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3 innovative ways to help countries hit by climate disasters, beyond a loss and damage fund

These days, it’s hard to escape news stories discussing how climate change is contributing to extreme weather disasters, including the recent U.S. hurricanes. Aid agencies are increasingly worried about the widespread damage.

A growing question as these disasters worsen in a warming world is how to pay for recoveries, particularly ...Read more

Untreated sewage and fertilizer runoff threaten the Florida manatee’s main food source, contributing to malnutrition

The gentle, slow-moving Florida manatee has no natural predators.

And yet, these charismatic mammals face numerous threats.

Manatees are struck by vessels in busy waterways across the state, and a majority bear scars from these collisions.

Harmful algal ...Read more

SpaceX knocks out another Space Coast launch

SpaceX kept the launch machine rolling with another Starlink mission from the Space Coast on Thursday morning.

A Falcon 9 rocket carrying 24 of the company’s internet satellites lifted off at 8:21 a.m. from Cape Canaveral Space Force Station’s Space Launch Complex 40.

The first-stage booster for the mission made its 18th flight with a ...Read more

They produce Florida's clams. To survive climate change, they're counting on Republicans

CEDAR KEY, Fla. -- Joseph Cannon was glued to the TV until the early morning hours of Nov. 6, when it had become clear that Donald Trump would be the next president. “People were so happy,” the tall, passionate Army vet recalls. He, too, was feeling a sense of hope he hadn’t felt in a while.

For the past 25 years, Cannon has been farming ...Read more

Recombinetics, which engineered hornless dairy bulls, files for bankruptcy

Recombinetics, whose hornless dairy bulls garnered national attention for the Eagan-based gene-editing company, has filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy after it faced a net loss of more than $2.6 million between January and August.

The company said it faces $7.7 million in total liabilities as of Aug. 31 in a petition filed Monday with in U.S. ...Read more

Endangered orca vanishes from dwindling pod off Washington coast. 'Every loss hurts'

SEATTLE — An endangered orca vanished from a dwindling whale pod off the Washington coast, a conservation group said.

The missing Southern Resident killer whale, K-26, was not seen by researchers during an Oct. 29 encounter near Middle Bank, the Center for Whale Research said in a Nov. 6 Facebook post.

This latest encounter was the third ...Read more

Jerry Jackson/Baltimore Sun/TNS

Study: Maryland reduced emissions more than any other state in recent years

Between 2005 and 2022, Maryland reduced its greenhouse gas emissions by a greater percentage than any other state, according to a national study released Wednesday.

The study, which evaluated the federal Environmental Protection Agency’s database of state greenhouse gas inventories, determined that Maryland reduced its globe-warming emissions...Read more

TNS

Gadgets: Accessories that make everyday life a little easier

Smartish, an Austin, Texas-based company is celebrating its 15th year of business. Their mission is to create accessories that make everyday life a little easier, such as innovative smartphone cases and clever stuff with creative names to solve unexpected needs. Continuing this mission, they recently launched some great new accessories to pair...Read more

Handout/HyperX/TNS

Review: HyperX Cloud Mix Buds 2 checks the boxes for earbuds but is limited

HyperX has made a name for itself with its over-the-ear headsets that offer solid sound with exceptional comfort, but earbuds are quickly becoming the form factor that wireless fans desire. They’ve become ubiquitous thanks to Apple, and other companies including HyperX have taken notice, releasing their own earbud offerings.

The latest in ...Read more

Jim Rossman/Jim Rossman/TNS

Jim Rossman: First Apple Intelligence features roll out

Recently, Apple released an update to its operating systems that introduced the beginnings of a new suite of artificial intelligence tools called Apple Intelligence.

Apple has been talking about Apple Intelligence since it was first mentioned back in June at their Worldwide Developer Conference.

The first Apple Intelligence features finally ...Read more

EZQuest/EZQuest/TNS

Tech review: Gifts to keep the techie in your life charged up

Christmas is coming, and gift giving can be a challenge for the techies on your list.

