By ALEX VEIGA, AP Business Writer The average rate on a 30-year U. S. mortgage edged higher for the third week in a row, though it remains close to its low point this year. The average long-term mortgage rate ticked up to 6. 26% from 6. 24% last week, mortgage buyer Freddie Mac said Thursday. A year ago, the rate averaged 6. 84%. Three weeks ago, the average rate was at 6. 17%, its lowest level in more than a year. Borrowing costs on 15-year fixed-rate mortgages, popular with homeowners refinancing their home loans, also inched up this week. The rate averaged 5. 54%, up from 5. 49% last week. A year ago, it was 6. 02%, Freddie Mac said. When mortgage rates rise they reduce homebuyers’ purchasing power. The average rate on a 30-year mortgage has been stuck above 6% since September 2022, the year mortgage rates began climbing from historic lows. That’s helped kept sales of previously occupied U. S. homes stuck at around a 4-million annual pace going back to 2023. Historically, sales have typically hovered around 5. 2 million a year. While sales have been sluggish this year, they received a boost this fall as mortgage rates eased, remaining below 6. 4% since early September. Last month, they accelerated to their fastest pace since February. Mortgage rates are influenced by several factors, from the Federal Reserve’s interest rate policy decisions to bond market investors’ expectations for the economy and inflation. They generally follow the trajectory of the 10-year Treasury yield, which lenders use as a guide to pricing home loans. The 10-year yield was at 4. 10% at midday Thursday. That’s down slightly from from a week ago, but up from around 3. 95% on Oct. 22. Mortgage rates began declining this summer ahead of the Federal Reserve’s decision in September to cut its main interest rate for the first time in a year amid signs the labor market was slowing. The Fed lowered its key interest rate again last month, although Fed Chair Jerome Powell cautioned that further rate cuts weren’t guaranteed. Wall Street traders have reduced their bets that the Fed will cut its main interest rate at its next meeting in December, now giving it a roughly 44% probability, according to data from CME Group. That’s down from nearly 70% a couple of weeks ago, but better than the 30% chance before the release Thursday of the delayed September jobs report. The central bank doesn’t set mortgage rates, and even when it cuts its short-term rates that doesn’t necessarily mean rates on home loans will necessarily decline.
https://www.dailydemocrat.com/2025/11/20/mortgage-rates-nov-20/
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Glenn Close Is Unrecognizable in Sunrise on the Reaping Teaser Trailer
This book is a prequel to The Hunger Games and takes place 24 years prior to when readers first met Katniss Everdeen. The story opens on the morning of the reaping (the event where tributes from each district are chosen to compete) of the 50th Hunger Games (a. k. a. the Second Quarter Quell). “As the day dawns on the fiftieth annual Hunger Games, fear grips the districts of Panem,” the description on author Suzanne Collins’ website reads. “This year, in honor of the Quarter Quell, twice as many tributes will be taken from their homes. Back in District 12, Haymitch Abernathy is trying not to think too hard about his chances. All he cares about is making it through the day and being with the girl he loves.” Gracing the screen as fellow District 12 tribute Maysilee Donner is Mckenna Grace. Fans have watched the actress grow up onscreen through her appearances on the Disney sitcom Crash & Bernstein, the soap opera The Young and the Restless and the film Gifted (her performance earning her a Critics Choice Award). Also among her lengthy list of credits are movies like I, Tonya, Ghostbusters: Afterlife, Annabelle Comes Homes and The Bad Seed. Mckenna has also acted on TV shows like The Haunting of Hill House and The Handmaid’s Tale (receiving an Emmy nod for the latter). While the late Philip Seymour Hoffman played Plutarch Heavensbee in The Hunger Games: Catching Fire as well as in parts one and two of Mockingjay, Jesse Plemons is taking on the role of the future Head Gamemaker and rebellion leader for this movie. And the actor isn’t playing games when it comes to his performances. Throughout his career, Jesse has earned an Oscar nomination for his role in The Power of the Dog as well