Somerville’s New Assembly Square MBTA Station to Open Next Week

Somerville’s first Orange Line MBTA station, Assembly Square, is set to open Wednesday, September 2, according to Somerville Alderman At Large John “Jack” Connolly’s Facebook page . The T stop will be the MBTA’s first new rapid transit station in 26 years.
http://www.boston.com/news/local/massachusetts/2014/08/27/somerville-new-assembly-square-mbta-station-open-next-week/SgjW9ub8Oil5uDXXbeK5OO/story.html?p1=Topofpage:Carousel_sub_headline
Article courtesy of Boston.com by Justine Hofherr

Giant Duck Will Stick Around LA Until September

The 11-ton rubber duckie - part art project, part boat - headlined the Tall Ships Festival this weekend, and proving incredibly popular for gawkers who flocked to see it.http://www.nbcbayarea.com/news/california/Giant-Duck-Will-Stick-Around-LA-Until-September-272630601.html Article courtesy of NBC Bay Area by Kelly Goff

California Lawmakers Reject Statewide Plastic Bag Ban Bill

SACRAMENTO, Calif. (AP) - The Assembly on Monday rejected legislation that would make California the first state to impose a ban on single-use plastic bags, but the bill could be heard again later this week.http://www.nbcbayarea.com/news/california/California-Lawmakers--Reject-Statewide-Plastic-Bag-Ban-Bill--272719561.html Article courtesy of NBC Bay Area by Fenit Nirappil of the Associated Press

Complicated case of a leaky radioactive dump in New Mexico

The eruption in February of a 55-gallon drum of nuclear waste buried deep in a salt shaft at the Waste Isolation Pilot Plant near Carlsbad, N.M., has left the facility closed for months and raised questions about the Department of Energy's ability to keep tabs on the content of nuclear waste containers buried at the site.. Some experts say that means the risk of additional eruptions is real. The incident this year wasn't without consequences--21 workers were exposed to low-level doses of radiation. What's the present level of risk? http://www.latimes.com/nation/nationnow/la-na-nn-nuclear-waste-dump-wipp-20140823-story.html# Article courtesy of The Los Angeles Times by Ralph Vartabedian

Malibu Pier closed, surfer dies as big waves hammer L.A.-area beaches

The Malibu Pier was shut down Tuesday evening and an unconscious surfer was pulled from rough waters nearby earlier in the day as high waves began pounding Southern California beaches.. California State Park officials closed the pier after a piling was knocked loose Tuesday afternoon amid the big waves, officials said. http://www.latimes.com/local/lanow/la-me-ln-malibu-pier-closed-surfer-dies-big-waves-20140826-story.html# Article courtesy of The Los Angeles Times by Robert J Lopez

Did life on Earth come from space?

Did life on Earth come from space? The scientific evidence is mounting. A new report suggests amino acids, the chemical building blocks necessary for life as we know it, may be scattered throughout the solar system, created when high-speed comets smacked into the icy moons of Jupiter and Saturn, and rocky planets like our very own Earth.http://www.latimes.com/science/sciencenow/la-sci-sn-comet-impact-life-20130916,0,4729019.story Article courtesy of The Los Angeles Times-Science Now by Deborah Netburn

Monsoonal Moisture Hits NorCal, Fires Rage in State

The monsoonal moisture that's been hammering portions of Southern California is now moving into Northern California, creating a stark environmental contrast in the state: Flash foods and fires.http://www.nbcbayarea.com/news/california/Monsoonal-Moisture-Wildfire-Moves-Toward-Northern-California-Tahoe-Sierra-Bay-Area-269834741.html Article courtesy of NBC Bay Area by Lisa Fernandez