PACIFIC

— Killer whales are typically seen in the Pacific, but a fisherman said he spotted an orca off the coast of Cape Cod this weekend. Spotted by Skipper Asher… an orca whale off Cape Cod! Not something you see every day while out scalloping… Posted by New England Fishmongers on Monday, May 16, 2022While it is rare to see killer whales in the Atlantic near Cape Cod, it’s not unheard of, Boston 25 News reported. Video recorded by Got Stryper Charters based in Chatham, Massachusetts, also captured an orca on video near Cape Cod in 2019. According to the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, killer whales live in all oceans but are most abundant in cold water near Antarctica, Norway and Alaska.

The storms, from left, are Hurricane Sally over the Gulf of Mexico, Hurricane Paulette over Bermuda, the remnants of Tropical Storm Rene, and Tropical Storms Teddy and Vicky. (NOAA via AP) (Uncredited)Cleaner air in United States and Europe is brewing more Atlantic hurricanes, a new U.S. government study found. The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration study links changes in regionalized air pollution across the globe to storm activity going both up and down. Cleaner air in the Atlantic and dirtier air in the Pacific, from pollution in China and India, mess with both of those, Murakami said. In the Atlantic, aerosol pollution peaked around 1980 and has been dropping steadily since.

A new study links how many hurricanes form worldwide to air pollution levels.

Australia’s prime minister said on Monday he was aware of China’s ambitions in the southwest Pacific after a newspaper reported plans by Beijing to build wharves, shipyards and underwater cables in the Solomon Islands. The Australian newspaper published a leaked four-page draft maritime cooperation agreement between China and the Solomon Islands dated this year.

It will be visible in parts of the Americas, Antarctica, Europe, Africa, the east Pacific, New Zealand, eastern Europe and the Middle East.

The rare partial solar eclipse stunned skywatchers on Apirl 30. Here's a look at their images.

Australia Politics Australian shadow foreign affairs minister Penny Wong speaks to media in Darwin, Australia, Tuesday, April 26, 2022. Australia's opposition party promises to establish a Pacific defense school to train neighboring armies in response to China's potential military presence on the Solomon Islands. (George Fragopoulos/AAP Image via AP) (George Fragopoulos)CANBERRA, Australia — (AP) — Australia’s opposition party promised Tuesday to establish a Pacific defense school to train neighboring armies in response to China’s potential military presence on the Solomon Islands. Labor has criticized Prime Minister Scott Morrison's conservative government over a security pact announced last week between China and the Solomon Islands. “That has occurred on Mr. Morrison’s watch.”The Australia-Pacific Defense School would deepen institutional links between the Australian Defense Force and its regional counterparts while supporting the region’s needs, a policy statement said.

The announcement comes amid concerns that other Pacific island countries financially weakened by the pandemic and its impact on tourism could be lured by China into similar deals.

Australia’s opposition party has promised to establish a Pacific defense school to train neighboring armies in response to China’s potential military presence on the Solomon Islands.

Washington's new initiative will replace logging income with revenue generated by carbon offset, benefiting the planet and those that need the money.

Washington's new initiative will replace logging income with revenue generated by carbon offset, benefiting the planet and those that need the money.

MEXICO CITY — (AP) — The Pacific coast of Nicaragua was rattled by a 6.7-magnitude earthquake early Wednesday. But the country’s national disaster prevention agency did not immediately report any damages or deaths. The U.S. Geological Survey said the quake occurred about 36 miles (58 kilometers) west south-west of the coastal town of Masachapa, which itself is located southwest of the capital, Managua. The quake hit Wednesday at around 1:42 a.m. local time (7:42 am UTC). Vice President Rosario Murillo said the quake was felt along the coast, and officials were monitoring for any reports of damage.

The move comes after the Solomons and China initialed a draft agreement of a security pact last month, with the Solomons saying they would sign a final version soon. “Despite the Solomon Islands government’s comments, the broad nature of the security agreement leaves open the door for the deployment of P.R.C. (People’s Republic of China) military forces to the Solomon Islands,” Price said. The U.S. trip comes after a visit to the Solomons last week by Australian Sen. Zed Seselja, the minister for international development and the Pacific. Seselja said he met with Solomon Islands Prime Minister Manasseh Sogavare and asked him to abandon the Chinese agreement.

