Shocking map reveals how long Americans can survive on just Social Security in 50 major US citiesNothing's guaranteed, but Bucs need to win out to give themselves best shot to make the playoffs
SAN FRANCISCO (AP) — Northern California was under a rare and brief tsunami warning alert Thursday that tested local emergency notification systems after a 7.0 magnitude earthquake shook part of the state. The National Weather Service canceled its alert after roughly an hour and before the tsunami was expected to arrive. In that hour, some cities and counties ordered evacuations while others relied on social media and text messages to inform people of the warning. Some people headed for higher ground, while others drove to the beach to get a better view. People took to social media to figure out why a warning was issued and then canceled so quickly, and how the NWS determines when to send alerts. Here are answers to more questions. The word for tsunami comes from the Japanese characters for harbor and wave. It's a series of extremely long waves set in motion when energy from an earthquake causes the ocean floor to suddenly rise or fall, according to the National Weather Service . Since 1800, California's shores have been struck by more than 150 tsunamis, most of them minor, according to the California Geological Survey. Phones buzzed Thursday when the National Weather Service issued its warning just minutes after the quake struck west of Ferndale, a small city in coastal Humboldt County. It read in part: “You are in danger. Get away from coastal waters. Move to high ground or inland now.” The National Weather Service Bay Area posted on the social platform X early Friday that the region doesn't get tsunami alerts often and “there are lot of questions, frustration, and even some anger” about Thursday's event. A warning alert is the most serious of four tsunami alerts, including a watch alert for a possible tsunami and an advisory alert telling people to stay out of the water and away from the shore. The last time California received a warning alert was 2011 when an earthquake in Japan caused about $100 million in damages along the California coast. Basically, a distant, offshore earthquake or other trigger event gives scientists more time to analyze data and confirm that a large tsunami was generated before sounding a warning. But Thursday’s earthquake was local and close to the coast, forcing a hasty high-level alert in order to give people the maximum time to prepare as tsunami waves can travel very fast, up to 500 mph (800 kph) in the deep ocean, the NWS wrote. “By the time we actually observe it, it may be too late, because it's right there in our back doors,” said Dalton Behringer, a meteorologist with NWS Bay Area, on Friday. Scientists used the time Thursday to monitor buoys and get more information on the earthquake itself, he said. They canceled the alert after seeing little sea-level change and determining the quake was a strike-slip type of temblor that shifts more horizontally and is less prone to cause tsunamis, he said. “These things happen so infrequently for us, I think it just caught a lot of people off-guard,” he said. Authorities in Eureka, the biggest city in Humboldt County, sent texts and went door-to-door to order businesses in high-risk areas to evacuate, said City Manager Miles Slattery. He said only a small portion of the city was at risk, and Thursday's test run showed evacuees need to work on leaving by foot, rather than by car. In the San Francisco Bay Area, the commuter light-rail system known as BART stopped traffic in all directions through the underwater tunnel between San Francisco and Oakland, and the San Francisco Zoo’s visitors were evacuated. Responses varied as fire and police in Berkeley evacuated certain areas of the city while in San Francisco, officials sent alerts and messages on social media telling residents to stay away from water, beaches, harbors, marina docks, and piers. “Move at least one block inland,” said the San Francisco Department of Emergency Management. Emergency personnel in vehicles with public address systems also went to make sure no one was on beaches and other low-lying areas. But some critics said San Francisco should have sounded its loud emergency sirens, which have been off-line since 2019 for repairs. In San Mateo County, just south of San Francisco, officials considered but decided against sounding its tsunami warning sirens after receiving more comprehensive information from the NWS that any tsunami would affect coastlines north of the Golden Gate Bridge, said Michelle Durand, a spokesperson for the county. Fire and police cleared the beaches while emergency personnel gathered to monitor the situation, she said, which “prioritized both public safety and the prevention of unnecessary panic.”
