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‘Perfectly excited’: Canadian scientists await first look at bits from asteroid Bennu

Published Sun, 16 Feb 2025 16:10:51 GMT

A group of Canadian scientists is awaiting delivery of an outer space postcard from the past. On Sept. 24, seven years after it blasted off from its Florida launch pad, NASA’s OSIRIS-REx spacecraft is expected to drop a capsule into the Earth’s atmosphere containing matter plucked from the surface of an asteroid dating from the early history of the solar system.“I’ve never worked with extraterrestrial material,” said Dominique Weis, a geoscientist at the University of British Columbia, who’s in line to get a tiny sample.“I’m perfectly excited.”The material comes from Bennu, previously known as near-Earth object 101955, a frozen chunk of rock about 500 metres across and roughly 450,000 kilometres from Earth. OSIRIS-REx has orbited within a couple hundred metres of its surface, scooped up a shovelful of it and is on its way home to drop off the package of whatever it found.A Canadian-built set of lasers helped guide OSIRIS to its d...

Can you lease a used car?

Published Sun, 16 Feb 2025 16:10:51 GMT

(iSeeCars) -- When it comes to car buying, you may be torn between buying and leasing. While leasing a car might be an attractive option if you want a different car every few years, you might be turned off by the high monthly payments for the cars you’re interested in. What you might not realize is that you can also lease a used car. Although used cars make up only a small percentage of the leased car market, it’s still possible to lease a used car. And with used car prices still higher than pre-pandemic levels, leasing a used car could be a smart financial decision.So how can you lease a used car, and is it a good idea? We have the answers.Which Used Cars Can be Leased? Used cars that are available to lease are typically Certified Pre Owned cars (also known as CPO) from car dealerships. A certified pre-owned vehicle is a late-model used car that is sold by a franchised dealer after it has been thoroughly inspected, and comes with a factory-backed extended-powertrain warranty a...

No shoes, no service? What can happen if you fly barefoot

Published Sun, 16 Feb 2025 16:10:51 GMT

(NEXSTAR) — For many of us, flying is a relatively easy experience. Your flight leaves on time, your seatmates are polite, and you arrive at your destination safely. But, in some cases, one of those aspects of flying may not go exactly as planned. You may find one of your fellow flyers committing an air travel faux pas: being barefoot. You’ve seen the photos online of people's toes peeking out between the seats. Maybe you’ve encountered it yourself. Either way, it’s largely frowned upon. In some cases, barefoot flying can even get you grounded.  What is the flight hack ‘skip lagging,’ and why you should avoid it Within its contract of carriage, United Airlines considers being barefoot, as well as being “not properly clothed,” an offense that justifies “refusal or removal of a passenger.” The carrier lists it as one of the many infractions that could impact safety for the passenger or others on the plane. American Airlines says bare feet “aren’t allowed” from pa...

Salmonella illnesses among Minnesota children tied to raw milk

Published Sun, 16 Feb 2025 16:10:51 GMT

One Twin Cities child was hospitalized and four others became ill with Salmonella after health officials believe they consumed unpasteurized milk. According to the Minnesota Department of Health, families of two of the children confirmed that the raw milk had been consumed. Information from the other families was not available, but a lab analysis showed the bacteria that made all five children ill came from the same source.The children who fell ill range in age from three months to 10 years and were sick between the end of June and early July. One child was hospitalized.Unpasteurized milk, also known as raw milk, is milk that has not been heated to a temperature high enough to kill harmful germs from fecal contamination sometimes found in the milk, the health department said in a news release.“Even healthy animals can carry these germs and have them in their milk,” said Maria Bye, senior epidemiologist in the Zoonotic Diseases Unit at MDH. “Consuming any unpasteurized milk is risky,...

Other voices: Cleanup on branches 1, 2 and 3

Published Sun, 16 Feb 2025 16:10:51 GMT

Healthy skepticism of authority is a very good thing — as power should never go unchecked in a democracy. But corrosive distrust of government of, by and for the people is a very bad thing — because pervasive cynicism, the reflexive belief that those we elect and the public servants beneath them have ulterior motives, leads to disengagement and division and drift. We therefore commend, with caveats, two legislative pushes in Washington to ensure that federal officials do more to earn the trust we put in them.The first is by Sen. Sheldon Whitehouse, whose bill on Supreme Court ethics last week won the assent of a slim majority of the Judiciary Committee.Every member of the federal judiciary has to follow a code of conduct — with the exception of the nine men and women who sit on the highest bench in the land. That’s akin to referees calling fouls on every basketball player except those who make the All-Star team.In the wake of revelations that Justices Clarenc...

