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☆ We Have a James Turrell Artwork in Our School. So There.
▼ + stars: | 2024-02-22 | by ( Hilarie M. Sheets | ) www.nytimes.com time to read: +1 min

Even in the buffet of amenities that New York City private schools offer — state-of-the-art gyms and science labs, black box theaters and greenhouses, bespoke college guidance and dream teacher-to-student ratios — having a museum-caliber James Turrell Skyspace on your rooftop is in a class of its own. On the sixth floor of Friends Seminary, a Quaker school in Manhattan, Turrell, the internationally acclaimed artist who uses light to shape space, has created one of his perception-altering meeting rooms whose roof opens to the sky. Bathed in a spectrum of shifting radiant color, that slice of sky appears to float inside the installation, titled “Leading,” the only one of more than 85 Skyspaces by Turrell around the world attached to an active K-12 school. Sam Lane, a sophomore, was already a Turrell fan from family visits to the Massachusetts Museum of Contemporary Art, which has nine of the artist’s installations. “Some people were excited, some people were a little weirded out by it — like what does it means to have an art installation at our school this significant?”

Persons: James Turrell Skyspace, Sam Lane, ” Lane, Denman Tuzo, “, ”, Lane Organizations: Friends Seminary, Quaker, Massachusetts Museum of Contemporary Art Locations: New York City, Manhattan, Turrell

But all Wright's family wants is for the 38-year-old businessman to be returned home. That position was reaffirmed Friday by the U.S. State Department in response to questions about Wright’s arrest. Some former Trump administration officials say Wright’s arrest is just the latest example of Maduro acting in bad faith. “He loved the nomadic lifestyle,” said Stewart, who didn't know her son was in Venezuela until she learned of his arrest. Wright’s family is speaking out because they feel the U.S. government hasn’t done enough to free him.

Persons: Biden, Savoi Wright’s, Nicolás, hasn’t, “, ”, Erin Stewart, Wright, Joe Biden, Maduro, Maria Corina Machado, Machado, Matthew Miller, Donald Trump's, Juan Guaidó, Kimberly Breier, Trump’s, Elliott Abrams, Maduro’s, Stewart, ” Stewart, Venezuela’s, Tarek William Saab didn’t, Luke Denman, Airan Berry —, — Eyvin Hernandez, Jerrel Kenemore, Joseph Cristella —, Moizeé Stewart, Wright’s, ” ___ Goodman, Tucker Organizations: U.S, Venezuelan, Associated Press, Oakland, U.S . State Department, Trump, Maduro, State Department, Loyola Marymount University, Green, FBI, U.S . Embassy, The State Department Locations: California, Venezuela, OPEC, Barbados, United States, Latin America, Washington, Colombia, Houston, Berkeley , California, Oakland, Miami, South America, U.S, Investigative@ap.org

☆ Apollo 17 astronauts collected rocks that reveal the moon’s true age
▼ + stars: | 2023-10-28 | by ( Ashley Strickland | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +6 min

The moon’s gravitational pull is also the force behind ocean tides and partly why our planet has a 24-hour day. Geologist and astronaut Harrison Schmitt used an adjustable sampling scoop to retrieve lunar samples during the Apollo 17 mission in 1972. Zircon crystals formed as the moon cooled 4.46 billion years ago, and a new analysis traced them in the Apollo 17 samples. NASAAn ancient landscape has been discovered beneath the East Antarctic ice sheet, thanks to ice-penetrating radar. Understanding the hidden, well-preserved landscape could help scientists predict the evolution of the ice sheet and how it may fare as temperatures warm in the climate crisis.