as Emmy nods for his parts in Love & Death, Black Mirror and Fargo, where he met his longtime love Kirsten Dunst. His other credits include Killers of the Flower Moon, The Irishman, Battleship and Breaking Bad. Kelvin Harrison Jr. is taking on the part of Beetee, who’s not only the winner of the 34th Hunger Games but also the father of 50th Games tribute Ampert Latier. In previous Hunger Games movies, Jeffrey Wright performed the role. While fans have certainly seen Kelvin in movies and TV shows-such as Genius, Chevalier, Waves, Luce and It Comes at Night to name a few-they’ve also heard his voiceover work in animated films like Mufasa: The Lion King. Once you hear Maya Hawke is playing Wiress (a former Hunger Games winner, now District 12 mentor, played by Amanda Plummer in Catching Fire), you might get so excited you’ll feel like your world is turned upside down. The actress-who’s following in the famous footsteps of her parents Uma Thurman and Ethan Hawke-has previously played Jo March in the TV adaptation of Little Women, Eleanor in Do Revenge, Anxiety in Inside Out 2 and, of course, Robin in Stranger Things. Originally played by the late Lynn Cohen in Catching Fire, the part of former-Hunger-Games-victor-turned-District-12-mentor Mags is now being portrayed by Lili Taylor. An Emmy nominee for her roles in American Crime and Six Feet Under, the actress has also appeared in The Conjuring, Mystic Pizza, Say Anything and I Shot Andy Warhol to name a few credits on a long list. Ralph Fiennes is ruling over Panem as its dictator President Snow, a role previously played by Tom Blyth in The Ballad of Songbirds & Snakes and the late Donald Sutherland in Catching Fire and both parts of Mockingjay. The actor is a three-time Oscar nominee-being recognized for his roles in Conclave, The English Patient and Schindler’s List-and a seven-time BAFTA contender, also receiving praise for his work in The Grand Budapest Hotel, Coriolanus, The Constant Gardener and The End Of The Affair. Plus, Ralph was up for an Emmy for his role in Bernard And Doris. The answer to who is playing Effie Trinket isn’t completely unknown. While Elizabeth Banks performed the part in previous Hunger Game movies, Elle Fanning is now stepping into the shoes of this character (who, in Sunrise on the Reaping, is a stylist for Haymitch Abernathy ahead of the 50th Games). First appearing on screen alongside sister Dakota Fanning in 2001’s I Am Sam, the actress has gone on to star in several more movies, including Maleficent, Somewhere, Super 8, The Beguiled and A Complete Unknown. On the TV side, Elle has acted in The Girl from Plainville as well as in The Great (earning an Emmy nomination for the latter). While Stanley Tucci portrayed Hunger Games host Caesar Flickerman in the previous films, the franchise has found his successor for the role in Kieran Culkin. After making his acting debut as a kid in brother Macaulay Culkin’s Home Alone, the actor went on to appear in movies like Father of the Bride, She’s All That and Igby Goes Down. And while Kieran took a break from the craft, he came back to star in movies and TV shows like Scott Pilgrim vs. the World, Infinity Baby, Succession and A Real Pain, which landed him his first Oscar. Glenn Close is taking on the mean-spirited energy of District 12 tributes’ escort Drusilla Sickle. Producer Nina Jacobs described Glenn as “a dream Drusilla” in a June 16 press release, adding, “She brings so much of her intellect and imagination to each role, creating characters who are unforgettable and iconic.” Prior to her recent casting, the actress has stunned in films like Fatal Attraction, The Wife, Guardians of the Galaxy and Hillbilly Elegy. Billy Porter slithered into the role of Magno Stift-Drusilla’s estranged husband and the District 12 tributes’ fashion designer-who often found inspiration for his looks in live reptiles. It was Billy’s award-winning role in Pose that struck Nina. (He earned Outstanding Lead Actor in a Drama Series for his role as Pray Tell in 2019.) “Billy is one of those rare performers who can dazzle and devastate in equal measure on stage and screen,” she shared in a June 16 press release. “He made an indelible impression on me when we worked together on Pose, both as an actor and a human being.” He has also starred in a number of projects, including American Horror Story, Cinderella and The Broken Hearts Club: A Romantic Comedy.
