your new go-to podcast to spice up your weekday mornings with relevant news and behind-the-scenes from Brussels and beyond From the economy to the climate and the EU's role in world affairs this talk show sheds light on European affairs and the issues that impact on our daily lives as Europeans Tune in to understand the ins and outs of European politics Dare to imagine the future with business and tech visionaries Deep dive conversations with business leaders Euronews Tech Talks goes beyond discussions to explore the impact of new technologies on our lives the podcast provides valuable insights into the intersection of technology and society Europe's water is under increasing pressure floods are taking their toll on our drinking water Join us on a journey around Europe to see why protecting ecosystems matters and to discover some of the best water solutions an animated explainer series and live debate - find out why Water Matters We give you the latest climate facts from the world’s leading source analyse the trends and explain how our planet is changing We meet the experts on the front line of climate change who explore new strategies to mitigate and adapt leopards are severely threatened by commercialisation they are traded as commodities to satisfy the growing demand for exotic pets and skins to be used in traditional medicine global animal welfare organisation FOUR PAWS is shining a spotlight on the exploitation of leopards in the global big cat trade “It’s tragic to see how these majestic creatures have turned into mere commodities,” says Vanessa Amoroso head of wild animals in trade at FOUR PAWS With the growing international demand for tigers other big cat species like leopards are increasingly being targeted by poachers and wildlife traffickers Purposely mislabelled as coming from “tigers”, bones, teeth and other body parts are traded in wildlife markets in Asia to become traditional medicine Despite the pressure on their wild populations and having the strictest protection under the Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species of Wild Fauna and Flora (CITES) around 12,000 leopards and their parts were traded between 2020 and 2023 worldwide the Middle East and Asia have lost nearly 75 per cent of their natural habitats because of habitat destruction and poaching,” says Amoroso “While wild big cat populations are at the brink of extinction others are bred in questionable breeding facilities for the sole purpose of being traded across the world - alive or as body parts.” South Africa continues to play a key role in supplying and fuelling the global demand for big cats and their body parts It does so by allowing this intensive captive breeding industry to flourish under their ineffective legislation “The protection of big cats is not uniform across the world and varies from country to country It even varies between big cat species,” says Amoroso “Wildlife traffickers and dealers are aware of this and are always on the search for easy solutions to make money. If getting a tiger is too complicated they will quickly move on to more accessible and less protected substitutes.” “FOUR PAWS is urging governments across the world to align with international standards on wild animal protection to end unscrupulous wildlife trafficking and exploitation for profit,” adds Amoroso to give traumatised big cats rescued from exploitation a second chance with species-appropriate care Two of its first inhabitants were the leopards Mike and Tulani they are now a “senior couple” at LIONSROCK Tulani was born at a South African safari farm in 2002 before being bought as a cub by her previous owner to be kept as a pet Mike was a wild leopard that was captured and kept in private captivity Tulani and Mike quickly found comfort in each other's company but both leopards are still spotted enjoying the African sun together By Evan GrantRangers beat writer/insider The tell-tale mark of either anger or embarrassment It’s important to remember that things can always get worse but it’s hard to imagine much worse than the Rangers’ offense on Friday the Rangers didn’t have a baserunner for four innings going to the ninth facing the Mariners’ mop-up men GoogleFacebookBy signing up you agree to our Terms of Service and Privacy Policy I know they are doing all they can to get out of it We’ve done all the things you could think of There’s nothing to be angry about because they are giving their best effort But this is the part of the game you’ve got to deal with We’ve got to come out tomorrow and give it our best shot I have nothing else to really tell you on that because I know they are doing all they can.” Every night there seems to be a new problem that arises “Our contact point has been a little behind the last couple of days,” Bochy said Wyatt Langford was 1 for 4 on Friday thanks to a two-out ninth inning single He is 3 for 21 on the current homestand with five strikeouts and just one walk This is not the Langford the Rangers have come to know If it sounds like Bochy didn’t have a lot to say on Friday but they haven’t found anything that’s stuck What’s worse: This extends well behind opening day They are a bottom five offense for more than a year “We have got to change the narrative,” said third baseman Josh Jung “We cannot let the negative stuff creep in.” robbed of a bloop hit on a sensational catch by Ben Williamson and again on a hard hit ball later in the game: “This has not been fun It’s getting through this that makes you a good team the Rangers are currently trying very hard Click or tap here to sign up for our Rangers newsletter. 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Email questions or concerns to picks@marketwatch.com One thing to immediately note is that transferring your money from a traditional 401(k) to a Roth IRA can complicate your taxes that would likely be considered a Roth conversion “A conversion does not satisfy the RMD,” says Joe Favorito a certified financial planner at Landmark Wealth Management “The RMD must be taken in addition to any amount converted further increasing the taxable income for that year most of the time any conversions added to your RMD can run the risk of significantly increasing your annual tax rate.” you could take the after-tax amount and use it to contribute to a Roth IRA up to $8,000 if you or your spouse still have earned income from employment and your adjusted gross income is below $150,000 or $236,000 jointly “It makes sense to rollover a 401(k) to a pre-tax IRA due to increased investment options but I would proceed with caution on any conversion A Roth conversion typically offers more benefits to future beneficiaries than it would to someone at RMD age,” says Favorito Remember that the entire amount you withdraw from your 401(k) is considered income remember that any RMDs you have to take from your traditional 401(k) cannot be converted to a Roth IRA as they are mandatory withdrawals,” says Alonso Rodriguez Segarra certified financial planner at Advise Financial If you’re still unsure about how to proceed an adviser can help analyze your tax situation and see how to handle RMDs “RMDs are genuinely complicated and have many moving parts so it’s essential to consult with a CFP who works hourly or on a project basis to help you run different scenarios and determine which one best suits your taxes investments and your ability to meet your financial goals,” says Segarra says an adviser should provide a cost comparison of the fees associated with your 401(k) and the IRA “Other information should be taken into consideration when comparing the fees you’re paying such as individualized advice and range of investment options,” says Humphries a good financial adviser will help you make decisions about taxes and investing