Actor and "The Passion of the Christ" director Mel Gibson recently revealed his support for former President Donald Trump and his belief that Vice President Kamala Harris sports both an "appalling track record" and a low IQ.

Si su casa sufrió daños por el severo estado del tiempo que impactó el sureste de Texas esta semana, contacte a su compañía de seguros para presentar una reclamación lo antes posible.

New exhibition entitled “Art of Islam” begins today in the halls of the State's Hermitage Museum in London's Somerset House. 75 items from the Hermitage's Eastern Art Collection will be displayed. “Exhibition of Islamic art with a few pieces from Hermitage had taken place in London nearly 40 years ago. However, this art collection of the world’s famous Hermitage is taking place in London for the first time on such grand scale,” stated senior staff scientist of the Department of Eastern studies of Hermitage, Adel Adamova, reports RIA ‘Novosti”. Museum halls will showcase various pieces from different countries of the Islamic world; the earliest dating back to the Middle Ages. Visitors could witness the best examples of Muslim bronze work, Turkish and Iranian weapons, jewelry items, a series of Persian miniatures, chasubles of Russian priests made from Turkish and Persian fabrics, as well as velvet fabrics made in Iran in XVI century.

Endor Labs, the open source software security solutions provider, has released The 2024 Dependency Management Report, which consolidates extensive original and third-party research into the current state of security in the software dependency lifecycle that represents the foundation for all application development.

Reckitt Benckiser, a British company that produces, among other things, Durex condoms, decided not to leave the Russian market, Baza Telegram channel said with a reference to an anonymous source. The UK-based company does not intend to either wrap up its business or transfer it to anyone. Former CEO Laxman Narasimhan, who left the company in September 2022, earlier spoke about Reckitt Benckiser's pullout from the Russian against the background of the crisis in Ukraine. Reckitt Benckiser manufactures and distributes a variety of products in more than 200 countries of the world. It is widely known for such brands as Vanish and Cilit Bang cleaning products, Nurofen pain reliever, Strepsils cough drops and Durex condoms.

Offering insights into the most effective, tried and tested approaches to managing retail risk, supplier of loss prevention solutions and retail technology, Checkpoint Systems UK, has revealed the conference agenda for its upcoming appearance as title sponsor at Retail Risk London on 22 July 2021.

2022 was the second highest year of activity in the global self-checkout market, according to a brand-new report from RBR Data Services, a division of Datos Insights. Global EPOS and Self-Checkout 2023 shows that with an ever-wider range of retailers embracing the technology, competition in the market remains fierce.

According to a report from Adroit Market Research, 3D printing powder market is projected to grow at a CAGR of 26.6% between 2021 and 2031.

The Ukrainian Foreign Ministry stated that Kyiv was not interested in appropriating the territories of the Kursk region of Russia. This means that the march of the Ukrainian Armed Forces "to Kursk and Voronezh" is over with. "Ukraine is not interested in appropriating the territories of the Kursk region" — Ukrainian Foreign Ministry 'Ukraine does not need what is foreign' Ukrainian Foreign Ministry spokesman Georgy Tykhy said that the offensive of the Ukrainian Armed Forces in the Kursk region was needed "to protect the lives of our people" rather than to capture Russian territories.

In anticipation of the upcoming Retail Technology Show 2024 in London, scheduled between April 24th and the 25th, Advantech is showcasing the next generation of products targeted to this industry.

Avantra, provider of AIOps and automation solutions for SAP environments, was a prominent participant at the recent SAP Sapphire events held in Orlando and Barcelona. The company unveiled its latest AI capabilities and highlighted its pivotal role in enabling organizations to transition from manual operations to advanced automation.

London is gearing up for one of the most significant events for all things eCommerce. Scheduled for September 18-19, the eCommerce Expo 2024 is set to welcome over 12,000 participants, key industry speakers and more than 300 technology providers.

A curious video from Pyongyang has recently appeared on social media. The video was said to be made by Russian visitors who landed in Pyongyang in October. It is worthy of note that foreigners visiting the DPRK are required to follow a set of rules regulating their stay. In general, filming is allowed, but there are many nuances at this point. For example, there are strict rules for photographing portraits and monuments of the leaders. All such monuments and portraits must be photographed in their entirety. Photos depicting half of such installations or monuments are strictly prohibited. Filming local residents is not advisable either. Taking pictures and making videos of North Korean scenery and places of interest is free. Tourists may video anything they like — hills, buildings, cityscapes, etc.

