WASHINGTON (April 28, 2020) —  Today, the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency’s (EPA) Science Advisory Board (SAB) transmitted its official advice and comments to EPA Administrator Wheeler on the Strengthening Transparency in Regulatory Science proposed rule.

Metz, France (May 7, 2019) - Yesterday, U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) Administrator Andrew Wheeler concluded his visit to Metz, France where he attended the annual G7 Environmental Ministers Meeting.

KARUIZAWA, JAPAN – Yesterday, U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) Administrator Andrew Wheeler concluded his visit to Karuizawa, Japan where he attended the inaugural G20 Energy and Environmental Ministers Meeting.

(WASHINGTON) - Today, the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) nationally recognizes the exceptional accomplishments of 15 businesses and organizations participating in EPA’s Food Recovery Challenge.

Museen öffnen wieder, Restaurants sollen folgen. Wie sehen junge Menschen aus der Risikogruppe diese Lockerungen? Und wie fühlt es sich an, als besonders gefährdet zu gelten? Fünf Betroffene erzählen.

Raubtiere, ein polygamer Zoodirektor namens Joe Exotic und ein Mordkomplott bilden den Rahmen der Erfolgsdoku "Tiger King". Was geschah hinter den Kulissen? Exotics Ex-Partner John Finlay erzählt seine Version.

Die Therapeutin und Autorin Lori Gottlieb erklärt, wie Freundschaften und Liebesbeziehungen besser gelingen, wenn man ehrlich mit eigenen Fehlern umgeht – und berichtet dabei von sich selbst.

Vorbild für die Beatles, Elton John und Prince: Little Richard schuf mit seiner flamboyanten, sexuell ambivalenten Bühnen-Performance und seinem Hit "Tutti Frutti" die Grundlagen für den Rock'n'Roll.

Folgen der Corona-Grenzschließungen: Beim Bundesamt für Migration und Flüchtlinge sind in den ersten Monaten dieses Jahres offenbar fast ein Drittel weniger Asylanträge gestellt worden als im Vorjahreszeitraum.

Nach seinen provokanten Aussagen zur Corona-Pandemie diskutieren die Grünen über einen Parteiausschluss von Tübingens Oberbürgermeister Boris Palmer. Nun macht ihm die FDP Avancen.

Die einen befürworten Schutzmaßnahmen, die anderen protestieren vehement: Rhetoriker Olaf Kramer erklärt, warum die Coronakrise für heftige gesellschaftliche Spannungen sorgt - und wie wir miteinander reden sollten.

Dear Mom,

“History doesn’t repeat itself but it often rhymes,” Mark Twain was first credited with saying in 1970, 60 years after reports of his death had ceased to be exaggerated.

A disabled Brooklynite who ran afoul of Department of Buildings officials by renting out his home to Airbnb users triumphed last week when a Manhattan judge ordered the city to repay his $4,375 fine and cover any additional costs and payouts in his battle with the de Blasio administration. The decision ended a legal battle pitting Stanley “Skip” Karol against the city that began with an anonymous phone call back in July 2018.

The C train reached its last stop just after 9 a.m. Saturday at the Euclid Ave. station in East New York when the man insisted he needed five more minutes before he could leave the car.

In the latest in this series on the greatest matches he ever witnessed, RTÉ GAA commentator Darragh Maloney looks back at that 2000 All-Ireland SHC semi-final between Offaly and Cork.

The Georgia attorney general has promised his office will investigate the handling of the death of Ahmaud Arbery, the black 25-year-old man shot to death by two white men who escaped charges for more than two months.

Investigators are using additional video footage to reconstruct the February afternoon that Ahmaud Arbery was fatally shot in a quiet southern Georgia neighborhood.

The Georgia attorney general has promised his office will investigate the handling of the death of Ahmaud Arbery, the black 25-year-old man shot to death by two white men who escaped charges for more than two months.

Three Minnesota teens have been arrested in connection with a video that shows a woman getting kicked in the head, the latest in a series of incidents targeting Asian Americans since the start of the coronavirus pandemic.

Investigators are using additional video footage to reconstruct the February afternoon that Ahmaud Arbery was fatally shot in a quiet southern Georgia neighborhood.

Three Minnesota teens have been arrested in connection with a video that shows a woman getting kicked in the head, the latest in a series of incidents targeting Asian Americans since the start of the coronavirus pandemic.

The agency announced approval for the diagnostic method on Saturday. Cheaper and easier to administer than genetic tests for the virus, it could potentially expand to daily testing of millions.

The McFarland-Tessitore MNF experiment is over after two years.

A disabled Brooklynite who ran afoul of Department of Buildings officials by renting out his home to Airbnb users triumphed last week when a Manhattan judge ordered the city to repay his $4,375 fine and cover any additional costs and payouts in his battle with the de Blasio administration. The decision ended a legal battle pitting Stanley “Skip” Karol against the city that began with an anonymous phone call back in July 2018.

