What Next For The Dead Sea?

By Abigail Klein Leichman

Hundreds of people undressed for a nude photo shoot last week to bring attention to the Dead Sea, a unique body of water bordered by Israel and Jordan at the lowest point on Earth — 1,380 feet below sea level.

The Dead Sea (Salt Sea in Hebrew) is the deepest hypersaline lake in the world, 27 times denser than Utah’s Great Salt Lake.

Tourists and Israelis alike love bobbing in the mineral-rich water, slathering on its healing mud and using cosmetics made from its extracts. The water and even the ambient air have proven health benefits for everything from asthma to psoriasis.

Spencer Tunick prepares for photographing as his photo installation is unveiled on Oct. 17 in Arad, Israel. Around 300 people took part in the nude photo installation Tunick designed to highlight the importance of preserving and restoring the Dead Sea. (Amir Levy/Getty Images)

The problem is that the Dead Sea has been shrinking at an alarming pace, losing more than a meter (some 40 inches) of water per year for a total of 25 meters since the 1970s, according to EcoPeace Middle East. Giant sinkholes have swallowed up several beaches.

The photo shoot by the Dead Sea Revival Project was intended to spur action and celebrate the opening of a virtual Dead Sea Museum meant as a forerunner to an actual museum in nearby Arad.

Several experts talked about the Dead Sea’s troubles and what can be done to ensure the beloved lake won’t disappear.

Some of their answers may surprise you. Spoiler alert: The Dead Sea surely is shrinking, but it is not dying.

First here are the problems and the proposed solutions, followed by experts’ predictions about the future of the Dead Sea.

Why is the Dead Sea shrinking?

“The main problem is a lack of freshwater coming into the Dead Sea, in which natural evaporation is strong,” said Isaac Gertman, a senior researcher at the National Institute of Oceanography at the Israel Oceanographic and Limnological Research in Haifa.

This happened because the landlocked Dead Sea primarily depends on the lower Jordan River, which in turn depends on the Sea of Galilee (Lake Kinneret), to get replenished. Much of this freshwater has been diverted to provide for drinking, farming and industry in Israel and Jordan.

A lack of freshwater coming into the Dead Sea is one problem, experts say. (Itay Peer/Unsplash)

About 700 million cubic meters of water would be needed to restore the sea level to where it was in 1900, said Gertman, who has studied the Dead Sea since 1994.

“Natural runoff, including precipitation and floods, was about 300 million cubic meters per year. Now it’s about 100 million cubic meters per year,” said Gertman.

A lesser factor is the mineral-extraction industries in Israel and Jordan.

Potassium chloride and magnesium chloride are mined in large quantities by Dead Sea Works and the Arab Potash Co. at the southern end of the Dead Sea. The evaporation ponds used in this process are responsible for about 35 percent of the depletion of the Dead Sea.

What causes sinkholes?

Gidon Baer, former coordinator for Dead Sea studies at the Geological Survey of Israel, said sinkholes form due to cavities developing underground because fresh groundwater from the Judean mountains is dissolving a salt layer deposited in the Dead Sea about 10,000 years ago.

That salt layer now sits 10 meters to 15 meters below the surface at the shoreline, covered by newer sediments.

“Until the 1980s, this salt layer was soaked with salty water that infiltrated from the DeadSea. But as the Dead Sea water level drops, the interface between the salty subsurface water and the fresh groundwater dropped as well, and the salt layer encountered freshwater, which led to the dissolution,” said Baer.

Eventually the cavities collapse and form sinkholes. Flash floods in the winter drain directly into the subsurface salt layer of the sinkhole, dissolving it much more quickly than when fresh groundwater reaches the sinkhole.

“We expect that in the coming 20 to 30 years, the fresh groundwater level will become lower than the salt layer, so the only freshwater that will reach the salt layer will be from flash floods. We are now studying the effect this will have,” said Baer.

The Geological Survey set up a sinkhole early-warning system monitored with satellite- and airborne-based measurements.