https://www.eonline.com/news/1425310/the-hunger-games-sunrise-on-the-reaping-teaser-trailer?cmpid=rss-syndicate-genericrss-us-top_stories
Wuthering Waves: Whispers of the Waves guide
Whispers of the Waves is a new photo-collection event in Wuthering Waves 2. 8. During the event, you must explore different areas of Honami, the Chronorift Metropolis, and take a few photographs based on the objective. Completing each task will reward you with 30 Astrites and other in-game items. Here’s a simple guide on how to complete the Whispers of the Waves photo-collection event in Wuthering Waves. Wuthering Waves: Whispers of the Waves photo-collection event guide How to start the event To unlock the event, you must first complete Chapter II Segue Flowing Starlight in the Iris main story quest and the Scale of Past Side Quest. Once that is done, talk to Namipon outside Shashou Cafe to start the Whispers of the Waves Side Quest. Follow the quest navigation and talk to the NPC named Eri. She will ask you to help her get photos of some locations in Honami. Photo I Take a photo of the gazebo fountain at Honami Crossing After talking to Eri, stand on the glowing spot nearby and activate the camera. Look at the gazebo fountain at Honami Crossing and take its photo to complete the first objective. You will get the following rewards: Astrite x30 Advanced Resonance Potion x4 Shell Credit x30000 Also read: Wuthering Waves 2. 8 Astrite count and total pull rewards leaked Photo II Take a photo of the giant Nomipon on the giant Cherry Blossom tree Talking to Eri again will take you to the next location. Head straight and stand at the photo-taking spot near the NPC. Focus on the giant Nomipon sitting on the swing attached to the Cherry Blossom tree and take its photo to get the following rewards: Astrite x30 Advanced Energy Core x4 Shell Credit x30000 Photo III Take a photo of Hanakage Underground Street Talk to Eri to go to the next location. Next, go straight and focus on the large tree to take a photo of Hanakage Underground Street. Completing the objective will give you the following rewards: Astrite x30 Advanced Sealed Tube x4 Shell Credit x30000 Also read: Wuthering Waves Summer Flower locations and farming guide Photo IV Take a photo of the wind chimes at the Summer Arbor Interact with Eri and go to Summer Arbor to take a photo of the wind chimes. This will complete the fourth objective, and you will get the following rewards: Astrite x30 Advanced Resonance Potion x4 Shell Credit x30000 Photo V Take a photo of the hydrangeas at the tennis court For the next photo, Eri will take you to a tennis court, where you’ll also find a few Tacet Discords. Defeat them and take a photo of the hydrangeas to complete the task. Here are the rewards for taking the photograph: Astrite x30 Advanced Energy Core x4 Shell Credit x30000 Photo VI Take a photo of the residential playground You must take a photo of the residential playground for the last objective. This will give you the following rewards: Astrite x30 Advanced Sealed Tube x4 Shell Credit x30000 Also read: Best teams for Chisa in Wuthering Waves Talk to Eri Interact with Eri one last time. This will trigger a short cutscene, and you’ll return to Shashou Cafe, which will also complete the Whispers of the Waves event in Wuthering Waves. Furthermore, you’ll get the Another Answer to Destruction trophy. Follow Sportskeeda for more Wuthering Waves updates and guides.
https://www.sportskeeda.com/esports/wuthering-waves-whispers-waves-guide
Denton Methodist Church to present classical
On Sunday, Nov. 23, at 7 p. m. Denton Faith United Methodist Church, along with musical director Christi Blahnik, will present an evening of classical music. The public is invited and there is no charge. Featured with be Charles Gounod’s “Petite Symphonie” and Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart’s “Serenade No. 12 in C Minor.” They will be performed by current and former students from the University of Michigan School of Music and Theatre. The Rev. Dr. Willie F. Smith, pastor of Denton Faith United Methodist church at 6020 Denton Rd., Van Buren Township, said all are welcome.
