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The heaviest animal ever may be this ancient whale found in the Peruvian desert

Published Wed, 25 Dec 2024 18:43:19 GMT

NEW YORK — There could be a new contender for heaviest animal to ever live. While today’s blue whale has long held the title, scientists have dug up fossils from an ancient giant that could tip the scales.Researchers described the new species — named Perucetus colossus, or “the colossal whale from Peru” — in the journal Nature on Wednesday. Each vertebra weighs over 220 pounds (100 kilograms) and its ribs measure nearly 5 feet (1.4 meters) long.“It’s just exciting to see such a giant animal that’s so different from anything we know,” said Hans Thewissen, a paleontologist at Northeast Ohio Medical University who had no role in the research.The bones were first discovered more than a decade ago by Mario Urbina from the University of San Marcos’ Natural History Museum in Lima. An international team spent years digging them out from the side of a steep, rocky slope in the Ica desert, a region in Peru that was once underwater and is known for its rich marine fossi...

Broncos rookie CB Riley Moss to miss about four weeks with core muscle injury

Published Wed, 25 Dec 2024 18:43:19 GMT

Broncos rookie defensive back Riley Moss had surgery Tuesday in Philadelphia to address a core muscle injury and is expected to be sidelined approximately four weeks, head coach Sean Payton said.Moss had missed the past three days of practice and now appears likely to miss all three of Denver’s preseason games.“Kind of a sports hernia, not too uncommon, so he did that yesterday. It went well and he’ll be back here this week,” Payton said.Over the opening part of training camp, the third-round pick worked in with the reserves and on several special teams units.Moreau brings veteran presence. Payton on Wednesday acknowledged that signing veteran cornerback Fabian Moreau to a one-year deal was at least in part because of Moss’ injury.The coach also said, however, that Denver had considered itself in the market for experience in a talented but overall young position group.“All along we were looking for a little bit more of a veteran corner. We’d talked about that coming out of our meeti...

“Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles: Mutant Mayhem” is the best of the reboots, yet still falls short | Review

Published Wed, 25 Dec 2024 18:43:19 GMT

The latest reboot of Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles, fittingly known as “Mutant Mayhem,” leaps past the franchise’s otherwise dismal screen turns by bringing an animated flair and relative innocence to the sewers and rooftops of New York City.But simply being better than past failures does not make something good. While “Mutant Mayhem” does several things right, from its likeable voice cast to its refreshed version of the Turtles’ origin story, it also gets stuck in the same gunk as its forebears. Directed by Jeff Rowe, “Mutant Mayhem” boasts a wild, eclectic animation style that draws heavily from the groundbreaking “Spider-Verse” films, with overlapping scribbles, thick outlines and expressive character design. That includes the lumpy, mostly grotesque human characters, who are almost universally presented as monsters.That’s because our turtles — leader Leonardo, techie Donatello, bruiser Raphael and cut-up Mich...

No weight-loss drug for you, employers say

Published Wed, 25 Dec 2024 18:43:19 GMT

As Americans increasingly turn to diabetes-related medications that can help non-diabetics lose weight, a growing number of employers are telling workers to eat a salad instead.Prescription drugs such as Ozempic can cost up to $1,350 a month, and are running up tabs for health insurers to the tune of tens of millions of dollars.In response, some employers are eliminating coverage for the injections from their employee health plans.The Wall Street Journal cites the example of the University of Texas System, which saw its costs for weight-loss meds more than triple over the last year and a half to about $5 million.The system said it would end coverage of the shots for its employees beginning Sept. 1.Paying for the drugs "is unsustainable due to the current rate of prescription drug expenditures," the university said in a newsletter.This is the latest example of Big Pharma introducing (or repurposing) a blockbuster drug while looking to make fat stacks with sky-high prices.Similarly, i...

Miguel Cruz Lopez Arrested after DUI Crash on Lakeville Highway [Petaluma, CA]

Published Wed, 25 Dec 2024 18:43:19 GMT

Two Drivers Hurt in DUI Traffic Collision near Baywood DrivePETALUMA, CA (August 2, 2023) – Late Saturday night, police arrested 28-year-old Miguel Cruz Lopez following a DUI crash on Lakeville Highway.Officers responded to the first collision around 11:15 p.m. at the intersection of Lakeville Highway and Marina Drive.According to reports, Lopez rear-ended a vehicle and fled the scene immediately. After a short while, someone reported that Lopez hit another car at the intersection of Lakeville Highway and Baywood Drive.Police said both drivers who were struck complained about pain. At this time, the condition of the two drivers remains unknown.Meanwhile, officers discovered that Lopez’s blood alcohol content was three times the legal limit when they performed a field sobriety test on him.In the end, police booked Cruz Lopez in Sonoma County Jail for felony DUI, hit-and-run, and driving without a valid license. His bail is set at $200,000.The authorities have not released...

