Новости за 23.12.2023

American colleges have educated millions of Chinese students over the past four decades. Many of those students have stayed in the United States and become top researchers and distinguished professors. But that academic cooperation is now in decline. Washington sees Beijing as a strategic rival and there are growing fears about Chinese spying. Analysts say this is hurting more than just students and researchers. They say it will undercut American competitiveness and weaken global efforts to address health issues. Читать дальше...

PORTLAND, Maine, EE.UU. (AP) — Las acusaciones infundadas de que la energía eólica marina amenaza a las ballenas se han convertido en un punto álgido en la lucha por el futuro de las energías renovables.

Unfounded claims about offshore wind threatening whales have surfaced as a flashpoint in the fight over the future of renewable energy. In recent months, conservatives including former President Donald Trump have claimed construction of offshore wind turbines is killing the giant animals. Scientists say there is no credible evidence linking offshore wind farms to whale deaths. But that hasn’t stopped conservative groups and ad hoc “not in my back yard”-style anti-development groups from making the connection.

With Christmas right around the corner, you might want to check the list of what stores are open (and closed) twice. From retail to grocery chains, many companies across the U.S. shut their doors on Christmas Day — including Walmart and Target — while others opt to cut back hours. But there’s also a handful of businesses that stay open on the holiday, like many CVS and McDonald's locations. Before you run out the door this Christmas it’s wise to double-check operating hours, which can also range by location. Читать дальше...

A police accountability law in Washington state is in the spotlight after three police officers were acquitted in the 2020 death of Manuel Ellis. The law was designed to make it easier to prosecute police accused of wrongfully using deadly force. Matthew Ericksen, a lawyer for the Ellis family, said the measure failed in some ways in this case. But he and other police reform advocates say the fact that it went to trial at all already marks a change. Ellis was a Black man who died after being restrained face-down on a Tacoma sidewalk. Читать дальше...

The list of sports teams seeking new or improved stadiums is getting longer and longer. In the past year alone, about a dozen Major League Baseball and National Football League franchises tooks steps toward new stadiums or major renovations. The most recent was the Baltimore Ravens, who unveiled plans for a publicly funded $430 million renovation. That followed similar announcements by the Milwaukee Brewers, Tampa Bay Rays, Kansas City Royals and Jacksonville Jaguars. New stadiums also are underway for the Buffalo Bills and Tennessee Titans. Читать дальше...

Proposals for new and improved sports stadiums are proliferating across the U.S. and could come with a hefty price tag for taxpayers. This past year alone, roughly a dozen Major League Baseball and National Football League franchises took steps toward building new stadiums or making major renovations to their current ones. In some cases, sports teams are seeking a new jolt of public funding for state-of-the-art stadiums even as public entities are still paying off debt from the last round of renovations conducted a couple decades ago. Читать дальше...

Legislatures returning to session in states across the U.S. early in 2024 will consider condemning the Oct. 7 Hamas attack on Israel — and some could take even bigger steps. A Florida lawmaker wants to make university students who support Hamas pay the higher out-of-state tuition costs. A New Jersey legislator is calling to reimburse the travel costs of state residents who had to evacuate from Israel. While many measures introduced so far largely support Israel, some also would call for a ceasefire in the conflict. Читать дальше...

While reindeer are famous for pulling Santa’s sleigh, it’s their vision that really sets them apart. Finding food in a barren landscape is challenging, but researchers from Dartmouth College in New Hampshire and the University of St. Andrews in Scotland report that reindeer eyes may have evolved to allow them to easily spot their preferred meal. Unlike other mammals, reindeer can see light in the ultraviolet spectrum, and the light-colored lichen they largely subsist on absorbs UV rays. That means... Читать дальше...

HAVANA (AP) — The Cuban government said Friday it will have to either increase prices for fuel and electricity, or reduce rations for basic supplies.

Two Denver-area paramedics have been convicted of giving a fatal overdose of the sedative ketamine to Elijah McClain in 2019. Experts say Friday's verdict could have a chilling effect on first responders around the country. The jury found Aurora Fire Rescue paramedics Jeremy Cooper and Peter Cichuniec guilty of criminally negligent homicide. The case is notable as it’s the first of several recent criminal prosecutions against medical first responders to reach trial. The death of the 23-year-old Black... Читать дальше...

The U.N. Security Council has adopted a watered-down resolution calling for immediate speeded-up aid deliveries to hungry and desperate civilians in Gaza — but without the original call for an “urgent suspension of hostilities” between Israel and Hamas. Friday's long-delayed vote in the 15-member council was 13-0 with the United States and Russia abstaining. The vote came immediately after the United States vetoed a Russian amendment that would have restored a call to immediately suspend hostilities. Читать дальше...

CORAL SPRINGS, Florida, EE.UU. (AP) — Joyce Loaiza vive sola, pero cuando regresa a su apartamento en una residencia para ancianos de Florida, esta oficinista jubilada suele charlar con una voz femenina amigable que le pregunta qué tal le fue en su día.

President Joe Biden joined first lady Jill Biden, for a Christmas season visit to Children’s National Hospital in Washington to meet with patients and their families. The first lady read “'Twas the Night Before Christmas” to children while Biden waved and flashed smiles to the young patients and their family members. The Friday visit continued an 81-year annual tradition dating to Bess Truman of first ladies bringing holiday cheer to children who are too ill to be at home on Christmas. President... Читать дальше...

Police bodycam footage shows a North Dakota lawmaker making homophobic and anti-migrant remarks to an officer who arrested him on a charge of driving drunk. State Rep. Nico Rios of Williston is due in municipal court on Feb. 5. In an email to The Associated Press on Friday, he apologized for his behavior. The officer wrote in his report that Rios “was verbally abusive, homophobic, racially abusive and discriminatory” toward him during the stop on Dec. 15. Rios was elected last year to the state House of Representatives. Читать дальше...

The liberal-controlled Wisconsin Supreme Court has overturned Republican-drawn legislative maps and ordered that new ones be created. The ruling Friday is a huge win for Democrats who have been in the minority under the GOP maps. The court ruled 4-3 in favor of ordering new district boundary lines before the 2024 election. Republicans have built large majorities under the maps they first enacted in 2011. Democrats argued that the maps were unconstitutional because the district boundaries were not contiguous. Читать дальше...