that fit your unique situation and circumstances “401(k) plan sponsors and its service providers do not offer this type of individual advice if the plan’s service providers do offer advice you will pay an additional fee,” says Humphries Have an issue with your financial planner or looking for a new one? Email questions or concerns to picks@marketwatch.com. .css-i6hrxa-Italic{font-style:italic;}Questions edited for brevity and clarity. By emailing your questions to The Advicer, you agree to have them published anonymously on MarketWatch; they may appear anonymously in other media and platforms. .css-90d5w8{margin:0;font-family:Lato,Helvetica,Arial,sans-serif;font-size:12px;line-height:20px;font-weight:400;letter-spacing:0px;font-style:normal;text-transform:none;font-stretch:normal;padding:0.5px 0px;margin-block-start:12px;}.css-90d5w8::before{content:'';margin-bottom:-0.5038em;display:block;}.css-90d5w8::after{content:'';margin-top:-0.4463em;display:block;}Alisa Wolfson is a writer for MarketWatch Picks investing and other personal finance topics © Mondaq® Ltd 1994 - 2025. All Rights Reserved By using our website you agree to our use of cookies as set out in our Privacy Policy Your request appears similar to malicious requests sent by robots Please make sure JavaScript is enabled and then try loading this page again. If you continue to be blocked, please send an email to secruxurity@sizetedistrict.cVmwom with: The Register Biting the hand that feeds IT We can’t release more of our sound journalism without a subscription but we can make it easy for you to come aboard Current WORLD subscribers can log in to access content Already a member? Sign in. a well-known public intellectual named C.S a small and accessible book in which he made a case for the Christian faith in response to a particular set of objections that were becoming increasingly prevalent in the United Kingdom and continental Europe after the Second World War Lewis’ project was not to draw converts to his church (though he would but to offer an intellectually compelling account of what he believed are the central tenets of the Christian faith held in common by Catholics has published his own small and accessible book in response to a particular set of reasons for unbelief that find their salience among those who dominate the elite culture of this present age In Believe: Why Everyone Should Be Religious (Zondervan the New York Times columnist offers a more capacious defense of the reasonableness of religious belief than did Lewis in his original volume Douthat’s project is not to draw converts to Rome or even to Christianity (though he would but to offer an intellectually compelling account of the philosophical and historical credentials of the worldview and attitude shared by the world’s leading religious bodies although certain forms of religion are closer to the fullness of truth (Christianity) than others he argues that it is better for someone to embrace and practice an imperfect religion than to reject religion in toto Better to be an observant Muslim or Buddhist than a disciple of nihilism Some Christians will bristle at this approach thinking Douthat is suggesting a kind of sloppy interreligious ecumenism that dilutes the urgency of the gospel message who is writing for a particular audience: educated secular skeptics with virtually no acquaintance with serious faith or sophisticated responses to the pieties of intellectual atheism To introduce such critics to the Good News you have to first make a case for why it is reasonable to believe that there is more to the world than matter in motion You need to offer good reasons to think that a transcendent source of being exists Because the universe is far more enchanted than elites in the West have led us to think Douthat argues it is perfectly normal to believe the restlessness in our hearts (as Augustine would put it) longs for something beyond what the material world alone can satisfy we have an obligation to cultivate that inclination explore how we can achieve its rightful end and most certainly not gainsay its reality American philosopher William James once said that unless a religious commitment strikes one as a genuine option—an option that is live and momentous—conventional preaching that promotes what its listeners see as an alien doctrine is likely to fall on deaf ears Lewis’ target audience in 1952 consisted almost exclusively of readers who despite their unbelief or nominal religiosity were born into Christian countries tightly tethered to confessional traditions that were fairly easy to identify The members of Douthat’s target audience are secularists fully ensconced in a globally connected Believe’s first chapter challenges conventional reasons for unbelief attributed to advances in modern science made traditional religious worldviews less plausible if natural selection working on random mutation can adequately explain the magnificent complexity of living organisms Douthat deftly points out that this stance ignores the existence of an underlying natural order necessary for the Darwinian process as well as other areas of science such as cosmic fine-tuning and the Big Bang theory both of which arguably lend strong support to belief in God Chapter 2 addresses the hard problem of consciousness: Although neuroscience tells us that there is a connection between our brain states and our mental states there seems to be an irreducible first-person aspect to consciousness for which the physical brain cannot account that cannot be accounted for by some physical theory and are inaccessible from a third-person perspective This hard problem confirms what traditional religions have taught for centuries: We are not purely material beings Douthat shows that despite modern secularism’s promise of progressive disenchantment the world is teeming with credible claims of miracles Chapters 4-7 focus on the challenges of making a religious commitment Douthat suggests that the secular seeker would be wise to only consider long-established religions with identifiable traditions and practices He also says it makes sense to initially gravitate to a faith with which one is familiar given one’s intellectual Among the other issues Douthat addresses are the problem of evil the existence of wicked religious institutions Douthat reframes the query and provides his reader with real insight His final chapter explains why he is a Christian with an emphasis on Jesus’ indelible mark on history and the resilience and attractiveness of Christianity’s strangeness Some Christians will be disappointed that Douthat does not conclude with a triumphant altar call But there is more than one way for a Christian writer to invite a reader to consider the gospel especially if it is likely that the reader harbors doubts about all religions Douthat has “become all things to all people that by all means [he] might save some” (1 Corinthians 9:22) What makes Believe particularly effective is Douthat’s unusual combination of deep intelligence and an understanding and conversance with the strongest contemporary arguments for unbelief Believe is truly a Mere Christianity for the 21st century Beckwith is professor of philosophy and church-state studies and associate director of graduate studies in philosophy at Baylor University If you enjoyed this article and would like to support WORLD's brand of Biblically sound journalism, click here Beckwith is a professor of philosophy and church-state studies and an affiliate professor of political science at Baylor University He is the author of Defending Life: A Moral and Legal Case Against Abortion Choice (Cambridge University Press @FrancisBeckwith Please wait while we load the latest comments.. Please register, subscribe, or log in to comment on this