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The Great Pacific Garbage Patch is now so huge and permanent that a coastal ecosystem is thriving on it, scientists say

Published Sun, 16 Feb 2025 16:30:00 GMT

By Ivana Kottasová | CNNScientists have found thriving communities of coastal creatures, including tiny crabs and anemones, living thousands of miles from their original home on plastic debris in the Great Pacific Garbage Patch — a 620,000 square mile swirl of trash in the ocean between California and Hawaii.In a new study published in the Nature Ecology & Evolution journal on Monday, a team of researchers revealed that dozens of species of coastal invertebrate organisms have been able to survive and reproduce on plastic garbage that’s been floating in the ocean for years.The scientists said that the findings suggest plastic pollution in the ocean might be enabling the creation of new floating ecosystems of species that are not normally able to survive in the open ocean.Unlike organic material that decomposes and sinks within months or, at most, a few years, plastic debris can float in the oceans for a much longer time, giving creatures the opportunity to survive and...

Soul star Erykah Badu brings Unfollow Me Tour to 4 California cities

Published Sun, 16 Feb 2025 16:30:00 GMT

Erykah Badu has announced the dates for her 25-city Unfollow Me Tour.And, yes, the trek includes stops in both Northern and Southern California.The platinum-selling vocalist — known by many as the “Queen of Neo Soul” — is set to perform June 20 at the Golden 1 Center in Sacramento and June 21 at Oakland Arena. She also plays Pechanga Arena in San Diego on June 15 and Crypto.com Arena on June 17.Yasiin Bey, the hip-hop star that once used the stage name Mos Def, is also on the bill.Tickets go on sale at 2:22 p.m. April 20, www.UnfollowMeTour.com.The tour “promises an out-of-this-world, surrealist atmosphere,” according to a news release.Tour itinerary:Sunday, June 11, 2023San Antonio, TXAT&T CenterTuesday, June 13, 2023Glendale, AZDesert Diamond ArenaThursday, June 15, 2023San Diego, CAPechanga ArenaRelated Articles Gospel star shines during Warriors’ Black History Month celebration New music: We Are Messengers, ...

Cascade Mountain High: Exploring Oregon’s Crater Lake National Park

Published Sun, 16 Feb 2025 16:30:00 GMT

There’s a mysterious, otherworldly feel to Southern Oregon’s Crater Lake National Park. This gem-like lake, nestled high in the Cascade Range, is the deepest lake in North America — 1,943 feet — and is famous for its intensely blue waters.It formed 7,700 years ago when Mount Mazama, a 12,000-foot-tall volcano, experienced the largest eruption in North America in the past 640,000 years and subsequently collapsed, forming a volcanic caldera, which then began to fill with rainfall and snowmelt.There’s no natural outlet for Crater Lake’s water, yet it never completely fills up. The lake loses water, as it seeps out of the old volcano’s outer slopes at a slow but steady rate, like a porous paper coffee filter. It’s considered the cleanest large body of water in the world and holds a whopping 4.9 trillion gallons of water.Sunrise illuminates the top of Wizard Island at Oregon’s Crater Lake. (Travel Southern Oregon) The park may be open year round for intrepid back c...

Maryland sports betting sets records, but it may slow

Published Sun, 16 Feb 2025 16:30:00 GMT

March Madness was good for Maryland’s coffers.Revenue and state taxes from sports betting in Maryland were both up nearly 90% in March compared to February, breaking records for both.March sports betting revenue, or the taxable win, was $35.4 million, up 89.9% from February, according to BetMaryland. March state tax from sports betting was $5.3 million, also up 89.9%.The total sports handle at Maryland’s 10 retail and eight state-approved mobile sportsbooks was $386 million, the vast majority of it from mobile sports betting apps.The total included $11.4 million in promotional wagers, or free bets that apps are still aggressively offering to attract gamblers.“As anticipated, March was a strong month for sports betting. After a sharp drop in February following the close of the NFL season, March Madness betting has brought a sense of recovery to the books,” said BetMaryland Analyst Dru James.“Given that spring and summer are the off-season of many professional and college sports, Marc...

Immigrant success story: District Taco aims for 80 locations

Published Sun, 16 Feb 2025 16:30:00 GMT

 District Taco founders Osiris Hoil (left) and Marc Wallace. (Courtesy District Taco)District Taco, one of the D.C. region’s most notable success stories, is on an ambitious franchise path, planning to open 10 to 15 franchise locations a year — and aiming for 80 locations by 2027.District Taco, founded by a Mexican immigrant, began with one taco truck in Rosslyn in 2009. It now has 14 locations throughout D.C., Maryland, Virginia and Pennsylvania.Osiris Hoil, who moved to the U.S. from Mexico in 2002 at age 18, lost his job in the construction business in 2008, and started the District Taco cart in Rosslyn with Arlington neighbor Marc Wallace, initially selling breakfast tacos.Hoil became a U.S. citizen in 2012.His family recipes used today are from his native Yucatan region in Mexico. All ingredients are made from scratch, roasted, grilled and prepared on-site at each restaurant, including the tortillas.Within the last six months, the company has signed multi-unit development ...

