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USA Today
07-06-2025
- Business
- USA Today
Wildfire smoke, shark pardons and lost 401(k) accounts: Your week in review
Wildfire smoke, shark pardons and lost 401(k) accounts: Your week in review Show Caption Hide Caption Smoke drifting into US from Canada wildfires could impact health Smoke from wildfires in Canada has drifted into Montana, the Dakotas, Minnesota, Midwestern and East Coast states, and as far south as Florida. Canadian wildfire smoke hangs over U.S. Skies were looking milky across much of the United States for days as smoke from wildfires raging in Canada drifted into northern and Midwestern states and dipped even as far south as Florida. The Dakotas, Iowa and most of Minnesota and Wisconsin were under air quality alerts, and the haze hung over major cities including New York, Washington, Philadelphia and Boston. More than 200 wildfires were burning in Canada as of June 3, and more than half were classified as "out of control," Canadian forest fire authorities said. More news about our planet: Sign up for USA TODAY's Climate Point newsletter. Trump pardons Florida divers who freed sharks Presidential pardons have often sparked controversy, but Donald Trump's latest gesture had some teeth to it. Trump granted full clemency to two Florida divers, John Moore Jr. and Tanner Mansell, who were convicted of theft for cutting 19 sharks free from a fisherman's longline in 2020. They had assumed the gear was illegal; it turns out it belonged to a vessel permitted by the federal government to harvest sandbar sharks for research. "Whether people believe in his politics or not, he chose to pardon me ... and only ever wanted to help," Mansell said in a text. "I can't help but feel extremely grateful." A fortune sits in 'lost' 401(k) accounts You might think it would be hard to forget almost $60,000. But at least $1.7 trillion is wasting away in forgotten 401(k) accounts, the financial firm Capitalize found, and the average lost balance is $56,616. How does that happen? People who leave a job "usually have a bunch of things going on,' said David John of the AARP Public Policy Institute, and simply lose track. (More than 47 million Americans quit their jobs in the Great Resignation of 2021.) And someone who leaves a job after only a year or two might be especially prone to overlook a modest balance − which, thanks to the magic of tax-free investment growth, eventually turns into a big balance. Loretta Swit, 'M*A*S*H's beloved 'Hot Lips,' dies Fans, friends and co-stars were remembering Loretta Swit, who starred as Major Margaret "Hot Lips" Houlihan through all 11 seasons of TV's hugely popular Korean War dramedy "M*A*S*H" and gave depth and strength to a character who began as an oversexed blond stereotype. Swit, 87, died May 30. "More than acting her part, she created it," star Alan Alda, 89, posted on X. Jamie Farr, 90, who played Corporal Maxwell Q. Klinger, told USA TODAY she was his "adopted sister … as close as family can get." The cast was a tight-knit group through the years, Swit once said: "We might as well be joined at the hip." Close isn't good enough for the New York Knicks Some teams just want to win NOW. Maybe that's why the New York Knicks fired coach Tom Thibodeau, stunning much of the basketball world, just days after the franchise flirted with the NBA Finals for the first time in 25 years before falling to the Indiana Pacers. Not bad for a team that had won just 21 games in the 2019-20 season before Thibodeau took over. The Knicks might be forgiven for being a little impatient after their magical run, however: They have not won a title since 1973. (The NBA Finals, with the Pacers facing the Oklahoma City Thunder, tipped off June 5). − Compiled by Robert Abitbol, USA TODAY copy chief
The Herald Scotland
04-05-2025
- Politics
- The Herald Scotland
Trump calls Bezos, NBA playoffs and Martha Stewart: The week in review
More news about our planet: Sign up for USA TODAY's Climate Point newsletter. Trump calls head of Amazon's complaint department A report that Amazon planned to list the costs of President Donald Trump's tariffs next to its product prices lit a fire under the White House, which declared it "a hostile and political act." The report on Punchbowl News, citing an unidentified source, also sent Trump, who was celebrating his 100th day in office, to the phone to dial up Amazon founder Jeff Bezos. An Amazon spokeswoman later denied the report, telling USA TODAY that "this was never approved and is not going to happen." As for the phone call, Trump told reporters: "Jeff Bezos was very nice. He was terrific. He solved the problem very quickly." No, Martha Stewart doesn't do takeout Leave it to Martha Stewart to not let anyone do anything for her she could do herself - and probably better. In an appearance on "The Kelly Clarkson Show" with fellow celebrity chef Jose Andres to discuss their new cooking competition show, "Yes, Chef!", Stewart, 83, revealed she had never, not once, ordered takeout food. "You've never been like, 'It's a Taco Bell night.'