The U.S. is sending two top officials to the Solomon Islands following a visit by an Australian senator over concerns that China could establish a military presence in the South Pacific island nation.

Concerns are growing that trans-Pacific trade from China could be derailed again, further complicating the global supply chain.

Concerns are growing that trans-Pacific trade from China could be derailed again, further complicating the global supply chain.

Australia Solomon FILE - A display case of photos is seen outside the Chinese Embassy in Honiara, Solomon Islands, April 2, 2022. The Solomon Islands government have said a draft was initialed two weeks ago and that it would be "cleaned up" and finalized soon. Morrison said Australia was respectfully and directly communicating with the Solomon Islands on the Chinese security deal. “The suggestion that somehow, some seem to be making, that the Solomon Islands is somehow under the control of Australia I think is offensive to the Solomon Islands,” Morrison said. Opposition spokeswoman on foreign affairs Penny Wong said the Australian government had failed on the Solomon Islands.

Australia and the United States are stepping up diplomatic outreach to the Solomon Islands after China signed a security deal with the South Pacific island nation that could lead to Beijing establishing a military presence there.

The first solar eclipse of 2022 is less than a month away, occurring on April 30 across parts of Antarctica, the southern tip of South America and the Pacific and Atlantic Oceans.

The first solar eclipse of 2022 is less than a month away, occurring on April 30 across parts of Antarctica, the southern tip of South America and the Pacific and Atlantic Oceans.

Video posted on social media showed people running down the beach as gunshots rang out as others took cover behind tables or chairs.

At least three people were killed in a shooting and subsequent confrontation with police Saturday at a beachside restaurant in Mexico’s Pacific coast resort of Acapulco. The prosecutor’s office in Guerrero state, where Acapulco is located, said two gunmen approached and killed two men at a beachside restaurant. Beachside shootings have occurred before in Acapulco, which has been plagued by gang violence since 2006.

A 29-year-old woman tested positive for the coronavirus on Thursday during routine testing before boarding an international flight.

A magnitude 7.3 earthquake was reported 41 miles from Namie, Japan. The epicenter was further than 100 miles from any city.

Two people die as flash-flooding inundates roads and homes in Australia's most populous city.

NASA has awarded a nearly $3.5 billion contract to SpaceX to provide three additional Crew Dragon launches to the International Space Station.

The Australian Defense Department says a Chinese navy ship fired a laser at one of its surveillance aircraft, putting the lives of the crew in danger

White House national security adviser Jake Sullivan says the U.S. has seen a "dramatic acceleration of the build-up of Russian forces, and the disposition of those forces in such a way that they could launch a military action essentially at any time."

Tsunamis are a disaster upon a disaster upon a disaster. So why do we still know so little about them?

President Biden announced his intention Monday to appoint John "Jack" McCain, son of the late U.S. Sen. John McCain (R-Ariz.) to serve on the Board of Visitors to the U.S. Naval Academy.What he's saying: "I am incredibly honored and, suffice to say, deeply humbled, to have been asked to serve on the Naval Academy Board of Visitors," tweeted McCain," the reserve naval aviator for Helicopter Sea Combat Squadron 85 and graduate of the Naval Academy.Get market news worthy of your time with Axios Mar

MEXICO CITY — (AP) — Nicaragua said Monday it has lodged a diplomatic protest over an alleged incursion by naval boats from El Salvador in its waters in the Pacific. The Nicaraguan government news site El 19 Digital said Monday that Nicaragua protested what it called a violation of its sovereignty. The alleged incursion occurred in the Gulf of Fonseca, which is shared by Nicaragua, Honduras and El Salvador. In October, Nicaragua and neighboring Honduras agreed to mark their territorial limits in the Gulf of Fonseca, but El Salvador did not join the agreement. Honduras has been disputing ownership of the tiny island of Conejo in the Gulf with El Salvador.

Since the volcanic eruption and tsunami, foreign aid has come into the country – and virus has managed its way in too.

