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1 https://wordpress.org/?v=5.7.2/wp-content/uploads/2021/03/cropped-todaybiznews-logo-c-32x32.pngtodaybiznews3232Russian investigators probe big Black Sea oil spill
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Fri, 13 Aug 2021 05:56:43 +0000/news/tech/russian-investigators-probe-big-black-sea-oil-spill/An aerial view of the Black Sea coast following an oil spill that happened while being pumped into the Minerva Symphony tanker, near Novorossiysk, Russia, Thursday, Aug. 12, 2021. Russian prosecutors have opened a criminal probe into an oil spill off the country’s Black Sea coast that appeared to be far bigger than initially thought. …
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An aerial view of the Black Sea coast following an oil spill that happened while being pumped into the Minerva Symphony tanker, near Novorossiysk, Russia, Thursday, Aug. 12, 2021. Russian prosecutors have opened a criminal probe into an oil spill off the country’s Black Sea coast that appeared to be far bigger than initially thought. Authorities initially estimated the spill to cover only 200 square meters, but Russian scientists said Wednesday after studying satellite images that it actually covered nearly 80 square kilometers (nearly 31 square miles). Credit: AP Photo
Russia’s top criminal investigation agency on Thursday probed an oil spill off the country’s Black Sea coast that appeared hugely bigger than initially reported.
The spill occurred over the weekend at the oil terminal in Yuzhnaya Ozereyevka near the port of Novorossiysk that belongs to the Caspian Pipeline Consortium, which pumps crude from Kazakhstan. The oil spilled while being pumped into the Minerva Symphony tanker, which sails under the Greek flag.
Authorities initially estimated that the spill covered only about 200 square meters (2,153 square feet), but Russian scientists said Wednesday after studying satellite images that it actually covered nearly 80 square kilometers (nearly 31 square miles).
WWF Russia has estimated that about 100 metric tons of oil have spilled into the sea.
The Investigative Committee, the country’s top criminal investigation agency, said Thursday it was conducting a probe on charges of inflicting significant damage to marine biological resources. The committee said it performed searches at the Caspian Pipeline Consortium and inspected the area for damage.
Russian media said traces of oil were spotted along the scenic Black Sea coast, including Abrau-Dyurso and a dolphin aquarium in Bolshoy Utrish, 25 kilometers (15 miles) to the west, where workers urgently put up barriers to protect the mammals. The spill’s oily film was also spotted in the resort city of Anapa, further west down the coast.
An aerial view of the Black Sea coast following an oil spill that happened while being pumped into the Minerva Symphony tanker, near Novorossiysk, Russia, Thursday, Aug. 12, 2021. Russian prosecutors have opened a criminal probe into an oil spill off the country’s Black Sea coast that appeared to be far bigger than initially thought. Authorities initially estimated the spill to cover only 200 square meters, but Russian scientists said Wednesday after studying satellite images that it actually covered nearly 80 square kilometers (nearly 31 square miles). Credit: AP Photo
Two men rest on the beach as the Minerva Symphony tanker, which sails under the Greek flag is seen at the Black Sea coast after an oil spill, near Novorossiysk, Russia, Thursday, Aug. 12, 2021. Russia’n prosecutors have opened a criminal probe into an oil spill off the country’s Black Sea coast that appeared to be far bigger than initially expected. The oil spilled while being pumped into the Minerva Symphony tanker. Authorities initially estimated the spill to cover only 200 square meters (2,153 square feet). But Russian scientists said Wednesday after studying satellite images that it actually covered nearly 80 square kilometers (nearly 31 square miles). Credit: AP Photo
The Minerva Symphony tanker, which sails under the Greek flag is seen at the Black Sea coast after an oil spill, near Novorossiysk, Russia, Thursday, Aug. 12, 2021. Russia’n prosecutors have opened a criminal probe into an oil spill off the country’s Black Sea coast that appeared to be far bigger than initially expected. The oil spilled while being pumped into the Minerva Symphony tanker. Authorities initially estimated the spill to cover only 200 square meters (2,153 square feet). But Russian scientists said Wednesday after studying satellite images that it actually covered nearly 80 square kilometers (nearly 31 square miles). Credit: AP Photo
An aerial view of the Black Sea coast following an oil spill that happened while being pumped into the Minerva Symphony tanker, near Novorossiysk, Russia, Thursday, Aug. 12, 2021. Russian prosecutors have opened a criminal probe into an oil spill off the country’s Black Sea coast that appeared to be far bigger than initially thought. Authorities initially estimated the spill to cover only 200 square meters, but Russian scientists said Wednesday after studying satellite images that it actually covered nearly 80 square kilometers (nearly 31 square miles). Credit: AP Photo
An aerial view of the Black Sea coast following an oil spill that happened while being pumped into the Minerva Symphony tanker, near Novorossiysk, Russia, Thursday, Aug. 12, 2021. Russian prosecutors have opened a criminal probe into an oil spill off the country’s Black Sea coast that appeared to be far bigger than initially thought. Authorities initially estimated the spill to cover only 200 square meters, but Russian scientists said Wednesday after studying satellite images that it actually covered nearly 80 square kilometers (nearly 31 square miles). Credit: AP Photo
An aerial view shows the Minerva Symphony tanker, which sails under the Greek flag in the background at the Black Sea coast after an oil spill, near Novorossiysk, Russia, Thursday, Aug. 12, 2021. Russian prosecutors have opened a criminal probe into an oil spill off the country’s Black Sea coast that appeared to be far bigger than initially expected. The oil spilled while being pumped into the Minerva Symphony tanker. Authorities initially estimated the spill to cover only 200 square meters (2,153 square feet). But Russian scientists said Wednesday after studying satellite images that it actually covered nearly 80 square kilometers (nearly 31 square miles). Credit: AP Photo
A part of the Black Sea near a delphinium at a coast following an oil spill that happened while being pumped into the Minerva Symphony tanker, near Novorossiysk, Russia, Thursday, Aug. 12, 2021. Russian prosecutors have opened a criminal probe into an oil spill off the country’s Black Sea coast that appeared to be far bigger than initially thought. Authorities initially estimated the spill to cover only 200 square meters, but Russian scientists said Wednesday after studying satellite images that it actually covered nearly 80 square kilometers (nearly 31 square miles). Credit: AP Photo
Veniamin Kondratyev, the governor of the Krasnodar region, sought to downplay the impact of the spill, saying that he and other officials flew over the area in a helicopter and saw no trace of it at sea. “Quick measures were taken to eliminate the consequences,” Kondratyev said, according to the Interfax news agency.
The governor later met with the head of the Caspian Pipeline Consortium, who assured him that the sea has remained clean thanks to quick efforts to contain the spill.
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Russian investigators probe big Black Sea oil spill (2021, August 12)
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]]>Jones sought advice from Cam before Pats debut
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Fri, 13 Aug 2021 05:55:43 +0000/news/sports/jones-sought-advice-from-cam-before-pats-debut/FOXBOROUGH, Mass. – New England Patriots quarterback Cam Newton said rookie Mac Jones is so quiet at times that he tries to crack “the DaVinci Code of the seriousness,” but that didn’t stop Jones from seeking Newton out before Thursday night’s preseason opener against the Washington Football Team. “He came and talked to me, and …
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FOXBOROUGH, Mass. – New England Patriots quarterback Cam Newton said rookie Mac Jones is so quiet at times that he tries to crack “the DaVinci Code of the seriousness,” but that didn’t stop Jones from seeking Newton out before Thursday night’s preseason opener against the Washington Football Team.