https://bellevilleareaindependent.com/denton-methodist-church-to-present-classical/
Why gardening mishaps are a (sometimes painful) part of the process
By Jessica Damiano | The Associated Press I’ll be the first to admit there have been a few frights in my garden over the years, starting with the English ivy and pea-gravel mulch I inherited when I moved into the house and ending with the mint I foolishly planted directly in the ground many years ago, when I didn’t realize it would still be around to haunt me today. Did I say “ending with?” Who am I kidding? I’m still causing all sorts of mayhem in my beds and borders. Recently, I had to hire a landscaper to remove the creeping Liriope I mistook for the clumping type. The poor guy toiled with a pickaxe for more than three hours. I’m just glad he didn’t come after me with it. In the process, I lost many of the weedy groundcover’s mature perennial and bulb neighbors, and it will be years before the new plantings mature and the border returns to its former abundant glory. Plenty of blame Some ghastly garden scenarios, like my mint mishap, are clearly our own fault, but the blame for others can fall squarely on outsiders, like the nurseries that mislabel plants or the squirrels that “plant” invasive species among our natives. Either way, the cleanup falls to us. Nobody knows this better than John and Mary Richardson of Port Jefferson Station, New York, who wrote to tell me about that one time they were advised to apply cayenne pepper around their vegetable plants to repel the critters that were wreaking havoc on their harvests. “We happily and liberally sprinkled it in every bed in the garden,” they told me, adding that they took care to repeat the application after every rainfall to ensure “the protection would continue.” Before long, the couple said, pepper plants were taking over all their vegetable and flower beds. “It had never occurred to us to use ground cayenne and not pepper flakes, which are seeds,” they admitted. Speaking of seeds reminds me of a tale recounted years ago by a reader who was perplexed by the weekly disappearances of tomatoes from his vines. After checking to assess the ripeness of one particularly plump heirloom beauty, he decided to hold off on harvesting for one more day, when he planned to enjoy a tomato-sandwich lunch. But when the salivating sower went out to pick it, that tomato, too, was nowhere to be found. It was lawn-mowing day, he said, and it didn’t take long for him to discover “the landscapers had tomato seeds in their teeth.” I also once heard from a desperate reader who was battling the running bamboo that had been planted by his next-door neighbor. The viciously invasive, iron-rooted plant had grown under the fence dividing their properties and was poking up through his swimming pool liner. I wonder if he had to move. ‘The ultimate rookie mistake’ Then there’s Alyssa Sirek from Granbury, Texas: “With years of horticulture experience, I made the ultimate rookie mistake,” she admitted. “I put a bird feeder directly over our freshly landscaped rockscape and forgot that bird seed is, in fact, seed. “Between the birds flinging seeds like confetti and a few solid Texas rainstorms, our clean rockscape transformed into accidental chaos,” she said. Committed to avoiding pesticides, Sirek spent hours “hand-pulling surprise sprouts, collecting ant bites, knee scrapes, and a bruised ego along the way.” Months later, she said, stray seedlings still pop up from time to time, particularly after storms. Hoping for a fun project to do with her kids, she ordered ladybug larvae by mail. “I released them onto my zucchini plants, later to find out they were actually squash beetles,” she said. “They decimated all of my plants.” And sometimes, it comes with the job. Alice Raimondo says she sees a lot of strange things working as a horticultural lab coordinator at the Cornell Cooperative Extension’s diagnostic clinic in Riverhead, New York, where homeowners bring diseased plants and creepy insects for identification. Once, a woman brought in a wreath she was making out of cones that she’d collected, Raimondo remembers. “She liked the way the cones looked, but after working with a few of them, (she noticed) they wriggled,” she said. “Turns out, they were bagworms,” destructive pests that wrap themselves in “bags” that they construct from leaves and other plant parts. The woman “was pretty grossed out,” Raimondo said. As these brave gardeners can attest, one simple mistake can turn into a gruesome cautionary tale. ___ Jessica Damiano writes weekly gardening columns for the AP and publishes the award-winning Weekly Dirt Newsletter.
