Endemic island species

Verdict 8.7 / 10 –Kona, Hawaii Hawaii's Big Island is every bit as beautiful as postcards would lead you to believe. Two-hundred-year-old volcanic rock spewed from two of the world's most active volcanoes, Kilauea and Mauna Loa, trickles down to the coast on one side of the island, while lush forests ripe with coffee fields cover the other. But in order to explore all that geo- and biodiversity, you'll need a vehicle big enough for the whole ohana. I have the keys to the 2023 Toyota Grand Highlander , which comes with two efficient hybrid powertrains and a spacious, premium cabin with enough room for eight passengers and all of their stuff. Positioned snugly between the often-too-small Highlander and the truck-based Sequoia , Toyota has front-runners like the Hyundai Palisade and Kia Telluride in its sights with this newly minted SUV. A vehicle's ratings are relative only to its own segment and not the new-vehicle market as a whole. For more on how … [Read more...] about 2024 Toyota Grand Highlander First Drive Review: Going Big On The Big Island

In May 2019, Elon Musk took to Twitter to explain why his electric vehicle company didn’t run commercials like every single other major automaker. “Tesla does not advertise or pay for endorsements,” he wrote at the time . “Instead, we use that money to make the product great.” Later that year, he put his thoughts into fewer words : “I hate advertising.” Then in 2022, the mogul bought Twitter, became its CEO, floundered around a bit and finally hired Linda Yaccarino, an advertising executive , to take the reins of the social media site. It seems that experience changed his entire perspective on commercials. Just a few days after announcing the hire, Musk made another surprise announcement at a Tesla shareholder meeting in Texas: “So I guess I should say advertising is awesome, and everyone should do it. We’ll try out a little advertising and see how it goes.” A few days after that, on May 19, the Tesla Asia Twitter account posted a two-minute video of a woman in … [Read more...] about Is This the Future of Tesla Ads?

Justice Ketanji Brown Jackson told graduates at American University's Washington College of Law commencement that she had reflected on her eclectic experiences in the years since her own graduation as she prepared the address, her first major public speech since becoming a Supreme Court justice. "I stepped back and I looked deeply inside myself to try to figure out what to say," she said. "And upon doing so, I realized exactly what it is that I wanted to talk to you about today: 'Survivor.'" "Yes, that's right," she said. "When I say 'Survivor,' I am indeed referring to the reality TV show where people are stranded on an island and compete to become the last person standing." Graduates and their families - some of whom may have been hoping that Jackson would hint at highly anticipated upcoming rulings on cases regarding voting rights, affirmative action and student debt, or reflect on public confidence in the Supreme Court after a tumultuous year - laughed. "I am a … [Read more...] about Justice Ketanji Brown Jackson shares ‘Survivor’ lessons with law grads

To best experience the magic, such as it is, of Disney 's latest, lavish, nominally "live-action" remake, The Little Mermaid , shut your eyes tight and just listen. In the resulting darkness, the lightless ocean floor behind your lids, the siren call of old melodies will beckon. The naked yearning of "Part of Your World," the Oscar-winning Caribbean swing of "Under the Sea," the mood-setting island balladry of "Kiss the Girl"—these showtunes have lost none of their irresistibility in the 34 years since Alan Menken and the late Howard Ashman brought a little Broadway to the Mouse House. To hear them now is to feel transported anew, part of that world again. Just don't open your eyes. It'll break the spell. Because for as right as this Little Mermaid often sounds , it just as often looks all wrong. The lush wonders of a traditionally animated classic have been drowned in the digital depths—a sea of ones and zeroes that dims the light of every environment, above and below the … [Read more...] about Disney’s ‘Little Mermaid’ remake drowns in a sea of digital murk

Mini has issued a recall for older Cooper Hardtop and Clubman models for a potential fire risk. It affects the 2008 to 2014 Clubman and the 2007-2013 Cooper Hardtop, including the Cooper S and John Cooper Works variants. The issue involves vehicles equipped with a sunroof where significant temperature changes, like multiple freeze/thaw cycles, can damage a car's drain hose. The damaged hose could loosen and eventually detach from the drain pipe within the A-pillar. If this happens, water can enter into the vehicle's interior. In states where road crews use large amounts of road salt during wintertime, the combination of salt and water could create an electrolyte solution that could contact the Footwell Control Module (FCM) and, over time, corrode the part. If this happens, it could potentially lead to a short circuit that could result in a fire. The FCM controls various lighting and power window functions within the Cooper Hardtop and Clubman models. The recall affects cars … [Read more...] about Mini Recalls 98,000 Cooper Hardtop, Clubman Models For Fire Risk

