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Webb telescope spies evidence of hidden planets around nearby star

Published Wed, 25 Dec 2024 06:50:11 GMT

(CNN) — Astronomers used the James Webb Space Telescope to observe the first asteroid belt seen outside of our solar system and unveiled some cosmic surprises along the way.The space observatory focused on the warm dust that encircles Fomalhaut, a young, bright star located 25 light-years from Earth in the Piscis Austrinus constellation.The dusty disk around Fomalhaut was initially discovered in 1983 using NASA’s Infrared Astronomical Satellite. But the Webb researchers weren’t expecting to see three nested rings of dust extending out 14 billion miles (23 billion kilometers) from the star — or 150 times the distance of Earth from the sun.Webb’s new view revealed Fomalhaut’s two inner belts for the first time, which didn’t appear in previous images taken by the Hubble Space Telescope or other observatories.The detailed image of the dust belts, captured in infrared light that is invisible to the human eye, showed that the structures are more complex...

Twitter is adding calls and encrypted messaging

Published Wed, 25 Dec 2024 06:50:11 GMT

(CNN) — Twitter is adding encrypted messaging to the platform Wednesday, and calls will follow shortly, CEO Elon Musk tweeted late Tuesday.“Release of encrypted DMs [direct messages] V1.0 should happen tomorrow. This will grow in sophistication rapidly. The acid test is that I could not see your DMs even if there was a gun to my head,” he said.“Coming soon will be voice and video chat from your handle to anyone on this platform, so you can talk to people anywhere in the world without giving them your phone number.”The move comes as Musk, who took control of Twitter six months ago, looks for ways to return the platform to growth. Its future looks increasingly uncertain in the face of dwindling advertising revenue and increased competition from rivals such as Mastodon and BlueSky, developed by Twitter co-founder and former CEO Jack Dorsey.Adding calls and encrypted messaging could allow Twitter to compete with Mark Zuckerberg’s Meta, which owns Face...

DeSantis takes steps to again send migrants to Democratic-led cities

Published Wed, 25 Dec 2024 06:50:11 GMT

(CNN) — Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis is taking steps to once again send migrants to Democratic-led cities as an affront to the Biden administration’s immigration policies, joining other Republican governors who have bussed people north.Florida has selected multiple companies to execute the next phase of DeSantis’ migrant relocation program, according to a source familiar with the process, setting in motion plans to transport migrants to other cities just as he did last year.The new contracts come as the Biden administration grapples with an influx of migrants at the US-Mexico border in anticipation of a Covid-era border restriction, known as Title 42, expiring this week. And it sets up DeSantis to once again thrust himself into the country’s fierce immigration debate just as he is expected to launch a 2024 presidential campaign.In a statement to CNN, Florida Division of Emergency Management spokeswoman Alecia Collins confirmed the state had “selected multi...

Ex-Tory MP kicked out for making vaccine-Holocaust link joins anti-woke party

Published Wed, 25 Dec 2024 06:50:11 GMT

LONDON — Andrew Bridgen, the former Conservative MP who was booted out of the party for likening the COVID-19 vaccine to the Holocaust, is joining a political party set up by a controversial anti-woke actor.Speaking at an event in Westminster on Wednesday, Bridgen confirmed he was switching to Laurence Fox’s Reclaim Party — and hit out what he called the “chasm” between politicians and the people.Reclaim, he said, respects “free speech as the basis for every aspect of our democracy and our society.”Bridgen represented the Tories as the MP for North West Leicestershire from 2010 until earlier this year.He was expelled from the Conservatives last month after using Twitter to share a link to a vaccine-related article on far-right blog ZeroHedge, accompanied by a claim that coronavirus jabs represented “the biggest crime against humanity since the holocaust.”In a statement announcing his switch Wednesday, Bridgen said he would cross the floor of the H...

Wagner chief: We’ll rip out Macron’s teeth

Published Wed, 25 Dec 2024 06:50:11 GMT

Yevgeny Prigozhin is fuming — again. This time he was triggered by the French parliament designating his Wagner Group of mercenaries as a terrorist organization — and on Wednesday he threatened French President Emmanuel Macron directly. Responding to a question from Russian journalists, Prigozhin claimed that Wagner was saving people in Central Africa — where Wagner has gained a strong foothold and squeezed France’s presence in the region — from French soldiers, who “simply mocked them.”“We can pull out rotten teeth from those bad mouths with pliers,” Prigozhin added. “We can pull out Macron’s teeth and, generally, everyone’s teeth who spill pathogenic filth (about Wagner).”On Tuesday, French lawmakers called on the EU to register Wagner on the bloc’s list of terrorist groups and enforce more legal tools to make Wagner’s financial activity in Europe impossible. The EU sanctioned Prigozhin himself in A...

