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PAUL ROGERS/Bay Area News Group/TNS

Plastic bag bans seem to work, at least when it comes to shoreline pollution

Researchers find that nationwide policies to ban plastic bags may be paying off, with fewer showing up during coastal cleanups.

Ever since their invention in 1959, plastic bags have become synonymous with shopping. For many people, it’s difficult to imagine a quick grocery run without the crinkle of a plastic bag, and even harder to believe ...Read more

SpaceX's Starship explodes on test stand in yet another setback

A SpaceX Starship rocket exploded on a test stand in Texas, adding to a series of setbacks to Elon Musk’s space ambitions that include trips to Mars.

The huge blast enveloped the craft as it stood upright on a test stand, before massive plumes of flames and smoke mushroomed into the night sky, video footage late Wednesday showed. The incident...Read more

As the ocean warms, a new study found it's also changing color

MIAMI — For thousands of years, writers have come up with increasingly creative ways to describe the “wine-dark sea.” But a new study suggests that modern poets may be faced with a slightly different palette.

A study published Thursday in the journal Science found that the ocean is changing color as it warms.

By analyzing satellite data ...Read more

SpaceX's Starship explodes on test stand in yet another setback

A SpaceX Starship rocket exploded on a test stand in Texas, adding to a series of setbacks to Elon Musk’s space ambitions that include trips to Mars.

The huge blast enveloped the craft as it stood upright on a test stand, before massive plumes of flames and smoke mushroomed into the night sky, video footage of the incident late Wednesday ...Read more

Kaiya Plagenhoef/University of Georgia/TNS

Asian needle ant: It's venomous, invasive and might be in your backyard

ATLANTA — Mellissa Hairston has been living in the Atlanta area for 15 years. But it wasn’t until Memorial Day 2024, while soaking up the sun from her Milton home’s hot tub, that the mother of four crossed paths with the Asian needle ant. It’s invasive, venomous and — within minutes — had Hairston fearing for her life.

The ant is ...Read more

Dreamstime/Dreamstime/TNS

Once there were only 22 condors left on Earth; the LA Zoo just hatched 10 chicks

Earlier this month, wildlife enthusiasts were excited over a pair of young bald eagles that flew out of their nest for the first time, hovering high above Big Bear Lake.

This week, the focus is on 10 condor chicks that were hatched at the Los Angeles Zoo, making them eligible to be released into the wild to help restore the state's depleted ...Read more

Attorney General Nessel, groups challenge Trump official's order keeping west Michigan coal plant active

DETROIT — Environmental groups and Michigan Attorney General Dana Nessel launched separate challenges Wednesday to a U.S. Department of Energy order that requires Consumers Energy to extend the life of J.H. Campbell, a coal-fired power plant in west Michigan, both arguing the department leaned on a fabricated energy emergency for its decree.

...Read more

David Gray/AFP/AFP/TNS

Fisherman spots whale tethered to ocean floor -- then comes 'complicated' rescue

A complex rescue operation unfolded off the coast of Australia after a humpback whale was found tethered to the sea floor.

The incident took place near Geraldton — located about 260 miles north of Perth — on June 17, according to a news release from Parks and Wildlife Service, Western Australia.

“At about 8:30 in the morning, Parks and ...Read more

Endangered fish saved from the Palisades fire were just returned to their Malibu home

LOS ANGELES — Hundreds of tiny endangered fish slipped from orange plastic buckets into a glittering lagoon in Malibu on Tuesday, returning home five months after being whisked away from threats wrought by the Palisades fire.

The repatriation of more than 300 northern tidewater gobies — led by the Resource Conservation District of the Santa...Read more

Kevin Dietsch/Getty Images North America/TNS

Trump's 'big, beautiful bill' could threaten $1 billion in Pa. clean energy projects, critics warn

President Donald Trump campaigned against what he called the “Green New Scam” — a catchall for Democrats’ climate spending.

But as Congressional Republicans race to pass their massive tax-and-spending legislation — what the president calls the “big, beautiful bill” — some business groups and companies are warning that ...Read more

Groups challenge Trump administration order keeping west Michigan coal plant active

DETROIT — Environmental groups are challenging a U.S. Department of Energy order that requires Consumers Energy to extend the life of J.H. Campbell, a coal-fired power plant in west Michigan, arguing the department leaned on a fabricated energy emergency for its decree.

