💧 US pushes for better tap water but must win over a wary public
As the Biden administration looks to spend billions of dollars to address access for all to clean water, officials must try to overcome a persistent public distrust of tap water.
The issue will hit home in many cities and towns as the Biden administration pushes to replace millions of lead service lines in the US that can leach lead into drinking water. In addition, tightened testing standards can reveal higher lead levels, putting ever more communities on notice.
The CDC says no amount of lead present in drinking water is considered safe for children. Many water systems in the US, however, have some lead and are required to take significant action when levels reach the current federal threshold.
Cities like Philadelphia are running a public campaign to help save residents money and reduce plastic pollution by boosting trust in tap water. Murals on buildings and songs promote the city’s drinking water.
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As the Biden administration looks to spend billions of dollars to address access for all to clean water, officials must try to overcome a persistent public distrust of tap water.
The issue will hit home in many cities and towns as the Biden administration pushes to replace millions of lead service lines in the US that can leach lead into drinking water. In addition, tightened testing standards can reveal higher lead levels, putting ever more communities on notice.
The CDC says no amount of lead present in drinking water is considered safe for children. Many water systems in the US, however, have some lead and are required to take significant action when levels reach the current federal threshold.
Cities like Philadelphia are running a public campaign to help save residents money and reduce plastic pollution by boosting trust in tap water. Murals on buildings and songs promote the city’s drinking water.
Subscribe to @sputniknewsus
❄️ After the blizzard, the East Coast digs out under sunny skies
The storm dumped over 30 inches (76 centimeters) of snow in some areas, more than 100,000 lost power at the height of the storm, mostly in Massachusetts. Power utility Eversource on Sunday claimed that it had 1,700 employees working to restore electricity in Massachusetts.
Forecasters watched closely for new snowfall records, especially in Boston. The Boston area’s modern snowfall record for a winter storm is 27.6 inches (70 centimeters), set in 2003. The city tied its record for biggest single-day snowfall on Saturday, with 23.6 inches (60 centimeters), according to the National Weather Service.
Climate change, particularly the warming oceans, is thought by meteorologists to have influenced the strength of the storm.
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The storm dumped over 30 inches (76 centimeters) of snow in some areas, more than 100,000 lost power at the height of the storm, mostly in Massachusetts. Power utility Eversource on Sunday claimed that it had 1,700 employees working to restore electricity in Massachusetts.
Forecasters watched closely for new snowfall records, especially in Boston. The Boston area’s modern snowfall record for a winter storm is 27.6 inches (70 centimeters), set in 2003. The city tied its record for biggest single-day snowfall on Saturday, with 23.6 inches (60 centimeters), according to the National Weather Service.
Climate change, particularly the warming oceans, is thought by meteorologists to have influenced the strength of the storm.
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New US stock exchange will use the blockchain to track trading activity
This week, America’s first blockchain-based stock exchange obtained regulatory approval from the Securities and Exchange Commission. In a filing the SEC uploaded to its website on late Thursday evening, it said the Boston Security Token Exchange (BSTX) could use the nascent technology to offer faster trade settlements.
Compared to a traditional exchange, where it typically takes two days to settle a trade, BSTX will offer same-day and next-day settlements. It will also use a private blockchain to offer a market feed that will allow members to see their own trades, as well as that of others, on an anonymous basis.
BSTX will operate more like a traditional exchange when it opens before the second half of the year.
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This week, America’s first blockchain-based stock exchange obtained regulatory approval from the Securities and Exchange Commission. In a filing the SEC uploaded to its website on late Thursday evening, it said the Boston Security Token Exchange (BSTX) could use the nascent technology to offer faster trade settlements.
Compared to a traditional exchange, where it typically takes two days to settle a trade, BSTX will offer same-day and next-day settlements. It will also use a private blockchain to offer a market feed that will allow members to see their own trades, as well as that of others, on an anonymous basis.
BSTX will operate more like a traditional exchange when it opens before the second half of the year.
