Cuban dissident Yunior Garcia flies to Spain

Days after Cuban authorities thwarted planned protests by the dissident group Archipelago, its most vocal activist has left the island. 

Yunior Garcia Aguilera said he had been incomunicado for several days



Yunior Garcia is the most vocal and known face of the Archipelago movement

A leading activist who had been a vocal backer of anti-government protests in Cuba unexpectedly left the country and flew to Spain, a Spanish government spokesman confirmed on Wednesday.

Yunior Garcia Aguilera and his wife, Dayana Prieto, arrived in Madrid on tourist visas. "We have arrived in Spain, alive, healthy and with our ideas intact. We have many people to thank," Garcia wrote on his Facebook page.

The activist is the most vocal and known face of the Archipelago movement, which was created after rare, spontaneous protests swept the streets in July. Cubans took to the streets to protest power outages, shortages and high prices. They denounced the lack of freedoms on the island.

Cuba has accused the US government of instigating the protests and trying to destabilize the country. Garcia, a screenwriter who is mostly known in Cuba for his plays, as well as his television and movie scripts, has denied being linked to the US.
A 'personal decision'

Garcia's departure from Cuba comes in the wake of a wider crackdown on media and organizers ahead of protests that were planned for November 15. Authorities had targeted Garcia, barring him from leaving his apartment building when he said we would carry on a solo protest walk on Sunday.

But, since Monday, no one had heard from him or seen him, prompting members of the Archipelago group to voice concern about his safety.

"I have been without communication for several days and I need to update myself on the situation of other members of the Archipelago. Very soon we will discuss our odyssey," the 39-year-old wrote.

It was not clear if Garcia had fled the country or if he had been forced to leave. But sources from the Spanish Foreign Ministry told newspaper El Pais that it was "a personal decision,” whereby Garcia had requested a visa to Spain and it was granted.

"Obviously, if Cuban authorities were not against it, because if it had been so, he would not have left,” the source is quoted as saying, adding that it was unclear to Spanish authorities whether or not he would apply for political asylum.

jcg/fb (AFP, AP, EFE)

34,000 protest in Greece on anti-junta revolt anniversary
   

Thousands marching towards to US embassy in Athens 

 

(AFP/Louisa GOULIAMAKI)


Wed, November 17, 2021

Tens of thousands of people joined protests in Greece's two largest cities on Wednesday, marking the anniversary of a 1973 student revolt against a US-backed junta, an annual event that often sparks violence.

Twenty thousand turned out in the capital Athens, according to police. Most of the marchers were students, unionists and members of leftist parties. A further 14,000 marched in the second city Thessaloniki.

Police were deployed in their thousands in the capital, supported by drones, a helicopter and water cannon as violence regularly breaks out during the annual protest.

However, both demonstrations remained peaceful into the evening.

In Athens, thousands marched to the US embassy to protest against Washington's support for the Greek military dictatorship during the Cold War.

"No to police violence and suppression", read one banner, "Resistance to fascism" another.

Prime Minister Kyriakos Mitsotakis in a statement said, "Let us welcome this great anniversary... without extreme behaviour."

Social discontent has been growing in Greece against the conservative government, which has been criticised for its security crackdown, police violence and alleged control of the media.

- Riot police at US embassy -

The American embassy in Athens was ringed with riot police and police vehicles on Wednesday, with embassy staff sent home early, while central Athens subway stations were closed on security grounds.

"US government personnel have been advised to avoid the downtown areas of Athens and Thessaloniki in the late afternoon and to stay behind police lines until the Greek authorities announce the conclusion of the event," the embassy said ahead of the protests.

Last year, the government tried to ban the protests as the anniversary fell in the middle of a second wave of the coronavirus pandemic, before vaccines became available.

But hundreds defied the ban, and police used tear gas, stun grenades and water cannon to disperse the demonstration in Athens.

Due to a vaccination rate of more than 63 percent in Greece, the government did not ban the demonstrations this year.

The annual protests mark the day in 1973 when at least 24 people were killed at the Athens Polytechnic, when the junta sent troops and police against a pro-democracy student uprising.

