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University of Michigan slithers toward history with massive acquisition of jarred snake specimens

Published Fri, 27 Dec 2024 10:27:55 GMT

ANN ARBOR, Mich. (AP) — Greg Schneider scans rows upon rows of liquid-filled glass jars containing coiled snake specimens, just a portion of the University of Michigan Museum of Zoology’s reptile and amphibian collection believed to be the largest held by any research institution in the U.S. thanks to a recent donation. The museum this fall acquired tens of thousands of reptile and amphibian specimens from Oregon State University, many of which are snakes. The development places the university in a unique position, according to Schneider, the research museum collections manager for the museum’s division of reptiles and amphibians.“I’m fairly confident we’ll have the largest snake collection in the world,” he said. The extensive new additions also will allow scientists to conduct new snake and amphibian research, perhaps looking at trait evolution in mothers and their offspring. Numerous studies have been conducted in recent years about declining amphibian and reptile pop...

This procedure is banned in the US. Why is it a hot topic in fight over Ohio’s abortion amendment?

Published Fri, 27 Dec 2024 10:27:55 GMT

COLUMBUS, Ohio (AP) — With Election Day closing in, anti-abortion groups seeking to build opposition to a reproductive rights measure in Ohio are messaging heavily around a term for an abortion procedure that was once used later in pregnancy — but hasn’t been legal in the U.S. for over 15 years.In ads, debates and public statements, the opposition campaign and top Republicans have increasingly been referencing “partial-birth abortions” as an imminent threat if voters approve the constitutional amendment on Nov. 7. “Partial-birth abortion” is a non-medical term for a procedure known as dilation and extraction, or D&X, which is already federally prohibited.“It would allow a partial-birth abortion,” Ohio Gov. Mike DeWine told reporters recently as he explained his opposition to the constitutional amendment, known as Issue 1. “For many years, in Ohio and in this country, we’ve had a law that said a partial-birth abortion — where the child is partially delivered and then killed...

Some parts of Southern California could see rain Monday

Published Fri, 27 Dec 2024 10:27:55 GMT

The Los Angeles area and other parts of Southern California could see light precipitation as a low-pressure system moves through the region on Monday.“It won’t be heavy rain,” says KTLA weather anchor Kaj Goldberg. “But we could see anything from a drizzle to light showers through the morning.”The system will move quickly through SoCal, first bringing wind and light precipitation to the mountain and foothill communities, becoming more widespread into the morning, and then skies clear by the afternoon. SoCal Weather Home Page “Once we get into the lunch hour, we’ll see that low pressure rapidly moving to the south-east and bring dry conditions that continue into Tuesday,” Goldberg says.Monday’s temperatures will be much like Sunday with highs in the mid-to-upper 70s in the L.A. Basin, San Fernando Valley, San Gabriel Valley and Orange County.

San Jose: Southbound Highway 87 reopens nine hours early

Published Fri, 27 Dec 2024 10:27:55 GMT

SAN JOSE — A stretch of Highway 87 re-opened Sunday night nine hours ahead of schedule for a Caltrans paving project, officials said.Highway 87 going southbound between I-280 and Highway 85 reopened at 8 p.m. following a 56-hour weekend closure for paving repair work. It was originally supposed to reopen at 5 a.m. on Monday.Caltrans said the project’s goal is to “improve ride quality, enhance safety and extend the service life of the pavement.”

Eovaldi remains perfect, Rangers slug their way to 9-2 win over Astros to force Game 7 in ALCS

Published Fri, 27 Dec 2024 10:27:55 GMT

HOUSTON (AP) — Nathan Eovaldi remained perfect this postseason, and Mitch Garver and Jonah Heim homered early before a ninth-inning grand slam by Adolis García helped the Texas Rangers avoid elimination with a 9-2 win over the Houston Astros in Game 6 of the AL Championship Series on Sunday night.The road team has won every game in this series going into a decisive Game 7 on Monday night in Houston. Cristian Javier is scheduled to pitch for the Astros against three-time Cy Young Award winner Max Scherzer. Javier beat Scherzer in Game 3 at Texas. Eovaldi, who also won Game 2, yielded five hits and two runs in 6 1/3 innings to improve to 4-0 with a 2.42 ERA in the playoffs this year. The wild-card Rangers, one of six major league teams without a World Series title, need one win to return to the Fall Classic for the first time since back-to-back trips in 2010-11.“I’m just proud of how these guys keep bouncing back,” Texas manager Bruce Bochy said.The defending World Series champion Ast...