EXCLUSIVE TOMS Shoes founder Blake Mycoskie reveals suicidal depression as second wife Molly Holm files for divorce 18 months after lavish wedding By JOSH BOSWELL FOR DAILYMAIL.COM Published: 22:26, 6 December 2024 | Updated: 22:29, 6 December 2024 e-mail View comments Multi-millionaire TOMS Shoes founder Blake Mycoskie split from his second wife Molly Holm just 18 months after their lavish 'love festival' wedding after confessing he had contemplated suicide, DailyMail.com can reveal. Molly, 33, filed in a Marin County, California , court to divorce the unlucky-in-love businessman on October 21, just weeks after categorically denying rumors of their broken marriage. The filing came a week after Mycoskie revealed on his friend’s podcast that he had been battling severe depression for the past year and even considered killing himself at his darkest moments. Blake, 48, who is worth an estimated $400 million, has two children with his first wife Heather Lang and was helping raise Molly's six-year-old daughter from a previous relationship, Ella. DailyMail.com spoke to two sources close to the couple who said they split this summer, though Molly rubbished the claims when contacted in August, saying that they were 'on a beautiful journey together,' 'love each other a lot,' and 'we're great'. They marked their one-year anniversary in June, celebrating 12 months since their lavish Utah desert wedding at a $3,700-per-night hotel, with guests flown in by private jet. It was a spectacular and theatrical ceremony, with Blake and Molly arriving at the festivities on the backs of camels and later partying in a 70s psychedelic-themed disco. But by the time summer 2024 came around, rumor was spreading through the couple's friends that the relationship was getting rocky. Blake Mycoskie and Molly Holm announced their engagement in 2021 but broke things off temporarily just months after moving to Costa Rica together DailyMail.com can now reveal former model Holm, 33, has filed for divorce 18 months after the couple tied the knot at the luxurious Amangiri Hotel in Canyon Point, Utah Molly declined to comment when asked about the divorce. Brad did not immediately respond to approaches from DailyMail.com. Just a week before Molly filed divorce papers, Blake spoke out on his college buddy Tyler Ramsey’s podcast revealing he had been in a deep depression and even contemplated suicide. Blake said that in June he was ‘at the lowest possible point I’ve ever been in my life’, and had been ‘struggling with a pretty serious depression for over a year’. ‘Last April I was at the end of my rope. I didn’t really know what to do. I felt totally trapped,’ he said on the Painful Lessons Podcast on October 16. ‘I didn’t feel there was anything to look forward to in life. I was really consumed with these horrible dark thoughts. It was really scary.’ He said a psychiatrist ‘misdiagnosed’ him with bipolar type two, and put him on antipsychotic, mood stabilizing and antidepressant medications that he believes led him to become suicidal. Blake said he even tried electric shock therapy, but nothing worked. He spent five weeks at the Alternative to Meds Center in Sedona, Arizona weening himself off his medication with the help of another psychiatrist. The entrepreneur posted on Facebook about his struggle, saying that he was ‘not cured’ but improving. Court records show Molly, 33, filed in a Marin County, California court to divorce the unlucky-in-love businessman on October 21, just weeks after categorically denying rumors of their broken marriage Holm, a former model and investment fund manager, looked stunning in a lacy white wedding dress with a long veil and train and a sheer panel on its profile The 'madly in love' couple, pictured during their engagement party in November 2021, became engaged in September 2021 and had plans for Mycoskie to adopt Holm's five-year-old daughter Ella Pictures snapped by guests and posted on Instagram show an open-air dinner overlooking the desert sunset near the border with Arizona during the June 2023 wedding ceremony ‘Today, I feel like myself again and am committed to continuing my healing journey and rebuilding my life. While I'm not "cured," I'm on a path I believe will lead to lasting wellness,’ he wrote. One person close to the Mycoskies told DailyMail.com that their children were informed of Blake and Molly separating in early August. Read More EXCLUSIVE: Even the dog wore a bow tie! TOMS shoes founder Blake Mycoskie marries Molly Holm in lavish three-day 'love festival' wedding at luxury Amangiri Resort in Utah where bride and groom arrived on camelback - after temporarily splitting last year At the time, Molly protested that Blake was just away on a trip hiking the Grand Canyon. 'The kids were told something different, but it had nothing to do with that,' she told DailyMail.com. 'No papers are being filed and we aren't splitting up. There's people that we think are our friends, that are spreading rumors unfortunately. 'We love each other a lot. We've been on a beautiful journey together, and we're continuing that journey and we have a beautiful family.' They had been living in Costa Rica, but later moved to Marin County, California, near Molly's family. 'It's definitely not Costa Rica, but it's very beautiful,' she said of their new home that summer. 