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Tiny bats provide ‘glimmer of hope’ against a fungus that threatened entire species

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 11:25:42 GMT

DORSET, Vt. (AP) — Deep in a cool, damp cave in Vermont, tens of thousands of furry, chocolate brown creatures stir. The little brown bats, survivors of a deadly fungus that decimated their population, went into hibernation last fall. Now in early May, they’re waking, detaching from their rock wall roosts and making their first tentative flights in search of the moths, beetles and flying aquatic insects they devour.It’s here, in deep passages that creep into a Vermont mountain, where scientists found one of the first North American outbreaks of the fungus that causes white nose syndrome. Bat bones litter the cave floor like dry lawn-mower cuttings. Look closer and you’ll find tiny skulls. And the bats are still dying.White nose syndrome is caused by an invasive fungus first found in an upstate New York cave in 2006, a short bat flight from the Dorset, Vermont, colony. The fungus wakes bats from hibernation, sending them into the frigid, winter air in search of food...

Federal government’s $1 billion effort to recruit next generation of doctors at risk

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 11:25:42 GMT

SALISBURY, Md. (AP) — Thousands of women living in rural, eastern Maryland have few options when they’re looking for someone to deliver their babies. The local hospital doesn’t have an obstetrics doctor on staff so most women in this region, flanked by sprawling farm fields and antique stores, turn to the Chesapeake Health Care clinic.Five of the 10 obstetricians and midwives at the clinic are there because of the National Health Service Corps, which promises to pay off $50,000 in medical school debt for every two years that a doctor serves working in rural, urban or poor areas. “OB is frightfully difficult to recruit, and I’m not real sure exactly why,” said the clinic’s chief medical officer Dr. Lee Jennings. “We’re isolated, we’re in an area where we’re the only OB group in the entire area.”Over the last three years, millions of taxpayer dollars were pumped into the National Health Service Corps to hire thousands more doctors and nurses willing to serve the coun...

US, Spain collaboration on migration looms large as Biden, Sánchez hold talks at White House

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 11:25:42 GMT

WASHINGTON (AP) — President Joe Biden and Spanish Prime Minister Pedro Sánchez are set to hold talks Friday as their countries are collaborating along with Canada to establish migration hubs in Latin America where asylum seekers fleeing poverty and violence in their home countries can go to apply for protection.The two leaders are also expected to discuss Russia’s ongoing invasion of Ukraine, climate change and other issues. But efforts by the U.S. and Spain to cooperate on asylum processing will loom large over the White House talks as the Biden administration rolls out new immigration measures now that COVID-19 immigration restrictions have ended. The changes could fundamentally alter how migrants arrive at the U.S.-Mexico border.The new efforts are designed to crack down on illegal crossings while opening up legal pathways meant to incentivize migrants to apply for asylum online where they are, instead of making the dangerous and often deadly journey to the border. Those caught i...

Air Force One doubles as a campaign jet for Biden’s reelection run. Who pays what?

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 11:25:42 GMT

WASHINGTON (AP) — When Joe Biden was running for president three years ago, he flew on a white private jet with his campaign logo painted on the side. Now he has a larger, more recognizable ride as he seeks a second term. Like his predecessors, he’ll be crisscrossing the country on Air Force One. Every president blends their governmental and political duties, but never more than when they’re running for reelection. “Official” events can sound especially political, while “political” events can delve deeply into the policy initiatives of the day. And decisions on how to divvy up the costs of a president’s travels between taxpayers and the campaign is no simple task.Biden made one such trip this week, his first since formally announcing his campaign, when he spoke about his economic agenda at an official event north of New York City before heading to Manhattan for a pair of fundraisers. “I’m determined to finish the job,” Biden said to about two dozen donors in an Upp...

Spells of Rainfall in Chicago Over Coming Days and Cooler for Mother's Day; Dramatic Pattern Change Next Week

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 11:25:42 GMT

Spells of rainfall in Chicago over coming days are to accompany the arrival of Gulf moisture. But rainfall coverage and intensity is to vary in the Chicago area from day to day—maximizing Friday, dropping off as NE winds off still chilly Lake Michigan stabilize the air mass a bit Saturday. Rains will diminish to sporadic drizzle or sprinkles—and even stop at times Saturday. Then a surge of moist air up and over AN UNSEASONABLY COOL, FULL FETCH (that means "full length of Lake Michigan" flow into Chicago Sunday is likely to see rain coverage increase again Saturday night into Sunday.FOLLOW THE LATEST SPRING STORM AND ITS PRECIP'S MOVEMENT in the series of FORECAST MAPS below (produced by the National Weather Service's GFS ensemble model.) as it progresses from 7am CDT Friday to 7am CDT Monday, when precipitation has moved out, sunshine's back and east winds off Lake Michigan will ease to allow temporary warmingHEAVIEST RAINS TO FALL IN THE PLAINSFlood watches are out in those areas a...