A radioterapia tem sido usada para tratar o cancer desde o inicio do seculo 20. Este tipo de tratamento continua sendo um dos tratamentos mais eficazes para tumores cerebrais cancerigenos (malignos) e nao cancerigenos (benignos). A forma como ele e ministrado -- e a tecnologia utilizada -- continuou evoluindo e melhorando.

[International] :
The North Atlantic Treaty Organization(NATO), along with its Indo-Pacific partners, including South Korea, strongly denounced North Korea's troop deployment to Russia in support of its military offensive against Ukraine. In a statement on Friday, NATO's top decision-making North Atlantic Council(NAC) ...

[more...]

You can upgrade RAM on your computer at home without the need of a specialist. Take a look at these easy steps to upgrade RAM on your PC.

Modern PCs and Macs use built-in Bluetooth to easily connect to your phone's AirPods. We'll show you how.

Can't figure out how to delete an entire page in Word? It's easy. We'll show you how.

To remove a computer virus, you first need to know if you actually have a virus. Then, take a look at these steps on how to remove a computer virus.

The Geography Olympiad: Bandung, Indonesia  British Geological Survey

Visit by Indonesian Embassy representatives to BGS  British Geological Survey

A plug-flow fixed-bed cell for synchrotron powder X-ray diffraction (PXRD) and X-ray absorption fine structure (XAFS) idoneous for the study of heterogeneous catalysts at high temperature, pressure and under gas flow is designed, constructed and demonstrated. The operating conditions up to 1000°C and 50 bar are ensured by a set of mass flow controllers, pressure regulators and two infra-red lamps that constitute a robust and ultra-fast heating and cooling method. The performance of the system and cell for carbon dioxide hydrogenation reactions under specified temperatures, gas flows and pressures is demonstrated both for PXRD and XAFS at the P02.1 (PXRD) and the P64 (XAFS) beamlines of the Deutsches Elektronen-Synchrotron (DESY).

In this work, Ce-doped yttria-stabilized zirconia (YSZ) and pure YSZ phases were subjected to irradiation with 14 MeV Au ions. Irradiation studies were performed to simulate long-term structural and microstructural damage due to self-irradiation in YSZ phases hosting alpha-active radioactive species. It was found that both the Ce-doped YSZ and the YSZ phases had a reasonable tolerance to irradiation at high ion fluences and the bulk crystallinity was well preserved. Nevertheless, local microstrain increased in all compounds under study after irradiation, with the Ce-doped phases being less affected than pure YSZ. Doping with cerium ions increased the microstructural stability of YSZ phases through a possible reduction in the mobility of oxygen atoms, which limits the formation of structural defects. Doping of YSZ with tetravalent actinide elements is expected to have a similar effect. Thus, YSZ phases are promising for the safe long-term storage of radioactive elements. Using synchrotron radiation diffraction, measurements of the thin irradiated layers of the Ce-YSZ and YSZ samples were performed in grazing incidence (GI) mode. A corresponding module for measurements in GI mode was developed at the Rossendorf Beamline and relevant technical details for sample alignment and data collection are also presented.

High energy resolution fluorescence detected X-ray absorption spectroscopy is a powerful method for probing the electronic structure of functional materials. The X-ray penetration depth and photon-in/photon-out nature of the method allow operando experiments to be performed, in particular in electrochemical cells. Here, operando high-resolution X-ray absorption measurements of a BiVO4 photoanode are reported, simultaneously probing the local electronic states of both cations. Small but significant variations of the spectral lineshapes induced by the applied potential were observed and an explanation in terms of the occupation of electronic states at or near the band edges is proposed.

Transition-metal nitro­gen-doped carbons (TM-N-C) are emerging as a highly promising catalyst class for several important electrocatalytic processes, including the electrocatalytic CO2 reduction reaction (CO2RR). The unique local environment around the singly dispersed metal site in TM-N-C catalysts is likely to be responsible for their catalytic properties, which differ significantly from those of bulk or nanostructured catalysts. However, the identification of the actual working structure of the main active units in TM-N-C remains a challenging task due to the fluctional, dynamic nature of these catalysts, and scarcity of experimental techniques that could probe the structure of these materials under realistic working conditions. This issue is addressed in this work and the local atomistic and electronic structure of the metal site in a Co–N–C catalyst for CO2RR is investigated by employing time-resolved operando X-ray absorption spectroscopy (XAS) combined with advanced data analysis techniques. This multi-step approach, based on principal component analysis, spectral decomposition and supervised machine learning methods, allows the contributions of several co-existing species in the working Co–N–C catalysts to be decoupled, and their XAS spectra deciphered, paving the way for understanding the CO2RR mechanisms in the Co–N–C catalysts, and further optimization of this class of electrocatalytic systems.

