Author: Wayne Richardson

Meta Platforms has donated US$1 million (NZ$1.7 million) to U.S. President-elect Donald Trump’s inaugural fund, a company spokesperson told Reuters in an emailed response. The Wall Street Journal, which first reported the news, said the donation was a departure from past practice by CEO Mark Zuckerberg and Meta. Zuckerberg had declined to endorse either Donald Trump or Joe Biden for this year’s election, in a media interview that took place before Biden stepped down as the Democratic nominee and was replaced by Kamala Harris. The billionaire CEO, however, had complimented Trump’s reaction to the 13 July assassination attempt as “one of the most…

TAMPA, Fla. — Canada is prepared to invest 50% more than initially planned to help flagship geostationary operator Telesat fund its Lightspeed low Earth orbit (LEO) broadband constellation. Telesat said it received a letter from the Canadian government last week that agreed terms for a loan worth 2.14 billion Canadian dollars ($1.6 billion) for Lightspeed, nearly half the 198-satellite network’s $3.5 billion budget. The terms also include an exchange of warrants enabling the government to buy 10% of Lightspeed for $300 million, valuing the constellation at $3 billion ahead of satellite deployments slated to get underway in 2026 via SpaceX.…

A leader of the Republican Party of Florida is calling for an emergency meeting to consider how to handle rape allegations that surfaced last week against the party’s chairman, Christian Ziegler, who has so far refused to resign amid increasing pressure and a police investigation. “It is with a heavy heart I write this email to you,” wrote Florida GOP Vice Chairman Evan Power in an email sent to party leaders Monday night. “Over the last few days we have seen the news and have received calls from the press about the situation with our Chairman.” Gov. Ron DeSantis is among Republican…

Does happiness have a price? For a majority of Americans, the answer is yes — but it it doesn’t come cheap. About 6 in 10 of Americans believe money can buy happiness, according to a new poll from financial services firm Empower. Yet to achieve happiness through financial means, most people say they’d need a significant raise, as well as a big chunk of money in the bank. Median household income in the U.S. stands at about $74,000 annually, but respondents told Empower that they’d need to earn roughly $284,000 each year to achieve happiness. And as for wealth, Americans said they’d need even…

Time-restricted eating, also known as intermittent fasting, can help people with type 2 diabetes lose weight and control their blood sugar levels, according to a new study published in JAMA Network Open from researchers at the University of Illinois Chicago. Participants who ate only during an eight-hour window between noon and 8 p.m. each day actually lost more weight over six months than participants who were instructed to reduce their calorie intake by 25%. Both groups had similar reductions in long-term blood sugar levels, as measured by a test of hemoglobin A1C, which shows blood sugar levels over the past three months.…

U.S. Rep. Sheila Cherfilus McCormick, of South Florida, told WLRN that the U.N. decision to send a multi−national security force to Haiti to neutralize violent gangs is long overdue and includes safeguards to protect the Haitian people from possible human rights violations. “I think everyone has a hesitation initially because we understand the past,” said the Haitian-American congresswoman from South Florida, referring to Haiti’s history with foreign intervention. “But I think when you balance it against the atrocities and the terrorism that the people are facing, you have a sense of ‘how can we deny our brothers and sisters the help they’re…

Wildwood mayor Pete Byron resigned on Thursday, six weeks after being sentenced to three years probation for failing to report income to the IRS. Byron, who has served as mayor since 2020, was re-indicted that same day in August on state charges he fraudulently enrolled in the state’s health benefits program. Those charges are pending. Deputy Mayor Krista Fitzsimons will take over as mayor. Byron had previously said he didn’t plan to resign as mayor. He couldn’t immediately be reached by NJ Advance Media on Thursday morning. “It is with deep sadness — yet great hope — for the continued prosperity of…

There’s no doubt that exercise can enhance your quality of life, but the time of day you do it may help manage your weight. New research from a recent study published in the research journal Obesity shows early morning exercise can lower your chances of becoming overweight compared to working out later in the day. Researchers found exercising between 7 a.m. and 9 a.m. was linked to a lower body mass index (BMI) and waist size, two areas evaluated for obesity.  According to the study, people who worked out between 7 a.m. and 9 a.m. had an average BMI of 27.5, compared with midday and…

VERO BEACH, Fla. – On your mark… get set… GO! The 16th annual Tour de Turtles officially kicked off at Disney’s Vero Beach Resort Saturday morning. The event allows guests staying at the beachside resort to see the moment two large sea turtles are released back into the waves of the Atlantic Ocean. Disney partners with the Sea Turtle Conservancy (STC), one of the oldest sea turtle conservation groups in the world, to bring the event to dozens of hotel guests and locals. Hitched with satellite transponders on their shells, each sea turtle pings back data showing just how far they swim during the migration…

EXETER, N.H. – EXCLUSIVE – Republican presidential candidate Nikki Haley says that a controversial parental rights bill that bans teachers from giving classroom instruction on sexual orientation or gender identity in kindergarten through third grade that Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis signed into law last year needs to be more stringent. Haley, the former South Carolina governor and former ambassador to the United Nations who launched her campaign for the Republican presidential nomination earlier this week, highlighted the controversial Florida law, which critics have dubbed the “don’t say gay” bill, in comments at a town hall in Exeter, New Hampshire on…