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CU chemists say dissolving plastic with electricity could be future of recycling

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 10:30:10 GMT

DENVER (KDVR) -- Chemists at the University of Colorado in Boulder have developed a new way to recycle plastic using electricity.The researchers found a way to deconstruct the molecular analogs of the common plastic polyethylene terephthalate, or PET, into their molecular components, according to a study published earlier this month in the Chem Catalysis journal. Did CSU researchers just find the oldest-known case of cannibalism? PET is found in everyday products like soda and water bottles and polyester fabrics. According to the United States Environmental Protection Agency, less than one-third of all PET plastic in the U.S. was recycled in 2018.Chemists at CU began the study in hopes to find an effective way to recycle PET.“We pat ourselves on the back when we toss something into the recycling bin, but most of that recyclable plastic never winds up being recycled,” Oana Luca, co-author and assistant professor in the Department of Chemistry said. “We wanted to find out how w...

New employment program at airport helps overlooked population 

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 10:30:10 GMT

DENVER (KDVR) -- A new program at Denver International Airport is giving hope to a group of often overlooked individuals. New Heights is giving former Colorado inmates a job and a steady paycheck."DEN New Heights offers alternative employment pathways to marginalized community populations and serves as an innovative approach to provide access for individuals to engage in a work experience at DEN,” DEN CEO Phil Washington said.The pilot program launched in April of this year as part of the airport’s Center of Equity and Excellence In Aviation, in partnership with Bayaud Enterprises. New program offers free community college tuition for in-demand jobs Participants are offered a job for 12 weeks working on the grounds doing everything from trash clean up to landscaping, to road repairs. They get a stable paycheck and a job to add to their resume post-prison.James H Big Boy Jr. is one of the participants after serving 17 years at the Colorado Department of Corrections.“People look at ...

Injunction blocking Florida law targeting drag shows applies to all venues, judge says

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 10:30:10 GMT

ORLANDO, Fla. (AP) — A federal judge said Wednesday that his order blocking a Florida law targeting drag shows doesn’t just apply to the restaurant that brought the lawsuit challenging it but to other venues in the state, reiterating that the legislation championed by Gov. Ron DeSantis is likely unconstitutional.A state agency that would enforce the law had asked U.S. District Judge Gregory Presnell to put on hold his preliminary injunction stopping the law from being enforced until a trial is held to determine its constitutionality while the state of Florida appeals the injunction.Attorneys for Florida told the judge that the preliminary injunction should only apply to the Orlando restaurant that sued seeking to get the law ruled unconstitutional and not “nonparties” to the complaint.The judge rejected that argument, saying any harm to the state of Florida is minimal if the preliminary injunction remains in place, and that all Floridians are potentially parties since free spe...

Dump truck hits light pole in NW Miami-Dade; no reported injuries

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 10:30:10 GMT

A wreck involving a dump truck led to some traffic headaches in Northwest Miami-Dade.The dump truck crashed into a light pole near Northwest 119th Street and 22nd Avenue, Wednesday afternoon.The pole fell, blocking several lanes.No injuries were reported.

Miami-Dade County refuses to follow judge’s orders to return dog to owners

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 10:30:10 GMT

Miami-Dade County seized a family’s dog to euthanize it. The family went to court where a judge twice ruled the county had violated state statutes and had to return the animal. But what the county did on both occasions has left the dog’s owners stunned. It’s tonight’s Help Me Howard with Patrick Fraser.Scott and Louise have a beautiful yard, but they can’t enjoy it, because part of the family is missing.Scott Davis: “And for four months, quite frankly, we’ve gone through hell.” In February, Scott opened his gate to move his boat. His 10-year-old dog, named Precious, saw a boy riding a bike and bit him on the leg once.Scott Davis: “I’ve accepted the fact that I was negligent in this particular case, allowing this accident to happen. That’s what it was.”Scott offered to pay the boy’s doctor’s bill. He quarantined Precious for 10 days as the county required. Then 30 days later…Scott Davis: “...