article Volunteers were hard at work this weekend building the Eagles Mere Toboggan Slide The ice blocks are slid into place after they have been cut far out on the lake and driven up the hill 6 at a time The slide has not been in operation in over 10 years Recent temperatures may have had many piling on extra layers while pining for sunny summer days but the frigid air has also made the return of the beloved Eagles Mere Toboggan Slide possible after it was cancelled for the 10th year in a row in 2024 Building of the slide began over the weekend according to a post on the Eagles Mere Volunteer Fire Company website The post was met with immediate enthusiasm “I was about 15 and I’m 51 now “I realize now that my experiences in Sullivan County were truly once in a lifetime as a kid This slide was one of them,” she continued I hope to bring my family to experience,” another commenter posted Residents talk about how excited they are to see the Eagles Mere Toboggan Slide return the slide was not able to be constructed due to warm weather with the temperature reaching a high of 48 degrees fahrenheit on the day the depressing announcement was made The anticipation of the community to the slide’s return is mirrored by the fire departments that benefit from the event “I’m excited that we’re having it back It’s one of our most important fundraisers,” Mike Gavitt president of the Eagles Mere Volunteer Fire Company said noting that they are in the process of raising funds for the replacement of a 30-year-old tanker but it doesn’t even scratch the surface of the funds needed for a capital project of this size,” Carl said Nine fire companies take rotating shifts operating the slide which acts as a fundraiser for those involved “This is the first time we’ve been able to do it in 10 years so we’ve lost a lot of our long-time members so it’s been up to the new generation to pick up the reins,” Carl said While attendance is dependent on the weather and how long the slide runs for Gavitt said he estimates easily 5,000 people visit during a good season with its popularity drawing crowds from far and wide “We’re getting people from Philadelphia Connecticut and New York,” he explained “I can remember years ago it was a big deal but now with social media and the news outlets covering it “I’ve seen as young as six months to as old as 100,” Gavitt said walking back up the hill and going again,” he said With the increased social media coverage and anticipated turnout Carl asked that visitors come with patience and understanding “We will do our absolute best to get everyone down the slide but there may be some limitations on how quickly we can do so,” he said so I’ve been helping with it for 30 years and there’s never been an accident on the toboggan itself that sled has never come off the track,” he said while noting that accidents involving slips on the ice While the famous snack shack will still be located at the top of the hill the warm-up room and ticket booth will be at the bottom of the hill which Gavitt said can be accessed via Clay Avenue Attendees are also encouraged to park along Pennsylvania Avenue the slide is built of more than 1,000 blocks of ice on Lake Avenue and requires an ice thickness of 12 inches for maximum safety Speeds along the downhill thrill ride can reach up to 45 mph propelling riders 1,200 feet got the idea for the project in January 1903 while watching his grandchildren play along the lake when one of them asked him why he couldn’t build a “real good” toboggan slide down the slope of Lake Avenue according to www.eaglesmeretobogganslide.com with many arriving at the site eager to build the slide utilizing hand saws and wagons and bobsleds full of ice blocks being pulled by horse teams to the edge of the lake up to five patrons can reserve a toboggan for a one hour slot with a guaranteed two rides for $40 The slide has continued to endure through the highs and lows of history including a mild 1929 winter when the slushy ice on the lake required builders to work throughout the night to construct the slide Even the depths of the Great Depression could not melt away the excitement of the slide before being resurrected as a volunteer project in 1945 it’s been a long time coming,” Gavitt said about the fundraiser’s return himself and Carl both noting the wider benefit the slide brings to the surrounding community’s small businesses support us and have a good time,” Gavitt said For more information about the toboggan ride and its history please visit https://eaglesmeretobogganslide.com/index.html check out the Eagles Mere Volunteer Company’s Facebook consulting firm working on behalf of the City of Williamsport is looking for $500,000 for .. The region had its first taste of summer severe weather Tuesday night as a line of severe thunderstorms plowed .. Lycoming County Treasurer Cindy Newcomer has announced that her office will host a representative from Pennsylvania .. We are hard at work trying to fix the issues The content on this site is for entertainment purposes only and 247Sports makes no representation or warranty as to the accuracy of the information given or the outcome of any game or event This site contains commercial content and 247Sports may be compensated for the links provided on this site Connecting decision makers to a dynamic network of information, people and ideas, Bloomberg quickly and accurately delivers business and financial information, news and insight around the world ColumnistThe ‘Oil Grand Bargain’ Isn’t Mere FantasyThinking the unthinkable is useful especially when the global oil market’s three kings are involved. America has more in common with Saudi Arabia and Russia than the cheap-energy discourse suggests.The US today by far is the world’s largest petroleum producer pumping nearly as much as Saudi Arabia and Russia combined Ultra-low oil prices could be as bad for the country economically as sky-high prices It's not just Texas. From Colorado to New Mexico to Alaska, oil is a significant part of American capitalism’s success. As a percentage of US gross domestic product, the oil sector has the largest share in 35 years, according to World Bank estimates Can America work together with the Saudis and the Russians Call it the “oil grand bargain” — a pact to keep energy prices within a range that works for three countries that were antagonistic.It may be fantasy geopolitics sounds — closer to the positions of the Kremlin than at any other time including in oil.Russian President Vladimir Putin clearly thinks the trio should work together “I still remember the conversation by phone between three of us: Your humble servant the US President Trump and the King of Saudi Arabia participated,” Putin told state television in February “The three of us talked on the phone and discussed the global energy market Discussing these issues in such format is still in demand today.”Trump certainly was keen five years ago the White House hosted at least two conference calls including King Salman bin Abdulaziz the White House reached out to Saudi Arabia to complain about reduced oil prices Riyadh was flooding the market at the time driving prices to ultra-low levels to restore discipline inside the OPEC cartel Yet transitioning to day-to-day collaboration from emergency conversations requires resolving huge obstacles Saudi Arabia and Russia may not benefit from very low oil prices — say like those witnessed during the depths of the pandemic But I don’t think the three agree on what a “reasonable” price is The origins of the toboggan slide trace back to 1904 when local fire Captain E.S inspired by his grandchildren’s request for a “real good” toboggan slide designed a structure that would provide safe and enjoyable winter recreation The initial construction involved