Author: KnowledgeHippo

Despite the forecast, Boston remained mostly snow-free Tuesday. Few residents seemed upset that they were spared, except for the town’s children – who were robbed of real snow on a snow day – and their working parents, who were forced to make alternative childcare plans.School officials canceled Tuesday’s classes nearly a day early, citing dire forecasts as of Monday morning that expected a foot or more of snow. Max Baker, a spokesman for the Boston Public Schools, said the district of more than 47,000 students tries to reduce unrest by giving plenty of warning.”Climbing at 6pm is a nightmare for…

Quickly! What is the difference between Squishmallows and Skoosherz?END OF TIME. Don’t be upset if you couldn’t find an answer. The companies behind the colorful plush toys are locked in a lawsuit this week over what really makes the toys stand out from one another.Kelly Toys, which said it launched Squishmallows plush toys in 2016, filed a lawsuit Monday against Build-A-Bear over its Skoosherz line, which launched last month in time for Valentine’s Day.Instead of “creating its own unique ideas and product lines,” read the complaint filed by Kelly Toys in the U.S. District Court for the Central District of…

X, the social media platform owned by Elon Musk, may be violating US sanctions by accepting payments for subscription accounts from terrorist organizations and other groups banned from operating in the country, according to a new report.The report, from the Tech Transparency Project, a nonprofit focused on holding large tech companies accountable, shows that X, formerly known as Twitter, has received payments from accounts that include leaders of Hezbollah, Houthi groups and state media in Iran and Russia. Memberships, which cost $8 a month, give users a blue checkmark — since it was limited to verified users like celebrities —…

This winter, for the first time, there were two vaccines available to prevent respiratory syncytial virus, which is especially dangerous for the elderly and infants. Only one of them — Abrysvo, made by Pfizer — was approved for pregnant women and not for young children.The distinction apparently slipped by some clinicians and pharmacists.At least 128 pregnant women were mistakenly given the alternative vaccine — Arexvy, by GSK — and at least 25 children under the age of 2 were vaccinated, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention warned. Dr Sarah Long, a pediatric infectious disease specialist and consultant to the…

As repositories of valuable historical documents and other records, US presidential libraries have long been important destinations for scholars. But you don’t have to be an academic or even a history buff to appreciate these destinations, as many increasingly offer museums, special exhibitions and unique programming — from interactive stateroom experiences to musical performances — to the general public.The first library was established by Franklin D. Roosevelt and opened to the public in 1941. Since then each administration has created one of its own. (President Hoover, liking what he saw of FDR’s work, established his own retrospectively, in 1962.) Fifteen…

Ukraine turns to Europe for more supportPresident Volodymyr Zelensky is doubling down on his diplomatic outreach to Europe as US aid to Ukraine continues to flounder in Congress.Zelensky and other Ukrainian politicians praised the bipartisan group of senators for approving $60 billion in aid for Ukraine at a time when weapons and ammunition are in short supply there. The aid still needs to be approved by the US House, where a powerful Republican faction, emboldened by Donald Trump, is determined to resist the bill and where the Republican president has said he will ignore it.Mr Zelensky will likely push for…

They represent opposite corners at the University of Michigan, two sides of student activism that are caught up and almost never communicate.Salma Hamamy is one of the most prominent figures in the pro-Palestinian movement on campus.”One, two, three, four, open the prison doors!” he shouts, bull’s head in hand, as he leads anti-Israel demonstrations in front of crowds of fellow students. “Five, six, seven, eight, Israel is a terrorist state!” Ms Hamamy helped lead more than 20 protests following Hamas’ deadly attacks on Israel on October 7 and the subsequent bombing of Gaza.As she makes calls to end the war…

Bob Moore, the grandfatherly businessman who, with his wife, Charlee, used an image of organic hearty and wholesome Americana to turn Bob’s Red Mill cereal company into a $100 million-a-year business, died Saturday at his home in Milwaukie. , Ore. He was 94 years old.His death was announced by the company, which did not give a cause.Founded in Milwaukie in 1978, Bob’s Red Mill has grown from serving the Portland area to a global natural foods behemoth, marketing more than 200 products in more than 70 countries. The company’s product line includes a range of whole grains, including sorghum flour,…

Another month, another attempt at the moon — but not on Wednesday.SpaceX announced the postponement Tuesday night of the planned launch of a private robotic lunar lander.The spacecraft, built by Intuitive Machines of Houston, sits atop the rocket at the launch site. Weather conditions were favorable but a technical issue delayed his flight by at least a day. The next attempt will be on Thursday at 1:05 am. Eastern time.If all goes well then, it will usher in the first US spacecraft to soft-land on the lunar surface since Apollo 17 landed in 1972. It will also be the last…

An Alaska man died last month from Alaskapox, a rare virus that occurs mostly in small mammals and can cause skin lesions, according to state health officials.Alaskapox was first identified in 2015 in a woman living near Fairbanks, Alaska, and a total of seven cases of the virus have been reported to the Alaska Department of Epidemiology. As of last month, no one had been hospitalized or died from Alaska, which can also cause swollen lymph nodes and muscle or joint pain, Alaska epidemiology officials said Friday.Of the seven people who contracted Alaskapox, six lived in the Fairbanks North Star…