The brutal crackdown shocked Europe, and is generally considered to have broken the dictatorship's grip on power, leading to the restoration of democracy months later.

The bloodstained Greek flag that flew that night over the polytechnic's iron gate, which was crushed by a tank, was carried at the head of the demonstration in the capital, as it is each year.

A group of students prevented a parliamentary delegation from laying a wreath in the polytechnic on Wednesday morning, chanting "Out with the junta".

There has been additional tension in recent months as a result of a new law that bans demonstrators from streets partially open to traffic.

Many protesters have been ignoring that restriction, and riot police have regularly used tear gas and water cannon to push them back.

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DR Congo lawmakers urge reparations over illegal mining


Gold is used to fund armed groups and fuel the conflicts that have plagued eastern regions of the DRC for more than a generation (AFP/Guerchom NDEBO)

Wed, November 17, 2021, 2:35 PM·2 min read

Lawmakers probing illegal mining by foreign-owned firms in eastern Democratic Republic of Congo on Wednesday recommended fines and reparations to local communities to compensate for the losses.

Authorities in the eastern region of South Kivu in August suspended the work of half a dozen Chinese-financed companies in its Mwenga territory, after inhabitants accused them of mining for gold without permission and wrecking the environment.

"Most... mining companies have not entered into a contract with the local communities and those that did have never respected it," the lawmakers said in a report presented to parliament.

"During exploitation... the local communities' fields and fishing ponds have been destroyed" and water resources polluted, they added in the document, a copy of which was obtained by AFP.

They said the mining sector presented "huge potential" for Democratic Republic of Congo, but the country was facing an onslaught of illegal "mining firms and cooperatives" who were "dispossessing the state".

The members of parliament recommended the government "restore order in the South Kivu mining sector", by "suspending all mining activity across the whole province", and "identifying and withdrawing, where appropriate, the rights of irregular mining firms and cooperatives".

They asked the authorities to impose "fines on firms... carrying out illegal mining activities".

The opacity of the exploitation and sale of Congolese gold has long been a source of concern, with UN experts last year noting "volumes of smuggled gold significantly higher than those marketed legally".

Gold, one of the Central African country's abundant mineral resources, is also used to fund armed groups and fuel the conflicts that have plagued eastern regions for more than a generation.

The lawmakers also called on the authorities to create "trading centres for gold transactions" in Mwenga.

They said they hoped parliament would pass a resolution to urge the government to "fully, and jointly with the mining companies and cooperatives, compensate for the prejudices suffered... by the local communities due to the passiveness and/or complicity of the competent authority, both at provincial and national level".

They also called for the army and the police to be banned from mining sites, but said an exception should be made for the so-called "mines and hydrocarbons police".

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Hate speech trial for French far-right pundit Zemmour

His defence lawyer argued that all Zemmour had done was develop a political argument 

(AFP/JOEL SAGET)
Wed, November 17, 2021

French far-right pundit Eric Zemmour, who is widely expected to run for the presidency next year, went on trial Wednesday charged with racist hate speech over a televised tirade against unaccompanied child migrants.

He told the CNews channel in September last year that child migrants were "thieves, killers, they're rapists. That's all they are. We should send them back."

The 63-year-old did not appear in person, saying in a statement that he refused "to accept that a political debate takes place in a courtroom".

Even if he were convicted, he would almost certainly appeal, and his electoral prospects would be unlikely to suffer as his contempt for "politically correct" speech is part of his appeal.

Around 20 members of his "Generation Z" support group gathered in front of the Paris court building and unfurled a French flag.

The case was "nothing other than another attempt to intimidate me", his statement said under the headline "they won't shut me up".

The journalist, author and TV pundit has two previous convictions for hate speech and has been investigated 16 times in total for his incendiary remarks on immigration and Islam.

- Polling strongly -

In court Wednesday, the prosecution denounced what it described as Zemmour's "contemptuous, outrageous" words and called for a 10,000-euro fine.

"The limits of freedom of expression have been crossed," said Manon Adam, calling for the fine to be set at 100 euros a day for 100 days, with the possibility of jail if it was not paid.

For the defence, lawyer Olivier Pardo argued that Zemmour was developing a political argument.