“Sometimes we can predict the collapse five years ahead, sometimes two weeks ahead. We mark all places where we see it happening and share that information with road authorities and other planning authorities so they can mitigate the consequences.”

This system forecasted the sinkhole that formed along the main road north of Ein Gedi in 2015, about three years in advance. That gave local authorities time to build a bypass road and close the main road, avoiding a disaster.

Are there solutions?

Gertman said that one idea was to connect the Dead and Mediterranean seas, sending runoff from the Med to the Dead and building power plants along the way. But this is not feasible economically or logistically.

About 10 years ago, another idea was floated: Building a channel from the Red Sea in Eilat to the Dead Sea, bringing desalinated water mainly to Jordan and sending the end desal product, brine, to the Dead Sea. The addition of brine could slow the rate of decrease in water level and thereby postpone the development of related problems.

However, it’s doubtful the project will go forward due to economic and political considerations.

“It would be very expensive and difficult to build. The World Bank agreed to give some money to study this project and to build it, but it’s still at the idea stage because we need close cooperation with Jordan to make it happen,” said Gertman. “It’s easy to talk about but hard to do.”

Many Israeli scientists agree with Gertman that it may be better to build desal plants on the northern Mediterranean coast that would replenish the Kinneret with freshwater and at least partially restore the natural flow from the Kinneret to the Jordan to the Dead Sea.

Dr. Clive Lipchin (Courtesy of Arava Institute)

Clive Lipchin, director of the Arava Institute for Environmental Studies’ Center for Transboundary Water Management, believes the Dead Sea could never again be adequately fed by the Jordan River because the water is needed by people on both sides of the border.

“This is a water-scarce region. Even with 100 more desalination plants, freshwater will always be the most sought-after resource,” he said.

The Arava Institute strives to build cooperation in the region to solve water-related issues.

“It’s critical to understand that any potential solution has to have collaborative foundations. You need regional cooperation, and that is our best and most valuable role,” Lipchin said.

“We have strong partnerships in Jordan and the Palestinian Authority. But the reason nothing is moving forward to save the Dead Sea is a lack of such cooperation at the governmental level. Israel and Jordan signed agreements on Red-Dead 10 years ago but until the governments get their act together nothing will happen.”

The future of the Dead Sea

Contrary to popular belief, research indicates that the Dead Sea will never dry up entirely, said Gidon Baer of the Geological Survey of Israel.

“The rate at which the level is dropping will lessen and eventually it will stabilize. The Dead Sea will not disappear,” he said..

This is because the rate of evaporation declines as salinity increases. “Eventually, the rate of loss will equal the rate of inflow of water,” Baer said.

The consequences of the shrinkage will continue causing economic and environmental impacts, not all of them bad.

“When the water level drops it exposes new land at the shoreline, more salt is deposited and sinkholes form,” he said. “These features have both negative and positive aspects.”

For tourists, one negative result is that the sinkholes have destroyed several Dead Sea beaches and make it difficult to reach the waterline of surviving beaches. This could be managed by finding or building alternative routes, Baer said.

On the other hand, tourism could benefit from the situation.

“The features exposed have never been seen before, and the beauty of the Dead Sea is even enhanced,” said Baer.

“Before the 1980s, salt wasn’t deposited along the shoreline in such variety and quantity, and now you see it both on the shoreline and in the water. People can take advantage of that by bringing tourists to see those features.”

Israel could, for example, build a safe trail around the sinkholes for tourists.

Another advantage of the newly exposed features is the opportunity for scientific study that could shed light on similar places in the world.

Living with the problems

Ben-Gurion University professor Jiwchar Ganor (Dani Machlis/BGU)

At least for now, with no sure solution in sight for the Dead Sea’s woes, we may have to view the situation the way we are starting to view the Covid pandemic: learn to live with it.

That’s the opinion of Jiwchar Ganor, a professor of Earth and environmental sciences at Ben-Gurion University of the Negev, and former dean of the Faculty of Natural Sciences.