'We're near my family, and that's nice. I grew up here. We're great, we're living life. We're in Marin, and it's really hot.' Either way, by October, their feelings had cooled and their irreconcilable differences had got the better of them, with Molly filing court papers in Marin County. Their divorce may lead to a tricky financial unpicking, as Blake's $10million Marin mansion was moved from his trust to being held solely in Molly's name in January last year, according to property records. The serial entrepreneur and philanthropist founded Shoes for Better Tomorrows, now just TOMS, in 2006 after a trip to Argentina where he saw kids with no shoes and decided to donate a pair for each one sold. By 2019 the firm had donated 95 million pairs of shoes. It was valued at $625million in 2014 when Mycoskie sold 50 per cent to Bain capital. In 2019 he split with Heather, his then-wife and mother of his son Summit and daughter Charlie. Within a year he was looking for love again, even taking part in TCM reality show The Sexiest Bachelor in America. Life coach China Jones posted pictures from the event on Instagram and gushed over the 'incredible' three-day celebration, with the main ceremony being held on a big rock mesa under the cliffs in open air The luxury resort and venue boasts stunning views at sunset and sunrise over the canyon cliffs The lavish celebration were held at Amangiri Hotel in Canyon Point – a favorite among A-list celebrities and where rooms start at around $3,700 per night But he found his next partner off-screen when he started dating Molly that year. The two got engaged in September 2021. DailyMail.com previously reported an alleged hiccup in their relationship in May 2022 when friends said Blake and Molly temporarily split after realizing they became so 'wrapped up in each other' in a whirlwind romance that they needed to step back 'to concentrate on their kids'. Blake sold his Jackson, Wyoming, mansion for $65million, they moved to Costa Rica, and allegedly even planned for him to adopt her daughter Ella. But friends said they soon found their adventure-filled life left too little time for their combined three children. 'They told me, "we're good friends, and we just want to concentrate on our kids, because we got so wrapped up in each other",' one confidant told DailyMail.com anonymously. 'They were madly in love. And I think they just excluded their kids. 'He was going to adopt Ella. That probably both got them thinking about the reality of things. Like is she going to adopt his kids? Things just got weird. 'I think they didn't have enough time at the end of the day for their children. And they realized, we need to put the brakes on things and be great friends and parent our kids right now,' the friend added. Speaking to DailyMail.com this summer, Molly said they put their kids first throughout the relationship. At their June 2023 wedding they were the picture of a loving couple, surrounded by adoring guests. Mycoskie and Holm, who began dating in 2020, often shared photos of their family adventures on social media Mycoskie had sold his Jackson, Wyoming mansion for $65million to moved to Costa Rica with his then fiancée, and had reportedly even planned to adopt Molly's daughter Ella The desert nuptials were kicked off with the couple arriving on the backs of two camels, their two girls wearing frilly baby blue dresses and starry crowns and Holm in a black jumpsuit embroidered with moons and stars; their friends and family gathered to greet them. Pictures snapped by guests and posted on Instagram show a four-tiered chocolate wedding cake and an open-air dinner overlooking the desert sunset near the border with Arizona. Holm, who says she worked as an Investment Fund Manager at Highbridge Equity Partners and studied at UC Berkeley, wore a lacy white wedding dress with a long veil and train and a sheer panel on its profile. She wore light jewelry of two bracelets and moon-and-stars earrings. Blake wore a black tuxedo with a desert plant boutonniere. The newlyweds posed for photos by canyon cliffs with their dog. An insider told DailyMail.com that guests were flown in by private jet then bused to the location in 4x4s due to the rough desert terrain. 'The day they arrived there was a western saloon theme,' the source said. 'A lot of guests went horse riding over the desert. Then there was another event with a Moroccan bazaar theme. 'Molly and Blake arrived for the whole event on camelback – as you do. Mycoskie has two children from his previous marriage to Heather Lang. They are pictured together at a TOMS for Target launch event in 2014 'The wedding itself was held on a big rock mesa under the cliffs in the open air. 'Then there was a 70s-themed disco, complete with an illuminated dance floor. Everyone had psychedelic attire and it went late into the night.' The same month, Mycoskie had pledged $100million, a quarter of his net worth, to psychedelic therapies for treating mental health conditions. The entrepreneur said he hoped his donation would inspire others to invest in psilocybin, MDMA and other mind-altering drugs with potential mental health benefits. Life coach China Jones posted pictures from the event and gushed with praise for her friends. 'Coming down off the most unforgettable wedding weekend love festival that will forever be a favorite memory,' she wrote. 'Set in the breathtaking Utah canyons, it was nothing short of incredible. From the western saloon, Moroccan bazar, remote & stunning ceremony location, art car crawl and disco after party... not one detail was overlooked. 'The vision, creativity, and attention to detail was only matched by the caliber of people in attendance. I had so much fun meeting new friends and reconnecting with my lifelong crew of [mermaid emojis].' But now, just 18 months later, the fairytale has ended. Share or comment on this article: TOMS Shoes founder Blake Mycoskie reveals suicidal depression as second wife Molly Holm files for divorce 18 months after lavish wedding e-mail Add commentProminent brands struggle to adapt to an e-bike industry dominated by cheap, direct-to-consumer sales
