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How cinnamon, nutmeg and ginger became the scents of winter holidays, far from their tropical origins

Regardless of how you celebrate end-of-year holidays, food is probably central to your winter festivities. And a trio of spices – cinnamon, nutmeg and ginger – feature in many dishes and drinks and are an unmistakable part of the scent profile we associate with the holiday season.

As a plant scientist, I was curious to know how ...Read more

Lezlie Sterling/The Sacramento Bee/TNS

Environmental groups challenge update to California's low-carbon transportation rules

SACRAMENTO, Calif. — A coalition of environmental groups challenged California’s leading climate regulator Wednesday, alleging that a recent update to a leading climate program will create additional pollution in the state’s San Joaquin Valley.

Their lawsuit filed in Fresno county superior court calls on the California Air Resources Board...Read more

Federal protection for monarch butterflies could help or harm this iconic species, depending on how it’s carried out

Monarch butterflies are among the most beloved insects in North America. They are brightly colored and unique, both as caterpillars and later as mature insects. Monarchs are found in every U.S. state except Alaska, so nearly everyone has seen a monarch flutter by on a warm day.

During their incredible yearly migration, monarchs travel...Read more

Handout/Centers for Disease Control and Prevention/TNS

Doctors identify 'alarming' new strain of drug-resistant bacteria in Los Angeles

LOS ANGELES — Three men sought help at clinics or emergency rooms in Los Angeles County over a three-month period this year, each reporting severe diarrhea and a recent history of sexual contact with other men.

Stool cultures revealed that all three were infected with Shigella sonnei, a strain of Shigella bacteria that is resistant to five of...Read more

Daniel A. Varela/Miami Herald/TNS

More construction, maybe less solar. South Florida's climate action plan under Trump

MIAMI — Monroe County has seven projects underway to elevate roads in the Florida Keys, keeping them dry even as rising sea levels threaten to leave them permanently underwater.

In a presentation this week, Chief Resilience Officer Rhonda Haag reported that five years ago, the county had no plans in motion to raise roads, even as residents ...Read more

JOSEPH PREZIOSO/Getty Images North America/TNS

Two endangered right whales spotted caught in fishing gear off of Nantucket

One of the critically endangered North Atlantic right whales is expected to die after becoming entangled in fishing gear near Nantucket along with a second whale, the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration said.

“North Atlantic right whales continue to be entangled at levels that could push this critically endangered species to ...Read more

Jerry Jackson/Baltimore Sun/TNS

Maryland sues W.L. Gore, citing decades of PFAS pollution from 13 Elkton-area sites

BALTIMORE — Maryland officials have filed suit against W.L. Gore & Associates, the manufacturer of Gore-Tex, alleging that at least 13 of the company’s 14 facilities in Cecil County have contaminated the environment, including soil, air and groundwater, with “forever chemicals” for some 50 years.

Maryland’s lawsuit, filed Wednesday in...Read more

Robert Timmons/Minnesota Star Tribune/TNS

Federal government to expand Superior National Forest, buy 6,200 acres in northern Minnesota

MINNEAPOLIS — The U.S. Forest Service will buy more than 6,200 acres of land in St. Louis County, in a deal aimed at expanding the Superior National Forest and improving the management of wildlife habitat, officials announced Wednesday.

It’s likely the first of several moves after long discussions over ownership of significant parcels ...Read more

nysm.nysed.gov/TNS

Complete mastodon jaw unearthed in upstate NY backyard

Archaeologists have unearthed a complete mastodon jaw along with additional bone fragments in the backyard of an Upstate New York home, officials announced Tuesday.

The “stunning prehistoric find” came after a homeowner in Scotchtown, some 65 miles northwest of Midtown Manhattan, found “two unusual teeth concealed by plant fronds” on ...Read more

Best Buy/TNS

Santa's little AI helper: Retailers like Best Buy, Target offer last-minute shoppers a new option

Say your nephew needs a Christmas present and you vaguely know what he’s into these days. A new Gift Finder feature on the Best Buy app lets users ask questions like, “What can I get for a 10-year-old who loves Minecraft?”

