promoearn: Can a huge floating trash collector really clean the Pacific?

Tuesday, August 7, 2018

Can a huge floating trash collector really clean the Pacific?

Can a huge floating trash collector really clean the Pacific Ocean?

Boyan Slat, CEO of The Ocean Cleanup, a non-profit

Taking aim at the giant Great Pacific Garbage Patch

Is it a brilliant quest or a fool's errand? A 2,000-foot-long floating sea sieve will depart from San Francisco on Sept. 8 on a mission to collect some of the millions of tons of trash from what's known as the Great Pacific Garbage Patch, which is now twice the size of Texas . The contraption consists of floating pipes hung with netting that corrals trash in the center of its U-shaped design. The Ocean Cleanup Project is the brainchild of Boyan Slat, a 23-year-old Dutch college dropout who has raised millions of dollars in support for the effort. Critics say the plan is well-meaning but misguided: Keeping plastics out of the oceans in the first place "should be the focus of 95 percent of our current effort," said British researcher Richard Thompson.

Dirty laundry aired in Paul Manafort trial

Secret overseas accounts. Embezzlement of millions. A mistress in London. The mysterious "Doctor K." So far, the testimony of Rick Gates, the prosecution's star witness in the bank and tax fraud trial of former Trump campaign chairman Paul Manafort, has been anything but boring. Gates, who pleaded guilty to conspiracy and lying to the FBI, has testified that he engaged in a seven-year criminal conspiracy with his former boss. In cross-examination, Manafort's attorneys took direct aim at the credibility of Gates, confronting him with millions of dollars in questionable expenses related to a secret relationship with a mistress and the submission of personal expenses for payment by Trump's inaugural committee, where he worked after leaving Manafort's firm in March 2016.

A new invasive tick is crawling across the U.S.

This might tick you off: A new, exotic tick is spreading across the eastern United States . The Asian or longhorned tick, previously unknown to the U.S, has been reported in eight states this summer. Health officials do not know whether the longhorned tick is capable of transmitting Lyme disease and so far, ticks examined in the U.S. do not carry any infectious pathogens. But the tick has spread several serious diseases in Asia, such as SFTS virus and the pathogen that causes Japanese spotted fever, along with many diseases in animals. Health officials are urging people to wear DEET insect repellent, and long pants and shirts to avoid tick-borne illnesses.

The biggest fire ever in California is still growing

The Northern California blaze that is now the largest wildfire in state history just keeps getting bigger. The Mendocino Complex Fire – actually two fires a short distance apart - has grown to more than 45 square miles northwest of San Francisco and has destroyed 75 homes and 68 other buildings. A tenacious heat wave and relentless winds are hampering the efforts of the more 14,000 firefighters combating the Complex fire, one of more than a dozen now roaring across the state. Meanwhile, President Trump tweeted that water in the state was "foolishly being diverted into the Pacific Ocean," a charge that drew strong blowback from critics.

Alterations in these 5 genes may lead to an increased risk in developing breast cancer

Scientists might be one step closer in identifying, and possibly preventing, an aggressive form of breast cancer thanks to a new study released Tuesday. A team of researchers at Mayo Clinic said that after genetically testing more than 10,000 patients they have discovered specific genes linked to an increased risk of developing triple-negative breast cancer, which has a five-year survival rate.

More news to know:

• HGTV bought "The Brady Bunch" house and plans to restore it to its "1970s glory." 'N Sync singer Lance Bass was "heartbroken" that his bid for the home fell through.

• Consumers could be the ultimate winner as the furious competition in the mattress industry generates deals, price transparency and improved customer service.

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This is a compilation of stories from across USA TODAY, brought to you by John Riley, Ashley May, David Carrig and Alex Connor.

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