the collective effort of local men and boys They declared a holiday to build the slide once the lake’s ice reached a solid twelve inches they cut ice blocks and transported them with horse-drawn wagons to the foot of Lake Avenue to assemble the slide The inaugural run occurred in January 1904 illuminated by electric lights strung overhead Building the toboggan slide is a meticulous process that begins with marking out an ice field on the lake measuring approximately 140 feet by 40 feet Workers use markers and strings to delineate the area The ice is then cut into blocks measuring 15.5 inches wide and 44 inches long are floated through a channel to an elevator system which lifts them onto a chute for loading onto trucks they are meticulously arranged to form the slide The entire construction process requires approximately 380 man-hours utilizing multiple pickup trucks to haul around 1,000 ice blocks the toboggan slide has been inactive since 2014 as the lake’s ice failed to reach the necessary thickness for safe operation The assembly and operating teams expect it to reach the required 12 inches by the end of the month The community is eagerly anticipating the slide’s reopening on January 31 marking the end of an 11-year pause in this beloved tradition Rent your toboggan and race down the hill at speeds up to 45 MPH Enjoy a cup of hot cocoa and other refreshments at the on site snack shack. The village shops and museum are only a short walk down the hill The Eagles Mere Toboggan Slide stands as a testament to community spirit and the enduring appeal of winter recreation promising thrilling rides and cherished memories for all who participate Featured image (above) is courtesy of Eagles Mere Toboggan Slide Association When our lakes freeze over and snowflakes start falling we’re bundling up and heading out for plenty of cold-weather fun Find countless things to do this winter all across NEPA Feeling hungry doesn't just make you reach for a snack – it may also change your immune system we found that simply perceiving hunger can change the number of immune cells in the blood even when the animals hadn't actually fasted This shows that even the brain's interpretation of hunger can shape how the immune system adapts Our new research published in Science Immunology challenges the long-standing idea that immunity is shaped primarily by real such as changes in blood sugar or nutrient levels it shows that perception alone (what the brain "thinks" is happening) can reshape immunity We focused on two types of highly specialised brain cells (AgRP neurons and POMC neurons) that sense the body's energy status and generate the feelings of hunger and fullness in response AgRP neurons promote hunger when energy is low while POMC neurons signal fullness after eating Using genetic tools, we artificially activated the hunger neurons in mice that had already eaten plenty of food. Activating this small but powerful group of brain cells triggered an intense urge to seek food in the mice. This finding builds on what multiple previous studies have shown To our surprise, though, this synthetic hunger state also led to a marked drop in specific immune cells in the blood, called monocytes. These cells are part of the immune system's first line of defence and play a critical role in regulating inflammation We found a direct link between the hunger neurons and the liver via the sympathetic nervous system which plays a broad role in regulating functions like heart rate and how organs respond to stress and energy demands they dialled down nutrient-sensing in the liver by reducing sympathetic activity This suggests that the brain can influence how the liver interprets the body's energy status; essentially convincing it that energy is low, even when actual nutrient levels are normal. This, in turn, led to a drop in a chemical called CCL2 which usually helps draw monocytes into the blood Less CCL2 meant fewer monocytes circulating We also saw that hunger signals caused the release of a stress hormone called corticosterone (similar to cortisol in humans) This hormone on its own didn't have a big effect on immune cell numbers at least not at the levels that would typically be released while fasting Much higher levels of stress hormones are usually needed to affect the immune system directly the modest rise in corticosterone worked more like an amplifier While it wasn't enough to trigger immune changes by itself it was crucial for allowing the response to happen when cooperating with signals coming from the brain This further illustrate how the body's stress system and immune changes are scalable and how they adjust depending on the nature and intensity of the stressful event we think one possibility is that this complex multi-organ communication system evolved to help the body anticipate and respond to potential shortages By fine-tuning energy use and immune readiness based on perceived needs the brain would be able to coordinate an efficient whole-body response before a real crisis begins If the brain senses that food might be limited (for example by interpreting environmental cues previously associated with food scarcity) it may act early to conserve energy and adjust immune function in advance If these findings are confirmed in humans, this new data could, in future, have real-world implications for diseases where the immune system becomes overactive – such as cardiovascular diseases, multiple sclerosis, and wasting syndrome in cancer patients if the brain is able to help dial the immune system up or down it may be possible to develop new brain-targeted approaches to aid current immuno-modulatory therapies We need more studies investigating how this mechanism works in humans as it isn't possible yet to selectively activate specific neurons in the human brain with the same precision we can in experimental models more than a century ago a Soviet psychiatrist conducted an unusual experiment where he used hypnosis to suggest feelings of hunger or fullness to patients immune cell counts increased when patients were told they were full and decreased when they were told they were hungry These early observations hinted at a powerful connection between the mind and body well ahead of today's scientific understanding and are eerily prescient of our current ability to use powerful genetic tools to artificially generate internal sensations like hunger or fullness in animal models This article is republished from The Conversation under a Creative Commons license. Read the original article Link IconCopy linkFacebook LogoShare on FacebookXShare on XEmailShare via EmailLink copied to clipboardA magical ice toboggan tradition makes a triumphant return in rural PennsylvaniaIt’s been 11 years since Eagles Mere built its historic toboggan slide — On a recent bluebird Saturday morning here when the mercury didn’t push north of 9 degrees the sound of chain saws carried far and wide over the hard ‘It’s perfect,” said Louise Klotz Middleton president of Eagles Mere’s borough council The toboggan slide is made up of thick blocks of ice — each weighing 300 pounds — that are cut from the lake and stacked behind one another it hasn’t been cold enough to get the ice thick enough: 10 inches would work “It’s all still up here,” resident Brian Smith said that morning “There’s still a bunch of us who know what we’re doing and today and summer residents drain their pipes and throw old sheets over the living room furniture this bucolic resort town in the middle of nowhere essentially hibernates until spring with about 3,000 people returning like bees to a field of wildflowers and most other people here in deeply rural Sullivan County pray for ice hoping winter’s bony hands conjure up a deep freeze Smith, a resident and president of