?" an incredulous Clarkson asked. Andres could only shake his head, but later he demanded, "Prove it." The Heat went cold, and it was a hot mess The Cleveland Cavaliers didn't just deliver a thumping to the Miami Heat in their first-round NBA playoff series - it was a thumping for the ages. The Cavs' 138-83 win to sweep the series capped off some extraordinary numbers: Over four games, Cleveland outscored Miami by 122 points. The Heat lost Games 3 and 4 by a combined 92 points. And at one point late in Game 4, the Heat were down 60. "This is quitting at its finest right here," Charles Barkley declared on "Inside the NBA," never one to mince words. "I bet if we went to their house, all their stuff is already packed." Opinion: Sorrow and joy for LGBTQ+ Catholics After the death of Pope Francis, DignityUSA held a gathering for LGBTQ+ Catholics, friends and allies to share their grief. Andres Merino-Restrepo, a bisexual man living in Canada, said, "It always felt as if we had a room in the pope's heart." In his 12 years as pope, Francis embraced LGBTQ+ people in ways unimaginable before his papacy. No matter who is chosen the pope, LGBTQ+ Catholics have been empowered. We will continue to work toward full inclusion - and for recognition that we are no more and no less than who we were created to be. - Marianne Duddy-Burke, executive director, DignityUSA Your turn: Join the Opinion Forum and share your perspectives with us each week. Compiled and written by Robert Abitbol, USA TODAY's copy chief
USA Today
03-05-2025
- Politics
- USA Today
NBA playoffs, Amazon prices and cicadas: Your week in review
NBA playoffs, Amazon prices and cicadas: Your week in review Show Caption Hide Caption Social media faces reality of long Real ID lines as deadline looms Department of Motor Vehicles offices are overwhelmed as people scramble to get their Real ID before the deadline on May 7. It's bugout time for the cicadas The cicadas are coming. Tennessee and North Carolina have reported the first sightings of what will soon become a 13-state swarm of the noisy (but harmless) insects, according to the tracking site Cicada Safari. They're known as Brood XIV and emerge every 17 years, and soon they'll be impossible not to notice in much of the eastern United States. They're sometimes known as the Pilgrim's Brood − sightings were first recorded in 1634 in Plymouth Colony in what is now Massachusetts. The settlers "didn't know about periodical cicadas," said Gene Kritsky, a cicada expert at Ohio's Mount St. Joseph University. "They're unique to the eastern part of the United States. The Pilgrims didn't realize they would return in 17 years." More news about our planet: Sign up for USA TODAY's Climate Point newsletter. Trump calls head of Amazon's complaint department A report that Amazon planned to list the costs of President Donald Trump's tariffs next to its product prices lit a fire under the White House, which declared it "a hostile and political act." The report on Punchbowl News, citing an unidentified source, also sent Trump, who was celebrating his 100th day in office, to the phone to dial up Amazon founder Jeff Bezos. An Amazon spokeswoman later denied the report, telling USA TODAY that "this was never approved and is not going to happen." As for the phone call, Trump told reporters: "Jeff Bezos was very nice. He was terrific. He solved the problem very quickly." No, Martha Stewart doesn't do takeout Leave it to Martha Stewart to not let anyone do anything for her she could do herself − and probably better. In an appearance on "The Kelly Clarkson Show" with fellow celebrity chef José Andrés to discuss their new cooking competition show, "Yes, Chef!", Stewart, 83, revealed she had never, not once, ordered takeout food. "You've never been like, 'It's a Taco Bell night.'?" an incredulous Clarkson asked. Andrés could only shake his head, but later he demanded, "Prove it." The Heat went cold, and it was a hot mess The Cleveland Cavaliers didn't just deliver a thumping to the Miami Heat in their first-round NBA playoff series − it was a thumping for the ages. The Cavs' 138-83 win to sweep the series capped off some extraordinary numbers: Over four games, Cleveland outscored Miami by 122 points. The Heat lost Games 3 and 4 by a combined 92 points. And at one point late in Game 4, the Heat were down 60. "This is quitting at its finest right here," Charles Barkley declared on "Inside the NBA," never one to mince words. "I bet if we went to their house, all their stuff is already packed." Opinion: Sorrow and joy for LGBTQ+ Catholics After the death of Pope Francis, DignityUSA held a gathering for LGBTQ+ Catholics, friends and allies to share their grief. Andrés Merino-Restrepo, a bisexual man living in Canada, said, 'It always felt as if we had a room in the pope's heart.' In his 12 years as pope, Francis embraced LGBTQ+ people in ways unimaginable before his papacy. No matter who is chosen the pope, LGBTQ+ Catholics have been empowered. We will continue to work toward full inclusion ‒ and for recognition that we are no more and no less than who we were created to be. − Marianne Duddy-Burke, executive director, DignityUSA Your turn: Join the Opinion Forum and share your perspectives with us each week. Compiled and written by Robert Abitbol, USA TODAY's copy chief
USA Today
17-04-2025
- Science
- USA Today
We may not be alone in the universe: Astronomers find possible alien life on planet
