Wednesday, July 14, 2021

Football-sized goldfish take over lake after decades of people dumping unwanted pet fish

Conservationists in Minnesota have requested the general public stop releases pet goldfish into lakes and other bodies of water as they are now considered to be an invasive species. The city of Burnsville, Minnesota a suburb of Minneapolis, shared some images of an incredibly large goldfish, the size of an American football, that was discovered in a local lake after being let loose. “When you pull a goldfish about the size of a football out of the lake, it makes you wonder how this can even be the same type of animal”, officials said. In 2020, 30,000 to 50,000 abandoned goldfish were removed from the waters in nearby Carver County, Minnesota. In a statement about the removal process, they also said that goldfish can be used as bait, which contributes to the problem. The problem has been recorded in other parts of Minnesota, Washington state and other countries across the world, such as Canada and Australia. The U.S Fish and Wildlife Service say that billions of dollars in damage is done by invasive species, such as goldfish, each year. (Carver County, Minnesota)

Dad finds bead he lost as schoolboy 25 years ago after it was syringed out of his ear

A 35-year-old dad found a bead he lost as a schoolboy 25 years ago — after it was syringed out of his ear. He took the tiny pink gem from a school cupboard to give to his childhood crush in 1996, but he forgot about it until he had problems with his ear this year before medics suspecting a wax blockage pulled it out. The single dad of one revealed he was inspired by an Australian television soap opera, called “Neighbors”, in his bid to woo his school sweetheart, but he never told her of his feelings and lost touch while they were at secondary school and has since failed to track her down online. (The Scottish Sun)

Wildlife officials looking for bear with a bucket on its head

A bear with a chicken feeder around its head and neck is roaming around Boulder County, Colorado and Colorado Parks and Wildlife officers are hoping to assist it. The first report about the bear was made recently and it since has been spotted twice. The bear is believed to be roaming between Gold and Seven Hills, west of Boulder, according to a spokesperson for Colorado Parks and Wildlife. If wildlife officers get the chance, removing the bucket could take some time . However, tracking down the bear is the most difficult part. (The Gazette)

FDA adds warning to J&J shot

The Food and Drug Administration has added a warning to Johnson & Johnson’s vaccine that it can increase one’s risk of a rare immune-system disorder. About 100 cases of Guillain–Barré syndrome, where the immune system attacks nerves, have been reported in those who received Johnson & Johnson’s shot (over 12 million). Johnson & Johnson said the “chance of such cases is very low.” (Bloomberg)

Does remote work stall careers?

Employers that prioritize in-office workers could hinder the career growth of professionals who prefer flexible work options, especially for working moms. Remote workers have often been labeled as lower performers, however, a recent Gartner survey found that 43% of remote workers and 49% of hybrid workers were highly engaged, compared to 35% of on-site workers. Yet, some managers still believe off-site workers do less, meaning they could be left out of conversations around raises and promotions, furthering the gender wage gap. (The Wall Street Journal)

Amazon wants to watch you sleep

Amazon has been given the go-ahead to monitor consumers’ sleep habits, following approval from the Federal Communications Commission. The tech giant can now use a radar sensor to sense motion and “enable contactless sleep tracing functionalities,” which Amazon says could help people with “mobility, speech or tactile impairments.” The sleep-tracking device, part of Amazon’s move into health care, will allow users to detect sleep issues, potentially producing significant health benefits. (Federal Communications Commission)

25 mega-cities generate 52% of global greenhouse gas emissions, according to a Frontiers study of 167 cities worldwide

The 25 cities, which cover only 2% of the Earth’s surface, are mainly situated in Asian and European countries but there are also some in the U.S. They include Handan, Shanghai, and Suzhou (China), Tokyo (Japan), Moscow (Russia), and Istanbul (Turkey). Over 50% of the global population lives in cities. Cities in developed areas like the U.S., Europe, and Australia have higher per capita global greenhouse gas emissions than cities in developing countries. 60-80% of all the emissions in North American and European cities came from the stationary energy sector, which includes emissions from fuel combustion and electricity use in buildings. 30% of global greenhouse gas emissions are from on-road transportation.  15% of global greenhouse gas emissions are from railways, waterways, and aviation. Over 30 cities displayed declining emissions between 2012 and 2016. Oslo, Houston, Seattle, and Bogotá had the largest declines. (Frontiers)

80 central banks are exploring the adoption of Central Bank Digital Currencies (CBDCs)

According to the head of the European Central Bank, a new CBDC system would add public benefits to the current monetary system if coders could publish smart contracts to a public blockchain, enabling “automated finance and things like NFTs.” In June 2021, the Bank of International Settlements, the “bank for central banks,” expressed support for the introduction of CBDCs. Central banks in countries including China, Sweden, Singapore, Canada, and Japan have explored retail and wholesale CBDCs. The U.S. Federal Reserve will release a research paper that explores CBDCs this summer. (BitCoinist)