Tonga Volcano Eruption In this photo provided by the Australian Defence Force, la loader is used to move aid supplies at the port at Nuku'alofa, Tonga, Thursday, Jan. 27, 2022, after HMAS Adelaide carried in the disaster relief and humanitarian aid supplies. The volcanic eruption and tsunami last month, tainted drinking water, severed communications and left dozens homeless. Three people died in Tonga and two in Peru after the tsunami crossed the ocean. But the threat was underscored when dozens of sailors aboard the Australian aid ship HMAS Adelaide reported infections after an outbreak. News site Matangi Tonga reported that the positive test results came after officials tested 50 front-line workers at the port.

Tonga will enter a lockdown Wednesday evening after finding coronavirus infections in two port workers helping distribute aid arriving in the Pacific nation after a volcanic eruption and tsunami.

Virus Outbreak Pacific FILE - In this March 30, 2004, file photo, Tarawa atoll, Kiribati, is seen in an aerial view. Kiribati and several other small Pacific nations were among the last places on the planet to have avoided any virus outbreaks, thanks to their remote locations and strict border controls. And like many other Pacific nations, Kiribati offers only basic health services. Before this month’s outbreak, Kiribati had reported just two virus cases: crew members on an incoming cargo ship that ultimately wasn’t permitted to dock. But the Kiribati charter flight wasn’t the first time missionaries returning home to a Pacific island nation tested positive for COVID-19.

Kiribati and several other small Pacific nations were among the last on the planet to have avoided any virus outbreaks, thanks to their remote locations and strict border controls.

Tonga Volcano Eruption In this photo released by the Tonga Red Cross Society, Red Cross teams set up a temporary shelter in Sopu, Nukualofa, Saturday, Jan. 22, 2022, as the Tonga island group grapples with the aftermath from the recent underwater volcanic eruption. (Tonga Red Cross Society via AP) (Uncredited)CANBERRA, Australia — (AP) — Aid flights from Australia, Japan and New Zealand carrying food, water, medical supplies and telecommunications equipment landed in Tonga over the weekend, as the Pacific nation grapples with the aftermath of an underwater volcanic eruption and tsunami. The main airport runway has been cleared of ash spewed when the nearby Hunga Tonga Hunga Ha’apai volcano erupted a week ago. A lack of clean water was a priority because supplies have been disrupted by layers of volcanic ash and salt water. On Saturday, the Japanese government said a Self-Defense Forces C-130 aircraft arrived in Tonga with three tons of drinking water.

(Satellite image ©2022 Maxar Technologies via AP) (Uncredited)CANBERRA, Australia — (AP) — Three flights from Australia carrying food, water, medical supplies and telecommunications equipment landed in Tonga on Saturday, as the Pacific nation grapples with the aftermath of an underwater volcanic eruption and tsunami. The first such aid arrived Thursday, after the main airport runway was cleared of ash spewed when the nearby Hunga Tonga Hunga Ha’apai volcano erupted a week ago. A lack of clean water was a priority because supplies have been disrupted by layers of volcanic ash and salt water. Also Saturday, the Japanese government said a Self-Defense Forces C-130 aircraft arrived in Tonga with three tons of drinking water. The tsunami severed the single fiber-optic cable that connects Tonga to the rest of the world, leaving many unable to connect with loved ones abroad.

(Satellite image ©2022 Maxar Technologies via AP) (Uncredited)CANBERRA, Australia — (AP) — Three flights from Australia carrying food, water, medical supplies and telecommunications equipment landed in Tonga on Saturday, as the Pacific nation grapples with the aftermath of an underwater volcanic eruption and tsunami. The first such aid arrived Thursday, after the main airport runway was cleared of ash spewed when the nearby Hunga Tonga Hunga Ha’apai volcano erupted a week ago. A lack of clean water was a priority because supplies have been disrupted by layers of volcanic ash and salt water. Also Saturday, the Japanese government said a Self-Defense Forces C-130 aircraft arrived in Tonga with three tons of drinking water. The tsunami severed the single fiber-optic cable that connects Tonga to the rest of the world, leaving many unable to connect with loved ones abroad.

Aid flights from Australia, Japan and New Zealand carrying food, water, medical supplies and telecommunications equipment landed in Tonga over the weekend, as the Pacific nation grapples with the aftermath of an underwater volcanic eruption and tsunami.