ANCHORAGE, Alaska (AP) — A man who was walking on tidal mud flats with friends in an Alaska estuary got stuck up to his waist in the quicksand-like silt and drowned as the tide came in before frantic rescuers could extract him, authorities said. Zachary Porter, 20, of Lake Bluff, Illinois, was submerged Sunday evening as the tide came in, and his body was recovered Monday morning, Alaska State Troopers spokesperson Austin McDaniel told The Associated Press. A member of Porter's group called 911 when they couldn't get him out, but it was too late, authorities said. The accident was the latest tragedy at Turnagain Arm, a 48-mile-long (77-kilometer-long) estuary carved out long ago by glaciers that travels southeast from the Anchorage area and parallels a major highway. At low tide, the estuary is known for its dangerous mud flats made of silt created by glacier-pulverized rocks. At least three other people have gotten stuck and drowned there over the years. Many more have been … [Read more...] about ‘Mother Nature has no mercy’: Man gets stuck waist-deep in Alaska mud flats, drowns as tide comes in

This is a carousel. Use Next and Previous buttons to navigate 5 HONOLULU (AP) — Guam's governor urged residents to stay home and warned the island could take a direct hit from Typhoon Mawar as the storm strengthened on a path toward the U.S. territory in the Pacific. Gov. Lou Leon Guerrero urged residents in a YouTube message to remain calm and prepare for Mawar, which the weather service said could hit the southern part of Guam around midday local time on Wednesday. “We may take a direct hit," Patrick Doll, lead meteorologist for the National Weather Service in Tiyan, Guam, told The Associated Press. "If we don’t take a direct hit, it’s going to be very close.” The center of the Category 3 storm was about 195 miles (313.8 kilometers) southeast of Guam Tuesday, and moving northwest at 9 to 10 mph (14.4 to 16 kph) toward Guam, according to the weather service. It was expected to arrive as a 140 mph (225 kph) Category 4 … [Read more...] about Guam braces for hit from Typhoon Mawar as storm heads toward the Pacific US territory

The first race of the 2011 season is just a week away. Are you going to be at the first race of the new season? Which Grands Prix are you buying tickets for in 2011? Whichever race you’re planning to attend you can find advice and tips from F1 Fanatics who’ve been before – apart from the new Indian Grand Prix, of course. From Silverstone to Singapore, Malaysia to Monaco, they’ve found the best places to stay, where to watch at the track, and which tickets to buy. Below you can find the discussion pages for all of this year’s races where F1 Fanatic are already planning trips and arranging meet-ups. Race discussion page Circuit discussion page 2011 Australian Grand Prix discussion Albert Park 2011 Malaysian Grand Prix discussion Sepang International Circuit 2011 Chinese Grand Prix discussion Shanghai International Circuit 2011 Turkish Grand Prix discussion Istanbul Park 2011 Spanish Grand Prix discussion Circuit de … [Read more...] about Which F1 races are you going to in 2011? · RaceFans

Even among apex predators, not every animal deserves an exclamation point. Sharks definitely do. These mysterious, fascinating creatures, not nearly as deadly to humans as they’re made out to be, get a big one in Sharks! The Meg, The Monsters & The Myths , a new exhibit opening May 26 at the Houston Museum of Natural Science. If they so choose, visitors can survey the ocean from a hammerhead’s POV, climb inside a shark cage, or play a few rounds of Fact vs. Fiction, shark edition. “We’ve got stuff for little kids to big kids—and by big kids, I mean grownups,” says the exhibit’s curator, HMNS Vice President for Education Nicole Temple. “I think that most people can come in here and spend quite a bit of time and find something that is appealing to them. Plus, you get fossil shark teeth, and you can touch live sharks.” There are fascinating stories from all over the animal kingdom, but it’s awfully hard to beat sharks—the cartilaginous subclass of fishes that comprises … [Read more...] about 50 years after ‘Jaws,’ a new Houston exhibit tells the truth about sharks