AMERICA NEEDS TWO POLITICAL PARTIES

US congressman Jamaal Bowman, who accused Israel of genocide, loses in NY primaries

THEY HAVE IT IN THE DEMOCRATS

The victory of George Latimer, a pro-Israel centrist, has highlighted the party's deep divisions over the war in Gaza , and removed one of Israel's most outspoken critics

FORGET THE GOP THEY ARE THE TRUMP PARTY

The American Israel Public Affairs Committee's political action committee spent nearly $15 million on the primary, filling airwaves and mailboxes with negative ads in an effort to unseat Bowman

AP|Yesterday 


George Latimer, a pro-Israel centrist, defeated U.S. Rep. Jamaal Bowman on Tuesday in a Democratic primary in suburban New York that highlighted the party's deep divisions over the war in Gaza.

With the victory, Latimer has ousted one of the most liberal voices in Congress and one of its most outspoken critics of Israel. Bowman has accused Israel of committing genocide in Gaza, where thousands of Palestinians have died in military strikes.

Latimer, who got into the race at the urging of Jewish leaders and had heavy financial backing from the American Israel Public Affairs Committee, is a former state legislator who has served as Westchester County executive since 2018.

U.S. Rep. Jamaal Bowman, D-NY, speaks during his election night party at the Grand Roosevelt Ballroom on June 25, 2024 in New York City
(Photo: Michael M. Santiago / GETTY IMAGES NORTH AMERICA / AFP)

In a victory speech, Latimer called for more civility following the contentious election.
"We have to fight to make sure we don't vilify each other and we remember that we're all Americans, and our common future is bound together," he told supporters at an event in White Plains.

"We argue, we debate, we find a way to come together," he said, adding that all representatives had a duty to find ways to work across political divides and prevent the country from splintering.

Bowman had been seeking a third term, representing a district in New York City's northern suburbs. His defeat is a blow to the party's progressive wing and a potential cautionary tale for candidates trying to shape their messaging around the Israel-Hamas conflict.

His loss also disrupted what has generally been a stable primary season for congressional incumbents. Most current members of Congress have been able to repel challenges from within their party.

"This movement has always been about justice. It has always been about humanity. It has always been about equality," Bowman said at his election party in Yonkers, conceding that he lost the race but remaining unapologetic about his opposition to the war in Gaza.

His defeat is a blow to the party's progressive wing and a potential cautionary tale for candidates trying to shape their messaging around the Israel-Hamas conflict

The American Israel Public Affairs Committee's political action committee spent nearly $15 million on the primary, filling airwaves and mailboxes with negative ads in an effort to unseat Bowman, who has accused the influential pro-Israel lobbying group of trying to buy the race.

"The outcome in this race once again shows that the pro-Israel position is both good policy and good politics for both parties," the American Israel Public Affairs Committee said in a statement.

Some major progressive figures have rushed to Bowman's defense. In the final stretch of the race, he rallied with liberals Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez and Sen. Bernie Sanders, while Latimer pulled in the endorsement of former presidential candidate and former New York Sen. Hillary Clinton.

On Israel, both Bowman and Latimer support a two-state solution. They have also both condemned Hamas' Oct. 7 attack on southern Israel that killed around 1,200 people. But Bowman was one of a few progressives who rejected a symbolic House resolution in support of Israel following the Oct. 7 attack. Latimer firmly backs Israel and said negotiating a cease-fire with Hamas is a non-starter because he believes it is a terrorist group.


Westchester County Executive George Latimer speaks to supporters after winning his race against Democratic incumbent Representative Jamaal Bowman in the 16th Congressional District of New York's Democratic primary
(Photo: Spencer Platt/ GETTY IMAGES NORTH AMERICA / AFP)

Bowman was first elected in 2020 after running as a liberal insurgent against moderate U.S. Rep. Eliot Engel, a 16-term congressman who chaired a House committee on foreign affairs. Bowman, 48, embraced the political outsider strategy this year as well, depicting Latimer as a tool of Republican donors and pro-Israel groups.

Latimer said Bowman's criticism of Israel was only part of the reason why he decided to challenge the incumbent. He said Bowman hasn't been attentive to the needs of the district, maintained few relationships with its leaders, and was more interested in getting spots on cable news than he was in helping people.

During the campaign, Latimer, who has more than three decades of political experience, often displayed his deep regional knowledge and connections to make the case that he would be an effective member of Congress. Latimer has said" that's the sort of politics people expect from their elected officials, rather than caustic fights between the far right and far left,” a clear dig at Bowman.

Aside from his position on Israel, Bowman has been followed by lingering criticism over an incident last year when he triggered a fire alarm in a House building while lawmakers were working on a funding bill. He said it was unintentional, with the alarm going off when he tried to open a locked door while trying to vote. Bowman was censured by his colleagues in the House, and the incident drew embarrassing news coverage.

The American Israel Public Affairs Committee's political action committee spent nearly $15 million on the primary, filling airwaves and mailboxes with negative ads in an effort to unseat Bowman

The congressional district's boundaries have shifted since Bowman first won office in 2020, losing most of its sections in the Bronx and adding more of Westchester County's suburbs.

Today, 21% of its voting-age population is Black and 42% is non-Hispanic white, according to U.S. Census figures, compared to 30% Black and 34% white in the district as it existed through 2022. Bowman is Black. Latimer is white.

Bowman, as the election neared, focused on driving up turnout in what parts of the Bronx remain in his district, telling supporters there that the contest could hinge on their votes. He spent the bulk of his election day in the Bronx, too, and a video posted to the social media site X showed Bowman walking down a street in the Bronx with a drum line behind him on Tuesday.

Latimer, 70, will be the prohibitive favorite to win in the general election. The district, which includes parts of Westchester and a small piece of the Bronx, is a Democratic stronghold.

Nationally, Democratic Party leaders have emphasized moving toward centrist candidates who might fare better in suburban races.

With Bowman's NY primary defeat, the squad sees its first loss

The expected defeat of Jamaal Bowman in Tuesday's Democratic primary is the first loss for a member of the squad, and with that a major loss for Palestinians.

Brooke Anderson
Washington, DC
26 June, 2024

NEW ARAB

Jamaal Bowman lost his congressional seat Tuesday, as predicted by polls and outside funding. [Getty]


The expected loss of Jamaal Bowman in Tuesday's Democratic primary is the first loss for a member of the progressive "squad", and with that a major loss for Palestinian voices in US Congress. What does this mean for the future?