We may not be alone in the universe: Astronomers find possible alien life on planet The discovery was made on a massive exoplanet known as K2-18b that for years has captivated scientists who have considered it among the best potential life-harboring ocean worlds. Show Caption Hide Caption 'Strongest evidence yet' of alien life discovered on distant planet Scientists have detected what may be the strongest evidence of alien life yet on a planet orbiting a star 120 light-years from Earth. unbranded - Newsworthy Data suggests K2-18b is a "world with an ocean that is teeming with life," said study lead author Nikku Madhusudhan, an astrophysicist at the University of Cambridge in England. A whopping 8.6 times bigger than Earth, K2-18b orbits a red dwarf star in the constellation of Leo in what's known as a habitable zone where water is thought to exist on the surface. Researchers hope to make additional observations with the James Webb Space Telescope to conclusively prove their findings. Humanity may be one step closer to finally answering the question of whether we're alone in the cosmos with a definitive, "no." A team of astronomers said it has found signs of what could be extraterrestrial life on a distant planet located far outside of our own solar system. But don't go imagining little green aliens with big oblong eyes. Using observations from NASA's James Webb Space Telescope, the researchers were able to find possible hints of molecules that on Earth are signs of living organisms like marine algae. The discovery was made on a massive exoplanet known as K2-18b that is much larger than Earth but smaller than Neptune. For years, the exoplanet orbiting more than 120 light-years away has captivated scientists who have considered it among the best potential life-harboring ocean worlds. The latest findings on K2-18b comes from a team of researchers led by Nikku Madhusudhan, an astrophysicist at the University of Cambridge in England. While Madhusudhan stopped short of claiming the findings as a conclusive discovery, he said in a statement that the results serve as the strongest evidence yet that life may exist anywhere else besides Earth. 'Decades from now, we may look back at this point in time and recognize it was when the living universe came within reach,' Madhusudhan said in a statement. 'This could be the tipping point, where suddenly the fundamental question of whether we're alone in the universe is one we're capable of answering.' More news about our planet: Sign up for USA TODAY's Climate Point newsletter. What is K2-18b? Scientists have observed exoplanet for years The exoplanet known as K2-18b was first discovered in 2015 more than 120 light-years from Earth during NASA's planet-hunting K2 mission. A whopping 8.6 times bigger than Earth, K2-18b orbits a red dwarf star in the constellation of Leo in what's known as a habitable zone – a region where planets could have water, providing a key ingredient for life to flourish. In a nod to the classic fairy tale, astronomers even refer to these regions as "Goldilocks" zones because conditions have to be just right – neither too hot nor too cold – for water to remain in liquid form and pool on planetary surfaces. Observations in 2019 with Webb's predecessor, the Hubble Space Telescope, previously indicated that the exoplanet could be a Hycean world covered by ocean water underneath a hydrogen-rich atmosphere. In September 2023, another investigation with Webb – an advanced telescope launched in 2021 outfitted with a gold-coated mirror and powerful infrared instruments – revealed something more: traces of carbon-bearing molecules in K2-18b's atmosphere, including methane and carbon dioxide. At the time, the discovery served as the best evidence yet that the exoplanet had the potential to support life. Astronomers detect hint of life with James Webb Space Telescope Intrigued, astronomers took another look at Webb's observations. This time, Madhusudhan and his team used a different instrument outfitted to Webb that allowed the researchers to analyze K2-18b in another wavelength range of light so as not to overlap with the previous observations. Astronomers can determine the chemical composition of the atmospheres of faraway planets by studying the light from its parent star as the planet passes in front of it as seen from the Earth. During K2-18b's stellar transit, Webb was able to detect some starlight being absorbed into the planet's atmosphere that left clues for astronomers to piece together the gases in the atmosphere. That's what led the researchers to detect a possible biosignature. The biosignature came in the form of hints of sulfur-based gases dimethyl sulfide (DMS) and dimethyl disulfide (DMDS) in the atmosphere – both molecules from the same chemical family. On Earth, the gases are only produced by life, primarily microbial life such as marine phytoplankton, according to the researchers. Though an unknown chemical process could still be the source of these molecules in K2-18b's atmosphere – which were also observed to be much more concentrated than on Earth – the researchers are still encouraged by the results. "Given everything we know about this planet, a Hycean world with an ocean that is teeming with life is the scenario that best fits the data we have," Madhusudhan said in a statement. What's next? Researchers want more time studying planet Finding life on another world would be a monumental discovery, but Madhusudhan isn't getting ahead of himself just yet. The observations could have occurred by chance or could be the result of previously unknown chemical processes at work on K2-18b. For that reason, the researchers say another 16 to 24 hours of follow-up analysis with Webb could help them reach a more definitive conclusion. 'It's important that we're deeply skeptical of our own results, because it's only by testing and testing again that we will be able to reach the point where we're confident in them,' Madhusudhan said. 'That's how science has to work.' The team's findings were published April 17 in the Astrophysical Journal Letters. Eric Lagatta covers breaking and trending news for USA TODAY. Reach him at elagatta@