Some tech industry leaders are pushing the incoming Trump administration to increase visas for highly skilled workers from other nations. Related Articles National Politics | In states that ban abortion, social safety net programs often fail families National Politics | Court rules Georgia lawmakers can subpoena Fani Willis for information related to her Trump case National Politics | New 2025 laws hit hot topics from AI in movies to rapid-fire guns National Politics | Trump has pressed for voting changes. GOP majorities in Congress will try to make that happen National Politics | Exhausted by political news? TV ratings and new poll say you’re not alone The heart of the argument is, for America to remain competitive, the country needs to expand the number of skilled visas it gives out. The previous Trump administration did not increase the skilled visa program, instead clamping down on visas for students and educated workers, increasing denial rates. Not everyone in corporate America thinks the skilled worker program is great. Former workers at IT company Cognizant recently won a federal class-action lawsuit that said the company favored Indian employees over Americans from 2013 to 2022. A Bloomberg investigation found Cognizant, and other similar outsourcing companies, mainly used its skilled work visas for lower-level positions. Workers alleged Cognizant preferred Indian workers because they could be paid less and were more willing to accept inconvenient or less-favorable assignments. Question: Should the U.S. increase immigration levels for highly skilled workers? Caroline Freund, UC San Diego School of Global Policy and Strategy YES: Innovation is our superpower and it relies on people. Sourcing talent from 8 billion people in the world instead of 330 million here makes sense. Nearly half our Fortune 500 companies were founded by immigrants or their children. Growing them also relies on expanding our skilled workforce. The cap on skilled-worker visas has hardly changed since the computer age started. With AI on the horizon, attracting and building talent is more important than ever. Kelly Cunningham, San Diego Institute for Economic Research YES: After years of openly allowing millions of undocumented entrants into the country, why is there controversy over legally increasing somewhat the number having desirable skills? Undocumented immigration significantly impacts lower skill level jobs and wages competing with domestic workers at every skill level. Why should special cases be made against those having higher skills? Could they just not walk across the border anyway, why make it more inconvenient to those with desirable skills? James Hamilton, UC San Diego YES: Knowledge and technology are key drivers of the U.S. economy. Students come from all over the world to learn at U.S. universities, and their spending contributed $50 billion to U.S. exports last year. Technological advantage is what keeps us ahead of the rest of the world. Highly skilled immigrants contribute much more in taxes than they receive in public benefits. The skills immigrants bring to America can make us all better off. Norm Miller, University of San Diego YES: According to Forbes, the majority of billion-dollar startups were founded by foreigners. I’ve interviewed dozens of data analysts and programmers from Berkeley, UCSD, USD and a few other schools and 75% of them are foreign. There simply are not enough American graduates to fill the AI and data mining related jobs now exploding in the U.S. If we wish to remain a competitive economy, we need highly skilled and bright immigrants to come here and stay. David Ely, San Diego State University YES: Being able to employ highly skilled workers from a larger pool of candidates would strengthen the competitiveness of U.S. companies by increasing their capacity to perform research and innovate. This would boost the country’s economic output. Skilled workers from other nations that cannot remain in the U.S. will find jobs working for foreign rivals. The demand for H-1B visas far exceeds the current cap of 85,000, demonstrating a need to modify this program. Phil Blair, Manpower YES: Every country needs skilled workers, at all levels, to grow its economy. We should take advantage of the opportunity these workers provide our employers who need these skills. It should be blended into our immigration policies allowing for both short and long term visas. Gary London, London Moeder Advisors YES: San Diego is a premiere example of how highly skilled workers from around the globe enrich a community and its regional economy. Of course Visa levels need to be increased. But let’s go further. Tie visas and immigration with a provision that those who are admitted and educated at a U.S. university be incentivized, or even required, to be employed in the U.S. in exchange for their admittance. Bob Rauch, R.A. Rauch & Associates NO: While attracting high-skilled immigrants can fill critical gaps in sectors like technology, health care and advanced manufacturing, increasing high-skilled immigration could displace American workers and drive down wages in certain industries. There are already many qualified American workers available for some of these jobs. We