Friday, March 10, 2017

Yahoo! News: Weight Loss News

Yahoo! News: Weight Loss News


White House looks to regain health care offensive, trashes CBO

Posted: 08 Mar 2017 07:46 PM PST

White House looks to regain health care offensive, trashes CBOPresident Trump and Republicans in Congress tried to regain the initiative Wednesday in the battle over health care, seeking to recover from the withering criticism of their rollout of a replacement for Obamacare. To that end, they went after the Congressional Budget Office, which is still days away from releasing its analysis of the Republican bill. "If you're looking at the CBO for accuracy, you're looking in the wrong place," White House press secretary Sean Spicer said during Wednesday's briefing with reporters.


In Arizona, fighting the legacy of ‘America’s toughest sheriff’

Posted: 09 Mar 2017 02:00 AM PST

In Arizona, fighting the legacy of 'America's toughest sheriff'Paul Penzone, Democratic candidate for Maricopa County sheriff, speaks to supporters during an election night party, on Nov. 8, 2016, in Phoenix. Penzone unseated longtime incumbent Joe Arpaio. PHOENIX, Ariz. — Last Friday morning, Maricopa County Sheriff Paul Penzone walked a few blocks from his office in downtown Phoenix to Arizona State University's Cronkite School of Journalism, where he patiently took questions from a room full of Latino journalism students from high schools around the county.


‘That energy is still here’: New Yorkers rally for ‘A Day Without a Woman’ strike

Posted: 08 Mar 2017 02:53 PM PST

'That energy is still here': New Yorkers rally for 'A Day Without a Woman' strikeWith the Plaza Hotel, which President Trump once owned, as a backdrop, a crowd gathered at the southeast corner of Central Park on Wednesday afternoon as part of the "A Day Without a Woman" strike. Set to coincide with International Women's Day, the protest was organized by the same team behind January's Women's March on Washington, a massive Saturday protest that coincided with many sister marches across the country and ultimately became the largest single-day demonstration in United States history. Wednesday's gathering was promoted as "a show of solidarity and revolutionary love," ahead of another rally in Manhattan's Washington Square Park on Wednesday evening, and the crowd, overwhelmingly female but otherwise diverse, was appropriately buoyant.


Border Patrol 'tunnel rats' plug underground passages

Posted: 09 Mar 2017 10:57 AM PST

Border Patrol 'tunnel rats' plug underground passagesSAN DIEGO (AP) — They are known in the U.S. Border Patrol as "tunnel rats" — agents who go in clandestine passages that have proliferated on the U.S.-Mexico border over the past 20 years to smuggle drugs.


Bolivia expands coca production

Posted: 08 Mar 2017 11:40 AM PST

Bolivia expands coca productionBolivia passed a controversial measure Wednesday to expand production of coca, the raw material for cocaine. Leftist president Evo Morales dismissed warnings that an increase in coca crops would fuel the illegal drug trade. The coca leaf is commonly chewed or drunk like tea, but drug gangs make it into cocaine in a chemical process that brings out its narcotic qualities.


Philippine 'death squad' member not afraid of Duterte, says more will speak out

Posted: 09 Mar 2017 04:49 AM PST

Philippine 'death squad' member not afraid of Duterte, says more will speak outBy Manuel Mogato MANILA (Reuters) - A former policeman who confessed to being part of a "death squad" under Philippine President Rodrigo Duterte on Thursday said he did not fear him, and believed four other members of his alleged hit team would come forward to testify. In an interview at a safe house, Arturo Lascanas, 56, told Reuters that he felt safer and at ease after publicly admitting his role in what he said were more than 200 extrajudicial killings in Davao when Duterte was a mayor obsessed with wiping out crime. "I'm happy because I know there would still be others who will come forward after me to reveal the killings in Davao," said the second member of the so-called "Davao death squad" to testify at Senate inquiries.


