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Secret origins of Geminids meteor shower revealed by new research

Published Sun, 16 Feb 2025 16:12:33 GMT

AUSTIN (KXAN) -- One of the most spectacular shows of the year will be on display this week: the Geminids meteor shower. According to NASA, the Geminids peak each December on the 13th and 14th. Stargazers can see up to 120 meteors per hour during the show.This meteor shower is a little different than your typical meteor shower."Most (meteor) streams are formed by comets regularly passing by the sun. As they do that they release a bunch of material," said Jamey Szalay, a research scientist with Princeton University. According to Szalay, the Geminids were formed from the remnants of 3200 Phaethon. "It probably all formed very rapidly and catastrophically."New research from Princeton University has revealed potentially how this happened.How to create a meteor showerWhen a comet orbits the sun, its icy shell melts and leaves behind a trail or tube of debris. "When (the) Earth flies through the tube, the meteors in that tube hit Earth and we see them as streaks in our sky," said Wolf Cuk...

Nicholas Kristof: The old new way to provide cheap housing

Published Sun, 16 Feb 2025 16:12:33 GMT

Homelessness is an American tragedy, but it’s not hopeless. In a recent column, I explored how Houston has become a national model by reducing homelessness by more than 60%.One takeaway is that homelessness, above all, reflects a shortage of cheap housing. So I’m intrigued by an approach to providing such housing that’s gaining ground around the country. It’s an idea so old, it seems new: converting single-family houses to rooming houses.Rooming houses, boardinghouses or single room occupancy (SRO) hotels used to be ubiquitous. President Thomas Jefferson stayed in a boardinghouse for several months before moving into the White House. At the seedier end, SROs largely disappeared over the past half-century, partly because of zoning and economic development projects.In Houston I dropped in on a home operated by PadSplit, a company that offers furnished bedrooms for working-class Americans. PadSplit, which is something like a long-term Airbnb for rooming houses, has housed 22,000 people...

Seven brilliant cookies to keep your holidays bright

Published Sun, 16 Feb 2025 16:12:33 GMT

A great cookie platter should excite and inspire, from first electric sight to last delicious bite. Every December, New York Times Cooking unveils showstopping cookies and videos for our annual Cookie Week. This year’s class is especially dazzling, with chewy gingerbread blondies, buttery lemon swoops and spicy hot chocolate crinkles, to name a few. Check out these recipes, then make one — or make them all.Technicolor CookiesTechnicolor Cookies. Food Stylist: Samantha Seneviratne. (Johnny Miller/The New York Times)Cookies artfully decorated with royal icing are a holiday classic, but their fine details and beautiful colors can take hours to achieve. Not with these gorgeous cookies. Once the icing is made and stained, it takes only a few minutes to decorate. The icing is simply poured over the cookies, a technique inspired by the one used to pour swirly colors of mirror glaze over smooth cakes. (For a quicker alternative to royal icing, simply dip or drizzle the cookies with melted c...

5 things to know this Wednesday, December 13

Published Sun, 16 Feb 2025 16:12:33 GMT

ALBANY, N.Y. (NEWS10) -- Happy humpday! According to Meteorologist Jill Szwed, we can expect some festive weather for the next two days with chilly air blowing and setting up lake-effect snow showers off of Lake Ontario. Get the latest news, weather, sports and more delivered right to your inbox! New York’s highest court on Tuesday ordered the state to draw new congressional districts ahead of the 2024 elections, giving Democrats a potential advantage in what is expected to be a battleground for control of the U.S. House. Meanwhile, a small business in Saratoga Springs temporarily closed after thieves stole what the owner says was hundreds of thousands of dollars in merchandise. These stories, and more, are covered in your five things to know this Wednesday morning. 1. New York’s high court orders new congressional maps as Democrats move to retake control of US HouseNew York’s highest court on Tuesday ordered the state to draw new congressional districts ahead of the 2024 electi...

Downed pole & wires close all lanes on US 9 in Halfmoon

Published Sun, 16 Feb 2025 16:12:33 GMT

HALFMOON, N.Y. (NEWS10) -- According to 511 NY, a downed pole and downed wires on US 9 have closed all lanes in both directions between Halfmoon Xing and Sitterly Road. Drivers in the area should seek alternate routes.Check out NEWS10's traffic tracker. You can plan your route and see traffic delays in real-time!NEWS10 is working to find out more regarding the downed poles. Stick with NEWS10 as more information becomes available.

