Digital Update

Coconut Flour Banana Bread

Prep Time:10 minutes
Cook Time:45 minutes
Yield:1 loaf (8-10 slices)



Ingredients:
3 bananas
4 eggs
1/4 cup honey
1/3 cup coconut oil, melted
1/3 cup coconut flour
3 T arrowroot starch
1 T cinnamon
1/2 t baking soda
1/4 t salt


How To Make It

1. Preheat oven to 350°F.

2. Grease a 7.5” by 3.5” loaf pan with a bit of coconut oil.

3. In a large mixing bowl, mash the bananas and mix in the eggs, honey, and coconut oil.

4. Add the coconut flour, arrowroot, cinnamon, baking soda, and salt, and mix well.

5. Transfer to prepared loaf pan.

6. Bake for 45-50 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted near the center of the loaf comes out clean.

7. Let cool a bit, then remove from pan. Either let cool all the way and serve room temperature or chilled, or slice and serve warm.

 The seven-day British royal tour of India and Bhutan, which ended on Saturday, was an opportunity for many things, including benign national outreach and a show of good will between countries with a complicated history, as well as multiple photos featuring Prince William and Catherine, Duchess of Cambridge (the former Kate Middleton) on safari and at the Taj Mahal.

But it also raised the bar when it came to the modern art known as diplomatic fashion tradecraft, a.k.a. the use of a ceremonial political event to promote a specific national industry.

Michelle Obama may have elevated the role of clothes in political life to strategic tool, consciously choosing to wear pieces from emerging American designers, the better to use her position to raise their global profiles and businesses. Samantha Cameron, the wife of Prime Minister David Cameron of Britain, may likewise have chosen to support her country’s fashion talent, even going so far as to become an ambassador for the British Fashion Council. And Sophie Grégoire Trudeau, wife of Prime Minister Justin Trudeau of Canada, may have given Canadian designers a push during her recent state visit to Washington. But in India, the duchess took the approach to a whole new level.

An observer could have been forgiven for thinking practically all of Sloane Street had migrated to her suitcase.

Consider the list, in no particular order, of British brands she wore on the tour: Alexander McQueen, Emilia Wickstead, Jenny Packham, Topshop, Paul & Joe, Glamorous.com, L. K. Bennett, Mulberry, Rupert Sanderson, Accessorize/Monsoon, Russell & Bromley, Cassandra Goad, Temperley London, Kiki McDonough, Beulah, Pickett London, Jaeger, Really Wild and Penelope Chilvers.

The clothes encompassed the very expensive (McQueen, Packham, Temperley), fast fashion (Topshop, Glamorous) and the already worn (one McQueen outfit), and they included shoes, bags and jewelry — all chronicled obsessively (and daily) in the British and fashion news media. Many pieces sold out not long after the first pictures appeared.

The duchess also dipped a toe into cross-border sartorial diplomacy, wearing one dress by the Indian designer Anita Dongre and one by the Indian-American Naeem Khan, as well as looks from Anna Sui and Tory Burch, but a vast majority of her clothes were by British designers.

“I could not believe the local and global attention,” Ms. Dongre said on the phone from Mumbai, and her words were echoed by Mr. Sanderson in Britain.

The word “windfall” comes to mind.

Compared with William and Catherine’s tour of the East Coast of the United States in 2014 (remember that?), the India trip stands out as a much more powerful piece of sartorial messaging, in part because it so consciously embraced British fashion as broadly as possible, leveraging the duchess’s influence to benefit the elite and the mass ends of the market — big names and those on the rise.

Put another way: She may have gone on a tour of India, but, in doing so, she also took everyone who was watching on a tour of the British clothing industry. That’s quite a trip.

Shared from www.nytimes.com

Often no larger than a toaster and only weighing a few pounds, a projector is an output device that can take images generated by a computer and reproduce them on a large, flat (usually lightly colored) surface. For example, projectors are used in meetings to help ensure that all participants can view the information being presented. The picture is that of a ViewSonic projector.

So.. We can make HomeMade Projector with Easy step, Here we go :

There's going to be a little less competition among airlines following a big takeover announced Monday.