City officials said more than 7,000 miles from the volcanic eruption near the island of Tonga in the Pacific Ocean Jan.15, Cape Canaveral’s weather stations picked up readings related to the eruption that day.

Fresh water, temporary shelter kits and other aid is finally reaching the Pacific nation after Saturday's underwater eruption.

Tonga Volcano Eruption This photo provided by Broadcom Broadcasting shows a damaged area in Nuku'alofa, Tonga, Thursday, Jan. 20, 2022, following Saturday's volcanic eruption near the Pacific archipelago. New Zealand and Australia each sent military transport planes that were carrying water containers, kits for temporary shelters, generators, hygiene supplies and communications equipment. The deliveries were dropped off without the military personnel coming in contact with people at the airport in Tonga. Communications with Tonga remain limited after Saturday's eruption and tsunami appeared to have broken the single fiber-optic cable that connects Tonga with the rest of the world. Another New Zealand navy ship carrying 250,000 liters (66,000 gallons) of water is on its way.

Following a massive volcanic explosion and tsunami, much of the island nation of Tonga is left devastated, with the first humanitarian flights arriving on Tonga five days after the dual disaster cut the Pacific kingdom off from the rest of the world.

Tonga Volcano Eruption In this photo provided by Broadcom Broadcasting, people clear debris off the street in Nuku’alofa, Tonga, Thursday, Jan. 20, 2022, following Saturday's volcanic eruption near the Pacific archipelago. “It was absolutely crazy,” said Koniseti Liutai, a Tongan who lives in Australia. As the ash cleared, satellite communication improved and Tonga's telecoms operator, Digicel, said it had been able to restore international call services to some areas late Wednesday. Given that the cable runs right through the volcanic zone, any new volcanic activity could completely scupper even that timeline. “It's something we've become so used to, talking to each other and sharing information with the ease of social media,” the 52-year-old said.

As the massive undersea Hunga Tonga Hunga Ha’apai volcano erupted on Saturday, Tongans from around the world gazed on as their relatives livestreamed images of the billowing clouds of ash, gas and steam emerged from beneath the depths.

Humanitarian aid began to reach the disaster-struck Pacific nation after residents swept volcanic ash off the main airport by hand.

Tonga Volcano Eruption In this photo provided by Broadcom Broadcasting, people clear ash off a damaged area in Nuku’alofa, Tonga, Thursday, Jan. 20, 2022, following Saturday's volcanic eruption near the Pacific archipelago. The first flight carrying fresh water and other aid to Tonga was finally able to leave Thursday after the Pacific nation's main airport runway was cleared of ash left by the eruption. (Marian Kupu/Broadcom Broadcasting via AP) (Marian Kupu)WELLINGTON, New Zealand — (AP) — The first flights carrying fresh water and other aid to Tonga were finally able to leave Thursday after the Pacific nation's main airport runway was cleared of ash left by a huge volcanic eruption. A C-130 Hercules military transport plane left New Zealand carrying water containers, kits for temporary shelters, generators, hygiene supplies and communications equipment, New Zealand's Foreign Minister Nanaia Mahuta said. Another New Zealand navy ship carrying 250,000 liters (66,000 gallons) of water is on its way.

The first flights carrying fresh water and other aid to Tonga finally arrived after the Pacific nation’s main airport runway was cleared of ash left by a huge volcanic eruption.

Many wondered why the blast was so big, how the resulting tsunami traveled so far, and what will happen next. The plume rose into the air more than 30 kilometers (19 miles) but the eruption lasted only about 10 minutes, unlike some big eruptions that can continue for hours. TONGA MAINLY SPAREDAnother mystery is why the tsunami wasn't bigger and more destructive in Tonga, which sits almost on top of the volcano. New Zealand and other nations are trying to get water and other supplies to Tonga as quickly as possible. But in the case of the Tonga eruption, initial satellite measurements indicated the amount of sulfur dioxide released would only have a tiny effect of perhaps 0.01 degree Celsius (0.02 Fahrenheit) global average cooling, said Alan Robock, a professor at Rutgers University.

The eruption of the undersea volcano near Tonga over the weekend was incredibly explosive but also relatively brief.

Videos captured by Tongan geologists show a huge ash cloud rising over the island nation during a powerful volcanic eruption that caused a tsunami in the Pacific.