The title pyrene-fused spiro­pyran derivative, C30H25NO, crystallizes with two mol­ecules in the asymmetric unit with dihedral angles between their fused-ring sub units of 76.20 (8) and 89.38 (9)°. In the crystal, weak C—H⋯π inter­actions link the mol­ecules into a three-dimensional network.

The title compound, C16H12FN3OS, a fluorinated di­thio­carbazate imine derivative, was synthesized by the one-pot, multi-component condensation reaction of hydrazine hydrate, carbon di­sulfide, 4-fluoro­benzyl chloride and isatin. The compound demonstrates near-planarity across much of the mol­ecule in the solid state and a Z configuration for the azomethine C=N bond. The Z form is further stabilized by the presence of an intra­molecular N—H⋯O hydrogen bond. In the extended structure, mol­ecules are linked into dimers by N—H⋯O hydrogen bonds and further connected into chains along either [2overline{1}0] or [100] by weak C—H⋯S and C—H⋯F hydrogen bonds, which further link into corrugated sheets and in combination form the overall three-dimensional network.

The title compound, C10H8BrN3OS2, a brominated di­thio­carbazate imine deriv­ative, was obtained from the condensation reaction of S-methyl­dithio­carbazate (SMDTC) and 5-bromo­isatin. The essentially planar mol­ecule exhibits a Z configuration, with the di­thio­carbazate and 5-bromo­isatin fragments located on the same sides of the C=N azomethine bond, which allows for the formation of an intra­molecular N—H⋯Ob (b = bromo­isatin) hydrogen bond generating an S(6) ring motif. In the crystal, adjacent mol­ecules are linked by pairs of N—H⋯O hydrogen bonds, forming dimers characterized by an R22(8) loop motif. In the extended structure, mol­ecules are linked into a three-dimensional network by C—H⋯S and C—H⋯Br hydrogen bonds, C—Br⋯S halogen bonds and aromatic π–π stacking.

The title di­thio­carbazate imine, C11H11N3OS2, was obtained from the condensation reaction of S-methyl­dithio­carbazate (SMDTC) and 5-methyl­isatin. It shows a Z configuration about the imine C=N bond, which is associated with an intra­molecular N—H⋯O hydrogen bond that closes an S(6) ring. In the crystal, inversion dimers linked by pairwise N—H⋯O hydrogen bonds generate R22(8) loops. The extended structure features C—H⋯S contacts as well as reciprocal carbon­yl–carbonyl (C=O⋯C=O) inter­actions.

The large Bunyavirales order includes several families of viruses with a segmented ambisense (−) RNA genome and a cytoplasmic life cycle that starts by synthesizing viral mRNA. The initiation of transcription, which is common to all members, relies on an endonuclease activity that is responsible for cap-snatching. In La Crosse virus, an orthobunyavirus, it has previously been shown that the cap-snatching endonuclease resides in the N-terminal domain of the L protein. Orthobunyaviruses are transmitted by arthropods and cause diseases in cattle. However, California encephalitis virus, La Crosse virus and Jamestown Canyon virus are North American species that can cause encephalitis in humans. No vaccines or antiviral drugs are available. In this study, three known Influenza virus endonuclease inhibitors (DPBA, L-742,001 and baloxavir) were repurposed on the La Crosse virus endonuclease. Their inhibition was evaluated by fluorescence resonance energy transfer and their mode of binding was then assessed by differential scanning fluorimetry and microscale thermophoresis. Finally, two crystallographic structures were obtained in complex with L-742,001 and baloxavir, providing access to the structural determinants of inhibition and offering key information for the further development of Bunyavirales endonuclease inhibitors.

