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Newburyport reopens all Plum Island beaches to swimming after bacteria levels forced closures

Published Sun, 16 Feb 2025 15:49:26 GMT

All beaches on Plum Island are back open for swimming after elevated bacteria levels forced Newburyport officials to limit access to the water.The City of Newburyport announced that, effective 9 a.m. on Sunday, July 23, beachgoers could take to the water after recent testing showed “significantly reduced bacteria levels” compared to a week ago, when authorities found levels above the state’s allowable limit.Beaches in the area were closed to swimming on July 17 after results from routine water quality testing led to the Massachusetts Department of Public Health alerting the city. After peaking that day, officials found levels decreased significantly afterwards, dropping to a point where by Friday, the Plum Island beachfront accessed through the pathway at 55th Street was reopened to swimming.According to a news release from the Office of Newburyport Mayor Sean Reardon, the health department tests Plum Island beaches at least weekly throughout the summer, with state...

Myanmar Central Bank will issue its highest denomination banknote as the economy suffers

Published Sun, 16 Feb 2025 15:49:26 GMT

BANGKOK (AP) — The Central Bank of army-ruled Myanmar will issue a new banknote worth twice as much as the current highest denomination, state-run media reported Sunday, in a possible reaction to the economy becoming more unstable since the generals seized power in 2021. The reason for issuing a higher denomination note of 20,000 kyats (about $9.50) was not explained. Since the military ousted the elected government of Aung San Suu Kyi, economic boycotts and sanctions imposed by Western nations have hurt both big businesses and ordinary people, many of whose lives have already been disrupted by civil war and the coronavirus pandemic. The issuance of new, higher denomination currency is associated in popular belief with a risk of inflation, though there isn’t necessarily a link. Older Myanmar residents are especially sensitive to changes affecting the currency, recalling the sudden demonetization of banknotes in 1987 during an earlier dictatorship, which reportedly affected around 80...

Israel’s Netanyahu gets a heart pacemaker while his judicial overhaul plan moves forward

Published Sun, 16 Feb 2025 15:49:26 GMT

TEL AVIV, Israel (AP) — Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu was recovering in a hospital on Sunday after an emergency heart procedure, while opposition to his government’s contentious judicial overhaul plan reached a fever pitch and unrest gripped the country.Netanyahu’s doctors said Sunday the heart pacemaker implantation went smoothly and that Netanyahu, 73, felt fine. According to his office, he was expected to be discharged later in the day. But tensions were surging as lawmakers began a marathon debate over the first major piece of the overhaul, ahead of a vote in parliament enshrining it into law on Monday.Mass protests continued, part of seven straight months of the most sustained and intense demonstrations the country has ever seen. Hundreds of thousands of people took to the streets across Israel on Saturday night, while thousands marched into Jerusalem and camped out near the Knesset, or parliament, ahead of Monday’s vote.Netanyahu’s sudden ho...

Next year’s Olympics are giving Paris an impetus to confront crack cocaine use on city streets

Published Sun, 16 Feb 2025 15:49:26 GMT

PARIS (AP) — Neighborhoods in northeast Paris have struggled for years with the scourge of crack cocaine and its use in public. The Summer Olympics, kicking off a year from Wednesday, are offering an impetus to tackle the problem.Yet despite a surge in arrests and new promises of tougher security around the 2024 Paris Games, some residents question whether the newfound focus is just pushing users elsewhere instead of treating medical and mental health problems, a lack of housing and jobs and other deeper ills at the root of the crack crisis.Residents in the 18th and 19th arrondissements, or districts, of the French capital have long complained about the open-air crack use in their neighborhoods that stands in sharp contrast to the postcard-perfect tourist areas of Paris farther south.Small groups of people could be seen using illicit drugs on Sunday at the Porte de la Chapelle metro station and tram stop, located across the street from a new multi-purpose arena that is slated to hos...

Italy’s Meloni opens conference that aims to stanch flows of migrants to Europe with aid to Africa

Published Sun, 16 Feb 2025 15:49:26 GMT

ROME (AP) — Italian Premier Giorgia Meloni on Sunday called for new, more equal relationships between Europe and migrants’ countries of origin and transit as she convened a summit of some 20 nations, EU officials and international organizations aimed at stanching flows of illegal migration.The one-day conference is a Meloni initiative that aims to make Italy a leader in resolving issues impacting Mediterranean nations. Chief among them is migration, as Italy sustains hundreds of new arrivals daily on Europe’s southern border, but also energy as Europe looks to Africa and the Middle East to permanently replace Russian supplies.Human rights groups see the meeting, which includes nations from both northern and sub-Saharan Africa as well as the Middle East, as creating a future roadmap, and worry it will amount to anti-migrant policies that put the onus on Africa to keep Africans out of Europe. Meloni told the opening meeting that Western arrogance had likely stood in the way of s...