“He came and talked to me, and we talked it out about just his expectation. Every young quarterback goes through it — the excitement, the anticipation,” Newton relayed after the Patriots’ 22-13 win at Gillette Stadium. “He wants to be so perfect, and I see his preparation is always pristine. That’s what I admire about him.”
Jones relieved Newton after two series on Thursday night, receiving a standing ovation from many in attendance when he took the field with 55 seconds remaining in the first quarter.
He played five series and went 13-of-19 passing for 87 yards, with no touchdowns and no interceptions. The first series came behind the team’s first-unit offensive line, an indication of how the coaching staff views his progress to date.
The Patriots scored two field goals when Jones was at quarterback, although there easily could have been one touchdown. Arguably his best throw of the night was one of his incompletions, a deep 34-yard pass down the left sideline on his first drive that went off receiver Kristian Wilkerson’s hands in the end zone.
“It was a great ball by Mac,” Wilkerson said. “I have just to adjust better to it [and] do my part.”
Coach Bill Belichick also had Jones run the no-huddle offense to open the third quarter, explaining that the team didn’t get the ball late in the second quarter to set up that type of situation.
Of Jones’ overall performance commanding the offense, Belichick said: “Some good things, some things we can improve on. That’s true for everybody.”
Patriots fans showered Jones with applause, with some starting a chant in the stadium, hoping he would re-enter the game late in the fourth quarter. Meanwhile, teammates have noted the strides he’s making, on and off the field.
“He’s working, learning from everybody, attacking it,” veteran running back James White said. “It’s not easy being a quarterback in this league.”
“It definitely seemed like he had some poise when he went out there,” added linebacker Josh Uche.
The Patriots now transition to their second preseason game, next Thursday in Philadelphia against the Eagles. The teams will hold two days of practices together on Monday and Tuesday.
Newton, in his 11th NFL season, looked forward to turning the page with the first-round pick from Alabama.
“Everybody learns different, but he’s just going to keep getting better, and we’re going to be here for each other along this whole process,” Newton said.
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]]>Hybrid and EV Batteries: What’s the Difference? | MotorBiscuit
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Fri, 13 Aug 2021 05:54:38 +0000/news/automobile/hybrid-and-ev-batteries-whats-the-difference-motorbiscuit/Carbon emissions have forced the automotive industry to undergo some major changes. More hybrid and fully electric vehicles are being produced than ever before. Hybrid and electric vehicle batteries will power the future. The question is, what’s the difference between these two types of batteries? How do hybrid batteries differ from fully electric batteries? A …
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Carbon emissions have forced the automotive industry to undergo some major changes. More hybrid and fully electric vehicles are being produced than ever before. Hybrid and electric vehicle batteries will power the future. The question is, what’s the difference between these two types of batteries?
How do hybrid batteries differ from fully electric batteries?
A Volkswagen employee wires the battery on a line for the VW ID.3 | Sebastian Kahnert/picture alliance via Getty Images
Today there are two types of hybrid vehicles available: hybrids and plug-in hybrids (PHEV). These two types of hybrids use their powertrains differently and often have different battery sizes and usable energy capacities. Both types of hybrids require different amounts of charge and discharge power to function properly.
Harnessing sunlight to fuel the future through covalent organic frameworks
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Fri, 13 Aug 2021 04:43:11 +0000/news/tech/harnessing-sunlight-to-fuel-the-future-through-covalent-organic-frameworks/Scientists underscore the potential of a new class of materials to convert sunlight to fuel. Credit: Shoolini University Photocatalysts absorb energy from light to make a chemical reaction happen. The best known photocatalyst is perhaps chlorophyll, the green pigment in plants that helps turn sunlight into carbohydrates. While carbohydrates may be falling out of favor, …
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Scientists underscore the potential of a new class of materials to convert sunlight to fuel. Credit: Shoolini University
Photocatalysts absorb energy from light to make a chemical reaction happen. The best known photocatalyst is perhaps chlorophyll, the green pigment in plants that helps turn sunlight into carbohydrates. While carbohydrates may be falling out of favor, photocatalysis is garnering more attention than ever. In a photocatalytic process, light falls on a photocatalyst, increases the energy of its electrons and causes them to break their bonds and move freely through the catalyst. These “excited” electrons then react with the raw materials of a chemical reaction to produce desired products. A top priority in the field of alternate energy research is using photocatalysts to convert solar energy to fuel, a process called “solar-to-fuel production.”
In an article published in Coordination Chemistry Reviews, Dr. Changlei Xia from Nanjing Forestry University, China; Dr. Kent Kirlikovali from Northwestern University, U.S.; Dr. Thi Hong Chuong Nguyen, Dr. Xuan Cuong Nguyen, Dr. Quoc Ba Tran, and Dr. Chinh Chien Nguyen from Duy Tan University, Vietnam; Dr. Minh Khoa Duong and Dr. Minh Tuan Nguyen Dinh from The University of Da Nang, Vietnam; Dr. Dang Le Tri Nguyen from Ton Duc Thang University, Vietnam; Dr. Pardeep Singh and Dr. Pankaj Raizada from Shoolini University, India; Dr. Van-Huy Nguyen from Binh Duong University, Vietnam; Dr. Soo Young Kim and Dr. Quyet Van Le from Korea University, South Korea; Dr. Laxman Singh from Patliputra University, India; and Dr. Mohammadreza Shokouhimer from Seoul National University, South Korea, have highlighted the potential of covalent organic frameworks (COFs), a new class of light-absorbing materials, in solar-to-fuel production.
As Dr. Pardeep Singh explains, “Solar energy has been successfully tapped to make electricity, but we are not yet able to efficiently make liquid fuels from it. These solar fuels, like hydrogen, could be an abundant supply of sustainable, storable, and portable energy.”
The specialty of COFs lies in their ability to improve catalysis and add special substituent molecules called “functional groups” to their structure, providing a way around the limitations of existing photocatalysts. This is due to certain favorable properties of COFs such as chemical stability, controllable porosity, and strong electron delocalization, which make them extra stable.
Like the name suggests, COFs consist of organic molecules that are bonded together into a structure that can be tailored to suit various applications. Moreover, strong electron delocalization means that, unlike in semiconductor photocatalysts, the excited electrons recombine midway only infrequently, resulting in more excited electrons for the chemical reaction. Since these reactions occur at the surface of the photocatalyst, the increased surface area and modifiable porosity of COFs is a huge advantage. COF-photocatalysts find application in the conversion of water to hydrogen, and the production of methane from carbon dioxide, thus promising the dual benefit of producing fuel and mitigating global warming. Furthermore, they can even help with nitrogen fixation, plastics production, and storage of gases.
A new kind of COF, covalent triazine frameworks (CTFs), are currently at the cutting-edge of hydrogen production research. CTFs have 20-50 times the ability to produce hydrogen, compared to graphitic photocatalysts, making them a very promising option for future fuel production.
However, before we put the solar-powered cart before the horse, it is important to note that COF-based photocatalysts are at an early stage of development and still do not produce fuel as efficiently as their semiconductor-based counterparts. Nevertheless, their outstanding properties and structural diversity make them promising candidates for future solar-to-fuel research and a viable solution for the ongoing energy crisis. “The most essential issue is to explore robust COFs-derived catalysts for the desired applications. It can be expected that COF-based photocatalysts will achieve a new milestone in the coming years,” concludes an optimistic Dr. Pankaj Raizada.
Indeed, a future based on clean energy seems not that far away.