3D electron diffraction (3DED) is increasingly employed to determine molec­ular and crystal structures from micro-crystals. Indomethacin is a well known, marketed, small-molecule non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drug with eight known polymorphic forms, of which four structures have been elucidated to date. Using 3DED, we determined the structure of a new ninth polymorph, σ, found within an amorphous solid dispersion, a product formulation sometimes used for active pharmaceutical ingredients with poor aqueous solubility. Subsequently, we found that σ indomethacin can be produced from direct solvent evaporation using di­chloro­methane. These results demonstrate the relevance of 3DED within drug development to directly probe product formulations.

An attempt to explore the reactivity of the nitro group in the presence of gold catalysis in comparison to the azide group yielded intriguing results. Surprisingly, only the nitro group exhibited reactivity, ultimately giving rise to the formation of the title isatogen, C14H8N4O2. In the crystal structure, weak C—H⋯O hydrogen bonds and π–π stacking inter­actions link the mol­ecules. The structure exhibits disorder of the mol­ecule.

Three new 1H-indole derivatives, namely, 2-(bromo­meth­yl)-3-methyl-1-(phenyl­sulfon­yl)-1H-indole, C16H14BrNO2S, (I), 2-[(E)-2-(2-bromo-5-meth­oxy­phen­yl)ethen­yl]-3-methyl-1-(phenyl­sulfon­yl)-1H-indole, C24H20BrNO3S, (II), and 2-[(E)-2-(2-bromo­phen­yl)ethen­yl]-3-methyl-1-(phenyl­sulfon­yl)-1H-indole, C23H18BrNO2S, (III), exhibit nearly orthogonal orientations of their indole ring systems and sulfonyl-bound phenyl rings. Such conformations are favourable for inter­molecular bonding involving sets of slipped π–π inter­actions between the indole systems and mutual C—H⋯π hydrogen bonds, with the generation of two-dimensional monoperiodic patterns. The latter are found in all three structures, in the form of supra­molecular columns with every pair of successive mol­ecules related by inversion. The crystal packing of the compounds is additionally stabilized by weaker slipped π–π inter­actions between the outer phenyl rings (in II and III) and by weak C—H⋯O, C—H⋯Br and C—H⋯π hydrogen bonds. The structural significance of the different kinds of inter­actions agree with the results of a Hirshfeld surface analysis and the calculated inter­action energies. In particular, the largest inter­action energies (up to −60.8 kJ mol−1) are associated with pairing of anti­parallel indole systems, while the energetics of weak hydrogen bonds and phenyl π–π inter­actions are comparable and account for 13–34 kJ mol−1.

Two new [1-(phenyl­sulfon­yl)-1H-indol-2-yl]methanamine derivatives, namely, N-(3-meth­oxy­phen­yl)-N-{[1-(phenyl­sulfon­yl)-1H-indol-2-yl]meth­yl}acetamide, C24H22N2O4S, (I), and N-(2,5-di­meth­oxy­phen­yl)-N-{[1-(phenyl­sulfon­yl)-1H-indol-2-yl]meth­yl}benzene­sulfonamide, C29H26N2O6S2, (II), reveal a nearly orthogonal orientation of their indole ring systems and sulfonyl-bound phenyl rings. The sulfonyl moieties adopt the anti-periplanar conformation. For both compounds, the crystal packing is dominated by C—H⋯O bonding [C⋯O = 3.312 (4)–3.788 (8) Å], with the structure of II exhibiting a larger number, but weaker bonds of this type. Slipped π–π inter­actions of anti­parallel indole systems are specific for I, whereas the structure of II delivers two kinds of C—H⋯π inter­actions at both axial sides of the indole moiety. These findings agree with the results of Hirshfeld surface analysis. The primary contributions to the surface areas are associated with the contacts involving H atoms. Although II manifests a larger fraction of the O⋯H/H⋯O contacts (25.8 versus 22.4%), most of them are relatively distal and agree with the corresponding van der Waals separations.