“The decrease in sea level is of course human caused, but people need to drink and eat,” he said. “There is a huge population in Israel, Jordan, Lebanon and Syria. These areas are starving for water. They use all the available water, and the result is a drop in the Dead Sea level.”

Ganor said the net effect of the mineral-mining industry is more salinity. It’s not possible to stabilize both the salinity and the water level.

“We can stop the sea-level drop by adding seawater or desalination brine, but if we do that, we will make the surface water much less salty on the top and this will cause more sinkholes,” he said.

“We can stabilize the salinity, but if we do that the water level will go down. All we can do is slow the rate of decrease by adding a limited amount of water from the brine of desalination in the Gulf of Eilat.”

The reality, said Ganor, is that the problems cannot be solved completely.

“We have a huge need for freshwater. And we have an industry that is a very important source of foreign currency for Jordan, and for Israel is the major employer in the south.”

However, he agrees with Baer that the salty lake will be with us forever.

“The Dead Sea will shrink but not disappear,” he said.

Produced in association with Israel21C.



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Passionately Unique: Use What You Love To Drive The Sales You Want

By Dustin Siggins

“Find something that nobody’s talking about. Research the hell out of it. Then write on it.”

That’s the advice from onetime speechwriter for former President George W. Bush and now Atlantic columnist David Frum on how to get media coverage in 2021.

It’s sound advice for small business owners, who are hard-pressed for the time to research topics, develop messaging and get coverage in the press. Only media which drives sales, improves marketing and creates brand positioning is worth pursuing — but how do you separate the wheat from the chaff?

You can get some solid ideas by following the strategies a trio of media personalities used to built their own brands.

The first step is to find your passion. If you don’t love it, nobody else will. Or as award-winning Washington Post personal finance columnist Michelle Singletary told Zenger, “I believe the most success comes from a natural interest or skill in a particular area.”

The second step is to be unique. If everyone else is doing it, you’ll never stand out — which means you’ll waste resources that could have been directed to more productive pursuits. Zenger also interviewed former CNN senior reporter Chris Moody on how being unique helped him create a brand that has sustained his career even while he and his wife left East Coast cities to travel America in a RV.

Finally, you must have a media strategy which turns your unique passion into real results.

Michelle Singletary, financial columnist at the Washington Post, says, “I did the work first, and put people first. The opportunities came because of that work.” (Brendan Smialowski/Getty Images)

Find your passion

“I didn’t choose this niche. It was chosen for me.” This is what Singletary returned to over and over again in an e-mail interview with Zenger. “Much of my financial wisdom came from my grandmother, whom I called Big Mama. She died in 1995, but her financial legacy lives on. It was her teachings that I would talk about to my colleagues and editors in the Washington Post Business section that resulted in a focus on personal finance.”

Singletary said that her passion started with “helping people become better stewards over their finances.” The awards, TV show, radio appearances, and four books came because she “developed and honed my passion,” and took the wisdom of her frugal grandmother into the marketplace of ideas. “Not one of my book deals came because I pitched a publisher, and I never sought to be the host of my own show,” she explained. “I did the work first, and put people first. The opportunities came because of that work.”

“I’m not writing for the industry,” Singletary concluded. “I’m writing for real people” — such as her Big Mama and others in Singletary’s life. “I learned about money management from a Black, southern-born grandmother who, when she held a penny, Lincoln would scream!”

Former CNN correspondent Chris Moody (left) says, “it’s much easier to pitch stories to editors you used to drink with than to send cold pitches to strangers.”  (Joe Raedle/Getty Images)

Be passionately unique

Until 2018, Chris Moody followed a straight path to journalism success. He got his start at the Daily Caller, covered the 2012 elections at Yahoo News, and traveled the country as CNN’s senior digital correspondent during the 2016 elections.

“I spent most of my career in Washington and New York, which provided opportunities to grow relationships with reporters and editors in person,” Moody told Zenger. “We all worked on Capitol Hill or traveled on campaign busses for months at a time. We swapped stories after work at restaurants and bars,” Moody said.