MSD Project Clear looks to make multi-million dollar equipment upgrade

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 11:25:42 GMT

LEMAY, Mo. - The Metropolitan St. Louis Sewer District (MSD) Project Clear is getting multi-million-dollar upgrades that will cut emissions by 70 percent from wastewater treatment plants.About $900 million is going toward a lot of upgrades. The incinerator is just one of the essentials they said they need to upgrade to meet EPA and state requirements.The equipment runs 24 hours a day, but it's showing its age."These incinerators are over 50 years old and using technology that is over a century old," said Bess McCoy with MSD Project Clear.McCoy said wastewater is much more than the water from your toilet."Every time you wash your hands, do the dishes, take a shower, but also a lot of the water that comes down those storm drains," she said. "That'll carry with it sticks, leaves, trash, all kinds of stuff that we want to keep out of our local waterways to keep them healthy." Man convicted of killing St. Louis County police officer challenges guilty verdict The solids end up either at...

PHOTOS: Denver Nuggets top Phoenix Suns 125-100 in Game 6 to close out NBA Western Conference semifinals

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 11:25:42 GMT

With a 125-100 Game 6 win in Phoenix to snap the series-long streak of home team triumphs, the Denver Nuggets advanced to the Western Conference Finals for the second time in the last four seasons and fifth time in franchise history.The Nuggets have never reached the NBA Finals. Their newest chance to become the most accomplished team of their 47 years in the league starts Tuesday with Game 1 at Ball Arena. Their challenger: the No. 6 seed Golden State Warriors or No. 7 seed Los Angeles Lakers. Steph Curry or LeBron James. This era’s winningest team or the West’s all-time winningest team.Click here to read the full story.

Nuggets 3-pointers: Nikola Jokic made Mark Jackson, Stephen A. Smith, Suns, haters look like fools. Again.

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 11:25:42 GMT

Initial observations from the Denver Nuggets’ blowout elimination of the Phoenix Suns in Game 6 of their Western Conference playoff series.1.You watching, Mark Jackson? Anybody else want to make an “honest mistake” with Nikola Jokic? The Joker doesn’t care about individual honors with two MVP awards on his resume already. While Jackson, the former NBA guard and ESPN analyst, went to Twitter to apologize for leaving Jokic off his NBA MVP ballot, the damage was already done. And after the Joker put up another playoff triple-double — 32 points, 10 rebounds, 12 assists — on the Suns, it looked even more ignorant. Even Stephen A. Smith seemed lost for words. Having picked the Suns to win Game 6 during the pregame show — Jalen Rose went with Denver — the longtime ESPN personality appeared almost, dare we say it, humbled by halftime. For about a second.  As the notion of a Nuggets-Lakers Western Conference final was mooted, Stephen A. declared Anthony Davis as Jokic’s “kryptonite.” B...

Kentavious Caldwell-Pope fuels Nuggets to Western Conference Finals, sending Suns packing by halftime in Game 6

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 11:25:42 GMT

PHOENIX — In this same building, at the Nuggets’ most vulnerable moment of the first two rounds of their prove-it playoffs, Kentavious Caldwell-Pope issued a promise.“We’re making it out of this series,” the 30-year-old former NBA champion said, speaking for a team still chasing its first. After back-to-back losses to unfurl a 2-0 series lead, confidence was difficult to find for the the top seed in the West.Caldwell-Pope kept the promise himself.His 17-point first quarter was only the tip of the iceberg as the Suns froze over Thursday night at Footprint Center. With a 125-100 Game 6 win in Phoenix to snap the series-long streak of home team triumphs, the Denver Nuggets advanced to the Western Conference Finals for the second time in the last four seasons and fifth time in franchise history.The Nuggets have never reached the NBA Finals. Their newest chance to become the most accomplished team of their 47 years in the league starts Tuesday with Game 1 at...

A’s rookie Medina shines, but Bochy’s Texas Rangers extend Oakland’s losing streak

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 11:25:42 GMT

OAKLAND — A’s rookie Luis Medina, called up from the minors earlier in the day, was perfect through three innings and didn’t allow a hit until the fourth, but Rangers veteran Nathan Eovaldi was even better in handing Oakland its fifth straight loss on Thursday night.The A’s managed just three hits and struck out 13 times in a 4-0 loss to Texas in front of a crowd of 2,949, the third-smallest of the season at the Coliseum.Medina was making his second career start. He made his debut two weeks ago against the Angels and allowed seven earned runs in five innings. The 24-year-old right-hander fared much better against the Rangers, allowing three runs and five hits in six innings. He struck out three and didn’t walk a batter.The A’s still dropped to 3-19 at home and 8-31 overall because of another dominating outing by Eovaldi, who is a big reason manager Bruce Bochy’s Rangers are in first in the A.L. West.Eovaldi (5-2) set a career high with 12 strikeou...