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Mar 17 2026ENVIRONMENT

Palm Trees at EPCOT Slowly Sprout Back After Freezing

A sudden cold wave hit Orlando a month and a half ago, and it left the park’s green life looking almost skeletal. At EPCOT, the towering palms that frame Spaceship Earth had shed most of their leaves, standing there like bare poles. In the weeks that followed, those palms began to coax new fronds fr

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Mar 17 2026POLITICS

Dangerous Skies Over Lebanon: What the Airstrikes Mean

Israel has been dropping bombs on Lebanese towns since rockets began coming from the south. The strikes have hit homes, shelters for refugees and even a medical centre. Over 800 people in Lebanon have died and more than a million were forced to leave their houses, according to local officials.

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Mar 17 2026BUSINESS

Future Firefighters Get a Boost in Ponchatoula

Air Products has given $18, 000 to the Ponchatoula Volunteer Fire Department’s High School Program. The money will help ten students start a career in emergency services during the 2025‑2026 school year. The grant comes from Air Products Lake Maurepas Community Fund, a local charity arm of the co

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Mar 17 2026POLITICS

Syria Weighs a Bold Move While the U. S. Pushes for Action Against Hezbollah

The United States has urged Syria to consider sending troops into eastern Lebanon as a way to weaken Hezbollah, but the Syrian government is hesitant, fearing it could drag the country deeper into regional conflict and spark sectarian unrest. The proposal first surfaced in discussions between U.

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Mar 17 2026SCIENCE

Walnut Mixes: How Protein Meets Polyphenols for Health

Walnuts leave behind a lot of waste after the shells are removed. Scientists are turning that leftover into useful food ingredients. In this study, they looked at what happens when walnut protein fragments (called WPH) bind to different walnut polyphenols – specifically epicatechin, gallic acid, fer

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Mar 17 2026ENTERTAINMENT

Starry Astrophage Burst: A Movie‑Inspired Sip You Can Only Find in the Movies

Pepsi has launched a new drink that looks straight out of a sci‑fi film, but it won’t show up on supermarket shelves. The soda is part of the brand’s “Drips” collection, a line that promises bold layers and playful mix‑ins for every mood. The newest addition is called Starry Astrophage Burst, a f

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Mar 17 2026ENVIRONMENT

Dark Wash Over Tehran: The Strange Rain After the Strikes

A recent series of air attacks on oil storage sites in Iran triggered a strange weather event that left the capital drenched in dark, sooty rain. Normally, rainfall clears air pollutants, but this time the drops carried a heavy mix of soot and carbon particles that settled on buildings and streets.

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Mar 17 2026SCIENCE

New Planet Finds: A Strange World of Lava Oceans and Sulfur Skies

Scientists have spotted a planet that doesn’t fit the usual categories we know. The world, called L 98‑59 d, was first spotted in 2019 but recent telescope data has opened a window into its bizarre climate. It is about one and a half times bigger than Earth, both in size and mass, making it a rocky

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Mar 17 2026CRIME

Police Officer Gets Over Five Years in Prison for Crypto Scams

A former deputy from Los Angeles County’s sheriff’s office was sentenced to more than five years in prison. The officer, who also flew helicopters for the department, worked with a cryptocurrency businessman to trick rivals and falsely arrest them. The judge said the officer abused his power.

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Mar 17 2026SCIENCE

Why Bamboo Sheaths Change Color: A Simple Look at the Science

"Bamboo is famous for tasty shoots, but what makes their outer sheaths look so different? Scientists studied five types of a popular bamboo called Chimonobambusa utilis. Each type was named C1 through C5, and researchers measured how bright or dull each sheath looked. One variety, C1, had a very lig

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