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Russia shoots for the moon as space race against US heats up

Published Tue, 24 Dec 2024 00:26:12 GMT

Despite war and sanctions, Vladimir Putin is trying to haul Russia back into the space race.In the early hours of Friday morning, state space agency Roscosmos is poised to launch the country’s first lunar mission in nearly half a century as an ambitious play in the scramble to build a base on the moon.“If they pull it off, it will be a massive technological and scientific achievement,” said Tim Marshall, author of “The Future of Geography” on the geopolitics of space. He argues a successful Russian landing, and fruitful year of research, would mark a big step forward in plans to build a moon base with China by the 2030s.Russia’s Luna-25 mission is being dispatched to scope out the lunar south pole, where scientists believe there’s a plentiful supply of water locked in ice in the perpetual shade of mountain ridges. Firming up water reserves is a critical requirement for supporting life on the moon with breathable oxygen, drinking water and...

Boston police arrest suspect, return dog stolen from owner in Back Bay

Published Tue, 24 Dec 2024 00:26:12 GMT

The Boston Police Department says a suspect is in custody and a dog has been reunited with its owner after it was stolen over the weekend in the city’s Back Bay neighborhood.“Alejandro,” an 8-year-old Chihuahua, was reunited with its owner after police received a tip on the dog’s whereabouts and tracked the pet down, a news release from the department said.According to Boston PD, a Sergeant Detective worked off of the tip and was searching the area of Old Colony Avenue Thursday morning when the official saw an individual who matched the description of a suspect seen on video walking away from a Whole Foods with the stolen dog on Aug. 5.“The Sergeant Detective said to the female, ‘Where is the dog?’ which she replied that she did not know,” the news release stated. “The Sergeant Detective advised the female of the reward for the dog, and the female responded she wanted the money first. The Sergeant Detective stated to the female t...

Prosecutors seek Jan. 2 trial date for Donald Trump in his 2020 election conspiracy case

Published Tue, 24 Dec 2024 00:26:12 GMT

Prosecutors with special counsel Jack Smith’s team asked a judge on Thursday to set a Jan. 2 trial date for former President Donald Trump in the case charging him with plotting to overturn his 2020 election loss.Prosecutors said in court papers that they want the case before U.S. District Judge Tanya Chutkan to move to trial swiftly in Washington’s federal court, setting up a likely battle with defense attorneys who have already suggested they will try slow things down. Smith’s team says the government’s case should take no longer than four to six weeks.The date is just under two weeks before the first votes are set to be cast in the Republican presidential race, with Iowa’s first-in-the-nation caucuses scheduled for Jan. 15.The early front-runner in the 2024 Republican presidential primary faces charges including conspiracy to defraud the United States for what prosecutors say was a weekslong plot to subvert the will o...

Suicide deaths reached a record high in the US in 2022, provisional data shows

Published Tue, 24 Dec 2024 00:26:12 GMT

(CNN) — More people died from suicide in the United States last year than any other year on record, according to provisional data from the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.At least 49,449 lives were lost due to intentional self-harm in 2022 — nearly 15 deaths for every 100,000 people.The suicide rate spiked in 2021, reversing two years of decline. And with the continued increase in 2022, rates surpassed the previous record from 2018.Last year’s suicide rate — 14.9 deaths for every 100,000 people — is 5% higher than 2018’s previous record high of 14.2 deaths for every 100,000 people and marks a 10% jump over the two years.The CDC’s National Center for Health Statistics compiles data that states and other jurisdictions report into the National Vital Statistics System each month. The latest update, published Thursday, represents a “set of provisional data for 2022,” but data won’t be final until later in the year.Suicide rose to the 11th leading cause o...

President Biden pledges immediate help for Hawaii wildfires survivors. Follow live updates

Published Tue, 24 Dec 2024 00:26:12 GMT

By REBECCA BOONE (Associated Press)Follow live updates about wildfires racing across part of Maui in Hawaii, destroying sections of a historic town on the island and forcing some to flee to the relative safety of the ocean, where the Coast Guard rescued them. The fires forced evacuations in some areas, including the popular tourist spot of Lahaina. The National Weather Service says Hurricane Dora, which is passing south of the island chain at a safe distance, was partly to blame for strong winds driving the flames, knocking out power and grounding firefighting helicopters.President Joe Biden spoke about the Hawaii wildfires while traveling in Utah, pledging that federal disaster response will ensure that “anyone who’s lost a loved one, or who’s home has been damaged or destroyed, is going to get help immediately.”Biden promised to streamline requests for federal assistance and said that the Federal Emergency Management Agency was “surging emergency pers...

