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Off the southern coast of mainland England, floating in the Solent straight about a mile from the Isle of Wight, two eye-catching former military forts are drifting to auction. Known as the Solent forts, the circular granite islands were constructed in the 1860s to defend the city of Portsmouth from the French and have, more recently, been renovated into lavish nautical hotels, Mansion Global first reported. Now, after 12 years under the same ownership, the extensively built-out parcels are set to hit the auction block on June 18 with a guide price of $1.27 million each. The larger of the two, No Mans Fort, features 99,000 square feet spread over four floors containing 23 ensuite bedrooms, crew quarters, multiple bars, restaurants and a spa. There’s an “entertaining space including laser battle” on the lowest level, and hot tubs and a fire pit on the roof deck. The second is Spitbank Fort, with approximately 33,000 square feet spread over three floors offering nine guest suites, staff accommodation and event spaces such as the 60 Covers Restaurant and Crows Nest Function Suite. It’s slightly closer to the mainland and, like its counterpart, is also equipped with self-sufficient power and water sources, a fire pit and a hot tub. While No Mans has a helipad, Spitbank is only accessible by boat. As of the present, both are currently being used as hotels, but press materials suggest a buyer could also utilize them as a vacation home, for medical research, a casino — or a prison. “Throughout my career as an auctioneer I’ve seen several sea forts hit the market that have achieved impressive prices as buyers have sought to pursue these trophy assets,” said Savills head of auctions Robin Howeson, who holds the listings. I anticipate there to be a global interest from multiple buyer types looking to take the forts into their next chapter, whether that’s as a new commercial venture or residential home.” Residents of a town outside Dallas have scored a major victory — forcing a developer to scrap plans to bulldoze lush farmland and replace it with a shopping center. The Haggard family, one of Plano’s most prominent clans, aimed to transform a 13.5-acre slice of their historic farm into a retail destination featuring a Sprouts grocery store, retail space and 33 townhomes. The Fairview Farm Land Company, run by a Haggard family member, petitioned Plano officials to rezone the land, sparking a fierce backlash from locals. Residents flooded the city with hundreds of messages, NBC Dallas Fort Worth reports. The overwhelming opposition led to an unexpected twist: Fairview Farm Land Company requested to withdraw its rezoning application. “While we were hopeful that our proposed development would be seen as a positive addition, it is clear that is not the case and we don’t want to proceed with something that does not have full community support. Thank you for your consideration,” the company conveyed via a proxy. Christina Day, Plano’s director of planning, noted the rarity of such a withdrawal. “It’s not unheard of but it is rare,” she told the outlet. “It doesn’t mean they can’t bring a new case forward at some point.” The land is already zoned for single-family homes or townhouses, allowing the Haggards to potentially propose a solely residential development in the future. The Haggard family has a history of selling and developing parts of their land. In 2021, Plano approved a large mixed-use development on 124 acres of Haggard farmland along the Dallas North Tollway, despite massive community opposition. This project, currently under construction, includes a hotel, a restaurant, commercial buildings and housing. Day emphasized that Plano’s policies aim to limit retail sprawl. “We’ve long had policies to limit retail zoning and retail development where possible in the city and that’s because we realize that we have three times the national average of retail,” she said.

Max, a friendly tabby living adjacent to Vermont State University’s main entrance in Castleton was named a “doctor of litter-ature” — after spending a string of semesters wandering the halls of the institution of higher learning, charming students and staff with his positive energy. “Max the Cat has been an affectionate member of the Castleton family for years,” the school said in a Facebook post. The curious kitty first wandered down the street in search of a social life roughly half a decade ago — and the rest was history 101. “So he decided that he would go up on campus, and he just started hanging out with the college students, and they love him,” owner Ashley Dow told the Associated Press. Everybody knows Max, who laps up the attention he’s given, allowing himself to be picked up and played with, and even posed for selfies. The social creature also loves to join campus tours, designed to show prospective students the ropes, running across the street to the meeting point at the right time. “I don’t even know how he knows to go, but he does,” Dow said. “And then he’ll follow them on their tour.” Dow, known as “Max’s mom” around Castleton, said that she’s spoken to graduates who return to town and want to know how Max is doing.