Alaska Air Group has agreed to buy Virgin America for $2.6 billion, the airlines said. Alaska Air (ALK) said it will pay $57 per share, sending Virgin America (VA) stock soaring 40%. Including debt and aircraft leases, the transaction is worth about $4 billion.

The combined airline will have 1,200 daily departures, 280 aircraft, and hubs in Seattle, San Francisco, Los Angeles, Anchorage, Alaska, and Portland, Oregon.

Alaska Air was reported to be in a bidding war with JetBlue (JBLU). The acquisition marks yet another step in consolidation in the airline business. Alaska Air is the eighth biggest U.S.-based airline in terms of traffic, according to the Department of Transportation's 2015 data.

Virgin America was launched in 2007 by billionaire Richard Branson and went public in November 2014.

"I would be lying if I didn't admit sadness that our wonderful airline is merging with another," Branson said on Monday.

As of December 2015, Branson's Virgin Group owned 18.2%. That made it Virgin America's second largest shareholder behind New York hedge fund Cyrus Holdings, which has a 27.9% stake.

Branson said he was "sadly" unable to stop the takeover because some of his shares were non-voting.

"The important thing now is to ensure that once Alaska witnesses firsthand the power of the brand and the love of Virgin America customers for our product and guest experience, they too will be converts," he added.

Shares of Virgin America (VA) have jumped since news broke late last month that it was looking to sell.

The company has boasted attractive earnings recently. Last quarter, Virgin America reported a $191 million profit -- a 600% increase from $28 million the year before.

Virgin America, based in San Francisco, has also been adding more flights and has increased ticket prices. It flies to 22 destinations in the U.S. and Mexico.

Alaska Air Group (ALK) -- which owns Alaska Airlines and Horizon Air Industries -- is based in Seattle and travels to more than 90 cities in the U.S., Canada and Mexico

This puzzle, apparently from a primary school admissions test in Hong Kong, has resurfaced on social media.

All you have to do is say what number is under the parked car.



For a while there, we were stumped (scroll to the bottom of the page for help with the solution).

We asked Dr David Whitebread, a senior lecturer in psychology at Cambridge University's faculty of education, why children might find it easy to crack.

"[It is a] good example of how children are much more flexible than adults in their thinking and how, sadly, we often knock this out of them in school where there is still to much emphasis on getting it right and not nearly enough on creative thinking," he told i100.co.uk via email.

Hint: For those who still don't get it, try turning your head, or the picture, upside down.

*Update:* Several versions of the puzzle on social media say children can solve this puzzle in 20 seconds. Its creator David J. Bodycombe got in touch to say there have never been any tests to firmly establish this - and he also told us how he thinks it ended up being used in Hong Kong.

"The illustration comes from one of my puzzle books from the the 1990s," he said. "The book was subsequently translated into Chinese which is why it might have done the rounds in Asia since."

Most of us know about the health benefits of guava fruit. But we are unaware of the fact that even guava leaves (Amrood ke Patte) in Hindi have several medicinal properties and offer an array of health benefits. Being packed with antioxidants, antibacterial and anti-inflammatory agents and beneficial tannins, fresh guava leaves are considered as a natural pain reliever. The chemicals contained in these leaves such as polyphenols, carotenoids, flavonoids and tannins can be extremely effective in treating various diseases.



Owing to the side effects resulting from the usage of medicines and drugs, herbal plants are being increasingly considered for the treatment of various diseases and guava leaf is one of them. Due to its medicinal properties, guava leaf supplements are nowadays available in the form of capsules and guava leaf tea.

Guava Leaves Benefits For Health

Guava leaves are regarded as herbal treatment for several diseases due to their medicinal properties. The health benefits of guava leaves are given below.

1. Aid in Weight Loss
Guava leaves aid in weight loss by preventing the complex starches from being converted into sugars. For this purpose, the carbs must be broken down in the liver for use by the body and guava leaves prevent the transition of carbohydrates to usable compounds.

