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U.S. NEWS Monday 3 February 2020
Report: San Diego

secures $300M to

intercept Mexico sewage

SAN DIEGO (AP) — The San included in the overhaul of
Diego region will get $300 the North American Free
million in federal funding Trade Agreement signed
for a new U.S. facility to by President Trump on Jan.
capture sewage spills from 29, the newspaper said.
Mexico before they foul "This is a huge, huge deal,"
shorelines north of the bor- said Imperial Beach Mayor
der, according to a news- Serge Dedina. In a Wednesday, Dec. 12, 2018 file photo, a couple walk along
the beach as signs warn of contaminated water at Imperial
paper report Sunday. Toxic water pollution Beach, Calif.
Congressional leaders an- from Mexico has shut- Associated Press
nounced the funding in tered shorelines in Impe-
December, but it wasn't rial Beach and other San tions for how to address the to about 12.
clear whether the money Diego County areas more pollution. San Diego Mayor Kevin
would be distributed across than 500 days over the last Since then, local leaders Faulconer promised that
the entire Southwest bor- three years, according to have pushed to build a the money would be used
der or dedicated specifi- court papers cited by the $400 million facility north to "clean up the sewage
cally to address pollution in Times. of the border to intercept spills from the Tijuana River
the Tijuana River Valley just The approach is a shift from and treat the pollution. It's Valley once and for all."
south of San Diego County, longstanding efforts to help been estimated the project Faulconer was present
the Los Angeles Times re- Mexico maintain its waste- could reduce cross-border when Trump signed the
ported. water system in Tijuana. flows from roughly 138 days agreement at the White
Now officials believe most Last summer, top officials a year on average, down House last week. q
— if not all — of the mon- with the U.S. Environmen-
ey will be doled out in and tal Protection Agency vis-
around the San Diego ited San Diego to lay out a
area, thanks to language blueprint with several op-
Mathematicians,

geeks celebrate rare

palindrome day

RICHMOND, Va. (AP) — ebration on Twitter, where
Mathematicians and geeks even those who don't spe-
everywhere celebrated a cialize in math got a kick
rare occurrence Sunday, out of the rare global pal-
02/02/2020, a kind of 8-dig- indrome.
it palindrome that hasn't "Another one won't hap-
happened for more than pen for 101 years, so make
900 years. the most of this one! "
A palindrome is any se- tweeted actor Mark Hamill
quence, phrase or word of "Star Wars" fame.
that reads the same back- "Are you guys pumped?
ward as forward. And The big day is finally here!!"
02/02/2020 is considered tweeted musical comedi-
a "universal palindrome" an "Weird Al" Yankovic.
because it reads the same "Right now people all across
whether written as "Month/ the country are getting to-
Day/Year" as the Unit- gether with friends and
ed States does, or "Day/ loved ones to celebrate -
Month/Year" as many oth- so exciting. Anyway, from
er countries do. my house to yours, Happy
The last universal pal- Palindrome Day!"
indrome occurred on The Royal Wedding Cha-
11/11/1111. The next pel in Las Vegas was hop-
one won't come until ing the date would have
12/12/2121. "It's possible to special meaning for many
live your entire life without couples. The chapel not-
ever having gone through ed in its advertising that
a universal palindrome, so couples who marry on
it's pretty cool to have one 02/02/2020 would have
in your lifetime," said Heath- their two-year anniversaries
er Pierce, a mathematics on 02/02/2022. "Two being
lecturer at Emmanuel Col- the ultimate symbolic num-
lege in Boston. ber representing you and
The date was cause for cel- your spouse to be."q