USA Today
03-04-2025
- Climate
- USA Today
A top hurricane forecast is here, and it brings bad news: Danger is already brewing
A top hurricane forecast is here, and it brings bad news: Danger is already brewing Forecasters worry about warm water in the Atlantic Ocean where hurricanes form and the predicted absence of an El Niño. Show Caption Hide Caption How to get weather notifications on your smartphone Emergency notifications and local news outlets can help you stay weather aware ahead of major storms. Problem Solved Get ready for another active Atlantic hurricane season, with as many as 17 storms expected, experts from Colorado State University said in their initial forecast released Thursday morning. Of those 17 storms, researchers forecast that nine will become hurricanes. A typical year averages about 14 tropical storms, with seven of them spinning into hurricanes, based on weather records that date from 1991 to 2020. Last year, 18 storms formed, including devastating Hurricanes Helene and Milton. The expected busy season is due to the presence of unusually warm water in the Atlantic Ocean where hurricanes form, along with the predicted absence of an El Niño, which can inhibit hurricane formation. Long considered among the most respected of hurricane forecasts, the Colorado State research team led by pioneering meteorologist William Gray was the first organization to issue seasonal hurricane forecasts back in 1984; this is the team's 42nd forecast. Gray died in 2016. Colorado State University's outlook is one of several major forecasts for the hurricane season that will publish this spring. AccuWeather's forecast, which came out last week, calls for 13-18 named storms, of which 7-10 will be hurricanes. Federal forecasters from the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration will release their forecast in late May. More news about our planet: Sign up for USA TODAY's Climate Point newsletter. Forecasters ponder sea-surface temperature patterns "Two of the big factors that went into this forecast are the state of Atlantic and Pacific sea-surface temperatures," Colorado State University meteorologist Phil Klotzbach told USA TODAY this week. Both have a major impact on the intensity and severity of the hurricane season. He said that overall, while the Atlantic Ocean is "thankfully not as warm as it was last year at this time," most of the tropical and subtropical Atlantic is still warmer than normal. He added that the current sea-surface temperature pattern is "pretty similar to what we see in Aprils prior to active seasons." A warm Atlantic favors an above-average season, since a hurricane's fuel source is warm ocean water. Additionally, a warm Atlantic also leads to lower atmospheric pressure and a more unstable atmosphere. Both conditions favor hurricane formation. La Niña on the way out "And in the Pacific, we have a La Niña that is likely on its last legs," Klotzbach told USA TODAY. La Niña, a natural cooling of ocean water in part of the Pacific, tends to boost Atlantic hurricane activity, while its opposite El Niño tends to suppress Atlantic storms. Once La Niña fades, "the odds of El Niño appear low for this summer/fall. For example, NOAA's latest forecast only has a 13% chance of El Niño for August-October." Thus, with neither La Niña or El Niño in charge, El Niño-Southern Oscillation neutral conditions appear to be most likely during the heart of the Atlantic hurricane season. This means that ocean water isn't particularly cool or warm. "A warmer-than-normal tropical Atlantic and likely ENSO-neutral conditions typically leads to an above-normal hurricane season," Klotzbach said. Will a major hurricane make landfall in the US in 2025? Colorado State researchers said there's a 51% chance of a major hurricane making landfall somewhere along the U.S. coastline. The average, based on records from 1880 to 2020, is 43%. A major hurricane has wind speeds of at least 111 mph. The chances for a landfall are greater along the Gulf Coast (33%) than they are along the East Coast (26%). When does Atlantic hurricane season 2025 begin? Hurricane season officially begins June 1, but storms have formed in May in several recent years. The six-month season lasts until Nov. 30. What happened in the 2024 Atlantic hurricane season? With more than 400 fatalities, 2024 was the nation's deadliest hurricane season since 2005, said National Hurricane Center Director Michael Brennan. It was also the third-costliest on record, after 2017 and 2005. With a U.S. death toll of at least 241, Hurricane Helene was the continental United States' deadliest single storm since Hurricane Katrina in 2005, when about 1,400 people died. Other deadly storms in 2024 included Hurricanes Beryl and Milton, each of which killed over 40 people in the United States. In all, 18 named tropical storms and hurricanes formed in 2024, which is above the long-term average of 14. Of those 18 storms, 11 of them strengthened into hurricanes.