Persons: Harrison Schmitt, Eugene Cernan, ”, Jennika Greer, Nick Gray, James Webb, Stewart Jamieson, Ashley Strickland, Katie Hunt Organizations: CNN, NASA, Apollo, University of Glasgow, JBA Consulting, Environment Agency Engineers, Environment, Durham University, CNN Space, Science Locations: Europe, Africa, Asia, Australia, England's Isle of Wight, Isle of Wight, Orkney Islands, Denman, East Antarctica, Belgium, North Wales, Iraq, Syria

☆ A hidden feedback loop under Antarctica’s glaciers could accelerate sea level rise, scientists find
▼ + stars: | 2023-10-27 | by ( Rachel Ramirez | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +4 min

CNN —Glaciers in East Antarctica could lose ice faster in the future than previously thought, scientists reported Friday, in an alarming feedback loop where glacier meltwater is triggering even more ice loss and sea level rise as the planet warms. Together, these and other recent studies paint a dire picture of a melting southern continent that poses extreme risk of life-altering sea level rise around the world. Friday’s study factored that feedback into simulations to see how much it could accelerate Antarctic melting and sea level rise. Measuring this phenomenon and accounting for it in climate models is necessary “to get a realistic picture of global sea level rise,” Greenbaum said. “Given this evidence, subglacial melt and discharge is a process that can no longer be ignored in future projections of Antarctica’s contribution to sea level rise,” De Rydt told CNN.

Persons: CNN —, it’s, ”, Jamin Greenbaum, Denman, Scott, Greenbaum, ” Greenbaum, Tyler Pelle, ” Pelle, Pelle, we’re, ” Jan De Rydt, ” De Rydt, “ Organizations: CNN, University of California San Diego’s Scripps, of Oceanography, Scripps, Northumbria University Locations: East Antarctica, Antarctica

☆ Scientists discover an ancient landscape in an area on Earth ‘less well known than the surface of Mars’
▼ + stars: | 2023-10-25 | by ( Katie Hunt | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +4 min

CNN —An ancient landscape hidden under the East Antarctic ice sheet for at least 14 million years has been revealed with the help of satellite data and planes equipped with ice-penetrating radar. Scientists used the remote sensing techniques to map 32,000 square kilometers (12,300 square miles) of land — an area around the same size as Belgium. “The land underneath the East Antarctic Ice Sheet is less well known than the surface of Mars,” Jamieson said in a statement. The ancient landscape was discovered beneath the ice inland from Denman Glacier in East Antarctica pictured here. The East Antarctic ice sheet first formed around 34 million years ago, but it would have subsequently fluctuated in size, sometimes revealing the land beneath.

Persons: Stewart Jamieson, ” Jamieson, Jamieson, We’re Organizations: CNN, Nature Communications, University of Durham, NASA Locations: Belgium, North Wales, Denman, East Antarctica

☆ US hostage envoy Roger Carstens quietly traveled to Venezuela this week
▼ + stars: | 2023-06-21 | by ( Jennifer Hansler | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +3 min

CNN —US Special Presidential Envoy for Hostage Affairs Roger Carstens quietly traveled to Venezuela this week, a State Department spokesperson confirmed to CNN Wednesday. Carstens traveled to the capital city of Caracas for “discussions about the welfare and safety of US nationals wrongfully detained in Venezuela,” the spokesperson said. “We continue to advocate for the immediate and unconditional release of all wrongfully detained US nationals in Venezuela at every opportunity,” they said. ‘Signing his death warrant’The family members of the detained Americans, all of whom have been detained more than a year, are increasingly worried about their loved ones. Tillery told CNN that the US is “signing his death warrant” by not securing Kenemore’s release.

Persons: Hostage Affairs Roger Carstens, Carstens, ”, “, Eyvin Hernandez, Jerrel Kenemore, Luke Denman, Airan Berry, Nicolas Maduro, Jeana, Tillery, Gustavo Cárdenas –, Jorge Alberto Fernandez, – Jose Pereira, Jorge Toledo, Tomeu, Alirio Zambrano, Jose Luis Zambrano, Matthew Heath, Osman Khan –, Biden Organizations: CNN, Hostage Affairs, State Department, United Locations: Venezuela, Caracas, United States, Venezuelan

The British company, which sells Cornettos cones and Talenti tubs, on Thursday reported a 0.2% dip in overall quarterly sales volumes, but a more than 4% decline in ice cream volumes. Its ice cream prices rose 10.5% in the quarter, driving turnover of 1.7 billion euros ($1.9 billion). About 60% of Unilever's ice cream business is "in-home" - bought from stores - while the rest is eaten in parlours and other venues. "Ice cream is the most discretionary category that we have across all of our categories," finance chief Graeme Pitkethly said. When consumers are under pressure, because ice cream is more discretionary, ice cream gets dropped from the basket."