should balance the need for specialized skills with the impact on the domestic workforce. I believe we can begin to increase the number of visas after a careful review of abuse. Austin Neudecker, Weave Growth YES: We should expand skilled visas to drive innovation and economic growth. Individuals who perform high-skilled work in labor-restricted industries or graduate from respected colleges with relevant degrees should be prioritized for naturalization. We depend on immigration for GDP growth, tax revenue, research, and so much more. Despite the abhorrent rhetoric and curtailing of visas in the first term, I hope the incoming administration can be persuaded to enact positive changes to a clearly flawed system. Chris Van Gorder, Scripps Health YES: But it should be based upon need, not politics. There are several industries that have or could have skilled workforce shortages, especially if the next administration tightens immigration as promised and expected. Over the years, there have been nursing shortages that have been met partially by trained and skilled nurses from other countries. The physician shortage is expected to get worse in the years to come. So, this visa program may very well be needed. Jamie Moraga, Franklin Revere NO: While skilled immigration could boost our economy and competitiveness, the U.S. should prioritize developing our domestic workforce. Hiring foreign nationals in sensitive industries or government-related work, especially in advanced technology or defense, raises security concerns. A balanced approach could involve targeted increases in non-sensitive high-demand fields coupled with investment in domestic STEM education and training programs. This could address immediate needs while strengthening the long-term STEM capabilities of the American workforce. Not participating this week: Alan Gin, University of San DiegoHaney Hong, San Diego County Taxpayers AssociationRay Major, economist Have an idea for an Econometer question? Email me at phillip.molnar@sduniontribune.com . Follow me on Threads: @phillip020
What to know about Northern California's rare tsunami warning
The 2025 Tax-Free Savings Account (TFSA) limit is $7,000. Investors with some extra cash to put to work next year are wondering which stocks might still be heading into 2025 and could be good to buy for a self-directed TFSA focused on passive income and long-term total returns. Fortis ( ) is a Canadian utility company with operations located across Canada, the United States, and the Caribbean. The businesses include power-generation facilities, natural gas distribution utilities and electricity transmission networks. Fortis gets nearly all of its revenue from rate-regulated assets. This is important for dividend investors who want to own stocks that can sustain payouts. Fortis trades near $60 per share at the time of writing. The stock is up about 11% in the past six months but is down from the recent high close to $64. Fortis has a good track record of delivering growth through a combination of strategic acquisitions and internal development projects. The company hasn’t made a large purchase for several years but is working on a $26 billion capital program. As the new assets are completed and go into service, Fortis expects the rate base to increase from $38.8 billion to $53 billion over five years. The boost to revenue and cash flow should support planned annual dividend increases of 4% to 6%. Fortis raised the dividend in each of the past 51 years. Investors who buy the stock at the current level can get a dividend yield of 4%. Bank of Nova Scotia ( ) trades near $77 at the time of writing. The stock is up about 23% in the past six months but is still way off the $93 it reached in early 2022 at the top of the first bank stock rally that occurred after the pandemic crash. Bank of Nova Scotia has underperformed most of its large Canadian bank peers over the past decade. A new chief executive officer took over in 2023 and is making changes to help drive better returns for shareholders. Bank of Nova Scotia trimmed staff by about 3% to reduce expenses and is shifting its growth investments to the United States and Canada. The bank announced a US$2.8 billion deal in 2024 to buy a 14.9% stake in KeyCorp, a U.S. regional bank. Bank of Nova Scotia also created a new executive position to oversee expansion in Quebec. Previously, Bank of Nova Scotia invested billions of dollars to buy banks and credit card portfolios in Latin America. Growth potential in Chile, Colombia, Mexico, and Peru is arguably attractive as the middle class expands, but the big bets haven’t paid off for shareholders. Economic and political uncertainty are always present in these markets. As such, bank investors have largely preferred to own other Canadian banks. Investors who buy BNS stock at the current price can get a dividend yield of 5.5%, so you get paid well to wait for the turnaround efforts to deliver results. The bottom line on top TSX stocks for a TFSA Fortis and Bank of Nova Scotia are good examples of TSX stocks that pay attractive dividends that should continue to grow. If you have some cash to put to work in a TFSA, these stocks deserve to be on your radar.In a world where cases of vulnerable individuals being exploited or manipulated are all too common, the story of the female master's degree holder living in a remote village serves as a sobering reminder of the complexities of human relationships and the importance of safeguarding the rights and dignity of every individual, regardless of their circumstances.
