JQJO — Latest news · Page 51

California’s aging dams, especially near the Bay Area, San Diego, and Los Angeles, pose a growing public safety risk as an El Niño winter threatens heavy rain.

An audit released Monday identified fifty‑seven dams in poor or unsatisfactory condition, up from previous counts, and highlighted forty high‑hazard structures that could endanger one‑and‑a‑half million people and cause more than two‑hundred‑fifty‑five billion dollars in damage.

Lawmakers granted enforcement powers in two thousand‑seventeen after the Oroville spillway failure, yet water managers have yet to exercise those powers, and owners often cannot afford necessary repairs. Funding for dam repair grants was slashed in two thousand‑twenty‑two, but a two‑thousand‑twenty‑four ballot proposition injected four‑hundred‑sixty‑four million dollars, supplemented by a Federal Emergency Management Agency grant of six hundred‑twenty‑nine thousand dollars this September.

Hilary Swank, fifty‑two, shared a playful Instagram video on Wednesday, revealing she is expecting her third child in December.

The Oscar‑winning actress, known for her role in "Million Dollar Baby," posted a clip of herself, husband Philip Schneider, and their three‑year‑old twins, Aya and Ohm, dancing with glow sticks. Swank’s caption hinted at a new project releasing in December, sparking fan excitement.

The announcement follows her 2023 twins’ birth and her earlier 2022 pregnancy reveal on "Good Morning America." Fans celebrated the news, praising her continued motherhood journey. Swank’s family‑centric post underscores her balance of career and expanding family life.

Kentucky’s measles outbreak has surged to one‑hundred‑fifty‑seven confirmed cases, the highest in decades, according to state health officials. The majority of infections cluster in Laurel County, where the count rose from seven to fifty‑six in a matter of days. Most patients are unvaccinated, with only one fully vaccinated individual and one with a single MMR dose.

Nine cases required hospitalization, yet no deaths have been reported. State health authorities, led by Dr. Steve Stack, are urging residents to receive the MMR vaccine to curb the spread.

The outbreak underscores the economic strain on local healthcare systems and the broader public‑health budget. Hospitals face increased costs for isolation protocols, testing, and treatment of complications. The surge also threatens to divert resources from other essential services, potentially impacting community health outcomes. Public officials emphasize that the resurgence is largely due to misinformation and vaccine hesitancy, calling

Stanford researchers discovered a technique that lets bleached corals recover after touching healthy fragments. In a lab setting, a dying coral fragment and a healthy one from the same animal were kept in contact for about one week, after which the former returned to full color within seven weeks.

The study, published in Science Advances, highlights the coral’s natural ability to heal when genetically identical tissues fuse, a process similar to successful human organ transplants. While the method shows promise, scientists caution that scaling it to restore entire reefs would require a healthy clone for every dying coral and continuous contact, which is currently impractical.

The research offers hope amid rising ocean temperatures driven by this year’s El Niño, which has pushed Pacific waters to near‑record highs. By understanding coral resilience, the study could inform future restoration strategies and support coastal communities that depend on reef

Kaley Cuoco, the celebrated actress known for her role in the long‑running sitcom The Big Bang Theory, has welcomed her second child, a daughter named Philomena Carmine Bobby, with her fiancé Tom Pelphrey.

The 40‑year‑old mother celebrated the arrival on Monday, three years after giving birth to daughter Matilda. Cuoco shared heartfelt Instagram posts, expressing gratitude for the journey that brought her family to its current completeness.

The couple, who began dating in 2022, announced their engagement in August 2024 and have been planning a wedding, though they humorously noted they might "go way out of order." The birth of Philomena marks another significant chapter in the actress’s personal life, adding to her public narrative of balancing career and motherhood. Cuoco’s journey from her first marriage to tennis star Ryan Sweeting in 2013 to her current partnership with Pelphrey illustrates a pattern of personal evolution

In the 2026 midterm elections, Democrats aim to regain control of the House, needing just three net seat gains for victory.

A majority would allow them to block presidential nominees for cabinet positions and freeze federal judge appointments, reshaping the judiciary. If both chambers fall under Democratic control, the party could launch investigations, shape legislation, and challenge the current administration’s policies.

The shift would also grant the party influence over committee leadership and the Speaker of the House, centralizing legislative power. Analysts note that such a realignment could alter the balance of power in Washington, affecting policy direction and federal appointments for years to come.

Ella Langley, the American country‑singer‑songwriter, has shattered Billboard records with her single “Choosin Texas.” The track has spent fifteen weeks at number one on the Hot 100, tying it for the fifth‑longest‑running leader on the Digital Song Sales chart.

Fans across the nation have embraced the song, making it a cultural touchstone for the genre. Langley’s success follows her debut studio album, *Hungover*, which produced chart‑topping hits like “You Look Like You Love Me.” Her rise illustrates how contemporary country music can blend traditional storytelling with modern pop sensibilities, resonating with a broad audience.

The record‑breaking run has positioned Langley as a leading figure in country music, inspiring emerging artists and expanding the genre’s mainstream appeal. As her popularity grows, industry stakeholders anticipate further commercial opportunities and cross‑genre collaborations.

YouTube, originally a video‑sharing platform, has evolved into the most visited streaming service in the United States, eclipsing traditional giants such as Netflix, Amazon Prime, HBO, and Disney+. Google’s acquisition of YouTube in 2006 laid the groundwork for its expansive content library, while the platform’s algorithmic recommendations have driven user engagement to record highs. In 2017, Disney announced it would end its distribution agreement with Netflix, signaling a shift toward proprietary streaming services and accelerating competition. By 2025, YouTube’s dominance was highlighted in industry analyses, noting its ability to monetize through advertising and subscription tiers.

The platform’s growth reflects broader trends in digital media consumption, with advertisers increasingly favoring YouTube’s targeted reach. As consumers continue to migrate from traditional cable to on‑demand services, YouTube’s position as the primary streaming destination underscores the changing landscape of entertainment and advertising revenue streams.

Archaeologists off Turkey’s coast uncovered the world’s oldest shipwreck, dating back between four thousand four hundred and four thousand seven hundred years.

The nearly thirty‑three‑foot vessel, a trade ship, carried olive oil or wine from the Jordan Valley toward the Mediterranean, possibly reaching Troy or Crete. Its preserved clay amphorae, identical to those found at the Giza pyramids, contain viscous residues that offer a rare glimpse into daily life of ancient seafarers.

The discovery, announced by Turkey’s Culture and Tourism Minister Mehmet Nuri Ersoy, replaces the previous record held by a Greek wreck dated to four thousand two hundred years ago. The find underscores the long‑standing commercial links across the eastern Mediterranean and highlights the importance of maritime archaeology for understanding early economic networks.

With three weeks left before election day, Los Angeles Mayor Karen Bass has adopted a strategy reminiscent of Louis XIV, asserting that the city’s political establishment prefers her over Democratic‑socialist challenger Nithya Raman. During Tuesday night’s debate, Bass repeatedly highlighted Raman’s perceived lack of readiness for prime time, citing council member Imelda Padilla’s criticism and claiming immigrant‑rights groups back her.

The mayor’s remarks, aimed at portraying herself as the stable choice, have instead amplified anger among voters who view her record as ineffective. As polls show Bass on the brink of defeat, the debate underscores a broader struggle between an entrenched establishment and a rising progressive contender.

The debate’s fallout has intensified scrutiny of Bass’s four‑year tenure, marked by accusations of inefficiency and disaster management failures. Raman’s supporters argue that a democratic‑socialist mayor could revitalize Los Angeles, a