APTOPIX Peru Oil Spill Tonga Oil pollutes Cavero beach in Ventanilla, Callao, Peru, Tuesday, Jan. 18, 2022, after high waves attributed to the eruption of an undersea volcano in Tonga caused an oil spill. (AP Photo/Martin Mejia) (Martin Mejia)LIMA, Peru — (AP) — An oil spill on the Peruvian coast caused by the waves from an eruption of an undersea volcano in the South Pacific nation of Tonga prompted dozens of fishermen to protest Tuesday outside the South American country’s main oil refinery. Peru's environment minister, Rubén Ramírez, told reporters that authorities estimate 6,000 barrels of oil were spilled in the area rich in marine biodiversity. “There is a massacre of all the hydrobiological biodiversity,” said Roberto Espinoza, leader of the local fishermen. Repsol in a statement Sunday said the spill occurred “due to the violence of the waves.”The eruption caused waves that crossed the Pacific.

APTOPIX Peru Oil Spill Tonga Oil pollutes Cavero beach in Ventanilla, Callao, Peru, Tuesday, Jan. 18, 2022, after high waves attributed to the eruption of an undersea volcano in Tonga caused an oil spill. (AP Photo/Martin Mejia) (Martin Mejia)LIMA, Peru — (AP) — An oil spill on the Peruvian coast caused by the waves from an eruption of an undersea volcano in the South Pacific nation of Tonga prompted dozens of fishermen to protest Tuesday outside the South American country’s main oil refinery. The oil spill in Peru, in an area rich in marine biodiversity, is the only known to have occurred in the entire Pacific basin after Saturday’s eruption. “There is a massacre of all the hydrobiological biodiversity,” said Roberto Espinoza, leader of the local fishermen. Repsol in a statement Sunday said the spill occurred “due to the violence of the waves.”The eruption caused waves that crossed the Pacific.

An oil spill on the Peruvian coast caused by the waves from an eruption of an undersea volcano in the South Pacific nation of Tonga has prompted dozens of fishermen to protest outside the South American country’s main oil refinery.

Just as omicron made supply issues worse, customers got back to panic buying and stocking up on baking supplies.

"The ash is proving quite problematic, not just for water and sanitation... but in terms of access for aid from Australians and New Zealand and other flights," says the speaker of the Tongan Legislative Assembly, Fatafehi Fakafanua, as he gives an update on the situation in the Pacific island following Saturday's volcanic eruption. Tonga has been virtually cut off from the rest of the world the weekend, when a volcano exploded on the island and deposited ash, gas and acid rain across a large area of the Pacific.

A volcano that exploded on the Pacific island nation of Tonga has almost disappeared from view, new images revealed Tuesday, with swathes of the island nation smothered in grey ash and dust or damaged by a tsunami. VIDEOGRAPHIC

Tonga Volcano Eruption In this photo provided by the New Zealand Defense Force, volcanic ash covers roof tops and vegetation in an area of Tonga, Monday, Jan. 17, 2022. Thick ash on an airport runway was delaying aid deliveries to the Pacific island nation of Tonga, where significant damage was being reported days after a huge undersea volcanic eruption and tsunami. New Zealand's military is sending much-needed drinking water and other supplies, but said the ash on the runway will delay the flight at least a day. Communications with Tonga have been extremely limited, but New Zealand and Australia sent military surveillance flights to assess the damage on Monday. New Zealand’s military said it hoped the airfield in Tonga would be opened either Wednesday or Thursday.

Angela Glover, who ran an animal rescue center, died after being swept away by a wave, her brother said.

Videos captured by Tongan geologists show a huge ash cloud rising over the island nation during a powerful volcanic eruption that caused a tsunami in the Pacific.

Wicked weather brings snow, ice, tornadoes to the Southeast.

The tsunami threat around the Pacific from a huge undersea volcanic eruption has begun to recede, while the extent of damage to Tonga remains unclear.

Two separate systems are pounding the northernmost and southernmost states of the U.S.

COVID-19 travel restrictions will cut the representatives of Pacific island nations attending U.N. climate talks that begin this weekend in Scotland.

