No light display for Walnut Street Bridge for now
City leaders pull the project from this year’s budget, but will bring it back next year.
Buyer of this “ghost town” can own piece of the Wild West
The refurbished saloon in Cerro Gordo, California, a genuine “ghost town” for sale that was used by silver miners in the 19th century. Bishops Real Estate A “ghost town” established by silver miners in the 19th century is up for sale in California, and it can be yours for less than what a home typically costs in San Francisco. Founded…
A life cut short: Trying to understand suicide
A LIFE CUT SHORT by personal despair is a reality that’s happening with increasing frequency across our country. And the news of two celebrity suicides this past week only hints at the dimensions of this public health crisis. Our Cover Story is reported by Tony Dokoupil: She was the woman behind the handbags, her name a by-word for elegance, while…
What’s this maker of scary robot animals really up to?
BOSTON – It has never been clear whether robotics company Boston Dynamics is making killing machines, household helpers — or something else entirely. For nine years, the secretive firm, which got its start with U.S. military funding, has unnerved people around the world with YouTube videos of experimental robots resembling animal predators. In one, a life-size robotic wildcat sprints across…
Philippines leader defends onstage kiss: “We enjoyed it”
Philippines President Rodrigo Duterte kisses a Filipina woman during a live televised event in Seoul, South Korea. RAPPLER/YOUTUBE MANILA, Philippines — Philippine President Rodrigo Duterte brushed off claims of misogyny Wednesday after he kissed a Filipina woman on the lips onstage in Seoul — saying they had both “enjoyed it.” The 73-year-old grandfather had offered a free book in exchange…
Amazon yanks “smart” toy over security risks
That soft teddy bear seems harmless — until hackers can use it to spy on your kids. Amazon said it has pulled CloudPets, a smart toy that researchers said was riddled with security flaws, from its online store. Last week, Walmart and Target stopped selling the toy. Amazon began removing CloudPets on Tuesday morning. The decision comes a day after…
Amazon yanks “smart” toy over security risks
That soft teddy bear seems harmless — until hackers can use it to spy on your kids. Amazon said it has pulled CloudPets, a smart toy that researchers said was riddled with security flaws, from its online store. Last week, Walmart and Target stopped selling the toy. Amazon began removing CloudPets on Tuesday morning. The decision comes a day after…
Philippine leader draws fire for soliciting on-stage kiss
Philippines President Rodrigo Duterte kisses a Filipina woman during a live televised event in Seoul, South Korea. RAPPLER/YOUTUBE The often controversial leader of the Philippines, President Rodrigo Duterte, has again drawn condemnation for his treatment of women by kissing an overseas worker from his own country — on stage and in front of dozens of video cameras — during a…
Alternatives to straws that choke ocean life
Plastic straws are under attack. From a proposed ban by the European Union to efforts by individual towns and companies, the ubiquitous sipping tools are being targeted for littering beaches and ocean beds and harming animals. But the environmental effort comes in fits and starts. McDonald’s (MCD), for instance, recently moved its plastic straws behind the counter in the U.K,…
Why Democrats are worried about Tuesday’s California primaries
What’s a “jungle” primary, and why are Democrats worried about them in California? Let’s take these one at a time. A jungle primary, or a nonpartisan blanket primary as it’s more formally known, puts all candidates together in one big primary regardless of what party they belong to. So instead of Democrats choosing a candidate and Republicans choosing another, all…
Whitfield County lands the most powerful solar plant in the U.S.
South Korean company would avoid new Trump solar tariffs by making products in Georgia.
EU proposes banning plastic straws to cut marine litter
BRUSSELS — The European Union has proposed banning plastic products like cotton buds, straws, stirs and balloon sticks when alternatives are easily available in an attempt to reduce litter spoiling beaches and ocean beds. The European Commission said its proposal would seek to cut marine litter in half for the ten most prominent items and avoid environmental damage estimated at over…
Amazon exec “misspoke” about Orlando facial recognition test
Amazon (AMZN) is drawing heat on multiple fronts as a result of its facial-recognition technology. Days after being blasted by civil-liberty advocates for being in the government surveillance business, the retailer found itself at odds with a city pilot-testing the software. Records publicized by the American Civil Liberties Union on Tuesday showed the Orlando (Florida) Police Department was trying out…
Why McDonald’s won’t ban plastic straws in U.S.
