Love Island premiere watched by smallest audience since 2017 – The Guardian

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Love Island was watched by the smallest audience for a series launch episode in four years, on a night when thrilling action at Euro 2020 and Wimbledon provided stiff competition for the eagerly anticipated return of the reality show.

After an 18-month Covid-enforced break, the much-hyped return of the summer edition of Love Island could only manage an average audience of 2.47 million viewers, according to figures from overnights.tv.

This was well below the season premiere of the previous, pre-Covid edition in 2019, which managed 3.3 million, and is the lowest-rating launch episode since 2017.

The show, which has attracted more than 12m in sponsorship deals and commands up to 100,000 per advertising slot, struggled in a night of high drama in Euro 2020.

Kicking off at 8pm, the shock departure of France at the hands of Switzerland provided direct competition for Love Island, attracting an average audience of 7.5 million and a peak of 10.5 million during the penalty shootout.

However, the broadcasters streaming service, ITV Hub, was unable to cope with audience demand for the match with many viewers turning to social media to complain that the live stream wasnt working.

Some complained that they were not able to see any of the match, others found they were up to 30 minutes behind the live coverage or were stuck watching a piece of footage on repeat.

ITV acknowledged that it was working to fix technical difficulties in a post on Twitter at 8.35pm, with some Love Island fans complaining that the issues continued to persist for a short time at the start of the launch show.

ITV also aired the earlier clash between Spain and Croatia.

On BBC One, Andy Murrays return to Wimbledon, in a tense four-set win over Nikoloz Basilashvili, attracted 3.4 million viewers between 7pm and 10pm.

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ITV will not be overly concerned about the lacklustre launch of Love Island as the show tends to benefit from a significant uplift from catch-up viewing and streaming, which are not captured in the initial live overnight figures. The show still gave ITV2 its biggest audience of the year so far in terms of viewing on the night.

With Euro 2020 running for the next two weeks ITV would expect to see a higher proportion of catch-up viewing than normal as football fans put live sport first, with Love Island due to run through the summer.

ITV will be pleased at being able to squeeze extra ad breaks into the clashes as France/Switzerland went to penalties and Spain/Croatia was resolved in extra time. The broadcaster has said that Euro 2020 and Love Island will make the most ad revenues for June and July in the broadcasters history.

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Archaeologist discovers 6000 year-old island settlement off Croatian coast – Reuters

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LUMBARDA, Croatia, June 24 (Reuters) - Archaeologist Mate Parica was examining satellite images of Croatia's coastline when he spotted something unusual.

"I thought: maybe it is natural, maybe not," said Parica, a professor at the University of Zadar.

The image showed a large, shallow area on the seabed jutting out from the eastern shore of the island of Korcula.

Parica and a colleague decided to dive at the site and discovered what they believe is a Neolithic settlement from around 4,500 years BC, built on a small piece of land that was connected to the main island by a narrow strip.

The pair found the remains of stone walls which had surrounded the settlement, as well as tools and other objects used by the inhabitants.

Archaeologist diver works on a Neolithic settlement in Lumbarda, Croatia, June 4, 2021. Picture taken on June 4, 2021. REUTERS/Mate Perica

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"We found some ceramic objects and flint knives," he said.

Marta Kalebota who runs the archaeological collection in the Korcula town museum, said the settlement's location was highly unusual.

"We are not aware at the moment of a similar finding elsewhere that a Neolithic settlement was built on an islet connected with a narrow strip of land," she said.

Parica also said the island settlement discovery was atypical and that Neolithic finds were mostly made in caves.

"The fortunate thing is that this area, unlike most parts of the Mediterranean, is safe from big waves as many islands protect the coast. That certainly helped preserve the site from natural destruction," he said.

Reporting by Antonio Bronic, writing by Igor Ilic, Editing by Raissa Kasolowsky

Our Standards: The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles.

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HPD Seeks Big Island Man For Questioning in Theft Case – Big Island Now

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June 29, 2021, 3:30 PM HST * Updated June 29, 2:58 PM

Hawaii Island police are seeking a Big Island man wanted for questioning.

Authorities are asking for the publics assistance to locate 43-year-old Chester Wooten Sr., who is wanted for questioning in connection with a theft investigation that occurred in the District of Kau.

Wooten Sr. is described as 6-feet tall, weighing 300 pounds, with brown eyes and brown hair. He is known to frequent the Districts of Kona and Kau.

Anyone with information on Wooten Sr.s whereabouts is encouraged to contact Detective Donovan Kohara at (808) 326-4646, Ext. 238 or via email at[emailprotected].

They may also contact the departments non-emergency number at (808) 935-3311. Tipsters who prefer to remain anonymous may call the island-wideCrime Stoppersnumber at 808-961-8300 and may be eligible for a reward of up to $1,000. All Crime Stoppers information is kept confidential.

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Elation in Spain as Balearic Islands join UKs Covid green list – The Guardian

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The easing of restrictions on UK travellers heading to the Balearics has prompted elation among officials and businesses in the islands, even as an outbreak of 394 coronavirus cases among Spanish students who had recently travelled to Mallorca highlighted the risks of opening up.

On Thursday, Britains transport secretary, Grant Shapps, announced that the Spanish archipelago was among the territories added to the UKs green list as of next Wednesday, meaning travellers will not need to quarantine when returning to the UK.

Last month Spain began allowing British travellers into the country without the need to provide a negative Covid test, a move that sharply contrasts with the growing push by EU leaders to tighten restrictions on British tourists.

The 14-day infection rate in the Balearics is among the lowest in Spain at 48 per 100,000 inhabitants. Before the pandemic, the islands, which also include Ibiza and Menorca, relied heavily on British tourism, with approximately 3.7 million holidaymakers arriving in 2019.

The regions green-list status was declared hours after several regions in Spain began sounding the alarm over clusters of coronavirus cases among high school students who had travelled to Mallorca earlier this month.

Spains health ministry said they were closely monitoring the situation, adding: To date we are aware of 394 cases of Covid-19 associated with end-of-year trips.

Officials and businesses in the Balearics celebrated the UKs decision to put the islands on the green list. For us its like a rebirth, said Javier Pascuet, the director of tourism for the municipality of Calvi, which includes Magaluf. We only have 40% of hotels open.

He stressed that authorities would be diligent in cracking down on parties, crowds and any other behaviours that could risk exacerbating the pandemic. Holidays are about being laid back but we cannot afford to have our numbers go up again, he said.

The lesson was laid bare last year after images emerged of drunk, maskless tourists flouting social distancing norms as they partied in Mallorca. Authorities responded swiftly, shutting down Magalufs notorious Punta Ballena strip.

While the strip has now reopened, the region has put in place rules prohibiting dancing, both indoors or outdoors, and which require drinks ordered in restaurants and bars to be consumed while sitting at a table. Were going to be watching very carefully, said Pascuet.

In the confederation that represents business associations in the Balearics, known as CAEB, there was little worry that the arrival of British tourists would deter German holidaymakers, who rank as the other major source country for tourists to the region.

On Wednesday the German chancellor, Angela Merkel, said the EU should require travellers from the UK to quarantine upon arrival after forecasts suggested the Delta variant could swell to 90% of cases across the bloc in the coming months.

German and British tourists often are drawn to different parts of the islands, said Carmen Planas of the confederation. For example in Palma beach, most are Germans. In Magaluf, most are British. Ibiza sees more Britons and fewer Germans.

She brushed off concerns over the Delta variant, pointing to the more than 77% of residents over the age of 40 who have had at least one dose of a coronavirus vaccine.

Juan Manuel Ordinas, who leads an association representing small hotels, described the green-list status as excellent news.

While he acknowledged there was a generalised worry about Covid among many in the region, he pointed out that the pandemic has wreaked havoc on the tourist-dependent islands, forcing the shutdown of Ibizas world-famous nightclubs last year, ushering in severe restrictions on restaurants and shops and sending the regions GDP plunging about 25% in 2020.

In the case of Ordinas, the plunge in tourism has meant one of the two hotels he owns has remains closed. Of his staff of 20, theres only enough work to sustain five and a half jobs.

Theres a point where you have to be realistic, he said. We only have July, August and September left. Thats three months to make what you would normally make in six months.

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Subject trespassed for blocking drive-thru | Mercer Island police blotter – Mercer Island Reporter

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By Reporter Staff

June 27

Marine incident: The Marine Patrol unit assisted with overturned jet skis on Lake Washington.

June 26

Boat fire: The Marine Patrol unit responded to a boat fire on Lake Washington.

June 25

Suspicious activity: A subject was trespassed for blocking the drive-thru of a business in the 7600 block of Southeast 27th Street.

June 24

Panhandling: A complaint was issued regarding panhandling and loud music in the 2700 block of 77th Avenue Southeast.

June 23

Fraud: A resident in the 9000 block of East Shorewood Drive had their gaming account hacked, and the suspect demanded ransom to restore the login and password.

Assistance: Officers assisted an individual in the 2500 block of 77th Avenue Southeast in connecting with King County crisis resources.

June 22

Traffic accident: A driver dozed off and struck a center divide in the 3000 block of 78th Avenue Southeast.

Burglary: Someone pried open several large storage bins in the 2600 block of 76th Avenue Southeast.

