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States look to affordable childcare to boost economy, workforce

Published Sun, 16 Feb 2025 16:12:31 GMT

WASHINGTON (NEXSTAR) — State officials from around the country gathered at the White House to discuss solutions for providing affordable childcare to families.Some say federal funds from the Biden administration and Congress have allowed them to create innovative new programs they hope will spread to other states as childcare expenses force some parents out of the workforce. New program offers free community college tuition for in-demand jobs “The system we have right now just does not work,” Michigan state Sen. Kristen McDonald Rivet, a Democrat, said.Democratic New Mexico Gov. Michelle Lujan Grisham said an influx of federal funds creates a huge opportunity. According to the governor, infrastructure money and pandemic relief mean states can spend less on previously planned projects and can use those funds to create childcare initiatives.“We've done nearly 40% raises in salaries, particularly for early childhood education,” Lujan Grisham said.Colorado universal pre-K program star...

Powerball: 5 wildly rare occurrences more common than winning the jackpot

Published Sun, 16 Feb 2025 16:12:31 GMT

(KGET) – It should come as no surprise that the odds of winning the Powerball jackpot are quite slim at roughly 1 in 292.2 million. But don't fret, because you still have better chances of achieving similarly exceptional accomplishments, like hitting a hole-in-one, meeting the president, or … being struck by lightning?Shocking, we know. What happens to unclaimed lottery tickets in Colorado? As the experts explain, there are several wildly unlikely occurrences that are still more common than picking the winning Powerball numbers. And most — aside from being zapped by a lightning bolt — seem downright delightful. Getting struck by lightningLet's get this one out of the way: According to the National Weather Service, you have a 1 in 15,300 chance of being struck by lightning, meaning you have a better chance at the lightning lotto than Powerball. In fact, the NWS reports that the U.S. averaged 43 reported lightning fatalities per year from 1989 to 2018.The odds of being struck also d...

11 mustangs die in roundup caught on video, showing horses with broken necks

Published Sun, 16 Feb 2025 16:12:31 GMT

RENO, Nev. (AP) — Nearly a dozen wild horses have died in the first 10 days of a big mustang roundup in Nevada, deaths that a Las Vegas congresswoman is calling tragic proof of the urgent need to outlaw helicopters to capture the animals on federal land.The 11 deaths so far include five young foals, four horses with broken necks and a stallion with a snapped rear leg that was chased by a helicopter and horseback rider as it tried to flee on three legs for 35 minutes before it was euthanized, according to witnesses. Denver’s mayor plans to house 1,000 homeless. Will it work? The horse that broke the leg jumping over a trap fence last Wednesday was a lead Palomino stallion called “Mr. Sunshine” by those who'd watched him roam wild over the years southeast of Elko. A longtime observer and defender of the mustangs caught the animal's struggle on video.“It made me physically ill to see what was done to that beautiful stallion I have known for years," said Laura Leigh, the founder of Ne...

2 plants blooming for the first time in 40 years at CU Boulder

Published Sun, 16 Feb 2025 16:12:31 GMT

BOULDER, Colo. (KDVR) — The University of Colorado’s campus in Boulder is experiencing a rare bloom of a plant that only shows its flowers once every half-century. Agave plants are common in the southwest but are not native to the Boulder area. Several were planted outside the campus’ 30th Street greenhouse in 1997. Almost three decades later, two have finally bloomed. “They’re very slow to mature. They’re about 30 to 40 years to fully mature,” John Clark, director of greenhouses for ecology and evolutionary biology at CU Boulder, said. According to Clark, the two plants began to change on May 12. He believes the unusually wet spring encouraged them to bloom. Headed to the lake? Check for toxic algae blooms “Of course, they have to be fully mature but we think the rain when they were fully mature helped spur them to flower,” he said. They sprout a large stalk resembling asparagus, which can grow 6 to 8 inches per day. When it reaches a height of about 15 feet, ...

Police cast doubt on Carlee Russell’s kidnapping claim after reporting toddler on an Alabama highway

Published Sun, 16 Feb 2025 16:12:31 GMT

HOOVER, Ala. (AP) — A 25-year-old Alabama woman who disappeared for two days after calling 911 to report a toddler wandering on the highway told investigators she was abducted and forced into a car, but they have been unable to verify her account and turned up evidence that calls it into doubt, police said Wednesday.Hoover Police Chief Nick Derzis said detectives are still investigating where Carlee Russell was and what happened to her between the time she went missing and her return home on Saturday. But he also said investigators have been “unable to verify most of Carlee’s initial statement.”In the days before her disappearance, she searched for information on her cellphone about Amber Alerts, a movie about a woman’s abduction and a one-way bus ticket from Birmingham, Alabama, to Nashville, Tennessee. Her phone also showed she traveled about 600 yards while telling a 911 operator she was following a 3- or 4-year-old child in a diaper on the side of the highway, Derzis...