Missing dog, spotted near Mass and Cass, returned to owner after days-long search

Published Tue, 24 Dec 2024 00:26:12 GMT

The six-day search for the missing 8-year-old Chihuahua named Alejandro has come to a sweet ending: He has returned to his owner safe and sound.The woman who took the tan-and-white haired pooch, Emily Sardo, 24, of Boston, from outside of Whole Foods near Fenway last Saturday surrendered the dog in the area of Old Colony Avenue around 10:30 a.m. Thursday, according to Boston Police.Alejandro’s owner, Shelly Vermani, has reunited with her “companion, child and everything,” and police say the $2,500 reward she matched with a gift from local dog lover — PR guru George Regan — enticed the suspect to give the dog back.A BPD release highlights how this morning’s surrender went down between the suspect and a sergeant detective assigned to the South End who recognized the woman from surveillance footage taken outside of Whole Foods last Saturday:“The Sergeant Detective said to the female, ‘Where is the dog?’ which she replied that she did not know. The Sergeant Detec...

Doctors sound alarm about child nicotine poisoning as vapes flood the US market

Published Tue, 24 Dec 2024 00:26:12 GMT

Liz Szabo | (TNS) KFF Health NewsHospital toxicologist Ryan Marino has seen up close the violent reactions of children poisoned by liquid nicotine from electronic cigarettes. One young boy who came to his emergency room experienced intense nausea, diarrhea, and vomiting, and needed intravenous fluids to treat his dehydration.Kids can also become dizzy, lose consciousness, and suffer dangerous drops in blood pressure. In the most severe case he’s seen, doctors put another boy on a ventilator in the intensive care unit because he couldn’t breathe, said Marino, of Case Western Reserve University School of Medicine.Thousands of kids a year are exposed to the liquid nicotine in e-cigarettes, also known as vapes. For a toddler, even a few drops can be fatal.Cases of vaping-related nicotine exposure reported to poison centers hit an all-time high in 2022 — despite a 2016 law, the Child Nicotine Poisoning Prevention Act, that requires child-resistant packaging on bottles of vaping liquid. I...

Recipe: Atlantic Beach pie with a salty twist

Published Tue, 24 Dec 2024 00:26:12 GMT

Gretchen McKay | Pittsburgh Post-Gazette (TNS)Some foods just speak to the season.In July and August, citrus often rules supreme because its bright, sunny taste brings to mind the roadside lemonade stands and fruity Popsicles we enjoyed as kids.Now that we’re adults, lemon and lime add sparkle to so many refreshing cocktails. They’re easy to find just about anywhere and provide a relatively inexpensive way to add a punch of acidic flavor to everything the fruit rubs shoulders with.This modern take on a vintage Southern pie made with lemon and lime juices absolutely shines on a dessert table when it’s hot and muggy outside — which is just about every day, it seems, between Memorial and Labor days in Pittsburgh. It was created a little over a decade ago by cookbook author Bill Smith, who was the chef at Crook’s Corner in Chapel Hill, North Carolina, for nearly 30 years until his retirement in 2019.An Atlantic Beach pie is made with a saltine cracker crust. (Gre...

'Best meteor shower of the year' to peak over San Diego this weekend: NASA

Published Tue, 24 Dec 2024 00:26:12 GMT

SAN DIEGO -- The best meteor shower of the year is expected to peak over San Diego County this weekend, according to NASA.Streaking across the night sky -- once again -- the annual Perseid meteor shower is expected to put on a celestial show Friday, Saturday and Sunday. NASA experts say upwards to 40 Perseids an hour could be seen before dawn during peak hours on the night of Aug. 12. How San Diegans can help those affected by Maui wildfires This increase in activity will come as Earth passes through the dustiest debris of a 16-mile across comet known as Swift-Tuttle. To put that into perspective, the driving distance from downtown San Diego to El Cajon is just over that. This year may prove better luck for sky gazers since the waning crescent moon will allow for better viewing compared to last year's bright full Moon. Those hoping to catch this meteor shower may still want to head away from the bright lights of downtown and the suburbs.For those on the coast, you may want t...

Outdoor concerts to be held at San Diego’s Grand Social Club

Published Tue, 24 Dec 2024 00:26:12 GMT

SAN DIEGO -- A luxe Mediterranean-inspired resort hotel in North County will be hosting an array of concerts at its outdoor lounge in the coming weeks.The Fairmont Grand Del Mar’s Grand Social Club will have live entertainment that's meant to be enjoyed on their lawn and amongst the trees.From jazz nights to the best of soul and R&B, those in attendance can sip craft cocktails or fine wine from a private cabana, a fire pit circle or picnic-style seating. ‘Long Story Short’ to plate locally sourced California cuisine in North Park Here's a look at the concert series schedule:-- Friday Summer Jazz Series with rhythms of Bossa Nova and upbeat vibes of Latin jazz: From 4 p.m. to 10 p.m. on Aug. 11, Aug. 25, Sept. 8 and Sept. 29.-- Havana Nights with sounds of Cuba and accompanying bites: From 4 p.m. to 10 p.m. on Aug. 18 and Sept. 16.-- Saturday California Cool Soundscapes with classic American rock and iconic pop hits from the ‘90s-2010s: From 4 p.m. to 10 p.m. every Saturda...