Cost inflation rose during the COVID-19 pandemic and was exacerbated by Russia's invasion of Ukraine, which sent energy prices to record highs last year. Energy costs have since dropped, however, while global prices for some commodities are rising more slowly. Companies like Nestle (NESN.S), Reckitt Benckiser (RKT.L) and Danone (DANO.PA) continued to raise prices sharply in the first quarter even though input costs are easing. First quarter price/mix, a basket of variables the company uses to help determine what prices to charge, rose 12.4% while sales volumes declined 4.5%. Similarly, Nestle increased its prices by 9.8% during the quarter and sales volumes - which the company calls real internal growth - fell only 0.5%.

“The intentions, of course, were never to cross over to Venezuela, he was just accompanying her,” said Henry Martínez, Hernández’s brother. The men told Hernández that if they wanted to enter Venezuela, he had to pay $100. Hernández told them he was not trying to enter the country and did not have $100. The U.S. has not had a diplomatic presence in Caracas since 2019, so access to jailed Americans has been limited since then. “Sometimes I can hear his voice weak and just frustrated and anxious,” said Henry Martínez.

☆ Japan's factory activity extends declines for third straight month - PMI
▼ + stars: | 2023-01-24 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

TOKYO, Jan 24 (Reuters) - Japan's manufacturing activity contracted for a third straight month in January as export weakness persisted amid a worsening global outlook, a corporate survey showed on Tuesday. The au Jibun Bank flash Japan manufacturing purchasing managers' index (PMI) was at a seasonally adjusted 48.9 in January, unchanged from the final reading in the previous month. Factory output and new orders decreased for a seventh consecutive month, although at slower paces than last month, the sub-index data showed. The au Jibun Bank flash services PMI rose to a seasonally adjusted 52.4 in January from the previous month's 51.1 final, hitting a three-month high. Overall, the au Jibun Bank Flash Japan composite PMI rose to 50.8 in January, up from last month's final 49.7 and emerging above the break-even 50 line for the first time in three months.

☆ South Korea December factory activity weakens on demand slump, trucker strike
▼ + stars: | 2023-01-02 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

SEOUL, Jan 2 (Reuters) - South Korea's factory activity shrank for a sixth consecutive month in December, a business survey showed on Monday, as the global economic downturn and a local truckers' strike led to the worst slump in demand in 2-1/2 years. The S&P Global purchasing managers' index (PMI) for South Korea manufacturers fell to a seasonally-adjusted 48.2 last month from 49.0 in November. Sub-indexes showed output contracted for an eighth straight month, new orders declined for a sixth month, and new export orders shrank for a 10th month. Meanwhile, suppliers' delivery times were their worst since June, as South Korean truckers went on a strike for the second time in 2022. "Low levels of client demand, on both a domestic and international scale, were central to the latest deterioration."

☆ After a Bumpy Year, Renewable Energy Looks Poised for Boom Times
▼ + stars: | 2022-12-29 | by ( Dieter Holger | ) www.wsj.com time to read: +9 min

The future has never been brighter for renewable energy, as some of the snags that kept wind and solar production from going full throttle this year seem poised to ease. What is more, by early 2025, the IEA said it expects renewable energy to be the largest source of electricity in the global power mix, surpassing coal. Driving the IEA’s rosier outlook: First is the global energy crisis caused by Russia’s invasion of Ukraine that led European nations to try to build more renewable energy capacity within their borders to improve their energy security and replace Russian fuel imports. But the climate-and-spending bill’s support for growth of the solar industry should reverse the recent spikes in PPA costs, he said. GridsLong waits for permits and permissions to build new grid infrastructure remain a challenge to getting more renewable energy.