EarthJustice, a nonprofit environmental law firm working with nearly a ...Read more

RJ Sangosti/The Denver Post/TNS

California decarbonization projects are among 2 dozen eliminated by Trump's Department of Energy

LOS ANGELES California Democrats are denouncing the Trump administration’s decision to terminate $3.7 billion in funding for two dozen clean energy projects, including three in the Golden State.

The 24 awards recently canceled by the U.S. Department of Energy were issued by the Office of Clean Energy Demonstrations under the Biden ...Read more

SpaceX/SpaceX/TNS

SpaceX retargets crewed Axiom Space launch for early Sunday

SpaceX has reset the countdown clock for its next human spaceflight, targeting an early Sunday morning launch of the private Axiom Space Ax-4 mission.

A Falcon 9 rocket topped with a new Crew Dragon capsule looks to take four private astronauts on a trip to the International Space Station with liftoff at 3:42 a.m. Eastern time from Kennedy ...Read more

TNS

Tech review: Who needs ice? Anker Everfrost keeps your food and drinks cold

I love iced coffee.

I’m usually not far from my refrigerator, which is very convenient, but there are times when I venture out — perhaps on a day trip or even a long weekend away — and I drag out my old cooler and go buy a bag or two of ice.

The last few years has brought us a new kind of cooler — a portable refrigerator — that uses ...Read more

Photo Credit: Universal Pictures/Universal Pictures/TNS

Train a virtual dragon? Film studios turn to Roblox and other games to reach young fans

Surrounded by virtual cliffs and a cascading waterfall, dragon riders on Roblox's massive online gaming platform immerse themselves in a memorable scene from "How to Train Your Dragon."

In the sequence, the young Viking Hiccup reaches out his hand to touch Toothless, the black, green-eyed dragon he once feared.

After players feed Toothless ...Read more

Match Group/Tinder/Match Group/Tinder/TNS

Tinder bets on group dating feature to win back Gen Z

Tired of navigating the online dating landscape alone? Now you can swipe right along with friends.

Tinder launched a double-dating feature Tuesday, allowing users to create joint profiles with friends to match with other pairs.

Double Date, as the feature is called, is the refined version of the failed 2016 product Tinder Social, which was ...Read more

Gina Ferazzi/Los Angeles Times/TNS

Trump's plan to kill dozens of NASA missions threatens US space supremacy

NASA’s car-sized Perseverance rover has been roaming the surface of Mars for four years, drilling into the alien soil to collect dirt it places in tubes and leaves on the ground.

Engineers designed Perseverance to be the first step in the agency’s exploration of the Red Planet. In the future, more robotic spacecraft would arrive to sweep up...Read more

Andover Audio/Andover Audio/TNS

Sound Advice: Multiport charger and turntable tip

Q. I purchased a Wolfbox 3000A jump starter/air compressor and it charges via USB-C. I am not familiar with USB-C and would appreciate your clarification. Is there a charger I can buy for it? Wolfbox offers a charger for $20, but I wasn't sure if I needed it so I did not include it with my order.

—G.B., Milwaukee

A. USB-C is a type of USB ...Read more

Jim Rossman/Jim Rossman/TNS

Jim Rossman: More questions about the end of Windows 10 and third-party patching

I always wake up to a few emails from readers, and this week was no exception.

I received two short (one sentence) emails this week that I’d like to address. They are both follow-up questions to my recent columns about the end of Microsoft support for Windows 10.

The first email asked, “How can we tell if your computer is compatible with...Read more

Handout/JisuLife/TNS

Gadgets: Hand-held fan

Life is hot this time of year. Come to the rescue is JisuLife's portable Handheld Fan Ultra2. This fan is the real deal — impressive right out of the box — and I quickly became dependent on it.

The robust handheld (5.31-by-1.57-by-2.93-inches/10.4 ounces) fan is loaded with features to provide the cool breeze, including 100 adjustable ...Read more