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🛩 Boeing invests an additional $450 million in air taxi startup Wisk Aero, launched by Google cofounder Larry Page to develop pilotless aircraft
Wisk was formed in 2019 as a joint venture between Boeing and Kitty Hawk Corporation. The latter is an electric aircraft maker started by Sebastian Thrun and Google cofounder Larry Page.
In May 2021, Wisk signed its first deal to operate air taxis in the US. Wisk's 6th-gen eVTOL aircraft will be the first candidate for a certification of "an autonomous, all-electric, passenger-carrying aircraft in the US," according to the statement.
Competitors including Airbus and Embraer are also developing autonomous electric air taxis.
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Wisk was formed in 2019 as a joint venture between Boeing and Kitty Hawk Corporation. The latter is an electric aircraft maker started by Sebastian Thrun and Google cofounder Larry Page.
In May 2021, Wisk signed its first deal to operate air taxis in the US. Wisk's 6th-gen eVTOL aircraft will be the first candidate for a certification of "an autonomous, all-electric, passenger-carrying aircraft in the US," according to the statement.
Competitors including Airbus and Embraer are also developing autonomous electric air taxis.
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🏫 Public education in the US is facing a crisis
Traditional public schools educate the vast majority of American children, but enrollment in traditional public schools fell to less than 49.4 million students in fall 2020, a 2.7 percent drop from a year earlier.
Last school year, the number of students who were chronically absent — meaning they have missed more than 10% of school days — nearly doubled from before the pandemic. There’s also been a measurable rise in gun violence. In 2021, there were at least 42 acts of gun violence on K-12 campuses during regular hours, the most during any year since at least 1999.
Many students and teachers say they are emotionally drained, and experts predict schools will be struggling with the fallout for years. Part of the challenge going forward is that the pandemic is not over. New variants are forcing schools again to make politically and educationally sensitive decisions about the balance between safety and normalcy.
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Traditional public schools educate the vast majority of American children, but enrollment in traditional public schools fell to less than 49.4 million students in fall 2020, a 2.7 percent drop from a year earlier.
Last school year, the number of students who were chronically absent — meaning they have missed more than 10% of school days — nearly doubled from before the pandemic. There’s also been a measurable rise in gun violence. In 2021, there were at least 42 acts of gun violence on K-12 campuses during regular hours, the most during any year since at least 1999.
Many students and teachers say they are emotionally drained, and experts predict schools will be struggling with the fallout for years. Part of the challenge going forward is that the pandemic is not over. New variants are forcing schools again to make politically and educationally sensitive decisions about the balance between safety and normalcy.
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🌨 Almost 5,000 US flights were canceled over the weekend as a winter storm pummeled the US East Coast
According to FlightAware, nearly 5,000 flights within, into or out of the United States in the region were canceled through Saturday and, as of 9 AM Sunday, East Coast hubs were the most affected. On Saturday alone over 3,500 US flights were canceled.
Delta, JetBlue and United issued waivers allowing travelers flying from multiple East Coast airports to rebook without paying any difference in fare.
It's been a miserable few weeks to be an airline traveler. Winter weather and Omicron surges left 20,000 US flights canceled over the busy holiday travel season. As travel picked up, vaccine-mandated staffing cuts also temporarily left airlines with fewer employees than before the pandemic.
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According to FlightAware, nearly 5,000 flights within, into or out of the United States in the region were canceled through Saturday and, as of 9 AM Sunday, East Coast hubs were the most affected. On Saturday alone over 3,500 US flights were canceled.
Delta, JetBlue and United issued waivers allowing travelers flying from multiple East Coast airports to rebook without paying any difference in fare.
It's been a miserable few weeks to be an airline traveler. Winter weather and Omicron surges left 20,000 US flights canceled over the busy holiday travel season. As travel picked up, vaccine-mandated staffing cuts also temporarily left airlines with fewer employees than before the pandemic.
Subscribe to @sputniknewsus
‼️ Biden Administration Reportedly Plans to Regulate Bitcoin, Alt Coins, and NFTs
An army of US regulators, including the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC), the Commodity Futures Trading Commission, and the Internal Revenue Service (IRS) are expected to coordinate efforts to start regulating the crypto market, which has so far operated with next to no restrictions or control. Washington will also reportedly coordinate these efforts with foreign governments.