'He's still got a lot of personality in there' - With help from many, Steve McMichael continues ALS fight and push for Hall of Fame

Published Sun, 16 Feb 2025 15:49:26 GMT

HOMER GLEN, Ill. — As he continues to battle a debilitating disease that has already taken so much from him, "Mongo" still hasn't lost what made him such a favorite in Chicago.The wife of Steve McMichael can see that, even as ALS has taken so much from him."He flirts with me, he does with his eyebrows," said Misty McMichael from the couple's residence in Homer Glen. "He can be mad, too. Sometimes we'll give him too much drugs and he'll give us the 'bulldog' to let us know he's had too much. "He's still got a lot of personality in there."(Courtesy: Misty McMichael)McMichael tries to show that off as much as he can these days, which is difficult due to because of what ALS has taken away from him. The former Bears' defensive tackle, who played 13 of his 15 NFL seasons in Chicago, can no longer talk or move on his own. He requires around-the-clock care from a live-in nurse, with Misty gathering the medical supplies and medication on a daily basis, with frequent trips required to pick th...

Sunday Brunch: Big Wig Tacos and Burritos

Published Sun, 16 Feb 2025 15:49:26 GMT

Check out this morning's Sunday Brunch with Big Wig Tacos and Burritos for more on their breakfast tacos.

Twitter dropping the bird logo, Musk says

Published Sun, 16 Feb 2025 15:49:26 GMT

NEW YORK (AP) — Elon Musk said Sunday that he plans to change the logo of Twitter to an “X” from the bird, marking what would be the latest big change since he bought the social media platform for $44 billion last year.In a series of posts on his Twitter account starting just after 12 a.m. ET, Twitter's owner said that he's looking to make the change worldwide as soon as Monday.“And soon we shall bid adieu to the twitter brand and, gradually, all the birds,” Musk wrote on his account.Earlier this month, the billionaire Tesla CEO put new curfews on his digital town square, a move that met with sharp criticism that it could drive away more advertisers and undermine its cultural influence as a trendsetter. What Twitter knows about you – and what you can do about it The higher tweet-viewing threshold is part of an $8-per-month subscription service that Musk rolled out earlier this year in an attempt to boost Twitter revenue. Revenue has dropped sharply since M...

These are the 10 most educated cities in the US: study

Published Sun, 16 Feb 2025 15:49:26 GMT

(KTLA) – Michigan is home to the most educated city in the nation, while cities in California and Texas dominated the list of the 10 least educated, according to a ranking released this week by WalletHub.The personal finance website graded 150 metropolitan areas on factors including the percentage of adults with a high school diploma, college experience or higher education degrees. It also examined the quality of public schools and universities and looked at gender and racial gaps. California home prices have fallen most in this city since June: Study Ann Arbor, Michigan, was ranked as the most educated city in the U.S., followed by San Jose, California; Washington, D.C.; San Francisco and Madison, Wisconsin.It was a good showing for the Golden State – until you look at the bottom of the list.Five California cities were ranked among the 10 least educated cities, according to WalletHub.The agricultural communities of Visalia (150), Bakersfield (147), Modesto (146), Stockton (145), ...

Where to go, what to do in Texas when it's too hot to handle

Published Sun, 16 Feb 2025 15:49:26 GMT

(NEXSTAR) – It's hot, hot, hot in Texas this summer – and national forecasters predict that will continue for at least another month. But if weeks of being cooped up in the air conditioning have you feeling a little restless, look no further. We asked locals from around the state what they do to beat the heat on a sticky summer day, and broke down their suggestions by metro area. As long as you can brave the heat long enough to get there, these spots promise to help cool you down amid this never-ending heat wave. AbileneAbilene is lucky to have nearly a dozen swim spots within a two-hour drive of the city. Possum Kingdom Lake, Lake Nasworthy and Lake Ft. Phantom Hill are all great for swimming and building sand castles on the shore. Kids might also like to spend the day going down the slides at Adventure Cove.AmarilloWhile the Texas Panhandle is home to the 'coldest' cities in the Lone Star State, temperatures can still climb into triple-digits. However, there are still several popu...