More information:
Changlei Xia et al, The emerging covalent organic frameworks (COFs) for solar-driven fuels production, Coordination Chemistry Reviews (2021). DOI: 10.1016/j.ccr.2021.214117
Provided by
Shoolini University
Citation:
Harnessing sunlight to fuel the future through covalent organic frameworks (2021, August 12)
retrieved 13 August 2021
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]]>Genesis GV60 Name And Specs Confirmed During Certification Process
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Fri, 13 Aug 2021 04:41:11 +0000/news/automobile/genesis-gv60-name-and-specs-confirmed-during-certification-process/We’ve seen numerous Genesis GV60 prototypes in recent months. The first dedicated electric vehicle from Hyundai’s luxury branch will slot below the GV70, but until now it’s only been assumed the name is GV60. That’s now confirmed, but not by Genesis. Rather, the name and some basic vehicle specifications cropped up during official certification testing. …
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We’ve seen numerous Genesis GV60 prototypes in recent months. The first dedicated electric vehicle from Hyundai’s luxury branch will slot below the GV70, but until now it’s only been assumed the name is GV60. That’s now confirmed, but not by Genesis. Rather, the name and some basic vehicle specifications cropped up during official certification testing.
The GV60 went through Korea Emissions and Noise Certification and passed, according to Korean Car Blog. The tests also revealed some power ratings that we suspect Genesis didn’t want public just yet. According to the report, the GV60 will have three performance grades, with the entry-level model turning just the rear wheels through a single electric motor.
11Photos
Power output is listed as 226 horsepower (169 kilowatts), while a mid-level all-wheel-drive long-range model will have a combined 325 hp (242 kW). The range-topping GV60 reportedly offers twin electric motors producing 218 hp (163 kW) each, delivering a combined 436 hp (325 kW).
These numbers could vary slightly depending on market, but you get the idea. It’s interesting to note that the GV60 shares the same platform as the Kia EV6, but Kia still gets the higher-output version. The twin motors in the EV6 GT punch out 576 hp (430 kW), which tells us Genesis is focused more on the luxury aspect of motoring in the GV60 versus sheer performance. The certification tests didn’t offer ranges for the various GV60 trims, but it will likely fall in the 300-mile range similar to the GV60’s other platform-sharing sibling, the Hyundai Ioniq 5.
The release of this information usually comes just weeks before an official manufacturer debut, according to Korean Car Blog. We originally thought that could happen in June, but with this latest development, a debut possibly before the end of August or sometime in September is virtually guaranteed.
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]]>Lizzo Confirms She Hasn’t Hooked Up With Drake ‘Yet’ In New Song ‘Rumors’ With Cardi B
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Fri, 13 Aug 2021 04:38:05 +0000/news/entertainment/lizzo-confirms-she-hasnt-hooked-up-with-drake-yet-in-new-song-rumors-with-cardi-b/No need for gossip or innuendo, because Lizzo just dropped some truth! The singer teamed with Cardi B to kick off her ‘new era’ with ‘Rumors,’ which featured both ladies clapping back at headlines. Lizzo is back – and she’s better and badder than before. After a killer breakout year, which saw her kick off …
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No need for gossip or innuendo, because Lizzo just dropped some truth! The singer teamed with Cardi B to kick off her ‘new era’ with ‘Rumors,’ which featured both ladies clapping back at headlines.
Lizzo is back – and she’s better and badder than before. After a killer breakout year, which saw her kick off the 62nd Grammy Awards, pose for Vogue magazine, and shoot her shot with Harry Styles, Lizzo, 33, began the next chapter of her careeron Aug. 13 with the release of her new song, “Rumors” — and she had some help from none other than Cardi B. The two ladies wasted no time clapping back at haters on the bouncy summer jam, also taking the opportunity to clear up some — ahem — rumors.
“No, I ain’t f— Drake yet (Ha),” Lizzo hilariously confirms in one verse as she reveals an ex “blew it” at a shot with her. Cardi also made an already-known confession on the tune, rapping that her derrière and breasts are indeed “fake” along with revealing she made $1 million dancing at former strip club Sue’s. “All the rumors are true, yeah,” the pregnant Bronx native states. “Last time I got freaky, the FCC sued me,” Cardi also rapped, referencing the controversy around 2020 summer jam “WAP.”
Two weeks before releasing “Rumors,” Lizzo hinted she had new music in the pipe. “An album?” she said in a TikTok video response to a fan comment. The video had her sitting in front of a mic and under a purple light. “An album? Absolutely not. I’m not making no f-cking album. I’m not in a studio. This isn’t Mark Ronson,” she said, turning the camera to show the “Uptown Funk” producer. “This isn’t a whole [sound] board. I’m not hanging out with songwriters like Phil [Lawrence.] I’m not making a f-cking album. Where do you get that from?” She captioned the video with “THE RUMORS ARE FALSE.” Except – they weren’t. On Aug. 2, she dropped the cover art to her new single. “NEW ERA BITCH. ‘RUMORS’. 8/13.” A week later, she let everyone know that Cardi would be joining her on the track.
Lizzo’s (presumably) next album will be her first since 2019’s Cuz I Love You. First released in April, the deluxe edition, which arrived in May, packaged the album with three additional songs: “Boys,” “Water Me,” and the smash hit, “Truth Hurts.” Initially released in 2017, the song became a sleeper hit two years later thanks to its popularity on TikTok and its use in the Netflix movie, Someone Great. “Truth Hurts” spent seven weeks atop the Billboard Hot 100, and because it was included in a deluxe version of her 2019 album, it was eligible for the 62 n Annual Grammy Awards. It was nominated for Record and Song of the Year, but took home the trophy for Best Solo Performance. She also took home the Best Traditional R&B Performance and Best Urban Contemporary Album.
Since its slow-burn breakthrough, “Truth Hurts” has been certified 6-times platinum by the RIAA. In addition to “Truth Hurts,” Lizzo’s Cuz I Love You spawned another Billboard Top 10 hit with “Good As Hell.” It reached No. 1 on the Hot 100 and reached the top of the US R&B/Hip-Hop charts. It’s been certified triple-platinum. Other singles from the album – “Boys,” “Juice,” “Tempo (ft. Missy Elliott)”, and the title track – have all been certified either Gold or Platinum.
Lizzo performs at the 40th Brit Awards in 2020 (David Fisher/Shutterstock)
“As a black woman, I make music for people, from an experience that is from a black woman,” the singer told Rolling Stone in her January 2020 cover story. “I’m making music that hopefully makes other people feel good and helps me discover self-love. That message I want to go directly to black women, big black women, black trans women. Period.”
Lizzo also told Rolling Stone that she decided to ditch Twitter after too many clashes with online trolls. “That was the end of that era for me,” she said, though she understands why some people might not immediately take to her. “Look, I’m new,” she “You put two plates of food in front of people, [and] one is some fried chicken. If you like fried chicken that’s great. And the other is, like, fried ostrich p—-y. You not gonna want to f-ck with that. We eventually get used to everything. So people just gon’ have to get used to my ass.”
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]]>Toxic by-products are yet to be cleared from an Ipswich power station that closed a decade ago
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Fri, 13 Aug 2021 04:36:07 +0000/news/health/toxic-by-products-are-yet-to-be-cleared-from-an-ipswich-power-station-that-closed-a-decade-ago/Nearly a decade after the Swanbank A coal-fired power station closed, the toxic pollution left behind is yet to be properly dealt with. Key points: A 2019 report raised concerns about lack of action in cleaning up former power station sites UQ researcher Mansour Edraki says the site must be rehabilitated Site owner CleanCo says …
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Nearly a decade after the Swanbank A coal-fired power station closed, the toxic pollution left behind is yet to be properly dealt with.
