Early Plate Tectonics Was Surprisingly Speedy

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The U. S. government said Tuesday it has closed its investigation into an E. coli outbreak tied to McDonald’s Quarter Pounder hamburgers after determining there is no longer a safety risk. The outbreak, which was first reported Oct. 22, sickened at least 104 people in 14 states, including 34 who were hospitalized, according to the U.

There's nothing quite like a deep dive into the shallow, vomitous puddles of children's splash pads. Even toeing the edge is enough to have one longing for the unsettling warmth of a kiddie pool. But the brave souls at the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention have done it, wading into 25 years' worth of records on gastrointestinal outbreaks linked to the wellsprings of fecal pathogens.

An app outage that locked numerous rental car customers out of their vehicles is a reminder of the perils of completely relying on apps for basic functionality—especially when those apps have seemingly limited support resources. Zipcar is a car-sharing service that lets customers pay a membership fee to rent vehicles. Users use the Zipcar app to locate cars, unlock and lock them, share images of the vehicle (for proof that you didn't damage it), and report concerns.

The Chicago region’s largest residential broker is joining forces with the nation’s largest. New York-based Compass said Monday that it is acquiring Chicago-based @properties and Christie’s International Real Estate. Founded in 2000, @properties is the eighth largest residential brokerage in the U. S. by sales volume, and its logo is a common sight across Chicagoland and surrounding states.

La Grange has a new Comprehensive Plan after the village’s Board of Trustees approved the long-debated document late last month. Officials reached consensus after much discussion and public comment, including one sticking point about allowing three and four flat units in certain residential zones, classified R-6, which drew opposition from those concerned about density in La Grange’s East Side neighborhood. Many of the residents of the area have made it clear in previous meetings that they are not happy about the prospect of their neighborhood changing into something they don’t recognize. Current R-6 zoning allows only single family and duplex homes, although there are some three flat, non-conforming structures in the historic East Side Community. While there is R-6 zoning in other parts of La Grange, 62% of it is in the East Side district, while similarly zoned areas are scattered in areas of the village already loaded with apartment and condo buildings. During a November community meeting at the 2nd Baptist Church of La Grange, residents voted to urge village officials to not allow any three and four flats in R-6, but grandfather in the three flats already there. “Certainly we have a humanitarian feeling and we don’t want to evict, or have someone evicted from that process,” community activist Bessie Emerson Boyd told the board in discussion leading up to the Comprehensive Plan’s approval. Resident John Pluto told board members that perhaps elements of the new plan didn’t have to change from the old guidance. “I think it should be left just like it is.