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Virgin Galactic launches first tourism mission after decades of promises

Published Sun, 16 Feb 2025 16:10:26 GMT

(CNN) — Virgin Galactic — the space tourism company founded by British billionaire Richard Branson — finally launched its first space tourists to the edge of the cosmos, a major step toward delivering on decades of promises.The company’s rocket-powered space plane, VSS Unity, took off at 8:30 a.m. MT from a New Mexico spaceport attached to a massive twin-fuselage mothership.It carried three customers: entrepreneur and health and wellness coach Keisha Schahaff and her daughter Anastatia Mayers — the first space travelers from Antigua who won their seats in a fundraiser drawing — as well as former Olympian Jon Goodwin, who competed as a canoeist in the 1972 Munich Summer Games. Goodwin became the second person with Parkinson’s disease to travel to space.The group’s journey began at Virgin Galactic’s spaceport in New Mexico, where the passengers boarded VSS Unity as it sat attached beneath the wing of the mothership called VMS Eve.VMS Eve took off much like an airplane, barreling ...

Nike shows off Kobe Bryant 8 Protro Halo sneaker created by widow Vanessa

Published Sun, 16 Feb 2025 16:10:26 GMT

Kobe Bryant fans will have a new way of memorializing the late NBA star. Nike has teamed up with Vanessa Bryant, Kobe’s widow, for a new sneaker coming out on Aug. 23, which would have been his 45th birthday.“Partnering with Nike Basketball, Vanessa Bryant imagined and created the Halo shoe concept and launch as a way to honor Kobe’s birthday each year,” the company said in a press release. “The Halo concept will be an annual release that will honor and celebrate this special date.”First up is the Kobe 8 Proto Halo, the newest addition to the Protro lineup, which will be available through Nike’s SNKRS app and at select global retailers.In addition to its triple-white colorway, the sneaker features “new updates in design and performance innovation,” including a Nike React foam — for comfort, responsiveness, and durability — and an updated herringbone traction pattern for better grip.The design, meanwhile, features an e...

Residents of devastated Lahaina will be allowed back to check on their homes. Follow live updates

Published Sun, 16 Feb 2025 16:10:26 GMT

By REBECCA BOONE (Associated Press)Follow live updates about wildfires that have devastated parts of Maui in Hawaii, destroying a historic town and forcing evacuations. The National Weather Service said Hurricane Dora, which passed south of the island chain, was partly to blame for strong winds that initially drove the flames, knocking out power and grounding firefighting helicopters.Hawaii Gov. Josh Green said Lahaina residents will be allowed to return Friday to check on their property and that people will be able to get out, too, to get water and access other services.An official announcement will come later Friday from the office of Maui County Mayor Richard Bissen Jr., Green told Hawaii News Now, adding that people should expect an announcement of a curfew as well. “The recovery’s going to be extraordinarily complicated, but we do want people to get back to their homes and just do what they can to assess safely because it’s pretty dangerous,” he said.An ...

Consumer Health: Questions about breastfeeding

Published Sun, 16 Feb 2025 16:10:26 GMT

Laurel Kelly | (TNS) Mayo Clinic News NetworkThe American Academy of Pediatrics has affirmed its recommendation and advocacy for breastfeeding, stating, “Research has shown that breastfeeding is linked to decreased rates of lower respiratory tract infections, severe diarrhea, ear infections and obesity. Breastfeeding is associated with lower risk of sudden infant death syndrome, as well as other protective effects.”Specifically, the American Academy of Pediatrics recommendation is for:— Exclusive breastfeeding of infants for the first six months of life before introducing nutritious complementary foods.— Maternity care practices at birth hospitals or centers that improve breastfeeding initiation, duration and exclusivity.— Breastfeeding as long as mutually desired for two years or beyond.— Support of mothers who choose to breastfeed beyond the first year, including protections against workplace barriers.— Policies that protect breastfeeding ...

Does landscaping increase home value?

Published Sun, 16 Feb 2025 16:10:26 GMT

Cynthia Paez Bowman | Bankrate.com (TNS)Landscaping can have a big impact on the impression a home makes. The front lawn leading to your door is usually what a visitor notices first; the view out the back can enhance the ambiance of interior rooms. The question is, how vital is it to invest in curb appeal to improve your home’s value? Is it worth prioritizing part of your home maintenance budget on your outdoor areas?The American Society of Landscape Architects (ASLA) claims professional landscaping can increase a home’s price tag 15 percent to 20 percent more at the time of resale. “High-quality landscape designs usually have an ROI of 20 percent to 30 percent of the overall house value,” says Bryan McKenzie, a landscape designer and co-founder of gardening advice site bumpercroptimes.com.However, not all projects deliver on the promise, and some can potentially decrease property value. Where you see beauty, others may see a burden or even a hazard.Let’s dig more deeply into when l...