US expected to send £1 billion in weapons to Ukraine before Trump takes office
Lebawit Lily Girma | (TNS) Bloomberg News When winter rolls around, travelers predictably turn their attention to beaches. And this year, it’s the destination that comedian Tony Hinchcliffe called “a floating island of garbage in the middle of the ocean” that’s experiencing outsize demand from Americans planning a warm island vacation. Talk about trashing stereotypes. Related Articles Would you pay $700 a night to sleep under the stars at this Colorado resort? Thailand’s starring role in ‘The White Lotus’ is about to pay off 5 under-the-radar travel destinations the UN says you should visit Gift ideas for people planning their next trip Lights and decor, réveillon meals make Christmastime special in New Orleans Puerto Rico has recovered overseas visitors (excluding those from Canada and Mexico) faster than any U.S. state or territory — a staggering 85% increase over its 2019 overseas inbound visitor levels as of 2023, according to an October study from the U.S. National Travel and Tourism Office. There are now more daily flights from the U.S. West Coast, and hotel bookings are 6% higher so far in this last quarter of 2024 year-over-year. It’s a trifecta of tourism growth: more visitors, but also longer stays and a higher spend that reached a record $9.8 billion in 2023, boosting small businesses as well as major brands. “We don’t have a slow season in Puerto Rico anymore,” says Brad Dean, chief executive officer at Discover Puerto Rico. Even if they’re not booking, people are dreaming about “La Isla.” By tracking flight searches for trips between November 2024 and February 2025, a measure of “inspirational” demand, tourism intelligence company Mabrian Technologies reports Puerto Rico is up 9% compared with the same period last year and leads Barbados, the Dominican Republic, Jamaica and the Bahamas in the Caribbean proper. Only Costa Rica ranked higher in the wider region. Dean attributes Puerto Rico’s ongoing tourism growth to a strategic effort to reposition the island’s brand as more than a sun-and-sea destination, starting back in 2018. That led to the Live Boricua campaign, which began in 2022 and leaned heavily on culture, history and cuisine and was, Dean says, “a pretty bold departure” in the way Puerto Rico was showcased to travelers. He adds that at least $2 billion in tourism spend is linked to this campaign. “We (also) haven’t shied away from actively embracing the LGBTQ+ community, and that has opened up Puerto Rico to audiences that may not have considered the Caribbean before,” Dean says. Hotels are preparing to meet this growing demand: A number of established boutique properties are undergoing upgrades valued between $4 million and more than $50 million, including Hotel El Convento; La Concha, which will join the Marriott Autograph Collection; Condado Vanderbilt Hotel; and the Wyndham Grand Rio Mar. That’s in addition to ultra-chic options that are coming online in 2025, including the adults-only Alma San Juan, with rooms overlooking Plaza Colón in the heart of Old San Juan, and the five-star Veranó boutique hotel in San Juan’s trendy Santurce neighborhood. The beachfront Ritz-Carlton San Juan in Isla Verde will also be reopening seven years after Hurricane Maria decimated the island. The travel industry’s success is helping boost employment on the island, to the tune of 101,000 leisure and hospitality jobs as of September 2024, a 26% increase over pre-pandemic levels, according to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics. Efforts to promote Puerto Rico’s provinces beyond the San Juan metro area — such as surfing hub Rincón on the west coast, historical Ponce on the south coast and Orocovis for nature and coffee haciendas in the central mountains —have spread the demand to small businesses previously ignored by the travel industry. Take Sheila Osorio, who leads workshops on Afro-Puerto Rican bomba music and dance at Taller Nzambi, in the town of Loíza, 15 miles east of San Juan; or Wanda Otero, founder of cheese-producing company Vaca Negra in Hatillo, an hour’s drive west of Old San Juan, where you can join a cheese-making workshop and indulge in artisanal cheese tastings. “The list of businesses involved in tourism has gone from 650 in 2018 to 6,100, many of which are artists and artisans,” Dean says. While New Yorkers and Miami residents have always been the largest visitor demographic, Dean says more mainland Americans now realize that going to Puerto Rico means passport-free travel to enjoy beaches, as well as opportunities to dine in Michelin-rated