In an institution where there is heavy pressure to conform to longstanding norms, Bowman found a home in the "squad" of young progressives, who, through working together, have been able to bring to the forefront issues such as organised labour, accessible healthcare, and human rights in US foreign policy, most controversially of Palestinians.

Though Bowman's fellow squad member have been able to build their brands — including their voter turnouts — on these issues (though not without challenges), Bowman struggled after his district's map was redrawn to include vast swaths of wealthy suburbs.

His district's remapping would make him one of the most vulnerable candidates in Congress for a primary challenge, leading to the most expensive House race in US history, with more than US$20 million in campaign spending.

Leading the big donors were the American Israel Public Affairs Committee through its super PAC the United Democracy Project; and Fairshake, a PAC backed by Silicon Valley executives linked to the cryptocurrency industry.

In the last election, Bowman survived his primary in part due to a split vote of his moderate Democratic opponents. This time, he had one strong opponent, Westchester County Executive George Latimer, who was able to consolidate the moderate Democratic vote.

RELATED
Progressives fear a Bowman loss in NY could empower big money
World
Brooke Anderson

Latimer dominated the early vote, with some towns voting 10-1 in favour of him against Bowman. The race was called before 10 pm, earlier than most close primaries, showing Latimer's solid victory of over 55 percent.

It's unclear when or if Bowman realised he didn't have a path forward in the race. What is clear is that in the last months before the election he became increasingly outspoken about his concerns over unconditional US military support for Israel as well as major spending in US elections by AIPAC, two issues he saw as inextricably linked.

In May, Bowman voted with Representative Rashida Tlaib of Michigan on a resolution recognising the Palestinian Nakba, or catastrophe, that forced hundreds of thousands from their homes with the establishment of Israel; in a campaign rally in the Bronx over the weekend, he accused Latimer of supporting genocide, referring to Israel's war in Gaza, which has killed more than 38,000 Palestinians since October; and he has repeatedly referred to AIPAC as being led by Republican megadonors.

Does Bowman's primary loss on Tuesday mean a more emboldened mega-donor class, as some progressives say they fear could happen? Or has his outspokenness opened the floodgates for more open criticism of big money in politics?

"I've seen this sometimes. Maybe Bowman, by the end of the race, saw that he didn't have a path, and he said: Let's go out swinging. Let's not sugar coat it," J. Miles Coleman, associate editor of Sabato's Crystal Ball at the University of Virginia Center for Politics, told The New Arab.

"He's still going to be in office for the rest of the year," he said. "We'll see if he becomes even more outspoken."

 

Stellantis could axe UK production unless government takes action on EVs

Posted by: John Kirwan in Latest News Tuesday, 25 June 2024 0

Stellantis UK could halt UK production of cars unless the government does more to boost sales of EVs.

Speaking at the SMMT Summit in London Maria Grazia Davino was widely reported saying a decision on the future of its UK production would likely come in “less than a year”.

“In the UK there will be consequences for sure. Stellantis UK does not stop, but Stellantis production in the UK could stop,” Reuters reported Grazia Davino at the SMMT conference.

In the UK, the government ZEV Mandate rules have come in for sharp criticism.

While in Europe carmakers can meet CO2 Emissions by selling hybrids and EVs, in the UK OEMs have to meet a target of 22% this year of selling BEVs or face draconian files.

Vertu Motors CEO Robert Forrester said today that the ZEV Mandate rules could lead to “potential volatility” with the values of petrol and diesel cars rising due to possible supply restrictions.

IRELAND

Aer Lingus Pilots Strike To Go Ahead 

With No Solution At Labour Court

NEWS

/ 26TH JUNE 2024 /

SUBEDITOR

The work-to-rule action kicks in today and strike action is taking place on Saturday. Simon Harris had welcomed the news earlier yesterday that both sides in the dispute were engaging separately with the Labour Court, and urged them to "dig deep" in their discussions.

The Taoiseach commented: "This dispute will be settled the way every dispute is settled: through compromise and engagement, sitting around a table, that’s what needs to happen."

Around 35,000 passengers’ flights have been cancelled so far due to an indefinite work-to-rule due to begin today and an eight-hour strike announced for Saturday.

Pilots are seeking a pay increase of 24%, which they say equates to inflation since the last wage rise in 2019. Aer Lingus has said it is willing to offer pay increases of 12.5% or above if "improvements in productivity and flexibility" are discussed.

IALPA president Captain Mark Tighe told the Irish Daily Mail earlier this week that the pilots would not agree to meet Aer Lingus if it had to agree to preconditions.

He remarked: "They sent a letter asking for a meeting but with preconditions set down. Preconditions to a negotiation? Obviously, it’s not something anybody can do. So we’re discussing it with them at the moment."

Walsh weighs in

Former Aer Lingus CEO Willie Walsh has said he "would struggle to have sympathy" for the airline’s striking pilots, calling their pay demands "way out of line".

Walsh, who joined the national carrier as a cadet pilot in 1979, has also served as CEO of British Airways and the two airlines’ parent company, International Airlines Group (IAG).

He said the 24% pay increase demanded by the pilots attached to the Irish AirLine Pilots Association (IALPA) represents an existential threat to Aer Lingus.

Mr Walsh said it is just not possible for Aer Lingus to cave to IALPA’s demands given the financial constraints on the airline.

"I think you’ve always got to be optimistic, but quite honestly, I see the situation being extremely difficult for Aer Lingus particularly when you look at its financial performance in the context of the other airlines in IAG," he said.

"It’s got the weakest operating margin, employee costs in Aer Lingus are already higher as a percentage of total cost than all of these other airlines and the airline is highly seasonal.

"So I think the situation for the management is going to be extremely complex, and I see very little room for them to manoeuvre given the demands of pilots have made."

Walsh added that paying the rise demanded by pilots is out of the question. "I think the impact it would have would damage the future financial performance of the airline. It would any future investment in the airline also," he told RTÉ’s Morning Ireland.

"I know I would struggle to have sympathy [for the pilots]. I think looking for a 24% pay increase is way out of line with anything that I’ve ever seen before."

FORMER AER LINGUS CEO WILLIE WALSH SAID THE PILOTS' DEMANDS WERE "OUT OF LINE". (PIC: PETER HOULIHAN / FENNELL PHOTOGRAPHY)

Walsh, who is now the director general of the International Air Transport Association, described the industrial action as "very, very risky".