While the city was on lockdown between March 23 and May 4, ACS received 3,855 new allegations of child neglect and abuse — 4,496 fewer cases than the 8,351 taken in by the child welfare agency at the same time last year.

The C train reached its last stop just after 9 a.m. Saturday at the Euclid Ave. station in East New York when the man insisted he needed five more minutes before he could leave the car.

Exclusive: 'As well as staggered working hours we need to stagger holidays,' says AA president Edmund King

With regulations urging residents statewide to wear masks when in public, here is how Southern Utahsn have fared following the recommended guidelines

Morrisons has taken the precautionary step of recalling Market Street Living Herbs because the products might contain Listeria monocytogenes.

Federal officials stressed the dangers to long-term care residents and Indigenous communities if COVID-19 restrictions are lifted too quickly after projections in Quebec painted a dire picture of the potential cost.

Brandon Newman's stock rose considerably in the past six months. The 2019 guard from Valparaiso will play at Montverde (Florida) Academy as a senior.

Carsen Edwards led Purdue in scoring last season and was named an All-American.

Games involving Notre Dame, Purdue and Indiana could have a lot at stake this season.

Now you can read all of IndyStar's sports content in one place with our free INSports app.

From Notre Dame to the Monon Bell. We rank Indiana's top 50 college football games in 2018.

Pasquale "Patrick" Amore, 88, had an infectious laugh and a zest for life. He died of COVID-19 at the age of 88.

When a famed Egyptian actor revealed his daughter had transitioned, the reaction was unconventional.

Decision makers at Penske Entertainment are beginning to chart the course for a historic summer of racing at the Indianapolis Motor Speedway.

Charlotte Web writes: Since 2001 the TIOBE Index has been ranking top results for the search query +"<language> programming" on the top 25 search engines. "This month, C moved up past Java and entered the number one position," reports JAXenter. "There's a new number one. (Or, should we say an old number one?)" "Java and C were already very close in April, but this month C surpasses Java again," explains Paul Jansen CEO TIOBE Software. He also points out that the last time C was number one was back in 2015, suggesting that today embedded software languages like C and C++ "are gaining popularity because these are used in software for medical devices." "On another note, it is also worth mentioning that Rust is really getting close to the top 20 now (from #27 to #21 within one month)." "Perl, on the other hand, might be on its way off of the charts," argues JAXenter, "if it continues its downward trend. This month it saw a rate of change of -0.51%. It is currently number 18 on the list, but in May 2019 it was number 13." Python also passed C++ to take the #3 spot, while C# overtook Visual Basic for the #5 spot. ("Classic Visual Basic" also lost the #16 spot to PL/SQL). Even PHP rose a notch, pushing past SQL to take the #8 spot, and Scratch also moved up one, overtaking Objective C for the #19 position.

Read more of this story at Slashdot.

Cryptocurrency investor Michael Terpin sued AT&T over a SIM card attack in 2018 that lost him control over $23 million. Now Bloomberg reports that he's suing the "15-year-old hacker and his crew of 'evil computer geniuses'" behind the attack. (Alternate source) Terpin, the founder and chief executive officer of blockchain advisory firm Transform Group, is suing Ellis Pinsky, now 18, for $71 million under a federal racketeering law that allows for triple damages. "Pinsky and his other cohorts are in fact evil computer geniuses with sociopathic traits who heartlessly ruin their innocent victims' lives and gleefully boast of their multi-million-dollar heists," Terpin said in his complaint filed Thursday in federal court in Manhattan. Pinsky, of Irvington, New York, couldn't be reached for comment.... According to Terpin. Pinsky's ring identifies people with large cryptocurrency holdings and gains control of their phones by bribing or fooling employees of their wireless carriers. The hackers are then able to intercept authentication messages, gain information and drain the victims' cryptocurrency accounts. Pinsky has boasted to friends that, starting at age 13, he stole more than $100 million worth of cryptocurrency, hundreds of thousands of dollars of which has been converted into cash stored in his bedroom, the lawsuit alleges. Terpin also claims that, after confronting Pinsky about his alleged role in the theft, the teenager sent him cryptocurrency, cash and a watch with a combined value of $2 million. He claims this was an admission by Pinsky that he had stolen from Terpin.

Read more of this story at Slashdot.