https://www.sgvtribune.com/2025/11/20/from-errant-birdseed-to-mint-mishaps-gardening-can-be-as-scary-as-any-halloween-night/
Chula Vista aprueba una resolución sobre los procedimientos de control migratorio
El Ayuntamiento de Chula Vista votó el martes por la noche a favor de una resolución que reafirma el compromiso de la ciudad con el debido proceso, la seguridad pública y lo que las autoridades denominaron “responsabilidad vecinal”. La resolución ordena al administrador municipal implementar seis medidas, entre ellas, garantizar que las políticas municipales se ajusten a las leyes estatales y federales que protegen la privacidad personal y el debido proceso; desarrollar una campaña de educación pública multilingüe sobre “Conozca sus derechos”; y establecer procedimientos para la respuesta policial a las solicitudes de cumplimiento de las leyes federales de inmigración. La resolución también exige que los futuros contratos municipales prohíban la divulgación de datos personales en cooperación con acciones policiales discriminatorias y restringe el acceso a áreas no públicas de las instalaciones municipales para actividades policiales basadas en características personales protegidas, a menos que esté autorizado por ley, orden judicial o mandato judicial. El concejal César Fernández, quien presentó la resolución, afirmó que esta refuerza la legislación estatal vigente, en particular el Proyecto de Ley del Senado 54, y no impide la cooperación con las autoridades federales cuando se siguen los procedimientos legales adecuados. “Esta resolución reafirma que no toleraremos acciones policiales ilegales o no reguladas en nuestra ciudad”, declaró Fernández. “Deja claro que actuaremos con todo el rigor de nuestra autoridad, utilizando políticas sólidas e información precisa para proteger a los residentes de Chula Vista”. El concejal Michael Inzunza afirmó que la resolución busca garantizar que los residentes se sientan seguros al acceder a los servicios municipales. “No queremos que una mujer víctima de violencia doméstica tema llamar a la policía para que la proteja o salve su vida”, declaró Inzunza. La resolución también insta a la ciudad a explorar alianzas de financiamiento con organizaciones sin fines de lucro locales para brindar asistencia en situaciones de crisis, gestión de casos y servicios de asistencia legal. Actualmente, la ciudad tiene un contrato con la Sociedad de Asistencia Legal de San Diego para servicios relacionados con vivienda justa e inmigración. El alcalde John McCann se abstuvo de votar, alegando su cargo como oficial naval y un posible conflicto con la ley federal. Cuando Inzunza le preguntó si existía un conflicto, el abogado municipal Marco Verdugo declaró que “desconocía que el empleo del alcalde le impidiera votar”, pero añadió que, según el código municipal, una abstención sin justificación se registra como voto a favor. Original Story.
https://www.sandiegouniontribune.com/2025/11/20/chula-vista-aprueba-una-resolucion-sobre-los-procedimientos-de-control-migratorio/
‘Fallout,’ More ‘Mr. & Mrs. Smith’ & ‘Forever’ Among Latest California TV Tax Credits Winners As State Awards $313M To 17 Shows
Mr Smith went to Washington a long time ago, but Mr. & Mrs. Smith are finally coming to California now. Along with the third season of blockbuster Fallout, and a second season of Netflix’s Forever, the postponed second season of the Amazon spy couple series is among the 17 shows that have been awarded tax credits by the Golden State today. Estimating a return of $1. 2 billion into the state economy from wages, taxes and other expenditures, California handed out over $313 million in incentives to the nearly dozen and a half shows to pump up production in the home of Hollywood. This is the second round of small screen awards since Gavin Newsom made official the Film and TV program’s mega-expansion to $750 million annually earlier this year. Out of this latest round, which saw emails sent from the California Film Commission to most producers and studios on November 10, the Walton Goggins-led Fallout topped the list this round with a whooping $42 million allocation. “We are so grateful to the film crews, the state legislators, and everyone who took a stand to protect the creative economy and future of California,” Fallout chief Jonathan Nolan exclaimed today of the big incentive and the push to get production back in the state. Last year, the Lisa Joy EP’d Fallout pulled in $25 million in CA tax credits for its second season as the L. A.-set post-apocalyptic drama relocated from its first season filming in New York, New Jersey and Utah to the actual City of Angels. “We are incredibly proud to be shooting here and investing that money back into the place that gave so many of us our start, and that so many of us call home,” Nolan said of Fallout, which is now a recurring show in California with this Season 3 allocation. Speaking of home, classified as a much sought-after relocating series, Mr. & Mrs. Smith picked up $31. 9 million from the state. The Donald Glover and Francesca Sloane-created Smith joins the now revealed fourth season of The Night Agent I hear. We’ll get their names and more once they’re greenlit. Still, with some TBD in the mix, this latest round is setting out to check all the boxes and hit all the high notes Sacramento, the C-suites and most importantly the below-the-line crews seek. “When we make smart investments like our film tax credit, we’re keeping talent here at home, supporting good-paying union jobs, and strengthening an industry that defines the California brand,” Gov. Newsom noted Wednesday of the newest allotment in the jobs centric program. “I’m proud to see the return of Baywatch where it belongs on sunny California shores, creating jobs and fueling the very entertainment economy that sets this state apart,” the potential 2028 POTUS candidate noted of the red swimsuit show that received a 12-episode straight-to-series order from Fox in late September. For those of you who were busy at the beach, the Pamela Anderson, David Hasselhoff, and Brooke Burns- starring Baywatch started out in SoCal, but spent its last two seasons of 1999 2001 filming in Hawaii. The return to home base, so to speak, for the now Matt Nix EP’d Baywatch is emblematic of the state and industry’s larger goals, insists California Film Commission director Colleen Bell. “These new projects, represent more than creativity on a screen,” she told Deadline. “They represent jobs, opportunity and stability for people who make our industry work. With this past round California’s sending a clear signal. We’re investing in our workforce and reaffirming our commitment to keep production here where it belongs.” “In January, we will be opening up our program to new expanded categories, which include large scale competition shows and animation projects,” Obama-era U. S. Ambassador to Hungary Bell added. “That really shows a nimbleness on the part of California leadership to recognize and understand that there are shifts and changes taking place. “We don’t want to leave money on the table. We want to capture as much production as we possibly can here in California.” Application periods and deadlines for online applications for the next big screen and small screen allocations are expected to be announced by the CFC early in 2026.