Two new phenyl­sulfonyl­indole derivatives, namely, N-{[3-bromo-1-(phenyl­sulfon­yl)-1H-indol-2-yl]meth­yl}-N-(4-bromo-3-meth­oxy­phen­yl)benzene­sulfonamide, C28H22Br2N2O5S2, (I), and N,N-bis­{[3-bromo-1-(phenyl­sulfon­yl)-1H-indol-2-yl]meth­yl}benzene­sulfonamide, C36H27Br2N3O6S3, (II), reveal the impact of intra­molecular π–π inter­actions of the indole moieties as a factor not only governing the conformation of N,N-bis­(1H-indol-2-yl)meth­yl)amines, but also significantly influencing the crystal patterns. For I, the crystal packing is dominated by C—H⋯π and π–π bonding, with a particular significance of mutual indole–indole inter­actions. In the case of II, the mol­ecules adopt short intra­molecular π–π inter­actions between two nearly parallel indole ring systems [with the centroids of their pyrrole rings separated by 3.267 (2) Å] accompanied by a set of forced Br⋯O contacts. This provides suppression of similar inter­actions between the mol­ecules, while the importance of weak C—H⋯O hydrogen bonding to the packing naturally increases. Short contacts of the latter type [C⋯O = 3.389 (6) Å] assemble pairs of mol­ecules into centrosymmetric dimers with a cyclic R22(13) ring motif. These findings are consistent with the results of a Hirshfeld surface analysis and together they suggest a tool for modulating the supra­molecular behavior of phenyl­sulfonyl­ated indoles.

This article describes a correction procedure for the removal of indirect background contributions to measured small-angle X-ray scattering patterns. The high scattering power of a sample in the ultra-small-angle region may serve as a secondary source for a window placed in front of the detector. The resulting secondary scattering appears as a sample-dependent background in the measured pattern that cannot be directly subtracted. This is an intricate problem in measurements at ultra-low angles, which can significantly reduce the useful dynamic range of detection. Two different procedures are presented to retrieve the real scattering profile of the sample.

Structural modelling of operando pair distribution function (PDF) data of complex functional materials can be highly challenging. To aid the understanding of complex operando PDF data, this article demonstrates a toolbox for PDF analysis. The tools include denoising using principal component analysis together with the structureMining, similarityMapping and nmfMapping apps available through the online service `PDF in the cloud' (PDFitc, https://pdfitc.org/). The toolbox is used for both ex situ and operando PDF data for 3 nm TiO2-bronze nanocrystals, which function as the active electrode material in a Li-ion battery. The tools enable structural modelling of the ex situ and operando PDF data, revealing two pristine TiO2 phases (bronze and anatase) and two lithiated LixTiO2 phases (lithiated versions of bronze and anatase), and the phase evolution during galvanostatic cycling is characterized.

Understanding the structure–property relationship in electrocatalysts under working conditions is crucial for the rational design of novel and improved catalytic materials. This paper presents the Aarhus University reactor for electrochemical studies using X-rays (AUREX) operando electrocatalytic flow cell, designed as an easy-to-use versatile setup with a minimal background contribution and a uniform flow field to limit concentration polarization and handle gas formation. The cell has been employed to measure operando total scattering, diffraction and absorption spectroscopy as well as simultaneous combinations thereof on a commercial silver electrocatalyst for proof of concept. This combination of operando techniques allows for monitoring of the short-, medium- and long-range structure under working conditions, including an applied potential, liquid electrolyte and local reaction environment. The structural transformations of the Ag electrocatalyst are monitored with non-negative matrix factorization, linear combination analysis, the Pearson correlation coefficient matrix, and refinements in both real and reciprocal space. Upon application of an oxidative potential in an Ar-saturated aqueous 0.1 M KHCO3/K2CO3 electrolyte, the face-centered cubic (f.c.c.) Ag gradually transforms first to a trigonal Ag2CO3 phase, followed by the formation of a monoclinic Ag2CO3 phase. A reducing potential immediately reverts the structure to the Ag (f.c.c.) phase. Following the electrochemical-reaction-induced phase transitions is of fundamental interest and necessary for understanding and improving the stability of electrocatalysts, and the operando cell proves a versatile setup for probing this. In addition, it is demonstrated that, when studying electrochemical reactions, a high energy or short exposure time is needed to circumvent beam-induced effects.

A novel in situ/operando method is introduced to measure the photon beam stability of synchrotron radiation based on orthogonal diffraction imaging of a Laue crystal/analyzer, which can decouple the energy/wavelength and Bragg angle of the photon beam using the dispersion effect in the diffraction process. The method was used to measure the energy jitter and drift of the photon beam on BL09B and BL16U at the Shanghai Synchrotron Radiation Facility. The experimental results show that this method can provide a fast way to measure the beam stability of different light sources including bending magnet and undulator with meV-level energy resolution and ms-level time response.

Chris Rock as Detective Zeke Banks in the film "Spiral."; Credit: Lionsgate

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President Biden plans to visit the Champlain Towers condo collapse later this week.; Credit: Lynne Sladky/AP

The White House says President Biden and first lady Jill Biden will travel to Florida Thursday to view first hand the partial collapse of the Champlain Towers condominium.

