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Hurricane season is here: NOAA predicts a ‘near-normal’ season with 12-17 named storms

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 15:36:19 GMT

After last year’s hurricane season peaked with the incredibly powerful, deadly and destructive Hurricane Ian, what do meteorologists expect for this summer and fall?As the 2023 Atlantic hurricane season kicked off on Thursday and goes until Nov. 30, National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration forecasters are predicting “near-normal” hurricane activity this year.NOAA forecasters with the Climate Prediction Center, a division of the National Weather Service, are projecting a range of 12 to 17 total named storms (winds of 39 mph or higher). Of those, five to nine could become hurricanes (winds of 74 mph or higher), including one to four major hurricanes (category 3, 4 or 5; with winds of 111 mph or higher).The upcoming Atlantic hurricane season is expected to be less active than recent years, due to competing factors — some that suppress storm development and some that fuel it — driving this year’s overall forecast for a near-normal season.“...

Max Scherzer, Mark Canha power Mets past Phillies to complete sweep with 4-2 win

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 15:36:19 GMT

The Mets needed a sweep as badly as Mark Canha needed home runs. They got both of those this week in a three-game sweep of the Philadelphia Phillies.Canha powered the Mets past the Phillies for the second time in as many days with another two-run homer that helped the team defeat its NL East rivals 4-2 on Thursday afternoon at Citi Field. His timely hitting has been crucial for the Mets in the series and he’s been responsible for six of the Mets’ eight runs.Right-hander Taijuan Walker made his Citi Field return and took the loss thanks to Canha’s shot in the bottom of the fourth. The Mets (30-27) were down 2-1 when the outfielder took a 3-1 fastball over the fence in left-center field. Walker left a 90 MPH fastball right out over the middle of the plate. It was a meatball of a pitch and Canha did what good hitters do with that kind of pitch, homering for the fifth time this season.That inning was the end for Walker (4-3). His outing started with a tribute video on ...

Money stored in Venmo, other payment apps could be vulnerable, financial watchdog warns

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 15:36:19 GMT

By KEN SWEET (AP Business Writer)NEW YORK (AP) — Customers of Venmo, PayPal and CashApp should not store their money for the long term with these apps because their funds might not be safe during a crisis, the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau warned on Thursday. The alert comes several weeks after the failure of Silicon Valley Bank, Signature Bank and First Republic Bank, which all experienced bank runs after fearful customers with uninsured deposits pulled their money en masse. The Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation insures bank accounts up to $250,000. But money stored in Venmo or CashApp or Apple Cash is not being held in a traditional bank account. So, if there is an event similar to a bank run with these payment apps, those funds may not be protected. Some of these funds may be eligible for pass-through insurance coverage if the customers do certain activities with the apps, the CFPB says, but generally by default these apps are not covered by deposit insurance. Fo...

Master Gardener: Tips on Houseplants

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 15:36:19 GMT

Did you know that houseplants have been kept as early in history as 400 B.C?  Did you know that after World War II was over, houseplants became wildly popular?Many of us have at least one houseplant in our home, if not several.  If you’re successful at keeping these plants at their peak, congratulations. If you are like me, and struggle with making sure the plants don’t die, then this article may be helpful and set you on the right path.There are several things that can affect the health of a houseplant, namely, light, temperature, humidity, water, fertilizer and of course, pests/diseases.LightHouseplants need light, generally the more the better.  The further away from the window, the intensity of the light goes down dramatically.  If you have windows with Low E glass, realize that this does reduce the intensity of light coming into the room.  Some plants, like cacti and palms, need a higher level of light than snake plants or peace lilies which need a low level of light.Temperatur...

Yankees reinstate Giancarlo Stanton, Josh Donaldson and Tommy Kahnle from IL ahead of series vs. Dodgers

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 15:36:19 GMT

The Yankees are inching closer to full strength. The Bombers officially reinstated Giancarlo Stanton, Josh Donaldson and Tommy Kahnle off the injured list Thursday ahead of their three-game set at Dodger Stadium.Stanton played in just 13 games this season before suffering a hamstring strain running into second base on a double against the Twins on April 15. The 33-year-old is slashing .269/.296/.558 with four homers and 11 RBI. Manager Aaron Boone said he plans to utilize Stanton in the outfield upon his return.“I thought he looked really good moving around in the outfield yesterday,” Boone said on May 13. “He did a lot of defensive work out there… I would like to [continue playing him in the outfield]. I keep maintaining that when he’s able to do that, I think it’s better for him.”Donaldson, however, returns with some uncertainty as the Bombers’ infield logjam is at full swing. The third baseman strained his hamstring on April 5 and h...