America Is Injuring Itself by Discouraging Foreign Visitors and Giving Up on Global Leadership

Posted: 08 Mar 2017 01:07 PM PST

America Is Injuring Itself by Discouraging Foreign Visitors and Giving Up on Global LeadershipThe Trump administration's current approach will make the United States less rich, less safe, and less informed.


Ranchers assess damage after wildfires in 4 states

Posted: 08 Mar 2017 02:43 PM PST

Ranchers assess damage after wildfires in 4 statesWICHITA, Kan. (AP) — Kansas rancher Greg Gardiner got into some of his scorched pastures for the first time Wednesday and surveyed what he likened to a battle zone: carcasses of dead cattle everywhere.


Debating health care bill, GOP congressman asks why Democrats haven’t proposed a tax on the sun

Posted: 09 Mar 2017 07:15 AM PST

Debating health care bill, GOP congressman asks why Democrats haven't proposed a tax on the sunThe Republican plan to repeal Obamacare was approved by the House Ways and Committee in the early Thursday, capping an 18-plus-hour debate over the legislation. And the marathon session was not without its testy moments.


‘Uh, no’: McConnell says Mexico won’t pay for Trump’s border wall

Posted: 09 Mar 2017 08:31 AM PST

'Uh, no': McConnell says Mexico won't pay for Trump's border wallSenate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell was asked Thursday whether Mexico will pay for President Trump's planned wall along the United States' southern border — a promise Trump repeated countless times during his 2016 presidential campaign.


White House sharpens axe for Clean Power Plan

Posted: 09 Mar 2017 09:29 AM PST

White House sharpens axe for Clean Power PlanSeven weeks into the Trump presidency, the coal industry and electric utilities are getting restless for their promised relief from the Obama administration's Clean Power Plan, which regulates carbon dioxide emissions. But they might not have to wait much longer, according to the authoritative energy news site E&E News, which is reporting that the administration is preparing to set the repeal in motion with an executive order as early as next week.


In Montreal, mushrooms make the local economy go round

Posted: 09 Mar 2017 12:24 AM PST

In Montreal, mushrooms make the local economy go roundWhile delivering oyster mushrooms to restaurants in the heart of Montreal, Lysiane Roy Maheu stops to get a bucket filled with coffee grounds from a barista friend. Three times a week, Roy Maheu and her friend Dominique Lynch-Gauthier, both 35, harvest about 200 kilograms (about 440 pounds) of mushrooms, which are delivered to area restaurants the same day. By cultivating mushrooms from recycled resources, "we've eliminated waste," explains Lynch-Gauthier, co-founder of the urban farm specializing in high-quality oyster mushrooms, Blanc de Gris.


Who are the 13 women depicted in the International Women’s Day Google Doodle?

Posted: 08 Mar 2017 09:43 AM PST

Who are the 13 women depicted in the International Women's Day Google Doodle?International Women's Day first began in the early 1900s, when 15,000 women in New York City marched in a garment workers' strike to demand better pay, shorter working days, the right to vote, and an end to child labor.


Moroccan lawmaker shot dead outside Casablanca home

Posted: 08 Mar 2017 10:36 AM PST

Moroccan lawmaker shot dead outside Casablanca homeA Moroccan lawmaker was shot dead in front of his home on Tuesday night in Casablanca in what appeared to be a personal dispute. Abdellatif Mirdas, 53, member of parliament for the liberal Constitutional Union Party, was shot three times in his car, according to a police statement carried by MAP state news agency. It said he had threatened Mirdas over a "personal dispute of a private nature".


