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Dreamstime/Dreamstime/TNS

Paragliders invade Orlando Wetlands! Birds spooked, birders aghast

ORLANDO, Fla. — Most weekends, the Facebook pages dedicated to the Orlando Wetlands focus on spectacular pictures of nature in action — huge, hungry gators, mischievious otters and a flamboyant array of nesting birds.

But last weekend, a pair of unwelcome fliers sailed into the 1,650-acre park about 25 miles east of Orlando, causing a ...Read more

Researchers discover 'lid' keeping Yellowstone's super volcano from erupting

It’s no secret that a super volcano lies miles beneath the surface of Yellowstone National Park, but all this time researchers knew little beyond that — until now.

A team of researchers recently made a breakthrough discovery that sheds light on the forces shaping the volcanic system and what might keep it from erupting in our lifetime, ...Read more

Stephen M. Katz/The Virginian-Pilot/TNS

Orphaned otters in Virginia rescued by wildlife rehabilitator

NORFOLK, Va. — Workers reporting to a Virginia Beach military base office building last week found a charming surprise when they walked up to the entrance — two baby otters huddled together in a corner by the door.

They were cute, but not particularly friendly. Whenever someone tried to approach, they screamed, as otters often do when they�...Read more

NASA/TNS

Failed Soviet-era spacecraft to reenter Earth's atmosphere this month

A failed Soviet-era spacecraft is expected to reenter Earth’s atmosphere some time this month.

The Soviet Union launched Kosmos 482 in 1972, intending to land on Venus. However, the probe never left Earth’s orbit because of a rocket malfunction. Since then, the rocket has very gradually lost altitude as it circled the world in a highly ...Read more

UPMC/UPMC/TNS

Pitt researchers develop artificial touch sensations for people with spinal cord injuries

PITTSBURGH — As Robert Gaunt, a professor at the University of Pittsburgh, puts it, the sensation of touch doesn't actually come from the fingers. It comes from electrical impulses sent to the brain.

In research published Thursday in the journal Nature Communications, Pitt researchers attempted to use brain stimulation to recreate touch ...Read more

Jacob Stagg/U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service/TNS/TNS

House Republicans vote to remove California fish from endangered species list

House Republicans passed a measure Thursday that would repeal the government’s decision to place California’s longfin smelt, a finger-sized fish, on the endangered species list.

House members passed the resolution, introduced by Republican California Rep. Doug LaMalfa, in a 216-195 vote that followed party lines. The resolution now goes to ...Read more

Allen J. Schaben/Los Angeles Times/TNS

Dolphin strandings are taking a toll on LA County's lifeguards. Experts say there's no end in sight

LOS ANGELES — Spencer Parker has never seen so many dolphin strandings in his more than 20 years as an L.A. County lifeguard.

Since he started in 2002, only twice had he seen them come ashore before this year. But in just the last two weeks, there have been four.

Now, things have gotten so bad that L.A. County lifeguards have begun taking ...Read more

Ashley Miznazi/The Miami Herald/TNS

How much stinky seaweed will South Florida see?

MIAMI — Piles of smelly seaweed have washed ashore on Miami Beach and Key Biscayne, a stinky reminder that this is sargassum season.

The brown seaweed is a common sight across the Caribbean and on South Florida beaches.

Researchers who track seaweed blooms expect 2025 to be another “major sargassum year” for the Atlantic Basin — but ...Read more

Justin Sullivan/Getty Images North America/TNS

Google places ads inside chatbot conversations with AI startups

Google’s ad network has begun showing advertising within the flow of conversations with chatbots — part of Alphabet Inc.’s efforts to keep its edge in digital advertising as generative artificial intelligence takes off.

Earlier this year, the Google AdSense network, which traditionally displays ads in search results and in the margins of ...Read more

Andy Morrison/The Detroit News/TNS

What state and fed officials plan with BASF to stop pollution flowing into Detroit River

State and federal officials said they are working with a chemical manufacturing plant in Wyandotte on a "two-pronged approach" to limit the flow of contaminated groundwater into the Detroit River.