"His thesis, that there must be no immigration", was a political position, he said, calling for Zemmour to be cleared.

The court will hand down its verdict on January 17.

In his initial comments during the debate on CNews, Zemmour referred repeatedly to "all" unaccompanied child migrants as thieves, killers and rapists, but he later conceded that "not all" of them were criminals after prompting from a presenter.

He was talking several days after a Pakistani man attacked two people with a meat cleaver at the former offices of the Charlie Hebdo satirical magazine, which had recently republished cartoons of the Prophet Mohammed.

The 25-year-old assailant, who was unaware that the magazine had changed location, had arrived in France with false papers to claim asylum as an unaccompanied minor.

Immigration is a major theme of early presidential campaigning, with Zemmour and other right-wing hopefuls promising to address fraud in the asylum system and the difficulty of returning people if their claims are rejected.

In 2011, he was fined 10,000 euros ($11,300) for claiming on TV that "most drug dealers are black and Arab". In 2018, he was ordered to pay 3,000 euros for stigmatising comments about a Muslim "invasion" of France.

Polls have shown a surge in support for him over the last two months, with some at the end of October putting him ahead of the veteran far-right leader Marine Le Pen.

In the latest surveys ahead of the first round of the election on April 10, he was shown winning 13 to 15 percent, with Le Pen on around 18 percent and President Emmanuel Macron on around 25 percent.

Macron is tipped to win the second-round run-off irrespective of his opponent, but analysts warn that the election remains highly unpredictable.

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Concern deepens for Chinese tennis star's safety after email

Wed, November 17, 2021

Peng Shuai is a prominent Chinese tennis player who was number one in doubles 

(AFP/GREG BAKER)

The boss of women's tennis has cast doubt on an email posted on China's media purportedly from tennis star Peng Shuai, saying it "only raises my concerns as to her safety."

Steve Simon, chairman of the WTA, said in a statement that he had a "hard time believing" the email was written by Peng, who has not been heard from since alleging two weeks ago that a powerful Chinese politician had sexually assaulted her.

Peng, a former Wimbledon and French Open doubles champion, alleged on the Twitter-like Weibo earlier this month that former vice-premier Zhang Gaoli had "forced" her into sex during a long-term on-off relationship.

The claims were quickly scrubbed from social media and she has not been seen since, drawing mounting concern over her wellbeing.

However, state-run CGTN published a screenshot on Twitter of what it said was an email written by Peng to Simon and other WTA officials.

In the email, Peng purportedly claims that her earlier accusations of sexual abuse are "not true" and says she is "resting at home and everything is fine."

But doubts were quickly flagged about the language used in the purported email from Peng, which Twitter users noted had a cursor visible in the screenshot posted by CGTN.

Simon said he was struggling to believe it was authentic.

"The statement released today by Chinese state media concerning Peng Shuai only raises my concerns as to her safety and whereabouts," Simon wrote in a statement.

"I have a hard time believing that Peng Shuai actually wrote the email we received or believes what is being attributed to her," he added.

He said he had been repeatedly trying to reach her via numerous forms of communication, to no avail.

He called for "independent and verifiable proof that she is safe".

- 'Incredible courage' -

"Peng Shuai displayed incredible courage in describing an allegation of sexual assault against a former top official in the Chinese government," said Simon.

"Her allegation of sexual assault must be respected, investigated with full transparency and without censorship.

"The voices of women need to be heard and respected, not censored nor dictated to."

China has kept silent over growing concern for the tennis star, whose claims marked the first time its fledgling #MeToo movement has struck at the top echelons of the ruling Communist Party.

But Beijing has previously faced allegations of using forced confessions on state media, with British regulators revoking CGTN's licence for failing to comply with fairness and privacy rules.

William Nee of advocacy group Chinese Human Rights Defenders said Peng's statement "should not be taken at face value".

"The Chinese government has a long history of arbitrarily detaining people involved in controversial cases, controlling their ability to speak freely, and making them give forced statements," he said in a statement.

Nee called for Beijing to prove that she has not been detained.

- 'Power of the state' -

Mareike Ohlberg of the German Marshall Fund wrote on Twitter that these types of messages are "not meant to convince people but to intimidate and demonstrate the power of the state."

