Author: Freddie Lloyd

University of Maryland researchers studying how lithium batteries fail have developed a new technology that could enable next-generation electric vehicles (EVs) and other devices that are less prone to battery fires while increasing energy storage. The innovative method, presented in a paper published Wednesday in the journal Nature, suppresses the growth of lithium dendrites—damaging branch-like structures that develop inside so-called all-solid-state lithium batteries, preventing firms from broadly commercializing the promising technology. But this new design for a battery “interlayer,” led by Department of Chemical and Biomolecular Engineering Professor Chunsheng Wang, stops dendrite formation, and could open the door for production…

Most people don’t realize just how many hit songs that Phil Vassar has given country music. Not only did he top the charts with his own big hits, he also wrote tons for other famous artists. You can hear them all next week when Vassar plays The Birchmere in Alexandria, Virginia, on Friday, Oct. 20. “If you’ve never been to The Birchmere, it’s one of the greatest places to see a show,” Vassar told WTOP. “It’s a real listening room, but it’s so fun, it’s not like it’s calm, people have a blast. … It’s very up close and personal. … It’s…

Virginia’s smaller, more rural network of electric service providers is the latest group to test the waters of long-duration battery storage as it awaits an infusion of funds from the federal government. This fall, Old Dominion Electric Cooperative will receive major funding from the U.S. Department of Energy’s Office of Clean Energy Demonstrations to install a vanadium flow battery from Invinity Energy Systems on Smith Island in Maryland. Exactly how much ODEC will get remains to be seen — the office is putting $325 million toward 15 projects around the country, including the Smith Island battery, but specific amounts haven’t…

The United States Supreme Court is now considering a case that has many people worried about a return of predatory lending in Virginia. Back in 2020, the General Assembly passed the Fairness in Lending Act, which essentially kicked car title lenders and payday lenders out of Virginia. But, Jay Speer at the Virginia Poverty Law Center says predatory lenders are still out there, and Virginia needs the help of the federal Consumer Financial Protection Bureau to stop them. “The problem is that there are still some lenders, typically teaming up with banks from Utah and that sort of thing, on…

New legislation in New Hampshire will guarantee the right of nursing mothers to an unpaid break of 30 minutes to pump for every three hours of work, beginning on July 1, 2025. This new state law comes in the wake of the 2022 federal PUMP Act, which requires employers nationwide to provide employees with reasonable break time to express breast milk for one year after a child’s birth. Like the federal PUMP Act, the New Hampshire law will also require employers to provide nursing employees with appropriate spaces in the workplace for a period of one year following the birth…

Copenhagen (17/08 – 78) Kidnapping, intimidation, and blackmail are just some of the means used to hit enlistment quotas in Tajikistan. When conscription season comes around in Tajikistan, military recruiters begin resorting to desperate measures. Scooping young men off the streets in actions tantamount to kidnapping is standard. But that is just for starters. To pressure communities into giving up their sons, recruiters will disconnect the electricity, detain relatives, and shut down mosques. Eligible levees draw lots to decide who will be the one to hand themselves over. The hunting season for men of draft age, which applies to people…

New Jersey is the first state to require climate change be taught across the curriculum, not just in science What it is: The state Department of Environmental Protection shared a resource to help teachers incorporate climate-change into their classes. The document provides background on the subject and makes it possible to meet the state’s new standards for addressing the issue at all grade levels. What it says: The guide focuses on what scientists have already learned about climate change; for example, that greenhouse gas emissions are leading to rising global temperatures. It also describes how climate change affects New Jersey residents, focusing on health,…

The Virginia General Assembly has taken a major step toward joining two area universities together. On Thursday, lawmakers allocated funds to support the integration of Old Dominion University and Eastern Virginia Medical School in its amended budget approved by Gov. Glenn Youngkin. “We could not be more pleased with this most recent development and continued progress. We are especially grateful to Chairman Barry Knight and Sen. Louise Lucas for their advocacy and leadership throughout this process, as well as the support of all members of the General Assembly,” said ODU president Brian Hemphill in a statement. “In addition to the…

Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina has reached New York to attend the 78th session of the United Nations General Assembly (UNGA). The premier and her entourage flew by a regular flight of British Airways to land at the JKF International Airport, New York at 8:42am (Bangladesh time) on Monday. Bangladesh Ambassador and Permanent Representative to the UN Muhammad Abdul Muhith and Bangladesh Ambassador to the US Muhammad Imran greeted the prime minister at the airport. During her stay in New York from Sunday to Friday, the premier will attend the first day of the high-level General Debate of the 78th UNGA…

A second prominent Democrat has entered the primary for North Carolina governor in 2024. Michael Morgan, a former state Supreme Court justice who stepped down early from the high court last week, announced his campaign Tuesday. He is challenging Attorney General Josh Stein to become Gov. Roy Cooper’s successor after the Democratic governor reaches the end of his term limit next year. Cooper, who hired Stein to lead his consumer protection division when he was the attorney general, formally endorsed him as a successor after months of publicly praising his work as the state’s chief prosecutor. But Morgan was not…