The newly-created U.S. Space Force has released its first recruitment video, CNET reports: In a video posted Wednesday to Twitter showing rockets, mission control-types rooms and U.S. Space Force members in spacesuits, a voice-over says, "maybe your purpose on this planet isn't on this planet." Secretary of the Air Force Barbara Barrett said during a livestream Wednesday that so far recruitment hasn't been a problem for the Space Force. "There's been an avalanche of applicants." This sixth branch of the US military was established in December 2019 and will be operational by mid-2021. CNET notes the video appeared "a day after Netflix dropped a trailer for its upcoming comedy Space Force. And the leader of the U.S. Space Force says he's looking forward to the Netflix comedy co-created by Steve Carell. "The one piece of advice I'd give to Steve Carell is to get a haircut," Gen. Jay Raymond, the U.S. Space Force Chief of Space Operations, said Wednesday during a webinar hosted by the nonprofit Space Foundation. Raymond is bald, and joked that Steve Carell is "looking a little too shaggy if he wants to play the Space Force chief."

Read more of this story at Slashdot.

"Is Meritocracy an Idea Worth Saving?" asks The Chronicle of Higher Education, reporting on a special forum held recently at the University of North Carolina's Program for Public Discourse. "This discussion took place before Covid-19 changed everything. But the topics — the definition of meritocracy, the role of universities in a just society, the composition of socioeconomic class, and the real purpose of education — are as relevant as ever." Moral philosopher Anastasia Berg, a junior research fellow at the University of Cambridge: Obviously certain roles in society and certain honors should be going to someone who is most competent for them: the Nobel Prize, or a teaching award, or who should perform eye surgery on us. The question is whether this is the right measure for determining who should be entering universities. There are objections from the left and from the right. I find the left ones persuasive, which is to say, in effect, that the pretensions to meritocracy are not borne out, if we actually look at who gets into colleges. We find out that there's huge correlation between the kind of material support that people have, and their ability to perform on the kind of exams that allow people to get into colleges. But what I also find problematic has to do with what has formerly been thought of as a conservative critique, although I think that leftists and liberals and progressives should be as concerned about it as anyone else: The current way of running college admissions concentrates talent, ambition, and competence in very few areas — on the coasts, in a very few universities — and draws potential leaders from communities elsewhere. Moreover, the current system leaves people blind to all the ways in which they owe gratitude to a community, for all the help that allowed them to achieve. New York Times opinion columnist Ross Douthat: It's useful to remember that the term "meritocracy" was coined as a description of a dystopia, in a book by a British civil servant written in the late '50s called The Rise of the Meritocracy. It was a tongue-in-cheek evocation of some pompous civil servant from somewhere around our own era, looking back on what he saw as the self-selection of the cognitive elite to rule over a society that was drained of talent, drained of ambition, and had all power centers outside the elite deprived of leadership and talent from within. It's reasonable to look at class divisions in the United States and much of the West and say that at least a partial version of that dystopia has come to pass. College-educated and more-than-college-educated Americans cluster together in geographic hubs in ways that they did not 50 or 60 years ago. It's a fascinating discussion, in which writer Thomas Chatterton Williams argues "it takes a kind of privilege to sneer at meritocratic measures that allow people to advance." But Berg also makes the observation that at least half of Americans won't ever have a college degree. "If that's the way to make citizens, what do we do with the rest? We have to make room for the dignity of other paths."

Read more of this story at Slashdot.

The Duke of Sussex sent a special video message to mark what would have been the opening ceremony of the 2020 Invictus Games.

So you've decided to hike Machu Picchu? Well great! There's no doubt that you're in for the experience of a lifetime. However, the truth of the matter is that now you've got some additional decisions to make. You see, there's more than one route to arrive to the world-famous Inca site, and even once you've arrived there are a few choices to make as well.

But don't fret! If you're looking to hike Machu Picchu, we've got the information you need to start planning your trip.

Hike Machu Picchu: Arriving to the Site

1. Classic Inca Trail

The Classic Inca Trail is a four-day trek stretching some 42 kilometers along an ancient road built by the Incas themselves. This is undoubtedly the most famous route to Machu Picchu, and it's the one way that offers the opportunity to enter the city through its storied Sun Gate. Frankly, we've got tons of information on the Inca Trail on other pages of our site, so we won't waste too much space being redundant here. Check out these pages for more information on the trail's itinerary as well as for access to an Inca Trail map.

2. One-Day Inca Trail

Whether you're crunched for time or simply don't feel physically up to four full days of trekking, don't fret--a small taste of the world-famous Inca Trail is still available to you! A number of tour companies offer an abridged version of the trek, either one full day of hiking or a shortened day followed by a night of camping and a dawn arrival at Machu Picchu. Besides the Inca Trail's famed destination, the one-day version of the trek also takes you past Wiñay Wayna, another favorite ruins along the trail. The bad news here is that you'll still need to reserve one of only a few hundred daily Inca Trail passes, meaning that, just like the full Inca Trail, you'll need to book this trek months in advance.

