Approximately 13 million metric tons of rare earth elements (REE) exist within known deposits in the United States, according to the first-ever nationwide estimate of these elements by the U.S. Geological Survey.

This estimate of domestic rare earth deposits is part of a larger report that includes a review of global sources for REE, information on known deposits that might provide domestic sources of REE in the future, and geologic information crucial for studies of the availability of REE to U.S. industry.

With only four more days on his existing contract after this morning’s show, Stern announced he’ll stay on his Sirius/XM radio station for another 5 years — and after that, he’s done.

“I have come to the conclusion that the real innovators, the real geniuses are the people here at Sirius,” said Stern, adding “I can say with almost certainty that this is my final five years on radio.”

The Panama Canal reopened Thursday after heavy rains and flooding prompted the its closing for only the third time in its storied 96-year history.

The last time the canal closed was in 1989, after the United States invaded Panama to topple strongman Manuel Noriega. Landslides forced the canal to close for several months from late 1915 to mid-1916, just months after it opened.

The 48-mile canal is a key conduit for shipping between the Pacific and Atlantic oceans. The canal was built from 1904 to 1914 by the United States, which had sole control over the channel across the Panamanian isthmus until 1979. Then, after 20 years of joint U.S.-Panama control, the Panamanian government assumed administration on December 31, 1999.

Rupert Grint does not count himself among the massive number of males who probably want to smooch Emma Watson.

“It was actually okay,” Grint, 22, said of his onscreen kiss with Watson in Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows, which opened in theaters Friday. “It was just the anticipation. Neither of us were looking forward to it.”

Grint does, however, acknowledge that may seem a bit unbelievable to most fans.

For most of the past century, the financial-services industry has used actuarial tables to design life-insurance policies, pensions, and other products based on predictions of human lifespan. These “life tables” rely on historical death rates to predict the future longevity of broadly defined population groups. But human life expectancy has increased dramatically—from 47 years in 1900 to 77 today in the United States, with similar surges around the world, leading to skyrocking pension and healthcare costs. What’s more, sizable variations in longevity have emerged among different subgroups.

Thus the financial-services industry no longer considers life tables adequate, as they leave too much room for companies to lose money.

From the German name for Saverne, a town in Alsace. Originated from an incident in 1913 involving an overzealous soldier who wounded a cobbler for smiling at him. Event which ultimately triggered an intervention from the army who took over the power from local authorities.

zabernism (cataclysm)
1.The misuse or abuse of military authority; bullying.