(The Center Square) The U.S. Department of War awarded a $10 million contract on Thursday as part of its Build Freedom project, an effort to develop workers for the skilled trades.The War Department

June global sea surface temperatures have climbed to record highs, prompting concerns over extreme weather, flooding, sea level rise and stress to global ocean ecosystems. The record, announced by the European Union's Copernicus Earth observation program on July 1, surpassed the previous record set in June 2024, with experts warning that more temperature records will likely be set over the coming months. "Current conditions could indicate the beginning of a new phase, leading, once more, to uncharted territory," Carlo Buontempo, director of the Copernicus Climate Change Service at the European Centre for Medium-Range Weather Forecasts (ECMWF), said in a statement. "With ocean temperatures at these levels and El Nio on the horizon, we are likely to see more temperature records fall in the coming months.The record temperature was set on June 21, when the Copernicus Climate Change Service recorded global ocean surface temperatures of 20.86 degrees Celsius (69.55 degrees Fahrenheit), beating the record temperature of 20.83 C (69.49 F) set in 2023 and 2024. This measurement was corroborated by the Copernicus Marine Service, an independent dataset that reported temperatures of 21.0 C (69.8 F). Graphs to show increasing global sea surface temperatures from two independent data sources (Image credit: Copernicus)The recent sea surface heating did not occur evenly across the globe. In some areas, such as the Mediterranean, temperatures in June were up to 8 C (14.4 F) higher than average for the period from 1990 to 2020, as per data recorded on June 29, according to the European Space Agency.The most significant rises in temperature were set in the Mediterranean, the Baltic Sea, bands across the Pacific and off the coasts of Northern Canada.RELATED STORIESComing El Nio will be the strongest ever recorded, new forecast predictsWater shortages could prevent the US from mining more lithium, deepening reliance on foreign importsSatellites reveal Earth has a surprising symmetry in the way it reflects light and it might be tied to the El Nio cycleWarmer ocean temperatures have wide-ranging impacts. "Higher ocean temperatures keep the atmosphere warm for longer, provide extra energy to storms and increase evaporation, thus enhancing the potential for extreme precipitation and flooding," Copernicus Climate Change Service representatives said in the statement. "Ocean warming also contributes to sea level rise and ice melt, and stresses marine ecosystems."According to data from the Copernicus Climate Change Service, the newly declared El Nio in the Pacific Ocean the warm phase of a natural climate cycle. This El Nio is likely to reach levels that have not been seen in decades, with more temperature records expected to be set over the coming months as this Pacific heat is injected into an already warming world. The service added that it remains to be seen whether these temperature spikes are temporary or indicative of longer term trends.

WW2 RTS Company of Heroes has just been totally reimagined as a new, standalone roguelike This is Company of Heroes, but like you've never seen it before. Company of Heroes 3: Final Stand is a new, standalone expansion that takes the fundamentals of the WW2 RTS series and reimagines it with a roguelite twist. Despite the naming, it's a fully separate thing, meaning you won't need to own CoH 3...

Something I swiftly learned about Toby Fox after playing Undertale is that he and his dev team have an almost supernatural skill for hiding secret bits in every nook and cranny of their games. Its not just a matter of hidden stuff, its the kind of secrets you, in all likelihood, wouldnt even find if you didnt already know about them. Naturally, Deltarune is positively lousy with these as well.

This is Company of Heroes, but like you've never seen it before. Company of Heroes 3: Final Stand is a new, standalone expansion that takes the fundamentals of the WW2 RTS series and reimagines it with a roguelite twist. Despite the naming, it's a fully separate thing, meaning you won't need to own CoH 3 to get in on the action (although you'll benefit from a discount if you do). It supports single-player and co-op runs with a persistent progression system that lets your squad and tactics gradually evolve over time.

#1 is a best-seller for a reason.READ MORE...

Theyre a Northeast classic.READ MORE...