Is Kemi Badenoch still the future? UK Tories aren’t so sure

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 10:30:10 GMT

LONDON — It’s been quite a year for Kemi Badenoch, propelled from little-known minister to Tory leadership hopeful, to Cabinet big-hitter and beyond.The U.K. business and trade secretary used last July’s Conservative Party leadership contest to launch herself from relative obscurity to political stardom, and 12 months later finds herself firmly seated within the top tier of Rishi Sunak’s ministers.For many, Badenoch is now the next great hope for British conservatism, her right-wing sensibilities, dry sense of humor and natural charisma making her one of the most compelling members of Rishi Sunak’s Cabinet, for Tory membership and media alike. At 43, she is the bookmakers’ favorite to be the next Tory leader if and when Sunak steps down — a scenario that could well play out next year if he leads his party, as many expect, to general election defeat.In the meantime, Badenoch has secured several big wins at the expanded Department for Business and Trade d...

How Macron ousted an American — and damaged an EU bigwig in the process

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 10:30:10 GMT

The appointment of EU bureaucrats is usually a tame affair. Then the EU tried to make an American one of its most powerful economists. In a matter of mere days, the selection of U.S. antitrust expert Fiona Scott Morton as the EU’s top competition economist has snowballed into a major geopolitical faux-pas that saw France launch a rearguard action against the EU and challenged the stature of one of Brussels’ highest-profile figures, Competition Commissioner Margrethe Vestager.   On Wednesday, France won. After a week of campaigning, including a blistering public rebuke from President Emmanuel Macron, Scott Morton preemptively resigned. The climbdown marks a victory for Paris — and a steely reminder of the formidable power France wields within the EU. It also represents a potentially damaging setback for Vestager. Her ill-fated move to install Scott Morton comes as she is trying to win political support to become head of the European Investment Bank,...

Boston police release photos of car possibly connected to deadly hit-and-run in Hyde Park

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 10:30:10 GMT

Boston police released photos and video Wednesday night of a car possibly connected to a hit-and-run crash that killed a four-year-old boy in Hyde Park on Tuesday. The car, police said, is described as a dark gray subcompact hatchback. It was last seen driving on Wood Avenue in the direction of Cummings Highway.Police have asked anyone with information to contact them as investigators continue efforts to track down a driver who they say left the scene of the deadly crash. Family members identified the child who was killed as Ivan Pierre. On Wednesday afternoon, Pierre’s uncle wiped away tears while speaking about his nephew. “We’ve pretty much seen it all, accidents happening here and drive-by shootings and now one of our own was taken from us,” Heroldy Limage said. Limage said the crash happened as the family gathered to see the boy’s mother’s new car around 9:30 p.m. Limage said the boy’s mother had just got home and family members were gather...

Orioles rally past Dodgers, 8-5, to avoid sweep and pull into tie for AL East lead: ‘This team just has so much fight’

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 10:30:10 GMT

When Dean Kremer jogged out to the Camden Yards mound Wednesday, he did so a day past the five-year anniversary of when the team he was about to face traded him to the Orioles. The 27-year-old right-hander is the only player left of the five Baltimore acquired from the Los Angeles Dodgers when they traded star infielder Manny Machado five years ago Tuesday. For the Dodgers, the trade was one of many they have made as the cost of continually pushing for World Series titles.It took half a decade, but the Orioles are now at the level to challenge for them, too, with their trade of Machado beginning a painful rebuild that’s finally paying off.With Wednesday’s 8-5 victory to close their series with Los Angeles, the Orioles have gone 70 straight multi-game series without being swept, the eighth-longest streak in major league history, according to the Elias Sports Bureau. With the Texas Rangers’ 5-1 win over the Tampa Bay Rays, completing a three-game sweep, Baltimore wil...

Maryland treasurer puts pressure on Orioles lease negotiations: ‘There’s something that we’re not being told’

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 10:30:10 GMT

As the Orioles march toward the end of their current lease at state-owned Camden Yards — but with promises to soon agree to a long-term one — Maryland’s treasurer is concerned there’s a holdup in negotiations and said the public is being kept in the dark.Treasurer Dereck Davis said Wednesday the drawn-out negotiation, in which he is not directly involved, between the Maryland Stadium Authority and the team makes him believe “there’s something that we’re not being told.”“It’s time to start putting timelines out there so we can get this damn thing done,” Davis said. “They owe it to the state, the taxpayers, and this foot-dragging has got to stop.”The Orioles (58-37) are in the midst of a breakout season and have the best winning percentage in the American League, but remain without an agreement formally tethering them to Oriole Park at Camden Yards beyond Dec. 31. The club has operated under the same lease s...