He added: "I’m sure all of the employees at Aer Lingus watching what’s going on will be deeply concerned not just for the impact that it’s having on customers, but also for the potential impact that could have on the future of the airline."

Phot: IALPA President Captain Mark Tighe (right) and his team on their way into the Labour Court. (Pic: Sasko Lazarov/© RollingNews.ie)

SPACE

Telltale greenhouse gases could signal alien activity

Detecting intelligent life that’s light years away

Peer-Reviewed Publication

UNIVERSITY OF CALIFORNIA - RIVERSIDE

 

IMAGE: 

ARTIST'S CONCEPT OF AN EXOPLANET IN THE PROCESS OF BEING TERRAFORMED.

view more 

CREDIT: THIBAUT ROGER/UNIVERSITY OF BERN

If aliens modified a planet in their solar system to make it warmer, we’d be able to tell. A new UC Riverside study identifies the artificial greenhouse gases that would be giveaways of a terraformed planet.

A terraformed planet has been artificially made hospitable for life. The gases described in the study would be detectable even at relatively low concentrations in the atmospheres of planets outside our solar system using existing technology. This could include the James Webb Space Telescope, or a future European-led space telescope concept.

And while such pollutant gases must be controlled on Earth to prevent harmful climate effects, there are reasons they might be used intentionally on an exoplanet. 

“For us, these gases are bad because we don’t want to increase warming. But they’d be good for a civilization that perhaps wanted to forestall an impending ice age or terraform an otherwise-uninhabitable planet in their system, as humans have proposed for Mars,” said UCR astrobiologist and lead study author Edward Schwieterman.

Since these gases are not known to occur in significant quantities in nature, they must be manufactured. Finding them, therefore, would be a sign of intelligent, technology-using life forms. Such signs are called technosignatures.

The five gases proposed by the researchers are used on Earth in industrial applications such as making computer chips. They include fluorinated versions of methane, ethane, and propane, along with gases made of nitrogen and fluorine or sulfur and fluorine. A new Astrophysical Journal paper details their merits as terraforming gases.

One advantage is that they are incredibly effective greenhouse gases. Sulfur hexafluoride, for example, has 23,500 times the warming power of carbon dioxide. A relatively small amount could heat a freezing planet to the point where liquid water could persist on its surface.

Another advantage of the proposed gases — at least from an alien point of view — is that they are exceptionally long-lived and would persist in an Earth-like atmosphere for up to 50,000 years. “They wouldn’t need to be replenished too often for a hospitable climate to be maintained,” Schwieterman said. 

Others have proposed refrigerant chemicals, like CFCs, as technosignature gases because they are almost exclusively artificial and visible in Earth’s atmosphere. However, CFCs may not be advantageous because they destroy the ozone layer, unlike the fully fluorinated gases discussed in the new paper, which are chemically inert. 

“If another civilization had an oxygen-rich atmosphere, they’d also have an ozone layer they’d want to protect,” Schwieterman said. “CFCs would be broken apart in the ozone layer even as they catalyzed its destruction.”

As they’re more easily broken apart, CFCs are also short-lived, making them harder to detect.

Finally, the fluorinated gases have to absorb infrared radiation to have an impact on the climate. That absorption produces a corresponding infrared signature that could be detectable with space-based telescopes. With current or planned technology, scientists could detect these chemicals in certain nearby exoplanetary systems. 

“With an atmosphere like Earth’s, only one out of every million molecules could be one of these gases, and it would be potentially detectable,” Schwieterman said. “That gas concentration would also be sufficient to modify the climate.”

To arrive at this calculation, the researchers simulated a planet in the TRAPPIST-1 system, about 40 light-years away from Earth. They chose this system, which contains seven known rocky planets, because it is one of the most studied planetary systems aside from our own. It is also a realistic target for existing space-based telescopes to examine. 

The group also considered the European LIFE mission’s ability to detect the fluorinated gases. The LIFE mission would be able to directly image planets using infrared light, allowing it to target more exoplanets than the Webb telescope, which looks at planets as they pass in front of their stars.

This work was done in collaboration with Daniel Angerhausen at Swiss Federal Institute of Technology/PlanetS, and with researchers at NASA’s Goddard Space Flight Center, the Blue Marble Space Institute of Science, and Paris University. 

While the researchers cannot quantify the likelihood of finding these gases in the near future, they are confident that — if they are present — it is entirely possible to detect them during currently planned missions to characterize planetary atmospheres.

“You wouldn’t need extra effort to look for these technosignatures, if your telescope is already characterizing the planet for other reasons,” said Schwieterman. “And it would be jaw-droppingly amazing to find them.”

Other members of the research team echo not only enthusiasm for the potential of finding signs of intelligent life, but also for how much closer current technology has brought us to that goal.

 “Our thought experiment shows how powerful our next-generation telescopes will be. We are the first generation in history that has the technology to systematically look for life and intelligence in our galactic neighborhood,” added Angerhausen.

---

JOURNAL

The Astrophysical Journal

DOI

10.3847/1538-4357/ad4ce8 

ARTICLE PUBLICATION DATE

25-Jun-2024

China's Chang'e-6 mission successfully returns to Earth with historic moon samples


The return capsule of the Chang'e-6 probe lands in Siziwang Banner, north China's Inner Mongolia Autonomous Region, on Tuesday.The returner of the Chang'e-6 probe touched down on Earth on Tuesday, bringing back the world's first samples collected from the moon's far side. 

Photo by Lian Zhen/Xinhua/EPA-EFE/XINHUA

June 25 (UPI) -- China's Chang'e-6 mission successfully returned to Earth early Tuesday, bringing with it the first-ever samples retrieved from the far side of the moon.

The Chang'e-6 return capsule successfully landed in the Siziwang Banner area of China's Inner Mongolia Autonomous Region at 2:07 p.m. local time, the China National Space Administration said in a statement.

"This marks the complete success of the Chang'e-6 mission of the lunar exploration program, achieving the world's first sample return from the far side of the moon," it said.

With the touchdown ends Chang'e-6's nearly two-month mission to space.

The probe consisting of an orbiter, lander, ascender and returner launched May 3 from China with a final destination of the far side of the moon, where it landed June 2.

Though only on the moon's surface for a few days days, the probe collected samples from a crater known as the Pole-Aitken basin before departing the lunar surface on June 4 for home.