Then 2018 hit, and so did layoffs at CNN. Moody and his wife have since traveled America in a RV, living everywhere from a Catholic monastery to New York City. Moody has become a freelance journalist published at outlets like The New York TimesThe Washington Post, and The News Station. He attributes his continued success to a passion for politics and relationships he’s built over the years.

“Politics is the topic to which I return. It’s where I started, and no matter how hard I try to escape politics, it always reels me back in,” Moody told Zenger. “But I’ve never approached journalism from a partisan or ideological lens. The editors at the Caller sent me to Capitol Hill to find stories. By the time I was given the opportunity to cover the 2012 presidential race for Yahoo News, I had built a number of contacts in Republican and conservative movement worlds that Yahoo was specifically seeking.”

While Moody said that writers “must continually come up with smart pitches, meet deadlines, and produce clean copy,” he also said that “it’s much easier to pitch stories to editors you used to drink with than to send cold pitches to strangers.”

Turn your unique passion into real results

Frum, Singletary, and Moody have all taken different paths to media success, but they each started with passion and developed a uniqueness driven by that passion.

They then did the legwork to continually produce what made their passion unique — Moody maintained contacts and kept his reporter skills sharp, Frum launched a website and wrote books, and Singletary’s column regularly cites the day-to-day economic challenges and opportunities faced by her readers.

David Frum speaks onstage during Politicon 2018 at Los Angeles Convention Center on October 21, 2018 in Los Angeles, California. (Phillip Faraone/Getty Images for Politicon)

Here’s how small business owners can create that same foundation for success:

  • What’s the passion that led you to start your company? Singletary writes about 401Ks, home ownership, and other critical finance topics — but always with an eye toward her real target market — average people striving to create financial success – not the investors, accountants, and bankers most people think of when the word “finance” comes up.
  • What is nobody else talking about related to that passion? Frum is a former member of the GOP establishment who has become a prominent critic of the direction of the party. This has become a popular position in recent years, but he was ahead of that trend. Agree or disagree with his positions, he’s turned that brand into long-standing media influence.
  • What media outlets most need your unique passion? Picking the right outlet for your passion is hard. You’ve got to pick one(s) that:
    • Your target markets read, watch, or listen to.
    • Have the tone and style you want affiliated with your brand.
    • Are the right medium for you. Pet stores and animal shelters should use TV to show off animals’ cuteness; people with a face for radio should stick to that medium. And people with quieter, more deliberate personalities may want to use the written word instead of more fast-moving mediums like podcasts, TV, and radio.
    • Don’t have what you’re offering. Yahoo News needed someone with the right contacts at the right places at the right time. Moody was the answer to their pain point.

Don’t rush — prepare for the right exposure

The Internet lives forever, so take the time to get your passion, uniqueness and targeted outlets in order.

Research a few topics ahead of time to give yourself a running start, and prepare your marketing so that it can maximize your media placements. It might take a few weeks or months, but that’s OK — better to take the time to get it right than to get it fast— and wrong.

Edited by Matthew B. Hall and Bryan Wilkes



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VIDEO: NASA’s Mars Rover Captures Sounds Of The Red Planet

By Peter Barker

How about the roar of a little Martian wind to sleep to? Or the sound of gravel crunching under NASA’s Perseverance Rover? Or its motors whirring across the Red Planet?

Two microphones aboard the Rover have captured these sounds and many more and beamed them back to Earth since Perseverance touched down on the Martian surface on February 18.

“It’s like you’re really standing there,” said Baptiste Chide, a planetary scientist who studies data from the microphones at L’Institut de Recherche en Astrophysique et Planetologie, an astrophysics research lab in Toulouse, France.

“Martian sounds have strong bass vibrations, so when you put on headphones, you can really feel it,” Chide said.

Envision rocking out on Mars? How about zapping?

The Perseverance SuperCam studies rocks and soil samples by zapping them with a laser and then analyzing the resulting water vapor.

The laser pulses hundreds of times on each target, creating opportunities for the microphone to pick up the ‘”zapping” sounds.

