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"I felt it was time to do that. To protect my daughter and protect my president."" he said.
He said the incident taught him to be a "little more diligent" in watching what schools may be teaching children about politics, rather than reserving such lessons for parents.
Mysterious flashes of light that show up on satellite images of Earth's landmasses have puzzled researchers for a couple of years. Now, scientists have finally pinpointed the culprit: ice crystals floating high above the planet's surface.
The finding could help refine ideas of how clouds regulate the Earth's temperature. And it could aid scientists looking for Earth-like exoplanets orbiting other stars. Glinting exoplanets may contain water and be “potential Earth twins”, says Tyler Robinson, a planetary scientist at the University of California, Santa ...
Alex Kostinski, a physicist at Michigan Technological University in Houghton, and his colleagues solved the mystery using images from an instrument on board the Deep Space Climate Observatory (DSCOVR). The satellite launched in 2015 and is parked 1.5 million kilometres away from Earth.
These flashes, which researchers call glints, occur when sunlight bounces off a smooth, mirror-like surface such as a body of water or flat ice crystals in a cloud. These reflections only occur at specific latitudes, where the angle of light from the Sun to Earth matches that between Earth and the observing spacecraft.
Kostinski and his colleagues mapped out the latitudes at which glints could occur and the places where bright spots appeared over land on DSCOVR-produced images, and found that they matched. That suggested the flashes were glints and not lightning strikes or glitches in the instrument that produced the images.
That’s when the team turned to oxygen, which absorbs specific wavelengths of light as the rays travel through Earth’s atmosphere. Because glints coming from a body of water travel through more oxygen than glints from a cloud, the researchers could use the different wavelengths of light in the images to estimate where t...
The absorption from glints on the DSCOVR images matched that expected from reflections off an object 5–8 kilometres off the ground. This suggested that mirror-like ice crystals in mid to high-altitude clouds were behind the mysterious flashes of light.
Some of the flashes collected by a camera on DSCOVR were so bright that they temporarily overwhelmed the instrument’s sensors, even at 1.5 million kilometres away. “That’s a really strong signal,” says Mark Swain, an astrophysicist at the Jet Propulsion Laboratory in Pasadena, California.
“That’s super exciting,” he says, because it means these glints might be bright enough to detect if they appear on exoplanets. These flashes could be a marker that helps researchers determine whether an exoplanet has water or not.
These other worlds are so far away that any perceived glints would probably come from oceans or larger bodies of water, not from tiny ice crystals in the atmosphere, says Robinson. “The patch of the planet that has the ice cloud on it is likely going to be itsy-bitsy,” he says—unless a planet is covered in ice clouds.
Still, these results have got exoplanet researchers fired up. “What’s exciting to me is the potential for this effect with different materials other than water ice, and different types of exoplanet atmospheres,” says Swain. Then the effect could “be stronger and that might have ramifications for how we study exoplanets...
Olympus is about to launch a new, limited-edition version of the E-M5 Mark II.
The retro, high-end camera will be available in a titanium-tinted body that's reminiscent of the original Olympus OM series. It also comes with a OM-D-branded leather strap and a leather case for the card, the latter of which will have a number between 1 and 7,000 (as only 7,000 of these cameras will be made).
The E-M5 Mark II features a dustproof, splashproof, and freeze-proof magnesium alloy body. It also has a 5-axis image stabilisation system, 16.1-megapixel 4/3 Live MOS sensor, TruePic VII processor, ISO up to 25,600, a 2.36 million-dot Electronic Viewfinder, and a 3-inch 1,037K-dot swivel LCD touchscreen.
"For fans of landmark high-end cameras, the 1994 OM-3Ti is an all-time classic, and now collectors can acquire acontemporary homage to this titanium-clad SLR icon: a limited-edition version of its most recent OM-D descendant, the TIPA award-winning OM-D E-M5 Mark II," announced Olympus in a statement.
The new camera also boasts creative imaging options, an 81-point AF area, and a high-res shot option that supposedly enables resolution equivalent to a 40-megapixel sensor by merging eight shots into one JPEG using sensor shift.
The OM-D E-M5 Mark II Limited Edition will launch in June 2015. Pricing starts at £999.99 for the body and £1,349.99 for the lens kit, which comes with a M.Zuiko Digital Ed 14-150mm 1:4.0-5.6 II lens.
Check out the gallery above to see several press shots of the new camera.
When one 22-year-old was awarded $2,500 in financial aid by his school, he didn't put it toward pricey textbooks, a backpack, or even a new computer for writing papers. Instead, the young man basically said 'YOLO' and blew the entire thing on a romantic vacation with his girlfriend.
Brandon, 22, was given the financial aid check by his Los Angeles-area college to use for school supplies, but decided to find the cash for spring semester textbook some other way, instead spending the money 'like a boss' on a ten-day trip to Thailand to surprise his girlfriend of a few months.
He also brought along a camera to flaunt his spending, putting together a home movie of the couple checking off their bucket list dream of 'traveling the world with someone you love'.