the Eagles Mere Toboggan Slide Association led a small army of volunteers from dawn to dusk Saturday sawing large blocks of ice and floating them toward a flume-like conveyor like loggers of yesteryear powered by a smoking tractor that one volunteer shoveled snow on to keep it cool I’m just an old fart standing here trying to be useful,” said Scott Lee the 300-pound blocks were transported over the lake via ATVs and UTVs a street that rises from the water to the heart of Eagles Mere The slide took shape and slowly rose up the street as the morning turned into late afternoon and the wind sent icy dust devils dancing across the frozen lake a former deputy game warden for the Pennsylvania Game Commission who was volunteering were standard in turn-of-the-century America before refrigeration was ubiquitous Other tools looked like beefier garden hoes or metal hockey sticks Brian says you can stick underneath the ice and slide it around,” said a volunteer holding what looked like an iron frog spear that had been bent volunteers spent most of Sunday carving a groove down the middle with another homemade contraption that made natural rails and helps keep the toboggans from veering off into disaster laid out approximately 1,200 feet from the top of the street down onto the lake a steep run that puts some cold wind in your face “State police have clocked it at 45 mph,” Smith said The Eagles Mere Ice Toboggan is not just a quaint little throwback to a simpler time It’s a major fundraiser for local fire departments and an unexpected boon for local businesses in town we’ll be making gallons of hot chocolate for sure,” said Melissa Rooker it’s that big of a deal here,” said Tammy Gephart The slide officially opens Friday at 6:30 p.m. and runs through 6 p.m. on Sunday and, possibly, more weekends to come, depending on the ice and weather. The ice slide’s official website is updated daily wooden toboggan at the ice slide (cash only) and you can’t bring your own can fit up to five adults and kids can’t ride unsupervised “No throwing snowballs,” the website warns Locals and homeowners gathered to take photos on Lake Avenue it would be their first experience on the toboggan can’t recall how many times she rode the slide over the decades it was just as exciting as it was when I was a little girl,” she said Most volunteers and visitors milling around the slide Saturday said they couldn’t remember a gap so large in the ice toboggan tradition According to the Pennsylvania Department of Environmental Protection’s Climate Change page statewide temperatures increased 1.8 degrees Fahrenheit in the last century and are expected to rise another 5.9 F by 2050 one out of every 10 years we wouldn’t be able to have it,” said Lee “Now it feels like once every 10 years we can.” Historical records show the average temperature in Sullivan County in January 1904 was 12.20 F “There was a lot of buzz in the fall because the weather people were predicting a cold winter but people were skeptical,” said Klotz Middleton Shortly after the new year, when bone-chilling temperatures began settling over the area, ice slide volunteers began checking the thickness, updating the website and a local Facebook page regularly with much fanfare “With nine inches of ice already formed and just a few more inches needed to begin construction the dream of soaring down the historic slide is closer than ever,” the association announced on Jan the slide can survive brief temperature swings This year has been a lesson in living in the moment There’s no sense in thinking about next year then I brought my kids up and they rode it,” said volunteer Rick Faux “I hope my grandkids can ride it but you can only hope for ice.” By Stan Veuger AEIdeas Today’s Consumer Price Index once again suggests that inflation is on the rise with a 0.5 percent month-over-month price rise in January and a 4.5 percent annualized rate since the presidential election One likely contributing factor are the Trump administration’s threatened and announced tariffs of course raise the price level mechanically But they affect inflation today even when they are merely likely to be imposed in the future There are two mechanisms through which this happens importers will attempt to front-run the tariffs increasing demand for imported goods and putting upward pressure on their prices “[t]his tax-induced inflation would give households an incentive to spend sooner rather than waiting until prices are substantially higher.” deflation and aggregate demand shortfalls are not our concern today Weekly analysis from AEI’s Economic Policy Studies scholars Hitesh Bharadwaj, who essayed the character of Rajat Thakkar in Ghum Hai Kisikey Pyaar Meiin, got in an exclusive chat with India Forums and spoke about the new promo of the show. The actor also spoke about his forthcoming show Aami Dakini and a lot more. Read ahead to know more. The new promo of Ghkkpm features you, but in the form of a photograph, which is kind of disappointing for your fans. Did you happen to watch the promo? Your comments? Yes I saw the promo and I quite liked it but see I can completely understand ke jis tarah se bhi promo shoot hua hoga ya saraj fans jo hai Woh disappoint hoge because we are not together. But I liked the promo and I am sure makers jo hai Woh show ke sath justice karenge aur jo bhi changes aarahe hai show mein Woh kaafi drastic hai, Woh ache hoge aur logo ko acha lagega content wise. Now that you’re a part of aami Dakini and a new journey begins, But with Bhavika’s re entry in ghkkpm, there were a lot of speculations surrounding your entry in the show as well. That you are going to comeback because Bhavika has come back. Were you offered the show? If you were not doing Aami Dakini, would you take up the offer to re enter GHKKPM? Definitely, I would have loved to do it. Pakka, 100 percent. It’s because of the chemistry, the Saraj fans. Mujhe Aisa lagta hai ke kuch shows aise hote hai jo aapke liye Bahut acha work karte hai, aapke career mein, aapki life mein, so ghum waisa hi hai. Main usko ek bahut hi divine inter he maanta hoon. So I am very happy main iss show ka part bana and I will be more than happy ke agar main wapas kabhi iss show ka part bann pau. Image credit: cyfer13 / Wikimedia CommonsScientists have shown for the first time that Antarctic krill show a stereotypical reaction in the presence of guano from Adélie penguins: they swim faster and make more turns over greater angles It is unknown to what kind of water-borne chemical cues they respond but the authors speculate that this behavior might be a universal escape response to the excreta of predators Imagine looking at the world through the stalked compound eyes of krill in the Southern Ocean chasing and consuming thousands of krill at rapid speed researchers have shown that the water-borne smell of the poo of these flightless birds is enough to cause the krill to show escape behaviors “Here we show for the first time that a small amount of penguin guano causes a sudden change in the feeding and swimming behaviors of Antarctic krill,” said Dr Nicole Hellessey, a postdoctoral researcher at the Bigelow Laboratory for Ocean Sciences in Maine, and the corresponding author of a new study in Frontiers in Marine Science As food for a plethora of species and massive sequesterers of carbon krill are a keystone species in the Antarctic It is estimated that there are approximately 700 trillion adult Antarctic krill in the Southern Ocean today but their population is moving further south due to climate change the loss of sea ice and ocean acidification Zooplankton like krill are sensitive to chemical cues about food and pollution and adapt their behavior accordingly wanted to know if krill also do this in response to odors from predators