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New York City and large parts of the tri-state area have been placed under Code Red air quality alerts as smoke from wildfires in Canada continue to create hazy skies. The city is currently ranked fifth for the worst air quality in the world, following Toronto, Hanoi, Dhaka and New Delhi, as the Air Quality Index on Wednesday reached “unhealthy” levels across New York and other major US cities. The poor air quality is a result of more than 400 wildfires raging in Canada, leading to mass evacuations in the province of Quebec. Meanwhile, schools in New York City and Washington DC have cancelled outdoor activities such as recess and gym. As the wildfires continue to rage on, air quality in New York is expected to get worse later Wednesday afternoon, according to forecasters. But amidst an ongoing climate crisis, many climate scientists warn that wildfires could become more frequent and intense. Many officials have urged people to limit their time outdoors and wear masks to protect themselves from the smoke. In fact, wildfire smoke carries a number of pollutants that can pose a number of risks and hazardous effects. Here’s a list of dos and don’ts to help keep yourself safe during the Code Red air quality alert. Wear a mask If the Covid-19 taught us anything, it’s that masks help keep us safe from getting sick. The same goes for wildfire smoke. Masks can protect you from deadly air pollutants found in wildfire smoke such as fine particulate matter, also known as PM 2.5. But not all masks are created equal. While surgical masks work fine in protecting your lungs from the smoke, the most preferred method of protection are N95 or KN95 masks. Both N95 and KN95 masks work by fitting tightly to the face and filtering air using multiple layers of material, which are designed to trap extremely small particles. Stay indoors, or take precaution if you need to go outside New York City Mayor Eric Adams told New Yorkers in a statement to “limit outdoor activity to the greatest extent possible.” In addition to masking up, people should also avoid performing strenuous activities outside – such as exercising or biking – and change their clothes once they return home. Air purifiers vs air conditioners Outdoor air, including fine particles from wildfire smoke, can also enter your home through open windows, vents, or window air conditioning units. The Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) recommends using a portable air purifier to help improve indoor air quality. Indoor fans can also be used to help circulate air. The EPA also states that central AC systems, in which air is cooled and distributed through ducts, are safe to use during air quality alerts. “If you have an HVAC system with a fresh air intake, set the system to recirculate mode, or close the outdoor intake damper,” the agency said. As for window AC units, the EPA warns against running the portable AC during “smoky conditions because it can result in more smoke being brought inside.” Take steps to save energy and reduce pollution New Yorkers are encouraged to avoid activities that could create more fine particles indoors, such as smoking cigarettes; spraying aerosol products; using gas, propane or wood-burning stoves and furnaces; frying or broiling food; and burning candles or incense. The New York State Department of Environmental Conservation also recommends closing the blinds or shades to preserve cooled air, and limiting use of household appliances. Follow for live air quality alert updates. Read More Air quality – live: New York under Code Red alert and kids banned from outside play over Canada wildfire smoke Wildfire smoke tracker: Where the air pollution is headed next NYC and DC public schools cancel outdoor activities as wildfire smoke plagues East Coast As Pride Month begins: 5 LGBTQ+ icons who have helped shape pop culture and history Al Pacino, 83, expecting his fourth child with 29-year-old girlfriend Pest control expert weighs in on viral blue sofa debate

A museum says it is being unfairly punished for showing ancient Egypt's influence on black artists.

Footage of a strange-looking creature spotted swimming near a bridge in South Carolina has even left everyone perplexed as to what it could be. In the viral clip, it shows something clearly swimming in the waters near Pawleys Island but it is not clear exactly what species it is, though it looks like it does have a beak and wings or fins of some kind that keeps itself afloat but doesn't look like a typical outline of a bird. The South Carolina Department of Natural Resources had no idea as to what it could be. Sign up to our free Indy100 weekly newsletter “The people in my office are mostly stumped, but we’re not the experts,” an official with the South Carolina Department of Natural Resources told WCNC, NBC's Charlotte station in North Carolina. One law enforcement officer suggested that the creature could be a squid, though still remain unsure as to its identity. What is it? Mysterious creature spotted in Pawleys Island, South Carolina www.youtube.com So the video has been sent to The Marine Resources Research Institute in Charleston, and they are currently studying the footage in the hopes of providing an identification to end the mystery. Meanwhile, WCNC-TV's Meteorologist Brad Panovich shared his thoughts on what the creature could be. “At first, I thought it was a cuttlefish,” he said but now thinks it could be a sea hare or sea slug. “They can be pretty large, and they do swim in the water like that,” Panovich said. However, he did note that they're not typically found in South Carolina and are "more of a Florida and West Coast thing," in warmer waters. Elsewhere, AI has revealed what infamous 'Bigfoot' footage truly is and a suspected Russian 'spy’ whale has been spotted off the coast of Sweden. Have your say in our news democracy. Click the upvote icon at the top of the page to help raise this article through the indy100 rankings.

Jordan Clarkson and Kyle Kuzma made the cut, but Chandler Parsons did not. Tough.