June 21

Juveniles drinking: It was reported that juveniles were drinking on the soccer field in the 9100 block of Southeast 42nd Street.

Dog issue: It was reported that an off-leash dog was behaving aggressively in the 8000 block of Southeast 72nd Street.

Fraud: A resident in the 4600 block of West Mercer Way discovered fraudulent accounts prior to losing money.

In consideration of how we voice our opinions in the modern world, weve closed comments on our websites. We value the opinions of our readers and we encourage you to keep the conversation going.

Please feel free to share your story tips by emailing editor@mi-reporter.com.

To share your opinion for publication, submit a letter through our website https://www.mi-reporter.com/submit-letter/. Include your name, address and daytime phone number. (Well only publish your name and hometown.) We reserve the right to edit letters, but if you keep yours to 300 words or less, we wont ask you to shorten it.

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Op-Ed: The Hoax of Oak Island – El Paso Herald-Post

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Since 2014, two brothers, Rick and Marty Lagina, have been digging trenches, moving rocks, draining swamps, and drilling holes all over a small island that they own off the coast Nova Scotia.

Their digging and drilling efforts have been chronicled in a series on the History channels Curse of Oak Island.

For some background:

On a small island off the coast of Nova Scotia, a legend of treasure has led a centuries-long search for whatever may or may not be buried there. It might be pirate booty. Or it might be some unknown European royal treasure, or it might be Spanish gold from South America, or it might be some kind of religious artifacts dropped off by the Knights Templar.

Or maybe it is something else.

Or maybe it is nothing at all.

The complex underwater caves may be naturally formed from millions of years of water erosion of soft gypsum, or they might have been dug by Vikings or Templars, or pirates. Anyway, these two brothers bought the island, hired a bunch of like-minded, similarly convinced treasure hunters, and have been running back and forth all over the place digging holes, using metal detectors, all the while convinced something is there.

Because the island has been inhabited on and off both by indigenous and immigrants for centuries, the chances of finding something is great. Be it a wall, a road, a cave, a nail a Happy Meal Toywhatever.

Each episode follows the exact same formula:

One of the treasure hunters, all of whom look exactly like front row ticket holders of a MAGA rally, finds something. The Something is usually pulled up from one of the zillion holes they have drilled all over the island, Or it might be from a pile of mud that the metal detector expert with an Australian accent declared looks very old while examining a something that has been covered in mud for 200 years. Yeah, it all looks old. It has been covered in muck for along time. The something could be a nail. Or a board. Maybe a piece of wood. A shape of a shipwreck in a swamp. A stone wall. A Village People CD cover. It doesnt matter. Anything sets them off.

Narrator Robert Clotwothy, the voice of Ancient Aliens (can you see where this is going?) then breathlessly asks a series of ridiculous questions: A wall? Next to a path? Near where another wall was found? What could it mean? Is this the proof that the brothers were looking for? Will this lead to the treasure?

A nail? In a board? That is 200 years old? Could this be the proof the brothers were looking for?

A metal object? Found in a place where no metal objects should be found? Could this be the proof the brothers were looking for?

Clotworthy uses the same tone and tenor of any of the other series he narrates for the History Channel, like Ancient Aliens, none of which by the way have anything to do with actual history.

The something is then sent off to be analyzed by the experts who make us wait until the next episode to only let us down again that the something is old, made of wood or metal, and amazingly enough shouldnt have been found where it was found. What a surprise!

This constant something is known to scriptwriters as a MacGuffin, a plot device that motivates the Oak Islanders to move forward, but in reality is unimportant itself. Metal, wood, wall, pathway, piece of cloth. It doesnt matter. Anything they find causes them to have simultaneous Oakgasms and the cameras to zoom in on their eyes as they look knowingly at each other. This is it. This is the one.

Until next week, when a new this is it is found.

By the end of each and every season however, nothing of consequence is found. No gold. No treasure chest. No Ark of the Covenant. No Knights Templar temples.

More holes dug. More MacGuffins found in the search for the big MacGuffin.

t the end of the day, the Laginas have exactly the same amount of things they had at the beginning of the season, which is to say, not much. Of course, the brothers dont care. The History Channel and its advertisers, is paying the bills.

The Curse of Oak Island, inexplicably, after seven seasons continues to be one of the highest rated shows on cable. Let that sink in: After SEVEN SEASONS of not finding anything, they are still one of the highest rated shows on cable TV.

Never mind that the brothers almost completely ignore the laws and rules of archaeological investigation. They happily back-hoe their way through hole after swamp, after hole. They have spawned two sequels and have made millions, all on the promise of next week is it.

Oak Island is not a singular phenomenon. There are dozens of similar shows that start off with the promise of finding the MacGuffin, only to lead viewers on a wild goose chase to Nothingville. Aliens. Bigfoot. Extraterrestrial spacecraft at an Air Force test facility in the Nevada desert. Government conspiracies. Gold.

All of these shows are directly targeted to a similar demographic: White male middle aged men, just like the Lagina brothers.

Why?

Because these men are the same men that easily believe conspiracy theories. It is not a large leap to jump from believing there is a vast conspiracy to cover up the existence of Bigfoot to believe the conspiracy that the media is telling you lies and that Joe Biden lost the election.

Oak Island and its like are merely the gateway drugs to the larger, more serious conspiracies.

I doubt if the viewers of shows like Oak Island are very good at vetting information and looking critically at issues. It is easy to believe information that APPEARS to be correct even though it is not.

And that says a lot about how we as a society educate our children on critical thinking skills.

Perhaps that is the true curse.

Author: Tim Holt

Holt is an educator and writer, with over 33 years experience in education and opines on education-related topics here and on his own award-winning blog:HoltThink. He values your feedback. Feel free to leave a comment, over at his site. Read his previous columns here.

***

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The Phoenix rises in Coney Island – The Brooklyn Home Reporter – Brooklyn Reporter

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The Phoenix has finally risen in Coney Island.

On Saturday, June 26, Denos Wonder Wheel Amusement Park held a soft opening of the areas newest ride, the Phoenixroller coaster.

Theparks managementreceived the green light at the last minute, muchto the delight of thrill seekers. And according to the owners, the Vourderis family, reviews have been overwhelmingly positive.

The official ribbon-cutting ceremony and grand opening of thefamily thrill roller coaster is Thursday, July 1 at 10 a.m. The first100 people to visit the park will get on the ride for free. Souvenirs and t-shirts that readI Rodethe Phoenix will be on hand.

It was important for the park to have the coaster open for Fourth of July weekend, one of thebusiest times of the season.

When the pandemic hit, like so many, we didnt know what to do, we only knew what we could do, said co-owner D.J. Vourderis. And as we are a family run amusement park, we could provide a place, after such painful and trying times, for us all to heal. We decided to go ahead with building The Phoenix because we believe in people, we believe in New York, and we love Coney Island and what it represents; a place where people from different walks of life, different opinions and ideals, can come together and remember what it feels like to smile again.

The announcement ofthe new coaster was made in December 2020.

The ride was included on USA Todays list of most anticipated roller coasters of 2021 and was in good company, with Universal Studios Orlando and Legoland also on the list.

The Phoenix is 68 feet tall and featuresaspeedofaround 34 miles per hour. According to the Denos team, riders will feel like they are flying around the Wonder Wheel with views of the beach and boardwalk. It features intense twists and turns.

The Vourderis family is delighted to invite everyone to the first rideat itsgrand opening, saidSteve Vourderis, theco-owner of the park. We cherish and honor the memory of our parents, Denos and Lula Vourderis,who started believing in and building up ConeyIsland in1947.

Alexandra Silversmith,executivedirector oftheAllianceforConey Island, is impressed with the new attraction.

Nothing can be more appropriate than the Phoenix Roller Coaster rising from the ashes of 2020 and the pandemic after it upended our shores and the world, she said. The views and thrills on the Phoenix are truly phenomenal and unlike any other ride in Coney Island. Kudos to the Vourderis family for the investment and vision to bring this coaster to reality.

Denos Wonder Wheel was preparing to celebrate its 100th anniversary last year with a slew of events. Due to COVID-19, the Vourderis family joined fans, elected officials and Coney Island historians on social media and YouTube to express their love forthe Wonder Wheel itself, one ofthe countrys most famous Ferris wheels. It was also featured during Macys 4th of July fireworks display.

This year, the park hopes to celebrate the anniversary the right way, with the Phoenix being the start.

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Going Beyond the Bounds of Earth: Elmira native Eileen Collins shares her story of space travel – WETM – MyTwinTiers.com

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ELMIRA, N.Y. (WETM) From a young age, Eileen Collins had dreamt of going to a place only a few women had space.

The Elmira natives passion for aviation sparked as a teenager when she and her father would adventure to the Elmira-Corning Regional Airport and watch the aircrafts wiz by. Little did she know that, years later, she would become a trailblazer in aerodynamics, paving a path for and inspiring countless women along the way.

I always wondered what it would be like to be on another planet or another solar system, Collins told 18 News. And when I first joined the Air Force, women were not allowed to fly combat aircraft.

Collins tried to change that. She wrote countless letters demanding the law be reversed. That didnt happen until years later.