Ancient Route Connected to Roman 'Emperor's Road' Unearthed in Israel

Posted: 09 Mar 2017 08:32 AM PST

Ancient Route Connected to Roman 'Emperor's Road' Unearthed in IsraelAbout 2,000 years ago, travelers walked along a wide, stone-paved road, some of them accidently dropping coins that would later be found by modern-day archaeologists in Israel. That road, as well as the coins lost by ancient passersby, was discovered by archaeologists near Highway 375 in Israel in February, according to the Israel Antiquities Authority (IAA). "The road that we discovered, which 2,000 years ago passed along a route similar to Highway 375 today, was up to 6 meters [20 feet] wide, [and] continued for a distance of approximately 1.5 kilometers [1 mile]," Irina Zilberbod, director of the IAA excavation, said in a statement.


Florida's Alligator Alley reopens during wildfires

Posted: 08 Mar 2017 05:43 PM PST

Florida's Alligator Alley reopens during wildfiresNAPLES, Fla. (AP) — A portion of Interstate 75 known as Alligator Alley was reopened Wednesday as firefighters worked to contain a wildfire in southwest Florida, the Florida Highway Patrol said.


Is Trumpism an existential threat?

Posted: 09 Mar 2017 02:00 AM PST

Is Trumpism an existential threat?I've been thinking about Barack Obama lately, and not because I suspect he ordered a tap on my phones, or directed his agents to eavesdrop through my flat-screen, although I like the idea of someone poring through hundreds of pages of transcripts of me ranting about how I can't seem to switch channels without turning on the Xbox. Obama had been saying he didn't consider terrorism an existential threat to the country, the way we once viewed the specter of nuclear war. This was well before anyone considered Donald Trump a plausible president of the United States, so Obama wasn't talking about anyone in particular.


Hillary Clinton’s message on International Women’s Day: ‘Resist, run for office’

Posted: 09 Mar 2017 08:29 AM PST

Hillary Clinton's message on International Women's Day: 'Resist, run for office'In a video posted to Snapchat on International Women's Day, Hillary Clinton urged women to "resist" and assert themselves politically. "There's a lot to fight for: Planned Parenthood, education, health care, jobs," Clinton said in the video, published Wednesday. Clinton donned red, the official color of "A Day Without a Woman." In honor of International Women's Day, the organizers of January's Women's March on Washington promoted the initiative, encouraging women to strike on Wednesday to demonstrate their economic importance.


‘It’s a free country’: White House reacts to ‘A Day Without a Woman’ strike

Posted: 08 Mar 2017 01:03 PM PST

'It's a free country': White House reacts to 'A Day Without a Woman' strikePress secretary Sean Spicer discussed the White House's reaction to the "A Day Without a Woman" protests taking place around the country at his daily briefing on Wednesday. Organizers said the protests were designed to highlight "the economic power and significance that women have" and raise awareness of "the economic injustices women and gender-nonconforming people continue to face." The organizers encouraged women to go on strike and "refrain from paid and unpaid work" as part of the protests, which were held on International Women's Day. Yahoo News asked Spicer about the protests at the briefing.


Best-Paying Jobs in America: Report

Posted: 09 Mar 2017 03:04 AM PST

Best-Paying Jobs in America: ReportA report that lists 25 of the best paying jobs in America from fields such as health care, technology and law found the highest salaries are going to physicians, followed by pharmacy managers and patent attorneys.


Biggest Ukraine investor alarmed over coal blockade

Posted: 09 Mar 2017 07:58 AM PST

Biggest Ukraine investor alarmed over coal blockadeThe biggest foreign investor in Ukraine expressed alarm Thursday over a weeks-long blockade of railway lines for transporting coal between the separatist east and the rest of the ex-Soviet state. Global steel giant ArcelorMittal expressed concern over the stoppage and said its operations near the war zone had been affected by the "challenging situation". ArcelorMittal bills itself as the world's largest integrated steel and mining company.


How a Syrian refugee lost his case against Facebook and fake news

Posted: 08 Mar 2017 11:30 AM PST

How a Syrian refugee lost his case against Facebook and fake newsIn 2015, Mr. Modamani was one of several asylum-seekers to take a selfie with German Chancellor Angela Merkel. Later, his selfie began to appear in two types of common anti-migrant Facebook posts, one of which incorrectly identified him as one of several migrants who had attempted to set a homeless man on fire in December. Recommended: How well do you understand the conflict in Syria?