Phillies-White Sox postponed, rescheduled for Tuesday DH

Published Sun, 16 Feb 2025 16:30:00 GMT

CHICAGO (AP) — The series opener between the Philadelphia Phillies and the Chicago White Sox scheduled for Monday night was postponed because of high winds and cold temperatures.The game was rescheduled for Tuesday as part of a straight doubleheader, with the first game starting at 3:10 p.m. The second game will start approximately 30 to 45 minutes after the conclusion of the first game but not before 6:10 p.m.Both teams entered Monday at 6-10 on the season.___AP MLB: https://apnews.com/hub/mlb and https://twitter.com/AP_SportsSource

Did your flight arrive early? Airlines plan it that way

Published Sun, 16 Feb 2025 16:30:00 GMT

Air travelers are often pleasantly surprised if their flight arrives at its destination early, but airlines are padding their schedules to improve their on-time arrival stats.Personal finance site Finance Buzz analyzed the U.S. Department of Transportation’s Bureau of Transportation Statistics data going back years, covering 35 million domestic flights. Since 2012, the frequency of flight duration padding has increased by 27%, Finance Buzz reported. It is an average of just over 10%.In 2022, 20% of domestic flights arrived at their destinations late, but without that padding, it would have been 30%, its research found.At Reagan National Airport, the average domestic flight duration schedule was padded by 10 minutes, but given the relatively short duration of a DCA departure — of just over 90 minutes — it is an average padding of 10.8%. Reagan National ranked No. 13 for average padding by airlines in 2022. At BWI Marshall, the average padding was 11% last year.Finance Buzz did not in...

Affidavit: Air National Guardsman applied to RentAHitman.com

Published Sun, 16 Feb 2025 16:30:00 GMT

NASHVILLE, Tenn. (AP) — A Tennessee Air National Guardsman was arrested last week after federal agents said he responded to a parody website promoting jobs for hitmen. Josiah Garcia told an undercover FBI agent that he needed money and thought he would be good at killing people because of his military experience and because he was an excellent marksman, according to an affidavit filed in federal court Thursday. Messages left with the office of the federal public defender in Nashville, which was appointed to represent Garcia, and with Garcia’s phone were not immediately returned Monday morning. Garcia said he came across the website RentAHitman.com while searching the internet for contract mercenary jobs at the suggestion of a guard coworker. The site was originally created in 2005 to advertise a cybersecurity company that never took off. However, it received many inquiries over the years about murder-for-hire services, according to the affidavit. Eventually, the site administr...

AP source: Hurts, Eagles agree to $255 million extension

Published Sun, 16 Feb 2025 16:30:00 GMT

PHILADELPHIA (AP) — Jalen Hurts is set to sign one of the richest deals in NFL history, agreeing to a five-year, $255 million extension with the Philadelphia Eagles, including $179.3 million guaranteed, a person with knowledge of the situation told The Associated Press.The Eagles announced on Monday “ QB1 is here to stay, ” but terms were not yet announced, according to the person who spoke to the AP on condition of anonymity because the deal was not yet final. Hurts was rewarded for his breakout season when he was named an AP NFL MVP finalist and led the Eagles to the Super Bowl, where they lost to the Kansas City Chiefs.“Keeping the main thing in Philly,” the Eagles tweeted. “We’ve agreed to terms with Jalen Hurts on a 5-year extension through the 2028 season.”The 24-year-old Hurts was expected to receive $51 million per season, and only only Deshaun Watson ($230M) and Kyler Murray ($189.5M) received more in a single contract.Hurts delivered a record performance in the Super Bowl,...

Sports on TV for Tuesday, April 18

Published Sun, 16 Feb 2025 16:30:00 GMT

(All times Eastern)Schedule subject to change and/or blackoutsTuesday, April 18BOWLING7 p.m.FS1 — PBA: The WSOB Scorpion Championship, Wauwatosa, Wis.COLLEGE BASEBALL6 p.m.ESPNU — Louisville at Alabama7 p.m.SECN — Samford at Auburn8 p.m.ACCN — Georgia St. at Georgia TechCOLLEGE SOFTBALL6 p.m.ACCN — James Madison at VirginiaBTN — Michigan St. at MichiganPAC-12N — Portland St. at Oregon8:30 p.m.PAC-12N — Portland St. at OregonMLB BASEBALL7 p.m.MLBN — Regional Coverage: LA Angels at NY Yankees OR Minnesota at Boston10 p.m.TBS — NY Mets at LA DodgersNBA BASKETBALL7 p.m.NBATV — Eastern Conference First Round: Atlanta at Boston, Game 27:30 p.m.TNT — Eastern Conference First Round: New York at Cleveland, Game 210 p.m.TNT — Western Conference First Round: LA Clippers at Phoenix, Game 2NHL HOCKEY7 p.m.TBS — Eastern Conference First Round: NY Rangers at New Jersey, Game 17:30 p.m.ESPN — Eastern Conference First Round: Tampa Bay at Toronto, Game 19:30 p.m.ESPN2 — Western Conference First Round...