☆ Japan Dec factory activity contracts at fastest pace in 26 months
▼ + stars: | 2022-12-16 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

TOKYO, Dec 16 (Reuters) - Japan's manufacturing activity shrank at the fastest pace in more than two years in December on soft demand and persistent cost pressures, a corporate survey showed on Friday. The au Jibun Bank Flash Japan Manufacturing Purchasing Managers' Index (PMI) was down to a seasonally adjusted 48.8 in December from a final reading of 49.0 in the previous month. Output and new orders extended their contraction for a sixth month in December, although at slower paces than last month. The au Jibun Bank flash services PMI rose to a seasonally adjusted 51.7 in December, from the previous month's 50.3 final, the survey showed. With subdued manufacturers and robust services, the au Jibun Bank Flash Japan composite PMI stood on the break-even line of 50.0, up from a final 48.9 last month.

☆ Asia's factory activity shrinks as China lockdown impact widens
▼ + stars: | 2022-12-01 | by ( Leika Kihara | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +3 min

Amid the pandemic curbs, China's factory activity shrank in November, a private survey showed on Thursday. The figure followed downbeat data in an official survey on Wednesday that showed manufacturing activity had hit a seven-month low in November. South Korea's factory activity shrank for a fifth straight month in November but the downturn moderated slightly, possibly suggesting the worst was over for businesses. Lockdowns in China have hit production at a factory there that is the biggest producer of Apple Inc (AAPL.O) iPhones. Vietnam's PMI fell to 47.4 in November from 50.6 in October, while that for Indonesia slid to 50.3 from 51.8, the private surveys showed.

☆ Japan Nov factory activity shrinks at quickest pace in 2 years
▼ + stars: | 2022-11-24 | by ( Cynthia Kim | Jihoon Lee | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

TOKYO, Nov 24 (Reuters) - Japan's manufacturing activity contracted at the fastest pace in two years in November as demand worsened due to strong inflationary pressures, a business survey showed on Thursday. The au Jibun Bank Flash Japan Manufacturing Purchasing Managers' Index (PMI) slipped to a seasonally adjusted 49.4 in November from a final reading of 50.7 in the previous month. Output contracted at the quickest pace in 26 months, falling for the fifth consecutive month, the survey results showed. Activity in the services sector stagnated even as new business inflows grew for a third straight month, the data showed. The au Jibun Bank Flash Services PMI Index came in at a seasonally adjusted 50.0 in November, down from the previous month's 53.2 final, the survey showed.

☆ Asia's factory output weakens on global slowdown, China COVID curbs
▼ + stars: | 2022-11-01 | by ( Leika Kihara | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +3 min

The private sector survey was in line with an official PMI survey released on Monday that showed China's factory activity unexpectedly fell in October. Japan's au Jibun Bank Japan Manufacturing PMI fell to 50.7 in October from September's 50.8 final, marking the weakest growth since January last year. South Korea's factory activity shrank for a fourth month in October as orders for exports fell for an eighth month, the PMI showed. That followed data that showed South Korea's exports fell the most in 26 months with shipments to China, its largest market, extending declines. Factory activity in Indonesia expanded at a slower pace in October with the PMI standing at 51.8, down from 53.7 in September.

☆ Japan Oct factory growth hits 21-month low as China conditions worsen -PMI
▼ + stars: | 2022-11-01 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +1 min

The au Jibun Bank Japan Manufacturing Purchasing Managers' Index fell to a seasonally adjusted 50.7 in October from September's 50.8 final. "The latest survey data signalled that Japan's manufacturing sector lost further momentum in October," said Laura Denman, economist at S&P Global Market Intelligence, which compiles the survey. "Sluggish markets and weaker demand conditions, on both a domestic and international level, became a recurring trend," she said, adding that worsening conditions in China and South Korea hurt Japan's exports last month. Output and overall new orders both contracted for the fourth straight month, the survey results showed. Business expectations jumped to a nine-month high despite prolonged pressure from high input costs, according to the survey.