But soon enough, Collins made history. In 1979 she made her way into the Air Force and became the first female flight instructor. In 1995, she was the first woman to pilot the United States Space Shuttle. Finally, in 1990 once again going beyond the bounds of Earth Collins became the first woman to command a shuttle mission.

The important thing is you know you can do this, Collins said. You shouldnt shy away from this because theres more men.

Collins echos that message today by reminding dreams everywhere that their gender doesnt determine how far they can go.

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Going Beyond the Bounds of Earth: Elmira native Eileen Collins shares her story of space travel - WETM - MyTwinTiers.com

An atomic clock that could revolutionize space travel just passed its first test – Science News Magazine

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An atomic clock that could transform deep-space travel has successfully completed its first test run in space.

NASAs Deep Space Atomic Clock, which launched on a satellite in June 2019, outperformed all other clocks in space during its first year in orbit around Earth. The clock, DSAC for short, was at least 10 times more stable than clocks on GPS satellites, which makes it reliable enough for futuristic space navigation schemes, researchers report online June 30 in Nature.

To navigate the solar system today, space probes listen for signals from antennas on Earth and then bounce those signals back. Ultraprecise, refrigerator-sized atomic clocks on the ground measure that round trip time which can take hours to pinpoint a spacecrafts location.

A future spacecraft carrying a toaster ovensized DSAC could simply measure how long it takes a signal from Earth to arrive and calculate its own position (SN: 6/21/19). Untethering deep-space navigation from Earth could someday enable self-driving spaceships or GPS-like navigation systems on other planets.

DSAC is so stable because it keeps time using electrically charged atoms, or ions, rather than neutral atoms, says Eric Burt, a physicist at NASAs Jet Propulsion Laboratory in Pasadena, Calif. Bottling ions within electric fields prevents those atoms from bumping into the walls of their container. Such interactions cause the neutral atoms in GPS satellite clocks to lose their rhythm.

By comparing DSAC with the U.S. Naval Observatorys hydrogen maser master clock on the ground, the researchers found that the space clock drifted about 26 picoseconds, or trillionths of a second, over the course of a day (SN: 4/10/19). Thats comparable to ground-based atomic clocks currently used for deep-space navigation, says DSAC principal investigator Todd Ely, also at NASAs Jet Propulsion Laboratory.

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An atomic clock that could revolutionize space travel just passed its first test - Science News Magazine

When Can I Buy a Ticket to Space? A Guide for Non-Billionaires. – New York Magazine

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Photo-Illustration: by Intelligencer; Photo Getty Images

Were at the dawn of a new era for space exploration, with thrill-seeking civilians boldly going where no tourist has gone before. Over 60 years after Soviet cosmonaut Yuri Gagarin became the first person in space, a handful of companies are planning to take non-astronauts with sufficiently massive bank accounts on a galactic tour: Tesla Founder Elon Musks SpaceX, Amazon CEO Jeff Bezoss Blue Origin, and Richard Bransons Virgin Galactic.

Heres everything you need to know about the rise of space tourism, from which billionaires are leaving Earth imminently to when the rest of us might be able to join them.

The initial effort to send a civilian into space ended in disaster: In 1986, Christa McAuliffe was set to be the first civilian and teacher in space, but she and six crewmates were tragically killed during the explosion of Space Shuttle Challenger.

After that, NASA largely forbade the practice. But Russias then-struggling space program stepped up to the plate. On April 28, 2001, Dennis Tito paid a whopping $20 million for a seat on a Russian Soyuz rocket, becoming the first civilian to visit the International Space Station humanitys home away from home. According to Space.com, just seven space tourists have followed in his footsteps in the last 20 years, via Russias Space Agency. But the year ahead should be a busy one for the nascent industry, with more and more civilians reaching for the stars.

The worlds first space tourist Dennis Tito (center) flies into the International Space Station as Russian Talgat Musabayev (right) looks on and the stations Russian commander Yuri Usache welcomes them, on April 30, 2001. Photo: Oleg Nikishin/Getty Images

The competition between the major players in the billionaire space race heated up when Bezos announced that he (along with his brother and another yet-to-be-named person) will jet off to the brink of space and back on July 20 the anniversary of the Apollo 11 moon landing. Last week, Bransons Virgin Galactic received the license it needs to fly passengers into space; there are reports that Branson might try to beat Bezos to the punch by blasting off into space on July 4.

Elon Musks SpaceX is planning what its billing as the worlds first all-civilian space flight in late 2021. The multiday flight into low Earth orbit, dubbed Inspiration4 and funded by billionaire entrepreneur Jared Isaacman, aims to raise awareness for St. Jude Childrens Research Hospital and begin a new era for human spaceflight and exploration. The crew includes Isaacman, childhood cancer survivor Hayley Arceneaux, plus two others. Its currently scheduled to launch no earlier than September 15, 2021, per the missions website.

SpaceX aims to keep the momentum going by partnering with Houston-based Axiom Space to send more everyday people into space using its Crew Dragon spacecraft, this time going to the International Space Station. Axioms first private ISS mission is set to launch no earlier than January 2022. Its second mission is the focus of the Discovery Channel reality-TV show Who Wants to Be an Astronaut?, in which contestants take on extreme challenges for a chance at a ticket to the ISS. Axiom Space plans to eventually host civilian space station jaunts every six months.

Unsurprisingly, going to space comes with a hefty price tag. Axiom passengers will pay the low, low price of $55 million for the flight and a stay on the ISS. Meanwhile, Virgin Galactics suborbital trips where passengers can experience weightlessness for several minutes before falling back to Earth are far more reasonable in cost, at $250,000. Six hundred people have already made reservations for 90-minute flights on Bransons SpaceShipTwo, Reuters reports. And while Bezoss Blue Origin hasnt announced official prices, an auction for a seat to join him and his brother on his brief sojourn to space in July went for a cool $28 million.

Hollywood isnt exaggerating: Going to space is inherently dangerous. Congress agreed in 2004 to largely let the space-tourism industry self-regulate, so there are few laws and restrictions on taking civilians into space.

One way that the government could have gone was to say, Hey, were going to certify the spacecraft, make sure that theyre safe and give them the stamp of approval, Mark Sundahl, an expert at space law at Cleveland State University, told Discover magazine. But they didnt go that way. Instead, they said Were going to prove were protecting space tourists by just requiring the companies to tell them that they may die, and then its up to them to make a decision if they want to take that risk or not. Thats the approach that the government took, and it is somewhat controversial.

Strapping in on a rocket and blasting off into space isnt the only type of travel available for those eager to leave this planet. Human space flight company Space Perspective is planning to fly passengers to the edge of space in a high-tech version of a hot-air balloon, the size of a football stadium, lifted by hydrogen. Flights are planned for early 2024, with tickets priced firmly at $125,000 per person.

For another out-of-this-world vacation, check out the company Orbital Assembly Corporation, which plans to open a luxury space hotel in 2027. The hotel, named Voyager Station, looks almost like a Ferris wheel floating in orbit and features a restaurant, gym, and Earth-viewing lounges and bars. A three-and-a-half-day stay is expected to cost up to $5 million, the Washington Post reports.

A slew of stars have already bought their tickets to space with Virgin Galactic, among them Justin Bieber, Ashton Kusher, and Leonardo DiCaprio, according to the New York Daily News. Last year, Actor Tom Cruise and NASA announced their own collaboration to make a movie on the International Space Station.

Once again, the biggest barrier to space is the price tag. But air travel was also once prohibitively expensive, with a one-way ticket across the country costing more than half the price of a new car; one can expect similar price reductions in space travel. For now, partaking in a sweepstakes or reality show might be the best bet for those with tiny bank accounts and big dreams of taking to the stars.

Daily news about the politics, business, and technology shaping our world.

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When Can I Buy a Ticket to Space? A Guide for Non-Billionaires. - New York Magazine

Space Perspective to offer "gentle" balloon rides to space for luxury travel – Yahoo News

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Space Perspective wants to take paying customers on flights into the upper atmosphere, 20 miles above the planet, and the company is ready to start selling tickets.

Why it matters: The company is stepping into an increasingly crowded market, with multiple space tourism companies like Virgin Galactic and Blue Origin expected to stage their first commercial flights with passengers this year.

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How it works: Instead of launching people to suborbital space using a rocket-powered vehicle, Space Perspectives plan hinges on gently lofting passengers to the stratosphere in a capsule suspended from a balloon.

Each flight can carry up to eight passengers alongside a pilot in the capsule and a co-pilot on the ground.

The company plans to start flying its first customers in 2024, and a ticket aboard costs $125,000.

Space Perspective staged a successful test of its system on June 18, flying from Florida.

The big picture: Space Perspective is setting itself apart as a luxury experience for those hoping to get a little taste of space travel.

While rocket-powered suborbital flights last a matter of minutes, this trip will be about six hours and includes amenities like champagne, a bathroom and a 360-degree view within the companys pressurized capsule.

"Couples might well get hitched with a small circle of family, introducing a whole new dimension on nuptials," Space Perspective said in a press release. "Others may relish the opportunity to celebrate a milestone birthday or even choose to take the company get-together to new heights."

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CRISPR Breakthrough Could Help Protect Astronauts From Radiation in Space – Interesting Engineering

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Contrary to public opinion, space is not an empty place.