A compact Hurricane Rick has roared ashore along Mexico’s southern Pacific coast with 105 mph (165 kph) winds and heavy rain amid warnings of potential flash floods in the coastal mountains.

Data shows a massive cargo ship that was supposed to be at anchor repeatedly crossed over an undersea oil pipeline during a January storm.

The Atlantic is nice and quiet as we venture through the middle of October, but that could change in the final week or so of the month.

Tropical depression Pamela has dissipated in northern Mexico after slamming into the country’s Pacific coast as a hurricane, though forecasters warn that its rainy remnants still pose a flooding threat to parts of Texas and Oklahoma.

Taiwan officials say the island has applied to join an 11-nation Pacific trade group.

Hurricane Olaf has slipped back to tropical storm force after slamming into the Los Cabos resorts at the tip of Mexico’s Baja California Peninsula with 100 mph winds and then drenching the region with torrential rains.

Hurricane Olaf is closing in for a strike on the Los Cabos resort region at the tip of Mexico’s Baja California peninsula.

New Zealand’s Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern has formally apologized for a racially charged part of the nation’s history, known as the Dawn Raids.

The Russian prime minister on Monday visited the Pacific islands claimed by Japan and said the government is considering setting up a special economic zone there.

Several countries around Asia and the Pacific that are experiencing their first major surges of the coronavirus have rushed to implement tough restrictions.

New Zealand’s government is formally apologizing for an immigration crackdown nearly 50 years ago in which Pacific people were targeted for deportation, often after early-morning home raids.

The International Federation of the Red Cross says coronavirus cases are exploding in Asia with over 5.9 million new confirmed infections over the past two weeks.

2 Baylor remained atop Monday's latest AP Top 25, where they have been for all 13 polls this season. 8 in the AP poll to pull closer to the committee's seeding of seventh overall shortly before the Crimson Tide scored 115 points in a win over against Georgia. THE TOP TIERCoach Mark Few’s Bulldogs received 59 of 64 first-place votes in the new AP Top 25, while Scott Drew’s Bears claimed the other five. The Jayhawks fell out of last week’s poll for the first time in 12 years. Kansas was one of three new additions to this week’s poll, joined by No.

(AP Photo/Rich Pedroncelli, File)Gonzaga and Baylor have played like the nation's best teams all year. The committee that will ultimately select the field of 68 for the NCAA Tournament sees it that way, too. 1 overall seed followed by the Bears in rankings released Saturday by the NCAA Division I Men's Basketball Committee. “There's two teams that have been amazing all year.”Third-ranked Michigan and fourth-ranked Ohio State followed as the other two No. NCAA senior vice president of basketball Dan Gavitt said the NCAA is requiring seven consecutive days of COVID-19 testing for teams before arriving for the tournament, as well as daily testing throughout their stay.

A study released on Thursday, Jan, 28, 2021, finds that tropical cyclones around the globe are getting closer to land than they used to, except for Atlantic hurricanes. (NASA/NOAA via AP)Tropical cyclones across the globe, except Atlantic hurricanes, are moving closer to land in recent decades, a new study found. Also called typhoons, tropical cyclones generally have been moving westward by about 18 miles per decade (30 kilometers) since 1982, putting them closer to land and making them more dangerous, a study in Thursday’s journal Science said. Storms that form just west of land, such as in the Pacific off the California and Mexican coasts, are usually moving away from land already, so this shift doesn’t spare more land. All these strange shifts are taking cyclones out of their preferred environment of warm tropical waters away from land, University of Miami hurricane researcher Brian McNoldy said.

Gonzaga forward Drew Timme celebrates after scoring a basket during the first half of the team's NCAA college basketball game against Pacific in Spokane, Wash., Saturday, Jan. 23, 2021. (AP Photo/Young Kwak)Gonzaga, Baylor and Villanova remained atop The Associated Press men's college basketball poll Monday, while ninth-ranked Alabama climbed to its highest ranking in 14 years. Villanova remained third followed by Michigan, with the Wolverines cracking the top five for a second straight season under Juwan Howard after being unranked earlier in the year. 18 Tennessee took the week's biggest tumble, falling 12 spots after losses to Florida and Missouri. ___More AP college basketball: http://apnews.com/hub/college-basketball and http://www.twitter.com/AP_Top25___Follow Aaron Beard on Twitter at http://www.twitter.com/aaronbeardap