Avocado & Grapefruit Salad / Queen, Miami Beach

Published Sun, 16 Feb 2025 16:12:31 GMT

The Chef: Mitch HesseThe Restaurant: Queen, Miami BeachThe Dish: Avocado & Grapefruit SaladIngredients:1/2 avocado1 serrano chili-sliced thinlygrapefruit dressing (see below)micro herb salad mix (can buy prepackaged mix)1/2 tsp sesame seedscashews-crushedBruleed Grapefruit:1 grapefruit-segmentedcastor sugar1 tsp togarashiGrapefruit Honey Dressing:1/2 cup grapefruit juice1/2 cup honey1 cup rice vinegarto taste maldon salt1 cup extra virgin olive oil1 tsp chipotle powderMethod of Preparation:Grapefruit Honey Dressing: Mix all ingredients together, making sure honey and salt are dissolved. Add microgreens to bowl and add dressing and toss.Bruleed Grapefruit: Sprinkle sugar on grapefruit segments. Spread out segments on a baking sheet and broil under an oven broiler for 1-2 minutes, just until sugar is caramelized. Remove and sprinkle with togarashi.To Plate:Peel and cut the avocado into 8 pieces and place on a plate. Place slices of serrano on each avocado piece.Place grapefruit se...

Adidas holds one-of-a-kind welcome for Lionel Messi ahead of Inter Miami debut amid ongoing celebrations

Published Sun, 16 Feb 2025 16:12:31 GMT

There was a special message for soccer superstar Lionel Messi with a stunning display on Adidas-branded vehicles at the PortMiami.The vehicles that entered the port between South Pointe Park and Fisher Island on Wednesday included a cargo ship, cigarette boats and helicopter decked out in black and pink, the colors of Inter Miami CF. The festive display is the latest in a week of celebrations, but more Messi madness is taking place in South Pointe Park in Miami Beach, Wednesday afternoon.The free community event at the park features pickups of soccer. The Messi celebration will continue throughout the week with local community hype and unique merchandise drops.Earlier Wednesday, Seminole Hard Rock Hotel & Casino in Hollywood stepped into the next era of Messi’s partnership with the official launch of the new Messi chicken sandwich in Hollywood.“The greatest of all time, Lionel Messi,” said the host of the event. “Are you excited for that?”As fans fl...

Nonprofit developer breaks ground on affordable housing development in Miami-Dade

Published Sun, 16 Feb 2025 16:12:31 GMT

In a significant step towards addressing the pressing need for affordable housing in Miami-Dade County, POAH (Preservation of Affordable Housing) leaders were joined by Miami-Dade County Mayor Daniella Levine Cava, project partners, and future residents at the groundbreaking ceremony for Meridian Point at Goulds Station. The new-construction, affordable housing development, located in the Goulds area of southern Miami-Dade County, aims to provide high-quality and sustainable housing options for families with limited incomes.The ambitious development will comprise an 80-unit, seven-story mid-rise building and a 33-unit, three-story garden building, offering a mix of one-, two-, and three-bedroom homes. The housing units will cater to families with incomes ranging from 30% to 80% of the Area Median Income, ensuring accessibility for low- and moderate-income residents.Of the 113 total units, 68 will be set aside for families currently residing at the nearby Cutler Manor Apartments, whi...

A Change In Scenery

Published Sun, 16 Feb 2025 16:12:31 GMT

Tonight’s blog was written by 7Weather intern Tyler Hughes.Ahhhh… if you stepped outside today, you likely breathed a sigh of relief like I did, as it was noticeably more comfortable than earlier this week. Dew points today dropped into the lower 60s and even 50s across interior New England. This is still pretty humid all things considered, but compared to the last week or so, even a small drop in the dew point feels great. The only caveat is the Cape and Islands – where the muggy air stuck around for much of today.If you enjoyed today’s forecast, you’ll enjoy tomorrow – pretty much a copy and paste of today. The humidity remains low, and temperatures cool off slightly as well  – with a light seabreeze, temperatures along the coast will remain in the 70s, peaking in the low 80s inland. Sunshine will be abundant, mixed in with a few of those fair-weather cumulus clouds that are synonymous with summer. Friday starts off cloudy for most, but ri...

Beaches around Mass., including all Plum Island beaches, closed due to bacteria

Published Sun, 16 Feb 2025 16:12:31 GMT

Beaches around the state are being forced to close because of bacteria, including Plum Island beaches in Newburyport, while at Nahant Beach, swimmers were allowed back in the ocean Wednesday afternoon.Higher levels of bacterial contamination were detected Wednesday, and experts said recent wet weather across New England is causing what is known as combined sewage overflow.“We’ve had a number of tests that came back with high bacteria levels,” said Newburyport Mayor Sean Reardon. “Those combined sewage overflows that continually get dumped in the Merrimack River upriver from us in communities like Lowell and Manchester, New Hampshire, Haverhill and Lawrence. Those are flowing downriver and along with the rain are really the root cause along with the rain for these high bacteria levels.”Up and down the Massachusetts coastline, beaches are open, but the water is off limits. The status of all public beach’s in the state can be viewed on the state’s website.“News to me,” said John Gardel...