Author: staff
MILAN (AP) — Amidst Europe’s recent heatwave, Floriana Peroni had to shutter her vintage clothing store for an entire week. Her shop’s entrance was obstructed by a fleet of rented generators supplying power to the central Roman district, which had experienced a blackout due to soaring temperatures. The primary culprit behind this situation was the widespread use of air conditioning. This period of extreme heat, where temperatures reached 40 degrees Celsius (104 degrees Fahrenheit), coincided with a peak in electricity consumption that nearly matched Italy’s historical record. On July 19, the peak load surpassed 59 gigawatts, coming close to the…
The social media platform formerly known as Twitter, now called X, has issued a threat of legal action against a group of independent researchers. These researchers had conducted a study that revealed an increase in hate speech on the site following its acquisition by Elon Musk last year. The Center for Countering Digital Hate (CCDH), a nonprofit organization, received a letter from X’s attorney on July 20, warning of potential lawsuits in response to their research on hate speech and content moderation. X alleged that CCDH’s publications appeared to have the purpose of damaging Twitter’s business by making inflammatory claims,…
BISMARCK, N.D. (AP) — A $12.5 million civil penalty has been agreed upon by two pipeline operators regarding crude oil spills that occurred in Montana and North Dakota. The settlement was announced by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency on Monday, resolving a 2022 federal court lawsuit. Belle Fourche Pipeline Company and Bridger Pipeline LLC will jointly pay the $12.5 million to address the claims under the Clean Water Act and Pipeline Safety Laws, according to the EPA. These affiliated companies are responsible for owning and operating oil pipelines in Montana, North Dakota, and Wyoming. The incident in question took place…
Tesla is intensifying its efforts to establish showrooms on tribal lands, allowing them to directly sell their vehicles to customers. This strategic move bypasses state laws that restrict vehicle manufacturers from acting as retailers, preferring the traditional dealership model. Recently, Mohegan Sun, a prominent casino and entertainment complex in Connecticut under the ownership of the federally recognized Mohegan Tribe, disclosed its collaboration with Tesla. The partnership will result in the opening of a showroom and sales and delivery center on the tribe’s sovereign property this autumn, exempt from the state’s regulations. Furthermore, Tesla’s expansion plan includes another showroom scheduled to…
Last week, when India announced severe restrictions on rice exports to the world, Prabha Rao’s WhatsApp group in New York erupted with concern among the Indian diaspora. They worried that their access to this essential food staple from their home country might soon be disrupted. Similar to past crisis situations involving items like bottled water and toilet paper, some individuals rushed to supermarkets to hoard bags of rice, leading to long lines and panic buying. However, living near Syracuse, New York, Prabha Rao found comfort when the owner of her local Indian market sent out an email to assure customers…
In their teenage years, LeBron James and his high school sweetheart, Savannah Brinson, became parents when they welcomed their first child shortly after James earned the NBA’s Rookie of the Year award while playing for the Cleveland Cavaliers. They named their son LeBron James Jr., but he became affectionately known as Bronny. Now 18 years old, Bronny James had a vastly different upbringing compared to his father’s challenging childhood as the only child of a single mother in Akron, Ohio. Growing up in a world of wealth and fame, Bronny was fortunate to have two loving and devoted parents, as…
Pete Davidson, the renowned 29-year-old actor and comedian known for his roles in “Saturday Night Live” and “King of Staten Island,” has taken the initiative to resolve a reckless driving charge resulting from an incident where he crashed into a Beverly Hills home. According to authorities, he has enrolled in a diversion program and will be performing 50 hours of community service. Los Angeles County prosecutors have stated that Pete Davidson is likely to carry out his community service with the New York Fire Department, the same department where his late father, Scott, served as a firefighter. This holds significant…
A 71-year-old man associated with a group of drug dealers, who were connected to the fentanyl-laced heroin death of actor Michael K. Williams from “The Wire,” received a prison sentence of over two years on Tuesday. During the proceedings, the actor’s nephew urged compassion for the defendant. Carlos Macci was sentenced to 2 1/2 years in prison by U.S. District Judge Ronnie Abrams. Judge Abrams admonished Macci, stating that his involvement in selling heroin and fentanyl not only resulted in the tragic loss of Mr. Williams’ life but also led to the forfeiture of his own freedom. Despite the actor’s…
JERUSALEM (AP) — Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, 73, appeared in a video after undergoing emergency pacemaker surgery at a hospital near Tel Aviv. Looking sharp in a dark suit, he flashed a confident grin and enthusiastically stated that he felt “great, as you can see.” However, this carefully staged photo-op did little to assuage the concerns of the Israeli public, who were taken aback by the revelation that their longest-serving prime minister had been concealing a known heart problem. This disclosure sharply contrasted with the image of a robust and energetic leader that Netanyahu had tirelessly projected. A week…
Following a controversial music video release, Jason Aldean’s “Try That in a Small Town” is now witnessing remarkable growth. The song, originally launched in May, has soared to No. 2 on the Billboard Hot 100 chart this week, trailing just behind BTS’s Jung Kook solo single “Seven,” featuring Latto. Notably, “Try That in a Small Town” achieved the highest sales week for any country song in the last decade. Recent data from Luminate shows an astounding surge in demand for the song, with on-demand audio and video streams reaching 11.7 million between July 14 and 20. This represents a staggering…