2. Beneficial for Diabetics
According to research conducted by the Yakult Central Institute in Japan, guava leaf tea can effectively lower blood glucose in diabetics by reducing the alpha-glucosidease enzyme activity. Moreover, it prevents the absorption of sucrose and maltose by the body, thereby lowering blood sugar levels. Drinking guava leaf tea for 12 weeks lowers the blood sugar levels without increasing insulin production.

3. Lower Cholesterol
Research has proved that drinking guava leaf tea for 3 months can lead to reduction in LDL or bad cholesterol and triglycerides without any adverse effect on good cholesterol. Besides, the guava leaves are a great liver tonic.

4. Treatment of Diarrhea and Dysentery:
Guava leaves are herbal remedy for diarrhea and dysentery. For treating diarrhea, boil 30 grams of guava leaves with a handful of rice flour in 1-2 glasses of water and drink this concoction twice a day. In case of dysentery, cut the roots and leaves of guava plant and boil them for 20 minutes at a temperature of 90 degrees Celsius. Strain the water and drink in moderation until relieved.

5. Aids in Digestion:
Guava leaf tea aids in digestion by stimulating digestive enzyme production. The powerful antibacterial agents kill bacteria in the lining of the gut and stop proliferation of toxic enzymes by bacteria. Guava leaves are particularly beneficial in case of food poisoning as well as soothing, vomiting and nausea. To relieve stomach ache, boil 8 pieces of guava leaves in 1.5 liters of water and drink thrice a day.

6. Treatment of Bronchitis:
Guava leaf tea is effective in treating bronchitis by opening up the lungs, loosening mucus and soothing coughs.

7. Treatment of Toothaches, Sore Throats and Gum Disease:
Due to their anti-inflammatory qualities, fresh guava leaves can relieve tooth ache, heal gum and mouth sores and treat sore throats when used for gargling. The antibacterial agent in these leaves protect the teeth and gums and therefore, guava leaves are used as an ingredient in toothpastes and mouth fresheners. Guava leaves can even be made into a natural paste at home for brushing the teeth and gums.

8. Beneficial in Dengue Fever:
Guava leaves are considered a natural remedy for dengue fever. This is because guava leaf extract can increase the number of platelets in the blood and is not toxic at all. For this purpose 9 pieces of guava leaves should be boiled in 5 cups of water until 3 cups of water is left. After straining and cooling, a cup of this concoction should be given to the patient thrice a day.

9. Prostate Cancer:
Guava leaves can be beneficial in case of prostate cancer and enlargement.

10. Reduction of Allergies:
Guava leaves prevent the release of histamine. Moreover, the compounds found in guava leaves are effective in blocking all allergic reactions.

11. Sperm Production:
Consumption of guava leaf tea has proven to be effective in increasing sperm production, thus helping with conception.

12. Treatment of Wounds and Infections:
Guava leaves have great healing properties that can treat wounds such as cuts, impact abrasion etc. The antibacterial agents prevent infection and reduce inflammation of the uterus to accelerate the healing of wounds. Guava leaf tea can help in curing ear infections as well.

13. Treatment of Acne and Black spots:
Acne and black spots are quite annoying as they adversely affect the appearance of your skin. Guava leaves are effective in eliminating acne and black spots from the skin. They contain an antiseptic that can kill acne causing bacteria. For this purpose, mash some guava leaves and apply it on the acne and dark spots. Rinse with water after sometime. This should be done daily until the skin is clear.

14. Removal of Blackheads:
For the treatment of blackheads, blend the guava leaves with little water and use it as a scrub on your nose to remove blackheads.

15. Anti-ageing Benefits:
Guava leaves contain antioxidants which destroy the free radicals that damage your skin, thus protecting your skin from ageing as well as improving skin tone and texture. A decoction of mature guava leaves can be applied on the skin for tightening it.

16. Relieves Itching:
Skin itching can lead to serious problem if not treated immediately. Guava leaves are an instant cure for getting rid of itchiness as they contain allergy blocking compounds.

17. Natural Remedy for Hair Loss:
To stop hair loss, boil a handful of guava leaves in a liter of water for around 20 minutes. After cooling, apply it on your scalp and massage rigorously.

