In 1986, a ranching family sold California’s 53,000-acre Santa Rosa Island to the US for nearly $30 million; they retained about 7 acres and the right to stay for another 25 years

In December 1986, the United States federal government completed a deal to buy Santa Rosa Island for $29.5 million. The 53,000-acre island, located 26.5 miles off the coast of Santa Barbara, California, was bought by the National Park Service from its longtime private owners, the Vail & Vickers ranching partnership. Under the deal, the ranching…

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A Louisiana businessman built a house on floating barges so it could be towed into open water for duck season; the 22-person property is now asking $5.5 million |

Image Credit: Jon Kohler & Associates via Mansion Global A luxury hunting and fishing lodge in southern Louisiana is offering buyers an unusual combination of waterfront living, outdoor adventure and mobility. Known as Fowl Play, the property is built on floating barges and can be towed into the marsh during duck-hunting season. According to Mansion…

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In 1987, Fort Peck tribes returned over 100 bison to 5,800 acres; decades later they stopped hunting their own herd to restore the original cultural purpose | World News

​Representative Image of the Fort Peck buffalo herd grazing across a vast 33,000-acre prairie (AI-generated image) In 1987, tribal leaders on the Fort Peck Reservation in northeastern Montana began working to restore buffalo to Assiniboine and Sioux lands, reviving an animal central to their culture, spirituality and way of life. Two years later, the tribes…

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In 2003, Chicago’s mayor sent bulldozers to carve six giant Xs into an airport runway overnight, stranding 16 planes; 12 years later, the former airfield reopened with 40 acres of prairie, wetlands and wildlife habitat

Meigs Field in 1997 (Image Credit: Wikipedia) When Chicago residents woke up on March 31, 2003, one of the city’s most recognisable small airports had effectively disappeared overnight. Under orders from then-Mayor Richard M. Daley, construction crews arrived at Meigs Field in the early hours and carved six enormous X-shaped gouges into the runway, making…

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Swiss tourist gets 1-year jail in Bali for mocking Hindu festival, calling tradition ‘crazy’

Swiss tourist Luzian Andrin Zgraggen. (AP Photo) A Swiss tourist has been sentenced to one year in prison in Bali for mocking the Hindu festival Nyepi, also known as the Day of Silence, after posting videos on Instagram showing himself violating restrictions during the sacred observance.Luzian Andrin Zgraggen, 26, was found guilty by the Denpasar…

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George Floyd mockery, Django Unchained reenactment: Lawsuit details racist conduct at Phoenix airport

A federal lawsuit alleges Piedmont Airlines and American Eagle fostered a racially hostile work environment at Phoenix airport A lawsuit filed by the estate of a former Piedmont Airlines employee has alleged a years-long pattern of racist conduct at Phoenix Sky Harbor International Airport. These behaviours include white workers mocking George Floyd’s death, reenacting scenes…

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Quote of the day by Theodore Roosevelt: “The credit belongs to the man who is actually in the arena, whose face is marred by…” | World News

Theodore Roosevelt’s famous “man in the arena” passage remains one of his most enduring reflections on courage, effort and failure. In his 1910 speech “Citizenship in a Republic”, delivered at the Sorbonne in Paris, Roosevelt said: “The credit belongs to the man who is actually in the arena, whose face is marred by dust and…

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An English town installed a six-metre swing bridge whose deck contains the equivalent of 140 recycled plastic bottles per square metre and can be manually opened for passing boats

New swing bridge installed as major milestone reached for Wichelstowe canal An English town has installed a six-metre swing bridge whose deck contains the equivalent of 140 recycled plastic bottles per square metre and can be manually opened for passing boats. The new structure, officially named Bushey Fox Bridge, was lifted into position by crane…

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FBI arrests woman in alleged ISIS-inspired plot to bomb New York State Capitol

Bowie had allegedly pledged allegiance to the Islamic State group. (Photo: FBI/DOJ) A 35-year-old New York woman has been arrested for allegedly plotting an Islamic State-inspired attack on the state Capitol in Albany, with prosecutors accusing her of planning to bomb the building and kill lawmakers.Jessica Bowie, of Albany, was charged with attempting to provide…

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