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Earth’s land lost much of their ability to absorb the carbon dioxide humans pumped into the air last year, according to a new study that is causing concern among climate scientists that a crucial damper on climate change underwent an unprecedented deterioration. Temperatures in 2023 were so high — and the droughts and wildfires that came with them were so severe — that forests in various parts of the world wilted and burned enough to have degraded the ability of the land to lock away carbon dioxide and act as a check on global warming, the study said. The scientists...

If nothing else, Kamala Harris knows her base. Kamala Harris is set to make a guest appearance Friday on the Paramount+ series RuPaul’s Drag Race All Stars. The segment was taped before Joe Biden announced Sunday that he is quitting his re-election campaign.

Presumptive Democratic nominee and US vice-president Kamala Harris has Irish roots but not in a way that she is likely to embrace. Ms Harris is the daughter of Donald J Harris, who was born in Jamaica, and Shyamala Gopalan Harris from India. Genealogical research carried out by Northern Irish historian Stephen McCracken reveals Ms Harris’s four-times-paternal-great-grandfather Hamilton Brown was born in Co Antrim in 1776, the year of the US Declaration of Independence. Brown emigrated to Jamaica, then a British colony, and became an enthusiastic slave owner on the sugar plantations that were the mainstay of the island’s economy. He...

The world recorded its hottest ever day, as many parts of the Mediterranean face extreme wildfire risks. Sunday witnessed the highest average temperature on Earth, breaching a previous record set a year ago, according to provisional data from the European Union’s Copernicus Climate Change Service. Global average temperatures have already hit or exceeded a key climate threshold for 12 months, highlighting the challenge in limiting global warming to below 1.5C above the pre-industrial era. Climate change is increasing the frequency and intensity of heat waves, bringing extreme weather events from flooding to wildfires. Extreme heat has wreaked havoc across many...

Hollywood star Sharon Stone has revealed that she is considering moving to Europe if former President Donald Trump wins in November. In a red carpet interview at the Taormina Film Festival in Sicily, where she was being honored with a lifetime achievement award, Sharon Stone didn’t mention Trump by name but made her political opinion abundantly clear. “Well I’m certainly considering a house here, and I think that’s an intelligent construct at this time,” the Basic Instinct star told Deadline.

Joe will never stop working to make higher education affordable.

Donald Trump Jr. has caused an uproar after calling his teenage daughter Kai 'sexy'. The former First Son made the comments while he and Kai, 17, were getting ready for the Republican National Convention earlier this week. In a clip posted on his TikTok page, Don Jr. can be seen in a makeup chair next to his daughter. 'Kai what do you think?' He asks while panning the camera to show her giving a wave. 'Getting makeup make me look sexy like you?' Kai flashes a small smile and replies: 'I think you look very beautiful.'

Veteran Jewish actress Miriam Margolyes has revealed she 'is wounded' by lost friendships and accusations of betraying her community due to her strong pro-Gaza views. Having visited both Israel and Gaza - and even previously living on an Israeli communal settlement also known as a kibbutz - Margolyes has made her stance on the conflict abundantly clear. Open in her critique of the Israeli government, the Harry Potter actress, 83, has called for Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu to be jailed, branding him a 'war criminal' and a 'common corrupt politician'. In April she was also among the 151 Jewish...

“That’s because major portions of the airline’s computer systems are still using Windows 3.1, a 32-year-old version of Microsoft’s computer operating software,” the website said. “It’s so old that the CrowdStrike issue doesn’t affect it so Southwest is still operating as normal. It’s typically not a good idea to wait so long to update, but in this one instance Southwest has done itself a favor.”

The French capital's main waterway will be at the centre of the 2024 games' opening ceremony, and authorities have been working hard to purge it of pollution. After months of anticipation, Paris Mayor Anne Hidalgo finally dipped in the Seine River on Wednesday, nine days before the opening ceremony of the 2024 Olympic Games. Clad in a wetsuit, Hidalgo plunged into the river near the imposing-looking City Hall, her office, and the Notre Dame Cathedral. Paris 2024 chief Tony Estanguet joined her. They followed in the footsteps of French Sports Minister Amélie Oudéa-Castéra, who swam in the Seine on Saturday...