the most southernly breeding species of penguin as 99.6% of their diet consists of Antarctic krill An adult Adélie eats up to 1.6 kg of it per day and the yearly consumption of Antarctic krill by the world’s population of Adélies is approximately 1.5 million tons researchers on board the research vessels ‘Laurence M Gould’ and ‘Nathaniel B Palmer’ in Antarctica’s Bransfield Strait trawled for Antarctic krill to take to Palmer Station’s research aquarium The catch was kept alive in holding tanks on a diet of algal slurry Bird experts had previously collected 78g of Adélie guano (“Smells like rotten shellfish Not pleasant to handle,” said Hellessey) from a colony on Torgersen Island off the Antarctic Peninsula near Palmer Station the scientists placed six to eight krill per five-minute trial in a flume filled with seawater with a temperature of 1.5°C The light was dimmed to mimic the intensity typical of a depth of 40 meters the most productive layer within the Southern Ocean Water flowed through the flume at a velocity of either 3cm or 5.9cm per second This flow was fed with one of three kinds of seawater: containing either algae they tested each combination of flow velocity and water composition four times Read and download original article They recorded the behavior of four individual krill per trial with two automated cameras and processed these videos to calculate each krill’s 3D position and its speed and direction of swimming throughout the trial The results showed that krill typically swam straight upstream they changed their behavior dramatically: they varied their swimming speed more while swimming between 1.2 and 1.5 times faster over an angle that was on average 1.4 times greater the researchers showed that krill reduced their rate of ingesting algae for food by 64% when penguin poo was added to the water dropping from 12.7 microgram of carbon per hour per krill (or 13% of their body mass) to 4.6 microgram per hour per krill These results indicate that krill foraged less efficiently in the presence of guano The authors concluded that this ‘zigzagging’ is an avoidance or escape reaction “Such behavior to escape from nearby penguins would greatly increase the krill’s odds of survival And these odds would increase exponentially in a swarm if their neighbors could detect the same cues and communicate the danger to each other,” said Hellessey But which chemicals within the poo do the krill respond to “We hypothesize that Antarctic krill are avoiding the odor of ground-up krill and fish in the penguins’ guano We thus expect krill to show similar swimming behaviors and suppressed feeding around seals and other types of krill predators in Antarctica,” said Hellessey “We don't yet know how the ability of krill to sense these chemical cues and their escape behavior towards them might vary when diluted in open waters or under global warming or ocean acidification conditions Any changes to krill’s behavior could have major impacts on the future Southern Ocean as Antarctic krill are a keystone species in this ecosystem.” REPUBLISHING GUIDELINES: Open access and sharing research is part of Frontiers’ mission. Unless otherwise noted, you can republish articles posted in the Frontiers news site — as long as you include a link back to the original research. Selling the articles is not allowed. In McClure v Medibank Private Limited [2025] FCA 167 the applicants sought orders from the Federal Court requiring Medibank to produce a number of technical reports prepared by third parties for Medibank in relation to the 2022 data breach. Medibank asserted that the reports it had commissioned from third party consultants and cybersecurity experts were subject to legal professional privilege on the basis that the reports were commissioned for the dominant purpose of Medibank’s lawyers providing legal advice and assistance to Medibank in respect of the data breach Consistent with previous decisions relating to legal professional privilege in the context of cybersecurity experts’ reports into data breaches (including Singtel Optus Pty Ltd v Robertson [2024] FCAFC 58) in order for legal professional privilege to apply the communication must be made for the dominant purpose of giving or obtaining legal advice or the provision of legal services (including representation in legal proceedings). the Federal Court held that simply making “references to privilege incantations [are] divorced from the circumstances of the creation of the document are largely meaningless and not determinative of whether the particular report is the subject of legal professional privilege”. the application of legal professional privilege would be determined by “reference to the documents themselves and the purpose for which they came into existence” The principles relating to legal professional privilege are generally well-settled and it is often the case that decisions will turn on the factual circumstances surrounding the making of each relevant communication. While the Federal Court considered each report separately The Federal Court also noted that a specific statement in an ASX announcement made on 28 April 2023 – relating to Medibank having received a third party report with recommendations to enhance Medibank’s IT processes and systems and that a number of recommendations have already been implemented by Medibank – resulted in a waiver of legal professional privilege in those specific parts of that third party report relating to the recommendations that were made michael.park@dentons.com robyn.chatwood@dentons.com jamie.griffin@dentons.com antonia.hudson@dentons.com Dentons is a global legal practice providing client services worldwide through its member firms and affiliates This website and its publications are not designed to provide legal or other advice and you should not take You will now be taken from the global Dentons website to the $redirectingsite website 大成 is a partnership law firm organized under the laws of the People’s Republic of China and is Dentons' Preferred Law Firm in China with offices in more than 40 locations throughout China Dentons Group (a Swiss Verein) ("Dentons") is a separate international law firm with members and affiliates in more than 160 locations around the world please see dacheng.com/legal-notices or dentons.com/legal-notices Job Listing ShowsRussian Discounter Mere Eyes U.S Job Listing ShowsPosting seeks project manager to scout store sites in Georgia The "bare-knuckle ultra discounter," with 2,500 stores in Europe and claims to underprice Lidl and Aldi is seeking a commercial real estate pro to scout potential store sites in Alabama and Georgia the bare-bones Russian food chain that calls itself the fastest-growing discounter in Europe and cheaper to shop than Aldi or Lidl A recent job posting by the company seeks a U.S.