FILE - In this Nov. 5, 2019, file photo, former Maricopa County Assessor Paul Petersen, right, walks with his attorney, Kurt Altman, as they leave a court hearing in Phoenix. Marshall Islands citizens have been prohibited from traveling to the U.S. for adoption purposes since 2003. Petersen will serve his sentence in the Arkansas case at a federal prison near El Paso, Texas. He quit his elected job as Maricopa County’s assessor last year amid pressure from other county officials to resign. As assessor, Petersen was responsible for determining property values in the county that encompasses Phoenix.

With a food crisis looming, many governments have begun community initiatives to help alleviate shortages: extending fishing seasons, expanding indigenous food gathering lessons and bolstering seed distribution programs that allow residents greater self-reliance. The project provides residents with vegetable seeds, saplings and basic farming equipment to help them grow their own home gardens. In Fiji, the government extended fishing season of coral trout and grouper that could be sold for income or used as food. “When I used to work, I used to buy whatever I wanted to eat when I’d go to the supermarket,” he said. “Now I save money on food, know where my food is coming from and just feel more secure about having food,” she said.

Oregon State lost its lone game last week, falling to Washington State and dropping out of the poll from No. 1 for the third consecutive week. Louisville, UConn, North Carolina State and South Carolina followed the Cardinal again in the poll. Michigan State replaced Oregon State in the poll, coming in at No. South Carolina (157), Mississippi State (120) and Louisville (93) are the only other teams that had longer active streaks than Oregon State's.

Stanford head coach Tara VanDerveer, center, watches the action against Pacific during the first half of an NCAA college basketball game in Stockton, Calif., Tuesday, Dec. 15, 2020. With a win over Pacific, VanDerveer will become the winningest women's coach in history breaking Pat Summitt's record of 1,098. (AP Photo/Rich Pedroncelli)STOCKTON, Calif. – Tara VanDerveer became the winningest women's college basketball coach Tuesday night, passing the late Pat Summitt with her 1,099th victory as No. “I really hope Pat Summitt is looking down and saying, ‘Good job Tara, keep it going,’” VanDerveer said. FROM ONE COACH TO ANOTHERDavid Shaw, Stanford’s 10th-year football coach, considers VanDerveer among the best ever in any sport, at any level — man or woman.

Malaysia extended restricted movements in its biggest city Kuala Lumpur, neighboring Selangor state and the administrative capital of Putrajaya from Wednesday in an attempt to curb a sharp rise in coronavirus cases. (AP Photo/Vincent Thian)WELLINGTON – The Marshall Islands has reported its first cases of the coronavirus after two people who flew from Hawaii to a U.S. military base tested positive. The small Pacific nation had been among the last places in the world to have no reported cases of the virus. Home to about 78,000 people, the Marshall Islands maintains close military and civilian ties with the U.S. under a compact of free association. — Australia has sought to prevent new coronavirus cases from reaching its shores by banning most of its residents from leaving in the first place.

FILE - In this March 5, 2007 file photo, a bluefin tuna swims inside farming pens prior to harvest near Ensenada, Mexico. At an online meeting that began Tuesday, Oct. 6, 2020, Japan is seeking to raise its catch limits for both smaller and larger bluefin tuna by 20%. An online meeting of countries that manage the Pacific bluefin that began Tuesday is studying the proposal to raise Japan's catch limits for both smaller and larger bluefin tuna by 20%. The report, Netting Billions 2020: A Global Tuna Valuation, put the market value of seven tuna species including bluefin at $40.8 billion in 2018. In 2019, Japan reported a catch of 3,757 tons of smaller tuna and 5,132 of larger tuna, according to documents prepared for the online meeting.

ORLANDO, Fla. – Thursday, the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration officially declared that La Nina conditions are present. La Nina typically favors an active Atlantic basin during hurricane season, much like we’re seeing now. It had grown increasingly likely over the past few months that La Nina conditions would be around during the peak of hurricane season. This was one of the main factors in the much above average forecasts leading up to and during the current hurricane season. To be classified as a La Nina, sea surface temperature anomalies must greater than or equal to -0.5 degrees celsius.