Paul Ryan, one of the most prominent national Republicans in Wisconsin history, is also notable as one of leading Republicans to reject the GOP’s current standard bearer, former President Donald Trump. Ryan, of Janesville, represented Wisconsin’s First Congressional District for 20 years and served as speaker from 2015 to 2019, when, after three years of clashing with Trump, he did not seek re-election. (He currently serves in a number of corporate roles.) In a 30-minute interview with Milwaukee Magazine in late May, Ryan shared his views on Trump’s rematch with President Joe Biden, the state of the GOP, national affairs...

The outgoing head of the British Army General Sir Patrick Sanders has warned that NATO may only have five years to prepare for war. General Sir Patrick warned that the world was facing one of its most dangerous moments since 1945 when the world was last at war and that the alliance may have until the end of this decade to be ready. Sir Patrick also highlighted that despite performing well in some areas, the UK’s armed forces were also underfunded and overstretched. His warnings come at a time of rising global tensions over Russia’s war in Ukraine, China’s warnings...

On July 6, due to an ongoing electric power issue, Amtrak canceled service between Boston and New York City for the remainder of the day. Amtrak is communicating directly with impacted customers about this service interruption and offering options for rebooking their travel plans. Amtrak apologizes for any inconvenience caused by the disruption. Our crews are working hard to correct the issues.

When Thomas Jefferson wrote in the Declaration of Independence that our unalienable rights include life, liberty and the pursuit of happiness, he had a very specific definition of happiness in mind. He believed that happiness was the result of living virtuously — that becoming a fully happy human required devoting yourself to service to your fellow beings.His words galvanized generations of Americans to seek out their own personal well-being. Yet the happiness we pursue today is a far cry from that which Jefferson envisioned. It’s putting us in conflict with ourselves, and with others.Modern Americans have been conditioned to believe...

Nike shares on Friday tumbled nearly 20% after the company said it expected sales to decline in its new fiscal year, the latest sign of severe turbulence at Oregon’s biggest company. It was the biggest one-day drop in Nike history, wiping out roughly $28 billion in shareholder wealth. Even before Friday’s tumble, Nike’s stock had been heading steadily downward after climbing above $170 in November 2021. Shares closed Friday at $75.36. Under CEO John Donahoe, who started work in 2020, the sportswear giant bet heavily on direct sales and the popularity of Nike classics, like Air Jordans, Dunks and Air...

I've heard that sundowning may happen with dementia. What is sundowning and how is it treated? Answer From Jonathan Graff-Radford, M.D. The term "sundowning" refers to a state of confusion that occurs in the late afternoon and lasts into the night. Sundowning can cause various behaviors, such as confusion, anxiety, aggression or ignoring directions. Sundowning also can lead to pacing or wandering. Sundowning isn't a disease. It's a group of symptoms that occurs at a specific time of the day. These symptoms may affect people with Alzheimer's disease and other types of dementia. The exact cause of sundowning is not...

Artificial intelligence will result in adults earning a basic income, billionaire Elon Musk said. AI could lead to a world of self-driving vehicles and other computers and machines that replace humans in work settings and perform virtually all physical and mental labor, Business Insider reported. When that happens, Musk said adults, regardless of their wealth or employment status, will receive a universal basic income.

Coffee is one of the most beloved beverages around the world, not only for its rich flavor but also for the energizing effect of its caffeine. Interestingly, recent research suggests that coffee might also play a role in reducing the risk of liver disease, adding another potential benefit to its list. The liver is essential for our well-being, tasked with filtering toxins, aiding digestion, and regulating metabolism. Conditions such as hepatitis, fatty liver disease, and cirrhosis comprise what we know as liver disease. These conditions can severely impair the liver’s function over time. Consequently, finding preventative measures against liver disease...

Science Alert warned Monday “worsening human-induced climate change” is contributing to an increase in heat-related deaths as the United States languishes under a “heat dome.” “Despite being preventable, the leading weather-related deaths in the US are caused by heat,” the article states, adding that heat-related deaths “are rising as heat waves like this one occur more regularly thanks to worsening human-induced climate change.” “Extreme heat events are also increasing in their intensity and duration, bringing along greater fire danger too,” it contends, arguing that “millions are at risk” from the intense heat.

A man walking two dogs at San Francisco’s McLaren Park verbally attacked a Muslim group gathering for a communal prayer Monday morning for the annual Eid al-Adha holiday, members of the Islamic Center of San Francisco told SFGATE.