William Arnold Villocino, One Other Killed in Car Crash on Interstate 5 [Bakersfield, CA]

Published Wed, 25 Dec 2024 18:43:19 GMT

Pedestrian, Driver Killed in Solo-Vehicle Accident near Lebec Service RoadBAKERSFIELD, CA (August 2, 2023) – Sunday night, a single-vehicle crash on Interstate 5 killed William Arnold Villocino and another person.The incident happened on June 25th, at around 9:04 p.m., on southbound Interstate 5, north of Lebec Service Road.At this time, the circumstances surrounding the crash remain unclear. Police reported that a man and a 1998 Chevrolet were involved in the collision.Unfortunately, the male pedestrian and the Chevrolet driver –identified as 82-year-old William Arnold Villocino– died at the scene. Villocino was determined to be a resident of Upland, CA.No further details regarding the car crash have been released to the public. Bakersfield Officials will provide more information about the fatal solo-vehicle accident once available.The Sweet James team sends their warm and sincerest sympathies out to the friends and family of William Arnold Villocino. May the memories of your...

Woman fatally shot at Oakland motel

Published Wed, 25 Dec 2024 18:43:19 GMT

OAKLAND — A woman was found shot to death Wednesday morning in a room at a West MacArthur Boulevard motel, the second homicide to be investigated by police within five hours, authorities said.Police were still trying to identify the woman Wednesday afternoon.The woman was found shot about 11:20 a.m. in a room at the Value Inn, 370 West MacArthur Blvd., which is a short distance from Kaiser Hospital and across the street from Mosswood Park. She was pronounced dead at 11:33 a.m.It was not immediately clear how long the woman had been at the motel and when she was actually shot.A motive for the killing has not yet been released. No arrests were announced.The killing is the 65th homicide investigated by Oakland police this year and the second Wednesday morning. A man was shot about 6:30 a.m. in the 1900 block of 90th Avenue and died a short time later at a hospital. The two killings do not appear to be related at this time, police said.Last year at this time police had investigate...

Indicted Santa Clara Councilmember Anthony Becker has trial setting hearing pushed back

Published Wed, 25 Dec 2024 18:43:19 GMT

The criminal trial for Santa Clara City Councilmember Anthony Becker, who was indicted on felony and misdemeanor charges involving a civil grand jury report, will not be set until next month.Becker was indicted in April on two charges — a misdemeanor charge for leaking a confidential civil grand jury report to the San Francisco 49ers that criticized several members of the Santa Clara City Council’s cozy relationship with the team and a felony perjury charge for lying about it.The councilmember wore a light gray suit and appeared at the San Jose Hall of Justice on Wednesday afternoon for his trial setting hearing. His public defender, Christopher Montoya, asked Santa Clara County Superior Court Judge Daniel Nishigaya for a continuance to a later date — a request Nishigaya granted.Becker’s trial setting hearing is now scheduled for Sept. 13 at 1:35 p.m. Continuing a trial setting hearing to a later date is a common practice in the court.Montoya could not be imm...

Canadian PM Justin Trudeau and his wife announce separation

Published Wed, 25 Dec 2024 18:43:19 GMT

By Rob Gillies | Associated PressTORONTO — Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau and his wife, Sophie Gregoire Trudeau, announced Wednesday that they are separating after 18 years of marriage.The two said in statements posted on Instagram that they made the decision after “many meaningful and difficult conversations.” A statement from the prime minister’s office said they both have signed a legal separation agreement.Trudeau, the 51-year-old scion of one of Canada’s most famous politicians, was sworn into office in 2015. Sophie Trudeau is a former model and TV host. The couple were married in 2005. Together, they brought star power to the prime minister’s office and appeared in the pages of Vogue magazine.They have three children, 15-year-old Xavier, 14-year-old Ella-Grace and 9-year-old Hadrien.“As always, we remain a close family with deep love and respect for each other and for everything we have built and will continue to build,” the tw...

What SF Giants’ Michael Conforto thinks about earning the right to opt out after this season

Published Wed, 25 Dec 2024 18:43:19 GMT

SAN FRANCISCO — Not to be lost in the trade deadline shuffle, Giants outfielder Michael Conforto reached a milestone over the weekend with implications for next season.When Conforto stepped into the box in the fourth inning Sunday afternoon, he earned the right to opt out of his contract and test free agency for a second straight winter, this time with a clean bill of health. It was his 350th plate appearance of the season, triggering a clause in the two-year, $36 million pact he signed last winter.It was a meaningful moment, if only for the fact that is signaled Conforto has stayed on the field all season after missing all of 2022 recovering from shoulder surgery.“That was the first thing, being able to stay on the field and unlock that option to explore,” Conforto said this week. “I knew about when I would get there. But I didn’t have a countdown going or anything like that. It’s just a matter of going out there and playing. It wasn’t in the forefront of my mind,...