Residents, communities preparing for heat wave that will envelop Midwest, Northeast next week
A heat wave will bring dangerously hot temperatures to the Midwest and Northeast next week, with health officials urging people to make plans now to stay safe. The National Weather Service says the heat will ramp up Sunday in the center of the country before spreading eastward, with some areas likely to see extreme heat reaching daily records, especially in the Ohio Valley and Northeast. People are encouraged to stay in air-conditioned spaces, drink plenty of water and check on neighbors and relatives who might be vulnerable.
Lower your risk of falling as you get older with these simple steps
One in four older adults in the U.S. fall each year, putting them at risk of injury, broken bones and even death. Falls are not inevitable. Simple exercises, adjustments in medications and staying on top of vision and hearing screenings can all help lower the risk of falling. Experts also say to fall-proof your home by getting rid of small rugs and dim lighting and installing railings or grab bars in places where it might be easier to lose your balance. If you do fall, experts recommend telling your doctor immediately to address the root cause and keep it from becoming a pattern.
Charles Barkley says next season will be his last on TV, no matter what happens with NBA media deals
Charles Barkley says that next season will be his last on TV, no matter what happens with the NBA’s media deals. The Hall of Fame player has spent the last 24 years working as a studio analyst for TNT, which could lose the rights to broadcast NBA after next season. But no matter where the games end up, Barkley won’t be following. The 61-year-old says his 25th season will be his last and he hopes to pass the baton to one of his TNT teammates such as Vince Carter or Jamal Crawford. The NBA hopes to complete new media deals soon and his network could lose the rights to broadcast games.
Move over grizzlies and wolves: Yellowstone visitors hope to catch a glimpse of rare white buffalo
YELLOWSTONE NATIONAL PARK, Wyo. (AP) — The recent appearance of a rare white bison calf has excited wildlife watchers in Yellowstone National Park. Many from far and wide are keeping a close watch for the elusive animal since Montana wildlife photographer Erin Braaten got several photos of the calf with its mother on June 4, soon after its birth. Few others saw the white bison calf and it has not been spotted since, leading to speculation it may have died. Even so, the creature’s birth is auspicious for Native Americans, who say it fulfills a Lakota prophesy that portends better times. They are planning an upcoming ceremony to commemorate the event.
Virginia city repeals ban on psychic readings as industry grows and gains more acceptance
NORFOLK, Va. (AP) — The city of Norfolk, Virginia, has repealed a 45-year-old ban on palm reading and clairvoyance for money. Until this week, soothsaying had been a first-degree misdemeanor in the coastal city. A conviction could lead to a sentence of up to a year in jail. City officials haven’t said exactly why they revoked the ordinance, which was no longer being enforced. The repeal comes as the psychic services industry is growing nationwide. Market research firm IBIS World estimates that it generated $2.3 billion in revenue last year and employs nearly 100,000 people in the U.S.
Tejano singer and TV host Johnny Canales, who helped launch Selena’s career, dies
Tejano singer and longtime television music show host Johnny Canales has died, according to a statement from his family. Canales was 77. The family statement posted Thursday on the Johnny and Nora Canales Show calls Canales “a beacon of hope and joy for countless people.” The statement did not provide a cause of death. Canales hosted a televised music show in Corpus Christi, Texas, in the 1980s and 1990s where he is credited with helping launch the career of Tejano superstar Selena. A cause of death was not provided.
NASA’s Voyager 1, the most distant spacecraft from Earth, is doing science again after problem
DALLAS (AP) — NASA’s Voyager 1 spacecraft is sending science data again. The Jet Propulsion Laboratory says the spacecraft’s four instruments are back in business after a computer problem in November. The team first received meaningful information from Voyager 1 in April and recently commanded it to start sending science data. Launched in 1977, Voyager 1 is the most distant spacecraft from Earth. It’s exploring interstellar space, or the space between star systems. Its twin, Voyager 2, is working fine.
Microsoft delays controversial AI Recall feature on new Windows computers
REDMOND, Wash. (AP) — New laptops equipped with Microsoft Windows start shipping to customers next week but without a flagship feature called Recall that drew concerns about privacy and cybersecurity. Microsoft CEO Satya Nadella touted the new Recall feature at a showcase event last month. Recall works by periodically taking snapshots of a computer screen to give Microsoft’s AI assistant Copilot a “photographic memory” of a person’s virtual activity, ostensibly to help a person remember what they did earlier. But this week, the company said it was delaying a “broadly available” preview of Recall that was supposed to be included with new PCs starting Tuesday.
Her dying husband worried she’d have money troubles. Then she won the lottery
FREEPORT, Pa. (AP) — A Pennsylvania man with a brain tumor was able to die knowing his wife would be taken care of by lottery winnings. Karen Coffman’s husband expressed concern she might have financial difficulties after he died. Two weeks before he did in April, she netted $1 million with a scratch-off lottery ticket. The 61-year-old Coffman says her husband thought she was lying when she told him about the big prize. She believes there was spiritual intervention that brought about her win. She says she plans to use some winnings to treat relatives to a Disney trip and eventually hopes to move to Florida.
How do cicadas make their signature sound, so eerie and amazingly loud?
WHEATON, Ill. (AP) — What stands out during a cicada invasion is the sound. It’s a constant, eerie, amazingly loud song that gets in a person’s ears and won’t let much else in. And it’s coming from the tiniest bugs. The song comes only from males, and it’s a mating call. The way they do it is a lot like how a drum works. They have a white membrane on their midsection that is made to vibrate. Then with some air behind it to make a good echo chamber, it creates a loud sound. If you listen carefully, there are two types of basic cicada calls. One is a buzzy wave that goes up and down, and the other is a constant whirring hum that is punctuated by a sound like fffaaaro, fffaaaro.
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