How to Use Ice Melt Without Damaging Outdoor Surfaces, Plantings, and Your Pet’s Paws

Underneath flashy brand names or packaging, most ice melts feature blends of the same ingredients: sodium chloride, calcium chloride, or magnesium chloride. “They’re all salts,” says David P. Orr, director and senior engineer of the Cornell Local Roads Program. And any salt will seep into porous pavement, potentially causing problems. We spoke with Orr, veterinarians,…

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Hurricane Melissa Has Meteorologists Terrified

Meteorologists who have spent the past few days monitoring the rapid development of Hurricane Melissa in the Atlantic Ocean are sounding the alarm about the storm, which is set to make landfall in Jamaica today as a Category 5 hurricane. The sustained—and growing—intensity of the storm is remarkable, experts say, and has the makings of…

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Best Replacement Windows of 2025

But even the least expensive models will set you back several hundred dollars apiece, plus installation costs. We test to see which models may be more worth the money by subjecting them to heavy rain and wind.  We’ve tested wood, vinyl, and composite replacement windows from brands that include American Craftsman, Andersen, Atrium, Jeld-Wen, Marvin,…

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What to Do If Your Car Is Damaged in a Storm

Button it up. If a window was cracked or knocked out in the storm, be sure to cover and seal it tightly to prevent further water intrusion and damage. A tarp and packing tape should do the job. Read up on your insurance policy. “Contact your agent or insurance company and advise them that your vehicle has…

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Meet Wukong, the AI Chatbot China Has Installed on Its Space Station

The latest addition to China’s Tiangong space station is an AI chatbot with expertise in navigation and tactical planning. Named Wukong AI—after the protagonist of the “Monkey King” legend in Chinese mythology, Sun Wukong—the chatbot was introduced on the space station in mid-July, and has already completed its first mission: supporting three taikonauts during a…

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Talking Cars 481: Driving the Volkswagen Tiguan

Main theme: The Volkswagen Tiguan has always sat toward the bottom of a very competitive class of compact SUVs, including the Honda CR-V, Hyundai Tucson, Kia Sportage, Mazda CX-5, Mazda CX-50, Nissan Rogue, Subaru Forester, and Toyota RAV4. Can a redesign help reinvigorate the Tiguan’s image and attract buyers to the Volkswagen brand? What about…

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