More than 177 million Americans rely on natural gas today, according to the American Gas Association. If you are one of them, you should make it a point to know where your gas meter is on your home, and how to operate it.
But what if you hear the hiss of a gas leak, or catch a whiff of a rotten egg smell? “There are a few quick things you can do,” said Captain James Altman of the Santa Monica Fire Department.
If you notice something obviously wrong like sparks or flames, evacuate your house immediately and call 911. “You want to make sure that you’re at a safe distance,” Altman advised. “You want to make sure you’re across the street somewhere that you feel safe, and once you get there, you want to make sure you dial 911 from there.”
If you don’t notice anything obviously wrong, make sure all the burners on your gas stove are turned off.
If the stove is off and you suspect a leak, don’t turn on the lights. “That could lead to a spark, which causes an explosion,” Altman said. “You want to make sure you have a flashlight handy.”
Open all the doors and windows. “You want to make sure you ventilate the house,” Altman said.
If you suddenly notice your grass or shrubs have changed color, looking more brown or rusty, that could be a sign of a leak: the gas pouring out of the pipes. If you see any of these things, make sure to call 911 immediately and then call the gas company.
There are few images more evocative of the human body than a skeleton. But it’s easy to disassociate this image with actual people.
In the “Love Has No Labels” PSA featured in the video above, the skeleton is used as a symbolic reminder that — simply put — we’re all human, despite our varying identities. The yearlong initiative aims to call out some of our latent biases and prejudices.
As “Love Has No Labels” says in its mission: “Before anything else, we are all human. It’s time to embrace diversity. Let’s put aside labels in the name of love.”
Leonard Nimoy, who was best-known for his role as Mr. Spock in the “Star Trek” franchise, died at his home on Friday in Los Angeles, his wife, Susan Bay Nimoy, confirmed to the New York Times. He was 83.
According to his wife, Nimoy’s death was due to end-stage chronic obstructive pulmonary disease. The star had been open about his condition, and spoke publicly about it last year. “Just can’t walk distances. Love my life, family, friends and followers,” he wrote on Twitter a week after announcing his diagnosis.
Nimoy had been hospitalized earlier this week, and many of his former co-stars, including George Takei, sent public well wishes.
Sea levels across the Northeast coast of the United States rose nearly 3.9 inches between 2009 and 2010, according to a new study from researchers at the University of Arizona and the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration. The waters near Portland, Maine, saw an even greater rise — 5 inches — over the two-year period.
While scientists have been observing higher sea levels across the globe in recent decades, the study found a much more extreme rise than previous averages. Such an event is “unprecedented” in the history of the tide gauge record, according to the researchers, and represents a 1-in-850 year event.
“Unlike storm surge, this event caused persistent and widespread coastal flooding even without apparent weather processes,” the study’s authors wrote. “In terms of beach erosion, the impact of the 2009-2010 [sea level rise] event is almost as significant as some hurricane events.”
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Sea Levels along the U.S. Northeast rose nearly 4 inches in two years, according to a new study. (Fotosearch/Getty Images) | Fotosearch via Getty Images
We can all agree that it’s a great feat to live to be 100 — but it’s an even greater feat if you live well, well past it. Believe it or not, the five oldest people in the world today were all born in the 1800s! These supercentenarians, as they’re called, have lived through world wars, the sinking of the Titanic, the space race and much much more. But what’s even more astounding is that when they were born, the life expectancy for people in the U.S. was just around 60.
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Life Extender: No Worries
“Part of living to 100 seems to require having the right personality,” Dr. Perls says. “It appears that centenarians manage their stress, rather than letting it manage them. They don’t internalize stress, which has been linked to heart disease and high blood pressure, cancer and Alzheimer’s. Of the centenarians we have tested, many scored low in neuroticism, meaning that they tend not to dwell on things.”
Jon Stewart will step down as host of “The Daily Show,” he announced during Tuesday night’s taping. Comedy Central confirmed the news in a tweet.
Stewart has been at the helm of the beloved satirical news program for over 15 years. He will continue hosting the show until later this year.
According to a tweet from CBS News, Stewart told fans he had felt “restless.”
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AUSTIN, TX – OCTOBER 28: Host Jon Stewart at ‘The Daily Show with Jon Stewart’ covers the Midterm elections in Austin with ‘Democalypse 2014: South By South Mess’ at ZACH Theatre on October 28, 2014 in Austin, Texas. (Photo by Rick Kern/Getty Images for Comedy Central)
Bob Simon is among a handful of elite journalists who have covered most major overseas conflicts and news stories from the late 1960s to the present, earning an unprecedented number of awards in the process. He has been contributing regularly to 60 Minutes since 1996. At the same time, he was a correspondent for all seven seasons of 60 Minutes II, from January 1999 to June 2005, after which he became a full-time 60 Minutes correspondent. The 2014-15 season is his 19th on the broadcast.