Asked by reporters if he planned to visit Surfside, Biden said, "Yes I hope so, as soon as we can. Maybe as early as Thursday." The White House issued a formal announcement of the trip shortly afterward.

The official death toll in the collapse has risen to 11, with some 150 people unaccounted for.

The Biden administration has responded to the disaster, dispatching FEMA administrator Deanne Criswell to the scene earlier this week.

"[The agency] has deployed an Incident Management Assistance Team, as well as building science experts, structural engineers and geotechnical experts to support search-and-rescue operations, and a mobile command center," White House press secretary Jen Psaki said Monday.

Psaki said the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers is also providing technical assistance for debris removal. Two FEMA-supported search-and-rescue teams are also involved in the response to the collapse.

Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis has praised FEMA and the Biden administration for "stepping up to the plate" in providing assistance in the search and recovery effort. Miami-Dade Mayor Daniella Levine Cava said Biden's upcoming trip would be "an important reminder that our county, our state and our nation are giving everything we have to search for the victims of this tragedy and support the families in this incredibly devastating time."

Here's what we know about what led to the collapse. Follow more coverage on the aftermath here.

Florida Division of Emergency Management is urging people with information about loved ones who are either unaccounted for or known to be safe to call 305-614-1819.

This content is from Southern California Public Radio. View the original story at SCPR.org.

As search and rescue efforts at the site of the Surfside, Fla., condo collapse stretch into day nine, officials have said that the number of confirmed fatalities has risen to 20, while the number of people unaccounted for has dropped from 145 to 128.

Miami-Dade County Mayor Daniella Levine Cava told reporters Friday that one of the two fatalities recovered overnight was the 7-year-old daughter of a firefighter for the city of Miami.

"It goes without saying that every night since this last Wednesday has been immensely difficult for everybody, particularly the families that have been impacted," Levine Cava said. "But last night was truly different and more difficult for our first responders. These men and women are paying an enormous human toll each every day, and I ask that all of you please keep all of them in your thoughts and prayers."

"They truly represent the very best in all of us, and we need to be there for them as they are here for us," she said.

The number of people who have been accounted for has grown to 188, officials also confirmed Friday. In many cases, detectives followed leads regarding individuals who were unaccounted for but then reached them and discovered they were safe.

They even discovered additional family members who were safe and who could have been in the building, and added them to the tally of accounted for individuals.

Officials have not yet released the names of all of the dead and missing people, and asked Friday that the privacy of the families be respected.

This content is from Southern California Public Radio. View the original story at SCPR.org.

Traffic on Interstate 95 was diverted for hours after a group of armed men fled from police near Wakefield, Mass. on Saturday. Massachusetts state police say 11 suspects have been taken into custody.; Credit: Michael Dwyer/AP

Eleven people were taken into custody Saturday after an hours-long standoff with police early Saturday outside Boston.

While police engaged in negotiation, members of the group engaged the public on social media, saying their group was called "Rise of the Moors."

The heavily armed men were said to be driving from Rhode Island to Maine for "training."

The incident started around 1:30 a.m., when state police noticed two cars stopped at the side of I-95 near Wakefield, Mass., apparently out of fuel. As troopers stopped to assist, they noticed that some individuals near the cars had "military-style" gear, and were carrying long guns and pistols, Massachusetts State Police Col. Christopher Mason told reporters.

"You can imagine 11 armed individuals standing with long guns slung on an interstate highway at 2 in the morning certainly raises concerns and is not consistent with the firearms laws that we have in Massachusetts," Mason said.

Police requested backup, and thus began a standoff that lasted several hours. The men refused to lower their weapons, saying that they "don't recognize our laws," police said. Some of the armed men fled into a nearby wooded area, police said, and a portion of I-95 was closed for several hours.

The standoff was broadcast on social media

Around 4 a.m., a man whom the Boston Globe identified as Jamhal Talib Abdullah Bey said he was broadcasting live from I-95 and said that he told police they had nothing to fear.

"I reassured them that we are not sovereign citizens," a man who appeared to be Bey said in a live-streamed video. "I reassured them that we are not Black identity extremists. I reassured them that we are not anti-police. I reassured them that we are not anti-government. I reassured them that these men here will not be pointing guns at them. I reassured them that we are trying to come to a peaceful resolution."