At about 1:20 p.m. Tuesday, the return capsule successfully separated from the orbiter at an altitude of approximately 3,106 miles above the south Atlantic Ocean and entered the Earth's atmosphere about 20 minutes later.

According to the space agency, the capsule then "bounced back" out of the atmosphere over the Indian Ocean as part of an "initial aerodynamic deceleration" before re-entering the atmosphere when he performed a second deceleration maneuver.

When about 12 miles above ground the capsule moved to parachute deployment, which occurred as it was 6 miles from landing.

Prior to landing Tuesday, the space agency sent out a press release announcing Chang'e-6's scheduled return, stating it was coming with "a precious 'gift' from the back of the moon."

President Xi Jinping has extended his congratulations on the success of the mission, state-owned Xinhua reported.

"The Chang'e-6 mission represents a significant milestone in the history of human lunar exploration, and it will contribute to a more comprehensive understanding of lunar evolution," Yang Wei, a researcher at the Institute of Geology and Geophysics of the Chinese Academy for Sciences, told the state-owned news agency in a separate report.

"New samples will inevitably lead to new discoveries."

China is the only nation to visit the far side of the moon, with Chang'e 6 being its second visit following the Chang'e 4 mission in 2019.

Chinese probe returns to Earth with samples from far side of the Moon

Agence France-Presse
June 25, 2024

This handout photo taken on June 3, 2024 and released on June 4, 2024 by the China National Space Administration (CNSA) shows the ascender and lander captured by China's Chang'e-6 lunar probe after it landed on the moon. 

© China National Space Administration via AFP

A Chinese probe carrying samples from the far side of the Moon returned to Earth on Tuesday, capping a technically complex 53-day mission heralded as a world first.

The landing module of the Chang'e-6 spacecraft touched down at a predetermined site in Inner Mongolia at 2:07 pm (0607 GMT), the China National Space Administration said, hailing the mission a "complete success".

It comes bearing soil and rocks from the side of the Moon facing away from Earth, a poorly understood region that scientists say holds great research promise because its rugged features are less smoothed over by ancient lava flows than the near side.

That means the materials harvested there may help us to better understand how the Moon formed and how it has evolved over time.

China's space agency said the probe was "functioning normally, signaling that the Chang'e-6 lunar exploration mission was a complete success".

President Xi Jinping said in a congratulatory message that the "outstanding contributions" of the mission command "will be remembered forever by the motherland and the people", state broadcaster CCTV reported.

Chang'e-6 blasted off from a space centre on the island province of Hainan on May 3 and descended into the Moon's immense South Pole-Aitken Basin almost exactly a month later.

It used a drill and robotic arm to scoop up samples, snapped some shots of the pockmarked surface and planted a Chinese flag made from basalt in the grey soil.

On June 4, the probe made the first ever successful launch from the far side in what Xinhua called "an unprecedented feat in human lunar exploration history".

National pride, misinformation

China's burgeoning space exploits are a point of pride for the government, and state media outlets launched rolling coverage of the imminent landing on Tuesday morning.

Live images of the landing site showed workers approaching the landing capsule as several helicopters sat nearby on a broad patch of flat grassland.

One worker planted a Chinese flag next to the capsule, enthusiastically unfurling it into the wind.

Xinhua reported Monday that local farmers and animal herders had been evacuated from the area ahead of the touchdown.

"We hope that our country's space exploration will continue to advance and that our nation will become stronger," Uljii, a local herdsman, told Xinhua.

But the mission has also sparked a torrent of online misinformation, with some users of the Weibo social media platform seizing on the unfurling of the Chinese flag to push the false claim that Washington faked the Apollo Moon landings, AFP Fact Check found.
Space dream

Plans for China's "space dream" have shifted into high gear under Xi.

Beijing has poured huge resources into its space program over the past decade, targeting ambitious undertakings in an effort to catch up to traditional space powers the United States and Russia.

It has built a space station, landed robotic rovers on Mars and the Moon, and become only the third country to send astronauts into orbit.

But the United States has warned that China's space program masks military objectives and an effort to establish dominance in space.


China aims to send a crewed mission to the Moon by 2030 and plans to eventually build a base on the lunar surface.

The United States also plans to put astronauts back on the Moon by 2026 with its Artemis 3 mission.

(AFP)

U.S. to launch satellite to better prepare for space weather
Agence France-Presse
June 25, 2024 12:56PM ET

A SpaceX Falcon Heavy rocket is set to carry the Geostationary Operational Environmental Satellite U into orbit from Florida (Miguel J. Rodriguez Carrillo/AFP)

The United States is aiming Tuesday to launch a new satellite expected to significantly improve forecasts of solar flares and coronal mass ejections -- huge plasma bubbles that can crash into Earth, disrupting power grids and communications.

A SpaceX Falcon Heavy rocket is set to carry the satellite into orbit from NASA's Kennedy Space Center in Florida, though weather so far appears unfavorable for the two-hour launch window opening at 5:16 pm (2016 GMT).

The GOES-U (Geostationary Operational Environmental Satellite U) mission is a collaboration between the space agency NASA and the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Agency (NOAA).

It will be the fourth and final in the GOES-R series of satellites that have tracked hurricanes and tornadoes, monitored climate and sea surface temperature, air quality and even meteor detections since 2016.

Orbiting 22,236 miles (35,785 kilometers) above the equator, the satellites match the speed of Earth's rotation in order to hold their positions over specific regions and provide continuous coverage.

They "are an indispensable tool for protecting the United States and the one billion people who live and work in the Americas," Pam Sullivan, of NOAA said in a press conference.

GOES-U is the first of the four to include a coronagraph, called the Compact Coronagraph-1 (CCOR-1). Coronagraphs block the Sun's disk and allow observation of its outermost layer, called the corona.

"That allows us to observe large explosions off the sun, called coronal mass ejections that can hurtle billions of tons of matter at millions of miles per hour towards Earth," said Elsayed Talaat, in charge of space weather observations at NOAA.

The ejections, known as CMEs, can disrupt Earth's magnetic field, causing satellites, energy infrastructure, and navigation systems to go down. Collecting space weather data allows authorities to issue warnings one to four days in advance.

In early May, the planet experienced its first level 5 geomagnetic storm in two decades, the highest rating on the scale, which unleashed spectacular auroras worldwide.