The message from Beijing is clearly: "'We are telling you that she is fine, and who are you to say otherwise?'", she wrote.

Details of Peng's allegations remain scrubbed from China's internet.

On November 2, Peng wrote on social media that Zhang -- who is in his seventies -- "forced" her into sex and said they had an on-off relationship lasting several years.

The post appeared to have been deleted quickly, however, sparking swift accusations from critics of Beijing of online censorship.

Four-time Grand Slam champion Naomi Osaka said Wednesday that she was in "shock" about the case, with Novak Djokovic and numerous other players in recent days saying they were deeply worried about her.

American player Jessica Pegula tweeted Thursday that she hoped the WTA "continues to show what we stand for as players."

"I hope more people, not just tennis players, shed some light on this deeply concerning situation," she wrote.

China's national tennis association has not responded to AFP requests for comment.

ig-rox/ser

Chile's Pinera: the president defeated by social upheaval


Chile President Sebastian Pinera has had a torrid second term in office 

(AFP/MARTIN BERNETTI)

Wed, November 17, 2021

Chile's President Sebastian Pinera modernized the political right to distance it from the Augusto Pinochet dictatorship, but a social crisis that broke out in 2019 will see him leave power with his popularity in tatters.

The billionaire leader, 71, who cannot stand for reelection in Sunday's voting, has served two non-consecutive mandates.

His second term, which ends in March, has been beset by numerous problems, not least the coronavirus pandemic.

But he has also had to deal with a social uprising, accusations of graft and an impeachment bid that was quashed on Tuesday by the Senate.

"The morning after the social outbreak was the end of the Pinera government politically and in terms of influence," elections analyst Axel Callis told AFP.

Pinera's early attempts to calm protests against social injustice were at best clumsy.

A rich businessman seen as the embodiment of the country's economic, political and institutional injustices, Pinera's martial tone and early decision to deploy the military proved disastrous.

Not long beforehand, he had described Chile as an "oasis" in Latin America due to its robust economy and political stability.

Two weeks later, two million Chileans took to the streets demanding change to the country's neo-liberal model.

The unprecedented protests convinced parliament to agree to hold a referendum on changing the country's dictatorship-era constitution -- and a year later the people voted overwhelmingly (78 percent) in favor of change.

Pinera, who failed to either propose or support the move, again appeared out of touch with the people he governed.

"What happened was a change in the axis of power," said Callis.

"In one way or another, a parliamentary system was installed, without the corresponding institutionality -- Chile is a presidential system -- and everything in terms of relevant politics started happening in parliament."

The executive found itself confined to the back benches and Pinera "ceased to be a valued, strategic or significant actor."

- Popularity plunge -

The pandemic could not have hit at a worse time.

While Chile can pride itself on its rapid vaccine roll-out -- 90 percent of those eligible amongst the 19 million population are fully immunized -- the government's procrastination in distributing aid prevented Pinera from regaining the people's trust.

Even less so his implication in the Pandora Papers, suspected of a conflict of interests over the sale of a mine by members of his family to a close friend, and completed in a tax haven.

While the Senate blocked opposition attempts to impeach Pinera, he remains the subject of a graft investigation.

With five months left of his term, Pinera's popularity has plunged to its lowest level at 12 percent, compared to 50 percent when he ended his first term in 2014.

In 2010, the Harvard-educated economist convinced the electorate that his personal success in business -- according to Forbes in 2018, Pineras was worth $2.8 billion -- could be transferred to the benefit of society.

He managed to bring back to power a revamped right-wing that had rid itself of the baggage of being associated with Pinochet's dictatorship.

During his first term he branded civilian defenders of the dictatorship as "passive accomplices" and closed a special jail set up for human rights abusers.

"Pinera wanted to represent a modern, democratic right-wing," Claudia Heiss, a professor of political sciences at the University of Chile, told AFP.

"He wanted to definitively end the transition" to democracy and "end the divisions that came from the dictatorship."

But his second mandate saw him "oscillate between two versions" of democracy, leaving him in "an ambiguous position," notably when it came to changing the constitution.