"We're going to our private land to train, which is our Second Amendment right," he said, showing a vehicle he said contained camping equipment.

As police tactical teams brought in armored vehicles to surround the area, and negotiators interacted with the men, they ultimately surrendered. Middlesex County District Attorney Marian Ryan told reporters the suspects were expected to appear in court on Tuesday morning.

State police "don't have any knowledge about this particular specific group" but as state police "it is not unusual for us to encounter people that have sovereign citizen ideologies — I'm not saying that this group does — but we have had those encounters before in the past," Mason said at a Saturday morning press briefing.

"We train to those encounters," Mason continued. "We very much understand the philosophy that underlies that mindset. And we train our officers, actually, at the academy, on these interactions and how to de-escalate those situations, and how to engage with people that have that philosophy and mindset and resolve those situations in a peaceful manner."

The group calls itself "Rise of the Moors"

The same man appearing to be Bey said in a later video: "They keep portraying us as being anti-government, but we're not anti-government at all."

The group's website lists Bey as a leader of the "Rhode Island State Republic and Providence Plantations." According to the site, Bey served in the military for four years, some or all of that time in the Marines, after which he began studying "Moorish Science."

That website, "Rise of the Moors," explains that Moors are not "sovereign citizens" because "sovereignty does not stand alone," but can rather be considered synonymous with "nationality."

"The record show that the Moors are the organic or original sovereigns of this land — America," the FAQ says. "When we declare our nationality as Moorish Americans we are taking back the position as the aboriginal people of the land, to which the sovereign power is vested in."

Bey's group may be associated with the Moorish sovereign citizen movement, which the Southern Poverty Law Center characterizes as an offshoot of the antigovernment sovereign citizens movement. Moorish sovereigns "have come into conflict with federal and state authorities over their refusal to obey laws and government regulations," SPLC writes.

"The Moorish Sovereign movement is a rapidly growing group of people who believe that they belong to a sovereign nation that has a treaty with the US but otherwise operates outside of the federal and state laws," JJ MacNab, a fellow at George Washington University's Program on Extremism, explained on Twitter.

"They rely on an alternative history that borrows from Moorish Science Temple, Black Hebrew Israelism, Nation of Islam, UFO theories, phony Native American tribes, and the pseudo-legal arguments crafted by white supremacist 'patriot' groups in the 1970s," MacNab said.

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SURFSIDE, Fla. — Crews used explosives late Sunday night to demolish the remaining structure at Champlain Towers South in Surfside, Fla.

The heavily damaged condo building was knocked down at about 10:30 p.m. Eastern time.

The targeted blast caused the tower to fold and crumble, sending a large plume of dust and debris over a section of the beachside community. A crowd watching from a distance prayed as the building came down.

Before the structure was leveled, Miami-Dade County police urged residents who live nearby to remain indoors and shelter in place.

Miami-Dade County officials said removing the tower was an essential step so search and rescue teams could resume scouring the rubble pile for victims of the disaster.

Officials suspended recovery efforts on Saturday because of concerns about the danger posed by the unstable building.

"It will be safe to resume the search activities very shortly after the blast and that's when we'll resume it," said Miami-Dade County Mayor Daniella Levine Cava at a press conference Sunday evening.

Demolition of the tower was also accelerated because of Tropical Storm Elsa, which could hit South Florida with high winds and heavy rains as early as Monday.

Search efforts had been ongoing since the morning of June 24, when much of the 12-story condo complex suffered a "progressive collapse" and dozens of apartments were reduced to rubble in a matter of seconds.

The number of confirmed dead from the disaster remains at 24, with the number of people unaccounted for at 121.

Rep. Debbie Wasserman Schultz, D-Fla., told reporters Sunday the demolition of the remaining tower added to the sorrow for families who lived in the complex, destroying homes and possessions.

"So often demolitions of buildings are a spectacle, it's almost like a show," Schultz said. "This demolition is a tragic situation."

Local officials assured former residents and the public that everything possible had been done to rescue pets left behind in the structure.

"Folks can be comfortable we're not leaving anyone behind, including our beloved pets," Surfside Mayor Charles Burkett told reporters.

Multiple investigations are already underway into the cause of the collapse.

Documents acquired by NPR from an anonymous source show the condo association's board received warnings from an engineering firm beginning in 2018 that the structure needed extensive repairs.

