Plastic Bags Getting the Sack Across US

'This is very, very unusual': meteorologist

(NEWSER) - A rare October snowstorm has rolled up the East Coast and knocked out power to some 1.5 million people, MSNBC reports. The snowfall and ferocious winds have also delayed flights in Newark, New York, and Philadelphia—some by up to 6 hours. One live tracking site has tweeted more than 1,000 flight cancelations across the country. Threatening some areas with up to a foot of wet snow, the storm has knocked out power in New Jersey, Connecticut, Maryland, and Pennsylvania. More»

Turns out some NYC bars, clubs already add 20% to checks

(NEWSER) - Are you tipping enough when you go out to eat? The San Francisco restaurant industry apparently doesn’t think so. A column from Ed Arnow of the Contra Costa Times reports that “there’s a move on” among local restaurant workers to “make 25% the standard tip in San Francisco.” Arnow says that several “high-class restaurants” have signed on to the idea, though he doesn’t list which ones—or, for that matter, how the restaurants would impose this new standard. More»

It's going to start treating wastewater with lots of bleach

(NEWSER) - The good news is that San Francisco's embrace of low-flow toilets has cut annual water consumption by 20 million gallons. The bad news is the smell. Because the water doesn't have enough oomph to push waste out of sewer pipes, a not-so-pleasant odor wafts throughout the city at times, explains the San Francisco Chronicle . As a remedy, the city plans to buy $14 million of concentrated bleach—a 3-year supply—to disinfect wastewater before it goes into the bay. That's on top of a $100 million investment to upgrade plants over 5 years to cut down on the stink. More»

Miami, New Orleans among most endangered

(NEWSER) - By the end of the century, 180 coastal US cities could be partially submerged thanks to rising seas, finds a new study that looked at cities in the Lower 48 with populations of at least 50,000. The climbing sea poses a risk to, on average, 9% of the land in these cities. Those most in jeopardy? Cities that hug the Atlantic coast and Gulf of Mexico: Miami, Tampa, New Orleans, and Virginia Beach. New York City, Washington, DC, and the San Francisco Bay area could face more minor damage, Reuters reports. More»

San Francisco, Boston lead pack of beauty-obsessed locales

(NEWSER) - Which American cities work the hardest to look hot? The Daily Beast took the 25 cities that claim the highest percentages of residents who belong to gyms, and ranked the top 20, taking into account body mass figures and spending on "personal care"—at drugstores, salons, and other beauty centers. The results:

1. San Francisco: Residents spend $111 monthly on personal care, 50.3% aren't overweight, and 20.4% are gym members.
2. Boston: At 23.2%, more belong to gyms than in SF, but residents only spend $106 each month on personal care