With the new coronagraph, the speed and direction of this event could have been better understood from the start, said Talaat.

Major disruptions weren't felt, but some farmers "reported being unable to plant their crops because the precision GPS relied upon by their equipment had malfunctioned," he said.

For the first time, the United States will have a coronagraph observing the solar corona almost continuously, with the CCOR-1 taking readings every 30 minutes.

Currently, such observations are received with a delay of up to eight hours. They are carried out by a satellite launched in 1995, which should cease operating within two years.

"Once operational CCOR-1 will mark a new chapter in space weather observations," said Talaat.

"Although the sun is no more active than in previous generations, our society has changed, and we are more sensitive than ever to the sun's changing mood."

Family sues NASA after ISS space junk crashed through their roof in March

By Brian Lada,

Accuweather.com
JUNE 24, 2024 

A Naples, Fla., family has filed a lawsuit against NASA following an extraordinary incident on March 8, when debris from the International Space Station plummeted from the sky and smashed through their roof, causing significant damage while a family member was inside.

"They are grateful that no one sustained physical injuries from this incident, but a 'near miss' situation such as this could have been catastrophic," said Mica Nguyen Worthy, a partner of the law firm Cranfill Sumner LLP who is representing Alejandro Otero and his family. "My clients are seeking adequate compensation to account for the stress and impact that this event had on their lives."

An external pallet packed with old nickel-hydrogen batteries is pictured shortly after mission controllers in Houston commanded the Canadarm2 robotic arm to release it into space on March 11, 2021. 

Image courtesy of NASA

The space junk was originally a 5,800-pound pallet containing old batteries that were discarded from the International Space Station on March 11, 2021. Shortly after, NASA said the object would "orbit Earth between two to four years before burning up harmlessly in the atmosphere."

Nearly three years to the date, it entered Earth's atmosphere, and a piece of debris survived the fiery descent, eventually crashing into the Florida house.

NASA analyzed the debris and confirmed it was part of the space junk released from the ISS in March 2021.

The object was a fraction of its original size, measuring just 4 inches long and weighing 1.6 pounds, but was big enough to smash a large hole in the roof and damage the house.

Recovered stanchion from the NASA flight support equipment used to mount International Space Station batteries on a cargo pallet. The stanchion survived re-entry through Earth&rsquos atmosphere on March 8, 2024, and impacted a home in Naples, Florida.

 Image courtesy of NASA

NASA said an investigation is underway to determine how the debris survived the journey through Earth's atmosphere and will work to mitigate the risk in the future-something that has become a bigger issue recently.

"Space debris is a real and serious issue because of the increase in space traffic in recent years," Worthy said. NASA has six months to respond to the claims.

NASA calls off spacewalk for second time this month


Image of the International Space Station taken on July 10, 2011. A spacewalk was canceled at the ISS on Monday. \

File Photo by NASA/UPI | License Photo

June 24 (UPI) -- NASA canceled a spacewalk for the second time this month on Monday after reporting a coolant leak on the umbilical unit on one of the astronaut's spacesuits.

Astronaut Tracy Caldwell Dyson reported the leak on the suit's servicing and cooling umbilical unit, or SCU, just before she and Mike Barratt were set to walk outside the International Space Station at about 8:52 a.m., EDT. Both astronauts had already turned on the internal power to their suits for what had been expected to be a 6.5-hour spacewalk.

NASA said Dyson and Barrat had opened the hatch to the space station's Quest airlock before reporting the water-leakage issue.

"The crew is working with ground controllers to repressurize the crew lock section of the airlock before returning inside the station's equipment lock," NASA said in its blog.

The astronauts returned inside the main space station in about an hour.

"I could see the ice crystals were flowing out there, and then, just like a snow machine, there was ice forming at that port on the SCU," Dyson told NASA's mission control, according to Space.com.

Astronauts Butch Wilmore added on the NASA livestream,"It was a pretty impressive snowstorm."

On June 13, NASA called off a spacewalk with Dyson and astronaut Mike Dominick when one of them experienced discomfort. NASA did not say which astronaut experienced the discomfort or give details about the issue.

The astronauts on that walk had expected to scrape microorganisms from the outside of the ISS to study for the possible origins of life.

NASA pushes Starliner return to July

By Ehren Wynder

Boeing Starliner astronauts Butch Wilmore and Suni Williams have stayed aboard the International Space Station nearly two weeks longer than scheduled, but they haven't overstayed their welcome. NASA Screengrab/UPI | License Photo

June 22 (UPI) -- After numerous delays, NASA said Friday that the Starliner crew would return to Earth in July

The agency said in a blog post that it delayed Starliner's Tuesday departure from the International Space Station so it doesn't conflict with a series of planned ISS spacewalks.

The extra time also would afford Starliner astronauts Barry "Butch" Wilmore and Sunita "Suni" Williams more time to review the spacecraft's propulsions systems, according to the agency.

Wilmore and Williams have been on board the ISS for almost three weeks. The two were set to complete a full assessment of the spacecraft while docked to the ISS in less than a week, but mechanical issues and the need to collect more data lengthened their stay.

The astronauts, however, are no strangers to delays. Boeing's first crewed Starliner test flight finally got off the ground on June 5 after concerns such as helium system leaks pushed back the launch date multiple times.

"We are taking our time and following our standard mission management team process," said NASA Commercial Crew Program Manager Steve Stich. "We are letting the data drive our decision making relative to managing the small helium system leaks and thruster performance we observed during rendezvous and docking.

Stich added that, given the duration of the mission, NASA will complete an agency-level review of the mission. NASA said it will share the details on the review at a later media briefing.

Wilmore and Williams are not overstaying their welcome, as there are plenty of supplies on board, and the ISS's schedule is fairly open through mid-August. The two also have contributed to regular station maintenance, scientific research and spacewalks .

"The crew's feedback has been overwhelmingly positive, and they know that every bit of learning we do on the Crew Flight Test will improve and sharpen our experience for future crews," said Mark Nappi, Boeing vice president and Starliner program manager.

Mission managers are considering the dates for future return missions to the ISS after two planned space walks on Monday and July 2.

If all goes well, Boeing will have completed its first successful crewed mission for NASA, but the company has a long way to go to catch up with competitor and fellow NASA contractor SpaceX, which so far has completed 13 crewed missions.

SpaceX, meanwhile has back-to-back Starlink satellite launches set for 1:15 p.m. in Florida and 11:45 p.m. EDT Sunday in California. The former launch from Florida was delayed after a T-0 abort on June 14.