A memo sent by the association to Champlain Towers South residents ahead of a May 2021 board meeting acknowledged the "desperate needs of the building."

This content is from Southern California Public Radio. View the original story at SCPR.org.

Rescue workers move a stretcher containing recovered remains at the site of the collapsed Champlain Towers South condo building in Surfside, Fla., on Monday. Rescuers have recovered three more bodies and officials say the demolition of the building will accelerate search efforts.; Credit: Lynne Sladky/AP

Miami-Dade County mayor Daniella Levine Cava said on Monday morning that three more victims have been recovered from the ruins of the collapsed condo tower in Surfside, Fl., bringing the total death toll so far to 27.

Cava added that the demolition of the rest of Champlain Towers South "was executed exactly as planned" the previous evening, and that it would now allow rescue teams to work on a section of the collapsed building that was previously inaccessible. She noted that 118 individuals remain unaccounted for.

"Truly, we could not continue without bringing this building down," Cava said. "The area closest to the building was not accessible, due to the enormous risk to the team of first responders, because of the instability of the building."

According to Florida Governor Ron DeSantis, the newly accessible section of rubble is also from a part of the building where many bedrooms were located, and may contain the remains of many victims. The building collapsed in the middle of the night.

Authorities had been concerned that an approaching tropical storm might topple the standing part of the building onto the section that had already collapsed. That would have been a massive setback in the search for victims and for clues to the cause of the disaster.

Tropical Storm Elsa now appears to be tracking further to the west, and is more likely to hit the west coast of Florida, rather than the site of the disaster. But officials at the National Weather Service say the storm's course still could change.

Cava acknowledged that demolishing people's homes "is a devastating decision" and said that "our teams are doing everything possible to help those who lost their home begin to rebuild."

She said that authorities are working with insurance companies and the Federal Emergency Management Agency to streamline claims and help those who've lost homes and property.

One animal rescue volunteer had gone to court to stop the demolition of the rest of the tower, asking the court to allow more time to rescue pets that might still be trapped inside. The judge denied the motion.

Cava said in her Monday briefing that Miami-Dade rescue teams had already gone through parts of the building that were still accessible, "searching in closets and under beds" to find missing pets.

This content is from Southern California Public Radio. View the original story at SCPR.org.

Crews searching the building collapse site in Surfside, Fla., have discovered four more victims since Monday, bringing the death toll to 32. Authorities have identified 26 of the bodies.

Another 113 people were unaccounted for, though local officials said they had only been able to confirm that about 70 of those people were in the building at the time of the collapse nearly two weeks ago.

Detectives are continuing to follow up on reports submitted about possible victims in the partial collapse, but in some cases they have been unable to reach those who submitted the tips in the first place.

"People call anonymously. People call and don't leave return phone numbers. People call with partial information, not enough to really secure whether that person may or may not have been in the building," Miami-Dade County Mayor Daniella Levine Cava told reporters on Tuesday.

Some of the reports of possible victims are also incomplete, she said, including a name but no apartment number or no date of birth.

Levine Cava urged people who are missing loved ones to communicate with local authorities. She said there may also be victims of the collapse who have not been reported missing.

The rescue effort stopped briefly overnight due to lightning from a passing storm. Surfside Mayor Charles Burkett said high winds were hampering the cranes moving heavy debris from the collapse site.

Lt. Gov. Jeanette Nuñez said Florida has declared a state of emergency ahead of Tropical Storm Elsa, which is expected to reach hurricane strength before making landfall Wednesday morning on the state's west coast.

This content is from Southern California Public Radio. View the original story at SCPR.org.

Representatives from academies and research organizations around the world sent messages of condolence and support to members, officials and staff of the U.S. National Academies in the wake of terrorist attacks on the World Trade Center and the Pentagon. The following are excerpts from some of these messages.

Scientific evidence links mold and other factors related to damp conditions in homes and buildings to asthma symptoms in some people with the chronic disorder, as well as to coughing, wheezing, and upper respiratory tract symptoms in otherwise healthy people, says a new report from the Institute of Medicine of the National Academies.

A new report by the National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine proposes a strategy that the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) should use to evaluate the evidence of adverse human health effects from low doses of exposure to chemicals that can disrupt the endocrine system.

New Report Outlines Research Agenda to Better Understand the Relationship Among Microbiomes, Indoor Environments, and Human Health