Key points:
A 2019 report raised concerns about lack of action in cleaning up former power station sites
UQ researcher Mansour Edraki says the site must be rehabilitated
Site owner CleanCo says a rehabilitation plan is still being finalised
Experts have raised concern this poses a “ticking time bomb” for nearby residents and local wildlife in Collingwood Park, west of Brisbane.
Toxic by-products from burning fuel in the now-decommissioned coal-fired generator have never left the power station site and there is no formal plan to remove it or make the site safe.
Collingwood Park resident Wendy Davidson said she wants to see something done about the site but was not holding out much hope.
“The people of Ipswich have been totally ignored and they’ve been environmentally brutalised again and again,” she said.
Environmental Justice Australia lawyer Bronya Lipski said residents were right to be worried.
Ms Lipski authored the 2019 report Unearthing Australia’s Toxic Coal Ash Legacy, which raised concerns about the lack of information available and action taken to address ash dams and power stations in Australia.
Swanbank’s old ash dam is hard to see from the road.(
ABC News: Jim Malo
)
She said there was concern over a range of serious health issues in populations next to decommissioned power stations and ash dams.
“A whole range of ‘lifestyle impacts’ are blamed for a range of health issues which are associated with poor environmental health.
“We can’t blame the community for not going for enough walks or eating too much Maccas in their lives.”
High voltage lines near the old Swanbank power station.(
ABC News: Lucas Hill
)
UQ Minerals Industry Safety and Health Centre’s Professor David Cliff said health issues linked to chemicals found in ash dams could include cancers, birth defects and organ damage.
However, he said this depends on what chemicals were present in each dam, and different sites had different levels of risk.
Dried up sludge
The bulk of the toxic material sits in the dry ash dam neighbouring the station – what was once a massive pool of sludge has become a mound of dried ash.
The site owner, state-owned energy company CleanCo, told ABC News in a statement the dam contains “primarily silicon, aluminium, iron, calcium, manganese, potassium, sodium, titanium” and that “PFAS (Per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances) has been detected in the ash dam”.
The Department of Environment and Science (DES) said the dam contained “fluoride, sulfate, chloride, sodium, calcium, magnesium and potassium”.
One of the buildings still intact at the Swanbank site.(
ABC News: Lucas Hill
)
DES would not say if it knew the concentrations of the chemicals in the dam.
Documents seen by the ABC show the dam has been regularly tested for arsenic, boron, chromium, mercury, molybdenum, selenium and vanadium.
All can be toxic to humans and animals.
What’s the risk?
Research in the US found ash can blow from the tops of the dams and poses the most acute risk of respiratory illnesses and cancers.
The dam at Swanbank has been capped with pampas grass to mitigate this risk; but before the grass was in place, nearby residents said large amounts of dust would regularly blow into their homes.
Ms Lipski said despite the capping, the dam could also be leaching the chemicals into waterways.
Bundamba Creek is a short walk from the edge of the dam. It flows into the Bremer River and eventually reaches the Brisbane River and Moreton Bay.
CleanCo said the dam was lined with compacted coalstone and an “impermeable clay layer”.
It said there are monitoring sites at the dam and pumps that help to prevent contaminated water leaching into the groundwater.
Ms Lipski said clay layers would still allow some water through, depending on the type of clay. She said best practice was to line the dams with a geotechnical layer as well as other measures.
Many of the toxic materials are bioaccumulants, meaning they are present in the wildlife that lives in the river and could contribute to making fish and other creatures in the river unsafe for human consumption.
Ms Lipski said in the US it sometimes took decades for the impact of burning coal to be detected.
Contamination issues are yet to be dealt with at the Swanbank site in Collingwood Park.(
ABC News: Jim Malo
)
“We start to see deformed frogs being born and deformed fish being born. That’s not indicative of an ecosystem that’s healthy,” she said.
“If people have not known for some time that they’ve been eating fish and crabs et cetera that have been accumulating these toxic chemicals, that can lead to poorer health outcomes.
“If it’s not removed now, will we see a problem in 100 years when people in Brisbane are trying to drink water and they’re developing all sorts of health impacts?”
Health issues linked to chemicals found in ash dams include cancers, birth defects and organ damage.
The Queensland government already warns people against eating fish caught in certain parts of the Brisbane and Bremer rivers, because of the risk of PFAS contamination.
Will it be fixed?
Mansour Edraki from the University of Queensland’s Sustainable Minerals Institute said coal ash dams needed to be properly managed to eliminate health and environmental risks.
“This should largely happen when the power stations are still active, to maximise the use of resources.
Sustainable Minerals Institute’s Mansour Edraki said the sites cannot be left as they are.(
Supplied
)
“The goal is a safe, stable and non-polluting environment after the life of a coal-fired power station.”
The last coal generator in Swanbank was decomissioned in 2012.
CleanCo told the ABC the rehabilitation plan was still being finalised, but it has $57 million set aside to rehabilitate the site.
Ms Lipski said inaction on cleaning up ash dams and power stations was common across the country.
“There’s no comprehensive remediation plans associated with coal ash dams throughout Australia,” Ms Lipski said.
“Short of putting a cap over the ash dams when the plant is decommissioned, the dams just sit there.
Ms Lipski said she did not believe $57 million would be enough to rehabilitate the site.
The Swanbank site has not been rehabilitated.(
ABC News: Lucas Hill
)
‘Still no plan’
State Greens Member for Maiwar Michael Berkman has raised similar concerns in a question on notice to the state government.
“I’m very sceptical whether CleanCo has enough money set aside to rehabilitate the dam, because until they develop a plan that’s compliant with the environmental authority there’s no way of knowing the actual cost.
“Ipswich residents deserve better than another big dump at their doorstep with no plan to clean it up.”
Greens MP Michael Berkman says there is no plan to clean up the site.(
AAP: Glenn Hunt
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Ms Davidson said she felt like the degraded landscape at Swanbank, once used for mining coal and now dumping waste, would be used as an excuse to let the ash dam and power station sit unrehabilitated.
“They won’t [clean up the site]. This is Ipswich we’re talking about. It’s not the Gold Coast, it’s not the Sunshine Coast. It’s like we don’t exist.
“We’re only 25 kilometres out [of Brisbane] but we’re considered our own island of waste and filth.”
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]]>Amazon moves Lord of the Rings production from New Zealand to UK
/news/amazon-moves-lord-of-the-rings-production-from-new-zealand-to-uk/
Fri, 13 Aug 2021 04:35:02 +0000/news/amazon-moves-lord-of-the-rings-production-from-new-zealand-to-uk/Amazon has decided to produce its upcoming Lord of the Rings TV series in the UK from the second season on. Although the first season was filmed in New Zealand, as with Peter Jackson’s movies, Amazon now says pre-production on season two will begin early next year in the UK while season one post-production continues …
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Amazon has decided to produce its upcoming Lord of the Rings TV series in the UK from the second season on. Although the first season was filmed in New Zealand, as with Peter Jackson’s movies, Amazon now says pre-production on season two will begin early next year in the UK while season one post-production continues in New Zealand through June.
It’s not clear exactly where the series will be shot. Amazon is shipping the complex sets it built for the first season over to the UK and is currently booking stages for them, according to Deadline. The company films several Prime Video series in the UK already, including Good Omens and Anansi Boys.
The move to the UK won’t be without controversy. Author J.R.R. Tolkien based Middle-earth’s Shire on his experiences living in rural England, but Jackson’s vivid depictions in the movies has made New Zealand’s landscapes just as closely associated with the franchise, and drove significant tourism to the country.
