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What California's wildflower bloom looks like from space

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 12:55:55 GMT

The extremely wet winter Southern California endured this year has been extraordinarily beneficial for plants, especially wildflowers.A superbloom, which occurs when mass amounts of wildflowers grow in a barren landscape, can be found across the Golden State for the 2023 spring season. The National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) released satellite images comparing an arid April 2022 desert in Carrizo Plain National Monument, located just west of Bakersfield, to a blooming one on April 6.The images were captured by NASA's Operational Land Imager-2 on Landsat 9.Satellite image shows a desert blooming in Carrizo Plain National Monument in Central California on April 6, 2023. (NASA)Satellite image shows a desert blooming in Carrizo Plain National Monument in Central California on April 6, 2023. (NASA)Los Angeles-based nonprofit, The Theodore Payne Foundation for Wild Flowers & Native Plants, described the natural phenomenon at Carrizo Plain during California's last...

Here are the 7 biggest revelations from the U.S. leaks so far

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 12:55:55 GMT

The biggest leak of classified documents in a decade created a sprawling crisis in Washington this week as records detail alleged U.S. spying on allies, insights into American thinking on the war in Ukraine and at least two neutral countries mulling plans to support Russia.Pentagon officials are still reviewing the documents for validity and the Justice Department is overseeing a criminal investigation of the leak. At least one of the documents containing casualty estimates appears to have been altered, but it’s unclear how many of the roughly 100 leaked records were manipulated.The documents have circulated online since March and possibly as early as January before picking up attention last week after a New York Times report.There may be more documents to come, but the leak has already done a lot of damage, forcing crucial U.S. allies to respond in what has become an arguably embarrassing incident for Washington.Here are the seven biggest revelations in the documents so far.Uk...

Presale Codes for Sting My Songs World Tour with Joe Sumner

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 12:55:55 GMT

Every step you take, every move you make — can get you revved up for the new leg of the Sting tour. The English rocker is extending his tour, dubbed the “My Songs World Tour” and is featuring special guest, his son Joe Sumner, bassist for the band Fiction Plane. The new leg of the tour will launch September 5 in Toronto, ON and wrap October 12 in Rogers, AR, and feature two dates here in Southern California, on October 4 in San Diego and October 7 in Los Angeles at the Hollywood Bowl — see below for all dates. Passwords and presale codes for the My Songs World Tour with Joe Sumner tickets are as follows:Presale codes for My Songs World Tour with Joe SumnerPresale tickets for My Songs World Tour with Joe Sumner go on sale today, April 12 and we’ve been told the following presale codes and passwords may work. Details are subject to change, and vary by event date:Fan club presale code or password: MYSONGSLive Nation website presale code or password: VINYLLive Nation m...

Power of Flowers: Arts Calendar April 13-19

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 12:55:55 GMT

Contemporary dance meets the power of flowers, the morning greets the forest, a counterculture legend greets their admirers; great authors talk about their poetry, prose, satire, and zines; an international gallery moves to Los Angeles, a dance film gets intimate and dark, a group show of contemporary Asian artists gets big and bright; plus an arts-minded variety show, gallery exhibitions featuring textile art, paintings by legends of progressive L.A. history, and a group show about storytelling, place, and memory.Clint Smith at Live Talks L.A.Thursday, April 13Live Talks LA presents Clint Smith in conversation with Safia Elhillo at William Turner Gallery. Clint Smith is that rare writer who has mastered both poetry and prose. Tonight he speaks about two of his books: the instant best-seller, How the Word is Passed: A Reckoning With the History of Slavery Across America, and his latest, Above Ground, in which he traverses the vast emotional terrain of new parenthood. Through his ref...

Howard Stern slams Kid Rock’s outrage over Dylan Mulvaney’s Bud Light ads: ‘Why is this hurtful?’

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 12:55:55 GMT

Howard Stern usually isn’t at the center of hot-topic conversations anymore, but the notorious shock jock has inserted himself into America’s culture war over LGBTQ visibility by challenging Kid Rock and other conservatives to explain why they are so incensed about transgender star Dylan Mulvaney’s partnership with Bud Light.During the Monday episode of SiriusXM’s “The Howard Stern Show,” the radio host said he was “dumbfounded” over the strong backlash aimed at Anheuser-Busch, which produces Bud Light, over Mulvaney, a transgender activist and social media star who boasts more than 10.8 million TikTok followers, Variety reported. Stern wondered if he was “missing” something.“I wish I could call Kid Rock and have him come on the show and just tell me, ‘Why are you so upset about this? How is it hurtful?’” Stern said. He said that gay or transgender people “don’t impact my life.”“I love when people are in love,” Stern ...

