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Forest fire season is coming. How can we stop the Amazon burning?

The Guardian investigates fire in the state of Pará - to reveal the loopholes that allow deforestation to be legitimised

We found the first fire without looking, crackling and roaring on farmland beside the busy Amazon highway, the flames consuming a road sign with its name – BR-163 – lying in the grass. Trucks thundered past, ferrying soya and corn from the agricultural heartlands of Brazil’s central-west to the ports of Santarém and Miritituba. Nobody was around.

Every year fires roar across the Amazon, and in just a few months they will be here again. But last August the number of blazes reached a nine-year high, and sparked an international crisis for Brazil’s far-right president Jair Bolsonaro. Months later, their traces hung over the forests in the Amazon state of Pará, leaving blackened logs and charred tree stumps where there was once rainforest.

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One billion people will live in insufferable heat within 50 years – study

Human cost of climate crisis will hit harder and sooner than previously believed, research reveals

The human cost of the climate crisis will hit harder, wider and sooner than previously believed, according to a study that shows a billion people will either be displaced or forced to endure insufferable heat for every additional 1C rise in the global temperature.

In a worst-case scenario of accelerating emissions, areas currently home to a third of the world’s population will be as hot as the hottest parts of the Sahara within 50 years, the paper warns. Even in the most optimistic outlook, 1.2 billion people will fall outside the comfortable “climate niche” in which humans have thrived for at least 6,000 years.

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Zero-waste warriors: meet the people whose household rubbish fits in a jam jar

From making their own toothpaste to foraging locally for edible plants, more and more people are learning to cut the amount of rubbish they throw out. Here’s how they do it

Through my work, I have seen the huge amount of waste and recycling that we produce. Watching an incinerator for half an hour shocked me and made me want to take action. I was standing on a balcony wearing a full body suit and goggles watching gigantic grabbers emptying waste from trucks. The scale is so shocking and you realise how tiny we are compared to the amount of waste we create. I don’t want to contribute to that wastefulness and it has made me want to take action.

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How did Michael Moore become a hero to climate deniers and the far right? | George Monbiot

The filmmaker’s latest venture is an excruciating mishmash of environment falsehoods and plays into the hands of those he once opposed

Denial never dies; it just goes quiet and waits. Today, after years of irrelevance, the climate science deniers are triumphant. Long after their last, desperate claims had collapsed, when they had traction only on “alt-right” conspiracy sites, a hero of the left turns up and gives them more than they could have dreamed of.

Planet of the Humans, whose executive producer and chief promoter is Michael Moore, now has more than 6 million views on YouTube. The film does not deny climate science. But it promotes the discredited myths that deniers have used for years to justify their position. It claims that environmentalism is a self-seeking scam, doing immense harm to the living world while enriching a group of con artists. This has long been the most effective means by which denial – most of which has been funded by the fossil fuel industry – has been spread. Everyone hates a scammer.

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Country diary: the bumblebees' low drone has replaced the hum of traffic

Marshwood Vale, Dorset: It began in March, when the buff-tailed queens emerged from hibernation, zigzagging from bloom to bloom

In the garden on a bright morning, with sunshine lancing the cherry blossom, my eye is drawn to the fat glitter of a queen bumblebee gathering nectar in the golden bowl of a tree peony flower. A black, almost velvety, body and rich orange-tipped rump indicate that this is a red-tailed bumblebee (Bombus lapidarius). Her wings shine as if newly waxed, while her tongue briskly probes a tassel of stamens. After a few seconds she’s off to check the next bloom – then airborne again, zooming over the wall.

Lockdown has replaced the background hum of distant traffic with the low, blundering drone of bumblebees. It began in March when buff-tailed queens emerged from hibernation, zigzagging across the lawn. Buff-tails are easily recognised by their size – the queens can be more than 2cm long – and their markings, two well-separated yellow bands and a brown-tinged tail-tip. Because they nest in holes in the ground, they are also called earth bumblebees (Bombus terrestris). The name is like an anchor, tethering a creature of sunlight, pollen and warmth to the chthonic darkness underground.

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Pollutionwatch: breathtaking views will vanish unless we build back better

Only government action will preserve the clearer, bluer skies gifted to us by the coronavirus lockdown

Many of us will have noticed differences in traffic noise and air pollution during the lockdown. Startling images have come from India where, for the first time in a generation, the Himalayas have been visible more than a hundred miles away. Something similar happened in the UK in 1921 when coal shortages during a miner’s strike led to newspaper reports of distant landmarks being visible as never before. In the UK we too have been able to look up at clearer blue skies, less impeded by air pollution and not crisscrossed by aircraft contrails. This helped Germany to break a solar power record.