Tennessee man charged in trash compactor killing of mom's dog

Posted: 08 Mar 2017 11:14 AM PST

Tennessee man charged in trash compactor killing of mom's dogA Nashville man has been arrested on charges linked to the death of his mother's pet dog, a diminutive Shih Tzu that was dumped while still alive in the trash compactor of an apartment complex, Tennessee police said on Wednesday. Security video from Feb. 21 showed Terrence Clark, 27, placing the dog in a grocery bag, putting the bag in the compactor, pushing the machine's button four times and then driving away, the Nashville Police Department said in a statement. Firefighters rescued the animal after a resident of the Arbor Hills Apartments in southeast Nashville heard it "whimpering and barking inside the compactor," police said.


Illinois budget impasse increasingly hurts universities: Moody's

Posted: 09 Mar 2017 09:14 AM PST

Illinois budget impasse increasingly hurts universities: Moody'sIllinois' record-breaking budget impasse, which has led to sporadic funding for higher education, is increasingly pressuring the finances and competitiveness of state universities, Moody's Investors Service said on Thursday. The credit rating agency said the lack of complete state funding has forced schools to take "considerable steps," including cutting academic programs and raising tuition, in order to keep operating and preserve financial liquidity. "Material programing reductions and staffing cuts, while necessary to keep the state's public universities operational in the short-term, will further impair the universities' abilities to sustain their strategic competitiveness and attract students for the upcoming fall 2017 class," Moody's said in a report.


Report: China developing advanced lunar mission spaceship

Posted: 09 Mar 2017 03:03 AM PST

Report: China developing advanced lunar mission spaceshipBEIJING (AP) — China is developing an advanced new spaceship capable of both flying in low-Earth orbit and landing on the moon, according to state media, in another bold step for a space program that equaled the U.S. in number of rocket launches last year.


European Diplomats to Congress: For Our Sake, Don’t Cut Foreign Aid Funding

Posted: 08 Mar 2017 10:35 AM PST

European Diplomats to Congress: For Our Sake, Don't Cut Foreign Aid FundingForeign diplomats warn slashing U.S. military and foreign assistance could endanger allies under Russia's shadow.


Hillary Clinton tweets an empowering message to young girls everywhere

Posted: 08 Mar 2017 10:37 AM PST

Hillary Clinton tweets an empowering message to young girls everywhereHillary Clinton has an unwavering belief that young women have the power to change the world. On Wednesday afternoon, the former Democratic presidential candidate, who has inspired young girls with her messages of hope and empowerment throughout the years, was moved by the adorable feminist photo that's been circulating on Twitter. SEE ALSO: Girls across the world: This is what 'being a woman' means to me The tweet is from the friend of a fourth grade teacher, one who clearly has some badass students determined to make a difference in her class. The friend shared a photograph of a tiny note found under a students' desk, written on a torn piece of paper in pencil. It reads: "Do you want to join a club for female empowerment. We are the leaders." My fourth grade teacher friend found this under one of her students' desks. <3 <3 <3 pic.twitter.com/7NSxIa6ujn — Elly (@SMLXist) March 6, 2017 Now please just sit back for a moment and stare at this note. If that isn't enough to propel you out into the world to stand up for what you believe in, I don't know what is. Filled with pride, Clinton shared the tweet—using a hashtag and emoji and all (      )—along with touching message to celebrate International Women's Day. On a day when women are both protesting and celebrating, Clinton said she's thinking about the young girl who wrote this note and "all the others like her out there." Clinton's tweet follows a moving speech she delivered during a charity luncheon for the nonprofit Girls Inc. in New York City on Tuesday. There, Clinton reiterated the importance of women's rights, along with the struggles that girls and young women face today. One thing's for sure, this fourth grader is on her way to shattering the glass ceiling. WATCH: Hillary Clinton in first speech since conceding says: 'Never, ever give up'


Georgia county agrees to restore black voters&#39; rights

Posted: 08 Mar 2017 11:39 AM PST

Georgia county agrees to restore black voters' rightsATLANTA (AP) — Election officials in Georgia's sparsely populated, overwhelmingly black Hancock County agreed Wednesday to restore voting rights to dozens of African-American registered voters they disenfranchised ahead of a racially divided local election.


