The unbearable summer heat is here to stay, and it’s only going to get worse. “From Texas to Georgia, a number of areas have had streaks of triple digit temperatures in July and August,” CNN reports. “With little to no rain in more than a month, many Southern cities are desperate for relief.” In Dallas,…
This Oregon County Says No to Marijuana Businesses
Although the state of Oregon has fully legalized cannabis, one northeastern county isn’t allowing businesses to set up shop. The Umatilla County Board has voted unanimously 3-0 on Wednesday to keep marijuana shops out of the county, following voters’ wishes. This continues the moratorium on both medicinal marijuana dispensaries and all other cannabis businesses. That…
Fault Fire Extinguisher Leads to Eviction
Having a working fire extinguisher can be pretty important. After all, a study from the National Federation of Fire Equipment Distributors found that fire extinguishers successfully extinguished 12,505 fires of the 13,221 fire incidents reported — an incredible 95%. However, are they so important that they can lead to an eviction notice? Apparently, yes. Regina…
Could Your Daily Cup of Coffee Help Prevent Alzheimer’s?
Millions of Americans can now enjoy their morning cup of coffee for an even better reason: it might actually prevent memory loss and reduce one’s risk for Alzheimer’s disease, a new study has found. Researchers at the University of Bari Aldo Moro in Italy studied 1,445 people between the ages of 65 and 84 years…
Strong El Nino Predictions Point to Big Winter Storms
According to National Geographic, the conditions are right for a very strong El Niño this year, which could result in extreme weather. The Pacific Ocean is warmer than it usually is at this time of year, indicating that El Niño is already intensifying and could be the strongest that scientists have on record. In addition…
Want To Go To Coding Bootcamp? Now You Can Pay for It With Student Loans
Is it time for American students to start learning a second language fluently? Quite a few people would say “yes” — not to learn French or German, but to learn the universal coding languages of website developers everywhere. Even President Obama has expressed his approval and excitement over “coding bootcamps,” as Wired reported, because they…
New Legislation Aims To Keep Minors From Vaping
The E-cig, or vaping, industry has grown drastically in the last decade, and the statistics are astonishing. In 2015, the vaping market reported a $2.5 billion in sales that didn’t exist ten years ago. An estimated four million Americans are now vaping, and a reported 6,000 new vaping shops opened in the last year alone….
Buyer Beware: Former Meth Labs Poisoning Homeowners, Children
Around the country, police departments and public health officials are scrambling to deal with the aftereffects of methamphetamine production. Not only do impromptu meth labs act as magnets for criminal activity, but they often explode or leak dangerous chemical fumes. However, experts say the danger doesn’t end just because manufacturers move on or police shut…
Why Did Homeowners Insurance Rates Jump 9% in Massachusetts?
Is a bad winter to blame for homeowners insurance hikes in Massachusetts? That’s what homeowners and their insurance companies are saying after record-setting storms and snowfall left damage throughout the state. Massachusetts residents have now complained of a 9% rate increase on their homeowners policies, bringing the average cost of a policy in the state…
Cannabis Industry Drives Public Policy, Not Other Way Around, Say Experts
Legal marijuana is catching on, according to NPR, and that means that business is flourishing in the states that have legalized it for either recreational or medicinal use. Yet the industry isn’t being shaped by public policy so much as the other way around. Part of that growth stems from the revenue that marijuana businesses…