“We want to thank the people and the government of New Zealand for their hospitality and dedication and for providing The Lord of the Rings series with an incredible place to begin this epic journey,” Amazon Studios VP Vernon Sanders says in a statement. “We are grateful to the New Zealand Film Commission, the Ministry of Business, Innovation and Employment, Tourism New Zealand, Auckland Unlimited, and others for their tremendous collaboration that supported the New Zealand film sector and the local economy during the production of Season One.”
Deadline reports that New Zealand’s strict handling of the COVID-19 pandemic was a factor in Amazon’s decision. More than half of the cast is British and has reportedly had to stay in New Zealand for around two years because of border restrictions and quarantine rules. With a base in the UK, the cast will be much closer to home, and the producers may also be able to make use of other locations around Europe.
The first season of the Lord of the Rings show, which is set thousands of years before the original books and still doesn’t have a formal title, is set to come to Prime Video on September 2nd next year. This season alone is said to have cost the e-commerce giant $465 million to produce, with Amazon receiving a 20 percent tax credit from the New Zealand government.
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]]>Crypto Data Firm Dune Analytics Raises $8M — Series A Round Led by Union Square Ventures – Finance Bitcoin News
/crypto-currency/crypto-data-firm-dune-analytics-raises-8m-series-a-round-led-by-union-square-ventures-finance-bitcoin-news/
Fri, 13 Aug 2021 04:33:02 +0000/crypto-currency/crypto-data-firm-dune-analytics-raises-8m-series-a-round-led-by-union-square-ventures-finance-bitcoin-news/The team behind the platform that allows users to track data on the Ethereum blockchain, Dune Analytics, announced the firm has raised $8 million from strategic investors like Union Square Ventures. Dune Analytics detailed the firm plans to leverage the new financing in order to hire more help and monitor other blockchains. Crypto Metrics Provider …
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The team behind the platform that allows users to track data on the Ethereum blockchain, Dune Analytics, announced the firm has raised $8 million from strategic investors like Union Square Ventures. Dune Analytics detailed the firm plans to leverage the new financing in order to hire more help and monitor other blockchains.
Crypto Metrics Provider Dune Analytics Raises $8 Million
Crypto data services and analytics has seen massive demand in 2021 as everyone wants to gather factoids on their favorite crypto assets. Bitcoin.com News recently reported on the crypto firm Messari raising $21 million in a financing round.
Furthermore, the crypto analytics company Skew was acquired by Coinbase this year and Coin Metrics recently raised $15 million with Goldman Sachs leading the round. Dune Analytics is a set of data tools that users can leverage for free in order to gather insight on Ethereum and decentralized finance (defi) analytics.
Last September, Dune Analytics raised $2 million in seed funding and on Thursday the company revealed raising $8 million in a Series A. The Series A round was led by Fred Wilson’s Union Square Ventures. Additionally, venture firms like Multicoin Capital, Redpoint Ventures, and Dragonfly joined the Dune Analytics Series A round.
We are on a mission to make crypto data accessible
Meaning every single metric from every single data source easily available to the community for free
Dune Analytics’ tools offer a great number of charts and graphs but users can also create their own data charts. The web portal offers insights to data concerning the recent EIP1559 implementation so ETH users can observe metrics like fees burned. Dune Analytics offers decentralized exchange (dex) volumes, non-fungible token (NFT) marketplace data and analytics showing the number of defi users over time.
“At Dune Analytics we’re on a mission to make crypto data accessible. This is a mission that is getting harder by the day,” the company’s capital raise announcement noted. “Every new product, chain, and scaling solution increases data amount and fragmentation as they grow in adoption and throughput. Nevertheless, we are determined to realize this mission by making every single interesting metric across every single crypto data source easily accessible for free to the community.”
Dune Analytics: ‘The Data Must Flow’
In addition to Dune Analytics, Skew, Coin Metrics, and Messari, the company Dappradar raised $5 million last May. At the end of June, the crypto data firm Nansen raised $10 million from investors.
“At Dune Analytics we’re a small team with an outsized impact on the future of finance and financial data,” the Dune Founders Fredrik and Mats concluded. “Throughout this year we’ve grown the Dune team to eight people spread throughout Europe. To further enable convenient access to crypto data across more use cases, data sources and at a bigger scale we’re now hiring for a range of roles. The data must flow.”
What do you think about Dune Analytics raising $8 million in a Series A financing round? Let us know what you think about all these crypto analytics firms raising millions in 2021 in the comments section below.
Tags in this story
$8 Million, 2 Million, accessible data, Capital raise, Coin Metrics, crypto data, dappradar, data, DEX, Dragonfly, Dune Analytics, Dune Analytics stats, ETH Monitoring, Ethereum, Finance, Investors, messari, metrics, Multicoin Capital, Nansen, NFTs, Redpoint Ventures, Seed Funding, Series A, Series A financing, Skew, Union Square Ventures
Image Credits: Shutterstock, Pixabay, Wiki Commons, Dune Analytics,
Disclaimer: This article is for informational purposes only. It is not a direct offer or solicitation of an offer to buy or sell, or a recommendation or endorsement of any products, services, or companies. Bitcoin.com does not provide investment, tax, legal, or accounting advice. Neither the company nor the author is responsible, directly or indirectly, for any damage or loss caused or alleged to be caused by or in connection with the use of or reliance on any content, goods or services mentioned in this article.
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]]>The FDA will allow COVID-19 booster shots for some people with weakened immune systems
/news/tech/the-fda-will-allow-covid-19-booster-shots-for-some-people-with-weakened-immune-systems/
Fri, 13 Aug 2021 04:30:00 +0000/news/tech/the-fda-will-allow-covid-19-booster-shots-for-some-people-with-weakened-immune-systems/The FDA has expanded the emergency authorizations for leading COVID-19 vaccines. That paves the way for patients with weakened immune systems to start receiving booster shots. It remains unclear when, or if, extra doses would be rolled out to everyone in the US. LoadingSomething is loading. The US Food and Drug Administration on Thursday took …
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The FDA has expanded the emergency authorizations for leading COVID-19 vaccines.
That paves the way for patients with weakened immune systems to start receiving booster shots.
It remains unclear when, or if, extra doses would be rolled out to everyone in the US.
The US Food and Drug Administration on Thursday took a key step toward allowing some of the most vulnerable Americans to receive booster shots — or a third dose — of coronavirus vaccines.
The FDA tweaked the language in its emergency authorizations for the Pfizer-BioNTech and Moderna COVID-19 vaccines to allow doctors to consider giving additional doses for people with weakened immune systems. Previously the Pfizer-BioNTech and Moderna shots were intended to be given as two doses several weeks apart, while J&J’s shot was given as a single dose.
In recent weeks, US health officials and doctors have highlighted the need to start offering booster shots to certain groups of people with weakened immune systems, such as people who have received organ transplants. Giving an additional vaccine dose could help boost those people’s protection against COVID-19.
Other countries, including Germany, France, and the UK, have already firmed up plans to soon start rolling out booster shots to their most vulnerable populations. Israel started offering extra shots to people with impaired immune systems in July.
CDC expected to urge immunocompromised to talk to their doctors about a booster dose
A COVID-19 vaccination-record card.
Joan Slatkin/Education Images via Getty Images
Offering shots to some people with weakened immune systems is likely the first step in a broader booster-shot campaign.
About 2.7% of adults in the US, or 7 million people, have severely weakened immune systems, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. It’s not clear whether the CDC will recommend that all immunocompromised people receive booster shots.
Diseases like HIV can weaken the immune system, as can certain cancer treatments and some drugs given to people who have received organ transplants or to treat conditions like arthritis.
