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A rare baby giraffe was born without spots, a Tennessee zoo says

Published Mon, 23 Dec 2024 16:15:23 GMT

(CNN) — There’s a brand new spotless superstar on the scene at a Tennessee zoo.She doesn’t have a name yet, but she’s already made a big splash among her herd – she’s a giraffe without patches.The 6-foot wonder was born sans spots on July 31 at Bright’s Zoo, a privately owned facility in Limestone, and made her public debut this month. The calf is a reticulated giraffe, one of four giraffe species.The zoo said she might be the “only solid-colored reticulated giraffe living anywhere on the planet.” (The last spotless giraffe in captivity was likely a calf born at Tokyo’s Ueno Zoo in 1972, CBS News reported.)The word “reticulated” refers to the giraffe’s network of polygonal brown spots, broken up by veins of creamy off-white, according to the Denver Zoo. The spots function primarily as camouflage in the savannas of northern Kenya where they live and graze.And underneath each spot is a “sophisticated system of blood vessels,” according to the Giraffe...

New York Red Bull tickets usually cost $46. Here’s what they cost now that Messi is playing

Published Mon, 23 Dec 2024 16:15:23 GMT

New York (CNN) — Seeing superstar soccer player Leo Messi’s debut in the New York area could cost you as much as a steak dinner at Peter Luger.Saturday’s Inter Miami CF match marks Messi’s first regular season Major League Soccer game, and demand to see it is sending ticket prices nearly 1,000% higher than they usually are for the New York Red Bulls.Ticket reseller VividSeats told CNN that the average price for this weekend’s game is averaging $483. That’s well above the usual $46 it costs to snag a ticket to the MLS team, which plays in Harrison, New Jersey (a half hour away from Manhattan).A search on VividSeats reveals that some seats are costing as much as $3,600 for the first-row, but you have to buy all four, totaling nearly $15,000. Of course, there are plenty of cheaper seats, with some as “low” as $345.For the New York Red Bulls, Messi’s appearance is “trending as the Red Bull’s hottest ticket in over a decade,” a VividSeats spokesperson told CNN. The second costliest game ...

Russia’s ‘General Armageddon’ sacked as head of aerospace forces

Published Mon, 23 Dec 2024 16:15:23 GMT

Sergei Surovikin, the former commander of Moscow’s war effort in Ukraine, has been dismissed as head of the country’s aerospace forces, according to Russian media.Surovikin, known as “General Armageddon” for his aggressive military strategies in Chechnya and Syria, has not been seen in public since the Wagner Group’s march on Moscow in June after reports circulated that he had known about Yevgeny Prigozhin’s planned mutiny.Earlier this month it was reported Surovikin was removed from his leadership role in Moscow’s war on Ukraine and was under house arrest. On Tuesday, Russia’s RBC reported he had been dismissed now from his role overseeing the aerospace forces. Surovikin is on “short-term leave,” RBC quoted an unnamed person familiar with the situation as saying.Surovikin headed Russia’s aerospace forces since October 2017.

US commerce secretary will visit China next week at a critical moment for the world’s top two economies

Published Mon, 23 Dec 2024 16:15:23 GMT

(CNN) — US Commerce Secretary Gina Raimondo will visit China next week at a critical time for the world’s second-largest economy — and for the Biden administration’s relationship with the country and its leaders.China’s economy is in trouble, and some economists and market analysts fear the contagion could spread beyond the country’s borders.Chinese consumer prices are falling, a real estate crisis is deepening, exports are slumping, youth unemployment is at a record high and Hong Kong’s stock market has tumbled more than 20% from its January peak. Last week, the Chinese yuan fell to its lowest level in 16 years. While all that could help tame US inflation, it also raises the risk of a recession.Officials are taking action by lowering interest rates and attempting to shore up the property market. But economists have said President Xi Jinping’s government hasn’t gone far enough, and its intervention lacks the forcefulness of the stimulus program tha...

Attorney John Eastman surrenders on charges in Trump’s Georgia 2020 election subversion case

Published Mon, 23 Dec 2024 16:15:23 GMT

By KATE BRUMBACK (Associated Press)ATLANTA (AP) — John Eastman, the conservative attorney who pushed a plan to keep Donald Trump in power, turned himself in to authorities Tuesday on charges in the Georgia case alleging an illegal plot to overturn the former president’s 2020 election loss.Eastman was booked at the Fulton County jail and is expected to have an arraignment in the coming weeks in the sprawling racketeering case. He was indicted last week alongside Trump and 17 others, who are accused by District Attorney Fani Willis of scheming to subvert the will of Georgia voters in a desperate bid to keep Joe Biden out of the White House. It was the fourth criminal case brought against the Republican former president.Trump, whose bond was set Monday at $200,000, has said he will surrender to authorities in Fulton County on Thursday. His bond conditions prohibit him from intimidating co-defendants, witnesses or victims in the case, including on social media. He has a hist...