2 hospitalized following double shooting in Dorchester

Published Wed, 25 Dec 2024 06:50:11 GMT

Two people are hospitalized following a double shooting in Dorchester early Wednesday morning, according to police.Emergency crews arrived on scene outside the Dublin House just before 12:30 a.m. It was one of two incidents that took place a quarter mile apart. The entire area outside the Dublin House was taped off in the early hours. Investigators appeared to be focusing on a red car outside the bar on the corner of Columbia Road and Stoughton Street. The two people who were injured are expected to survive. At the same time, investigators blocked off Humphrey Street just down the road. A lot of crime scene tape could be seen stretched across the road.Officers were walking the scene with flashlights and brought in at least one canine. It is unclear if these two incidents are connected.This is a developing story; stay with 7NEWS on-air and online for the latest updates.

2 Rhode Island men arrested in connection with murder of a pregnant woman from Brockton

Published Wed, 25 Dec 2024 06:50:11 GMT

Two Rhode Island men have been arrested in the killing of a pregnant woman from Brockton whose body was found in Carbuncle Pond in Coventry, according to police. The body of 34-year-old Leila Patricia Duarte Da Luz was found in the pond on Dec. 1. Investigators found that she had several lacerations to her head and determined that her death was suspicious. The following day, the Rhode Island Medical Examiner’s Office confirmed that it was a homicide.Police say Gary R. Gromkiewicz, 35, of Lincoln, RI, is charged with murder and conspiracy to commit murder. He is being held at Rhode Island State Police headquarters until his arraignment on Wednesday at the Kent County Courthouse. Gromkiewicz, who officials say is the father of Leila Duarte Da Luz’s unborn baby, was on probation from a 2015 felony assault with a deadly weapon conviction. The second suspect is 46-year-old Michael P. Lambert of Pawtucket, RI, a known associate of Gary Gromkiewicz. Lambert is charged with murder and consp...

Warmth Ahead

Published Wed, 25 Dec 2024 06:50:11 GMT

After a bit of a chill outside this morning, temps bounce and bounce quickly as we go from widespread mid to upper 30s this morning to the lower 70s this afternoon. Abundant sunshine wins out too with clear skies stretching across much of New England. Humidity remains low and the breezes fairly light, allowing for a picture perfect afternoon to get outside. Great for the golf course and ball fields. UV index is high, so if you’re out getting some yardwork done or on the golf course around midday, sunscreen is a good idea. The numbers continue to go up tomorrow as highs run near 80 degrees and push back to the lower 80s for Friday and Saturday as well. Most of the time remains rain-free too, although a few spot showers/storms are possible from time to time, with about 20-30% of us catching a passing shower or storm. A cold front slides through Saturday evening, allowing for a cool down on Sunday. With that said, it won’t be all that cold as highs still run in the mid 60s ...

Five things to know about the Ravens’ 2023 schedule release

Published Wed, 25 Dec 2024 06:50:11 GMT

The NFL offseason never truly sleeps, and Thursday night will feature one of the league’s annual traditions: the release of the regular-season schedule.Some games will be revealed before then, however. Ahead of the unveiling of the full slate of games at 8 p.m., the NFL will announce its five international games and new Black Friday tilt on Wednesday and what it calls “select” individual games on Wednesday and Thursday morning.ESPN will also have a two-hour show highlighting the “Monday Night Football” schedule, with ESPN+ airing a separate schedule release special at the same time. “NFL Live” will also reveal a Monday night game at 4 p.m. on ESPN.As for the Ravens, after eight games at M&T Bank Stadium last season, they’ll get nine home games and eight away games in 2023. Aside from the usual divisional matchups, they’ll play games against teams from the AFC South, East and West and NFC West and North.With the Ravens’ ...

Some white sharks are already migrating north: When will most great whites move toward Cape Cod?

Published Wed, 25 Dec 2024 06:50:11 GMT

It’s already that time of year when some great white sharks are making their move north in the direction of Cape Cod for the summer and fall.As a few tagged white sharks migrate north early, with one 9-foot male off the Long Island coast, it begs the question: When do researchers expect most of the apex predators to move toward the Cape?The average start date for the Atlantic great white sharks’ northward push is May 15 — which is next Monday.“The typical time when these sharks stage their move north is May 15,” OCEARCH Chief Scientist Bob Hueter told the Herald on Tuesday.“As the water temperature starts warming past 60 degrees, then these animals will march north,” he added. “Sharks also use daylight. As days get longer, they will become more active and move farther to the north.”Some great whites have already launched their northward migration. According to the OCEARCH shark tracker, the 9-foot male shark named Simon was recen...