The introduction of cryptomarket regulation is bound to create additional income for the country through targeted taxation, as well as new fines and levies. This revenue may be significant considering how much money moves through this market.
The United States is not the only country working on regulating cryptocurrency in its territory. Last year, China banned all operations with digital assets in its territory, including crypto-currency mining. Russia is still considering options for regulating the market.
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An army of US regulators, including the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC), the Commodity Futures Trading Commission, and the Internal Revenue Service (IRS) are expected to coordinate efforts to start regulating the crypto market, which has so far operated with next to no restrictions or control. Washington will also reportedly coordinate these efforts with foreign governments.
The introduction of cryptomarket regulation is bound to create additional income for the country through targeted taxation, as well as new fines and levies. This revenue may be significant considering how much money moves through this market.
The United States is not the only country working on regulating cryptocurrency in its territory. Last year, China banned all operations with digital assets in its territory, including crypto-currency mining. Russia is still considering options for regulating the market.
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🇺🇸 Trump teases 2024 presidential run, and a pardon for Jan. 6 Capitol rioters
The former one-term US president, Donald Trump, suggested that he would mount a presidential run in 2024 and, if successful, would weigh pardoning those charged and sentenced in the deadly Jan. 6 Capitol riot.
“If I run, and if I win, we will treat those people from Jan. 6 fairly,” Trump suggested at a Saturday rally in Conroe, Texas. “And if it requires pardons, we will give them pardons,” he said, adding, “because they are being treated so unfairly.”
The US Department of Justice has charged over 700 people in the riot that saw at least five people killed, including a police officer.
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The former one-term US president, Donald Trump, suggested that he would mount a presidential run in 2024 and, if successful, would weigh pardoning those charged and sentenced in the deadly Jan. 6 Capitol riot.
“If I run, and if I win, we will treat those people from Jan. 6 fairly,” Trump suggested at a Saturday rally in Conroe, Texas. “And if it requires pardons, we will give them pardons,” he said, adding, “because they are being treated so unfairly.”
The US Department of Justice has charged over 700 people in the riot that saw at least five people killed, including a police officer.
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📸: A woman jumped from an unknown floor of a 60-floor building in New York City. She was reportedly found dead on the street. Subscribe to @sputniknewsus
❗️ A woman who jumped from the 60-storey Orion building in New York City on Sunday turned out to be Chelsie Kryst, a 30-year-old former Miss USA.
A family statement issued on Sunday confirmed the death of Kryst, a former Miss North Carolina who went on to win the national noscript in 2019.
Kryst was alone at the time she leaped from the building, according to authorities. She was last seen on the building's 29th floor terrace.
Authorities have yet to identify a motive for her death. No note was left at the scene, police claim.
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A family statement issued on Sunday confirmed the death of Kryst, a former Miss North Carolina who went on to win the national noscript in 2019.
Kryst was alone at the time she leaped from the building, according to authorities. She was last seen on the building's 29th floor terrace.
Authorities have yet to identify a motive for her death. No note was left at the scene, police claim.
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⚡️ Blinken and Lavrov will hold a telephone talk on Tuesday, Russian MFA spokeswoman Zakharova confirms, adding that there will be no offline meeting
Check out some news you may have missed:
🔹 Spotify says it will be adding a content advisory to any podcast episode that discusses COVID-19.
🔹 A Tennessee family of three that went missing nearly two weeks ago was found dead in their truck that had fallen into a ravine in Williamson County.
🔹 California police are investigating two car bombings that occurred near Sacramento State University within a week of each other, KTVU has reported.
🔹 The iconic graphic novel about the Holocaust "Maus" has become a No 1 bestseller on Amazon after it was banned in a Tennessee school for "inappropriate language" and nude images.
Subscribe to @sputniknewsus
🔹 Spotify says it will be adding a content advisory to any podcast episode that discusses COVID-19.