NASA’s Perseverance Mars rover carries two commercial-grade microphones, including this one on its chassis. (NASA, JPL-Caltech/Zenger)

So far, the microphone has recorded more than 25,000 of these “zaps.”

The recordings are teaching experts about the Martian atmosphere.

As sound travels through the air, the SuperCam mic monitors “microturbulences,” which adds to the ability of scientists to study the planet’s atmosphere.

The mic adds to the rover’s wind sensors, which form part of the suite of atmospheric tools called Mars Environmental Dynamics Analyzer (MEDA).

NASA said in a statement released Oct. 18 that the rover is the first spacecraft to record the sound of the Red Planet using dedicated microphones.

The microphones are not cutting-edge million-dollar pieces of equipment but commercially available off-the-shelf devices.

One of the mics rides on the side of the rover’s chassis. The second mic sits on Perseverance’s mast as a complement to the SuperCam laser instrument.

According to NASA, the mic lets researchers study how sound travels on Mars. They previously knew that because the atmosphere is less dense on the Red Planet, higher-pitched sounds, in particular, would be hard to hear.

As a result, several scientists were surprised when the microphone picked up the Ingenuity helicopter’s buzzing rotors during its fourth flight, on April 30, from a distance of 262 feet.

Information from the helicopter’s audio allowed researchers to eliminate two of three models developed to predict how sound travels on Mars.

The super laser camera on NASA’s Perseverance Rover shown in a screenshot from a video. (NASA, JPL-Caltech, LANL, CNES, CNRS, IRAP, DPA/Zenger)

“Sound on Mars carries much farther than we thought,” Nina Lanza, a SuperCam scientist who works with the microphone data at Los Alamos National Laboratory in New Mexico, said:.

“It shows you just how important it is to do field science.”

Sound can also be used to improve the maintenance of equipment on Mars as it gives crucial clues to engineers about how the machinery is working.

“We would love to listen to these sounds regularly,” Vandi Verma, Perseverance’s chief engineer for robotic operations at JPL, said.

“We routinely listen for changes in sound patterns on our test rover here on Earth, which can indicate there’s an issue that needs attention.”

Edited by Richard Pretorius and Kristen Butler



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Smarter News Quiz: Scrapped Statues, Kardashians and Wheel of Fortune

By Rachel McMahon


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Entertain for Less This Holiday Season

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The holiday season brings an abundance of feelings that may include joy, comfort, gratitude, and unfortunately, stress. Don’t let the task of entertaining friends and family break the bank or your back.

Instead, create memorable gatherings with loved ones while saving time and money in the process using these hosting tips from the experts at Dollar General:

Delicate Décor

Creating the right ambiance in your space is key to holiday decorating success. Begin by decluttering the areas of your home where you plan to entertain. Fill the extra spaces with seasonal decorations. Remember, elaborate, expensive items aren’t always needed to make a home look amazing. Decorations like small figurines, bowls filled with holiday candy or simple wreaths and garlands can do the trick of transforming your home into a winter wonderland!

Fruitful Food

With more guests comes more food, but it doesn’t have to mean spending more money. Shopping at discount retailers for essentials such as milk, eggs, bread and cheese can help stretch your budget. You can also make the switch to private brand items and save even more when buying foods for overnight guests, such as granola bars, cereal and snacks. Consider purchasing these household basics from a local Dollar General store, which also provides digital coupons to help you save even more.

Supplies Stock-Up

Of course, to entertain, you will need supplies. Stocking up on cleaning essentials, everyday cooking ingredients, and entertaining basics early in the season is a great way to have everything needed before the party begins. Consider adding items such as trash bags, cutlery, paper products, other decorations, and even small gifts.

By using smart shopping strategies, you can entertain during the holidays with ease instead of stress.

How to Protect Teens in the Age of Social Media

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If you’ve been worried about your teen’s social media usage, it would seem your concerns are now legitimized by hard facts and figures.

