Man on Mars In Our Lifetime? Here's How | Weekend Read

Each weekend, Patch shares stories sparking conversations beyond one community:

Obama: America Heading to Mars by 2030s

The next president of the United States won't see humans on Mars. His or her successor probably won't, either. But the current president of the United States announced ambitious plans to send humans to explore the Red Planet by the 2030s — with the eventual goal of humans living there.

In a column at CNN.com this week, President Barack Obama wrote of his personal curiosity about the final frontier, the advancements that exploration could bring to science and technology on Earth and announced new partnerships to develop the tools for deep-space travel. Oh, and a timeline that puts us on a fast track to Mars. >>> Read more.

Rescue swimmers practice Orion underway recovery techniques last month at NASA’s Johnson Space Center. Photo: NASA/Radislav Sinyak

Airlines Struggle To Handle Passengers Arriving With Pigs, Turkeys, Monkeys As 'Service Animals'

An increasing number of people are getting on planes with pigs, turkeys and monkeys who they say should be permitted to fly just like dogs, under the category of "emotional support."

Recently, representatives from the airline, medical and service animal industries met for the sixth and final time before the department proposes clearer rules about what is and isn’t allowed in an airplane cabin. >>> Read more.

How To Make a Pumpkin Spice Latte for $1

Make everyone's favorite fall drink at home, no espresso maker, frother, or special syrups required!

Hurricane Matthew May Have Caused Up to $4.5B in U.S. Property Damage

The damage that Hurricane Matthew’s high winds and flooding wreaked on the Southeastern U.S. coast racked up a death toll of more than two dozen, and now it has a price tag, too: $3 billion to $4.5 billion.

That’s how much the damages to about 2 million insured residences are estimated to cost, according to real estate information provider CoreLogic, based in Irvine, CA. Although those billions of dollars in losses may seem daunting, they are significantly less than Hurricane Katrina, which wrought $35 billion to $40 billion in damages to insured properties. >>> Read more.