🔹 A Tennessee family of three that went missing nearly two weeks ago was found dead in their truck that had fallen into a ravine in Williamson County.
🔹 California police are investigating two car bombings that occurred near Sacramento State University within a week of each other, KTVU has reported.
🔹 The iconic graphic novel about the Holocaust "Maus" has become a No 1 bestseller on Amazon after it was banned in a Tennessee school for "inappropriate language" and nude images.
Subscribe to @sputniknewsus
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💰❌ A Florida teen has rejected $5,000 from Elon Musk to delete a Twitter account that tracks Musk’s private jet.
19-year-old Jack Sweeney runs the account ElonJet, where a bot developed by the teen monitors the billionaire’s flights. The account has more than 200,000 followers.
📌 Elon Musk reportedly first wrote to Sweeney in November asking him to take ElonJet down due to a “security risk”.
📌 He later offered the young man $5,000 to help prevent “crazy people” from tracking his flights — but Sweeney, in turn, demanded $50,000.
📌 The teenager eventually gave Musk technical advice on how to counter the tracking programs, CNN Business reported. The outlet stressed, however, that Sweeney is still able to track Musk’s flights.
“It's just a bit more complicated”, it quoted him as saying.
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19-year-old Jack Sweeney runs the account ElonJet, where a bot developed by the teen monitors the billionaire’s flights. The account has more than 200,000 followers.
📌 Elon Musk reportedly first wrote to Sweeney in November asking him to take ElonJet down due to a “security risk”.
📌 He later offered the young man $5,000 to help prevent “crazy people” from tracking his flights — but Sweeney, in turn, demanded $50,000.
📌 The teenager eventually gave Musk technical advice on how to counter the tracking programs, CNN Business reported. The outlet stressed, however, that Sweeney is still able to track Musk’s flights.
“It's just a bit more complicated”, it quoted him as saying.
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📹: Sputnik comes live from New York, as the UN Security Council holds a meeting on the situation in Ukraine.
Watch LIVE on our website and subscribe to @sputniknewsus
Watch LIVE on our website and subscribe to @sputniknewsus
⚡️ UN Security Council must address risks of Russia's 'aggressive' behaviour, says US envoy
👮 US authorities are probing bomb threats at six historically black colleges and universities (HBCUs), according to a CNN report.
The institutions, including Howard University and Bowie State University, received bomb threats on Monday morning, the report said, citing campus spokespeople and social media statements.
Three of the educational institutions, again including Howard University, were also the target of bomb threats earlier in January.
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The institutions, including Howard University and Bowie State University, received bomb threats on Monday morning, the report said, citing campus spokespeople and social media statements.
Three of the educational institutions, again including Howard University, were also the target of bomb threats earlier in January.
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💔 A California mother of five died after falling from a party bus in downtown LA, media outlets have reported.
Heather Garcia was celebrating her niece’s birthday on Saturday, as well as her own - the woman would have turned 30 on Monday.
At approximately 3 a.m., Garcia was dancing on the party bus when she suddenly fell onto the 101 Freeway and was hit by an oncoming vehicle. She was pronounced dead at the scene.
"It's just something that is a nightmare... that doesn't happen. It should not happen", said Garcia’s husband Rafael Corral, with whom they shared five children aged 1 to 10.
A GoFundMe campaign has been set up to help the family.
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Heather Garcia was celebrating her niece’s birthday on Saturday, as well as her own - the woman would have turned 30 on Monday.
At approximately 3 a.m., Garcia was dancing on the party bus when she suddenly fell onto the 101 Freeway and was hit by an oncoming vehicle. She was pronounced dead at the scene.
"It's just something that is a nightmare... that doesn't happen. It should not happen", said Garcia’s husband Rafael Corral, with whom they shared five children aged 1 to 10.
A GoFundMe campaign has been set up to help the family.
Subscribe to @sputniknewsus
Forwarded from Sputnik
⚡️🇺🇸🇷🇺 The United States has developed a specific sanctions package that will target Russian elites and their family members in response to any Ukraine incursion, the White House said.