In a week that’s seen McDonalds facing sexual harassment claims and protests over worker pay outside its new corporate headquarters in Chicago, Thursday’s annual meeting was a remarkably controlled affair. In just over an hour, the fast-food giant dispensed with a handful of shareholder proposals, including one calling attention to the plight of marine life threatened by plastic pollution — specifically, plastic…
FDA warns teething products unsafe, wants them off market
Teething products containing benzocaine can cause dangerous side effects in babies, the FDA warns. Getty Images/iStockphoto Federal health officials warned parents Wednesday about the dangers of teething remedies that contain a popular numbing ingredient and asked manufacturers to stop selling their products intended for babies and toddlers. The Food and Drug Administration said that various gels and creams containing the…
ACLU accuses Amazon of enabling government surveillance
Amazon is marketing facial-recognition technology to government agencies, raising privacy concerns and threatening communities already unjustly targeted, the American Civil Liberties Union said Tuesday in calling on the retailer to get out of the surveillance business. That business already includes work with the city of Orlando, Florida, and the Washington County Sheriff’s Office in Oregon, according to the ACLU’s Northern…
ACLU accuses Amazon of enabling government surveillance
Amazon is marketing facial-recognition technology to government agencies, raising privacy concerns and threatening communities already unjustly targeted, the American Civil Liberties Union said Tuesday in calling on the retailer to get out of the surveillance business. That business already includes work with the city of Orlando, Florida, and the Washington County Sheriff’s Office in Oregon, according to the ACLU’s Northern…
Businesses scramble to comply with EU data law
LONDON—Lisa Meyer’s hair salon is a cozy place where her mother serves homemade macaroons, children climb on chairs and customers chat above the whirr of hairdryers. Most of the time Meyer is focused on hairstyles, color trends and keeping up with appointments. But now she’s worried about how the European Union’s new data protection law will affect her business as…
Satellite images reveal major changes in water availability worldwide
A map showing data collected by NASA’s Gravity Recovery and Climate Experiment (GRACE) mission from 2002 to 2016. Blue shows where freshwater storage was higher and red shows where it was lower than the average for the study period. NASA Earth has experienced significant shifts in freshwater distribution across the globe thanks to climate change, water management and natural cycles,…
The legend and facts about room 311 at the Read House
News 12 Now explores the mystery of Room 311 at the Read House in Chattanooga, which many say is haunted.
Uncovering the History of the Read House
News 12 Now explores the history of the Read House from the famous visitors to the strange occurrences in this special report.
Parody “Ferris Bueller” ad an appeal to Trump
One of the nation’s largest trade groups is hoping to teach President Trump a lesson. Part of a lobbying effort against proposed U.S. tariffs on Chinese goods, the National Retail Federation is out with an advertising campaign starring Ben Stein, a supporter of the president, in which he revives his role from the 1986 film, “Ferris Bueller’s Day Off.” Playing…
New findings point to chilling theory about fate of missing airliner
An investigation by an Australian TV news program suggests the pilot of Malaysia Airlines Flight 370, which disappeared with 239 people aboard more than four years ago, deliberately crashed into the Indian Ocean. Investigators are still searching for the aircraft, but these findings raise the possibility that one of the greatest aviation mysteries in modern history may not have been…
The Aston Martin, a piece of automotive art
The British icon and symbol of hand-tooled craftsmanship is beloved by car buffs, not least 007 himself. Aston Martin How about a drive in an Aston Martin? These classic sports cars, beloved by James Bond, are symbols of British craftsmanship. With Charlie D’Agata let’s hit the road: That sound, like its reputation, precedes the Aston Martin. And beneath the deep…