How the SF Giants have become MLB leaders in mental health

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 15:36:19 GMT

SAN FRANCISCO — Just down the hallway from the Giants clubhouse, about a 30-second walk away, is a tiny room about the size of a storage closet.Walk inside and the anxiety of life drips off your shoulders. There’s a dimly lit lamp, a brown leather couch, a wooden coffee table with a sandalwood tobacco candle on it and a chair where Dr. Shana Alexander sits, ready to listen.“I love talking to her,” Giants’ ace Logan Webb said of Alexander, the team’s sports psychologist and director of mental health and wellness. “It’s important to have this space.”After signing his $90-million contract extension with the Giants in April, Webb pledged $450,000 to the Giants Community Fund in hopes to raise awareness about fentanyl after it took the life of his cousin, Kade, in 2021.Since then, Webb has become an advocate for mental health. And he’s not afraid to say it: he loves therapy.“I realized I had a lot of (stuff) I needed to get out and talk about,” he said. “Shana actually mentioned it. It w...

Biden trips after speech, tells Air Force Academy graduates their leadership needed

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 15:36:19 GMT

COLORADO SPRINGS, Colo. — President Joe Biden on Thursday thanked U.S. Air Force Academy graduates for choosing “service over self” but said they now have the “great privilege” of leading in a world that will only get more confusing in the years to come. His appearance was punctuated by a stumble onstage after handing out diplomas to graduates.“Graduates, you made a noble choice to lead a life of service,” Biden told more than 900 cadets in remarks on the sun-splashed field at Falcon Stadium in Colorado. “Now you also shoulder a great privilege and a mighty responsibility. Leadership, yeah leadership.”“In the years ahead, your airmen and guardians are going to look to you for guidance and inspiration because the world is going to get more confusing,” he added. “They’ll put their trust in you. You, in turn, must strive to always be worthy of their confidence.”Near the end of the ceremony, the 80-year-old president turned to walk across the stage and tripped. He was helped up by an Ai...

Healey signs onto letter asking textbook publishes to ‘hold the line’ for Democracy

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 15:36:19 GMT

Textbook companies need to “hold the line for our Democracy” and not cave to governors calling for “censorship” of school educational materials, a letter signed by ten governors, including Gov. Maura Healey, said.The governors said they wrote the open letter — dated May 25 — out of concern that textbook publishers may be tempted to “water down critical information to appeal to the lowest common denominator.” It comes as a debate over what should or should not be included in textbooks for students and libraries plays out across the country.“Our country’s future is at stake. You hold enormous influence in shaping how our great nation’s history is told, and the consequences of your actions will reverberate for generations to come,” the letter reads. “Honestly grappling with our legacy has long been a cornerstone of American patriotism. If we are to continue striving for a more perfect union, then we must carry out our duty of ensuring future generations understand our full ...

Recipes: 3 delicious dishes you can make with store-bought, precooked chicken

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 15:36:19 GMT

A take-out cooked chicken can be the cornerstone for hundreds of quick-to-prepare dishes. Whether simply roasted or rotisserie cooked, these birds are fast and convenient. They can be downright scrumptious. Rotisserie-style, they are turned on a spit, a process that keeps juices distributed throughout the meat. Or roasted, they are often complemented with lemon and herbs.The skin shimmers, while drumsticks are often bound at the end to form elongated heart shapes below rounded breasts and tautly tucked wings. On the way home the alluring scent fills the car as warm poultry melds with scented juices. The aroma fuels chicken-centric hunger pangs.While the ready-to-eat chicken can be happily eaten as is, its versatility as an ingredient seems endless. The tasty poultry can be the secret weapon in last-minute cooking.Try these recipes on for size.Chicken Salad with Whole-Grain Mustard VinaigretteFresh lemon juice brightens this light and summery version of chicken salad. The bold flavor...

New housing chief eyes state land to ease crunch

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 15:36:19 GMT

It’s Housing and Livable Communities Secretary Ed Augustus now.Gov. Maura Healey swore-in Augustus Thursday morning as the brand new secretariat charged with overseeing housing in Massachusetts, lowering associated costs, and dealing with the many different stakeholders in the industry.In his new role, Augustus said he wants to move quickly to inventory surplus state land that can be used for housing production.“There’s a lot of state land that isn’t necessarily being used right now. And that land belongs to the people of the commonwealth and that land should be put to use for the needs of the people of the commonwealth,” he told reporters at the State House. “And there can’t be a more severe and significant and pressing need than creating housing.”The new cabinet-level position completes the split of the original Executive Office of Housing and Economic Development into two entities. The Department of Housing and Community Development will fall under Augustus’ purview.A...