restaurants, hike the only rainforest in the U.S. and kayak in a bioluminescent bay. Visitors from Chicago and Dallas, for example, have increased by approximately 40% from July 1, 2023, to June 30, 2024, compared with the same period in 2022-2023, and more travelers are expected from Denver now that United Airlines Holdings Inc. has kicked off its first nonstop service to San Juan, beginning on Oct. 29. Previously, beach destinations that were easy to reach on direct flights from Denver included Mexico, Belize and California, but now Puerto Rico joins that list with a 5.5-hour nonstop route that cuts more than two hours from the next-best option. Given United Airlines’ hub in San Francisco, it could mean more travelers from the Golden State in the near future, too. In December, U.S. airlines will have 3,000 more seats per day to the territory compared with the same period last year, for a total of 84,731 — surpassing even Mexico and the Dominican Republic in air capacity, according to data from aviation analytics firm Cirium. Luis Muñoz Marín International Airport, the island’s primary gateway, is projecting a record volume of 13 million passengers by year’s end — far surpassing the 9.4 million it saw in 2019. As for Hinchcliffe’s “floating island of garbage” line, Dean says it was “a terribly insensitive attempt at humor” that transformed outrage into a marketing silver lining, with an outpouring of positive public sentiment and content on Puerto Rico all over social media. Success, as that old chestnut goes, may be the best revenge. “It was probably the most efficient influencer campaign we’ve ever had,” Dean says, “a groundswell of visitors who posted their photos and videos and said, ‘This is the Puerto Rico that I know.’” ©2024 Bloomberg L.P. Visit bloomberg.com. Distributed by Tribune Content Agency, LLC.
Users Can Unlock Exclusive Rewards with SoulBound Tokens in the Latest Web3 Gaming Innovation Singapore, Singapore , Nov. 22, 2024 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Planetarium Labs has announced the pre-registration kickoff for its Immortal Rising 2 Path of Ascension Play 2 Airdrop campaign during the YGG Play Summit. The announcement was made by JC Kim, CEO and Founder of Planetarium Labs, who also provided a live demo of Immortal Rising 2, captivating attendees with the game's immersive dark fantasy setting and advanced Web3 features. Pre-registration for the P2A campaign is now open, offering participants the opportunity to claim a unique SoulBound Token (SBT) during this phase. This SBT will act as a hidden incentive for players, unlocking a special reward at the end of the campaign. The first season of the P2A campaign begins on November 28, 2024, inviting players to engage in a variety of daily check-in, social and in-game missions. These missions allow users to acquire additional SBTs per mission, each with unique scores that contribute to the users' overall performance. At the end of Season 1, participants can check their final tier based on their SBT collection, unlocking exclusive rewards and benefits. The campaign not only introduces an engaging way for players to interact with Immortal Rising 2 but also provides a new layer of player-driven progression and achievement in Web3 gaming. Since its grand launch, Immortal Rising 2 has garnered significant attention, with over 500,000 players pre-registering ahead of its debut. The game has also achieved over 1 million registrations on Immortal Vault , the official platform where users can complete various social and in-game missions to earn ORB, a mileage point that will later contribute to $IMT allocation. Additionally, the game has surpassed 600,000 downloads and topped the charts for iOS and AOS in South Korea and Vietnam . Built on Immutable's zkEVM, powered by Polygon, the game seamlessly integrates blockchain technology with dynamic RPG mechanics, offering players both traditional gameplay and on-chain utility. "With Immortal Rising 2, we're not only advancing Web3 gaming but also creating opportunities for players to engage with the ecosystem in new and rewarding ways,” said JC Kim, CEO and Founder of Planetarium Labs . "The P2A campaign is an exciting step forward, combining innovative technology with immersive gameplay to deepen player engagement.” To pre-register for the P2A campaign and secure your exclusive SoulBound Token, visit the pre-registration page or join the official website at immortalrising2.com and follow Immortal Rising 2 on X and Discord . About Planetarium Labs Planetarium Labs , which raised $32 million in a Series A funding round led by Animoca Brands, is a community-driven Web3 gaming company that builds immersive and moddable gaming experiences for users around the world. With decades of collective experience in gaming and blockchain technologies, and with industry-leading visionaries and partners, Planetarium Labs is building the protocols and experiences that take Web3 gaming to the next level. Media Contact Robert Penington [email protected]