'My girlfriend has never left the country before, and I know the one place she's always wanted to go. And I decided to a little something different with my financial aid,' Brandon, who is a full-time student and part-time Uber drive, says at the beginning of the video.
He then shows the camera an itinerary for a trip to Thailand, which Natalie, a 21-year-old waitress at a sports bar, doesn't know he's already booked for their Christmas break.
Time to share the good news, he walks into her bedroom, where she's standing in a towel. Natalie asks Brandon why he is wearing a GoPro, so he hands over the itinerary.
Realizing what she is holding, she asks him several times if he's serious, not quite believing that the papers are real. Finally, he tells her that they leave in ten days — and she drops the papers in surprise, her hands going to her mouth.
The scene then cuts forward to their trip, where Brandon is still wearing the GoPro — and capturing every bit of the fun.
The camera pans over pristine, crystal blue waters. His girlfriend lounges in an infinity pool, looking out over the beautiful landscape.
They're up for some adventure, too, writing a moped through the jungle where they drive past an elephant.
'You don't need months of planning for a trip, just a ticket and the will to leave,' Brandon explained on Instagram.
The incredibly romantic getaway also saw them bathing in waterfalls, kissing on cliffs, and finding secluded pools to swim in together.
Brandon, ever the doting boyfriend, even brought his girlfriend breakfast in bed before filming some gratuitous shots of her backside.
On Christmas Eve, they spent the night in bungalows before moving on to the picturesque Khao Sok National Park.
In Chiang Mai, they got another chance to interact with an elephant, giggling as it moved its trunk.
On New Year's, they followed the Thai tradition of releasing lanterns to let go of bad energy.
Brandon even managed to get some incredible aerial shots with his drone, filming his girlfriend from high up as she swims alone in a hotel pool.
'So many people told me not to bring my drone traveling,' he said, adding that he thinks it was an awesome decision.
Moving on from the islands and into the city, the camera shows them riding around in a tuk tuk, drinking beer, and trying new food in Bangkok. They enjoy the nightlife, visit Golden Mountain, and eat street food.
They also traveled to nearby Laos, meeting a little local boy on the way there who was amazed at their equipment.
'He was fascinated when we showed him our cameras and phone and started taking pictures of everybody,' Brandon said.
The group offers 2,500 tests in the city every year.
Finding a place to live in New York City is no easy task. Finding a building that accepts your beloved four-legged roommate can make the challenge feel nearly impossible.
But what if you could prove your pal is a good canine citizen?
The American Kennel Club offers a special test and Canine Good Citizen certification for dog owners to show they are well-trained and prepared for life in the big city. There is a nominal fee for the test.
To receive Canine Good Citizen status, dogs must prove they can walk without pulling on their leash, show they can sit and stay, as well as be handled by veterinarians and other important behaviors.
Burch said the test was unveiled more than 25 years ago, partly because of the hysteria over pitbulls being viewed as a dangerous breed.
“We wanted to show that all dogs, if they are trained and in the hands of responsible owners, can be good citizens,” she said.
Christine Longcore, a Brooklynite who started The Doberman Gang of NYC, said some dog owners need all the help they can get when trying to convince boards and management companies. Her Doberman named Lucy, is a lovable mush, despite the breed’s bad reputation as guard dogs.
She encourages her members to attend training sessions with their dogs and then take the Canine Good Citizen test.
Over the years, more than 889,000 dogs across the country have passed the test. American Kennel Club also offers Urban Canine Good Citizen for pooches who live in a city environment like New York.
According to the American Kennel Club, there are 75 approved instructors and evaluators in the city who conduct about 2,500 tests every year.
“We always meet dogs when we are filling apartments in a building as part of the process,” said Douglas Wagner, a licensed associate real estate broker with Bond New York Properties LLC.
Wagner said potential tenants or buyers who have the Canine Good Citizen certification can help make a good first impression.
A Brooklyn nanny was busted after she withdrew thousands from actress Mary-Louise Parker’s debit card for herself, law enforcement sources told the New York Daily News.
Amanda Hoston-St. Louis was supposed to use the 52-year-old’s debit card and PIN number to go shopping for the star’s children. However, the bank notified Parker about the recent massive withdrawal.
The publication added police arrested the 33-year-old on Monday and is charged with several counts of identity theft, grand larceny, and criminal possession of stolen property.
A criminal complaint accuses Hoston St. Louis of making two withdrawals since April, each totaling more than $3,000. However, sources insisted she’s been linked to more than $30,000 in transactions dating back to 2015.
Hoston-St. Louis was arraigned in Brooklyn Criminal Court Tuesday and released without bail.
Orlando International Airport rolled out plans last week for how it would like to mix air travel with high-speed rail. But how many of the world's major cities have big ground-transportation hubs that require the vast majority of local residents to drive out of their way to use it?
Orlando International Airport rolled out plans last week for how it would like to mix air travel with high-speed rail.
Renderings of a grandiose station with a bright, airy interior show how it would connect to the air terminal. The early blueprints call for the station to have its own parking, taxi and bus areas, baggage-claim carousels and even a hotel.