 

Experts offer guidance on talking with children about racism at pediatrician's office

ANN & ROBERT H. LURIE CHILDREN'S HOSPITAL OF CHICAGO

Extensive research shows the link between exposure to racism during childhood and adolescence and increased risks of depression and metabolic health issues, such as obesity, diabetes and heart disease. Conversely, racial socialization, described as behaviors and practices that teach children about race and ethnic identity, has shown potential in mitigating these negative effects, and discussions like these could be effective in pediatric clinics, according to the first expert consensus guidance on this topic published in Pediatrics.

“Over the years, numerous calls to action have been made to address racism in medicine. However, there’s been little guidance on how to have these conversations within clinical settings,” said senior author Nia Heard-Garris, MD, MBA, MSc, a researcher and pediatrician at Ann & Robert H. Lurie Children’s Hospital of Chicago and Assistant Professor of Pediatrics at Northwestern University Feinberg School of Medicine. “Pediatric clinicians, in particular, have a unique opportunity to incorporate crucial conversations about race and racism into clinical visits, as these interactions occur during key developmental stages of a child's life.”

Dr. Shawnese Clark, lead study author, and research team conducted the consensus study. It involved a panel of pediatric clinicians and psychologists with expertise in racism and child health, as well as parents and adolescents with lived experience of racism. They identified overarching themes to consider before, during, and after discussions with patients, as well as barriers that clinicians may encounter.

Consensus was reached on the necessity for pediatric clinicians to have a thorough understanding of the systemic nature of racism and the importance of both learning from patients and addressing intersectionality during these conversations. Panelists agreed on the short- and long-term benefits these conversations could bring to patient appointments, including building greater trust and affirmation.

“Racism is a strong determinant of health and longevity of life so talking about it, feeling affirmed and perhaps even receiving support will go a long way to social, mental, and emotional wellbeing of patients and care providers too,” said one panelist.

Panelists also emphasized the potential negative consequences if clinicians lack adequate training.

“As research in this field continues to evolve, it is imperative to maintain ongoing dialogue about the key principles guiding conversations about race and racism, and to equip clinicians with the necessary tools to provide care that fully considers the impact of race on the patient population,” said Dr. Heard-Garris.

Research at Ann & Robert H. Lurie Children’s Hospital of Chicago is conducted through Stanley Manne Children’s Research Institute. Manne Research Institute is focused on improving child health, transforming pediatric medicine and ensuring healthier futures through the relentless pursuit of knowledge. Lurie Children’s is a nonprofit organization committed to providing access to exceptional care for every child. It is ranked as one of the nation’s top children’s hospitals by U.S. News & World Report. It is the pediatric training ground for Northwestern University Feinberg School of Medicine.

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JOURNAL

PEDIATRICS

Olympic champion swimmers tell Congress U.S. athletes have lost faith in anti-doping regulator

GEE JUST LIKE THE RUSSIANS & CHINESE

BY BEN NUCKOLS
June 25, 2024


WASHINGTON (AP) — U.S. Olympic athletes have lost faith in the World Anti-Doping Agency to rid their sports of cheaters ahead of next month’s Summer Games in Paris, two former gold medalists said Tuesday in prepared testimony before a House subcommittee.

The comments by Michael Phelps and Allison Schmitt followed revelations that 23 Chinese swimmers had tested positive for a banned heart medication ahead of the Tokyo Olympics in 2021 but were allowed by WADA to compete. Five of those swimmers went on to win medals, including three golds.

Phelps is the most decorated swimmer in history and a 23-time Olympic gold medalist. Schmitt, a four-time gold medalist, was part of the silver medal-winning U.S. 800-meter freestyle relay team that finished second to China at the Tokyo Games. Both the Chinese and U.S. teams broke the previous world record in the relay.

“We raced hard. We trained hard. We followed every protocol. We respected their performance and accepted our defeat,” Schmitt said. “But now, learning that the Chinese relay consisted of athletes who had not served a suspension, I look back with doubt. We may never know the truth and that may haunt many of us for years.”



Lightning’s Jon Cooper tabbed to coach Canada at the 2026 Olympics

Phelps expressed frustration that nothing had changed since he testified before the same subcommittee seven years ago about WADA’s handling of Russian state-sponsored doping.

“Sitting here once again, it is clear to me that any attempts of reform at WADA have fallen short, and there are still deeply rooted, systemic problems that prove detrimental to the integrity of international sports and athletes right to fair competition, time and time again,” Phelps said.


The global doping regulator accepted Chinese anti-doping officials’ conclusion that the 23 athletes had ingested the banned substance through contaminated food at a hotel. Independent anti-doping experts have questioned that finding, with U.S. Anti-Doping Agency CEO Travis Tygart calling it “outrageous.”


WADA said COVID-19 pandemic restrictions in China prevented an “on the ground probe” of the positive tests and concluded that it could not disprove Chinese authorities’ explanation.

In response to criticism, WADA appointed an independent investigator, Swiss prosecutor Eric Cottier, to review its handling of the China case. Cottier was appointed on April 25 and was expected to deliver his findings within two months. His appointment, too, angered critics who pointed out his potential conflicts of interest.

The United States contributes more funding to WADA than any other country, including nearly $3.7 million this year. China has given WADA $1.8 million more than its required dues since 2018, Tygart noted in his testimony.

Tygart called on the U.S. to condition its future funding of WADA on reforms at the agency.

Tennessee turns over probe into failed Graceland sale to federal authorities, report says


 Graceland, Elvis Presley’s home, is pictured, Jan. 7, 2011, in Memphis, Tenn. The Tennessee attorney general’s office said Tuesday, June 25, 2024, that it has turned over its investigation into the failed sale of Presley’s home Graceland at a foreclosure auction to federal authorities, a newspaper reported. (AP Photo/Mark Humphrey, File)

 Elvis Presley with his girlfriend, Yvonne Lime, are photographed at his home, Graceland, in Memphis, Tenn., around 1957. The Tennessee attorney general’s office said Tuesday, June 25, 2024, that it has turned over its investigation into the failed sale of Presley’s home Graceland at a foreclosure auction to federal authorities, a newspaper reported. 

June 25, 2024

MEMPHIS, Tenn. (AP) — The Tennessee attorney general’s office said Tuesday that it has turned over its investigation into the failed sale of Elvis Presley’s home Graceland at a foreclosure auction to federal authorities, a newspaper reported.