Near Earth, unconscionable levels of ionizing radiation swarm around our tenuous atmosphere, protected only by our magnetosphere. It comes largely from galacticcosmic radiation, fueled by the seemingly endless activity of the Milky Way. With this maddening reality in mind, a group of scientists investigated the possibility of using CRISPR gene editing systems in space, to safely and accurately test the effects of ionizing radiation on human-like cells aboard the International Space Station, according to a new study published in the journalPLOS ONE.

In other words, we just took the first step to circumvent a major impediment to the human exploration of deep space: Radiation exposure, which can cause cancer, and other life-threatening complications.

As humans push further and farther into deep space, astronauts could risk harmful levels of exposure to ionizing radiation, which can damage DNA. One type of DNA damage, called double-strand breaks, may be repaired via two cellular pathways. One is called homologous recombination, which involves cases where the DNA sequence is typically left unchanged. The other, called non-homologous end joining, sees insertions or deletions added to the break site. Earlier work on double-strand breakages has led to suspicions that conditions in space could affect which DNA repair pathway, which could compound the risks of increased exposure while traveling in space.

However, scientists haven't had bountiful opportunities to grasp this problem, mainly because of safety and technical issues. But the CRISPR/Cas9 gene-editing system can provide a model to safely and accurately generate double-strand breaks in eukaryotes, the kind of cells humans use. The study's findings are the first-ever expansion of scientists' molecular biology "toolkit" aboard the International Space Station.

Beyond the protective shield of the Earth's magnetosphere, ionizing radiation places any present astronauts at risk of extensive DNA damage. This can lead to cancer and other serious health risks, throwing the entire notion of deep space travel into question. Double-strand breaks (DSBs) are when the phosphate backbones of both DNA strands are compromised and form into a DNA lesion. In the depths of space, much of the ionizing radiation is galactic cosmic radiation, consisting mainly of high linear energy transfer (LET) particles. These can punch through DNA, causing clustered and complex DNA damage that is not easy to repair. This means knowing which of the two repair pathways mentioned above is optimal is crucial to mitigate damage in astronauts exposed to space radiation.

Earlier studies have shown that the DNA repair mechanism pathway may be influenced in conditions under a measure of microgravity. But these studies have typically relied on generating DSBs on Earth, then freezing the biological material to be lifted to space, so scientists could observe which DNA repair pathway would happen in microgravity. But, since the two-road pathway is often determined immediately after a DSB event, it's possible these experiments futilely lifted eukaryotic cells that had already begun one pathway in Earth's full gravity, before astronauts could witness it in microgravity. This is why the scientists sought a means to study DSB breaks and repair entirely in the microgravity environment of the ISS.

Ultimately, the scientists successfully developed the first molecular biology workflow to examine DSB repair, from start to finish, aboard the ISS. And it happened with CRISPR/Cas9 gene-editing systems. Notably, in addition to kicking off a new series of DNA repair studies in microgravity, astronauts have gained the ability to transform and genetically engineer living organisms in space, which could serve to seed many further experiments in the future of human space travel.

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CRISPR Breakthrough Could Help Protect Astronauts From Radiation in Space - Interesting Engineering

Michael Baker International and Titusville-Cocoa Airport Authority Partner with Space Perspective for First Space Launch to Fly from Space Coast Air…

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TITUSVILLE, Fla., June 24, 2021 /PRNewswire/ --Michael Baker International, a global leader in engineering, planning and consulting services, and the Titusville-Cocoa Airport Authority join Space Perspective, the world's first luxury spaceflight experience company, in celebrating the first space launch from the Space Coast Air and Spaceport, located in Titusville, Florida. On June 18, 2021, Space Perspective's Neptune One spaceship test vehicle successfully flew to its target altitude and traversed the Florida peninsula before splashing down in the Gulf of Mexico and being recovered.

Michael Baker has served as the Airport's Engineer and General Consultant since 2008. In 2020, the firm partnered with the Titusville-Cocoa Airport Authority to achieve a Spaceport Launch Site Operators License, allowing the Authority to conduct launches from the Space Coast Air and Spaceport. This marked only the 12th Licensed Spaceport Launch Site approved in the United States.

"Florida has long established itself as the center of space travel," said Aaron McDaniel, South Florida Operations Manager at Michael Baker. "We are excited for this milestone in our partnership with the Titusville-Cocoa Airport Authority and look forward to continuing the development of new and innovative infrastructure to keep pace with the ever-evolving needs of the space industry. "

"With this launch, we have confirmed the capability and functionality of the Space Coast Air and Spaceport to serve as a center of space flight. We congratulate Space Perspective on this historic day as they kicked off an extensive test flight campaign with the ultimate goal of flying customers to space for an unrivaled experience and perspective of our world," said Justin Hopman, Interim Executive Director at the Titusville-Cocoa Airport Authority. "Our entire Space Coast Air and Spaceport team is dedicated to growing our area's burgeoning space businesses by offering the ideal location for these operations to take place. We anticipate that the launch will be the first of many exciting developments in the space industry to take place at this location."

To support the Spaceport's activities, the Titusville-Cocoa Airport Authority is planning several large-scale construction projects, including a 4,000-square-foot hangar to produce and develop horizontal spacecraft and storage for rocket-grade kerosene and oxidizers, a 4,000-square-foot apron between the hangar and taxiway and a 350,000 square-foot parking lot. The area also offers more than 700 acres of developable access to SR 407, making it an ideal location for space businesses.

About Michael Baker InternationalMichael Baker International is a leading provider of engineering and consulting services. The firm'sPracticesencompass all facets of infrastructure, including design, civil engineering, planning, architecture, environmental, construction and program management. For more than 80 years, the company has been a trusted partner, providing comprehensive services and solutions to commercial clients and all branches of the military, as well as federal, state and municipal governments. Embracing emerging technologies and the latest innovations likeintelligent transportationanddesign-buildproject delivery Michael Baker is an industry leader that delivers expertise and quality. The firm's more than 3,000 employees across nearly 100 locations are committed to Making a Difference for clients and communities through a culture of innovation, collaboration and technological advancement. To learn more, visithttps://mbakerintl.com/.

About Space PerspectiveSpace Perspective is the world's first luxury spaceflight experience company. It invites more people than has historically been possible to experience a thrillingly new and visceral perspective that expands the human consciousness the incredibly exhilarating panoramas and scale of Earth in space. Our atmosphere stretches for 100s of miles into space, Spaceship Neptune flies above 99% of it.

Setting a new bar in out-of-this-world thrilling experiences, as soon as late 2024 Space Perspective will escort Space Explorers gently to space inside Spaceship Neptune's pressurized capsule propelled by a high-performance spaceballoon that doesn't use rocket fuel, where Explorers see the world anew through its vast windows. The ultra-comfortable, accessible and gentle six-hour journey redefines what space and wonder travel means for the modern traveler.

Based out of Kennedy Space Center, Space Perspective is led by industry luminaries Jane Poynter and Taber MacCallum, and their expert crew who have been integral to all human spaceballoon flights in the last 50 years. Poynter and MacCallum have been dubbed 'Masters of the stratosphere,' by Bloomberg Business Week, and MacCallum served as Chairman of the Commercial Spaceflight Federation. For more information, visit SpacePerspective.com. Follow Space Perspective on social media for updates, Twitter, LinkedIn, Facebook and YouTube.

Contact: Julia Covelli[emailprotected] (866) 293-4609

SOURCE Michael Baker International

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The populism moment is fading – TheArticle

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The defeat for Marine Le Pen in Sundays regional elections in France confirms that the new political model is opening up in Europe. It is based on identity not ideology, on interests not ideas, and on many variants of populism, not a single reductionist populism based on race, nation and hostility to Europe.

Twentieth century binary Left-Right politics is dead. The giant 20th century unitary political formations that bestrode the stage in European democracies Conservatives versus Labour; Social versus Christian Democrats; Socialists versus Gaullists are fading away.

In the last decade academics like the Dutch Professor Cas Mudde on the Left,or the British Professor Matthew Goodwin on the Right, proclaimed the arrival of an unstoppable national populist wave that would conquer Europe. It was based on hostility to the EU, hostility to immigrants, and hostility to what came to be called woke politics support for LGBT rights, for feminism, for anti-racism, or green politics that challenged car-ownership or made roads and public spaces bike or pedestrian friendly.

These prophets of populism filled comment pages with proclamations that Nigel Farage, Marine Le Pen, Matteo Salvini, Geert Wilders, Viktor Orban and parties like the AfD in Germany, the FP in Austria or Vox in Spain were on the rise and would soon enter government. Donald Trump and the Britain Trump as the former US President vaingloriously called Boris Johnson after the latter skilfully used Brexit to engineer his arrival in Downing Street were seen as the future.

But just as 20th century politics has faded, so too have the early 21st century proclamations by both the Right and Left wings of the intelligentsia that populism was now the only game in town.

In France, it is the return of classic post-Gaullist centre-Right politics that did well with big beasts of the Sarkozy era, but without the sleaze associated with Sarkozy, keeping most control of regional councils. The Left, in the shape of socialist-green alliances, also maintained control of the five regional councils they held.