It would, as an airport consultant put it, be the "Grand Central Station" of Central Florida.
That's all fine and well, except for this: How many of the world's major cities have big ground-transportation hubs that require the vast majority of local residents to drive out of their way to use it?
We're planning to put our "Grand Central Station," for all practical purposes, in the ‘burbs.
This isn't about downtown Orlando being the epicenter of all development in Central Florida. It's about creating a rail system that will actually be used by the people who live here.
In January, Florida received $1.25 billion in federal stimulus dollars — about half the money it needs to build high-speed rail from downtown Tampa to Orlando International Airport, with stops along the way in Lakeland, Celebration near Walt Disney World, and the Orange County Convention Center.
The proposed route is an imperfect first step toward solving one of Florida's very serious challenges: Developing an effective, statewide mass-transit system.
There are lots of reasons why it would make more sense to connect the city centers of Tampa and Orlando, rather than steer our end of the route to the airport.
Even Nazih Haddad, who oversees passenger-rail development projects at the state Department of Transportation, concedes a stop in downtown Orlando would be a good thing.
"Would we get additional ridership, and would the project get some additional advantages, if it were able to go to downtown Orlando? Probably so, yes," he told me.
But plans now call for building the fast train's track on strips of vacant land alongside Interstate 4 between the two cities. And, by the time I-4 reaches downtown Orlando, there is no such space along the highway.
"The physical aspects are what led us, at the end of the day, to locate the station over at the airport," Haddad said.
He said the only way into downtown Orlando by rail is on the existing CSX freight tracks, which are to be converted for use by commuter trains by 2015. That route would present so many obstacles for the Tampa-to-Orlando train that it would be hard to call it "high speed" with a straight face.
State studies have concluded that the route from the airport to Tampa will still attract 2.2 million to 2.4 million riders a year, Haddad noted, even without the more than 2 million tourists that Disney transports each year on its free bus system between the airport and its resort.
Without a solid alternative for a high-speed stop closer to Orlando's city center, the route appears locked into a stop at the airport.
But even that sure thing has unanswered questions. For one, who's going to pay for this "Grand Central Station"? The airport has no idea; it's hoping state and federal officials will pick up the tab.
And it's anyone's guess when money will be available to connect the airport with SunRail, the planned commuter system that will run along the existing CSX tracks through the region's main population and business centers.
That kind of connectivity will be needed if the airport's proposed rail station is truly to be "grand."
Will JetBlue jobs land in Orlando?
Expect an announcement as early as today concerning one of Orlando's biggest economic-development blitzes in years: the city's play to lure JetBlue Airways' headquarters from New York City to Central Florida.
Sources say Orlando and the state put about $40 million worth of incentives on the table, hoping to nab as many as 800 jobs. New York officials submitted a counter offer, and the ensuing back-and-forth involved everyone from local business executives to members of both Florida's and New York's congressional delegations...
A spokesman for JetBlue said the company will make an announcement by the end of the month.
A cosmetic physician has settled the debate by revealing the age to start the “youthful” journey, admitting some are starting too young.
Anti-wrinkle injections are wildly popular in Australia — not just among women, but men too with both genders turning to injectables to begin their youthful journey.
Aussies forked out roughly $350 million for Botox procedures in 2017 alone, according to the Australasian College of Cosmetic Surgery (ACCS), and this year up to 100,000 are expected to undergo cosmetic procedures to look their best for the “party season” in the coming weeks.
But some people are taking to injections too young, according to Dr Phoebe Jones, who treats up to 3000 patients a year.
The Sydney-based cosmetic physician revealed that 27 is the age to start but many are undergoing the procedure in their early 20s.
She said while it is harmless to start early (if injected by a licenced physician), it is unnecessary and a waste of money as skin volume and thickness is already good.
The majority of Dr Jones’ patients are women (90 per cent) however men wanting the treatment was also increasing.
She said the age scenario is similar for men but the men she treats are usually between the ages of 35 to 65.
“Most are actually dragged in by their girlfriends or wives but gay men tend to be a bit more motivated than heterosexual men,” she said.
Dr Jones together with ACCS president Dr Irene Kushelew warns patients of the consequences of going to an untrained physician.
“There is a major misconception in Australia and around the world that Botox and dermal fillers are beauty treatments, in the same category as facials,” Dr Kushelew said.
“This has been heightened by the number of practitioners offering these services in casual settings like shopping malls, at the hairdressers, and even at informal ‘Botox parties’.
Dr Jones said many people don’t think about the safety aspect of things or whether they need to do it or not.
“I had one patient who was bored and got her lips done (which was a bad job) at another clinic and I had to dissolve them,” she said.
Dr Kushelew said practitioners’ skills and their training varies significantly.
“The public needs protection from untrained, inexperienced, ‘occasional’ practitioners offering cosmetic procedures who do not understand the high-risk areas of the face. Many practitioners undergo a one or two day training course only for cosmetic injectables — this is simply not adequate,” she said.
Dr Jones, a cosmetic practitioner of five years said Instagram was playing a big role in its soaring popularity, while explaining there are pros and cons to Botox.

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