Teen Rescued After Years of Abuse in New Jersey, Couple Arrested ###

Ashley Pardo, a 33-year-old Texas mother, has been arrested for allegedly providing her son with ammunition and tactical gear in preparation for a planned attack on a school in San Antonio. According to an arrest affidavit obtained by CNN, Pardo is charged with aiding in the commission of terrorism, having knowingly supported her son's intentions to commit mass violence at the Jeremiah Rhodes Middle School. Despite being alerted to her son’s alarming behaviors by law enforcement and child protective services, Pardo maintained a lack of concern regarding his actions. Authorities claim she exchanged babysitting her younger children for the purchase of tactical equipment, including armor and ammunition. The affidavit alleges that the boy displayed troubling behavior, such as wearing military-style clothing to school and expressing a desire to gain notoriety through violence. The school's principal emphasized that student safety remains a top priority, and additional security measures were deployed in response to the incident. Pardo was released on a $75,000 bond and is scheduled for a court appearance on July 17.

A recent study suggests that substantial reservoirs of hydrogen may be hidden beneath the Earth's crust, with enough hydrogen produced over the last billion years to meet global energy needs for up to 170,000 years. This finding, published in *Nature Reviews Earth and Environment*, highlights that geological conditions across at least 30 U.S. states could harbor natural hydrogen accumulations, potentially accelerating the transition away from fossil fuels. Chris Ballentine, lead author and geochemistry professor at the University of Oxford, indicated that specific geological features, including ophiolitic landscapes and igneous rock formations, are of great interest for exploration. Kansas and a recent site in Albania have been identified as prime locations for potential hydrogen sources. The conditions necessary for hydrogen formation include a source of hydrogen, reservoir rocks, and natural seals to trap the gas. The study's co-author, Jon Gluyas from Durham University, emphasized that understanding these geological conditions is crucial for guiding exploration strategies, potentially leading to cleaner hydrogen production methods with a smaller carbon footprint.

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) reported a dramatic 27% decrease in U.S. drug overdose deaths for 2024, with approximately 80,000 fatalities compared to 110,000 in 2023. This represents the largest one-year decline in recorded history. Almost all states saw reductions, except for Nevada and South Dakota, which experienced slight increases. Experts attribute the decrease to multiple factors, including improved access to naloxone, expanded addiction treatment options, and shifts in drug usage trends. Furthermore, significant settlements from opioid manufacturers, promising about $50 billion to combat addiction issues, have contributed to increasing resources for prevention and treatment programs. Despite these improvements, overdose deaths remain higher than pre-COVID levels, with the CDC noting that such incidents continue to be the leading cause of death among individuals aged 18 to 44. Public health advocates caution that decreased federal funding and support could reverse this trend. Experts emphasize that sustained effort and resources are needed to combat the ongoing crisis effectively.