The Commercial Appeal reported that Amy Lannom Wilhite, a spokesperson for Tennessee Attorney General Jonathan Skrmetti, said in a statement that the investigation into the attempted foreclosure sale of the prominent tourist attraction “was a matter best suited for federal law enforcement.”

“We have faith in our federal partners and know they will handle this appropriately,” the statement said.

It was not immediately clear Tuesday which federal authorities would be investigating. Wilhite did not immediately returns calls, texts and emails requesting the statement.

An FBI Memphis spokesperson said the FBI does not comment on the possibility or likelihood of investigations and he declined further comment.

Skrmetti said May 23 that he was investigating the attempted foreclosure sale of Graceland, Presley’s former home-turned-museum in Memphis, where the King of Rock n’ Roll lived before he died in 1977 at age 42.

The announcement came after the proposed auction was halted by an injunction issued by Shelby County Chancellor JoeDae Jenkins after Riley Keough, Presley’s granddaughter, filed a lawsuit claiming fraud.

A public notice for a foreclosure sale of the 13-acre (5-hectare) estate posted in May said Promenade Trust, which controls the Graceland museum, owes $3.8 million after failing to repay a 2018 loan. Keough, an actor, inherited the trust and ownership of the home after the death of her mother, Lisa Marie Presley, last year.

Naussany Investments and Private Lending said Lisa Marie Presley had used Graceland as collateral for the loan, according to the foreclosure sale notice. Keough’s lawsuit alleged that Naussany presented fraudulent documents regarding the loan in September 2023 and that Lisa Maria Presley never borrowed money from Naussany.

Court documents included company addresses in Jacksonville, Florida, and Hollister, Missouri. Both were for post offices, and a Kimberling City, Missouri, reference was for a post office box. The business also is not listed in state databases of registered corporations in Missouri or Florida.

Kimberly Philbrick, the notary whose name is listed on Naussany’s documents, indicated she never met Lisa Marie Presley nor notarized any documents for her, according to the estate’s lawsuit. Jenkins, the judge, said the notary’s affidavit brings into question “the authenticity of the signature.”

A search of online records for the Financial Industry Regulatory Authority showed no registration for the company. No representatives of Naussany appeared in court, though the company filed an unsuccessful motion denying the lawsuit’s allegations and opposing the estate’s request for an injunction.

A statement emailed to The Associated Press after the judge stopped the sale said Naussany would not proceed because a key document in the case and the loan were recorded and obtained in a different state, meaning “legal action would have to be filed in multiple states.” The statement, sent from an email address listed in court documents, did not specify the other state.

An email sent May 25 to the AP from the same address said in Spanish that the foreclosure sale attempt was made by a Nigerian fraud ring that targets old and dead people in the U.S. and uses the Internet to steal money.

Keough’s lawsuit remains active. No future hearings have been set.

Graceland opened as a museum and tourist attraction in 1982 and draws hundreds of thousands of visitors each year. A large Presley-themed entertainment complex across the street from the museum is owned by Elvis Presley Enterprises.

Indonesia won’t pay an $8 million ransom after a cyberattack compromised its national data center


FILE - Officers check the passports of passengers leaving for Singapore at the immigration checkpoint of the Bandar Bentan Telani ferry terminal on Bintan Island, Indonesia, Wednesday, May 15, 2024. Indonesian authorities said Monday that the country’s national data center was compromised by a cyber attack, disrupting public services including the immigration check points and asked for an $8 million ransom.

 (AP Photo/Dita Alangkara, File)

BY NINIEK KARMINI
 June 24, 2024

JAKARTA, Indonesia (AP) — Indonesia’s national data center has been compromised by a hacking group asking for a $8 million ransom that the government says it won’t pay.

The cyberattack has disrupted services of more than 200 government agencies at both the national and regional levels since last Thursday, said Samuel Abrijani Pangerapan, the director general of informatics applications with the Communications and Informatics Ministry.

Some government services have returned — immigration services at airports and elsewhere are now functional — but efforts continue at restoring other services such as investment licensing, Pangerapan told reporters Monday.

The attackers have held data hostage and offered a key for access in return for the $8 million ransom, said PT Telkom Indonesia’s director of network & IT solutions, Herlan Wijanarko, without giving further details.

Wijanarko said the company, in collaboration with authorities at home and abroad, is investigating and trying to break the encryption that made data inaccessible.

Communication and Informatics Minister Budi Arie Setiadi told journalists that the government won’t pay the ransom.

“We have tried our best to carry out recovery while the (National Cyber and Crypto Agency) is currently carrying out forensics,” Setiadi added.

The head of that agency, Hinsa Siburian, said they had detected samples of the Lockbit 3.0 ransomware.

Pratama Persadha, Indonesia’s Cybersecurity Research Institute chairman, said the current cyberattack was the most severe in a series of ransomware attacks that have hit Indonesian government agencies and companies since 2017.

“The disruption to the national data center and days-long needed to recover the system means this ransomware attack was extraordinary,” Persadha said. “It shows that our cyber infrastructure and its server systems were not being handled well.”

He said a ransomware attack would be meaningless if the government had a good backup that could automatically take over the main server of the national data center during a cyberattack.

Indonesia’s central bank was attacked by ransomware in 2022 but public services were not affected. The health ministry’s COVID-19 app was hacked in 2021, exposing the personal data and health status of 1.3 million people.

Last year, an intelligence platform that monitors malicious activities in cyberspace, Dark Tracer, revealed that a hacker group known as the LockBit ransomware had claimed to have stolen 1.5 terabytes of data managed by Indonesia’s largest Islamic bank, Bank Syariah Indonesia.

NTSB chair says Norfolk Southern interfered with derailment probe after botching vent-and-burn call


The NTSB says a flaming wheel bearing caused the Norfolk Southern train derailment in East Palestine, Ohio, last year. The board also says the decision to blow open five tank cars and burn the vinyl chloride that was inside was botched and unnecessary. 

BY JOSH FUNK, TOM KRISHER AND PATRICK ORSAGOS
June 25, 2024

EAST PALESTINE, Ohio (AP) — The head of the National Transportation Safety Board said Tuesday that Norfolk Southern repeatedly tried to interfere with the agency’s investigation into the East Palestine derailment and shape its conclusions about the flawed decision to blow open five tank cars and burn the vinyl chloride inside.