https://deadline.com/2025/11/california-tax-credits-tv-2025-1236623893/
Lavender’s Landing boat ramp in Bokeelia to reopen earlier than expected
Lavender’s Landing Boat Ramp, located at 7290 Barrancas Ave., N. W., in Bokeelia, will reopen earlier than anticipated. The ramp will be open to the public starting at 7 a. m., Friday, Nov. 21. The reopening comes ahead of schedule as crews have reached a point in the ongoing parking and renovation project that allows safe public access. Work will continue in phases while maintaining access to the ramp whenever possible. Parking at Lavender’s Landing is $10 daily. The Lee County Parks & Recreation Annual Parking Pass is valid at this location. For more information about parking, visit www. leegov. com/parking. The project includes expanding parking capacity, improving lighting and renovating the first floor of the on-site office building. Construction is expected to be completed by spring 2026, weather permitting. For additional boat ramp locations and updates on this project, visit www. leeparks. org/boats. For more information about Lee County Parks & Recreation locations, volunteer opportunities, amenities or special events, visit www. leeparks. org, call 239-533-7275, or email leeparks@leegov. com. Residents and visitors can also explore more than 30 locations and earn rewards through Parks, Points & Perks, a free digital pass program available through May 2026. Learn more at www. visitfortmyers. com/ParksPass. To receive updates from Lee County Government, sign up for the newsletter at www. leegov. com/resources/newsletters. at www. facebook. com/leecountyflbocc.
https://www.pineisland-eagle.com/news/community-news/2025/11/lavenders-landing-boat-ramp-in-bokeelia-to-reopen-earlier-than-expected/
‘3I/ATLAS is a comet’: NASA finally releases new 3I/ATLAS images and addresses alien rumors
NASA has finally released a cache of previously unseen images of comet 3I/ATLAS, as the space agency stresses that the interstellar visitor is a natural object. Comet 3I/ATLAS has become a celestial celebrity since its discovery in July, in part because of endless speculation that it could be an alien spacecraft. While most astronomers are confident that the interstellar visitor is a natural comet from an unknown star system, NASA has been silent on the comet in recent weeks due to the U. S. government shutdown. The shutdown, which ran from Oct. 1 to Nov. 12, coincided with comet 3I/ATLAS flying behind the far side of the sun, reaching its closest point to the sun (perihelion) on Oct. 29 and entering its most active phase. NASA’s delay in releasing the new images during this period fueled conspiracy theories, with some speculating that the government agency had something to hide. When NASA hosted a Wednesday (Nov. 19) stream to present the highly anticipated images, it came out swinging. Soon after the conference began, NASA Associate Administrator Amit Kshatriya said he wanted to address what he described as “the rumors. This object is a comet,” Kshatriya said. “It looks and behaves like a comet. and all evidence points to it being a comet. But this one came from outside the solar system, which makes it fascinating, exciting and scientifically very important.” The comet’s natural origins shouldn’t detract from 3I/ATLAS’s story. This object is only the third interstellar comet ever recorded, potentially the oldest comet ever seen and the most massive of its kind, so there are plenty of non-alien reasons for it to be of interest to humanity. The new images were taken using a variety of different instruments, with the closest shots coming from NASA’s Mars Reconnaissance Orbiter. This spacecraft has been orbiting Mars since 2006, searching for signs of water on the Red Planet with its onboard High Resolution Imaging Science Experiment (HiRISE). The imager snapped comet 3I/ATLAS as it zoomed past Mars in early October. The Mars Atmosphere and Volatile Evolution (MAVEN) orbiter also captured ultraviolet images of comet 3I/ATLAS that will help researchers