Astronomers have discovered a ‘treasure trove’ after capturing an image of a barred spiral galaxy located 17 million light-years away. The findings were made after the James Webb Space Telescope (JWST) gave a more in depth look at galaxy NGC 5068. The feature is found in the constellation of Virgo, and it’s thought that the discovery could lead scientists to discover more about barred spiral galaxies like our own. The observations are all part of a series of findings from the JWST, with the telescope having collected images of 19 galaxies to add to our understanding of star-birthing galaxies. The bars can be seen in the upper left-hand section of the image posted by NASA below and they’re made up of tightly clustered stars. Sign up to our free Indy100 weekly newsletter It’s thought that structures like these take as long as two billion years to form, which could mean they’re a lot older than other galaxies. “This image of the central, bright star-forming regions of the galaxy is part of a campaign to create an astronomical treasure trove, a repository of observations of star formation in nearby galaxies,” Webb astronomers said, via sci.news. “These observations are particularly valuable to us for two reasons. The first is because star formation underpins so many fields in astronomy, from the physics of the tenuous plasma that lies between stars to the evolution of entire galaxies.” “By observing the formation of stars in nearby galaxies, we hope to kick-start major scientific advances with some of the first available data from Webb.” It continued: “The second reason is that Webb’s observations build on other studies using telescopes including the NASA/ESA Hubble Space Telescope and ground-based observatories.” They went on to say: “With its ability to peer through the gas and dust enshrouding newborn stars, Webb is particularly well-suited to explore the processes governing star formation. “Stars and planetary systems are born amongst swirling clouds of gas and dust that are opaque to visible-light observatories like Hubble or VLT.” Have your say in our news democracy. Click the upvote icon at the top of the page to help raise this article through the indy100 rankings.

Which MLB teams are lighting up the scoreboard, and which are having a tough time punishing pitchers?The MLB season is roughly one-third of the way complete. In the American League, the Tampa Bay Rays and Texas Rangers stand proudly above the rest. In the NL, the battle for No. 1 is split three ...

NBA Draft rumors: Damian Lillard could demand trade from BlazersThe Portland Trail Blazers own the No. 3 pick in the upcoming NBA Draft. That doesn't really align with the team's immediate goal of building a championship contender around Damian Lillard, something the front office has man...

MLB Rumors: Could the Yankees demote Anthony Volpe?Anthony Volpe is slashing just .191/.268/.358 so far in his big-league career, though his value goes far beyond that. Timely hits, including a game-winning home run against the Dodgers this weekend, can be lethal when paired with what has overall ...

The 20% reduction is the result of targeting organised crime gangs and repeat offenders, police said.

Homeland Security Secretary Alejandro Mayorkas and FBI Director Christopher Wray will each testify before the House Judiciary Committee in separate hearings next month, a source familiar with the plans told CNN.

What a difference an offseason can make. The New England Patriots are hoping that a familiar face can revive their young quarterback and a stagnant offense.The transition from a quarterback who helped lead the team to six Super Bowl titles was not expected to be easy. The New England Patriots ar...

A lot of things in the chaos that is life have sparked comparisons to Netflix’s dark anthology series Black Mirror over the years. Its very first episode back in 2011 - “The National Anthem” – resurfaced in 2015 amid ‘Piggate’ and David Cameron, Apple’s Animojis drew parallels with the titular animated bear in “The Waldo Moment”, and just this week people thought Apple’s first AR headset looked particularly dystopian. Now, as both tech experts and political advisers warn of the threat of artificial intelligence (AI), and the AI chatbot ChatGPT continues to generate memes and news stories online, Black Mirror’s creator Charlie Brooker has revealed he’s had a go with the software – albeit with underwhelming results. He told Empire: “I’ve toyed around with ChatGPT a bit. The first thing I did was type ‘generate Black Mirror episode’ and it comes up with something that, at first glance, reads plausibly, but on second glance, is s***. “Because all it’s done is look up all the synopses of Black Mirror episodes, and sort of mush them together. Then if you dig a bit more deeply you go, ‘oh, there’s not actually any real original thought here.’” Shame – that would have been suitably meta. Brooker did, however, note some learnings from his experience with the chatbot, adding: “I was aware that I had written lots of episodes where someone goes, ‘oh, I was inside a computer the whole time!’ So I thought, ‘I’m just going to chuck out any sense of what I think a Black Mirror episode is.’ Sign up to our free Indy100 weekly newsletter “There’s no point in having an anthology show if you can’t break your own rules. Just a sort of nice, cold glass of water in the face.” Although an AI-produced episode of Black Mirror is off the cards for now, fans of the show do have five new ones to look forward to when the hotly anticipated season six drops on Netflix on 15 June. Opening episode “Joan Is Awful” features a Netflix parody known as Streamberry in scenes akin to The Truman Show (and stars Scott Pilgrim actor Michael Cera and comedian Rob Delaney), episode two titled “Loch Henry” is reported to have elements of past episode “White Bear” in it, and Breaking Bad’s Aaron Paul is up in space in “Beyond The Sea”. Meanwhile the penultimate episode “Mazey Day” appears to follow the scandal-hit celebrity in its title, and stage stars Anjana Vasan and Paapa Essiedu round off the series with “Demon 76” – a story which is reportedly about a sales assistant forced to do awful things. Yeah, that sounds about right. Have your say in our news democracy. Click the upvote icon at the top of the page to help raise this article through the indy100 rankings.