The NTSB also confirmed at Tuesday’s hearing that the February 2023 derailment was caused by a wheel bearing that video showed was on fire for more than 20 miles (32.19 kilometers) beforehand but wasn’t caught in time by inaccurate trackside detectors. The board also approved more than two dozen recommendations to prevent similar disasters, including establishing federal rules for those detectors and the way railroads respond to them along with reviewing how officials decide whether to ever conduct a vent and burn again.

More than three dozen freight cars derailed Feb. 3, 2023, on the outskirts of East Palestine near the Pennsylvania border, including 11 carrying hazardous materials. Some residents were evacuated that night, but days later more had to leave their homes amid fears of an imminent explosion. Despite potential health effects, officials intentionally released and burned toxic vinyl chloride three days after the crash, sending flames and smoke into the air.


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Railroads must provide details of hazardous cargo immediately after a derailment under new rule


Norfolk Southern said ahead of the NTSB hearing that railroads will examine vent and burn decisions

At the end of the meeting, NTSB Chair Jennifer Homendy accused Norfolk Southern of interfering with the investigation and abusing its status as a party to the probe to help gather information.

“Norfolk Southern’s abuse of the party process was unprecedented and reprehensible,” she said.

Numerous times, Homendy said, the railroad delayed or failed to give investigators information. Twice, Homendy called the railroad at the request of investigators and threatened to issue subpoenas for information, she said.

A railroad contractor told investigators that it did not take or keep records of temperature changes on the tank cars containing vinyl chloride, she said. But the NTSB suspected otherwise.

“We found through text messages through one of their employees, who provided that information in later interviews that they did keep those records,” Homendy said. “It took about two months before the team received those texts and the emails.”

Some of the findings discussed Tuesday weren’t a surprise because the NTSB has released quite a bit about this investigation already, but the hearing revealed the most details yet about the overheating bearing and the failure of trackside detectors to catch its soaring temperatures. The board also delved into why the decision to deliberately vent and burn the vinyl chloride was flawed.

After discussing how a trackside detector in Salem, Ohio, failed to accurately measure the bearing’s temperature, NTSB investigators said that Norfolk Southern and its contractors compromised the integrity of the vent-and-burn decision by withholding information from Oxy Vinyls, the company that made the vinyl chloride, and evidence that the tank cars were cooling after the crash.

The officials who made that decision said they never received any information suggesting the vent and burn wasn’t their only option.

“Norfolk Southern and its contractors continued to assert the necessity of a vent and burn, even though available evidence should have led them to re-evaluate their initial conclusion,” investigator Paul Stancil said.

The railroad defended the decision again Tuesday and said it was based on more than just the temperature readings. Officials also had concerns about the way the pressure-relief devices malfunctioned on the tank cars though Homendy said some of those fears were misplaced based on what investigators learned. Norfolk Southern added that nothing kept Oxy Vinyls from joining the discussion in the command center and sharing its opinion about the tank cars.

Oxy Vinyls experts testified at earlier NTSB hearings they were certain a feared chemical reaction that could have caused those tank cars to explode wasn’t happening. Oxy Vinyls didn’t address the questions about its role in the vent and burn decision in a statement Tuesday.

Norfolk Southern emphasized in its statement that it recommended the vent and burn because of safety concerns. Homendy said that in a private meeting two weeks ago a senior company executive told the board that Norfolk Southern wanted to put to rest the “rumor” that the railroad made that decision to get trains moving again more quickly..

The exchange ended, she said, with what she said was a threat from the railroad.

“It was delivered that way to use every avenue and opportunity to vigorously defend their decision-making in media and hearings going forward. That is your right. But it is not our role to defend Norfolk Southern. We’re here to protect the American people and the traveling public,” Homendy said.

Norfolk Southern had just issued a lengthy statement promising to study the NTSB’s recommendations and work to improve safety shortly before Homendy launched into her rebuke. In response, railroad spokesman Tom Crosson said Norfolk Southern always tried to provide the NTSB all the relevant information they needed.

“At all times, Norfolk Southern cooperated fully and ethically with the investigation with full transparency,” Crosson said.

But the top safety expert at the largest rail union who was part of the NTSB investigation said that while these findings highlight concerns about Norfolk Southern, he worries about all the major Class I railroads’ commitment to safety. Jared Cassity with the SMART-TD union said Union Pacific’s recent efforts to undermine regulators’ safety survey is one of the latest examples.

“She made NS sound like they’re on an island by themselves. But in my opinion, all the Class Ones are kind of a same beast,” Cassity said.

East Palestine resident Misti Allison said the community is still worrying about potential health effects from the vinyl chloride and toxic cocktail of other chemicals that spilled and burned in the derailment, and now they know the railroad hasn’t always been forthcoming.

“Community members deserve transparency and proactive protection, not the silence, secrecy and manipulation that has been unveiled today about Norfolk Southern,” Allison said.

The NTSB said first responders need good guidance of when to consider the last resort of a vent and burn to protect lives. Until recently, they didn’t even have access to previous reports on the topic because railroads had insisted they were sensitive safety information.

Norfolk Southern has already settled with the federal government and announced a $600 million class action settlement with residents. So it’s not clear how many additional consequences the railroad could face other than continuing to pay for the cleanup EPA is overseeing. But Ohio and Pennsylvania haven’t wrapped up their investigations, so the states may still do more to hold Norfolk Southern accountable.

Though NTSB recommendations aren’t binding, Congress may be willing to enforce some of them because of the crash’s spotlight on rail safety.

More than a year ago, a bipartisan group of lawmakers led by Ohio’s two senators proposed a package of reforms including requiring two-person crews and setting standards for the inspections and detectors that help prevent derailments. The bill ultimately stalled in the U.S. Senate under resistance from Republicans and the railroads.

“The findings shared by NTSB Chair Homendy today confirm many of my worst fears,” Ohio Sen. JD Vance said. “The derailment and subsequent chemical explosion were preventable tragedies resulting from a series of errors made by Norfolk Southern and its contractors.”

With limited success, federal regulators also pushed for the railroads to make changes like signing onto an anonymous government hotline to report safety concerns. The industry responded to the crash by promising to install more trackside detectors, review the way they are used and help first responders improve their handling of derailments with more training and better access to information about the cargo.
____

Funk contributed to this story from Omaha, Nebraska, and Krisher from Detroit.