Recent Congressional testimony by former Facebook data scientist Frances Haugen supports the notion that Facebook and its photo-sharing app, Instagram, can be harmful to young users. Haugen recently presented internal studies revealing the negative mental health impacts of Instagram and told Congress that Facebook has prioritized growth over its users’ safety.

Those who have been working toward keeping young people safe online for years say that parents will need to step up to protect their kids.

“Parents should not rely on social media networks to ensure their children’s safety online,” says Michele Havner, director of marketing at Eturi Corp., maker of OurPact, a leading parental control and screen time app. “This is one of the many reasons why we’ve developed OurPact so parents can teach smart digital habits and protect their kids.”

According to Havner, here are a few ways you can help protect teens in the age of social media:

• Set digital schedules. Feeling “addicted” to social media and screens in general is common. However, setting digital schedules can help ensure that you and your teen are leading a balanced life.

• Block unwanted apps and websites: Ensure your teen is only using apps and visiting sites that are approved by you. Using parental control apps to block apps, websites and contacts as needed can help you protect your child from unsafe people and content.

• Maintain open communication: The newly released research draws links between social media usage and depression, anxiety, and even suicidal thoughts. Be sure to regularly check in with your teen and keep the lines of communication open.

• Use new tools: New tech tools can help you get a handle on your teen’s social media usage, as well as help you help them carve out healthy digital habits. For example, OurPact, a parental guidance app used by over 1 million families, allows you to create automated schedules for when internet and apps are unavailable, block access to the device for a specified period of time, whitelist, and blacklist websites, and even take screenshots of digital activity. Available at the iOS App Store and Google Play Store, parents can also sign up for an account at www.ourpact.com.

Ultimately, keeping kids safe is critical. With tech tools and an open dialogue, parents can help kids form healthy digital habits.

VIDEO: Hawaii Five-Flow: Quake And Poison Gas Risks Still High At Volcano Summit

By Joseph Golder

Lava flow appears to be slowing at the Kīlauea volcano in Hawaii as the latest eruption approaches its fourth week, though earthquake risks remain.

The latest footage, shared Oct. 18 by the U.S. Geological Survey, shows lava flow seems more subdued, though the agency says gas and seismic activity at the summit remain high.

Kīlauea is one of the most active volcanoes on Earth, according to the U.S. Geological Survey. The current eruption began on Sept. 29.

Commenting on the video, the agency said: “A morning overflight of Kīlauea summit on October 15, 2021, provided aerial views of the eruption within Halema‘uma‘u. Lava erupts from a single vent on the western wall of the crater. The vent has a spatter cone around it, with an opening to the east from which lava flows into the lava lake.”

The government website said earthquake hazards occur regularly in Hawaii. “Frequent and long-lasting eruptions and recurrent strong earthquakes in Hawai‘i create a unique combination of natural hazards for people across the Hawaiian Islands.”

“The Kīlauea volcano has alternated between centuries-long periods of dominantly effusive (lava flow) and dominantly explosive eruptions.”

The active west vent of Halema‘uma‘u, at the summit of the Kilauea volcano, as seen from the northwest rim on Oct. 16, 2021. (USGS, E. Gallant/Zenger)

Lava flows are especially dangerous.

They erupt from a volcano’s summit or along rift zones on its flanks. Lava flows travel down slope toward the ocean, burying everything in its path.

When lava flows enter the ocean, it can build new land, called lava deltas, that are prone to sudden collapse. That collapse can trigger explosive activity that hurls hot rocks hundreds of yards inland and/or seaward, according to the U.S. Geological Survey.

Lava gushing in the Halema’uma’u crater, at the summit of the Kilauea volcano, on October 12, 2021. The state of Hawaii is made up of 137 volcanic islands. (USGS/Zenger)

Kīlauea is a highly active shield volcano — so called because its lava flows have broad sloping sides, and it’s generally surrounded by sloping hills in a pattern that looks like a warrior’s shield.

Believed to be between 210,000 and 280,000 years old, the volcano emerged from the sea about 100,000 years ago. Kilauea is located on Hawai’i, the official name of the largest island in the archipelago, also called the Big Island. (It should not be confused with Hawaii, the state.)