Due to the nature of tattoo art and the way it has to be painted on, it's very difficult to create abstract, painting-like figures on skin. But one South Korean tattoo artist has managed the impossible: Creating real, watercolor-inspired paintings on skin, with intricate yet subtle designs and soft lines. Silo (pronounced Shil-loh) is becoming an artist of renown on Instagram, with over 15,000 followers and hundreds of likes on each of her artworks.

Silo and her team of artists have set upon a journey to revolutionize the world of tattoo art by creating work that defies expectations for the style. Needles are difficult tools to work with, and being able to paint real pictures with them is a feat, to be sure.


This pair of feet displays an ornate array of flowers of all kinds, with one pair growing up past the ankle.



Feathers generally have to be simplified when it comes to tattoos, but these dreamcatchers are as intricate as it gets – while still retaining a degree of ethereal haziness.


Nothing like painting a full picture: Tree, flowers and birds alike are all invited to this beautiful party.



Focusing on another aspect of nature, this whale and its young turn the subject's skin into an ocean. You could almost imagine the animals traveling along the body they're decorating.



A lotus flower floats on this subject's leg amid deep blue water. The water's design here is particularly striking, as there's barely enough to fully illustrate the concept, yet plenty to feed the imagination.



For a more daring design – and location – this one features a beautiful bouquet. This tattoo, above all others, evokes an abstract painting, the likes of which you'd find in museums. The colors look like they've been allowed to just spread naturally on the skin and solidify there.

For those worried about colors fading and making their tattoos look less striking over time, Majestic Tattoo NYC suggests keeping your tattoo's colors vibrant over the years by applying lotion on a regular basis. Tanning is also not recommended if you wish to conserve the palette as much as possible.

Feeling inspired? Make sure to share this art on Facebook if it's made you consider getting a tattoo, even just a little.

Google’s Nik Collection, a photo editing software package designed for professional photographers, once retailed for $149. Today it’s absolutely free to download, for both Windows and Mac users.

Here you can read Google’s announcement, which includes more information on the software package and its capabilities.

Today we’re making the Nik Collection available to everyone, for free.
Photo enthusiasts all over the world use the Nik Collection to get the best out of their images every day. As we continue to focus our long-term investments in building incredible photo editing tools for mobile, including Google Photos and Snapseed, we’ve decided to make the Nik Collection desktop suite available for free, so that now anyone can use it.
The Nik Collection is comprised of seven desktop plug-ins that provide a powerful range of photo editing capabilities — from filter applications that improve color correction, to retouching and creative effects, to image sharpening that brings out all the hidden details, to the ability to make adjustments to the color and tonality of images.
Starting March 24, 2016, the latest Nik Collection will be freely available to download: Analog Efex Pro, Color Efex Pro, Silver Efex Pro, Viveza, HDR Efex Pro, Sharpener Pro and Dfine. If you purchased the Nik Collection in 2016, you will receive a full refund, which we’ll automatically issue back to you in the coming days.
We’re excited to bring the powerful photo editing tools once only used by professionals to even more people now.

Once you’ve downloaded the software, head over to the Nik Collection channel on YouTube where you’ll find video tutorials, including the one below called “Introduction to the Nik Complete Collection.” It’s a good place to start.

PS: Some readers have asked whether this software can work as a standalone program, or whether it needs to run with a program like Photoshop. Here’s what PC Magazine has to say about that:  “Though you can run the seven different plugins in the collection as standalone products, they tend to work better when you integrate them into an existing image editing program, like Adobe’s PhotoShop.” In short, you have options.

Officials shut down Denver International Airport on Wednesday, canceling over 1,000 flights after a mega snowstorm temporarily knocked out power and created conditions unsafe for plane takeoffs and landings unsafe.


The blizzard hit Denver and the surrounding regions of Colorado early Wednesday, causing ripple effects in air traffic all over the country. In other cities, planes destined for Denver had to sit on tarmacs (along with their passengers!) while awaiting clearance. At the time of this blog post, the airport remains closed, according to an announcement published on the Denver airport's Twitter feed and elsewhere.