Bruins rally past Ducks, extend season-opening win streak to five

Published Fri, 27 Dec 2024 10:27:55 GMT

ANAHEIM, Calif. (AP) — Matthew Poitras scored his first two NHL goals in the third period and the Boston Bruins beat the Anaheim Ducks 3-1 Sunday for their season-opening fifth straight win.The 19-year-old Poitras, playing in his fifth career game, scored at 6:29 of the final period to erase the Ducks’ lead and then got the go-ahead goal nearly 4 minutes later when he stuffed home the rebound of Jake DeBrusk’s shot.Brad Marchand added an empty-net goal and Linus Ullmark made 32 saves as the Bruins remained one of three undefeated teams along with Vegas and Colorado. Marchand extended his points streak to five games while David Pastrnak saw his four-game goal-scoring streak come to an end.“It was a good win and we just kind of stayed together and stuck with it,” Poitras said. “It was maybe not our best, but we were able to get the job done.”Mason McTavish scored the lone goal for the Ducks, who lost their third straight and fourth in five games this season. John Gibson ma...

What to stream this week: ‘1989 (Taylor’s Version),’ Emily Blunt and ‘Five Nights at Freddy’s’

Published Fri, 27 Dec 2024 10:27:55 GMT

Taylor Swift’s “1989 (Taylor’s Version),” a Paramount+ documentary on the duo Milli Vanilli examining one of music’s biggest lip-syncing scandals and the horror movie “Five Nights at Freddy’s” are some of the new television, movies, music and games headed to a device near youAmong the offerings worth your time as selected by The Associated Press’ entertainment journalists are Julian Fellowes’ “The Gilded Age” back for a second season on HBO and Hollywood’s latest attempt to delve into the opioid crisis with the glossy “Pain Hustlers,” starring Emily Blunt, Chris Evans and Andy Garcia.NEW MOVIES TO STREAM— Hollywood’s latest attempt to delve into the opioid crisis is the glossy, starry “Pain Hustlers,” starring Emily Blunt, Chris Evans and Andy Garcia. Based on a New York Times Magazine article (which then became a book) by Evan Hughes, “Pain Hustlers,” on Netflix on Friday, Oct. 27, centers on a pharmaceutical startup, Insys Therapeutics, which engaged in criminal activities like br...

Las frases más destacadas del discurso de Sergio Massa tras pasar al balotaje

Published Fri, 27 Dec 2024 10:27:55 GMT

(CNN Español) — Sergio Massa, el candidato presidencial más votado en las elecciones generales de Argentina, agradeció a los 35 millones de argentinos habilitados para votar este domingo y aseguró que “la grieta se murió y empieza una nueva etapa”.Massa, del partido Unión por la Patria, obtuvó el 36,6% de los votos, según los resultados oficiales, y se enfrentará con Javier Milei, de La Libertad Avanza, en la segunda vuelta el próximo 19 de noviembre.¿Quién ganó y quién perdió en las elecciones generales de Argentina?“Voy a convocar a un gobierno de unidad nacional el 10 de diciembre como presidente construido sobre la base de convocar a los mejores sin importar su fuerza política”, dijo Massa durante su discurso la noche de este domingo.En ese sentido, Massa destacó que “la grieta se murió y empieza una nueva etapa”, y reiteró su intención de “poner punto final a la destrucción del otro”.Así es la vida familiar y carrera de Serg...

Economy minister surprises by beating populist in first round of Argentina’s presidential election

Published Fri, 27 Dec 2024 10:27:55 GMT

BUENOS AIRES, Argentina (AP) — Economy Minister Sergio Massa surprised Sunday night by finishing on top in the first round of Argentina’s presidential election, reflecting voters’ wariness about handing the presidency to his chief rival, a right-wing populist who upended national politics and pledged to drastically diminish the state.Massa’s victory over Javier Milei, a chainsaw-wielding economist and freshman lawmaker, came despite the fact that on his watch inflation has surged into triple digits, eating away at purchasing power of salaries and boosting poverty. Still, he wasn’t punished. With 98.3% of the votes counted, Massa had 36.7% and Milei was at 30%, meaning the two will go to a November runoff. Most pre-election polls, which have been notoriously unreliable, gave Milei a slight lead and put Massa in second place. Former Security Minister Patricia Bullrich, of the main center-right opposition coalition, finished in third place with 23.8%. Massa has ...

Skeet shooter Vincent Hancock and gymnast Jordan Chiles, U.S. flagbearers in Pan Am Games, win gold

Published Fri, 27 Dec 2024 10:27:55 GMT

SANTIAGO, Chile (AP) — The two flagbearers for the United States team at the Pan American Games in Chile won gold medals on Sunday.Veteran shooter Vincent Hancock took his third Pan American Games title in skeet shooting, while gymnast Jordan Chiles led the women’s team to the all-round gold in Santiago. The two carried the Star-Spangled Banner during Friday’s opening ceremony at the National Stadium.Hancock, a three-time Olympic gold medalist, defeated Argentina’s Federico Gil. Both missed just one of their first 26 shots, but the American eventually won 57 to 55. The 35-year-old Gil won not only a silver medal, but also a quota spot at the Paris Olympics next year.Peru’s Nicolas Pacheco took the bronze in Santiago’s cloudy afternoon and also secured a place in France since Hancock had already done that at the world championship.Shortly after putting the gold medal around his neck, Hancock went to social media to repost one of his videos in action from May 2022 wi...