Dr. Camille Kotton, an infectious-disease and transplant specialist at the Massachusetts General Hospital, said at a CDC meeting in July that many patients “have taken matters into their own hands and are proceeding with additional doses as they see fit.”
Kotton sits on an independent advisory committee to the CDC, which issues recommendations on how to use vaccines.
That committee has discussed the topic of booster shots for immunocompromised people, but its members have said they needed to wait for the FDA to update the authorizations for the vaccines before recommending any booster shots.
Kotton said the regulatory situation limited doctors from recommending booster shots.
That CDC advisory group is set to meet on Friday to further discuss booster doses. While a formal vote is not on the agenda, the advisory group is expected to urge immunocompromised people to talk with their doctors or pharmacists about getting an additional shot, The Washington Post reported.
FDA’s actions do not mean booster shots for everyone
While the vaccine makers Pfizer and Moderna have argued that everyone should get a third shot of their vaccines after six to 12 months, US regulators and public-health officials are, so far, unconvinced.
The drug companies have cited data showing modest declines in real-world protection against the virus, particularly with the rise of the Delta variant. They’ve coupled that with lab studies showing large drops in virus-fighting antibody levels, which they say support the case that protection wanes after at least six months.
Moderna President Stephen Hoge.
Moderna/YouTube
“We believe a booster dose is likely to be necessary this fall,” Moderna President Stephen Hoge said on August 5.
Vaccine experts like Dr. Paul Offit, who sits on the FDA’s vaccine-advisory committee, have said that booster doses wouldn’t be needed unless fully vaccinated people started to get seriously ill from COVID-19.
The FDA is working on a more comprehensive plan for boosters, and The Wall Street Journal reported that work won’t be completed until early September.
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]]>Rendon glad to finally ‘pinpoint’ injury with MRI
/news/sports/rendon-glad-to-finally-pinpoint-injury-with-mri/
Fri, 13 Aug 2021 04:28:56 +0000/news/sports/rendon-glad-to-finally-pinpoint-injury-with-mri/ANAHEIM, Calif. — Anthony Rendon knew he hadn’t been right all season with the Los Angeles Angels. He just didn’t know why until an MRI revealed a right hip injury that appears to be the cause of all his woes. Rendon will undergo surgery next week to fix the impingement, and he hopes to be …
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ANAHEIM, Calif. — Anthony Rendon knew he hadn’t been right all season with the Los Angeles Angels. He just didn’t know why until an MRI revealed a right hip injury that appears to be the cause of all his woes.
Rendon will undergo surgery next week to fix the impingement, and he hopes to be at full strength for spring training. With seven weeks left in what’s probably a lost season for the Angels and their third baseman, Rendon decided to get a head start on making the most of the remaining five years on his $247 million contract.
“We figured it out and did a conservative route trying to rehab it, and obviously that’s not working,” Rendon said. “So looking at the grand scheme of things, we thought it was a better time just to get it taken care of and not have to worry about it over the course of the next five years.”
Rendon appeared in just 58 games this season, and he hasn’t played since July 6. Along with an injured list stint after fouling a ball off his knee, he also missed time with a groin injury and what was initially called a hamstring injury.
Rendon says both those soft-tissue injuries were a product of his hip problem.
“I’ve been feeling it for a while, but I didn’t know what I was feeling until talking to other guys who had similar issues,” Rendon said. “And then obviously you have an MRI and pictures on the hips. Speaking to a specialist about it and how it affects the other parts of your body around the hips, I was able to pinpoint all of the pieces and put the puzzle together.”
After performing fairly well in his pandemic-shortened debut year with the Angels, Rendon was poor at the plate in 2021 even when he was healthy enough to play. The former NL All-Star and major league RBI leader for Washington batted a career-low .240 with six homers and 34 RBIs this season, posting a pedestrian .712 OPS.
When asked to evaluate his season, Rendon got sarcastic.
“You try writing with a couple of broken fingers and see how you do,” Rendon said. “Oh, I felt great. Really excited about hitting .230, playing like 45 games in a season of 162 games. It’s a real success, right?”
Rendon was trying to play through pain that he didn’t understand, an overall discomfort that left him with no strength or flexibility in his legs. He had even sensed the beginnings of the problem in 2020 and said it grew into “a stabbing pain going into your hip. Felt like a clamp was grabbing the front of my hip and the back of my butt. That’s not a good feeling.”
“There was a point in there where I thought I was going crazy,” Rendon added. “Everyone looked at me like I was, to a point where I was almost convinced myself, that maybe, ‘Am I making this up?’ But digging deeper, obviously getting pictures, and then speaking to specialists, speaking to guys with a prior history [of the injury], put me at ease a little bit at being able to find answers.”
The Angels have managed to stay around .500 all season despite getting no help from their two highest-paid players for nearly three months.
Mike Trout has been on the injured list since May 18 with a right calf strain, and the three-time MVP doesn’t appear to be close to returning, although he hasn’t been shut down for the season.
“It’s definitely frustrating when you have a good amount of injuries on a team, but that’s part of the game,” Rendon said.
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]]>‘Foilayage’ Is the Newest Technique for Sun-Kissed Hair
/news/entertainment/foilayage-is-the-newest-technique-for-sun-kissed-hair/
Fri, 13 Aug 2021 04:24:52 +0000/news/entertainment/foilayage-is-the-newest-technique-for-sun-kissed-hair/When balayage came along it seemed all our hair color prayers had been answered. Finally we could kiss goodbye to stripy highlights and hello to softly sun-kissed, multidimensional color. The technique, which originated in France, used painterly strokes of dye applied freehand by a colorist, instead of the traditional technique of weaving through sections of …
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When balayage came along it seemed all our hair color prayers had been answered. Finally we could kiss goodbye to stripy highlights and hello to softly sun-kissed, multidimensional color. The technique, which originated in France, used painterly strokes of dye applied freehand by a colorist, instead of the traditional technique of weaving through sections of hair with a comb before applying dye from root to tip and folding foil around the section.
“Traditional highlights will almost always use foils, and color is applied to the root of the hair, whereas balayage is a visual hand-painted technique working with pieces of hair,” explains Hari’s creative colorist, Francesca Dixon. “The results are very different as balayage gives hair a blended and overall softer subtle finish, whereas highlights, because they are added from the root, can often look stripy.”
For years balayage has been the go-to hair color technique in salons and by far the most popular among customers. But recently, perhaps as a reaction to salons being shut for so long during lockdown, there’s been an explosion of bold hair color looks emerging, with trends like peekaboo color and “money piece” highlights taking our salons and our social media feeds by storm.
While the subtle effect of balayage is still very much in demand, many are opting for a new, more pronounced version of the look using a technique that’s being dubbed foilayage. Here’s everything you need to know.
What is foilayage?
Foilayage is a combination of balayage with the use of foils more often seen in the traditional application of highlights to create brighter, lighter sections throughout while retaining a natural-looking finish.
How is foilayage applied?
The colorist sections hair and strategically applies hair dye, then wraps the section in foils and leaves it to develop. This amplifies the brightness and lightness of the section while retaining the flattering, face-framing benefits of balayage.
The key to the look is all in the way the colorist applies the foils. In traditional highlights, the colorist would apply dye from root to tip before folding the entire section in one piece of foil.
With foilayage, the section has been carefully painted, often leaving out the root or with dye applied at a specific angle. To avoid mixing sections of hair that have had dye applied with the sections that have been deliberately missed out, the colorist uses two sheets of foil to sandwich the hair, keeping the color perfectly in place while it develops. The foils speed up the lightening process and create a brighter, more brilliant result.
What are the benefits of foilayage?
