Science & Technology
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Drought can hit almost anywhere: How 5 cities that nearly ran dry got water use under control
Water scarcity is often viewed as an issue for the arid American West, but the U.S. Northeast’s experience in 2024 shows how severe droughts can occur in just about any part of the country.
Cities in the Northeast experienced record-breaking drought conditions in the second half of 2024 after a hot, dry summer in many areas. ...Read more

3 ways the Trump administration could reinvest in rural America’s future, starting with health care
Rural America faces many challenges that Congress and the federal government could help alleviate under the new Trump administration.
Rural hospitals and their obstetrics wards have been closing at a rapid pace, leaving rural residents traveling farther for health care. Affordable housing is increasingly hard to find in rural ...Read more

From A to Zzzs: The science behind a better night's sleep
It's no secret that a good night's sleep plays a vital role in mental and physical health and well-being. The way you feel during your waking hours depends greatly on how you are sleeping, say sleep experts.
A pattern of getting inadequate or unsatisfying sleep over time can raise the risk for chronic health problems and can affect how well we ...Read more

As Miami-Dade cools on burning its garbage, is it finally composting's big moment?
With the construction of a massive new garbage incinerator in Miami-Dade County now in serious doubt, environmentalists and climate activists hope it will open the door for a waste disposal method they’ve been pushing for decades.
Is it finally time for large-scale composting in South Florida?
The reality is that we’re still years or more ...Read more

Acting on Trump's order, federal officials opened up two California dams
The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers has dramatically increased the amount of water flowing from two dams in California's Tulare County, sending massive flows down a river channel toward farmlands in the San Joaquin Valley.
Federal records show that water releases from Terminus Dam at Lake Kaweah and Schafer Dam at Lake Success jumped early Friday ...Read more
Another unwelcome consequence of climate change: an explosion of urban rats
If scorching heat waves, destructive storms, prolonged droughts and rising seas aren’t enough to make some folks fear the consequences of climate change, perhaps this will do the trick: The warmer it gets, the faster rats multiply in cities that already struggle to contain them.
That is sure to be unwelcome news to Americans, who collectively...Read more

Stablecoin issuer Tether says profit was $13 billion last year
(Bloomberg) — Tether Holdings Ltd., the stablecoin issuer that was pulled into the spotlight this week during the confirmation hearing for Donald Trump’s pick to run the Commerce Department, said it made an eye-popping $13 billion in profits last year.
Howard Lutnick, the president’s nominee, is the head of Cantor Fitzgerald LP, which ...Read more

Planet party and snow moon to shine over California. Here's when to watch the sky
SACRAMENTO, Calif. — Californians watching the sky in February have the chance to view a parade of planets and a snow moon.
The planetary alignment that began in January will continue into February, according to AccuWeather.
Stargazers can also glimpse a full moon and a bright Venus during cloudless nights in the middle of the month.
Here�...Read more

California's monarch butterfly population plummets; fire wipes out Topanga habitat
The Western population of the monarch butterfly has declined to a near-record low with fewer than 10,000 found living in California this winter, a foreboding sign for the future of the beloved black-and-orange insect.
An annual count recorded 9,119 butterflies this winter, according to results released by the Xerces Society for Invertebrate ...Read more

Zoning commission rules new Boston buildings will be required to meet 'net zero' standards
The Boston Zoning Commission voted to approve a new zoning standard requiring new buildings to meet net zero carbon emissions upon opening — becoming the first city in the country to do so.
The new Net Zero Carbon Zoning standard, passed by the Zoning Commission with eight for and three against, will require new large building projects filed ...Read more

Artemis team leaders say major changes under Trump could mean more delays
ORLANDO, Fla. — NASA’s commercial partners mounted a vigorous defense of the Artemis moon mission plans this week amid the specter of changes from the new Trump administration.
In a Wednesday panel discussion at the SpaceCom conference at the Orange County Convention Center, representatives from Lockheed Martin, Boeing and Amentum joined ...Read more

Greenhouse gas emissions grow in latest data, throwing Minnesota off target for climate goals
MINNEAPOLIS — Minnesota is off track to meet its goals for reducing greenhouse gas emissions that are responsible for climate change, after the end of the pandemic saw a sharp rise in pollution from cars, trucks and other transportation.
State data released Thursday shows overall emissions rose 6.4% between the end of 2020 and the end of 2022...Read more

Stunning conjunction of Venus, crescent moon will be visible Saturday
DENVER — A remarkable sight will appear in the southwestern sky an hour after sunset Saturday evening when Venus appears very close to a thin crescent moon.
This celestial phenomenon is called a conjunction, which means two or more heavenly bodies appear very close to each other. The moon Saturday night will be 15% illuminated, while Venus ...Read more

Commentary: If prosecutors 'followed the science' as they claim, we'd have less crime, not more
“Follow the science” is a common chorus among progressives. But often they, not those they moralize against, are the real science deniers.
Take progressive prosecutors. Many, like George Gascon in Los Angeles, tout their soft-on-crime policies as “data driven” or “scientifically backed.”
Yet this is a complete hoax. These ...Read more

Ready for 156 Space Coast launches this year, Space Force targets bottlenecks
ORLANDO, Fla. — The Space Force is prepped to support an average of 13 launches of month from the Space Coast in 2025, but it’s a juggling act that has the world’s No. 1 spaceport running up against infrastructure roadblocks.
Brig. Gen. Kristin Panzenhagen, who leads the Space Force’s Assured Access to Space program as well as heads ...Read more

DeepSeek is coming for Sam Altman's other company too
If OpenAI LLC were a listed company, Monday would have been a very bad day for the stock. But Chief Executive Sam Altman also happens to be chairman of another, less well-known company that is listed, a developer of nuclear small modular reactors, or SMRs, called Oklo Inc. Monday was a very bad day for that stock.
Even if the market’s knee-...Read more
Microsoft probing If DeepSeek-linked group improperly obtained OpenAI data
Microsoft Corp. and OpenAI are investigating whether data output from OpenAI’s technology was obtained in an unauthorized manner by a group linked to Chinese artificial intelligence startup DeepSeek, according to people familiar with the matter.
Microsoft’s security researchers in the fall observed individuals they believe may be linked to ...Read more

Tech review: Three tools you'll use more often than you think
My wife and I are of the age where we go spend weekends with our moms pretty frequently. Both our moms are widows and usually our visits include a short (or not so short) to-do list of chores that probably call for the use of tools.
Realizing this, I’ve started keeping a few more tools than usual in the back of my vehicle. I’ve tried to put...Read more

Gadgets: Hubs for mobile devices
Satechi has launched two on-the-go hubs for mobile devices, making your life easier.
Connecting accessories to devices like iPads and iPhones has never been simple. The limitations can be attributed to the access the devices provide, along with the accessories available. Satechi’s new Mobile XR Hubs enable users to connect, power, play and ...Read more

Jim Rossman: Gone smishing?
I’ve seen a lot of buzz on the internet lately about text-based scams, also called smishing.
I have to admit I had not paid close attention to the details – until I received my own smishing message yesterday afternoon.
The text reads, “Pay your FastTrak Lane tolls by January 15, 2025. To avoid a fine and keep your license, you can pay ...Read more
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