Denver International Airport remains closed due to weather and visibility. There are treacherous conditions on the airfield and no planes are departing or arriving. Peña Boulevard is still impassable at this time. Airport maintenance crews are working with the Denver Police Department to clear stranded and stuck vehicles from Peña Boulevard so that crews can plow the roadway in order to open it to traffic. Currently, traffic is not being allowed to access Peña Boulevard in either direction. Both 56th Avenue and Tower Road are open, but due to conditions, travel is not advised in the area of the airport. Passengers currently at the airport are still being asked to stay put until conditions improve and Peña Boulevard is safe and passable. The airport will make announcements when Peña Boulevard is again safe for travel.

He has thrown an apple and pine cones at first responders


Police in Seattle are trying to convince a man who climbed up a tree and remained there for several hours on Tuesday to come down as the nation watches his standoff unfold live.


The unidentified man snarled traffic and caused a stir on social media after he scaled an 80-foot-tall tree downtown and refused to come down for at least five hours and counting, according to local media reports.

“It is quite a spectacle, honestly,” police spokesman Patrick Michaud told the Seattle Times. “At this point, we want to make sure he’s OK and that he can get down from the tree without hurting himself or someone else.”

“We’re on his schedule,” Michaud added. “We’re not going to rush it with someone at the top of a tall tree. If you rush it, it could become dangerous.”

The man has thrown an apple, branches and pine cones at first responders, Seattle police said in a statement. He “appears to be suffering from a crisis” and has claimed to be armed with a knife, the statement said.

Belgian police are hunting an Islamic State suspect seen with two supposed suicide bombers shortly before they struck Brussels Airport in the first of two attacks that also hit the city's metro, killing at least 30 and wounding over 200.

The blasts on Tuesday claimed by the Syrian-based militants four days after the arrest in Brussels of a prime suspect in November's Paris attacks, sent shockwaves across Europe and around the world, with authorities racing to review security at airports and transit systems, and drawing an outpouring of solidarity.

"We can and we will defeat those who threaten the safety and security of people all around the world," said U.S. President Barack Obama. Donald Trump, the front-runner for the Republican nomination to succeed Obama in November's election, suggested suspects could be tortured to avert such attacks.

"A photograph of three male suspects was taken at Zaventem. Two of them seem to have committed suicide attacks. The third, wearing a light-colored jacket and a hat, is actively being sought," prosecutor Frederic Van Leeuw told a news conference.

The two men in dark clothes wore gloves on their left hands only. One security expert speculated they might have concealed detonators. The man in the hat was not wearing any gloves.

Islamic State warned of "black days" for those fighting it in Syria and Iraq. Belgian warplanes have joined the coalition in the Middle East, but Brussels, home to the European Union and NATO headquarters, has long been a center of Islamist militancy.

Some 300 Belgians are estimated to have fought with Islamists in Syria, making the country of 11 million the leading European exporter of foreign fighters and a focus of concern in France and other neighbors over its security capabilities.

"What we had feared has come to pass," said Belgian Prime Minister Charles Michel, vowing to face down the threat.

For some time it has been known that dogs can detect cancers using their remarkable sense of smell. While testing dogs and training them to do this is relatively straightforward, it is clearly more difficult to achieve with cats. However, it turns out that some cats have an instinctive ability to detect cancers. In some cases they have made their owners aware of the problem and saved their lives. Here is a quote from an article in The Nest Cancer Sniffing Cats:

Cats far and wide are being credited with alerting their humans to cancerous tumors — and not simply skin cancer or moles which might be considered the easy-to-detect kind because they exist on the outside of the body. No, these cats are detecting complex cancers buried deep within the body.

A cat in Alberta, Canada, warned his human friend that there was a soda can-sized tumor in his left lung by continuously pawing at the man’s side. And in Tennessee, a woman was prompted to see her doctor about a bruised area on her breast when her cat paid repeated and unusual attention to it, resulting in a breast cancer diagnosis and early treatment.