US inflation falls to lowest level since May 2021

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 12:55:55 GMT

Prices are moving in a more palatable direction for US consumers.Annual inflation, as measured by the Consumer Price Index, dropped in March for the ninth consecutive month. And for the first time since September 2020, grocery prices fell on a monthly basis.Prices rose 5% for the 12 months ended in March, down from 6% in February, the Bureau of Labor Statistics reported Wednesday. Annual CPI plunged to its lowest rate since May 2021, helped by year-over-year comparisons to a period when food and energy prices spiked amid Russia’s invasion of Ukraine.Still, CPI showed some cooling on a monthly basis. The index, which measures price changes over time for a basket of goods, ticked up 0.1% from February, as compared to a previous 0.4% increase.Shelter costs, which tend to reflect lagging data, were the largest contributor of the monthly gain, offsetting sharp declines across energy categories, according to the BLS.The food at home index dropped 0.3% for the month, helped by lower ...

New “entertainment district” can help transform downtown San Jose economy: developer

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 12:55:55 GMT

Downtown San Jose skyline, looking southwest, including (left to right) The Grad residential tower, 360 Residences, San Jose Marriott hotel, The 88 residential tower, Signia by Hilton San Jose hotel, 50 West office tower, Cathedral Basilica of St. Joseph and the Bank of Italy historic tower. (George Avalos/Bay Area News Group)SAN JOSE — A vibrant “entertainment district” could help revitalize and transform San Jose’s urban core and help revive the area’s economy as it attempts to recover from its coronavirus-induced maladies, a busy developer says.An array of entertainment venues are already active and operating in downtown San Jose, said developer Gary Dillabough, who has ventured into the city’s urban core with an array of real estate projects.“Downtown San Jose has over 25 exceptional venues and some of the best weather in the United States,” said Dillabough, co-founder and chief executive officer with Urban Community, a real e...

Overnight fire near I-80 in Berkeley causes closure of ramps at University Avenue

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 12:55:55 GMT

BERKELEY — An overnight fire caused on-ramps to Interstate 80 to be closed in both directions, the California Highway Patrol said.Fire crews from Berkeley put out the blaze after it was first reported about 2:05 a.m., according to the CHP.The fire required authorities to inspect the University Avenue on-ramp and areas near it for damage, according to the CHP.The on-ramp to eastbound I-80 remained closed at 8 a.m. The on-ramp to westbound I-80 opened about 6:05 a.m. The CHP was providing traffic control.This is a developing story. Check back for updates.Related ArticlesCrashes and Disasters | Fire at Oakland homeless camp shuts down freeway on-ramp

Bystanders intervene as 80-year-old man is sexually assaulted at Michigan rest stop

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 12:55:55 GMT

Police said an 80-year-old Melvindale resident was sexually assaulted by a man at the Michigan Welcome Center on northbound I-75 in Monroe Township.Monroe County Sheriff Troy Goodnough said the incident occurred at about 2:29 p.m. on April 10.The Monroe County Central Dispatch received reports of a man grabbing several males by the genitals in the bathroom at the Welcome Center before physically attacking and sexually assaulting the Melvindale man in the lobby and dragging him into the bathroom.Witnesses and bystanders intervened and the suspect, a 32-year-old Detroit man, fled the Welcome Center on foot, crossing the northbound travel lanes of I-75 to a vehicle parked on the southbound median shoulder.Multiple deputies were dispatched to the scene.The first deputy to arrive located the suspect, who was in a silver Chevrolet Impala.The suspect fled southbound and the deputy pursued him.An Erie Township police officer joined the pursuit.The vehicle pursuit continued southbound and cr...

California snowmelt forecast highlights flood risk

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 12:55:55 GMT

This winter's massive Sierra Nevada snowpack could lead to devastating floods, particularly in the San Joaquin Valley and Tulare Lake Basin, as spring and summer snowmelt volumes pick up speed with the arrival of warm weather and sunshine, according to state water prognosticators. In its April to July snowmelt forecast, the California Department of Water Resources is predicting river systems up and down the state will receive volumes of water well above average, sometimes dramatically so. ‘Death of Downtown’ study: San Francisco ranks last The large amount of water isn't unexpected given the incredibly wet winter conditions and dam operators, water system managers, flood control districts and emergency response officials are working to coordinate how much water to move through the state's storage and delivery systems at specific times to capture as much as possible for urban, agricultural and environmental uses while also trying to reduce flood risks. "The main thing we...