Local high school students bid farewell to trout they nurtured as part of a conservation effort Twenty-two High school students from John Bowne High School in Flushing took a trip to the Cross River to release nearly 230 juvenile trout that they had raised in their classrooms. The students had been taking care of the fingerlings since October of last year and cheered on their journey through the Ward Pound Ridge Reservation in Westchester County and the Cross River Reservoir. In October 2023, over 125 classroom educators joined the “Trout in the Classroom” program’s Fall Teacher Conference and received trout eggs from the New York State Department of Environmental Conservation. Thousands of students across the state worked on an eight-month-long program to incubate the trout eggs and raise them into fingerlings. The program concludes with field trips between March and June of this year, where the students have the opportunity to release the fingerlings into streams. Students also have the opportunity to share their experiences about raising the trout and participate in other environmental activities. Since 2002, the DEP and Trout Unlimited have worked together to educate students across New York State about the importance of protecting shared water resources through the Trout in the Classroom program. The program teaches students from pre-K to 12th grade about connections between trout, the New York City water supply system and water quality. Trout Unlimited is a national non-profit organization that works to conserve and restore North America’s cold-water fisheries and their watershed. The DEP manages the city’s water supply, providing about 1 billion gallons of drinking water daily to nearly 10 million residents, including 8.5 million in New York City.

The Twins entered their series against the Yanks having won 17-of-20. Carlos Rodon gave up a homer on the second pitch he threw in the first game. The Yanks proceeded to shut them out for the rest of the 3 game series. Aaron Judge's last 2 games: 6-7, 5 doubles, 1 HR, 1 ball caught at the wall, 2 walks. His slump may be ending.

Jennifer Lopez and Ben Affleck are reportedly on “two different pages” in their marriage amid rumors they are headed toward divorce. “Jen and Ben are having issues in their marriage,” a source told Us Weekly Thursday. “They started having issues a few months ago as Jen had started ramping up work commitments and prepping for her tour.” Per the insider, the “On the Floor” songstress “is very focused on work” as she is set to start her “This is Me … Now: A Love Story” world tour in Orlando, Fla., next month. “They are on two completely different pages most of the time,” the source added. While Lopez, 54, was recently spotted house hunting in Los Angeles, Calif., on Tuesday, the insider insisted she was merely searching for an investment property. However, another source told the outlet that Affleck, 51, was living in a separate home from the “Let’s Get Loud” singer. They also alleged the A-list couple isn’t ready to throw in the towel yet as another echoed they are working on their marriage.

Sandwich icon Katz’s Delicatessen and beloved Ukrainian East Village eatery Veselka have teamed up to create a new menu mashup: the “pastrogi,” a pastrami-stuffed pierogi. The city’s oldest deli provides its signature deli meat, and Veselka works the pastrami into its classic Eastern European dumplings. The one-of-a-kind “flavorful fusion” will only be available for one month at Veselka’s new Williamsburg location at 646 Lorimer St. starting on its opening day, Wednesday, June 5. The “innovative” pastrogi — available either boiled or fried — emerged through trial and error, with the restaurants saying it took weeks to perfect. In the end, “we couldn’t be more thrilled to share it with both our customers and theirs,” Veselka owner Tom Birchard said, adding that the partnership was a way “to showcase our Ukrainian heritage while celebrating the diverse culinary landscape of NYC.” An appetizer portion of four is $12, while an entree portion of eight costs $22. Adding to the hype, the 1954-born Ukrainian spot and Katz’s — the latter oft-remembered as a filming location for the 1989 hit rom-com “When Harry Met Sally” filming location — are also offering a super-stuffed “New York Classics” combo package that can be shipped nationwide for the next three weeks. For $160, it includes a pound of each of hand-carved pastrami and corned beef; a 12-pack of potato pierogies; a 16-slice half-loaf of deli rye; 2 quarts of sour pickles; 8 ounces each of deli mustard, ruben dressing and sauerkraut; a pound of Swiss cheese; and a dozen Veselka potato pierogies. “We love having the capability to ship these exclusive and iconic tastes across the country, making it possible for everyone to experience and provide a bit of nostalgia to those who may have moved away from the city,” said Jake Dell, owner of Katz’s Deli. Two years ago, Katz’s teamed up with Italian sandwich shop Alidoro and the Metropolitan Transportation Authority for a subway-themed pastrami Ruben sandwich.

Raising Cane’s to open its first Queens location in Flushing this summer opening 7/2 @ 39-20 Main St; previously Burger King

Raising Cane’s to open its first Queens location in Flushing this summer

How's this for some organizational pitching… The Yankees won 4-0 tonight and all four of their minor-league teams won, three of them by shut out. Including the major league team, the organization gave up three runs in five games tonight. It means absolutely nothing, of course, but I thought it was kind of cool, nevertheless

Dude, do you think anyone has noticed the Rockies have given up only 14 runs in their last 7 games? BREAK UP THE ROCKIES! 7 IN A ROW!