And this is a story reported in the UK’s Daily Mail:
Wendy Humphreys, 52, was bemused when her black-and-white kitten Fidge leapt up and sat on her right breast every night for two weeks while she lay on the sofa.

She went to her GP and was told she had a cancerous pea-sized lump in her breast – which would have killed her if left undiagnosed.

Here is another story from a couple of years back in England recounted directly by the lady whose life was saved by Bindi her cat:


So how do cats do this?
They have an amazingly sensitive sense of smell which has 200 million scent receptors and is 14 times greater than a human. How do they compare with dogs? According to Understanding Your Dogs for Dummies somewhere between Fox Terrier with 147 million and Beagles with 225 million.

What is even more surprising is that in the cases above the cat not only detects the problem but then finds a way to communicate it to their owner.

Photographer Tiziana Vergari posted the picture as part of an Instagram competition called the Weekend Hashtag Project, for which a theme is chosen each week.

People are having actual debates about how many girls there are – and at first glance, it can be very confusing.


At first glance, you might think that this is a photograph of a bench full of girls – but look again, and some of the girls start to seem a little familiar.

This theme was identity – and she’s certainly got social media users guessing about how many ‘identities’ are in this image, which she titled ‘same but different’.

NCAA Tournament Schedule 2016 March Madness Live

Dates, Times, Venues:

Selection Sunday selection committee members
March 13th between 6 PM & 7 PM EST on ESPN

First Four (The Big Dance Begins!)
March 15-16
UD Arena (Dayton, Ohio)

1st & 2nd Rounds (Rounds of 64 and 32)
March 17-20
Providence, RI, Dunkin Donuts Center (Host: Providence College)
Des Moines, IA, Wells Fargo Arena (Host: Iowa State University)
Raleigh, NC, PNC Arena (Host: North Carolina State University)
Denver, CO, Pepsi Center (Host: Mountain West Conference)
New York City, NY, Barclays Center (Host: Atlantic 10 Conference)
St. Louis, MO, Scottrade Center (Host: Missouri Valley Conference)
Oklahoma City, OK, Chesapeake Energy Arena (Host: Big 12 Conference)
Spokane, WA, Spokane Veterans Memorial Arena (Host: U. of Idaho)
Regional Semifinals and Finals (Sweet Sixteen and Elite Eight)

President Barack Obama filled out his NCAA tournament bracket for the eighth and final time during his presidency Wednesday as part of ESPN's annual Barack-etology segment.

The POTUS ran down his March Madness selections with college basketball analyst Andy Katz, and he ultimately chose Kansas to defeat North Carolina for the national championship.

Here is a look at Obama's entire bracket, courtesy of White House Director of Online Engagement Alex Wall:


According to Katz, the president has not correctly picked a national champion since selecting UNC during his first year in office in 2009.

He picked Kansas to win it all twice previously, and he is banking on head coach Bill Self to get the job done this time around, per Katz: "Bill Self owes me. I'm putting Kansas in here. Coach, I'm just teasing. I'm not putting pressure on you. But I think the Jayhawks in a squeaker get past UNC.''

As pointed out by Katz as part of an ESPN press release on the Sports Media News website, President Obama primarily went with chalk in his bracket, which has mostly been the case over the past eight years:

The President was a Cinderella as a candidate eight years ago but he has gone with the favorites in each year of his presidency. The presidential bracket has been a non-partisan, American endeavor that he has enjoyed filling out with us like every other fan and it has been a great run. Let’s see if he can bookend his presidency with a winner in his first and last year.

President Obama explained that strategy by pointing out the significant amount of turnover that teams experience from year to year in college basketball, per Katz:

I have a tendency to pick the coach as much as anything, because typically these days, with one and done, what you see is continuity with the program. Coach K [Mike Krzyzewski] or Coach [Tom] Izzo or Coach Self, Coach [John] Calipari, they know how to take even their blue-chip freshmen and mold them, so that by the time the tournament comes around they're ready. I haven't always picked the right top four teams, but typically it's been one of the top teams that's ended up winning the tournament.

The president made very few upset selections in his bracket, with No. 13 Hawaii over No. 4 California standing out. Obama was born in Hawaii, which may have played a role in his pick.

