United kingdom

London (CNN Business) Millions of people in the United Kingdom are steeling themselves for colossal rises to their energy bills over the next few months, a coda to a year already marked by record price increases. The crisis is not unique to the country. Prices have shot up across Europe since last fall, driven by a spike in demand as countries lifted pandemic lockdowns. Russia's invasion of Ukraine in late February, and the subsequent drop in Moscow's oil and natural gas exports to Europe , have pushed prices even higher. But UK energy prices are now higher than in comparable economies like France and Italy, analysts told CNN Business. And Brits have suffered much bigger price increases than in most European countries, including Germany, where decades of energy policy has been turned on its head by the Ukraine war. The Office for National Statistics said this week that UK natural gas prices rose nearly 96% in the year to July, while electricity … [Read more...] about Why UK energy prices are rising much faster than in Europe

0 This post was contributed by a community member. The views expressed here are the author's own. Community Corner Read Across America Book Drive donations promote positive equity message United Way of Lake County , Community Contributor Posted | Updated Reply United Way of Lake County recently partnered with the 19th Judicial Circuit Court of Illinois, the Lake County Bar Association (LCBA) and the Association of Women Attorneys of Lake County (AWALC) to conduct a book donation drive that aimed to increase local elementary school children’s access to books promoting a positive equity message. The book drive resulted in more than 800 diverse books, including many bilingual books, for K-5 grade students at North Elementary in Waukegan. Now more children have access to books by diverse authors and that feature diverse characters. United Way of Lake County understands the critical importance of a child’s early years and … [Read more...] about United Way of Lake County Donates 800 Diverse Books for Students

0 This post was contributed by a community member. The views expressed here are the author's own. Community Corner Addressing summer learning loss through programs focused on academics, enrichment and social-emotional needs of children United Way of Lake County , Community Contributor Posted | Updated Reply United Way of Lake County announced today that $84,345 has been awarded in the ninth and final round of Lake County COVID-19 Response and Recovery Fund grants to eight local nonprofits. This grant cycle focused on summer programs for children up to age thirteen that address learning loss through academics or enrichment programming and include activities or services that address children’s social-emotional needs due to the impact of the pandemic. The grant recipients for the ninth funding distribution are: Beacon Place , to revive Tweens summer program for 25 rising 6th and 7th graders in Waukegan and … [Read more...] about United Way of Lake County awards $84,000 in final COVID-19 fund grants

The tragedy that took two young lives at Devils Hole in the Mojave Desert on a summer night in 1965 involves several colliding factors, some unearthly. A hidden lake below the desert; an ancient seismic event; a group of kids from Las Vegas making bad choices; and one of the rarest animals on Earth — the Devils Hole pupfish. For centuries, the mysterious opening in the desert just over the Nevada border confounded those who stumbled across it. On its surface, a gap in the rock the size of a living room drops down 30 feet to a limestone shelf and hot water pool. Below, a series of tunnels lead to numerous caverns and the “infinity cave,” a giant underwater lake that has never been fully mapped. Several adventurers have tried to find its deepest contours. One diver, Jim Houtz, dove into the hole dozens of times in the early ’60s. It was his dispatches describing the strangeness below that inspired the group of four young men who set off on June 20, 1965, to explore the natural … [Read more...] about ‘It’s like infinity’: Inside the historic tragedy at Death Valley’s Devils Hole

It was supposed to be a momentous image: The first Black woman on the nation’s highest court, captured in a historic shoot for one of the world’s most distinguished publications. But the end product of Justice Ketanji Brown Jackson’s Vogue spread lit social media on fire this week, with many critics complaining that Vogue is too-high profile to continuously miss the mark when it comes to photographing Black subjects. On Tuesday, famed photographer Annie Leibovitz sneak-peeked photos from what Vogue Editor-in-Chief Anna Wintour called a “historic portrait” for the mag’s famed September issue, released just before the Supreme Court’s new term begins in October. Jackson made history in April when she was confirmed as the first Black woman on the nation’s highest court. “United States Supreme Court Justice, Ketanji Brown Jackson, Lincoln Memorial, Washington, D.C., 2022,” Leibovitz tweeted with two images of Jackson at the National Mall. The first showcased her leaning on … [Read more...] about Where Did Vogue Go So Wrong With Its ‘Historic’ Ketanji Brown Jackson Pic?