Amazon Will Open Another Bookstore

Posted: 08 Mar 2017 10:49 AM PST

Amazon Will Open Another BookstoreAmazon confirmed that it will open a tenth bookstore later this year as the online retailer looks to expand its local presence.


Assange says leaks show CIA&#39;s &#39;devastating incompetence&#39;

Posted: 09 Mar 2017 10:38 AM PST

Assange says leaks show CIA's 'devastating incompetence'WikiLeaks founder Julian Assange on Thursday accused the CIA of "devastating incompetence" for failing to protect its hacking secrets and said he would work with tech companies to develop fixes for them. "This is a historic act of devastating incompetence, to have created such an arsenal and then stored it all in one place," Assange said.


America&#39;s political system: Who should check, who should balance?

Posted: 09 Mar 2017 07:48 AM PST

America's political system: Who should check, who should balance?North Carolina's governor has called it an "ominous" and "partisan" power grab. Before the Democratic governor took office earlier this year, the Republican-led legislature stripped him of an array of powers. There, the executive branch – headed by successive president who have liberally used executive action to get things done and presided over an expanding range of federal agencies – has steadily eroded the power of Congress.


Body parts found in French family murder case

Posted: 08 Mar 2017 12:45 PM PST

Body parts found in French family murder casePont-de-Buis-lès-Quimerch (France) (AFP) - Investigators on Wednesday found body parts at the home in northwest France of the man who has confessed to killing four relatives with a crowbar, the prosecutor in the case said. Hubert Caouissin was let out of custody to accompany the investigators to his farm in a remote part of Brittany and is cooperating in the gruesome search, Nantes prosecutor Pierre Sennes said in an email. Caouissin, 46, had told investigators that he cut up the bodies of his brother-in-law and his family at his farm in the hamlet of Logonna-Quimerc'h.


U.S. Plains blazes kill six, Kansas wildfires largest recorded

Posted: 08 Mar 2017 01:22 PM PST

U.S. Plains blazes kill six, Kansas wildfires largest recordedBy Jon Herskovitz AUSTIN, Texas (Reuters) - Firefighters are getting under control some of the fast-moving wildfires that have killed six people and scorched about 1.5 million acres (over 600,000 hectares) from Colorado to Kansas, causing thousands of evacuations, officials said on Wednesday. The threat of wildfires remained high in the U.S. Plains due to dry weather, strong winds and parched vegetation. The National Weather Service issued a critical fire risk warning for the Texas Panhandle into Oklahoma, Kansas and western Missouri.


Uber vows not to trick regulators with &#39;Greyball&#39; tool

Posted: 08 Mar 2017 11:01 PM PST

Uber vows not to trick regulators with 'Greyball' toolUber on Wednesday promised not to use a recently uncovered "Greyball" software program to trick regulators trying to catch drivers breaking the law. The smartphone-summoned ride service last week acknowledged the use of the secret software program to steer drivers away from trouble, including sting operations by local authorities to catch lawbreakers. According to Uber, the tool was used in cities where it was not banned from operating, and the main intent was to protect drivers from disruption by competitors using the smartphone application to interfere instead of summon legitimate rides.


Jon Huntsman Reportedly Offered Post as U.S. Ambassador to Russia

Posted: 08 Mar 2017 02:54 PM PST

Jon Huntsman Reportedly Offered Post as U.S. Ambassador to RussiaTaking on one of the toughest jobs in diplomacy.