He also went with a few minor seeding upsets, including first-round victories for a trio of No. 10 seeds in Syracuse, Pittsburgh and VCU.

In addition to Kansas and North Carolina, the POTUS rounded out his Final Four with second-seeded Michigan State and a minor surprise in the form of No. 3 Texas A&M.

The president is looking to score a bounce-back performance this year, as his 2015 bracket ranked in just the 39.5 percentile in the ESPN Men's Tournament Challenge last year, per Sports Media News.

While the 2015-16 season has been among the most unpredictable college basketball campaigns in recent memory, President Obama largely believes in the high seeds.

It's certainly a safe and logical strategy. But there will inevitably be upsets, so the president must simply hope that the teams he has going deep in the tournament avoid early exits.

Study finds tritium levels in Biscayne Bay up to 215 times higher than normal

A nuclear power plant in Florida described by critics as "environmentally fragile" is almost certainly leaking radioactive cooling water into the nearby ocean, the Miami New Times reports. "You would have to work hard to find a worse place to put a nuclear plant, right between two national parks and subject to hurricanes and storm surge," South Miami mayor Philip Stoddard says. The Turkey Point Nuclear Power Plant near Miami has been around for four decades and powers more than 1 million homes, according to Fusion. But problems started being detected with the system of canals used to cool it two years ago after Florida Power & Light increased the plant's power output. Now a study released Monday found tritium levels in Biscayne Bay up to 215 times higher than normal, the Miami Herald reports.

It's unclear at the moment if those levels of tritium, a radioactive isotope, are dangerous to people or animals, but they are high enough to "suggest a consistent flow" from the cooling canals into the ocean. A state representative calls the study "the last straw" and is asking the EPA do something to "protect the public." Stoddard says he and others warned Florida Power & Light about the canals years ago but were ignored. "They argued the canals were a closed system, but that's not how water works in South Florida," he tells the New Times. Just two weeks ago, a judge ordered the utility to fix the canals because they were contaminating groundwater and potentially endangering drinking water. Stoddard says there are only two solutions: replacing the canals with cooling towers or shutting the whole thing down.(Radioactive groundwater was detected in New York City.)

shared from http://www.newser.com/

What is arguably America’s least-well-placed nuclear power plant is leaking radiation into the sea.

The University of Miami has found that the Turkey Point Nuclear Power Plant, located just south of Miami, has caused levels of tritium, a radioactive isotope, in Biscayne Bay to spike to 200-times higher than normal levels.

“This is one of several things we were very worried about,” South Miami Mayor Philip Stoddard, who is also a biological sciences professor at Florida International University, told the Miami New Times. “You would have to work hard to find a worse place to put a nuclear plant, right between two national parks and subject to hurricanes and storm surge.”

Turkey Point came online in the early 1970s; it supplies power to more than one million homes in South Florida. The new study blames the leaks on the reactor’s cooling canals, which were recently found to have caused a massive underground saltwater plume to migrate west, threatening a wellfield that supplies drinking water to the Florida Keys.

Critics alleged the canals began running too hot and salty after Florida Power and Light (FPL), which operates the plant, overhauled two reactors to produce more power, the Miami Herald reports. A judge already recently found that FPL had failed to prevent hundreds of thousands of gallons of wastewater from seeping into the bay.

Mayor Stoddard argues the new study might point to violations of the federal Clean Water Act, and says only two solutions are viable: Building new cooling towers to replace the canals or shutting down the plant, the New Times reports.

“There’s a certain validation to critics in seeing this result in the study,” he says, “but more importantly, it’s now crossed the threshold of federal law here.”

Turkey Point is not the sole leaky plant in America. Last month, New York Gov. Andrew Cuomo acknowledged that the state’s Indian Point Nuclear facility was leaking tritium into groundwater. Meanwhile, The Vermont Department of Health has noted ongoing investigations into leaks at Vermont Yankee since 2010, while New York’s FitzPatrick Plant has been “plagued by water leaks” in 2014, Gizmodo notes.

share from http://fusion.net/