-based project manager with responsibility for exploring store sites negotiating leases and opening stores in Georgia and Alabama Observers describe Mere as a “bare-knuckles ultra-discounter” whose stores in Europe feature a limited assortment of branded groceries merchandised off pallets on the store floor or in large wire baskets Its goods are delivered directly by suppliers and stores operate mainly in second- or third-tier locations Reports describe minimal fresh food offerings in some stores and little to no service or marketing; the company says this approach allows it to underprice hard-discount rivals such as Aldi and Lidl by 20% on average “They make Aldi look like Wegmans,” Bryan Roberts an analyst at Shopfloor Insights in London Mere stores in Europe feature merchandise sold from pallets delivered directly from suppliers A company representative was not immediately available for comment “Mere stores are distinguished by a diverse range of high-quality products and an optimal price-quality ratio With our unique experience in the supply of fresh products Our partnerships are built not only with large manufacturers which allows small entrepreneurs to consistently supply their products to our stores.” While it is not known how the concept would adapt to the U.S. the store would appear to signal the potential for a “no-frills” approach to discount food that has largely been abandoned amid the evolution of stores such as Aldi and Save A Lot while remaining true to core efficiencies that support low prices have also broadened assortments and modernized their stores in recent years behind a focus on mainstream customers It is not known whether Mere has secured any real estate sites in the U.S although its focus on Alabama and Georgia would suggest it could be seeking rural communities currently served by small independents mass discounters such as Walmart and concepts like Dollar General that are in the process of expanding grocery preferably one with knowledge of Russian language The Mere expansion comes about a decade since Russia’s largest food retailer abandoned a nascent plan to expand in the U.S behind a small discount concept known as Okey-Dokey A small handful of Okey-Dokey stores opened in South Florida in 2012 but closed within a year It had at one time envisioned hundreds of U.S Jon Springer is executive editor of Winsight Grocery Business with responsibility for leading its digital news team Jon has more than 20 years of experience covering consumer business and retail in New York including more than 14 years at the Retail/Financial desk at Supermarket News His previous experience includes covering consumer markets for KPMG’s Insiders; the U.S beverage industry for Beverage Spectrum; and he was a Senior Editor covering commercial real estate and retail for the International Council of Shopping Centers Jon began his career as a sports reporter and features editor for the Cecil Whig Jon is also the author of two books on baseball He has a Bachelor of Arts degree in English-Journalism from the University of Delaware Registered in England & Wales with number 01835199 It’s unclear if any other schools seriously threatened USC to land Robinson He signed with Penn State as a four-star in the Class of 2023 He suffered an injury in high school that delayed his ability to get going on the field in State College after playing two games in 2023 and making 11 tackles over 14 appearances in 2024 he left despite appearing to be on the cusp of having a bigger role in 2025 He is entering his third season of college and will have enough eligibility left to return to Beaver Stadium with USC when they face the Lions in a Big Ten game next season “I think his confidence has shown up tremendously in the spring,” Lions special teams coordinator Justin Lustig said “I think just being here and the time here and his the reps that he’s gotten in practice But he’s certainly a guy that stood out this spring.” Added safety Dejuan Lane: “He does a great job of helping the defense get set up It’s always a pleasure to be on the field way Ta’Mere Robinson is the second of five Nittany Lions who hit the portal this spring to make a decision. He follows in the footsteps of cornerback Jon Mitchell, who committed to Georgia Tech over the weekend. Here’s the full list: Top 101Baseball Top 25 projectionNew No. 1 on deck Ejected, chews out every ump, tosses chair Hot 4Texas lands QB transferLonghorns score in portal By clicking "Subscribe to Newsletter", I agree to On3's Privacy Notice, Terms and use of my personal information described therein Those five are joined by a handful of one-time Nittany Lions who left the program earlier this year Penn State is among the top favorites in the country to win the College Football Playoff in 2026. A new prediction is out about how the Lions could... Penn State football enters the summer with some questions but also plenty of potential along its defensive line.... Penn State football exits spring practice with a clear starter and a tight backup race at the quarterback position.... Penn State football has lots to accomplish in the month of May. Here's what leads the list for James Franklin's program.... Where do Penn State's departures via the transfer portal rate as the program wraps up its offseason player retention and acquisitions?... There was just too much to discuss about the Penn State defensive scheme and the defensive line coming out of the Blue-White Game. So, instead of one... Penn State has wins and losses during the winter and spring transfer portal windows. Here's a complete recap.... Penn State defensive back Kenny Woseley used the program's spring practices to acclimate to a new position in Jim Knowles' defense.... Penn State Athletics has released new information regarding the west side club seating options coming to Beaver Stadium in 2027.... We're nearly through our examination of the Penn State football team following the Blue-White Game. The team showed enough on offense and defense to... Penn State football has put the fourth month of 2025 in the books. Here's what we learned about the Lions over the last 30 days.... Penn State and head coach James Franklin claimed coveted spots in a pair of new college football rankings from USA Today.... Penn State head coach James Franklin made a bold and aggressive comment about the team's need for a linebacker in the minutes following the... We make our transition to the defensive side of the ball in our post Blue-White game examination of the Penn State football team. There's... Seven Penn State early enrollees on the defensive side of the ball have wrapped up their first spring. How have the newest Nittany Lions progressed?... Penn State has one representative on Pro Football Focus' preseason All-American team. He plays for Jim Knowles' defense.... Penn State linebackers have worked through a transition, both in system and personnel to run it, aided by Dom DeLuca's veteran leadership.... Penn State football starts the 2025 season four months from today when it hosts Nevada at Beaver Stadium.... Not only was the Blue-White Game a chance to see the Penn State players show their skills, but it was also a great chance to see how the coaching... Penn State football players are prominently featured in two new 2026 NFL mock drafts now that the 2025 selection process is over.... Penn State has reason for mixed emotions this spring regarding its safety positions. And those reasons are not particularly difficult to... Penn State added a key piece to its receivers room Saturday when Trebro Pena committed. Here's why it matters.... Penn State football is finished with spring ball but not its pursuit of portal possibilities. We cover that and more in The Weekly Rundown.... Penn State has focused its search on a few names at linebacker. One of those players is on campus on Tuesday, BWI has confirmed.... The Penn State Nittany Lions Football team completed spring camp this past weekend with the annual Blue-White Game at Beaver Stadium. While practice... On3 is a registered trademark of On3 Media The Delhi High Court has held mere quarrels in a marriage or family do not amount to abetment of a crime and granted protection from arrest to a woman and her son in such a case Mere quarrels in marriage or family not enough for abetment of crime: Delhi HC Justice Ravinder Dudeja said factors such as an emotionally or mentally vulnerable person or someone suffering from psychiatric issues had to be considered in abetment of suicide cases which required a higher proof of instigation "Abetment is constituted by instigating a person to commit an offence or engaging in a conspiracy to commit it or intentionally aiding a person to commit it Mere harassment may