WYATT, Mo. (AP) — A young mother is the third member of her family to die in a gas explosion at her Missouri home, authorities said Friday. Myranda Gale Golden, 22, was hurt Monday when her home in the far southern Missouri town of Wyatt erupted in flames. She was taken to a burn unit in Memphis, Tennessee, for treatment. Wyatt is about 130 miles (280 kilometers) northeast of Memphis. The Mississippi County Sheriff’s Office in Missouri said in a news release that it was notified Friday that she had died. She was the mother of a 3-year-old who died Thursday and her significant other, Corey Coleman, died in the immediate aftermath of the blast. Two of the girl's younger siblings also were hurt and remain hospitalized in stable condition, along with five other relatives. Sheriff’s Capt. Barry Morgan said the source of the explosion has been narrowed down to two propane-powered appliances — a stove and a water heater. He said it was an accident and that foul play has been ruled … [Read more...] about Mother is the 3rd person to die after Missouri home exploded

(CNN) — HBO has followed the majesty of “Game of Thrones” with what might be called “games of throne” in “House of the Dragon,” a series whose epic visual grandeur belies a smaller and less addictive power struggle, more narrowly focused on the Targaryen line. It’s not bad, and there are dragons aplenty, but it doesn’t produce the sort of characters that defined and elevated its predecessor to prestige-TV royalty. Working from author George R.R. Martin’s prequel “Fire & Blood,” the new series has the disadvantage of being set almost two centuries before the key events in “Game of Thrones,” taking place 172 years prior to the birth of Daenerys Targaryen. That ratchets up the pressure to sink or swim — or rather, soar or sputter — strictly on its own terms. READ MORE: Hillsborough County Sheriff's Office Investigating Incident At Lennard High School The current occupant of the Iron Throne, King Viserys Targaryen (Paddy Considine), is somewhat feckless as monarchs go, so much … [Read more...] about ‘House Of The Dragon’ Plays A Less-Addictive Game

The editorial board of the University of Virginia’s newspaper has called to remove references to University founder and Founding Father Thomas Jefferson. The University and the greater Charlottesville, Virginia, area in which it is located has taken it upon themselves to be defined not by academics, or history, or any other trait. Rather, those in charge of local government and University administration prefer to be defined by a single characteristic: the August 12, 2017, “Unite the Right” rally. One week ago was the five-year anniversary of the rally, and Charlottesville residents and University students and alumni were reliably accosted by “never forget”-style messages, being told that everyone needed to “do more” to atone for what happened there. The day “brings difficult memories and a sobering reminder that our country is not yet free from bigotry, racism, and intolerance,” University President Jim Ryan wrote in an open letter to the University community on August 11. … [Read more...] about University of Virginia Newspaper Calls to Remove Thomas Jefferson

LANSING, Mich. (AP) — A Michigan judge on Friday blocked county prosecutors from enforcing the state’s 1931 ban on abortion for the foreseeable future after two days of witness testimony from abortion experts, providers and the state’s chief medical officer. The ruling comes after the state Court of Appeals said earlier this month that county prosecutors were not covered by a May order and could enforce the prohibition following the fall of Roe v. Wade by the U.S. Supreme Court. “The harm to the body of women and people capable of pregnancy in not issuing the injunction could not be more real, clear, present and dangerous to the court,” Oakland County Judge Jacob Cunningham said during his ruling Friday. David Kallman, an attorney representing two Republican county prosecutors, said an appeal is planned. “The judge ignored all of the clear legal errors and problems in this case, it appears to me, simply because the issue is abortion,” Kallman told The Associated Press … [Read more...] about Judge: Prosecutors cannot enforce Michigan’s abortion ban

SALT LAKE CITY (AP) — Transgender kids in Utah will be not be subjected to sports participation limits at the start of the upcoming school year after a judge delayed the implementation of a statewide ban passed earlier this year. Judge Keith Kelly’s decision Friday to put the law on hold until a legal challenges is resolved came after he recently rejected a request by Utah state attorneys to dismiss the case. Most Utah schools students head back to classes this month. Attorneys representing the families of three transgender student-athletes filed the lawsuit challenging the ban last May, contending it violates the Utah Constitution’s guarantees of equal rights and due process. Similar cases are underway in states such as Idaho, West Virginia and Indiana. The issue of whether transgender girls should be allowed to participate in female sports has become flashpoint across the U.S. with Republican lawmakers passing legislation to block them based on the premise it gives them an … [Read more...] about Judge puts Utah ban on transgender kids in sports on hold