Working Strategies: The up-sides to interim work

Published Sun, 16 Feb 2025 16:10:51 GMT

Amy LindgrenTemporary jobs, contract assignments, seasonal employment, gig work — how many ways can we say “short-term” when it comes to work? For some people, these kinds of opportunities are the perfect fit, but for others the prospect of non-permanent employment is a let-down.If you’re looking for a full-time, “forever” job, taking something interim can feel like a capitulation. It’s just disappointing to be working at something that’s intended to end, especially when it means you’ll be job searching again soon.That’s one reason job seekers turn down these in-between opportunities, even when they need money. Another reason is the fear of being locked in when a better opportunity comes along. In that scenario, the worker worries they’ll feel obligated to the first job and unable to accept the permanent position they’ve been seeking.That’s understandable, but not exactly logical. These jobs are meant to end and they are generally filled by individuals heading to something big...

EU-Bangladesh partnership is gaining positive momentum

Published Sun, 16 Feb 2025 16:10:51 GMT

The High Representative of the European Union for Foreign Affairs and Security Policy/Vice-President of the European Commission, Joseph Borrell Fontelles has written that the EU-Bangladesh partnership is gaining positive momentum. Note that, on June 12, six members of the European Parliament submitted a letter to the Vice-President of the European Commission, Joseph Borrell, expressing concern about the twelfth election, human rights and the political situation in Bangladesh. The mentioned letter was written by MEPs of the European Parliament Ivan Stefanek (Slovak Republic), Michaela Sojdrova (Czech Republic), Andrey Kovatchev (EPP, Bulgaria), Karen Melchior (Denmark), Javier Nart (Spain) and Heidi Hautala (Finland).321 expatriates from different countries living in Europe, including scientists, teachers, researchers, journalists, businessmen, employees and various professions, have expressed concern about the letter on behalf of "Bangladesh Civil Society in Europe". They said ...

Southern California player wins $1 million as Mega Millions rises to 4th-largest jackpot in game’s history 

Published Sun, 16 Feb 2025 16:10:51 GMT

Although no one in the United States walked away with the grand prize, five people – including one in SoCal – were able to walk away with a serious amount of cash. Friday’s winning numbers – 5, 10, 28, 52, 63 and a Mega Ball 18 – went unmatched for the 29th straight drawing, but several people around the country won the second-tier $1 million prize, including one each in California, Arizona and New York, as well as two winners in Pennsylvania. The California player who matched five numbers and just missed the Mega Ball purchased their ticket at a Ralphs Grocery store in Van Nuys, the California Lottery tweeted.One of the Pennsylvania winners had also purchased the Megaplier option, which made their ticket worth $5 million. According to the Mega Millions website, the last jackpot-winning ticket was drawn in Syracuse, New York on April 18. That winner received $20 million, with the cash option being $10.5 million.  Powerball Jackpot winner: The steps the state wi...

Riot breaks out at juvenile detention hall in Downey 

Published Sun, 16 Feb 2025 16:10:51 GMT

A riot that broke out at a juvenile hall in Downey led to the injury of staff members and at least one person escaping. According to a statement from the Los Angeles County Probation Department, the “major disturbance” occurred at Los Padrinos Juvenile Hall around 8 p.m. Friday night. "[During the riot] youth assaulted staff, and one youth was able to exit the secure perimeter of the facility,” the L.A. County Probation Department said. “[They were] immediately apprehended by Probation Special Enforcement Operations officers. All youth are accounted for.” 2 men hospitalized after being shot in South L.A. Nearby residents were told to stay away from the facility and lock their windows and doors during the chaos. No one was seriously injured, officials said. What caused the riot is still under investigation. 

Three men shot in Oakland

Published Sun, 16 Feb 2025 16:10:51 GMT

OAKLAND — Three men were shot — two during a drive-by attack and the other in a road rage incident — in just over an hour Friday night in different areas of the city, authorities said.The drive-by shooting happened about  9:20 p.m. Friday in the 1200 block of 83rd Avenue in East Oakland.A 30-year-old man and a 46-year-old man were outside working on a truck when a dark SUV drove by and someone inside the vehicle began shooting at them, authorities said.Both men were wounded at least once.  The 30-year-old man was in critical condition at a hospital and the younger man in stable condition, police said.Some residences in the area were hit by gunfire but no other injuries were reported.The SUV drove away before police got to to the scene.Police are trying to determine a motive for the shooting.The road-rage related shooting happened about 8:06 p.m. Friday in the 900 block of 18th Street in West Oakland.Initial reports were that two vehicles were involved in some kind ...