You, Too, Can Become a Memory Champion, Scientists Say

Posted: 09 Mar 2017 07:10 AM PST

You, Too, Can Become a Memory Champion, Scientists SayThey use a well-known memory method called the method of loci, and now a new study shows that many people can learn this method. It induces brain activity patterns that resemble those of memory athletes, researchers reported today (March 8) in the journal Neuron. "Training normal humans to be memory athletes bulks up the brain's memory networks," said the study's senior author, Dr. Michael Greicius, an associate professor of neurology at Stanford University.


Turkey warns US relations at risk if Kurds help retake Raqqa

Posted: 09 Mar 2017 04:55 AM PST

Turkey warns US relations at risk if Kurds help retake RaqqaANKARA, Turkey (AP) — The United States risks major damage to its relationship with NATO ally Turkey if the U.S. includes Kurdish forces in the fight to retake Raqqa, the Islamic State group's de facto capital, Turkish Prime Minister Binali Yildirim said Thursday.


Emergency-911 service restored for AT&T mobile customers in U.S.: company

Posted: 08 Mar 2017 08:03 PM PST

Emergency-911 service restored for AT&T mobile customers in U.S.: company"Service has been restored for wireless customers affected by an issue connecting to 911," a representative for the company said in an email statement. Earlier on Wednesday evening, public safety agencies across the country said in alerts that AT&T mobile phone customers nationwide were unable to reach 911 emergency dispatchers. "AT&T is experiencing a nationwide outage which is affecting 911 calls," authorities in Washington, D.C., said in an email alert.


Gatorpalooza: Hundreds of Alligators Photographed Congregating at Watering Hole

Posted: 08 Mar 2017 01:50 PM PST

Gatorpalooza: Hundreds of Alligators Photographed Congregating at Watering HoleThe photographer told InsideEdition.com that he couldn't believe what he was seeing.


Israel takes action against boycotters. Is that counterproductive?

Posted: 08 Mar 2017 12:02 PM PST

Israel takes action against boycotters. Is that counterproductive?A law passed by parliament this week to bolster Israel's defenses against what it sees as a significant external threat – the boycott, divestment, and sanctions movement – is being criticized here as violating free speech and damaging democracy. Recommended: How much do you know about Israel? Sponsors of the bill say it is primarily designed to keep out foreign activists from the BDS movement, which has gained traction in the United States and Europe in recent years.


Honduras to probe alleged drug cartel links with ex-president

Posted: 08 Mar 2017 04:32 PM PST

Honduras to probe alleged drug cartel links with ex-presidentHonduras's prosecutors said Wednesday they would investigate alleged links between public figures, including an ex-president, and the Los Cachiros drug cartel. Devis Leonel Rivera Madariaga -- a former boss of the notorious Los Cachiros cartel who has confessed to killing 78 people -- said Monday he paid former president Porfirio Lobo (2010-2014) and his son Fabio hundreds of thousands of dollars.


The 2017 RUF CTR Is A Brand-New Car With Classic Style and 700 Horsepower

Posted: 08 Mar 2017 11:26 AM PST

The 2017 RUF CTR Is A Brand-New Car With Classic Style and 700 HorsepowerThe first car built on a RUF-designed carbon-fiber platform, it packs a twin-turbo engine and a top speed of 225 mph.


Encrypted Apps Used By White House Staff Have Security Flaws

Posted: 08 Mar 2017 05:19 PM PST

Encrypted Apps Used By White House Staff Have Security FlawsConfide, an encrypted communications app that has become popular within the White House, was shown to have significant security flaws that could leave accounts and messages compromised.