The result of foilayage is a more brilliant, brighter balayaged effect that has a beautiful gradient from root to tip. Many people prefer the greater contrast in color, akin to an ombré finish but far better blended.
Like balayage, foilayage is one of the most low-maintenance hair color techniques and can look just as gorgeous grown out as it did fresh out of the salon.
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Chainlink launches data oracles on Arbitrum One’s Ethereum scaling solution
/crypto-currency/chainlink-launches-data-oracles-on-arbitrum-ones-ethereum-scaling-solution/
Fri, 13 Aug 2021 04:20:49 +0000/crypto-currency/chainlink-launches-data-oracles-on-arbitrum-ones-ethereum-scaling-solution/Leading data oracle provider Chainlink has announced its successful launch on Arbitrum One — the beta mainnet deployment of layer-two Ethereum scaling solution, Arbitrum. Announced August 12, the launch will allow developers building on Arbitrum One to access financial market data directly on-chain, providing enhanced functionality to decentralized exchanges, algorithmic stablecoins and other advanced DeFi …
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Leading data oracle provider Chainlink has announced its successful launch on Arbitrum One — the beta mainnet deployment of layer-two Ethereum scaling solution, Arbitrum.
Announced August 12, the launch will allow developers building on Arbitrum One to access financial market data directly on-chain, providing enhanced functionality to decentralized exchanges, algorithmic stablecoins and other advanced DeFi products on the Arbitrum One network.
Chainlink is now live on @Arbitrum One, providing hundreds of smart contract applications direct access to #Chainlink‘s decentralized services, starting with high speed, low-cost Price Feeds and expanding to more off-chain computations.
Many leading DeFi protocols have already expressed an intention to use Chainlink’s data oracles for their Arbitrum deployments, including Aave, MCDEX, and Tracer DAO. Ed Felten, co-founder of Offchain Labs — the team behind Arbitrum, stated:
“Providing smart contract developers on Arbitrum One with native access to Chainlink’s oracle networks was crucial to ensure all of the smart contract use cases that exist on the Ethereum blockchain can be seamlessly ported over to Arbitrum with next to zero changes.”
While only Chainlink’s USD-denominated price feeds are live currently, the team plans to quickly launch new price and data pairings, noting growing demand for “hybrid on-chain/off-chain smart contracts” in the sporting, gaming and nonfungible token sectors.
Chainlink also plans to launch its Verifiable Random Function on Arbitrum One, enabling provably fair random number creation for games and other applications. Chainlink’s Proof of Reserve service will also launch on Arbitrum One, allowing collateralized assets to be audited and any web API to be called.
Offchain Labs launched Arbitrum One in late May, marking a major milestone in the growth of Ethereum’s layer-two ecosystem. The network has since attracted many leading teams building on Ethereum, including Reddit, Uniswap, and SushiSwap — which this week described Arbitrum as a “credibly neutral” solution unlike rival rollups solutio Optimism, which refused to whitelist the exchange.
Optimism has also made significant recent progress, with Synthetix enabling trading on the layer-two scaling solution two weeks ago.
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]]>FDA authorizes an extra COVID-19 dose for people with weak immune systems in the first regulatory OK for a booster shot in the U.S.
/finance/market/fda-authorizes-an-extra-covid-19-dose-for-people-with-weak-immune-systems-in-the-first-regulatory-ok-for-a-booster-shot-in-the-u-s/
Fri, 13 Aug 2021 04:18:47 +0000/finance/market/fda-authorizes-an-extra-covid-19-dose-for-people-with-weak-immune-systems-in-the-first-regulatory-ok-for-a-booster-shot-in-the-u-s/The U.S. Food and Drug Administration late Thursday authorized an extra COVID-19 shot for people with compromised immune systems in a move that underscores the risk that the virus still poses to some vaccinated Americans. “The country has entered yet another wave of the COVID-19 pandemic, and the FDA is especially cognizant that immunocompromised people …
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The U.S. Food and Drug Administration late Thursday authorized an extra COVID-19 shot for people with compromised immune systems in a move that underscores the risk that the virus still poses to some vaccinated Americans.
“The country has entered yet another wave of the COVID-19 pandemic, and the FDA is especially cognizant that immunocompromised people are particularly at risk for severe disease,” acting FDA Commissioner Janet Woodcock said in a statement. “After a thorough review of the available data, the FDA determined that this small, vulnerable group may benefit from a third dose of the Pfizer-BioNTech or Moderna vaccines.
“Today’s action allows doctors to boost immunity in certain immunocompromised individuals who need extra protection from COVID-19. As we’ve previously stated, other individuals who are fully vaccinated are adequately protected and do not need an additional dose of COVID-19 vaccine at this time,” Woodcock said.
The FDA’s announcement was made ahead of the CDC advisory committee’s meeting, which is scheduled for Friday. The committee is expected to decide whether the CDC should recommend an extra shot for people who are immunocompromised.
This was the first regulatory authorization in the U.S. for any kind of COVID-19 booster shot. Other countries, including Israel, France, and Germany, have said they will allow some members of their populations to get an extra shot.
It comes at a time when there is growing awareness of breakthrough infections among Americans who have been vaccinated amid a surge of daily cases that is on par with early February’s numbers.
Physicians say the most serious of these breakthrough cases are occurring in the immunocompromised, including organ-transplant patients, people undergoing chemotherapy, Americans taking chronic medications that can suppress their immune systems, and the elderly.
The FDA authorization, however, does not include the elderly.
“We do not believe that others—elderly or non-elderly who are not immunocompromised—need a vaccine right at this moment, but this is a dynamic process and the data will be evaluated,” Dr. Anthony Fauci, chief medical adviser to President Joe Biden, told reporters on Thursday.
This is a sharp turn in thinking from a month ago, when the CDC and the FDA put out a joint statement on July 8 that said fully vaccinated people do not need an extra dose.
The FDA didn’t confirm that it is planning to update the emergency-use authorizations for Pfizer Inc. PFE, +2.01%
and Moderna Inc.’s MRNA, +1.58%
COVID-19 vaccines to include booster shots, as reported by multiple media outlets. (Both vaccines are mRNA shots that had similar efficacy rates in clinical rates.)
However, the regulator told MarketWatch that “the agency, along with the CDC, is evaluating potential options on this issue, and will share information in the near future.”
Breakthrough infections are still considered rare among the more than 167 million Americans who have been fully vaccinated. However, there is anecdotal evidence and some research demonstrating that a small but increasing number of individuals who are fully immunized are getting sick or testing positive for the virus. Most are reporting mild and moderate infections.
Nearly all of the hospitalizations and deaths occurring right now are in people who are unvaccinated; a July 30 analysis conducted by the Kaiser Family Foundation of somewhat limited data provided by 16 states found that breakthrough hospitalizations made up 5% or less of hospitalizations and 3% or less of deaths.
The U.S. isn’t broadly tracking the number of breakthrough infections that are occurring, and it’s understood that vaccine-induced immunity can wane in some people, in part because the vaccines we have may be less protective against the more contagious delta variant.
Fauci noted during the briefing that boosters will be necessary for the general public at some point. “Sooner or later you will need a booster for durability of protection,” he said.
It’s a much more worrisome scenario for people who are immunocompromised.
Immunocompromised people likely make up between 3% to 4% of the U.S. population, according to George Yancopoulos, president of Regeneron Pharmaceuticals Inc. REGN, in remarks last week about the company’s monoclonal antibody treatment.
He also said that about half of these individuals do not mount an immune response after sometimes “three attempts with the vaccine,” according to a FactSet transcript of the investor call.