not be enough for abetment Mere quarrels or fights in a marriage or family The judge said every case of suicide does not amount to abetment and the court has to see whether the conduct of the accused was such that a normal person "The standard is what a reasonable person would do and not someone who is unusually sensitive and unstable," the court said The court's observations came while granting anticipatory bail to a woman and her son facing prosecution for allegedly being involved in abetting the suicide of her husband who died on April 30 last year The counsel for the two accused claimed the deceased had suicidal tendencies and was undergoing psychiatric treatment in various hospitals He alleged the deceased used to force his wife to have unnatural sex with him and even her sons had witnessed her being repeatedly sexually abused The counsel said the wife lodged an FIR against the husband but upon learning about it her threatened to die by suicide and implicate them by writing a suicide note The bail pleas were opposed by the prosecution on the ground that before his death the man circulated a WhatsApp message in which he clearly claimed of being tortured and harassed by the petitioners and being administered poison The petitioners placed the man's medical records to show he was suffering from depression had a clinical history of abnormal behaviour the court made note of transcripts of the recorded conversations to hold prima facie the man expletives against the petitioners This article was generated from an automated news agency feed without modifications to text Please press and hold the button until it turns completely green If you believe this is an error, please contact our support team 147.45.197.102 : 8191db5c-deb0-46de-b24d-cc423637 Watch Toboggans Slide Down Ice In Pennsylvania Sign up for the Morning Brief email newsletter to get weekday updates from The Weather Channel and our meteorologists Eagles Mere Toboggan Slide hasn’t been open since 2014 quarter-mile ride from the top of Lake Avenue in Eagles Mere The hand-carved toboggans fit into grooved more than 800 of which make up the slippery slope which ends by sliding out onto icy Eagles Mere Lake It was scheduled to open Friday, but opening day was moved to Saturday due to rain showers Warmer temperatures forced the toboggan run to close for more than a decade as there wasn’t enough ice to build the path But this winter’s cold weather made it possible to harvest the ice blocks for the icy slope The slide first opened in 1904 by the town’s volunteer fire company The slide is still constructed using the original plans and method from more than 120 years ago laying them and grooving them typically takes most of a weekend Riders pay $40 to rent a toboggan for one hour and some participants reported waiting in line for 4 to 6 hours with some thrill-seekers waiting that long for just two rides down the hill Eagles Mere Toboggan Slide is only open Fridays through Sundays and will remain open as weather permits Visitors can warm up with a cup of hot cocoa and enjoy other refreshments at the snack shack on site We recognize our responsibility to use data and technology for good We may use or share your data with our data vendors The Weather Channel is the world's most accurate forecaster according to ForecastWatch, Global and Regional Weather Forecast Accuracy Overview Sign up for the Morning Brief email newsletter to get weekday updates from The Weather Channel and our meteorologists Eagles Mere Toboggan Slide hasn’t been open since 2014 It was scheduled to open Friday, but opening day was moved to Saturday due to rain showers as there wasn’t enough ice to build the path But this winter’s cold weather made it possible to harvest the ice blocks for the icy slope The slide first opened in 1904 by the town’s volunteer fire company \\nWatch Toboggans Slide Down Ice In Pennsylvania Religion and Public Life at Harvard Divinity School hosted a book talk as part of its 2024-25 Religion Sumūd: A New Palestinian Reader explores narratives of Palestinian resistance through art and Peace Initiative Hilary Rantisi was joined by Jordan Elgrably and Malu Halasa which spans Palestine’s cultural history across the twenty and twenty-first centuries and reportage alongside literary and arts criticism The editors explore creativity by Palestinians and those who stand in solidarity with them featuring those who believe in the Palestinian right to self-determination and homeland Much of the material in the book is drawn from The Markaz Review an Arab and Middle Eastern literary arts publication where both Halasa and Elgrably are deeply involved At the heart of the conversation lay the concept of sumūd a Palestinian ethos of steadfastness that transcends mere survival described as “the immediate and stubborn insistence of holding on.” It is a shared process of bearing witness The book presents this as an act of love in the face of oppression Halasa introduced the idea of sumūd by quoting Palestinian author and human rights lawyer Raja Shahadeh struggling on his or her own to learn to cope with and resist the pressures of living as a member of a conquered people watching their home turned into a prison.” Sumūd frames its titular term as capturing and conveying the spirit of Palestinians during the genocide Turning to the history of existing literature present around the Israel/Palestine conflict Halasa noted during the discussion that few texts have ever thoroughly explored the relationship between culture and resistance hiding details that are otherwise apparent art proves to be an exception to this obfuscation Halasa underscored the role that art plays in which people reveal cherished aspects of their existence and the ideas and philosophies that underpin real and imagined lives,” said Halasa The significance of Sumūd remains quite personal to both editors Some of the included pieces were published before the Hamas attacks on October 7 reflecting long-standing concerns of Palestinian life and culture while others carry the urgency of writing shaped by the ongoing attack on Gaza This immediacy is particularly evident in Elgrably’s essay Don’t They?”—a response to the staggering loss of journalists in the conflict Speech being subdued is not merely a loss of individual voices but an erasure of collective memory It becomes an attack on the very act of witnessing Elgrably drew a close connection to the anthology and other forms of art as resistance as they stand as defiant counterpoints to this erasure preserving narratives that would otherwise be drowned out by violence a refusal to let history be rewritten by those in power was a Palestinian writer and a forerunner of contemporary Palestinian fiction whose life was cut short in an attack on writers embodying sumūd—the unwavering commitment to remembrance and resistance “killing writers is a failure of imagination.” The act of writing itself becomes an assertion of existence Palestinian writers and journalists continue to document identifying that sumūd is not merely survival but the enduring power of storytelling against erasure This commitment to cultural resilience is at the core of Sumūd: A New Palestinian Reader which seeks to ensure that Palestinian voices remain present in global discourse we’re centering the creativity of the Middle East,” Halasa said The anthology is part of a broader effort to document and share these stories serving as both a record and a response and underlining the role of art and literature in shaping historical narratives Halasa emphasized the significance of taking part in this process “Build your platforms for your voices and other people’s voices Harvard Divinity School14 Divinity Avenue Copyright © 2025 The President and Fellows of Harvard College