Petition demands equal number of hot dogs and buns sold in packages

Thousands of people are taking action by signing a petition calling for there to be an equal number of buns and dogs sold in every pack. The Heinz Ketchup company started the “Heinz Hot Dog Pact.” The petition says it’s “calling on big bun and big wiener companies to find the answers to this hot dog packaging mismatch, once and for all”. So far the petition has over 28,000 signatures. (Change.org)

A Python Challenge Is Currently Underway In Florida

The Florida Python Challenge kicked off on this Friday morning, with a grand prize of $10,000. According to the press release, more than 450 people registered for the competition to eradicate Burmese pythons from the Everglades ecosystem. Burmese pythons are not native to Florida and have a negative impact on the ecosystem because they prey on birds, mammals, and other reptiles. The python removal competition includes a professional and novice category, with the grand prize going to whoever removes the most pythons over the course of the 10-day competition. “This Python Challenge is one of the more unique ways we are stepping up our efforts to combat these invasive pythons while also engaging the public to help us in this fight,” said a South Florida Water Management District press release. Over 13,000 Burmese pythons have been removed from the state since the year 2000. (Stardia Post)

Can your employer fire you for not returning to the office?

Following a devastating year due to the COVID 19 pandemic, employees around the country are preparing to return to the office, but not all are rushing to give up remote work, leaving some employers to make decisions about their employment status. According to a survey from Digital.com, four out of ten employers are prepared to fire employees for not returning to the office. (WSET)

Lawsuit hopes to bring back additional pandemic federal unemployment benefits

In Oklahoma, it’s been roughly a month since Governor Kevin Stitt pulled the plug on those enhanced unemployment benefits from Oklahomans and now that decision is up for debate in court. According to court documents, the Tulsa County lawsuit is against Oklahoma Employment Security Commission Executive Director Shelley Zumwalt. This lawsuit was brought on by a woman, who worked at a fast food restaurant until last year. She qualified for unemployment and the benefits she received as well as the extra federal compensation helped her manage to get by, but when the state withdrew from the federal programs, she and likely many others have struggled. This particular client was affected significantly, according to her attorney, adding that the state had no right to cut off access, saying it violates the Social Security Act. The Federal Supplemental Benefits were supposed to officially end in September but governors have the opportunity to cut them early. Governor Stitt ordered an “Oklahoma Back-to-Work Initiative” to provide a one-time $1,200 check to up to 20,000 people who leave the unemployment insurance program and are employed by qualified employers by September 4th. (OKC Fox)

Burger King workers write ‘we all quit’ on sign, walk out of Nebraska restaurant

Employees and a general manager at a Nebraska Burger King quit amid deteriorating work conditions and used the restaurant’s sign to let customers know. “We all quit,” the sign at the Lincoln Burger King read. “Sorry for the inconvenience.” The woman who had served as general manager since January, had put in her two weeks notice and eight other employees also did so shortly before deciding to post the message on the sign. The now former General Manager said “They have gone through so many district managers since I’ve been GM. No one has come to the store to help me out. They’re so in and out. The restaurant is short staffed and she would end up working 50 to 60 hours a week.” She said at one point they did not have working air conditioning in the kitchen, where temperatures reached 90 degrees and she ended up having to go to the hospital after becoming dehydrated. Employees had joked about putting up the message. The next day, they put it up on one side of the sign. (KLKN)

Wednesday Is Wiped Out By:

• Bastille Day
• Grand Marnier Day
• International Nude Day
• Macaroni and Cheese Day
• Shark Awareness Day
• Tape Measure Day
• Victims of The Nice, France Attack Day

Historical Events

• 1853 – Opening of the first major US world’s fair, the Exhibition of the Industry of All Nations in New York City.
• 1881 – Billy the Kid is shot and killed by Pat Garrett outside Fort Sumner.
• 1900 – Armies of the Eight-Nation Alliance capture Tientsin during the Boxer Rebellion.
• 1933 – Gleichschaltung: in Germany, all political parties are outlawed except the Nazi Party.
• 1948 – Palmiro Togliatti, leader of the Italian Communist Party, is shot and wounded near the Italian Parliament.
• 1958 – Iraqi Revolution: in Iraq the monarchy is overthrown by popular forces led by Abdul Karim Kassem, who becomes the nation’s new leader.
• 1965 – The Mariner 4 flyby of Mars takes the first close-up photos of another planet.
• 1969 – Football War: after Honduras loses a soccer match against El Salvador, riots break out in Honduras against Salvadoran migrant workers.
• 1987 – Montreal, Canada, is hit by a series of thunderstorms causing the Montreal Flood of 1987.
• 1992 – 386BSD is released by Lynne Jolitz and William Jolitz beginning the Open Source Operating System Revolution. Linus Torvalds releases his Linux soon afterwards.