Teens with addiction are often left to detox without medication

Published Sun, 16 Feb 2025 16:10:26 GMT

Markian Hawryluk | (TNS) KFF Health NewsDENVER — When Denver Health wanted to open an inpatient opioid detox unit specifically for teens, doctors there searched high and low for a model to copy. They didn’t find one.Teens who land in emergency rooms with an opioid overdose generally receive naloxone to reverse the effects of dangerous drugs in their system and are sent home with a list of places they can go for follow-up care. But too often, those teens never seek additional help. They are left to suffer through the agony of withdrawal with no medications to ease their cravings. As a result, many, seeking relief, go back to opioids, often with tragic consequences.Christian Thurstone, the director of behavioral health services at the Denver hospital, said six of his teen patients have died of fentanyl overdoses in the past two years. Denver Health has now opened what he believes to be the nation’s first adolescent inpatient detox unit.“I’ve been doing adolescent substance treatment h...

Home Showcase: Nothing short of opulent in Hamilton

Published Sun, 16 Feb 2025 16:10:26 GMT

There’s a “wow” factor and there’s a “WHOA” factor and the palatial property at 441 Highland Street in Hamilton is the latter.Prepare to be awed by the sheer size and careful craftsmanship found throughout the 2002 custom home. You won’t just want to host a dinner party or two, you pretty much have to. The property and its 9.45 lush acres are primed for gatherings of Great Gatsby proportions.Guests will be impressed from the moment they set foot into the double-height foyer with its elegant curved staircase to the time they’re settled in the banquet-sized dining room, taking in the views from the sun-drenched solarium, or enjoying a cookout on the mahogany wraparound deck.The heart of the home, a gourmet kitchen, is adorned with custom cherry cabinets, granite countertops, a central island, and limestone flooring. Its dining area flows seamlessly into the family room, crowned with cathedral ceilings reaching 25″ and made extra cozy by an ornate fireplace and built-in cabinetry...

What caused the Maui wildfires?

Published Sun, 16 Feb 2025 16:10:26 GMT

(KHON/NEXSTAR) – A series of wildfires raging across Maui have devastated the island and its communities, wiping out homes and businesses and destroying the historic town of Lahaina in just a few days.The death toll, which had climbed to 55 as of Friday morning, is also expected to grow as rescue workers continue recovery efforts.“The closest thing I can compare it to is perhaps a war zone or maybe a bomb went off,” Maui County Mayor Richard Bissen Jr. said Friday during an interview with ABC’s “Good Morning America.”“It was cars in the street, doors open, you know, melted to the ground. Most structures no longer exist,” Bissen said. Newest photos show devastation from Maui fire The blazes first broke out Tuesday, though the exact causes are currently unknown. What officials do know, however, is that conditions in Maui were perfect for wildfires in the months leading up to this week’s events.Maui has experienced an especially dry summer, both in terms of humidity and vegetation, e...

Detention worker suspected of having sexual relations with detainee

Published Sun, 16 Feb 2025 16:10:26 GMT

SAN DIEGO -- A case manager at the Otay Mesa Detention Facility in South Bay is suspected of having sexual relations with a detainee.According to U.S. Attorney Andrew Haden's office Thursday, 36-year-old Shantal Hernandez -- an employee of the Office of the Immigration Detention Ombudsman (OIDO) -- is being charged in a now unsealed complaint. Suspected smuggling boat intercepted near Solana Beach: CBP The complaint revealed that agents with the Office of Professional Responsibility (ICE OPR) received information that Hernandez had allegedly been spending an "unusual" amount of time with a detainee -- identified in court documents by the initials I.K.N. The attorney's office says ICE OPR obtained phone records from the detention facility. Based on the records, the office determined that I.K.N. and Hernandez engaged in a significant number of sexually explicit phone calls and electronic communications -- some of which allegedly discussed an ongoing relationship and sex acts.“Hernan...

UN announces release of 5 staff members kidnapped by al-Qaida in Yemen 18 months ago

Published Sun, 16 Feb 2025 16:10:26 GMT

NEW YORK (AP) — Five United Nations staff members who were kidnapped in Yemen 18 months ago by an al-Qaida affiliate have walked free, U.N. officials said Friday.David Gressly, the U.N. humanitarian coordinator in Yemen, said the five men – four Yemenis and one who is from Bangladesh, were “in good health, good spirits … but they went through a very difficult period of isolation.”The five were freed after lengthy negotiations that included officials from Oman, the U.N. said. Gressly, who spoke to U.N. reporters after flying with the four citizens to southern Yemen’s port city of Aden, said: : “I can confirm that the hostage-takers were Al Qaeda in the Arabian Peninsula.”Also known as AQAP, the group has been active in southern Yemen for years and is considered one of the global al-Qaeda network’s most dangerous branches. It has attempted to carry out attacks on the U.S. mainland. Gressly said the United Nations never pays ransom, which is one reason the U.N. staffe...