In Beijing, air pollution controls for the 2014 Asia Pacific Economic Cooperation meeting also brought a return to blue skies. The term “APEC blue” emerged in Chinese social media and was nominated as Beijing’s top environmental phrase for the year. Later it took on a tinge of sadness, to mean something wonderful, but brief. One woman posted about love on social media, “He’s not that into you – it’s just an APEC blue!”

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World cannot return to 'business as usual' after Covid-19, say mayors

City leaders publish ‘statement of principles’ putting climate action at centre of recovery plans

Mayors from many of the world’s leading cities have warned there can be no return to “business as usual” in the aftermath of the coronavirus crisis if humanity is to escape catastrophic climate breakdown.

City leaders representing more than 750 million people have published a “statement of principles”, which commits them to putting greater equality and climate resilience at the heart of their recovery plans.

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They won't be loved: Maroon 5 play it safe with dullest halftime show of all time

Maroon 5 could have silenced their many haters with a spectacular performance. But they didn’t do that.





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Selma Blair reveals she cried with relief at MS diagnosis after being 'not taken seriously' by doctors

The 46-year-old actress is now revealing the agony she went through before receiving a diagnosis of multiple sclerosis (MS) last August."Ever since my son was born, I was in an MS flare-up and didn't know, and I was giving it everything to seem normal," Blair told Robin Roberts in an interview that aired Tuesday on "Good Morning America." "And I was self-medicating when he wasn't with me. Blair recalled that she would get so fatigued prior to her diagnosis that she would need to pull over to take a nap after dropping her son, now 7, off at his school one mile away from their home. During her interview with "GMA" at her Los Angeles home, Blair was in an "exacerbation" of MS, or an attack that causes new symptoms or the worsening of existing symptoms.





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'Avengers: Endgame' tops 'Star Wars,' breaks previous pre-sale record

'Avengers: Endgame' tops 'Star Wars,' breaks previous pre-sale record originally appeared on goodmorningamerica.com"Avengers: Endgame" tickets went on sale Tuesday and just like Thanos' famous snap, they were gone just like that. But way more than half.Fandango is reporting that "Endgame" has broken its pre-sale records, topping the previous holder, "Star Wars: The Force Awakens."(MORE: New 'Avengers: Endgame' trailer features Captain Marvel, the battle to beat Thanos)Guess the force is strong with Earth's mightiest heroes. ...





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Swizz Beatz, Alicia Keys’s husband, says hip-hop industry lacks compassion

Iconic hip-hop producer and Alicia Keys’s husband, Swizz Beatz, isn’t afraid to tell his guy friends he loves them.





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PhoneQuake — Best Cell Phone Plans For Kids - If you are like...

Best Cell Phone Plans For Kids - If you are like most parents, you want your kids to be happy, and you want them to stay safe but giving your kid a cell phone may seem a little overzealous, a mobile device can be a terrific way to always be in touch…




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PhoneQuake — Best Cell Phone Plans For College Students - Being...

Best Cell Phone Plans For College Students - Being a student means making budget your middle name. What better place to start than with your cell phone plan? You want enough minutes, lots of texting, and a data plan that won’t quit. College is an ex…




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PhoneQuake — Best Prepaid Cell Phone Plans - For people who...

Best Prepaid Cell Phone Plans - For people who don’t like the idea of signing a long-term contract then choosing the best prepaid cell phone plans might fit your needs. A prepaid phone plan is the only way to control your monthly cell phone bill. Yo…

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PhoneQuake — Best Unlimited Data Plans - Do you use your cell...

Best Unlimited Data Plans - Do you use your cell phone for streaming music or videos or use it as a Wi-Fi hotspot? Having unlimited data could really save you some money on your next phone bill. Switching to an unlimited data plan would allow you to…




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Canada Bans Assault Weapons in Wake of Deadly Mass Shooting

Prime Minister Justin Trudeau said the government had been in the process of introducing the ban when its agenda was overturned by the pandemic.




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Summer Is Coming, but the Virus Won’t Be Going

Whatever effect warm weather has on the coronavirus, it won’t be enough to safely drop social restrictions.




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For Canada, Finding a Vaccine Will Only Be Part of the Equation

While researchers across Canada are among the scientists working on coronavirus vaccines, the country doesn’t have the means to quickly produce any successful result.




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FBI Director Wray: ‘I Have Not’ Read The Mueller Report

FBI Director Christopher Wray said Thursday that “I have not” read special counsel Robert Mueller’s final report on Russian election...




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Trump Tweets About NYT’s ‘Illegal’ Sources After Report On Barr’s Mueller Review

President Trump on Thursday did not directly address reports that Attorney General William Barr’s assessment of special counsel Robert Mueller’s...




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Trump Posts Doctored Video Of A Fake Biden Massaging Real Biden During Apology

President Donald Trump gleefully tweeted “WELCOME BACK JOE!” alongside a doctored video of a fake Joe Biden grabbing the shoulders...




