Can you charge an old phone with a new charger?

As a follow up to last week’s guide to USB chargers and cables, a reader asked the following question, “Do older Apple devices have the software that allows them to regulate the amount of power provided by today’s more powerful chargers? Can those higher-powered chargers harm older devices?”

The answer is pretty simple.

USB chargers ...Read more

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Gadgets: Get hooked on this stylus

As an iPad user for years, I’ve let my finger do the swiping, even if a stylus pencil was always an option. Zagg has changed it for me with their new Pro Stylus 2, a cutting-edge device that makes using the large touchscreen much more efficient.

Granted, if you have never used a stylus, it will take some getting used to, but not more than a...Read more

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Review: ‘Persona 5 Tactica’ successfully adapts beloved series to strategy genre

Japan releases plenty of role-playing games, but few have the staying power of “Persona 5.” Although this entry to the long-running series is 7 years old, fans can’t get enough of Joker and the other Phantom Thieves. The title has spawned several spin-offs including several anime series, a rhythm game and an action RPG.

Now, some of the...Read more

The National Park Service wants to plant sequoias. Environmentalists sue, say there's no need to butt in

High-intensity fires in 2020 and 2021 devastated the adult sequoia tree population globally, particularly at Sequoia and Kings Canyon National Parks in Northern California.

That is one of the few things that National Park Service staffers and the environmentalists who are suing the agency can agree on.

At the root of the lawsuit, filed earlier...Read more