Numlock News: September 1, 2021 • Cougars, Hornets, Ha'penny
By Walt HickeyThe annual back-to-school sale on paid subscriptions to Numlock is back, it’s the best deal of the year, 30 percent off your first year, only three days left! AssimilatedA ballot initiative in Wilkinsburg, Pennsylvania — a suburb of Pittsburgh — would bring the 15,218 citizen borough into the city of Pittsburgh. The issue is that, with 1,400 abandoned structures across 2.3 miles, Wilkinsburg is weighing the benefits of remaining indie versus joining the major label of Pittsburgh. As the tax base has shrunk, the property owners who have stuck around have seen increasing costs: the mill rate, or the dollar amount taxed per each $1,000 of assessed property value, is 45.23, significantly higher than the 23.49 of Pittsburgh. A CVS assessed at $1.3 million in Wilkinsburg pays $62.289 in property taxes, compared to an equivalent CVS in Pittsburgh that pays $29,560. It’s controversial, but not unheard of: in the late 19th century cities went on acquisition sprees for similar reasons, such as when Brooklyn decided to join New York in 1890, or when Los Angeles committed to the TMZ and acquired the San Fernando Valley in the 1910s, or when Minneapolis swiped right on St. Paul on Hinge and, well, the rest is history. Just A Ha'penny Sir!A startup exchange backed by a number of Wall Street firms wants the SEC to allow it to price some stocks in increments of half-cents, with the eventual goal of reducing costs for buyers by making stock prices a little more accurate. For instance, given Apple’s $2.51 trillion market cap and $151.83 stock price, each shift of a single cent in its stock price is worth a swing of $165 million in market value; therefore, a little bit more nimble pricing could hypothetically benefit the mom-and-pops. A 2005 regulation called the Sub-Penny rule blocks exchanges from displaying prices of stocks worth more than $1 at increments less than a cent. Alexander Osipovich, The Wall Street Journal Asian Giant HornetsAs of the end of August, the Washington State Department of Agriculture has set 774 traps designed to catch the invasive Asian giant hornet, an arthropod that can average 1.75 inches in length. Since the hornets were first discovered in 2019, two nests have been found, but 2021 logged 2,111 reported sightings of the hornets, of which three were verified. Last week, the Washington Department of Agriculture killed the first nest of the year, believed to contain around 1,500 of the bugs. Jessica Kutz, High Country News CatsPumas are a critical part of ecosystems in the American West, keeping the population of prey in reasonable bounds and serving as a crucial wingman to scavengers. Male mountain lions require about 150 square miles of range, and female mountain lions need about 65 square miles. In the Santa Monica Mountains, a 153,000 acre urban national park, highways criss-cross the area and housing developments cut back on the range. When Florida encountered this problem, the panther population very nearly died out due to a lack of genetic diversity. California now faces a similar problem given that, while they may have more cougars, they’re so geographically separated by highways their genetic diversity is likewise imperiled. Craig Pittman, Scientific American DrugsSince humankind first isolated morphine from poppies, the natural world has been a compelling source of medicinal compounds that can be isolated into pharmaceuticals. Bacteria have been a huge driver for active compounds later applied to drugs: among active pharmaceutical compounds from microbes, 60 percent come from bacteria, and of those three in four come from a class called Acinomycetes. Researchers have searched high and low for microbes that may advance medical science. A 1989 study pulling sediment samples from the ocean floor found 289 distinct acinomycete colonies, and since then one of them has produced a compound, salinosporamide A, that has promise in treating some cancers. Stephanie Stone, Hakai Magazine BiggerIn 2010, there were zero wind turbines in the United States that had rotors over 115 meters in diameter. As of last year, 91 percent of the new turbines installed in the United States were larger than 115 meters. This has been a shift in thinking from wind developers, who are increasingly comfortable going more than the 500 feet in height than invited Federal Aviation Administration scrutiny. Community ChestAs many cities strive to expand their housing, parking remains top of mind for many developments. The estimated construction cost across 12 U.S. cities for parking structures came out to an average of $24,000 per space for aboveground parking and $34,000 per space for underground parking, values that can be passed on to renters. Street parking, though, remains a steal: there are 250 million cars in the U.S. and 2 billion parking spots, and cars spend 95 percent of their existence parked. The reality is that American cities hand over a colossal amount of free real estate to inactive cars, space that opponents argue could be used for transportation that better benefits commuters. Thanks to the paid subscribers to Numlock News who make this possible. Subscribers guarantee this stays ad-free, and get a special Sunday edition. Consider becoming a full subscriber today. The best way to reach new readers is word of mouth. If you click THIS LINK in your inbox, it’ll create an easy-to-send pre-written email you can just fire off to some friends. Send links to me on Twitter at @WaltHickey or email me with numbers, tips, or feedback at walt@numlock.news. Send corrections or typos to the copy desk at copy@numlock.news. Check out the Numlock Book Club and Numlock award season supplement. 2021 Sunday subscriber editions: Jeopardy! · Mangoes · BBLs · Summer Box Office · Time Use · Shampoo Bars · Wikipedia · Thriving · Comic Rebound · Return of Travel · Sticky Stuff · For-profit Med School · A Good Day · Press Reset · Perverse Incentives · Demon Slayer · Carbon Credits · Money in Politics · Local News · Oscar Upsets · Sneakers · Post-pandemic Cities ·Facebook AI · Fireflies · Vehicle Safety · Climate Codes · Figure Skating · True Believer · Apprentices · Sports Polls · Pipeline · Wattpad · The Nib · Driven2020 Sunday Edition Archive2019 Sunday Edition Archive2018 Sunday Edition ArchiveYou’re on the free list for Numlock News. For the full experience, become a paying subscriber. |
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Numlock News: August 31, 2021 • Match Fixing, Mission Impossible, Maine
Tuesday, August 31, 2021
By Walt Hickey The annual back-to-school sale on paid subscriptions to Numlock is back, it's the best deal of the year, 30 percent off your first year, must redeem it by September 5. Mission
Numlock News: August 30, 2021 • Earthworms, Haunted Houses, Collection
Monday, August 30, 2021
By Walt Hickey The annual back-to-school sale on paid subscriptions to Numlock is back, it's the best deal of the year. An annual subscription is now less than $3 per month, the deal ends Friday!
Numlock News: August 27, 2021 • Fake Antiquities, Ducks, Cinnamon Toast Cereal
Friday, August 27, 2021
By Walt Hickey Have a great weekend! Antiquities Earlier this month the Manhattan District Attorney's office charged an antiques dealer with scheming to defraud, grand larceny, criminal possession
Numlock News: August 26, 2021 • Seismometers, Cane Toads, Robocalls
Thursday, August 26, 2021
By Walt Hickey The annual back-to-school sale on paid subscriptions to Numlock is back, it's the best deal of the year, 30 percent off your first year, and you need to redeem it by September 5.
Numlock News: August 25, 2021 • Container Ships, Spare Parts, Lanternflys
Wednesday, August 25, 2021
By Walt Hickey Thanks to all the folks who have subscribed in the first couple days of the back-to-school sale, I really appreciate your support of the newsletter! It's the best deal we got, less
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