The meeting came after the Michigan Department of Environment, Great Lakes, and Energy (EGLE) wrote a letter to BASF in March, telling the company to...Read more

Carolyn Cole/Los Angeles Times/TNS

Turns out the 'most dangerous animal' in Yosemite National Park doesn't even have claws

Busy tourist season is nearly upon Yosemite National Park and officials are warning visitors to be cautious of "one of the most dangerous animals" in the park — and it turns out it doesn't have claws.

More than any other animal, mule deer cause injuries to visitors in the park, according to a National Park Service Instagram post.

"While ...Read more

Andrey Kozlov/Dreamstime/TNS

Glowing caterpillars released in Florida to bolster 'rare' butterfly population

Biologists waded through knee-high vegetation in Florida until they reached a spot where purple flowers grew in cone-like formations — then the team got out the glow-in-the dark caterpillars.

The Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission announced April 30 that biologists had released caterpillars of the frosted elfin butterfly in ...Read more

TNS

Tech review: Can one vacuum take the place of three?

We’ve all seen robot vacuums, and they’ve made some great strides in getting smarter and doing a better job of cleaning your floors, but I never found one that could be the only vacuum in my house.

My house is all hard flooring and there are lots of times when I just want to grab my portable stick vacuum and clean up a small area. My Dyson ...Read more

Colorado Parks and Wildlife/Colorado Parks and Wildlife/TNS

Reintroduced Colorado gray wolf dies in Rocky Mountain National Park

DENVER — A collared gray wolf released in Colorado in January as part of the state’s historic reintroduction effort died in Rocky Mountain National Park last week, wildlife officials said.

Colorado Parks and Wildlife biologists received a “mortality alert” from the female wolf’s collar on April 20 and later confirmed the wolf died in ...Read more

Don Lindich/Don Lindich/TNS

Sound Advice: Roadside assistance on the go and go-to streaming amplifier

Much better than just a compressor: Over the past few years I have written about the Ryobi One+ 18V cordless high pressure inflators sold at Home Depot. With their digital readouts and automatic operation they are extremely useful to have in your car and around the home. This especially applies in the winter months when tire pressure goes down ...Read more

Myung J. Chun/Los Angeles Times/TNS

Monster quake could sink swath of California, dramatically heightening flood risk, study says

LOS ANGELES — A long-feared monster earthquake off California, Oregon and Washington could cause some coastal areas to sink by more than 6 feet, dramatically heightening the risk of flooding and radically reshaping the region with little to no warning.

Those are the findings of a new study that examined the repercussions of a massive ...Read more

Handout/NetEase Games/TNS

Review: ‘Rusty Rabbit’ a refreshing but dull take on a ‘Metroid’-style game

For hard-core gamers, Takaya Kuroda’s voice should sound familiar, though his name may not ring a bell. The Japanese voice actor brings Kazuma Kiryu to life in “Like a Dragon” and “Yakuza.” His work is heard in dozens of other video games and anime, but his deep and intimidating timbre is so distinct that fans immediately recognize ...Read more

Jim Rossman/Jim Rossman/TNS

Do you really need separate antivirus software? Probably not

I had a conversation with a friend the other day at the gym. He is buying a new Windows PC and he’s thinking of investing in new antivirus software, and he asked me what I used for antivirus software.

He had his last PC for more than 10 years and he had been using one of the large antivirus suites that was charging him by the year.

Companies...Read more

OutIn/OutIn/TNS

Gadgets: Portable espresso machine

Coffee lovers, meet your new best friend, the OutIn Nano portable espresso machine. It redefines coffee on the go. You can use it for home, work, vacations or camping. Whenever or wherever you want a hot cup, turn it on and brew barista-quality espresso.

The thermos measures 9 inches high by 3 inches round and has a 7,500 mAh USB-C ...Read more

Karl Mondon/Bay Area News Group/TNS

Bay Area mom creates app to help parents find childcare on demand

The COVID-19 pandemic forced hundreds of daycare providers across the Bay Area to shut down, creating a “childcare desert.” That shortage inspired entrepreneur Gretchen Salyer to launch June Care, a platform that connects families with local moms and sitters.

What started in Silicon Valley and the Bay Area has now expanded nationwide. ...Read more