FBI Director Comey at cyber conference: &#39;You&#39;re stuck with me&#39;

Posted: 08 Mar 2017 01:05 PM PST

FBI Director Comey at cyber conference: 'You're stuck with me'By Jim Finkle BOSTON (Reuters) - FBI Director James Comey said he has no plans to step down anytime soon in a speech on Wednesday, days after he reportedly pushed back against President Donald Trump's allegations that the Obama administration had tapped phones at Trump Tower. "You're stuck with me for another 6-1/2 years," Comey said at a Boston College cyber security conference, indicating he expects to serve the remainder of his 10-year term. Comey did not speak with reporters during public appearances in Boston on Tuesday and Wednesday, ignoring questions about the wiretapping accusation that Trump made on Saturday without offering any evidence to support it.


Do Women Really Need a Yearly Pelvic Exam?

Posted: 09 Mar 2017 07:08 AM PST

Do Women Really Need a Yearly Pelvic Exam?Experts are still debating whether women need a pelvic exam at their yearly visit to a gynecologist, according to a new report. The report comes from a government-appointed expert panel that reviewed hundreds of studies on pelvic exams and concluded that there isn't enough evidence to make a recommendation either for or against pelvic exams for women who don't have symptoms of gynecologic conditions and aren't pregnant. The panel, known as the U.S. Preventive Services Task Force (USPSTF), said that more studies are needed to better assess the potential benefits and harms of routine pelvic exams.


China says NKorea could suspend nukes for halt in US drills

Posted: 08 Mar 2017 10:20 AM PST

China says NKorea could suspend nukes for halt in US drillsBEIJING (AP) — China's foreign minister said Wednesday that North Korea could suspend its nuclear and missile activities in exchange for a halt in joint U.S.-South Korea military drills, in an unusually public proposal that analysts said showed Beijing's growing alarm over the tensions.


Hawaiian island gets a huge renewable energy boost thanks to Tesla

Posted: 08 Mar 2017 03:43 PM PST

Hawaiian island gets a huge renewable energy boost thanks to TeslaA Hawaiian island is one step closer to getting 100 percent of its electricity from renewable sources. Tesla, the clean energy powerhouse run by Elon Musk, has built a 13-megawatt solar farm on Kauai to help reduce the island's dependence on diesel-burning power plants.  Unveiled on Wednesday, the Kapaia project features 54,000 solar panels. But that's not what makes it so unique.  SEE ALSO: Looking for hope on climate change under Trump? Cities are where the action is. Perhaps most importantly, it includes over 270 of Tesla's Powerpack batteries, which will store some of the solar power created during the day and supply those electrons to the grid in the evening.  The project — the largest of its kind — is expected to displace about 1.6 million gallons of diesel per year, Tesla said in an email. Energy experts say storage is essential for making renewables competitive with fossil fuels. Unlike coal and natural gas plants, which operate on command, solar and wind farms operate intermittently and at different hours. Batteries could also help utilities to harness the collective power of thousands of rooftop solar systems. With "virtual power plants," utilities can digitally aggregate solar-battery systems in an area to utilize their power all at once, simulating the flow from a singular power plant. Tesla's Kapaia project features 272 Powerwall batteries. Image: Tesla  Across the Hawaiian islands, utilities are required to get 100 percent of their electricity from renewable sources by 2045 — the most ambitious Renewable Portfolio Standard of any U.S. state. Kauai's main utility says it is well on its way to meeting that target thanks to a growing number of solar, small-scale hydropower and biomass projects. Kauai Island Utility Cooperative (KIUC) is the lone purchaser of power from Tesla's solar-battery system on the island. The arrangement marks the first time a U.S. utility has contracted out a system that stores and releases solar power after sunset. Before this week, KIUC could operate using 100 percent of renewables, but only during occasional mid-day periods of high solar generation. The Kapaia project will allow the utility to operate at 100 percent renewables more often, and with greater stability, in the middle of the day, Tesla said. Tesla's Powerpack batteries in Kauai were made at its $5 billion Gigafactory in Nevada. WATCH: Elon Musk's $2.6 billion bet on a clean energy empire


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