The Hawai’i island consists of five volcanoes, four of which are classified as active: Kīlauea, Mauna, Mauna Loa, Hualālai and Mauna Kea. In fact, Hawaii, the only U.S. state not in North America, is made up of 137 volcanic islands.

Kīlauea’s last major eruption took place between May and September 2018 and led to thousands of local residents being displaced and the destruction of 716 homes. That event saw lava oozing from 24 different vents with one major explosion sending debris flying 30,000 feet into the sky.

Edited by Fern Siegel and Kristen Butler



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VIDEO: Brave Florida Cop Saves Boy From House Fire

By Joseph Golder

A Florida cop saved a 3-year-old boy from a house fire on Oct. 17.

Police body-cam footage shows a Flagler County officer approaching the house, as sirens are heard in the background. He is told, via radio, three people live in the home. The police officer reports he sees flames, but no one appears to be home.

He knocks on the door and shouts “sheriff’s office,” but gets no reply. Then he makes his way around back. A dog can be heard barking, and the officer reports animals are inside.

The patio door is unlocked and the officer makes his way in, where he is greeted by a young boy. “Where is your mommy?” the officer asks. He picks up the boy and heads outside, toward a fire engine. He then hands the boy to a female firefighter along with the boy’s phone, before running back to the burning house.

The footage was shared online by the Flagler County Sheriff’s Office, which said: “On October 17, 2021, the Flagler County Sheriff’s Office (FCSO) responded to a residence in the W section of Palm Coast about a house fire. K-9 Deputy First Class (DFC) Marcus Dawson arrived at the scene and observed movement in the back master bedroom of the residence and found a 3-year-old hiding in fear.

Deputy Marcus Dawson, with a member of the Palm Coast Fire Department, the rescued toddler, and his father in Flagler County, Florida. (Flagler County Sheriff’s Office/Zenger)

“DFC Dawson met with a neighbor who advised the fire started in the kitchen, and he had not seen the three occupants that day. Upon checking the exterior of the residence, DFC Dawson observed a fire on the stove that was spreading to the cabinets. There was thick black smoke filling the residence and dogs barking at the sliding glass door of the rear bedroom. DFC Dawson made verbal commands into the residence and did not receive any response.”

Dawson quickly searched the premises and discovered the child.

“The toddler immediately received medical attention and was cleared on scene. Upon meeting with the toddler’s father, it was determined the father went to pick up dinner and left the sleeping child home with an older sibling,” the Sheriff’s Office said.

The older sibling was not home when the rescue occurred.

Deputies save a 3-year-old child from a fire in Flagler County, Florida. (Flagler County Sheriff’s Office/Zenger)

Sheriff Rick Staly said: “Without DFC Dawson immediately running toward danger, even without a safety respirator, this could have been a much different outcome.

“… thankfully, DFC Dawson’s training in emergency response allowed him to find this child and safely rescue him. This was a dangerous situation, and we are very proud of DFC Dawson’s bravery and commitment to serving this community and saving a life.”

The Palm Coast Fire Department believes the fire to be accidental and possibly cooking-related,” according to the Sheriff’s Office.

Edited by Fern Siegel and Kristen Butler



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VIDEO: Horror As Car Crushes Baby In Stroller On Sidewalk

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By Peter Barker

A hit-and-run collision in Los Angeles killed an 18-month-old boy who was in his stroller on the sidewalk on Oct. 17.

Video shows the two vehicles colliding at an intersection, and then one jumps the curb. The child and an unidentified pedestrian are hit. The child, whose identity was not released by police, died at the hospital. The conditon of the other person was not reported.

“The Los Angeles Fire Department paramedics arrived at the scene and transported the victims to a local hospital. One of the victims was treated and released, but the child succumbed to his injuries and died. The name of the child will not be released until next-of-kin has been notified,” police said.