BATTLE OF THE BULGE ABC execs alarmed over ‘GMA3’ host’s skin-tight biker shorts pics: ‘Little to the imagination’ The images of Morgan show the affable anchor’s “package” is on full display — and make for an uncomfortable fit with ABC’s corporate parent Disney, sources said.

They should really up the ante... Loser gets full custody of both kids

ALL YOUR PRAYERS HAVE BEEN ANSWERED!!! More than six years after their divorce was finalized, Flip or Flop hosts Tarek El Moussa and Christina Hall are set to reunite for a new HGTV series. It was announced on Wednesday morning as part of Warner Bros. Discovery’s Upfront presentation to advertisers that El Moussa and Hall will challenge each others’ flipping skills in (heh) The Flip Off. “Tarek El Moussa and Christina Hall built a home-flipping empire and top HGTV series with Flip or Flop. But it all came crashing down after their much-publicized divorce,” reads the official synopsis. “Now, the exes are back — along with their new spouses — for a throwdown competition to see who can find, buy, renovate, and flip a house for the biggest financial gain, and the chance at bragging rights.” The Flip Off is on track to launch in early 2025 with a “super-sized premiere.”

South Park Wants to Put Cartman on Ozempic in The End of Obesity Paramount+ Special

It took you until now to understand the point of this thread?

Wearing a pair of ankle socks right now

Is that an Australian thing? 😁😋😊🤣😇😍😁

There are multi-million dollar townhomes in NYC that aren't much wider. With a lot that size, you make make all the rooms long and moderately wide.

Slice of paradise Tiny 10-foot-wide ‘spite’ house lists for $619K in Florida In the north Florida resort city of Jacksonville Beach, an antagonistically thin home with quite the backstory has listed for sale. This 1,547-square-foot, 10-foot-wide two-bedroom house was completed earlier this year on a leftover lot, namely a small parcel of undeveloped land within a developed area. Generally, local zoning boards will give developers permission to break with building code and construct larger-than-technically-allowed abodes — but not in this case, Business Insider reported. “In this particular neighborhood, which is typical of beach areas or areas of high density, you’ll get some areas of smaller lots,” Ryan Wetherhold of Oceanside Real Estate, who holds the listing, told the publication. “What you can do on these smaller lots is you can go in front of a board of adjustment, and they’ll allow you to build more than the building code is allowed.” However, a next-door neighbor who had been using the 1952 Horn Street parcel as a garden persuaded others to complain about its development at a public hearing vote, and the board was successfully convinced to disallow adjustments. The developer took this less as discouragement than a challenge. “[To] be honest, the builder almost built this out of spite just because of that fact. ‘Oh, you don’t think we can build, hold my beer,'” Wetherhold said. Despite the home’s narrow look, the lot is 140 feet deep, which is deeper than others in the area. Also, to make up for a normal house’s amount of space, this residence has built-in seating, which helps for saving space — as they’re designed specifically for the property’s dimensions. It could also be a perk for a buyer in search of a home with little maintenance required. The property hit the market this March, but has yet to sell — although since being featured on the Zillow Gone Wild account last month, interest has been through the roof. “omggg she’s on ozempic,” commented one person. “I mean for that price you’re better off buying an RV,” wrote another. “Finally a new construction single family home in a great area of South Jax Beach for a reasonable price!” reads the listing, which promotes the two-story, three-bathroom compound as having a “unique build,” “room for a pool,” a garage and a backyard. editorial comment left by developer:

Justin Fields had ‘toxic’ relationship with Nick Foles as messy Bears detail emerge uh-oh... sounds like somebody had a case of penis envy! The crux of the issue seems to be that Fields — whom the Bears traded up with the Giants to draft — couldn’t take much constructive criticism from Foles, who attempted to advise the young quarterback only to find out that Fields was not paying attention to the Super Bowl MVP-winning quarterback. An anonymous source told Go Long the two “could not stand each other” as a result of Fields’ lack of respect during the teachable moment for the rookie.

Once this season ends, Will Trent will not return until January, but once it starts, there will be 18 episodes in a row, with no repeats or weeks off. The final six episodes of the Conners are being held until 2025 as well.