"Scientists believe they have been given an extraordinary view of the last day of the dinosaurs after they discovered the fossil of an animal they believe died that day… The perfectly preserved leg, which even includes remnants of the animal’s skin, can be accurately dated to the time the asteroid that brought about the dinosaurs’ extinction struck Earth 66m years ago, experts say, because of the presence of debris from the impact, which rained down only in its immediate aftermath."
Green energy can only generate when the sun shines and the wind blows. Yeah, that's always been a canard, but now it's worse. "A team of engineers at Stanford University have developed a solar cell that can generate some electricity at night… The device incorporates a thermoelectric generator, which can pull electricity from the small difference in temperature between the ambient air and the solar cell itself." It's sort of like when the chemical industry finally realized, "Why are we manufacturing this chemical, when it's a natural byproduct of manufacturing this other chemical and tossed away as waste?"
"More than a million customers in Puerto Rico woke up without electricity on Thursday morning after an overnight fire at a main power plant caused the biggest blackout so far this year across the U.S. territory, forcing it to cancel classes and shutter government offices."
"With time running out to head off the worst damage from climate change, the United States government is starting to quantify the cost of inaction – for taxpayers." And it's $2 trillion a year.
"Power outages from severe weather have doubled over the past two decades across the U.S., as a warming climate stirs more destructive storms that cripple broad segments of the nation’s aging electrical grid, according to an Associated Press analysis of government data."
"Zoos across North America are moving their birds indoors and away from people and wildlife as they try to protect them from the highly contagious and potentially deadly avian influenza."
"The ongoing study could eventually lead to brain growth charts that would allow doctors to look for signs of atypical development in young patients. But for now, the results are meant for scientists who study typical brain growth or brain disorders like schizophrenia and Alzheimer's disease."
"House Speaker Nancy Pelosi has tested positive for COVID-19, a day after appearing unmasked at a White House event with President Joe Biden… Pelosi received a positive test result for COVID-19 and is currently asymptomatic, her spokesman Drew Hammill said Thursday in a tweet. He said she had tested negative earlier in the week."
"People are developing trauma-like symptoms as the pandemic wears on." Developing? Have you walked into any hospital lately? Okay, yes, they're not talking about healthcare workers here, but damn.
"A city audit is critical of the way the Portland Police Bureau collected and stored surveillance information regarding racial justice protests in 2020… Auditors said police collected information about protesters who were not connected to any crimes, and kept some private information for too long, KGW-TV reported."
"Many Americans eagerly look forward to a time when they can stop working and officially set their status to 'retired.'… The average age when people say they hope to retire is 62, according to one survey… However, people receive reduced benefits for claiming early. If they wait until full retirement age to claim — generally 66 or 67, depending on when they were born — they receive the full benefits which they have earned. If they wait until age 70, they stand to get an 8% per year benefit increase over their full retirement age."
"Fewer Americans applied for unemployment benefits last week as layoffs remain at historically low levels… Jobless claims fell by 5,000 to 166,000 for the week ending April 2, the Labor Department reported Thursday. The previous week’s number was revised down a whopping 31,000 claims."
"Shell will write down up to $5 billion following its decision to exit Russia, more than previously disclosed, while soaring oil and gas prices boosted trading activities in the first quarter, the company said on Thursday."
"When a stranger bumps into you, you might get an apology. LaQuedra Edwards got $10 million… Last November, Edwards had just put $40 into a lottery ticket vending machine at a supermarket in Los Angeles when "some rude person" bumped into her, causing her to accidentally push the wrong number on the machine."
"A man who moved into his daughter's college dorm and charmed her schoolmates with stories about his wisdom was convicted Wednesday of charges that he exploited the close-knit group, using threats and violence to enrich himself with millions of dollars."
"On April 5, it was revealed that President Joe Biden is preparing to announce that the United States, United Kingdom and Australia have created a security pact in response to China's military expansion. The three nations are due to co-operate on the creation and development of hypersonic weapons in the so-called Aukus security pact, the Financial Times reported. One of the people familiar with the pact told the FT that an announcement could be made as early as Tuesday."