Macrons LREM party was not even formed the last time these elections were fought, so had no standard-bearers that voters had got to know. Instead, three heavy-hitting centre-Right politicians Xavier Bertrand, Valrie Pecresse and Laurent Wauqiez now have to decide which of them will be the candidate to challenge Macron next year. They may yet fall out as none of the three suffers from undue modesty.

Marine Le Pen failed to make the self-proclaimed breakthrough she needed. This does not augur well for her chances in the Elyse race next May. Her hope is that the two-thirds of voters who could not be bothered to turn out to vote on Sunday will have sufficient enthusiasm for her Rassemblement national party to get into the run-off with Macron.

But the spark has gone from her style. In 2016, she seized upon Brexit as the model for France where she, following in her fathers footsteps, had been the champion of anti-European populism, calling for a rejection of the Euro and a referendum langlaise on the European project.

She put Union Jacks on her social media platforms, but as Brexit turned into a four-year-long political agony for Britain and a steady weakening of the UK economy, she has stopped using the B word as a model to follow.

The rampant Francophobia in UK Brexit circles with attacks on France over fishing, vaccinations, or Macrons European grandstanding are not making any impact in France where there is low-level Schadenfreude at Boris Johnsons difficulties: with the Delta (Indian) variant, a possible Scots-led break-up of the UK, DUP hardline utterrances on the Good Friday Agreement, and the alignment of Joe Biden with European positions rather than English Brexit ones.

It would be too early to write off Marine Le Pen, but the anti-European populist moment may have passed. Viktor Orban is seen more and more as a hateful homophobe, with the Dutch Prime Minister, Mark Rutte, openly calling on Hungary to quit the EU.In Germany, the racist and Europhobe AfD is not growing in support. Instead, the Greens, who have shaped a green populism over 25 years, are looking like probable governing partners in post-Merkel Germany.

The German Greens are proving themselves sensible managers in Land and big city governments. So while the SPD suffers the fate of other classic 20th century political formations, progressive and non-ideological politics is re-emerging in new forms.

Macron, for example, is as tough on Islamist ideology as anyone who writes for Policy Exchange or the Spectator might wish. The Danish Social Democratic-led government is reported to be cooperating with Home Secretary Priti Patel on opening processing centres for economic migrants, who pay people traffickers to be brought to Calais to embark on rubber dinghies and head for Dover.

The Danish social democrats lost power 20 years ago when they refused to listen to voters concerns on immigration. They now ban marriages between a Dane and a non-EU citizen under the age of 24.

This is the new post-ideological style of winning power in Europe. It picks bits and pieces of populism, but incorporates them into wider political projects with strong elements of social investment to help the left-behinds, who were ignored in the long Thatcherite or neo-liberal era and at Davos gatherings of the super-rich and their fawning politicians.

Identity politics has been taken on board by more and more mainstream parties across Europe, who support regional and sub-national identities in contrast to the southern English elites disdain for Scotland and its quest for respect for the Scottish nation.

Hardly anywhere does one single party rule exclusively in the manner of Boris Johnsons Brexitised Tory party. Coalitions, arrangements, agreements, power-sharing, holding office for two years and then giving way to other leaders are the new norm in European politics (and beyond, e.g. in Israel) in the third decade of the new century.

The resignation of Swedens Social Democratic Prime Minister Stefan Lfven, just announced today, is a case in point. Lfven headed a heterogeneous minority coalition that lost a confidence vote in parliament a first for Sweden. Lfven now has to see if he can form a new government or give another party leader a chance. But the populist, hard-Right Swedish Democrats, once crudely racist, have had to tone down their extremism if their leader, Jimmie kesson, hopes even to enter a coalition, let alone form one. The price of power is pragmatic compromise, as rank populism wont work.

Populism is based on the Fhrerprinzip like Erdogan in Turkey or Orban in Hungary. But even Orban is now facing serious opposition from a broad-based coalition like the one that brought down Netanyahu in Israel. Meanwhile, Boris Johnsons populism has so far turned out to be based on social democratic tax, borrow and spend largesse.

Thus the term populist, which was so modish between 2010 and 2020, has run out of use in the era of Biden, the end of an all-embracing European project, and the patchwork of parties that form most of todays European governments. The professors will have to find a new describer for post-populist politics.

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The populism moment is fading - TheArticle

Medical Populism Hasn’t Saved the Philippines from COVID-19 | Time – TIME

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Nurse Delta Santiago (not her real name) has reached the top of her field. She works at one of the Philippines top hospitals, frequented by billionaires and celebrities. But the 32-year-old cant wait to leave. Santiago makes just $520 a month working 12-hour days and shes desperate to land a job overseas.

Because of the pandemic, the authorities have imposed restrictions on public transport, and Santiagos 15-mile (24-kilometer) commute to work in the center of the capital Manila is a time-consuming ordeal. She wants to rent a room closer to her workplace, to cut down on the exhausting traveling, and to avoid the risk of bringing COVID-19 home to her family, but she cant afford to. So, for the past eight months, she has been sleeping in a utility room at the hospital, just steps away from the plush, private medical suites where high-paying patients recline in relative comfort.

There, on a thin mattress spread between rolls of black garbage bags and boxes of toilet disinfectant, an exhausted Santiago crams for the professional exams that could be her ticket to the United States. She also has video calls with her eight-year-old son, whom she rarely sees in person. And she seethes with fury at the needlessness of the suffering that COVID-19 has brought to the Philippines.

I felt rage during the second surge, Santiago says, convinced that it could have been prevented.

Dr. Alejandro Umali, a physician working at a private hospital, rides his bike to work in Pasig, Metro Manila, on April 26. Many Filipinos, including health care workers, are hopping on bicycles as an alternative means of transportation as public transit remains restricted during the world's longest COVID-19 lockdown.

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Dr. Alejandro Umali wears personal protective equipment inside the COVID-19 ward on April 26.

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A police officer inspects motorists at a checkpoint in Marikina, Metro Manila, on March 29, as a strict quarantine is reimposed in Manila and surrounding provinces to curb the spread of COVID-19.

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The Southeast Asian country of 109 million people was already struggling to contain one of the regions worst outbreaks of when numbers began to climb sharply upwards in March this year. Typical daily caseloads have ranged from 3,000 to 7,000 in the past three months, but have been as high as 10,000 or 11,000, and hit an official peak of 15,310 on Apr. 2a figure that is almost certainly an undercount. Less than 5.5% of the population has been vaccinated, according to WHO figures.

What happens in the Philippines matters for the worlds efforts to contain COVID-19. Like Narendra Modis India or Jair Bolsonaros Brazil, the country is ruled by a medical populista term devised by Philippine physician and medical anthropologist Gideon Lasco, and fellow researcher Nicole Curato, to convey how public health crises are vulnerable to authoritarian figures who belittle threats, pooh-pooh scientific data and proffer improvised solutions. Under President Rodrigo Duterte, the countrys COVID-19 containment strategy remains a wild card, affecting not only the Philippines itself but the millions of workers it exports around the world, and the countries relying on Filipinos to fill vital jobs as construction workers, domestic workers, seafarers and medical personnel.

Thats why many like Santiago are in despair. Were back to zero again, she says.

Katrina Pelotin, a field nurse from the City Epidemiology and Surveillance Unit, conducts a swab test on a family member of a COVID-19 patient isolating at home as part of contact tracing efforts in Quezon City, Metro Manila, on April 15.

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The second Philippine wave wasnt supposed to happen because the country has been undergoing one of the worlds longest and harshest lockdownsa draconian measure meant to keep it safe in the absence of mass testing or a widespread vaccination program. Quarantine orders of differing degrees have been rolled out across the archipelago since March 2020, enforced by armed security personnel in a manner described in April by United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights Michelle Bachelet as highly militarized. Duterte himself has appeared on television telling the police and military to kill any anti-lockdown protesters who resist arrest. His bloody war on drugs had already eroded civil liberties; now, rights groups say, political freedoms have deteriorated further.

And yet the hardship of life under lockdown, which sent the country into its worst economic contraction since World War II, seems to have had little payoff. Since the onset of the second wavetriggered, some reports suggest, by new, more transmissible strains of the virus that causes COVID-19 spreading in the community after some social-distancing measures were liftedhospitals have again been pushed to breaking point. The nations total COVID deaths have nearly doubled during the four months of the second wave, spiking from just over 12,300 on Mar. 1 to nearly 24,400 on June 27.

People were dying at parking lots, even at home, because they could not find hospitals that would admit them. It was horrible, is how Dr. Glenn Butuyan describes the start of the second wave. Media reports described medical supplies running low and ambulances becoming makeshift morgues, lining up outside crematoriums. Tragically, the country continues to dispatch medical workers around the globe, even as its own hospitals stand in dire need of health care personnel.

Filipinos who are economically suffering as a result of the pandemic wait in line for free goods at the Maginhawa community pantry in Quezon City on April 19. The pantry is stocked with donated basic necessities such as food, toiletries and medicines.

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Funeral workers carry the corpse of a COVID-19 victim at a public crematorium in Pasay, Metro Manila, on April 21.

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Cemetery workers grind the ashes of a COVID-19 victim at a public crematorium in Pasay on April 21.