"He was never very clear ... he never wanted to say he was for or against" changing the constitution, said Heiss.

She says this fence-sitting served only to weaken the right-wing and facilitate the rise of far-right presidential candidate Jose Antonio Kast, a harsh critic of Pinera's.

Polls even predict Kast will deny Pinera's favored candidate Sebastian Sichel a place in the second round run-off.

In any case, the damage done to Chile's right-wing under Pinera has resulted in left-wing candidate Gabriel Boric being the election favorite.

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Experts call for more icebreakers as tensions intensify in Arctic

By Catherine Buchaniec, Medill News Service

The Coast Guard Cutter Healy breaking ice for the first time. Photo by U.S. Coast Guard

WASHINGTON, Nov. 17 (UPI) -- When it comes to power and positioning in the Arctic, the United States trails behind Russia, regional experts told lawmakers.

"Our presence in the Arctic is late to the game," retired Coast Guard Adm. Paul Zukunft said at a hearing Tuesday. "Russia has de facto established itself as a regional hegemon."

Zukunft, who previously served as the highest-ranking member of the Coast Guard, added that Moscow is "almost thumbing their nose at any effort we make."

U.S. initiatives in the region are predominantly headed by the Coast Guard, which embarks on maritime missions through the icy waters. Although Washington's role in the Arctic is often overlooked, the United States has been an Arctic power for over 150 years, starting with the acquisition of Alaska from Russia in 1867.

The admiral testified alongside several Arctic experts before a House Foreign Affairs subcommittee in a hearing focused on the national security implications of climate change in the Arctic.

The Arctic region has become increasingly accessible as global temperatures rise, melting ice and opening up previously unreachable territory and sea lanes. But with increased accessibility comes new venues for strategic competition.

Russia and the United States have long competed in the region, but climate change has exasperated existing competition, with China joining the fray and declaring itself a "near-Arctic power."

Throughout the past decade, Moscow and Beijing have increasingly sought to bolster their power in the region through military investments. Meanwhile, Washington has been slow to make similar investments, Zukunft said.

"We're waking up, but we're a little bit late to that wake-up call," Zukunft said, calling for an Arctic strategy that is more than a "skeleton."

When lawmakers asked for tangible recommendations, Zukunft pointed toward increased bandwidth for communications and infrastructure, as well as icebreakers, which are instrumental for Arctic navigation.

Icebreakers are large ships that can cut through thick sheets of ice. They are frequently used to carry supplies for military and scientific missions, as well as break up ice to create clear pathways for other vessels.

The U.S. Coast Guard has two ships in its icebreaking fleet, one of which is over three decades old. In contrast, Russia's fleet employs over 40 icebreakers of various sizes and strengths and Moscow plans to build more over the next decade.

China, meanwhile, operates a smaller fleet of two icebreakers, but has plans to expand its capabilities and has indicated an interest in developing a nuclear-powered icebreaker.

Although the United States authorized funding last year as part of the 2021 National Defense Authorization Act for six new icebreakers, it will take years for them to become fully operational.

The specifics of the Biden administration's plans for the Arctic are still being negotiated as part of the 2022 NDAA, but some members in Congress have indicated support for adding to the United States' icebreaker fleet. However, rather than sending the ship up the Arctic, others in Congress have floated the idea of acquiring an icebreaker to use domestically in the Great Lakes.

Study: Teen social media posts about cutting, self-harm skyrocketing

By Alan Mozes, HealthDay News

Teen social media posts related to cutting and other forms of self-harm have soared in recent years, a new study shows. Photo by sasint/Pixabay

American teens are increasingly turning to the social media giant Instagram to share graphic images of their own attempts to harm themselves, a new study reveals.

"It could be an attempt to share their emotional or psychological pain with others or find support from others," said study lead author Amanda Giordano. She is an associate professor of counseling and human development services at the University of Georgia, in Athens.

"It could be to discuss different forms of self-injury or how to hide it or do it in a way that does not lead to infection. It could also be a way of seeking help and reasons to stop," Giordano said.

No matter the reason, researchers who tracked Instagram throughout 2018 found that teen postings focused on self-harm -- such as cutting or burning oneself -- rose significantly over the course of the year.