Around 7:35 a.m on Oct. 17, the Los Angeles Police Department said, “a fatal hit and run traffic collision occurred on Nordhoff Street and Langdon Avenue when a silver colored 2016 Honda HRV, heading westbound Nordhoff Street, sideswiped an approaching vehicle that was traveling eastbound Nordhoff Street as the Honda attempted to negotiate a left turn onto Langdon Avenue.

“The approaching vehicle was a grey colored sedan, 4-door, possibly a Toyota Camry. Due to the nature of the impact, the Honda HRV changed its direction and began heading towards the southeast corner that was populated by several pedestrians. The Honda HRV drove onto the sidewalk colliding with some of the pedestrians. One of the pedestrians was a one-and-a-half-year-old child who was in a stroller.

“The Honda HRV pinned the stroller and victim against a brick planter. The driver of the grey colored sedan continued to drive eastbound Nordhoff Street without stopping, identifying themselves, or attempting to render aid,” police said in their statement accompanying video of the incident.”

The short video shows the moment the Honda is knocked off course by the crash and ends up jumping the curb and landing on the sidewalk.

At the time of the posting on YouTube, police were searching for the driver of the car that took off.

“On April 15, 2015, the City Council amended the Los Angeles Administrative Code and created a Hit and Run Reward Program Trust Fund. A reward of up to $50,000 is available to community members who provide information leading to the offender’s identification, apprehension, and conviction or resolution through a civil compromise,” police said.

“Drivers are reminded that if they are involved in a traffic collision, they should pull over and stop as soon as it is safe to do so, notify emergency services, and remain at the scene to identify themselves.”

Edited by Judith Isacoff and Kristen Butler



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VIDEO: US Fish And Wildlife Service Celebrates As Endangered Colorado River Fish Numbers Pick Up

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By Joseph Golder

With a hard-to-miss hump behind its head and a colorful appearance — olive back, silver sides, white belly — the humpback chub would stand out in any waters. Now, it’s getting a significant upgrade in the world of species conservation: being reclassified from “endangered” to “threatened” under the U.S. Endangered Species Act.

“Today’s action is the result of the collaborative conservation that is needed to ensure the recovery of listed species,” said Matt Hogan, acting Mountain-Prairie region director for the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service.

“Reclassifying this distinctive fish from endangered to threatened is the result of many years of cooperative work by conservation partners in the Upper Colorado River Endangered Fish Recovery Program and the Glen Canyon Dam Adaptive Management Program. We thank everyone involved for their efforts as we look toward addressing the remaining challenges in the Colorado River Basin.”

The humpback chub’s presence was first documented in the lower Colorado River Basin in the Grand Canyon in the 1940s and the upper Colorado River Basin in the 1970s, according to the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service. However, researchers say the fish has been present in the Colorado River for approximately 3 to 5 million years.

As the fish’s habitat was altered and sometimes destroyed during dam construction, its existence became more at risk. The humpback chub was on the original list of endangered species in 1967.

The typical whitewater habitat of the humpback chub in Westwater Canyon in Utah in the United States. (Utah Division of Wildlife Resources, Brian Hines/Zenger)

“This fish is uniquely adapted to live in the swift and turbulent whitewater found in the river’s canyon-bound areas. The fleshy hump behind its head, which gives the fish its name, evolved to make it harder to be eaten by predators, and its large, curved fins allow the humpback chub to maintain its position in the swiftly moving current,” the Fish and Wildlife Service said in the statement.

The Upper Basin Recovery Program’s actions over the last 15 years have improved river flow conditions, to the point that all Upper Basin populations have stabilized or increased, according to the statement.

It warns that the reclassification is simply a sign of improvement and that the threat remains for the humpback chub.

Under the guidelines, a “threatened species is likely to become endangered within the foreseeable future” unless more efforts are made to protect it.

“Ongoing threats to the humpback chub that Recovery Program partners are addressing include threats from non-native species such as smallmouth bass in the upper basin, uncertainties related to river flow and the outcomes of a new cooperative agreement among partners in the Upper Basin Recovery Program,” the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service said.

Edited by Richard Pretorius and Kristen Butler



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