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Today, the situation has stabilized somewhat. There were just over 6,096 new cases, by official count, reported on June 27a small improvement on the situation a month earlier, when at least 7,000 cases were being logged every day.

But Nurses are exhausted, says Butuyan, who heads a hospital in Isabela province, about 250 miles (400 kilometers) north of Manila, and says he has been battling COVID-19 without any financial support from the government. (Health Secretary Francisco Duque III declined to be interviewed for this story, as did the health ministrys spokesperson, undersecretary Maria Rosario Vergeire. Harry Roque, the presidential spokesperson, also declined to comment.)

We dont have enough rooms, Butuyan tells TIME. Medicines are difficult to procure. We are so tired.

The mild, 54-year-old physician is well known in the Philippines for releasing a video message in early April that went viral. His call on the government to step up its efforts to contain the virus resonated with his long-suffering compatriots.

I was frustrated. There were so many cases, the hospitals were overwhelmed, and we were not getting much help from agencies that should be helping front liners, Butuyan says about his decision to release the video.

But he also used the message to beg [people to shelter at home] because we could no longer handle people dyingand that was harder to stomach for many Filipinos. Mark Vincent Navera is an aspiring accountant in Lipa City, about 50 miles (85 kilometers) south of the capital. He says repeated lockdowns have led to the cancellation of three professional examinations, costing him jobs that would have brought financial relief to his family, many of whom caught COVID-19. At the rate were going, were still far from gaining our freedom, he says.

An electronic billboard displays a video of Duterte as Catholic devotees pray outside a closed church in Manila on April 2, defying government orders to avoid religious gatherings and stay home during Holy Week to curb the spread of the coronavirus.

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Poor leadership and lack of a coherent pandemic strategy have added to the countrys woes. President Duterte disappeared from public view as cases began to climb sharply in March. To allay questions about his health, photos of the president playing golf were released in early April, but the images conveyed an impression of remoteness from the suffering of ordinary Filipinos and were widely mocked.

When he finally resumed the weekly televised addresses to the nation that have been such a feature of the pandemic in the Philippines, Duterte was only able to offer the same solutions he has always favored: place affected areas under a total lockdown, put more police on the streets, impose stricter curfews, and arrest quarantine violators.

There is no imagination, the medical anthropologist Lasco tells TIME. It is hallmark medical populism, which he and his colleague define as a political style during public health crises that pits the people against the establishment.

According to Lasco and Curato: While some health emergencies lead to technocratic responses that soothe the anxieties of a panicked public, medical populism thrives by politicizing, simplifying, and spectacularizing complex public health issues.

Figures like Duterte, Bolsonaro, Modi, and former U.S. president Donald Trump have downplayed the impact of the virus, spread false claims, and touted their own bizarre solutions to the problem, preventing scientists and doctors from leading the fight. As the first wave of the pandemic raged in India, Modi called for festivals of light and asked the air force to dispatch helicopters to shower hospitals with flower petals. Trump said he was taking anti-malarial drug hydroxychloroquine as a prophylactic against COVID-19, despite little evidence on its efficacy against the disease and evidence that misuse of the drug could cause harm. Brazils Bolsonaro infamously called COVID-19 a little flu and has continuously belittled mask wearing, even though he himself was diagnosed with COVID.

Instead of investing in testing or ensuring a timely rollout of vaccines, Dutertes approach has been to put the Philippines on a war footing, which Lasco describes as part of the medical populists pattern of spectacle. The president appears on TV to give COVID-19 updates while flanked by top military brass and has appointed several military figures to senior positions in his campaign against the virus. With the country distracted by the pandemic, the administration has also cracked down on political opponents. On Mar. 7, at the start of the second wave, nine activists were shot dead in the so called Bloody Sunday raids around Manila.

Professor Ranjit Rye is a member of a research group from University of the Philippines that has been monitoring the pandemic. He says a big part of the problem is that scientists are not prime movers in the inter-agency task force created to handle the nations pandemic response. Scientists and doctors are not treated as equals, he says. They are just one of the stakeholders therecompeting, the professor claims, with business interests who want the economy reopened.

A crate containing Sinovac Biotech COVID-19 vaccines is loaded into a truck upon arrival at Ninoy Aquino International Airport in Manila on Feb. 28. Duterte witnessed the arrival of 600,000 doses donated by the Chinese government.

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Health Secretary Francisco Duque III administers a shot of Sinovac Biotech's CoronaVac vaccine on a health care worker during the first day of COVID-19 vaccinations at the Lung Center of the Philippines Hospital in Quezon City on March 1.

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A makeshift vaccination center in San Juan, Metro Manila, on June 1.

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If nothing is done to prop up the countrys ailing health system, Rye and his colleagues believe the Philippines could go the way of Indiacaught unprepared by a giant surge and hamstrung by a woeful shortage of resources, especially health care workers. One nurse, Czar Dancel, tells TIME that 8 out of his 10 colleagues are preparing to leave the country, mostly because of a lack of money. He reveals that his monthly hazard pay amounts to just 300 Philippine pesosa little over $6and even then he has yet to receive a single centavo of it.

For the time being, the countrys pandemic response lurches onward under its erratic, authoritarian leader. Duterte has recently started espousing vaccinations as the countrys way out of the crisis, but its inoculation program didnt begin until March, using donated CoronaVac jabs from China. Achieving herd immunity any time soon looks highly unlikely. Vaccine hesitancy is deep-rooted. Many Filipinos are refusing to be jabbed with Chinese-made shots and a recent poll found that fear of vaccinations side effects was a major concern.

For now, that leaves further lockdowns and social-distancing as the chief means of preventing an even more severe outbreak among an already exhausted population.

None of us thought lockdowns would be this long, says Manila bookseller Honey de Peralta, who stays at home with two children and an elderly parent. None of us expected we would go back to square one.

More intimidation could also be on the cards. On June 21, Duterte threatened to jail anyone refusing to be vaccinated. You choose, vaccine or I will have you jailed, he warned on television.

We have the same set of responses, and theres no willingness to acknowledge the mistakes of the past, says Lasco. Its hard to feel optimistic.

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Medical Populism Hasn't Saved the Philippines from COVID-19 | Time - TIME

Vox, Covid-19, and populist discourses in Spain – EUROPP – European Politics and Policy

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The radical right party Vox has been a harsh critic of the Spanish governments handling of the Covid-19 pandemic. Jos Javier Olivas Osuna and Jos Rama present findings from an analysis of the speeches made by the partys leader, Santiago Abascal, during the first wave of the crisis. They write that Abascals interventions became increasingly populist as the pandemic progressed. There is also evidence of a spillover effect, with the level of populism displayed by other parties also increasing.

The analysis of populist discourses during great events, such as the Covid-19 pandemic, can help us to understand how populist leaders adapt their communicative style to take advantage of changing circumstances. Populist movements often appear within a crisis context. This was the case of some populist leaders in Latin America that emerged after the hyperinflationary crisis in the late 1980s, or the recent emergence of radical populist movements in Europe such as the Alternative for Germany, Brothers of Italy, and Vox after the Great Recession.

Populism finds in economic, social and political crisis a window of opportunity because crisis erodes trust in representative institutions, fuels grievances, and serves as justification for radical measures. Moreover, populists frequently cite social, political and economic problems as well as the failure to address them to propagate a sense of crisis and turn the people against a dangerous other. Unfortunately, the simplistic solutions and blame attributions of populist leaders often trigger similarly simplistic and confrontational responses from their political adversaries. These populist performances can become contagious and may further divide society and polarise the electorate.

Populism in Spain during the first wave of the Covid-19 pandemic

In Spain, the Covid-19 crisis has induced greater demands for techno-authoritarian decision-making, strong leadership, willingness to give up individual freedom, and support for the idea of recentralisation of devolved powers. All these ideas resonate with the discourse of Vox, which is also the party that Spaniards with anti-democratic views are more prone to support. Vox has also grown significantly and become the third largest party in Spain and it is, therefore, a party worth studying in the context of this health crisis.

One way to study populist discourses is to compare the density of populist features for each of the core dimensions of populism, namely: antagonism, morality, the idealisation of society, popular sovereignty and personalistic leadership. Table 1 below provides a definition for each of these dimensions.

Table 1: The core dimensions of populism

We have analysed the transcripts of the populist discourse of Vox during the debates for the approval and extension of the state of alarm to fight against Covid-19. Our analysis reveals that, in comparison with Voxs political manifestos, the idealised depiction of society lost relevance during these debates, whereas the moral and antagonistic dimensions largely increased their salience. Figure 1 shows the density of each of the populist features in these statements and in the partys manifestos.

Figure 1: Aggregate levels of populism in the discourse and party manifestos of Vox

Figure 2 shows that from 25 March to 3 June, the density of morality and antagonism references steadily increased during the different interventions in the case of Vox, and that anti-populist allusions i.e., referring to a pluralist or liberal conception of democracy were extremely rare and decreasing in the speeches of Abascal.

Figure 2: Evolution of populist and anti-populist statements by major Spanish political parties (25 March 3 June 2020)

It is worth noting that Abascals speeches paid very little attention to the specific aspects of the pandemic. They largely attempted to delegitimise the Spanish government and its allies by accusing them of disinformation and of having hidden motives, such as eroding the unity of Spain and trying to establish a communist authoritarian regime. While the number of populist references increased, the tone of his statements also became more hyperbolic and aggressive.