Ask Amy: Patience with the elderly in-laws is waning

Published Sun, 16 Feb 2025 16:12:33 GMT

Dear Amy: My in-laws are wonderful people. They are now elderly.Their complaint over the past five years is that I have no patience with them.This has bled over into my relationship with my wife, who complains that I always have to be the smartest person in the room.Couples counseling proved unfulfilling and solved nothing, because things are even-keeled in our marriage until her parents become involved.How do you go about finding a good psychotherapist?I have not had much luck in doing so.After all, I apparently have a serious problem.I have come to believe that I am incompatible with the human race.— IncompatibleDear Incompatible: Reading somewhat into your query, I sense a distinct “smartest person in the room” vibe. (But wait — this is supposed to be my room!)So first, this: Successful counseling depends to a large degree on you surrendering to the process. This requires a level of humility, along with a willingness to work the program, as well as submitting to a sin...

New indicators on childcare participation and intensity

Published Sun, 16 Feb 2025 16:12:33 GMT

In 2022, 69.3% of children aged from 3 years to the minimum compulsory school age in the EU participated in formal childcare or education for at least 25 hours per week. Within this age group, 12.4% of children were not involved in formal childcare (zero hours), while 18.2% participated in formal childcare for up to 24 hours per week.Children at risk of poverty and social exclusion (AROPE) of the same age group showed lower rates of participation in formal childcare or education. Specifically, 58.5% participated in formal childcare or education for at least 25 hours per week, as opposed to 72.7% of children not at risk. Moreover, 18.8% of the children at risk did not participate in formal childcare (10.5% of non-AROPE children) and 22.6% participated in formal childcare up to 24 hours a week (16.9% of non-AROPE children).This data is available through a new indicator for measuring ‘Children in formal childcare or education by age group and duration’ published by Eurostat. Source dat...

Three-bedroom home sells in San Jose for $1.7 million

Published Sun, 16 Feb 2025 16:12:33 GMT

1237 Carrie Lee Way – Google Street ViewA 1,532-square-foot house built in 1959 has changed hands. The property located in the 1200 block of Carrie Lee Way in San Jose was sold on Nov. 30, 2023. The $1,700,000 purchase price works out to $1,110 per square foot. The layout of this single-story house includes three bedrooms and two bathrooms. The home’s exterior showcases roofing materials crafted from wood shake roofing / shingles. Inside, there is a fireplace. In addition, the home provides a two-car garage, granting ample space for parking and storage purposes.These nearby houses have also recently changed hands:A 1,806-square-foot home on the 1100 block of Rodney Drive in San Jose sold in July 2022, for $1,605,000, a price per square foot of $889. The home has 3 bedrooms and 2 bathrooms.In March 2023, a 1,581-square-foot home on Pembridge Drive in San Jose sold for $1,635,000, a price per square foot of $1,034. The home has 3 bedrooms and 3 bathrooms.On Picadilly Drive, San Jose, ...

Photronics: Fiscal Q4 Earnings Snapshot

Published Sun, 16 Feb 2025 16:12:33 GMT

BROOKFIELD, Conn. (AP) — BROOKFIELD, Conn. (AP) — Photronics Inc. (PLAB) on Wednesday reported net income of $44.6 million in its fiscal fourth quarter.The Brookfield, Connecticut-based company said it had net income of 72 cents per share. Earnings, adjusted for non-recurring gains, were 60 cents per share.The electronics imaging company posted revenue of $227.5 million in the period.For the year, the company reported profit of $125.5 million, or $2.03 per share. Revenue was reported as $892.1 million.For the current quarter ending in January, Photronics expects its per-share earnings to range from 45 cents to 53 cents.The company said it expects revenue in the range of $217 million to $225 million for the fiscal first quarter._____This story was generated by Automated Insights (http://automatedinsights.com/ap) using data from Zacks Investment Research. Access a Zacks stock report on PLAB at https://www.zacks.com/ap/PLABSource

Leander Paes and Vijay Amritraj are the first Asian men elected to the Tennis Hall of Fame

Published Sun, 16 Feb 2025 16:12:33 GMT

Leander Paes, who won 18 Grand Slam titles in men’s doubles or mixed doubles, and ex-player, broadcaster and promoter Vijay Amritraj are the first Asian men elected to the International Tennis Hall of Fame.The Hall, which is based in Newport, Rhode Island, and has been around since 1955, announced its Class of 2024 on Wednesday. Also being inducted next year: Richard Evans, a British journalist and historian, who was selected in the Contributor Category.Amritraj, also chosen in the Contributor Category, and Paes, who enters in the Player Category, are both from India and that country’s first members of the shrine. It is the 28th nation to be represented.Li Na, a Chinese woman who won two Grand Slam singles titles, became the first Asian member of the International Tennis Hall of Fame when she was inducted in 2019.Next year’s induction ceremony will be held in Newport on July 20.The selection of Paes ends a two-year drought in which no one nominated in the Player Category was picked....