"Russia and its allies are major players, according to the report, with groups linked to the Kremlin spreading disinformation about its invasion of Ukraine while amplifying pro-Russian conspiracy theories at home… Meta traced the effort to take over the social media accounts of dozens of Ukrainian military leaders back to a shadowy hacker organization known as Ghostwriter, which previous research has linked to Belarus, a Russian ally. Ghostwriter has a history of spreading content critical of NATO, and also has tried to hack email accounts."
"NATO foreign ministers are meeting Thursday as part of a larger effort by the U.S., its allies and Ukraine to bolster Ukrainian defenses and impose new penalties on Russia for invading its neighbor."
"Kyiv has called for more heavy weaponry from its western allies and 'ruinous' sanctions against Moscow, saying the scale of any impending Russian assault on eastern Ukraine would remind Nato members of the second world war."
"The Senate voted unanimously Thursday to suspend normal trade relations with Russia and ban the importation of its oil, ratcheting up the U.S. response to Russia’s invasion of Ukraine amid reports of atrocities."
"German intelligence authorities have intercepted Russian military radio traffic discussing atrocities to civilians in the Ukraine city of Bucha, multiple media outlets reported Thursday."
"The U.N. General Assembly voted Thursday to suspend Russia from the world organization’s leading human rights body over allegations of horrific rights violations by Russian soldiers in Ukraine, which the United States and Ukraine have called tantamount to war crimes."
"The Biden administration has charged a Russian oligarch linked to the Kremlin with violating U.S. government sanctions, and disrupted a cybercrime operation that was launched by a Russian military intelligence agency, officials said Wednesday."
"At 22, Jacob Greer thought he'd come up with the perfect plan to avoid a trial on child pornography charges in Iowa: He'd fake his own death and take to the wilds of the Northwest… He managed to remain on the run for nearly six years, despite some close calls. But the U.S. Marshals Service finally caught up with him on Monday, officials announced in a statement."
"States with some of the nation’s strictest abortion laws are also some of the hardest places to have and raise a healthy child, especially for the poor, according to an analysis of federal data by The Associated Press." I know, I'm shocked too.
"Tennessee lawmakers this week will vote on a bill seeking to establish common law marriages in the state between 'one man and one woman.' Some worry the bill, which does not set an explicit age limit, would effectively legalize all-age marriages, while others have said they are concerned the bill would undermine the landmark Supreme Court ruling which legalized same-sex marriage." Apparently they've amended the bill to include ages.
"The mass killing that left six people dead and 12 wounded outside bars just a block from California's Capitol last weekend was a gunfight involving at least five shooters from rival gangs, Sacramento police said Wednesday."
"A red fox that was captured Tuesday and responsible for biting at least one journalist and a lawmaker has been euthanized, according to health officials in Washington, D.C.… The DC Public Health lab said Wednesday that the fox tested positive for the rabies virus." Of course it was rabies. This is a textbook case of rabies. I just hope those who were bit or "nipped" had healthcare providers who had already started them on the series of rabies shots.
"The Navy that once wanted smaller, speedy warships to chase down pirates has made a speedy pivot to Russia and China — and many of those recently built ships could be retired… The U.S. Navy wants to decommission nine ships in the Freedom-class of littoral combat ships — warships that cost about $4.5 billion altogether to build."
"McFadden, who was nominated by former President Donald Trump, acquitted Martin of all four counts for which he was charged… McFadden said it was reasonable for Martin to believe that outnumbered police officers allowed him and others to enter the Capitol through the Rotunda doors on Jan. 6, 2021. The judge also said Martin's actions were 'about as minimal and non-serious' as anyone who was at the Capitol that day." So ignorance is an excuse for breaking the law now.
"Over the first two days of hearings, Jackson was the subject of misleading rhetoric on critical race theory, her pandemic-era rulings and the Guantanamo Bay, Cuba, detainees she represented as a public defender." A fact checking article.
"The Senate is expected to confirm Supreme Court nominee Ketanji Brown Jackson on Thursday, securing her place as the first Black woman on the high court and giving President Joe Biden a bipartisan endorsement for his historic pick."
"Gov. Greg Abbott on Wednesday said state resources will be used to transport migrants from the Texas border to Washington D.C. under an expansion of his controversial border-security program known as Operation Lone Star… The expansion will also include boat blockades on the Rio Grande and will direct Texas Department of Public Safety officers to increase inspections of vehicles coming into the country from Mexico." The grand tradition of Texas being a dick when it doesn't have to be a dick continues unabated.
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