Florida & Beyond, and All Opinions

Today, seed banks around the world are doing much of the work of saving crop varieties that could be essential resources under future growing conditions. The Svalbard Global Seed Vault in Norway supports them all. It is the world’s most famous backup site for seeds that are more precious than data.

Still traumatised by the 25% Trump tax in place from October 2019 to March 2021, the French wine industry is anticipating further difficulties in exporting to the United States. However, a comparison between the previous tax and what the president-elect has announced for his second term provides some hope.

Over the past few years, the location of the Bornplatz Synagogue, a former landmark, has become the site of controversy as residents debated whether and how to rebuild the old synagogue, which would demolish the memorial standing there today.

The rebel group that just took over Syria, led by Abu Mohammad al-Golani, originated as an offshoot of the Nusra Front, the official al-Qaida affiliate in Syria. Hayat Tahrir al-Sham was initially recognized for its combat effectiveness and its commitment to global jihadist ideology, or the establishment of strict Islamic rule across the Muslim world.

For the 1.5 million Syrian refugees already in Lebanon, having fled civil war in Syria, the cease-fire between Israel and Hezbollah introduces new uncertainties. Syrians who temporarily fled Lebanon or were displaced within its borders now face growing hostility and restrictive policies regarding their return, namely from the Lebanese themselves, who have a history of brutality toward and ill treatment of refugees.

Since 1951, fluoride has been added to community water supplies in many countries to prevent tooth decay. Fluoridation started as an observation, then an idea that ended as a scientific revolution 50 years later. The practice has been hailed as one of the “10 greatest public health achievements of the 20th century.” But with Robert F. Kennedy Jr., a vocal opponent of fluoridation of water supplies, being tapped by President-elect Donald Trump to lead the Department of Health and Human Services, this progress is under threat.

While some researchers and media outlets portray phone use as detrimental, the reality is that the effects of technology use, including phones, vary depending on multiple factors. Here are a few tips.

Will the next human to walk on the Moon speak English or Mandarin? In all, 12 Americans landed on the lunar surface between 1969 and 1972. Now, both the US and China are preparing to send humans back there this decade. However, the US lunar programme is delayed, in part because the spacesuits and lunar-landing vehicle are not ready. Meanwhile, China has pledged to put astronauts on the Moon by 2030 – and it has a habit of sticking to timelines.

There’s a reason review sites like Yelp are so popular. No one wants to spend their hard-earned money on a dud product, or fork over cash for a bad meal. So we’ll seek advice from strangers and use various clues to judge if a particular review is authentic and reliable. But sometimes these cues can lead shoppers down the wrong path. Other times, the reviews are simply fake.

Gun owners aren’t just protecting against the specific threat of physical violence. Owners are also using a gun to protect their psychological selves. Owning a gun helps them feel more in control of the world around them and more able to live meaningful, purposeful lives that connect to the people and communities they care for.

The most common concern about bringing up religion in the workplace is that it will lead to conflict – including conflict from people trying to change each other’s beliefs. But workers appreciate when their employers take active steps to let employees know that religious accommodations are available and that religious expression in general is not forbidden. Having upfront conversations about what is or is not appropriate – not only legally but socially – can go a long way toward setting boundaries.

The Israeli parliament’s vote on Oct. 28, 2024, to ban the United Nations agency that provides relief for Palestinian refugees is likely to affect millions of people – it also fits a pattern. Aid for refugees, particularly Palestinian refugees, has long been politicized, and the United Nations Relief and Works Agency for Palestine Refugees, or UNRWA, has been targeted throughout its 75-year history.

Nearly half of adolescents and three-quarters of adults in the U.S. were classified as being clinically overweight or obese in 2021. The rates have more than doubled compared with 1990. Obesity has slowed health improvements and life expectancy in the U.S. compared with other high-income nations. It increases the risk of diabetes, heart attack, stroke, cancer and mental health disorders.