This gift guide is centered on gifts that will help keep gadgets charged up.

Virtually everyone has a phone, tablet or laptop, which means they are always looking for better, faster, smarter ways to keep them charged up.

I’ve tested all of these ...Read more

Nelvin C. Cepeda/The San Diego Union-Tribune/TNS

AI is everywhere. How should schools handle it? Teachers' different approaches show its potential -- and limits

In Jeff Simon’s math class at Sage Creek High School in Carlsbad, California, students are not only allowed but encouraged to use AI.

Simon introduces students to artificial intelligence tools that explain, step by step, how to solve a math problem — all they have to do is take a picture of it. There are AI tools that graph equations and ...Read more

Alex Kormann/The Minnesota Star Tribune/TNS

Apple headphones can work as hearing aids. Leading hearing aid maker Starkey says it welcomes competition

Ross Graham loves loud bands like Nine Inch Nails, and in his younger days he used to frequent ear-numbing concerts and crank up the volume on his headphones. He thinks it was a 2013 concert by the Reverend Peyton’s Big Damn Band in Indianapolis that probably wrecked his hearing.

“I left and thought, ‘Wow, my hearing is not going to be ...Read more

Ellen M. Banner/The Seattle Times/TNS

Earnings for Seattle tech workers hit record high

Everyone knows Seattle tech workers make good money. Even so, when it comes to earnings, it’s remarkable how far they’ve pulled ahead.

New census data shows in 2023, Seattle residents who worked in computer and mathematical jobs had median earnings of about $157,200, up by about $14,000 from the 2022 estimate. This marks the first time ...Read more

Marc Lester/Anchorage Daily News/TNS

Alaska-grown hazelnuts? A changing climate is helping growers coax unusual crops from northern soil

PETERS CREEK, Alaska — The little tree in Josh Smith's yard at the base of Bear Mountain resembled an alder, the scrappy and familiar Alaskan shrub.

But the sturdy sapling with oval leaves was actually a hazelnut, a crop that Smith is hoping might also someday thrive in other yards as the state's climate changes, bringing fresh potential for ...Read more

David Ryder/Getty Images North America/TNS

Under Trump, Washington state can serve as a beacon of climate policy, Gov. Inslee says

SEATTLE — While most of America shifted rightward in last week's presidential election, Washington bucked the national trend — and doubled down on its landmark climate policy, the Climate Commitment Act.

Now Washington is positioned to act as a beacon of climate policy, not just in the United States but around the world, outgoing Gov. Jay ...Read more

Could surfboard lights prevent great white shark bites? 'Like an invisibility cloak'

Let there be light!

That’s what shark researchers are saying after finding that LED lights on surfboards could be the key to preventing great white shark bites.

The Australian scientists have published the results of a six-year shark study that could lead to a revolution in surfboard design.

“What we’ve been trying to do is understand ...Read more

Denver Post file/The Denver Post/TNS

Pronghorn herds dying by the dozen on eastern Colorado roads after snowstorm

DENVER — Deep, crusty snow piled up on fields in eastern Colorado after last week’s snowstorm is driving herds of pronghorn onto roads, and dozens of them are dying, state wildlife officials said.

Pronghorn are being hit by drivers in droves as they seek refuge from snow-covered fields, according to Colorado Parks and Wildlife officials. ...Read more

Jails and prisons often fail to protect incarcerated people during natural disasters

The United States has almost 2 million people behind bars in prisons, jails and detention centers – the largest such population in any country. Although incarcerated people are locked away from the outside world, they are even more vulnerable to the impacts of disasters, such as hurricanes and wildfires, than the rest of society.

...Read more

Countries spend huge sums on fossil fuel subsidies – why they’re so hard to eliminate

Fossil fuels are the leading driver of climate change, yet they are still heavily subsidized by governments around the world.

Although many countries have explicitly promised to reduce fossil fuel subsidies to combat climate change, this has proven difficult to accomplish. As a result, fossil fuels remain relatively inexpensive, and ...Read more