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100-year-old ginkgo trees could get the axe under disputed plan for Tokyo’s Jingu Gaien park

Published Sun, 29 Dec 2024 12:37:27 GMT

TOKYO (AP) — Miho Nakashima stood in a two-piece bathing suit in Tokyo on Sunday next to a 100-year-old gingko tree, her body painted head-to-toe in green leaves and brown branches.Her message was clear, and she repeated it standing at the heart of the Jingu Gaien park area, its sanctity threatened by a disputed real-estate development plan“I’m a tree,” she said. “Don’t chop me down.”A plan approved earlier this year by Gov. Yuriko Koike would let developers, led by Mitsui Fudosan, build a pair of 200-meter (650-feet) skyscrapers in Jingu Gaien, mow down trees in one of Tokyo’s few green areas, and raze and rebuild a historic rugby venue and an adjoining baseball stadium.Takayuki Nakamura, among a few hundred who gathered on Sunday to protest, pressed his face into the bark of one tree and prayed. The area was set aside 100 years ago to honor Japan’s Meiji Emperor.“I want to appreciate the existence of these trees. Sometime I can feel some sounds inside,” he ...

Broncos backup QB Jarrett Stidham lets loose in preseason finale win over Los Angeles Rams

Published Sun, 29 Dec 2024 12:37:27 GMT

Even if Jarrett Stidham’s job as the Broncos’ backup quarterback wasn’t on the line, he sure played like it was Saturday night at Empower Field.Letting it fly throughout the first half of Denver’s 41-0 win over the Los Angeles Rams to wrap up the preseason, the fourth-year pro produced his best performance since signing with Denver in the offseason.Among the highlights was a 50-yard completion to rookie wide receiver Marvin Mims Jr. in the first quarter initially ruled a 75-yard touchdown — a play Stidham didn’t see because he got the wind knocked out of him.“I had no idea (what happened),” he said. “I was running down (the field) for the next play and saw the field goal team out there. I’m like ‘What are you guys doing?’”In the second quarter, Stidham launched the ball 49 yards down the field, hoping wide receiver Brandon Johnson was in the vicinity to make a play on the ball. Guess what? He was there to make the contested grab.Those two passes came after Stidham led th...

Dear Abby: She sat in our backyard and refused to join us for dinner

Published Sun, 29 Dec 2024 12:37:27 GMT

DEAR ABBY: How do I get my mother-in-law to stop dropping by without calling first?Related ArticlesAdvice | Dear Abby: I never thought the driver would be so stupid, but I was stuck with him Advice | Dear Abby: Do I owe an apology to the restaurant owner after this blow-up? Advice | Dear Abby: Was it illegal what she did with my brother’s body? Advice | Dear Abby: My husband says I ruin his fun at parties, but I’m mortified by what he does Advice | Dear Abby: I don’t want my daughter’s bully in my house, and her mother is no help My husband and I have been married for 26 years. Both of us have asked her nicely over the years to please call to make sure it’s a good time, rather than just drop by unannounced. She, however, blatantly ignores our wishes and continues to do it.Even when she discovers it’s a bad time, she blankly looks at us and has this “drop everythi...

Walters: Bay Area beginning to resemble chaotic Southern California

Published Sun, 29 Dec 2024 12:37:27 GMT

A prominent aspect of California’s evolution in the late 20th century and early 21st has been the economic and political dominance of the San Francisco Bay Area over more populous Southern California.From rough parity in the 1970s, the state’s two major regions diverted sharply.The Bay Area evolved into the global capital of high technology, creating immense wealth that propped up the state’s entire economy and provided enormous bounties of state tax revenue.Meanwhile, Southern California — particularly Los Angeles County — struggled to absorb millions of immigrants and fold them into an economy that sputtered when its aerospace industry virtually collapsed after the Cold War ended.The reasons for the regional disconnect are many, including factors beyond the ability of civic and political leaders to affect, such as the Cold War’s sudden conclusion.However, much of the dissonance is due to mega-policy decisions, such as SoCal’s betting on logistics as its growth industry...

Se forma un sistema tropical que podría amenazar la costa del golfo de México y Florida la próxima semana

Published Sun, 29 Dec 2024 12:37:27 GMT

(CNN) — La depresión tropical Diez se formó cerca de la península de Yucatán en el Caribe occidental, según el Centro Nacional de Huracanes, y podría convertirse este martes por la tarde en un huracán que tocaría tierra en Florida este miércoles.Se emitió una advertencia de tormenta tropical para Yucatán en México, desde Tulum hasta Río Lagartos, incluido Cozumel. También se emitió una alerta de tormenta tropical para el extremo occidental de Cuba en las provincias de Pinar del Río y la Isla de la Juventud.El sistema se está desarrollando a medida que lo que fue la tormenta tropical Franklin se fortaleció hasta convertirse en un huracán de categoría 1 en el Atlántico.Se espera que la depresión se convierta en tormenta tropical este domingo mientras serpentea por el Canal de Yucatán. El sistema comenzará a moverse este lunes hacia el norte, ingresando al golfo de México.Se espera que la tormenta se fortalezca aún más este lunes y martes a medida que el sistema cruce el golfo y ...