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Cornyn Hits Castro With A Prime Middle School Comeback

Sen. John Cornyn (R-TX) came back at Rep. Joaquin Castro (D-TX) with the Twitter equivalent of “I can’t hear you!”...




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Schumer Wants Ousted Secret Service Chief To Testify On Mar-A-Lago ‘Vulnerabilities’

Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer (D-NY) on Monday called for ousted Secret Service Director Randolph “Tex” Alles to testify before...




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Planned Parenthood Exits Federal Family Planning Program Over Abortion Gag Rule

Planned Parenthood is leaving the federal government’s Title X program, which funds family planning services for low-income people, due to...




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McCarthy embraces ex-rival Jordan as the top partisan fighter

Despite their clashes in past, the two Trump allies find themselves in alignment now.




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'We're going to fill it': Republicans ready for any Supreme Court vacancy

GOP senators denied Obama a seat on the high court. They'll deliver for Trump.




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Trump boosters: Don’t believe the coronavirus death toll

To public health specialists, it’s a disturbing trend that could lead to people ignoring government warnings.




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'It’s going to be a big, gigantic, gargantuan fight'

Lobbyists for multiple industries are gearing up to claim a slice of the next — and possibly last — trillion-dollar relief pie.




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Live tracker: How many coronavirus cases have been found in each U.S. state?

Using data from the COVID Tracking Project, we’re following how each state is responding to COVID-19.




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Black and Latino New Yorkers get vast majority of social distancing summonses




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House coronavirus oversight panel demands large companies repay small-business loans

“Returning these funds will allow truly small businesses ... to obtain the emergency loans they need to avoid layoffs," they write.




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Federal watchdog backs reinstating ousted vaccine expert

The Office of the Special Counsel is recommending that Bright be temporarily reinstated.




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Watchdog warns SBA that loan limits will hurt small business borrowers

The SBA's IG said the agency veered from the law Congress drafted to create the program when the agency set rules for how businesses could obtain loan forgiveness.




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Tammy Duckworth moves to assist newborn babies amid pandemic

The Senate's newest mother wants parents of newborns to more quickly access money allocated to them by the CARES Act.




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California becomes first state to switch November election to all-mail balloting




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Coronavirus will increase number of Europeans at risk of going hungry, experts warn

Countries scramble to fill the plates of the most vulnerable.




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New York City hospitals begin planned surgeries delayed by coronavirus




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Coronavirus virtual briefings

Join POLITICO for a series of virtual briefings and audio teleconferences to learn the latest updates on coronavirus and its impacts.




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Political fantasy battles economic reality after tens of millions of jobs lost

Trump expects a sharp bounce-back in jobs. But as bankruptcies pile up, the labor market will need much of the next decade to replace the jobs gone for good.




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Trump’s base escapes the worst of job losses

Compared to the Great Recession, fewer male and blue-collar workers have lost jobs, while women, Latinos, African Americans and young workers have been hit hardest.




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Newsom finally endorses Biden at virtual campaign event for top-dollar donors

The California governor, who previously endorsed Sen. Kamala Harris, had yet to formally throw his support behind Biden.




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Cannabis employees are in high demand during economic crash

The industry is looking for thousands of workers across the country.




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Court filing shows Reade spoke of harassment in Biden’s office

In a 1996 document, Reade’s ex-husband referred to a sexual harassment problem but did not mention assault or provide details about who was involved.




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Democrats are on verge of the unthinkable: Losing a swing district in California

The party is downplaying expectations in next week's special election for a congressional seat in the L.A. suburbs.




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The one Republican Senate candidate willing to call out Donald Trump

In a recording obtained by POLITICO, Michigan Senate hopeful John James criticizes the president over his 'shithole countries' remark and other comments.




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Type 2 diabetes: Do your gums look like this? It could mean high blood sugar levels



TYPE 2 diabetes is a common condition which affects millions of people worldwide. There is a warning sign which lies in your gums indicating blood sugar levels are dangerously high.




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High blood pressure: Studies show adding this drink to your diet will lower your reading



HIGH blood pressure is often referred to as the "silent killer" due to its non-obvious symptoms, which when they do appear are often too late. Adding this drink to your diet will lower your reading and reduce your risk of serious health complications.




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Hay fever: An expert nutritionist reveals seven foods that may subside symptoms



HAY FEVER is an allergic reaction to pollen. Expert nutritionist Hannah Braye details seven anti-inflammatory foods to include in your diet that may minimise symptoms.




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High blood pressure: Study reveals the best type of breakfast cereal to lower your reading



HIGH blood pressure is an ominous threat because it marks the first stage in a sequence of events that could lead to cardiovascular complications. To ward off the threat, it is important to start your day with a cereal that keeps your reading in check.