better understand the comet’s makeup, according to NASA. Elsewhere, sun-monitoring instruments like NASA’s Solar Terrestrial Relations Observatory (STEREO) and the asteroid-chasing Psyche and Lucy spacecraft caught additional new glimpses of comet 3I/ATLAS. The space agency noted that these observations will provide details on the comet’s tail. However, the images have only just been processed and are only now being studied, so findings from them thus far are limited. The interstellar interloper originated somewhere beyond our solar system. Researchers don’t know which star system it came from, but it could be billions of years old potentially more than 3 billion years older than our sun. While the comet’s age has yet to be confirmed, Tom Statler, lead scientist for solar system small bodies at NASA’s Planetary Science Division, said that because the comet is zooming along three times faster than the average rate at which stars in our cosmic neighborhood orbit the Milky Way’s center, it has likely been in interstellar space for a very long time. “We can’t say this for sure, but the likelihood is it came from a solar system older than our own solar system,” Statler said during the stream. “Which gives me goosebumps to think about frankly, because that means that 3I/ATLAS is not just a window into another solar system; it’s a window into the deep past, and so deep in the past that it predates even the formation of our Earth and our sun.”.
https://www.livescience.com/space/comets/3i-atlas-is-a-comet-nasa-finally-releases-new-3i-atlas-images-and-addresses-alien-rumors
National forests Christmas tree permits now available
EASTERN OREGON Christmas tree permits are now available to purchase at the offices of the Umatilla, Wallowa-Whitman and Malheur national forests, several businesses in Northeastern Oregon and online. To purchase a Christmas tree permit online, visit Recreation. gov and search for permits for the specific national forest. The Forest Service advised it is important to carefully read the overview and need-to-know information prior to purchasing the permit. Visitors also will need to set up or log in to a Recreation. gov account to complete the transaction. Permits are $5 per tree. Visitors may purchase up to five permits for trees on the Wallowa-Whitman and Malheur national forests, but the Umatilla National Forest allows only one purchase. There also is $2. 50 fee for permits purchased through Recreation. gov. For purchases in person, visit any national forest office or one of the local vendors for 2025 Christmas Tree Permits: Ace Hardwares in Boardman and Hermiston. Athena Convenience Store, Athena. Bi-Marts in Baker City, La Grande and Pendleton. Burnt River Market in Unity. D&B Supply in Baker City. Dale Store, Dale. Dollar Stretcher in Enterprise. Elgin Food Town, Elgin. The Gold Post in Sumpter. Halfway Market in Halfway. Hells Canyon NRA in Clarkston, Washington. Heppner Mobil, Heppner. Hitchin’ Post Grocery in Richland. Hometown Hardware in Union. Island City Market & Deli in Island City. J&D’s Food Mart, Pilot Rock. Rhode’s Supply, Ukiah. Smitty’s Outpost, Hermiston. Sports Corral in Joseph. Tollgate Crossing Store, Tollgate. Wallowa Food City in Wallowa. York’s in Baker City. Wallowa Food City in Wallowa. Zip Zone 2, Milton-Freewater. Fourth graders with an Every Kid Outdoors pass are eligible for a free Christmas tree permit and can apply by entering the pass or voucher number when purchasing a permit online. There is $2. 50 reservation fee. Cutting a Christmas tree also improves forest health, according to the Forest Service. The permit system helps thin densely populated stands of small-diameter trees. Local forest health experts identify areas that benefit from thinning trees that tend to be the perfect size for Christmas trees. Removing these trees in designated areas helps other trees grow larger and can open areas that provide forage for wildlife.
https://bluemountaineagle.com/2025/11/20/national-forests-christmas-tree-permits-now-available/