☆ ‘Dying Inside’: Chaos and Cruelty in Louisiana Juvenile Detention
▼ + stars: | 2022-10-29 | by ( Megan Shutzer | Rachel Lauren Mueller | ) www.nytimes.com time to read: +47 min

But inside the walls at Ware, one of the state’s largest juvenile detention facilities, children have been trying to kill themselves with stunning regularity. In Louisiana, where brutal conditions prompted juvenile justice reform two decades ago, the system is again in crisis. Most Ware guards are Black, as well, though nearly all of its leaders are white, as are the local judge, sheriff and district attorney. “Of course, they still do.” In reports to the state, Ware’s nurses described carpet burns on children’s faces and head-to-toe bruises from restraints. In fact, of the four guards convicted of sexually assaulting children at Ware, Mr. Peace would be the only one imprisoned.

☆ New ‘Buffalo Rangers’ series to highlight Korean War heroics by all-Black U.S. military unit
▼ + stars: | 2022-10-20 | by ( ) www.nbcnews.com time to read: +2 min

“Band of Brothers” writer Bruce McKenna is teaming with David Broyles (“Six”) and Nick Jones Jr. (“Yasuke”) to write and produce a limited TV series “Buffalo Rangers” about the 2nd Ranger Company, the only all-Black special operations combat unit in U.S. history. The series is being produced by South Korea-based Moving Pictures Company, which has a growing English-language slate. Tim McCoy, a 2nd Ranger company historian for many years, will serve as a consultant to the project. The 2nd Rangers were made of volunteers from other army regiments and were commanded by Black officers. Martin Chase called the project, “a true, forgotten, classic action tale about Black men who displayed amazing courage and heroism in the face of war and seemingly insurmountable obstacles.”

☆ Nicolas Maduro anunţă crearea unui comando special împotriva unor eventuale operaţiuni americane
▼ + stars: | 2020-09-23 | by ( Publika.Md - Aici Sunt Știrile | ) www.publika.md time to read: +2 min

Preşedintele Nicolas Maduro a anunţat marţi că Venezuela va crea "un comando de operaţiuni speciale" însărcinat cu contracararea eventualelor acţiuni subversive ale SUA pe teritoriul său, relatează AFP.Maduro a dezvăluit crearea acestui comando, a cărui activitate va fi coordonată de preşedinţie, într-o videoconferinţă difuzată de televiziunea guvernamentală venezueleană.Noua unitate va avea "capacitatea de a acţiona în oricare loc al ţării, în timp real, 24 de ore din 24", a declarat preşedintele socialist.Potrivit lui Maduro, preşedintele SUA, Donald Trump, a dat undă verde ca "CIA să se implice în acţiuni clandestine cu caracter terorist împotriva Venezuelei".Astfel de acţiuni americane ar viza "obiective petroliere, electrice, militare, electorale" pe teritoriul venezuelean, a spus Maduro. "Am capturat deja un agent care a recunoscut acest lucru", a spus el.La 11 septembrie, Maduro a anunţat arestarea în Venezuela a unui cetăţean american identificat ca Matthew John Heath şi pe care l-a calificat drept "spion". Americanul este acuzat de "terorism" de justiţia venezueleană, conform căreia el pregătea atacuri asupra unor instalaţii petroliere şi electrice.În august, alţi doi americani, Luke Alexander Denman şi Airan Berry, au fost condamnaţi în Venezuela la 20 de ani de închisoare pentru terorism. SUA susţin deschis căderea lui Nicolas Maduro, pe care îl califică drept dictator, şi impun o serie de sancţiuni Venezuelei.Secretariatul Trezoreriei SUA a anunţat marţi adoptarea de sancţiuni, în special îngheţarea unor active, împotriva a cinci oficiali politici venezueleni. Washingtonul îi acuză de "complicitate" cu preşedintele Maduro la o "manipulare" a procesului care conduce la viitoarele alegeri legislative, ce ar urma să aibă loc la 6 decembrie.Maduro a condamnat imediat sancţiunile, spunând în alocuţiunea sa că sunt "măsuri de extorsiune, de şantaj, de persecuţie tipice unei mafii, şi nu unui guvern al unei ţări decente", scrie agerpres.ro.

Persons: Nicolas Maduro, Donald Trump, Matthew John Heath, Americanul, Luke Alexander Denman, Maduro, Hugo Chavez Organizations: CIA, Berry Locations: Venezuela, SUA, Venezuelei, venezuelean, Maduro, Bolivariană

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