Mr Snchez, you cant disguise this: tens of thousands of dead Spaniards due to sectarianism and criminal negligence by this government and millions of Spaniards ruined

I believe that Mr Iglesias wishes a civil war, [], I believe that his vanity and fanatism is capable of provoking a tragedy in Spain, but we are not going to fall into his provocations.

Santiago Abascal, 3 June 2020

Our analysis also provides evidence of spillover effects in other parties communications. Pablo Casado, the leader of the Peoples Party (PP), drastically modified his discourse between the first and last Covid-19 debate.Anti-populist features were abandoned and replaced by abundant populist antagonism and morality features. Although the style of Casado was not as emotional and aggressive as that of Abascal, the density of populist references displayed was also very high and several of the critiques were similar to those made by the leader of Vox.

Meanwhile, the speakers of Esquerra Republicana de Catalunya (ERC) and Unidas Podemos (UP), parties that are usually classified as populist, took advantage of the excessive claims by Abascal to caricature and demonise Vox as well as the other right-leaning parties, the PP and Ciudadanos (Cs). Only the speakers of Cs and Prime Minister Pedro Snchez, the leader of the Spanish Socialist Workers Party (PSOE), maintained a discourse with fewer populist than anti-populist references.

Explaining the propagation of populist rhetoric

The Covid-19 pandemic was seized upon by Vox as an opportunity to fuel discontent and transform the health and economic crisis into a political crisis in which they could set the agenda and present themselves as the only strong opposition to the government.

Abascal and other leading figures in the party employed an aggressive performative style, distancing themselves from what is politically correct and emulating the bad manners of former US President Donald Trump and other prominent populist figures. Other parties reacted to these performances by also engaging in blame attribution and moral condemnation. Two different mechanisms seem to explain the propagation of populist discourses.

First, by adopting hyperbolic and confrontational rhetoric, populist parties can gain more media attention and differentiate themselves from other political forces. This is a sort of populist outbidding process. Other political parties on the same side of the left-right spectrum, such as the PP in this case, may choose to adopt a similar form of populist rhetoric to avoid losing voters to more radical parties, such as Vox.

The recent regional elections in Catalonia in February this year and Madrid in May help to illustrate this effect. In the former election, the PP adopted a moderate stance, but was largely beaten by Vox, while in the latter, the PP leader Isabel Daz Ayuso used a Manichean, confrontational communication strategy and managed to largely outperform Vox which obtained 9.1% of the vote as opposed to 18.5% in the November 2019 general election. This underlines that maintaining a pluralist discourse in the context of crisis and polarisation can be electorally damaging in the short-term.

Second, parties from the other side of the political spectrum may also enter into a populist confrontation dynamic with the party responsible for the initial escalation. Once a leader breaks implicit conventions on what is acceptable to say in parliament, other leaders may follow and thereby help normalise populist articulation, strengthening the sense of crisis.

Party speakers in Spain engaged in aggressive attacks on each other with hyperbolic accusations such as suggesting that some parties were euthanising part of the population, calling for a military coup dtat, wishing a civil war, or engaging in fascism. This crossing of dialectic red lines in parliament was later visible in a more aggressive tone and further polarisation in the public sphere, thus contributing to increased tensions and divisions in society.

For more information, see the authors accompanying paper at Frontiers in Political Science

Note: This article gives the views of theauthors, not the position of EUROPP European Politics and Policy or the London School of Economics. Featured image credit: Vox Espaa (Public Domain)

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Vox, Covid-19, and populist discourses in Spain - EUROPP - European Politics and Policy

Can Zelensky’s Turn to Populism to Save Him in the Next Ukrainian Election? – The National Interest

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Populism has always been prominent in Ukrainian politics as a means to stem the declining popularity of presidents and governments. After the Orange Revolution populist firebrand Yulia Tymoshenko became synonymous with this populism. Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskys new policy of de-oligarchization looks to return to Tymoshenkos discredited populism which was disastrous for Ukraines economy during her two governments.

With forty-two percentof Ukrainians disappointed in Volodymyr Zelenskys performance last year and sixty-seven percent believing the country is heading in the wrong direction, it is not surprising Ukraines president is turning to populism. Only twenty percentbelieved Zelenskys presidency was better than his predecessor Petro Poroshenko, thirty percentthought he was worse while forty-one percentwere of the opinion there was no difference between the two.

The traditional populist enemy in Ukraine has always been oligarchs. During election campaigns, all Ukraines political forces, ranging from left to right and irrespective of whether they are pro-Western or pro-Russian, promise to deal with oligarchs.

With one eye towards the next elections, Zelensky has launched a de-oligarchization campaign with two enemies in his sights. The first is the pro-Russian Opposition Platform For Life Party who he sees as the main competitor to his own Servant of the People Party among Russian speakers in southeast Ukraine. The second is Poroshenko against whom he has a personal grudge and seeks to dampen support for the center-right European Solidarity Party that the former president heads.

While the Ukrainian public traditionally blames oligarchs for all manner of sins they at the same time remain skeptical about Zelenskys motives, with only 31.5% believing he is striving for justice or that de-oligarchization will lead to improvements. Meanwhile over half of Ukrainians fifty-seven percentsee Zelenskyys de-oligarchization as either populism to increase his popularity ratings or an attempt to take over oligarch economic assets and media for the president's team.

Three political parties in parliament European Solidarity, Voice, and Tymoshenko's Fatherland who are not usually willing to cooperate with each other have drawn up their own alternative law on de-oligarchization which they submitted on June 15, thirteen days after Zelenskyys draft. Their draft with the long title of On De-oligarchization, Promotion of Competition, Removal of the Authorities from Corrupt Influences and Social Responsibility of Business seeks to deal with the many inconsistencies in the president's approach.

Zelenskys de-oligarchization is unclear about how oligarchs are to be defined and the names are restricted to a secret list of thirteenpeople who allegedly have inordinate influence in politics, the media, and over state officials. Zelensky seeks to remove the influence ofthese thirteen oligarchs over the media and political parties and deny them access to privatization of large facilities.

It is never explained how oligarchs would be forced to sell their media outlets. This would likely lead to protests in international organizations and human rights bodies about threats to media freedom in Ukraine. Similarly, with a huge shadow economy accounting for upwards of half of GDPand assets deposited overseas, Zelensky has not explained how the authorities intend to end the covert funding of political parties by big business. Big business after all provides financial donations to political parties in the US and Europe.

Indeed, it is perhaps not surprising Zelenskys de-oligarchization populism ignores Ukraines huge shadow economy as attempts to reduce its size would be unpopular among his base. Anti-establishment populists like Zelensky prefer to attack elites. The shadow economy contributes to widespread lower levels of corruption and widespread disrespect for the rule of law. Of the thirtymillion economically active Ukrainians only 37 percent(10.9million) pay taxes. 11.8 millionUkrainians who are able to work do not officially make any money; in other words, they work in the shadow economy where they earn unofficial salaries. Compounding this are high rates of tax avoidance in western Ukraine which does not see this as a contradiction in its claim to be the most patriotic region of the country. Tax avoidance is also high in the port city of Odesa and to a lesser degree in the capital city of Kyiv.

Ukraines largest industrial companies are too big and visible to hide in the shadow economy. Meanwhile de-oligarchization does nothing to improve Ukraines rule of law by, for example, reducing widespread corruption in the judiciary. As the conservative Heritage Foundation noted in its 2021 Index of Economic Freedom, [Kyiv] needs to boost investor confidence by continuing to upgrade the investment code and by undertaking deep and comprehensive reforms to strengthen rule-of-law institutions and improve the protection of property rights, judicial effectiveness, and government integrity.

Zelenskys populist de-oligarchization plans higher taxes on selective oligarchs who own Ukraines largest natural resources companies. These include a potential tripling of iron ore mining rent and as much as a three-fold increase in taxing the disposal of non-hazardous mining waste. The governments own official statistics show sixty percentof iron ore mined in Ukraine is exported while the Ukrainian metallurgical industry contributes twelve percentof the countrys GDP. 19 of Ukraines top 100 taxpayers are in the metallurgical sector. A recent survey estimated each job in Ukraines metallurgical industry has a knock-on effect in creating a further 2.2 jobs in other sectors of the economy, such as transportation or engineering.

As tax increases will lead to increases in production costs for Ukraines metallurgical sector and price increases for importers of Ukrainian metals, Zelenskyys populist higher taxes will create a window of opportunity for Russian competitors. Populist de-oligarchization would encourage importers and investors to seek sector stability elsewhere, particularly in the three quarters of the worlds metals market which uses a fixed rent rate rather than the progressive rate favored by Zelenskyy. Populist tax increases will encourage some of Ukraines trading partners to move their business to, for example, Russia, the EU, Australia, orBrazil.

There has been substantially increased demand from China for iron ore. But an increase in prices for Ukraines exports (due to populist higher taxes) would lead to Chinese importers looking for suppliers elsewhere. Should China turn to Russia to meet its iron ore needs, Zelenskys de-oligarchization would not only drive down demand for Ukraines commodities and make post-covid economic recovery difficult but would also drive market share to Russia.