Some early research, however, has indicated that an extra dose can boost the immune response in these patients. A third dose of the BioNTech BNTX and Pfizer vaccine in solid organ transplant patients “significantly improved the immunogenicity of the vaccine, with no cases of COVID-19 reported,” a group of physicians in France wrote in the New England Journal of Medicine on Thursday.
“A lot of the immunocompromised patients we’ve had who’ve come in have indeed been organ transplant patients who’ve taken every precaution they could,” said Dr. Nida Qadir, associate director of the medical ICU at the Ronald Reagan UCLA Medical Center in Los Angeles. “They got vaccinated when they could. And so they often are surprised and also really frustrated because they felt like they did their part and, unfortunately, got sick in spite of that.”
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]]>NFL preseason Week 1 takeaways: Mac Jones efficient in Patriots’ debut, Dwayne Haskins impresses for Steelers
/news/sports/nfl-preseason-week-1-takeaways-mac-jones-efficient-in-patriots-debut-dwayne-haskins-impresses-for-steelers/
Fri, 13 Aug 2021 04:16:52 +0000/news/sports/nfl-preseason-week-1-takeaways-mac-jones-efficient-in-patriots-debut-dwayne-haskins-impresses-for-steelers/11:20 PM ET NFL NationESPN While the Dallas Cowboys and Pittsburgh Steelers opened the 2021 NFL preseason with their Hall of Fame game matchup last week, preseason really kicks off this week, as all 32 teams will be in action for Week 1. It started Thursday night with two games, as first-round quarterback Mac Jones …
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It started Thursday night with two games, as first-round quarterback Mac Jones helped lead the New England Patriots past the Washington Football Team in his NFL debut while former first-rounder Dwayne Haskins was impressive as the Pittsburgh Steelers defeated the Philadelphia Eagles. Three more games take place Friday, with the Julio Jones bowl in Atlanta between the Tennessee Titans and Jones’ former team, the Atlanta Falcons, standing out. It’s highly unlikely Jones will play against his former teammates, but nevertheless.
Saturday is the big day this week, with 10 games. In the afternoon, the Denver Broncos will travel to play the Minnesota Vikings in a homecoming for quarterback Teddy Bridgewater. Bridgewater, the Vikings’ first-round pick in 2014, played for the Vikings from 2014 to ’17 and is competing with Drew Lock to be the Broncos’ starting quarterback. The NFL’s two newest stadiums will also host their first games with fans, as the Las Vegas Raiders take on the Seattle Seahawks at Allegiant Stadium while the Los Angeles Chargers play the Los Angeles Rams at SoFi Stadium.
The slate concludes Sunday in Indianapolis, as the Colts host the Carolina Panthers. We’ll get our first glimpses at how the Colts plan to replace injured quarterback Carson Wentz and what Sam Darnold looks like in a Panthers uniform.
Dwayne Haskins won this battle of the preseason backup quarterback war with Mason Rudolph in the Steelers’ win against the Eagles. Haskins completed 16 of 22 passes for 161 yards and a touchdown. He orchestrated two more touchdown drives and a field goal drive. Haskins had moments where he looked like the first-round quarterback drafted by the Washington Football team, like when he threaded the needle to Cody White for an 18-yard gain just before the two-minute warning, but there were other instances where he threw wobbly passes, sailed throws or appeared slow in his decision-making. Rudolph completed 8 of 9 attempts for 77 yards, but had promising drives stalled thanks to two holding penalties against Pat Freiermuth and Trai Turner and a 10-yard sack. The backup quarterback battle is still a long way from over, but on Thursday, Haskins did what Rudolph has not by getting the ball into the end zone. — Brooke Pryor
Next game: vs. Lions (7:30 p.m. ET, Aug. 21)
Jalen Hurts played two series and ended 3-of-7 for 54 yards (7.7 yards per attempt) with a 69.9 quarterback rating. The biggest thing coach Nick Sirianni wanted to see was an improvement in Hurts’ rhythm throws, and Hurts showed progress in that area, largely getting the ball out on time and with accuracy, particularly on the first series. He was the victim of a couple drops and missed on a deep throw to Quez Watkins that could have been a touchdown, but it was a decent preseason debut for Hurts, who will look to build on the performance when the Eagles host the Patriots next Thursday. Meanwhile, Watkins continues his push for a larger role in the offense. He showed off his jets on a 79-yard catch-and-run late in the first quarter on a pass from Joe Flacco. Watkins has been the Eagles’ offensive star this summer and might just end up in the starting lineup if he keeps it up. — Tim McManus
Next game: vs. Patriots (7:30 p.m. ET, Aug. 19)
Standout performer: Patriots K Quinn Nordin: 3-for-3 FG with a long of 50
Cam Newton started and played the first two series (leading one FG drive) before Mac Jones replaced him and played the next five series (two FG drives). Newton finished 4-of-7 for 47 yards and wasn’t helped on the opening drive when LT Isaiah Wynn whiffed on DE Chase Young on third down and put Newton in harm’s way. Meanwhile, Jones’ best throw might have been an incompletion, a beautiful deep ball to WR Kristian Wilkerson in the end zone that went off Wilkerson’s hands. Jones finished 13-of-19 for 87 yards, while mostly showing command at the line of scrimmage. Bill Belichick has said Newton is the starter, while leaving open the door for Jones to compete for the job when he shows he’s ready. The gap between them might be closing faster than Belichick anticipated. — Mike Reiss
Next game: at Eagles (7:30 p.m. ET, Aug. 19)
Defensive end Chase Young finished 2020 strong — and started this year the same way. He forced an incompletion when he turned the corner and pressured Cam Newton in what at first looked like a sack. Young also drew a holding penalty on a run and was in great position to defend a screen because he diagnosed it quickly. Young also made a nice stop using his speed on a second-and-20 run; on the play, he was blocked inside by the tight end but Young quickly got around him as the play went to the outside. The back cut up and Young dropped him for a 3-yard gain. He showed a lot of his skill: the ability to win off the edge; awareness on the screen and hustle for a short gain. He makes flash plays, but also a lot of little ones that make a big difference. — John Keim
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]]>Can the 2021 Hyundai Kona Electric Hold Its Own Against the 2021 Ford Mach-E? | MotorBiscuit
/news/automobile/can-the-2021-hyundai-kona-electric-hold-its-own-against-the-2021-ford-mach-e-motorbiscuit/
Fri, 13 Aug 2021 04:15:43 +0000/news/automobile/can-the-2021-hyundai-kona-electric-hold-its-own-against-the-2021-ford-mach-e-motorbiscuit/The 2021 Hyundai Kona Electric and 2021 Ford Mustang Mach-E are two of the best-selling electric SUVs right now, though the Mustang Mach-E seems almost untouchable. With its excellent road test score, reliability ratings and owner satisfaction, can the Kona Electric hold its own against the new electric SUV? 2021 Hyundai Kona Electric | Hyundai …
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The 2021 Hyundai Kona Electric and 2021 Ford Mustang Mach-E are two of the best-selling electric SUVs right now, though the Mustang Mach-E seems almost untouchable. With its excellent road test score, reliability ratings and owner satisfaction, can the Kona Electric hold its own against the new electric SUV?
2021 Hyundai Kona Electric | Hyundai
The 2021 Ford Mustang Mach-E’s road test score is excellent
Consumer Reports gives the Mach-E a 78 for its road test score. It also gives the 2021 Ford Mustang Mach-e a perfect 5/5 for its acceleration. It can reach 0 to 60 in 5.3 seconds. Its transmission scores a perfect 5/5. Routine handling gets a perfect 5/5, and emergency handling is a 3/5. The Ford Mustang Mach-e ’s max avoidance speed is 52 mph.