In January and February of 2018, for instance, teens posted between 58,000 and 68,000 images with hashtags related to some form of self-injury in which suicide was not the apparent goal. The researchers labeled such images as reflective of non-suicidal self-injury.

But by December of 2018, that figure had shot up to over 112,000, the study found, with notable rises in the use of three hashtags: #selfharm, #hatemyself and #selfharmawareness.

The big picture was also bleak: Over all of 2018, more than 1.2 million teen NSSI posts were identified on Instagram accompanied by one of the three hashtags, along with two others: #cutting and #selfharmmm.

Overall, the hashtag #selfharm was most closely linked with suicide, at 25.4%, then depression at 25.2%, self-injury at 13.1% and general mental distress and 9.5%, the study found.

The hashtag #hatemyself was most associated with suicide, at 32.1%, then depression at 31.2%, self-injury at 19.9% and anxiety/panic at 6.7%.

A rise in teenage self-harm itself appears to be driving the rise in online expressions about it, Giordano said.

She noted that recent research showed that about 17% of U.S. teens harmed themselves in the previous year. And that percentage appears to be increasing.

For example, one recent study indicated that self-harm among college freshmen shot up from less than 3% in 2008 to more than 19% by 2015.

Along with other recent research, such findings suggest that "self-injury affects a substantial number of individuals, and that rates may be increasing," Giordano said.

"As the prevalence of self-injury increases," she continued, "it is not surprising that hashtags related to self-injury also are increasing on social media platforms."

Giordano and her colleagues found several indications that this is exactly what's happening.

For example, the team noted that while the hashtag #selfharm was almost never used in January 2018, by December, it accompanied more than 45,000 teen posts.

And by year's end, only one of the five highlighted NSSI tags -- #selfharmmm -- saw a drop in overall usage.

As to what compels teens to share their self-harm experiences on social media, Giordano suggested they likely have several needs that they think apps like Instagram can fulfill.

And it could also reflect a risky copy-cat phenomenon. The more teens see others sharing posts about self-harm, the more curious they become and the more inclined they may be to imitate what they see and then share that experience online, Giordano said.

Whatever the main motivator, the analysis raised a troubling concern - the two most commonly associated hashtags with those related to self-injury were #suicide and #depression.

"Therefore, it appears that the individuals using self-harm-related hashtags are associating it with suicidal thoughts as well as feelings of depression," she said. "To me, this emphasizes the need to discuss mental health with youth and ensure they have the support they need."

That thought was seconded by Dr. Robert Glatter, an emergency medicine physician at Lenox Hill Hospital in New York City who reviewed the findings.

"The significant increase in social media posts related to self-injury is a wake-up call not only to children and teens, but also to their parents and caretakers," he said.

Noting that "the reason behind such an increase is complex," Glatter suggested that self-harm behaviors such as cutting "can be a cry for help, and serve as a way to alert parents, friends and teachers of ongoing emotional pain and suffering."

And, he added, feelings of isolation, depression and anxiety probably got worse once the COVID-19 pandemic took hold.

Glatter suggested parents monitor their children's screen time and use, with an eye towards preventing teens from descending down "a slippery slope" in which self-harm is normalized as an outlet for emotional pain and suffering.

"Parents should create an open and non-judgmental environment for sharing and communication in order to allow their child to be honest about and open up regarding what's going on in their life," he suggested.

"When a child feels they have an open line of communication, the potential for early intervention, including psychiatric evaluation and referral, can be life-saving and life-changing," Glatter said.

The findings were published recently in the International Journal for the Advancement of Counselling.

More information

There's more about teens and self-harm at the U.S. National Library of Medicine.

Copyright © 2021 HealthDay. All rights reserved.

First all-private space station mission to include two dozen experiments


Photo courtesy NASA

Nov. 17 (UPI) -- A private space company that's planning to send the first all-private crew to the International Space Station announced on Wednesday that they will conduct medical and scientific experiments during their time in low Earth orbit.

Axiom Space said former NASA astronaut Michael Lopez-Alegria will command the crew of four, who will fly to the space station on a SpaceX rocket in February. The company has not announced a firm date.