The artificial intelligence-powered chatbot responds with a list of products like the latest versions of the game, ...Read more

Startup aims to use rails, not power lines, to transport renewable energy; Colorado may host pilot project

Freight trains criss-crossing the country carry cars of coal and tanks of oil and natural gas to power plants to help keep the nation’s electric grid going. Could freight trains haul electrons generated by renewable energy sources for the same purpose?

That was a question that Christopher Smith, who has an extensive background in the ...Read more

Tech review: Last minute gift ideas with something for everyone

Christmas is approaching fast, but you still have time to grab a gift for the techies in your life.

Today we have a grab bag of items. I’ve been personally testing these, and I can assure you they will be well received.

As usual, I’m going to be including list pricing, but you may find the items on sale when you visit their websites.

...Read more

Sound Advice: Last-minute stocking stuffer ideas and CD player bargain

Here are three last-minute stocking stuffers under $30 to round out this year's holiday gift coverage.

Muzen OTR Magnetic Speaker, $21.99: This tiny, thin retro-styled Bluetooth speaker is a 3D refrigerator magnet. It reinforces the sound using the surface it is mounted on, and owners are attaching them to refrigerators, washing machines and ...Read more

San Diego is relaxing its no-gas rule for new city buildings. To environmentalists, it's 'a giant loophole'

SAN DIEGO — Local environmentalists are criticizing San Diego for retreating on a 2-year-old policy that requires all new and significantly renovated city buildings to rely entirely on electricity instead of gas.

The policy, which aims to fight climate change by reducing greenhouse gas emissions, had been mandatory until the City Council ...Read more

Handout/SteelSeries/TNS

Review: Arctis GameBuds are close to the ideal daily driver for gamers

Ever since I reviewed the Turtle Beach Ear Force PX5, I had a vision of my perfect gaming headset. It would have many of the same features of that pioneering device but in a form factor that works fine outside the living room. I could wear it on a run and then take it with me to the office. When I return home, this headset could handle games ...Read more

Apple/Apple/TNS

Jim Rossman: Don’t be afraid to enable Apple’s Advanced Data Protection

This week a reader asks, “I would like to know if I should turn on Advanced Data Protection on my iPhone 16Pro? Seems like a lot of ‘scary’ steps so would appreciate your input.”

I like the reader’s take on this – turning on Advanced Data Protection means you are asking Apple to encrypt your iCloud data from end to end. You’ll ...Read more

Gieson Cacho/Bay Area News Group/TNS

How to upgrade to the Hyte Y70 PC case

I’ve spent an absurd amount of time and money on my gaming rig. I originally built a custom liquid-cooled PC during the pandemic and enjoyed the outstanding performance, quiet acoustics and the beautiful look of the machine. Unfortunately, it didn’t last. Disaster struck and my PC sprung a leak, and after much panicking, I salvaged what I ...Read more

Jason Bump/TNS

Gadgets: Computer glasses to ease eye strain

We all do it. Some longer than others, but we can't escape staring at our digital devices for hours daily, often at very close range. Prolonged staring can result in digital eye strain. Gunnar Optiks computer glasses, which come in a variety of styles, are a solution for eye strain.

If you're not familiar with computer glasses, they can be ...Read more

Corsair/Corsair/TNS

Corsair upgrades high-end gaming headset with Virtuoso Max Wireless

Corsair turned heads last year with its Virtuoso Pro, a new wired headset that featured 50mm graphene drivers. A year later, the tech company is back with an upgrade to the line called the Virtuoso Max Wireless. The set of cans still spotlights those drivers designed to impress with its audio fidelity, but the company made the latest model ...Read more

Kevin Dietsch/Getty Images North America/TNS

At House Science, Babin aims to boost commercial spaceflight

WASHINGTON — Rep. Brian Babin, likely the next chairman of the House Science, Space and Technology Committee, is an outspoken advocate for greater commercial access to space, a stance the incoming Trump administration appears poised to support.

Babin, R-Texas, a dentist before he was elected to Congress in 2014, also looks to retain a strong ...Read more