3. Lares Trail

Just north of the world-famous Sacred Valley sits the comparatively lesser-known Lares Valley, and whereas the former can be swarmed with tourists especially during the high season, life in the Lares Valley continues humming along relatively unchanged. So whether you're looking for a simpler, more culturally-immersive experience or if you just didn't book an Inca Trail pass in time, the Lares Trail is an excellent option! Lucky for you, we've already gathered plenty of information on the Lares Trail including the trek's daily itinerary and a side-by-side comparison of the Lares and Inca Trails if you're struggling to decide how to hike Machu Picchu.

4. Vilcabamba Traverse Route

Warning--this option is neither for the faint of heart nor the out of shape! The Vilcabamba Traverse Route is one of the newest on the Peru trekking circuit, clocking in at nearly 100 kilometers over the course of a week of trekking. Though very difficult, the route is especially rewarding--think a variety of diverse biomes and the ruins of Choquequirao, often compared to Machu Picchu although less than 40% of the site has been excavated (pictured above). Though visited by only 5,000 or so brave trekkers last year, be warned--the local government is pushing a plan to build a cable car to the site! If you want to see the ruins in their current, undisturbed state, it would be best to go sooner than later.

Hike Machu Picchu: Once You're There

5. Huayna Picchu

Just because you've finally arrived at Machu Picchu doesn't mean your hiking experience has to end! The famous mountain soaring in the background of most iconic Machu Picchu photos is possible to hike, and the experience is certainly recommended. The views from the top are great, and on the way down you can even take a back route to the storied Temple of the Moon. For more information on Huayna Picchu, you can check out this past post on our site.

So that's it for today! If you're planning to hike Machu Picchu and have any questions you'd like to ask us, feel free to reach out in the comments section below. And, if you've already done one of these hikes, feel free to share your experience as well. We appreciate all of your comments!

Planning a little solo jaunt across the land? If this is your first time planning your virgin solo adventure, I understand completely how excited and nervous you are. I was once in your shoes.

Before you slap on your backpack and march out that door, here’s a small checklist of things you might want to do to ensure a better trip.

Research, Research, Research

It doesn’t matter if you’re headed into uncharted territory or a bustling metropolis, it only helps if you already know what to expect when you set foot in your destination. A quick google search should give you enough information on things like the local culture, geography, weather and political climate to start with. Oh, and do not forget to check out the local laws, either-written and unwritten. People have in the past gotten into trouble for using the wrong gesture or for looking the wrong person in the eye. Did you also know that shaking your head can be interpreted as ‘yes’ in India?

“Hi, would you like to buy some drugs?

– Nervously shakes head –

“Great! Here’s two kilograms of cocaine!”

Kuh-Myoo-Nick-Ashion

Learn a few words and phrases from the local language and the appropriate situations to use them in. You would be surprised at how much a ‘Yallah’ or a ‘Habibi’ can get people to warm up to you in the Middle East. Also, knowing the language makes ordering food that much easier. Just saying.

Who Ya’ Gonna Call?

It’s very useful to have in hand a bunch of contacts that you can get in touch with if-knock on wood- you should ever find yourself in trouble, eg: Your home country’s Embassy/Consulate(stolen passports are a thing in some countries you know?), local emergency numbers etc. If you have friends or relatives in the country/area, make sure you have their numbers as well. There’s no telling what kind of emergency you might encounter on the road.

Link Up With Other Travellers And Locals!

This is for many people, the single greatest reward of solo travel-meeting new people. There’s so much you discover from engaging with people from different cultures and backgrounds. Yes, I’m being captain obvious here, but it’s a point that just had to be reiterated.  Being alive in the internet age has its perks.

A slew of apps and websites have made it that much easier for travelers to get in touch with people at their destinations. It doesn’t matter if you’re just hanging out with your host from ‘AirBnB’ and ‘Couchsurfing’ or finding fellow travelers to share in your adventure from ‘Penroads’, you’re guaranteed to meet some cool people on your journey. As a matter of fact, Penroads is the best way for you to connect with international travellers coming in from all over the world, so it’s definitely a useful tool to have (It’s a shameless plug. I am so sorry. But it really works!).

Stay Healthy!

Last but never the least, take care of your body. Stay hydrated. It’s no good if your mind yells “Onward!” and your body groans “Hell no!”. Find out if you need to get vaccinated before setting off. Carry some basic medicines and bandages if you can, especially if you’re venturing into the wilderness. On occasion you might have to be careful about where and what you eat as well. Talk to someone who has travelled to India and you just might hear the story about how the delicious chicken Tikka from a street vendor gave them a bad case of ‘Delhi Belly’.

Happy tripping!

Parag Murali is the Marketing & Happiness Manager at penroads.com. He combines his love for travelling and people into a daily passion for bringing travellers together. You can contact him at parag@penroads.com for just about anything, so feel free!

Lockdown words of love and comfort across Ireland and the globe during the Covid-19 pandemic.