Michele Fiore convicted of six counts of federal wire fraud, one count of conspiracy to commit wire fraud.

Fiore, a former Las Vegas city councilwoman and state lawmaker, will be sentenced Jan. 6 .

Prosecutors say Fiore used $ 70,000 meant for statue of slain officer for personal costs, including plastic surgery.

New research shows how Queensland regions can learn from biodiversity and carbon offsetting efforts to better meet water quality targets.

Water quality offsets are designed to counterbalance industrial pollution by reducing emissions elsewhere, often from agricultural sources.

Researchers found that sewage treatment plants will require a large volume of water quality offsets by 2050 in Cairns and a small volume of offsets immediately in Mackay .

Ant agriculture began 66 million years ago in the aftermath of the asteroid that doomed the dinosaurs.

Scientists at the Smithsonian's National Museum of Natural History analyzed genetic data from hundreds of species of.

species of fungi and ants to craft detailed evolutionary trees.

Ants have been practicing agriculture and fungus farming for much longer than humans have existed.

The study also includes authors affiliated with the University of Utah , the Royal Botanic Gardens , Kew .

The research was supported by the U.S. National Science Foundation and the Smithsonian Tropical Research Institute in Washington , D.C. and the Carl Zeiss Foundation .

The IRS free tax filing program, Direct File , will have 24 participating states for the 2025 filing season.

The program has expanded to include more types of income, credits and deductions.

Filers still must claim the standard deduction rather than itemizing tax breaks to participate.

The IRS and Treasury in May unveiled a nationwide Direct File expansion and invited all 50 states to join the program.

The S&P 500 has gained 60% since entering bull market territory in October 2022 .

Of the 13 bull markets that lasted for at least two years since 1949 , stocks have continued to climb higher for a third year unless the economy entered a downturn or encountered a Black Swan event, Ned Davis Research said.

U.S. Department of Agriculture announces investment of $1.7 billion for purchase of locally and regionally produced foods and domestically produced foods for emergency food assistance.

$500 million will be made available for states, territories, and Tribal nations to purchase local food for emergency providers and underserved communities.

USDA will also provide $200 million specifically for child care facilities.

Various ant species cooperate with fungi, creating a home for them, providing them with nutrients, and harvesting them as food.

This reaches the peak of sophistication in the leafcutter ants, which cut foliage and return it to feed their fungi, which in turn form specialized growths that are harvested for food.

A number of genes that appear to have evolved rapidly in response to strains of fungi take part in this cooperative relationship.

Airlines look to cut time spent on the tarmac with gate allocation.

Picking the best gate for each flight can help shorten aircraft taxi times and reduce congestion.

Lufthansa Industry Solutions is planning to use quantum computing to attack the problem.

Quantum computing uses the strange but powerful properties of quibits to solve certain problems much faster than traditional computers.

Prime Minister Shigeru Ishiba said he has asked ministers to formulate an economic relief package to ease the bite of inflation.

The support measures would include subsidies to low-income households and larger grants to local governments.

Ishiba was heckled throughout his speech on Friday in his first policy speech to parliament.

The GST/HST credit is meant to help offset taxes paid by individuals and families with low to modest incomes.

Eligibility depends in part on family net income and number of children.

The tax rebates are sent out quarterly in January, April, July and October .

The next payment is scheduled for Jan. 3, 2025 .