Mission pilot Larry Connor will conduct an experiment on behalf of the Mayo and Cleveland clinics, and mission specialist Mark Pathy will perform research for the Montreal Children's Hospital, Canadian Research Universities and Royal Canadian Geographical Society.

An experiment by mission specialist Eytan Stibbe will benefit the Ramon Foundation in collaboration with the Israel Space Agency in Israeli Ministry of Innovation, Science and Technology.

The crew is scheduled to perform more than two dozen experiments in all, the company said.

"Humanity has only scratched the surface of low-Earth orbit's potential for breakthrough innovation, and Axiom was founded to push that envelope," Axiom President Michael Suffredini said in a statement.

"We're confident this mission will become not just a monumental moment in space travel, but the true beginning of making space's potential for meaningful discovery available to private citizens and organizations for the first time."

Dr. James Kirkland, director of the Robert and Arlene Kogod Center on Aging at Mayo Clinic, said the private venture opens new doors to research.

Connor's research is designed to produce data on the impact of space travel on senescent cells and heart health.

"Ninety-five percent of what we're trying to do is to benefit people on Earth," Kirkland said in a statement.

"I never thought I'd be working with people headed to space, yet here we are."

Upcoming Beaver Moon eclipse longest of its kind since 1440
By Brian Lada, Accuweather.com

The moon is seen during a total lunar eclipse in Palestinian territories in Gaza strip on July 27, 2018. File Photo by Ismael Mohamad/UPI | License Photo


A loud alarm clock and a strong cup of coffee may be needed to enjoy one of 2021's final astronomy events as the moon passes through Earth's shadow to create a lunar eclipse.

An impressive partial lunar eclipse will plunge 97% of the moon into darkness on Thursday night and into the early hours of Friday over North America. It will also be visible from Australia, New Zealand, eastern Asia and part of South America.

This will be the longest partial lunar eclipse since 1440, but it is not the longest lunar eclipse in recent history. That title belongs to the total lunar eclipse of July 27, 2018, which lasted about 12 minutes longer than the one that is set to unfold this week, according to TimeAndDate.com.

Lunar eclipses only happen on the night of a full moon and November's full moon will be the smallest full moon of the year, also known as a "micromoon."

A micromoon is the counterpart to a supermoon and happens when there is a full moon near apogee, or the point in its orbit when it is farthest away from the Earth. Micromoons appear about 14% smaller and 30% dimmer than a supermoon, according to TimeAndDate.com.

November's full moon is also known as a Beaver Moon, leading some people to combine these nicknames to call the upcoming event a micro Beaver Moon eclipse.

The entire eclipse lasts around 6 hours, but onlookers do not need to be focused on the sky for the whole event to enjoy the show.

The penumbral phases of the eclipse are barely noticeable, even with the help of a telescope, so it might not be worth stepping outside until the partial phase of the eclipse begins around 2:19 a.m. EST.

The best time to look at the moon will be shortly after 4 a.m. EST when all but just a sliver of the moon will be in Earth's dark inner shadow. Some of the darkest areas of the moon could even appear red or orange around this time.

Unlike other celestial events such as meteor showers, a lunar eclipse can be seen from light-polluted cities, although the weather needs to cooperate for folks waking up in the middle of the night hoping to see the eclipse.

AccuWeather meteorologists are predicting excellent viewing conditions across most of the Southeast, as well as parts of the southern Plains and into the lower Midwest. Favorable weather is also expected across most of Mexico and the western Canadian Prairies.

Some clouds are likely for most of the mid-Atlantic, Great Lakes and Southwest, but since this is a long-lived event, there should be enough breaks in the clouds to occasionally catch a glimpse of the eclipsed moon.

Other areas of North America may want to consider watching the event online or reliving the eclipse through pictures the day after with mostly cloudy conditions in the forecast.

This week's partial lunar eclipse is a warmup for what's to come in 2022.

North America will experience a pair of total lunar eclipses next year that will be even more impressive than this week's event.

The first lunar eclipse is slated for the night of May 15 into the early morning of May 16. Six months later, the moon will once again pass through Earth's shadow on the night of Nov. 7 and into the morning of Nov. 8.