Breaking News Don't miss out on the headlines from Breaking News. Followed categories will be added to My News. Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky said Friday that "several" wounded North Korean soldiers died after being captured by Ukrainian forces, as he accused Russia of throwing them into battle with "minimal protection". Ukraine and its western allies say North Korea has sent thousands of soldiers to support Russia's army, in what is seen as a major escalation in the nearly three-year war following Moscow's 2022 invasion. "Today there were reports about several soldiers from North Korea. Our soldiers managed to take them prisoner. But they were very seriously wounded and could not be resuscitated," Zelensky said in an evening address posted on social media. South Korea's spy agency said earlier on Friday that a North Korean soldier who was captured while fighting in Russia's war against Ukraine had died of his wounds. Zelensky did not specify how many North Koreans had died after being captured by Ukrainian troops. Zelensky had earlier said that nearly 3,000 North Korean soldiers had been "killed or wounded" so far as they joined Russia's forces in combat in its western Kursk border region, where Ukraine mounted a shock incursion in August. South Korea's intelligence service had previously put the number of killed or wounded North Koreans at 1,000, saying the high casualty rate could be down to an unfamiliar battlefield environment and their lack of capability to counter drone attacks. The White House on Friday confirmed the South Korean estimates, saying that Pyongyang's troops were being sent to their deaths in futile attacks by generals who see them as "expendable". "We also have reports of North Korean soldiers taking their own lives rather than surrendering to Ukrainian forces, likely out of fear of reprisal against their families in North Korea in the event that they're captured," National Security Council spokesman John Kirby told reporters. - Putin message to Kim - North Korea and Russia have strengthened their military ties since Moscow's invasion of Ukraine in February 2022. A landmark defence pact between Pyongyang and Moscow signed in June came into force this month, with Russian President Vladimir Putin hailing it as a "breakthrough document". North Korean state media said Friday that Putin sent a New Year's message to North Korean leader Kim Jong Un, saying: "The bilateral ties between our two countries have been elevated after our talks in June in Pyongyang." Seoul's military believes that North Korea was seeking to modernise its conventional warfare capabilities through combat experience gained in the Russia-Ukraine war. NATO chief Mark Rutte had also said that Moscow was providing support to Pyongyang's missile and nuclear programmes in exchange for the troops. South Korea's Joint Chiefs of Staff said Monday that Pyongyang is reportedly "preparing for the rotation or additional deployment of soldiers" and supplying "240mm rocket launchers and 170mm self-propelled artillery" to the Russian army. Pyongyang's involvement in Russia's war against Ukraine had prompted warnings from Seoul. South Korea's President Yoon Suk Yeol, currently suspended, said in November that Seoul was "not ruling out the possibility of providing weapons" to Kyiv, which would mark a major shift to a long-standing policy barring the sale of weapons to countries in active conflict. hs/bjt/mlm/gv/rlp Originally published as Several wounded N.Korean soldiers died after being captured by Ukraine: Zelensky More related stories Retail Major Aussie industry risking total collapse It’s been a topsy-turvy year for one key Australian industry. With brands collapsing and the future of one key event hanging by a thread, is there any hope? Read more Breaking News Montenegro to extradite crypto entrepreneur Do Kwon to US Montenegro to extradite crypto entrepreneur Do Kwon to US Read more
However, tragedy struck when Liu decided to undergo a liposuction procedure to enhance her appearance. The surgery, which was supposed to be a routine cosmetic procedure, took a turn for the worse, leading to unforeseen complications that ultimately claimed Liu's life.