Simon recently reported on the persecution of Coptic Christians caught up in Egypt’s political turmoil and the situation in Fukushima, Japan, three years after it endured the triple tragedy of an earthquake, tsunami and nuclear disaster. His 2012 story from Central Africa on the world’s only all-black symphony won him his fourth Peabody award and an Emmy. Another story about an orchestra in Paraguay, one whose poor members constructed their instruments from trash, won him his 27th Emmy.
After an online attack on Anthem, by far the largest breach in the industry, security experts warned on Friday that more attacks on health care organizations were likely because of the high value of the data on the black market.
Anthem, one of the country’s largest health insurers, said the hackers did not appear to have stolen information about its customers’ medical claims. But medical identification numbers were taken, along with Social Security numbers, addresses and email addresses, which could be used for medical fraud.
According to a federal database, many much smaller attacks across the country have included both medical records and financial information.
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Anthem, based in Indianapolis, said hackers gained access to as many as 80 million records. Aaron P. Bernstein/Getty Images
Anguilla has no right to be fabulous. The Caribbean island, a British overseas territory about seven miles north of St. Maarten/St. Martin, is a blip on the radar — a mere 35 square miles with just six traffic lights. It’s dry and flat, and its tourism scene took off only some 20 years ago; until the 1960s, after all, much of the island lacked electricity and telephone service. Yet fabulous Anguilla is home to some of the region’s toniest resorts, epicurean eateries and breathtaking beaches. It has architecturally striking villas like those at Altamer, named for exotic gemstones. And it is a magnet for celebrities like Kevin Bacon and Jimmy Buffett, a kind of British St. Bart’s. Without the pretension, though — Anguillan style is a perfect paradox: unfussy chic, barefoot elegance.
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Little Bay, a secluded beach that draws snorkelers and is the setting for sunset cruises. Chris Carmichael for The New York Times
RECEIVED THIS STORY AND PHOTOGRAPHS IN AN EMAIL FROM A FRIEND
This is a story from the Greensboro, N.C. Fire Department
How about some good news for a change. This little guy was pulled from a burning apartment last week by the firefighters shown in the second picture. The young lady in the first picture performed CPR and rode into the hospital with him. His family bought him by the station today to say THANKS to his heroes in the third picture!
In the world, human beings are facing various problems. People who are full of greed, anger, and ignorance are seen to be fighting with each other in words and deeds. As the fighting continues, various problems such as civil wars, wars of aggression, and wars of aggression are occurring. As world peace is being destroyed, humans are facing unbearable problems. Innocent children and women are not getting the rights they deserve and deserve. I can't think of one thing every time. What is it? The United Nations. If we look at the responsibilities and duties of the United Nations, I think it is not suitable for solving the problems that are happening in the world today. In fact, the United Nations and the World Security Council, such an organization must rule the world, must be able to give orders, and must have various ways to obey orders. There must be no organization that can influence more than that organization. There should be experts from each country. They can even dominate the superpowers like the US, China, and Britain. Only then will global peace be achieved quickly. Now, if a country with power develops more militarily, economically, or socially than its own country, then powerful countries will jealously seek out enemies and wage war. Or they will attack with fighter jets. In this, innocent people are losing their lives. No one understands the value of a life. You should think about how to achieve global peace by controlling these. If the US continues to be the permanent president of the UN, world peace will never be achieved. If you think carefully, no one sees that they are working for the common good, but for their own benefit, for the benefit of their own country. The permanent president of the UN and the Security Council has rejected this, As a young Rohingya, I have come to realize that only by electing the president and secretary from among the countries in the world through a secret ballot system and governing the world fairly can we achieve global peace. The United Nations and the Security Council are organizations in which any country must govern, give orders, and make them obey their orders. For example, only when a defendant is tried in court can we hold the leaders of the countries in check and control them, can we achieve global peace smoothly. Otherwise, it will not be easy for powerful countries to use various excuses to end this war every year, every year, for the benefit of themselves and their countries. No country's leaders pay any attention to the words of the United Nations and the Security Council. If we look at it in practice, look at the Rohingya issue. Myanmar is a small country. Even that country has been under siege for 8 years. What action can be taken? Why is the UN and the Security Council Powerless? Without such Power, how can the organization bring about global peace? Everyone should think about it. Whether there is a veto or a strong one, all countries in the world can only achieve global peace if they are subject to the UN and the Security Council. Seek peace in the quiet embrace of nature. Peace is an indispensable need of the human race. It is not as if one person can kill another person, and it is as if one country can attack another country, but instead of trying to build peace, we must try to destroy the peace now, and the world is getting hotter and is on the verge of collapse. I especially appeal to all the world experts to urgently try to bring about peace in all parts of the world. Mr, Noor Muhamed Arkhan Rohingya Youth Myanmar
Film and Writing Festival for Comedy. Showcasing best of comedy short films at the FEEDBACK Film Festival. Plus, showcasing best of comedy novels, short stories, poems, screenplays (TV, short, feature) at the festival performed by professional actors.