New York hosts Las Vegas following Plum’s 21-point game

Published Sun, 29 Dec 2024 12:37:27 GMT

Las Vegas Aces (30-5, 15-2 Western Conference) at New York Liberty (26-7, 14-3 Eastern Conference)New York; Monday, 7 p.m. EDTBOTTOM LINE: Las Vegas plays the New York Liberty after Kelsey Plum scored 21 points in the Aces’ 78-62 loss to the Washington Mystics.The Liberty are 12-4 in home games. New York leads the Eastern Conference with 88.2 points and is shooting 45.4%.The Aces are 14-4 on the road. Las Vegas has a 0-1 record in one-possession games.The teams meet for the fifth time this season. The Aces won 88-75 in the last matchup on Aug. 18.TOP PERFORMERS: Courtney Vandersloot is averaging 9.8 points and eight assists for the Liberty. Breanna Stewart is averaging 21.6 points over the last 10 games for New York.A’ja Wilson is scoring 22.0 points per game and averaging 9.5 rebounds for the Aces. Plum is averaging 3.0 made 3-pointers over the last 10 games for Las Vegas.LAST 10 GAMES: Liberty: 8-2, averaging 86.5 points, 39.0 rebounds, 23.7 assists, 6.2 steals and 4.6...

Desplome de helicóptero militar de EEUU deja al menos tres heridos

Published Sun, 29 Dec 2024 12:37:27 GMT

AUSTRALIA — Autoridades en Australia investigan el desplome de un helicóptero militar de Estados Unidos que dejó al menos tres soldados heridos el mediodía del Domingo.Según las Fuerzas Armadas de Australia, el incidente ocurrió alrededor de las 11:00 a.m. hora local cuando un helicóptero militar americano se estrelló cerca de la isla Melville en la costa de Australia.El accidente dejó al menos tres personas heridas, con una de ellas en condición crítica y dos en estable, destacaron las autoridades. Según Sky News Autralia, el helicóptero llevaba alrededor de 20 personas abordo, todas miembros del Cuerpo de Marines de los Estados Unidos.La Fuerzas Armadas de Australia destacaron que el accidente ocurrió justo cuando unos 2,500 soldados de Estados Unidos, Australia, Indonesia, Filipinas y Timor-Leste entrenaban en las cercanías. Los heridos fuero ntransportados por helicóptero a un hospital a 60 millas (100 km) de distancia. Source

MLB Notes: Revisiting the Mookie Betts trade, and all its ramifications

Published Sun, 29 Dec 2024 12:37:27 GMT

How much different would things be today if the Red Sox had never traded Mookie Betts?So much has changed that it’s impossible to know for sure, but for better or worse the decision forever altered the trajectories of two franchises and left a sour taste in the mouths of Red Sox fans that lingers to this day.Even after three and a half years there is still disagreement over the deal’s ultimate legacy. Was it a disaster for Boston or a difficult decision that was ultimately worth making? Was it a blunder of Ruthian proportions or a gamble that could eventually lay the foundation for the next great Red Sox contender?It’s a complicated question with no simple answer, but those who look at it through the lens of “Betts vs. No Betts” aren’t seeing the full picture.Let’s break it down.First, the background. The Red Sox traded Mookie Betts and right-hander David Price to the Dodgers in exchange for outfielder Alex Verdugo and prospects Jeter Downs ...

3 US Marines killed, 20 injured in an aircraft crash in Australia during a training exercise

Published Sun, 29 Dec 2024 12:37:27 GMT

CANBERRA, Australia (AP) — A United States Marine Corps aircraft crashed on a north Australian island Sunday, killing three Marines and injuring 20 during a multination training exercise, officials said.Three had been confirmed dead on Melville Island and five of the 23 on board were flown in serious condition 80 kilometers (50 miles) to the mainland city of Darwin for hospital treatment after the Bell Boeing V-22 Osprey tiltrotor aircraft crashed around 9:30 a.m. local time, a statement from the Marines said.“Recovery efforts are ongoing,” the statement said, adding the cause of the crash was under investigation.Helicopters and fixed-wing aircraft had been deployed to return from the remote location with the rest of the injured, Northern Territory Police Commissioner Michael Murphy said. One of the injured was undergoing surgery at the Royal Darwin Hospital, Northern Territory Chief Minister Natasha Fyles said around six hours after the crash..Some were critically injured and were ...

Teachers turn to AI to make workload more manageable, chart lesson plans

Published Sun, 29 Dec 2024 12:37:27 GMT

Jessica Reid has thought about quitting the career she’d dreamed of since childhood hundreds of times.Until recently, she was overwhelmed by her workload as an elementary school teacher— planning lessons for all subjects, creating behavioural support plans for students, grading, not to mention actual classroom time — while also raising three young kids of her own.But then Reid turned to artificial intelligence, joining droves of other teachers who say the technology keeps their workload manageable, especially as they chart the course for a new school year.“I really wanted to dedicate this summer to exploring some of these AI tools and how to help me in my planning and my administrative duties,” she said from her home in Muskoka, Ont.“Either I was sacrificing my family and using my evenings and weekends on hours and hours of planning, or I was dedicating more time to my family and … didn’t feel like I was doing my students justice,” she said....