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Yesterday — 19 September 2024Main stream

Project 2025 would ‘essentially eviscerate EPA,’ former staff warn

19 September 2024 at 18:07
A flag with the EPA logo outside of the agency’s building in Washington, DC.
The United States Environmental Protection Agency building is seen on August 21st in Washington, DC. | Photo by Tierney L. Cross / Getty Images

Implementing Project 2025, the conservative manifesto written by ex-Trump officials, could have serious repercussions on public health, former Environmental Protection Agency employees warn.

Air quality protections issued over the past four years are supposed to cut down pollution and associated health risks, preventing premature deaths and hospital visits for years to come. A group called the Environmental Protection Network (EPN), created by hundreds of former EPA employees during an exodus of scientists from the agency under the Trump administration, counted up the benefits in a recent report.

But that outcome isn’t guaranteed. Many of the policies recently enacted under the Biden administration could be in jeopardy if Donald Trump...

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Before yesterdayMain stream

Meta extends its Ray-Ban smart glasses deal beyond 2030

17 September 2024 at 19:01
A person wearing Ray-Ban Meta Smart Glasses on a busy street.
Photo by Amelia Holowaty Krales / The Verge

Meta and eyewear conglomerate EssilorLuxottica plan to work together on smart glasses “into the next decade.” The two announced a long-term agreement today to extend a partnership that started in 2019 and has yielded two generations of Ray-Ban smart glasses.

So far, the collaboration has helped Meta make smart glasses that stand out for their style. It looks like Meta wants to keep that trend going with its next generations of frames. Aside from Ray-Ban, EssilorLuxottica also owns Oakley and has licensing agreements with luxury brands, including Versace, Prada, Chanel, and others.

“I’m excited about our long term roadmap ahead. We have the opportunity...

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New image of Titan submersible wreck released by US Coast Guard

17 September 2024 at 17:29
A photo of a man wearing a suit speaking at a podium. Another man dressed in a uniform stands behind him.
U.S. Coast Guard Marine Board of Investigation Chair Mr. Jason Neubauer speaks at a press conference ahead of the Titan submersible hearing in North Charleston, South Carolina, on September 15th. | Photo: US Coast Guard

An eerie image of the sunken Titan submersible was made public this week by the US Coast Guard, which opened an investigation into the vessel’s demise.

The submersible was attempting to ferry tourists to the wreckage of the Titanic when it vanished on June 18th of last year. After days of scouring the Atlantic, the Coast Guard determined that the Titan had suffered a “catastrophic implosion.”

A remotely operated vehicle (ROV) discovered debris from the Titan on June 22nd, 2023, about 500 meters (1,640 feet) from the bow of the Titanic. The Coast Guard shared an ROV image of the Titan’s tail cone protruding from the seafloor as part of a...

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Can satellites spot wildfires before they grow out of control?

16 September 2024 at 15:00
An aerial image of a blackened lanscape behind a border of flames that is encroaching on more land.
Aerial image of a controlled burn. | Image: Google

A Google-backed initiative aims to prevent raging infernos by using satellites that can detect small fires before they grow out of control.

The goal is to launch a constellation of satellites called FireSat into low Earth orbit. It’s a collaboration between a newly founded nonprofit coalition called Earth Fire Alliance and the startup Muon Space, which designs and operates satellite networks. Google.org is funding the project, and Google’s research team is also helping to develop the technology to spot wildfires and monitor their growth from space.

Climate change is setting the stage for more monstrous wildfires...

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Keurig caught making ‘inaccurate’ recycling claims about its coffee pods

13 September 2024 at 19:05
Keurig
Photo by Smith Collection / Gado / Getty Images

Keurig made “inaccurate statements” about the recyclability of its single-use coffee pods, according to the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC). The company agreed to a cease and desist order and to pay a $1.5 million civil penalty to settle the charges.

It’s a helpful reminder that many corporate recycling claims can be misleading. Certain types of plastic are harder to recycle than others. Even if something is supposedly recyclable, it can end up in the trash if the type of plastic is not accepted by a municipal recycling program.

The charges against Keurig Dr Pepper Inc. stem from its 2019 and 2020 annual reports, which said that the company tested and “validate[d] that [K-Cup pods]...

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