Who stands to benefit from Zelenskyys election populism?

De-oligarchization will benefit oligarch Igor Kolomoysky who was instrumental in bringing Zelensky to power in 2019 and remains untouchable. Oligarchs close to Tymoshenko were also untouchable during her populist de-oligarchization. Zelensky has never once in his two years in power criticized Kolomoysky even though the oligarch has opposed all of his reforms. Kolomoysky controls a quarter of Zelenskyys Servant of the People parliamentary faction which has blocked government reforms. Kolomoysky directly interferes in Ukrainian politics through his For the Future political party which came fourth with twelve percentof the vote in last years local elections.

Kolomoysky faces numerous lawsuits abroad but none at home where the Zelenskyy controlled prosecutors office has initiated no criminal cases. In August 2020, the FBI raided companies owned by Kolomoysky in Cleveland and Miami and seized properties in Kentucky and Texas. On March 5, 2021, the U.S. sanctioned Kolomoysky due to his involvement in significant corruption.

To ingratiate himself with President Joe Biden, Zelensky could follow through with Ukrainian sanctions against Kolomoysky, although this is unlikely. Ukrainian gas oligarch Dmytro Firtash, who the U.S. has been seeking to extradite since 2014 from Vienna on corruption charges, was sanctioned by Zelenskylast week. President Biden told Zelensky after this months NATO summit that Ukraine has to clean up its corruption to be invited into a Membership Action Plan (MAP). Cleaning up President Zelenskys inner circle would be a very good place to start Ukraines drive to enter a MAP as a stepping stone to joining NATO.

Ukrainians' fear that de-oligarchization will benefit Zelenskys circle seems, therefore.to be true. Kolomoysky would certainly attempt to take over large companies which went bankrupt from populist high taxes and loss of markets. It is interesting to note the manganese ore sector, already controlled by Kolomoysky, faced a mere twenty-five percenttax rate since 2020 at which time iron ore taxes increased to fifty percent. Inexplicably, manganese ore escaped any tax increase in Zelenskyys populist tax hikes.

Zelenskyys populist de-oligarchization has four fundamental problems. Firstly, it is poorly thought out because it is more geared to increasing the presidents popularity than undertaking any real change of the type long demanded by the U.S. in return for its support. Secondly, selectively targeting one of the key sectors of Ukraines economic growth and exports will only incentivize more companies to join the already large shadow economy. Thirdly, allowing Russia to take over Ukraines export markets would be unwise when nearly three quarters of Ukrainians believe their country is at war with Russia. Fourthly, Zelenskys de-oligarchization will benefit Kolomoysky at a time when he is sanctioned by the U.S. Fifthly, de-oligarchization is impossible without reducing Ukraines huge shadow economy, reducing widespread tax avoidance among Ukrainian citizens and fighting deep levels of corruption in the judiciary.

If President Zelenskyy wants Ukrainians and Washington to treat his de-oligarchization seriously and not as another round of election populism he should start at home by following the U.S. in sanctioning Kolomoysky. De-oligarchization will not be treated as anything other than populism while Kolomoysky remains untouchable in Ukraine.

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Can Zelensky's Turn to Populism to Save Him in the Next Ukrainian Election? - The National Interest

Populism at what cost – The Shillong Times

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Meghalaya is turning 50 next January. It would be interesting for any credible institution to do a performance grading of the State to analyze its development indices. The principle yardstick for any state is human development. This would include in the main the health and general wellness indicators. The mirror for this is provided annually by the National Family Health Survey (NFHS) which collaborates with local institutions to conduct these studies. The results have been dismal in the area of infant and maternal mortalities and nutrition. This would have aggravated during the pandemic as pregnant women and lactating mothers stay away from hospitals for fear of contracting Covid. A targeted study on this would reveal that Meghalayas health indicators as is the case with the education grading would have dipped very low. And these two are critical areas of human development.In 50 years, the Khasi-Jaintia region has suffered from transport bottlenecks for want of railways. Railways are the cheapest means of communication for ordinary people, particularly students and blue-collared workers who cannot afford flights. But railways have become a live issue for the Khasi Students Union (KSU) and their raison dtre. Their only argument against railways is that unwanted itinerants would add to the list of infiltrators. No government till date has had the spine to state upfront that the railways are a national asset and a boon for travellers and therefore they should and will be allowed to come to the state. The people of Garo Hills are more far-sighted on this score. Trains coming up to Mendipathar have been of great help to farmer-producers who wish to export their products beyond Garo Hills apart from connecting them to the rest of the country.Another sore point that should be a dampener to the Statehood celebration is the fact that barring Arunachal Pradesh which does not have an airport because of its difficult terrain, the only other State in the entire country that does not have a functioning airport is Meghalaya. The one at Umroi works in fits and starts. Indigo which operates the Kolkata-Shillong-Kolkata flight functions when it wishes to and pulls back at the first sign of low passenger intake. Development of Umroi airport has suffered from specious arguments about not cutting hillocks, thereby preventing the needed length for the runway which prevents landing of Boeings. When the Airports Authorities of India (AI) is willing to invest in the necessary infrastructure, the State has always been on the backfoot. Our dreams of seeing a Shillong-Delhi flight taking off is unlikely to materialize any time soon. So whats there to celebrate? Populism always wins the day in Meghalaya, not governance imperatives.

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Populism at what cost - The Shillong Times

NASA’s Ingenuity Mission Honored by the Space Foundation NASA’s Mars Exploration Program – NASA Mars Exploration

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Ingenuity Flight Six Navcam Image: This sequence of images taken on May 22, 2021, by the navigation camera aboard NASAs Ingenuity Mars Helicopter shows the last 29 seconds of the rotorcrafts sixth flight. Credits: NASA/JPL-Caltech. Download video

The mission picked up the 2021 John L. Jack Swigert, Jr., Award for Space Exploration for its history-making achievements.

The team behind NASAs Ingenuity Mars Helicopter has been named the 2021 winner of the John L. Jack Swigert, Jr. Award for Space Exploration from the Space Foundation.

The foundations goal is Advocating for Innovation. Bettering Life on Earth. The annual award recognizes extraordinary accomplishments by a company, space agency, or consortium of organizations in the realm of space exploration and discovery. It honors the memory of astronaut John L. Jack Swigert, Jr., the command module pilot for the Apollo 13 mission. During Apollo 13s April 1970 voyage to the Moon, an oxygen tank ruptured, placing the crew in peril. It was a time of high drama and high anxiety as people around the globe watched NASA work against the clock and against the odds to return the crew safely to Earth.

The Ingenuity Mars Helicopter team at NASAs Jet Propulsion Laboratory in Southern California faced many challenges on their way to achieving humankinds first powered, controlled flight on another planet. The helicopters first test flight was full of unknowns. The Red Planet has an extremely thin atmosphere with only 1% the pressure at the surface compared to our planet while also being home to significant gravity one-third that of Earth. On April 19, 2021, Ingenuity climbed to its prescribed maximum altitude of 10 feet (3 meters) and maintained a stable hover for 30 seconds before descending again, becoming the first ever rotorcraft to fly on another planet.

Since then, the Mars Helicopter has flown a total of seven times, transitioning from being a technology demonstration to an operations demonstration intended to explore how aerial scouting and other functions could benefit future explorations of Mars and other worlds.

The Space Foundation award will be presented Aug. 23 during the opening ceremony of the 36th Space Symposium in Colorado Springs.

Recent Swigert Award winners include the InSight-Mars Cube One joint project teams, the Dawn mission, and the Cassini mission.

News Media Contact

DC Agle Jet Propulsion Laboratory, Pasadena, Calif.818-393-9011agle@jpl.nasa.gov

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NASA's Ingenuity Mission Honored by the Space Foundation NASA's Mars Exploration Program - NASA Mars Exploration

Mars: Humans able to reproduce on planet, sperm can survive for 200 years – Business Insider

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Human reproduction will be possible on Mars because sperm can survive there for up to 200 years, astudysuggests.

The findings were part of a six-year experiment in which scientists kept mouse sperm on the International Space Station and exposed it to radiation.

As The Daily Mail reports, researchers had believed radiation in space would destroy human DNA and make breeding impossible. Cancer caused by the radiation was another concern.

But after six years, scientists found that the mouse sperm stored on the space station was still healthy.

They also exposed it to X-rays on Earth and discovered it did not affect fertility.

One of the study's authors, Professor Sayaka Wakayama, of Japan's University of Yamanashi, told The Daily Mail: "Many genetically normal offspring were obtained. These discoveries are essential for mankind to progress into the space age."

"When the time comes to migrate to other planets, we will need to maintain the diversity of genetic resources, not only for humans but also for pets and domestic animals," he added.

Mars exploration has ramped up this year, as NASA's Perseverance rover and Ingenuity helicopter continue to look for signs of life on the planet.

Ingenuity, which is carried inside Perseverance's belly, recently completed its seventh flight on Mars. As reported by Insider's Kate Duffy, Perseverance is due to travel three miles across Mars over the next few months.

The rover's trip will help NASA understand the geology of Jezero Crater, the agency said in a statement.

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Mars: Humans able to reproduce on planet, sperm can survive for 200 years - Business Insider