The Obamas’ chef died from an accidental drowning on Martha’s Vineyard: Massachusetts medical examiner

Published Mon, 23 Dec 2024 16:15:23 GMT

The Obamas’ 45-year-old personal chef died from an accidental drowning near the former president’s Martha’s Vineyard estate, according to the state’s Chief Medical Examiner.Tafari Campbell, of Virginia, died in late July after paddleboarding on Edgartown Great Pond. His body was recovered a day after he went missing by Mass State Police divers — about 100 feet from shore at a depth of about eight feet.Campbell was not wearing a personal flotation device and he was not leashed to the paddleboard when he lost balance and went underwater.The Office of the Chief Medical Examiner on Tuesday released the finalized cause and manner of death for Campbell:Cause: DrowningManner: AccidentHow injury occurred: Submersion in a body of waterIn the immediate aftermath of Campbell’s death, Massachusetts State Police said the initial investigation showed that there was no evidence that the death was suspicious. Police did not find any external trauma or injuries.An...

Rescuers save 8 people trapped in cable car dangling above canyon in Pakistan

Published Mon, 23 Dec 2024 16:15:23 GMT

By RIAZ KHAN and MUNIR AHMED (Associated Press)PESHAWAR, Pakistan (AP) — Army commandos using helicopters and a makeshift chairlift rescued eight people from a broken cable car dangling hundreds of meters (feet) above a canyon Tuesday in a remote part of Pakistan, authorities said.The six children and two adults became trapped earlier in the day when one of the cables snapped while the passengers were crossing a river canyon in Battagram district in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa province. The children had been on their way to school.Caretaker Prime Minister Anwaar-ul-Haq Kakar congratulated the military and other rescuers for the success. The dramatic effort transfixed the country for hours as Pakistanis crowded around televisions in offices, shops, restaurants and hospitals.“Relieved to know that … all the kids have been successfully and safely rescued,” Kakar said on X, the service formerly known as Twitter. “Great team work by the military, rescue departments, ...

Consumer Health: Back to school — and bullying

Published Mon, 23 Dec 2024 16:15:23 GMT

Laurel Kelly | (TNS) Mayo Clinic News NetworkFor many families, the start of school is a busy, exciting time of year. For some students, though, returning to school also means bullying and the feelings of anxiety, sadness, and loneliness bullying can cause.Up to 20% of students 12 to 18 years old experience bullying in the U.S. each year, and only 46% notify an adult at school about the bullying, according to StopBullying.gov, which is a resource managed by the Department of Health and Human Resources dedicated to providing information about bullying.What is bullying?Bullying is a form of aggression in which one or more children repeatedly and intentionally intimidate, harass or harm a victim perceived to be less powerful. While bullying once was considered a childhood rite of passage, it is now recognized as a serious problem that can affect a child’s physical health, emotional well-being and academic performance. Children who are bullied are at increased risk of depression, ...

Gretchen’s table: Spicy shrimp tostadas

Published Mon, 23 Dec 2024 16:15:23 GMT

Gretchen McKay | Pittsburgh Post-Gazette (TNS)Here’s the thing about 110-year-old houses. They ooze charm and character, but they also can be a royal pain in the neck.I say this on my fifth day without hot water or gas … during a heat wave in which I can barely walk from my car to my front door without breaking into a major sweat.My local gas company discovered a gas leak outside the house last weekend and, because of all the regulations, it’s taking forever to get the line repaired. So along with learning to enjoy cold showers, I’ve had to adjust how I usually cook.Even without my gas stovetop/oven working, I still had options when it came to dinner. I could fire up the grill, pull out the Instant Pot or reheat my takeout leftovers in the microwave. One night, a sympathetic neighbor took pity and dropped off Thai food.Today, craving something both quick and crunchy as I patiently wait for the plumber, I decided to cheer myself up with one of my favorite no-c...

Should you DIY roof replacement or repairs?

Published Mon, 23 Dec 2024 16:15:23 GMT

Sean Jackson | Bankrate.com (TNS)A new roof is an expensive endeavor. It’s rarely less than a four-figure job, and costs can climb as sky-high as $46,000. Of course, given the importance of a roof to a home, you shouldn’t skimp on fixing it, but it sure would be nice to save. Which leads to the thought: Can repairing/replacing your roof be a DIY project? Should you even consider doing your own roofing?Here’s when you should, when you shouldn’t, and what you should know about roof replacements and repairs to help you decide.Do-it-yourself roofing pros and consWhen considering a DIY roof repairs, here are some of the advantages and disadvantages to weigh.Pros of DIY roofing•You’ll save money: Anytime you can do a home improvement project yourself, you’ll save on labor costs. And with roofs, the labor costs are considerable — overall, often 60 percent of the price tag, according to Angi, the contractor-search site. The average expenditure for having a pro replace your roof is $10,530, ...