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☆ SpaceX, US FAA close Starship launch probe with dozens of fixes
▼ + stars: | 2023-09-08 | by ( Joey Roulette | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +5 min

"The closure of the mishap investigation does not signal an immediate resumption of Starship launches at Boca Chica," the agency said, referring to SpaceX's sprawling Starship launch site in south Texas. It was unclear how many of the corrective actions SpaceX has already implemented, which will impact Starship's next launch timeline. Later on Friday, SpaceX's CEO and founder Elon Musk asked the FAA "what are the 63 corrective actions?" In line with FAA regulations, Musk's space company led the Starship investigation and largely created the list of 63 corrective actions for the FAA to approve. The agency requires SpaceX complete those actions before it can obtain a new Starship launch license.

Persons: SpaceX's, Joe Skipper, Elon Musk, Musk, Joey Roulette, Chizu Nomiyama, Mark Porter, Josie Kao, David Gregorio Our Organizations: Boca Chica, REUTERS, Rights, U.S . Federal Aviation Administration, SpaceX's, FAA, SpaceX, NASA, Boca, Thomson Locations: Brownsville , Texas, U.S, Texas, Boca Chica

☆ Carrie Mae Weems and George C. Wolfe on Defiance and Claiming Space
▼ + stars: | 2023-09-08 | by ( Jenny Comita | ) www.nytimes.com time to read: +3 min

George C. Wolfe can pinpoint the exact moment that sparked his career as a director and dramatist. “We were supposed to sing this song,” recalls Wolfe, 68. “Here was this monumental human being who changed history, and then history forgot him,” says Wolfe, himself a gay man, who has lived in New York City since 1979. Though contemporaries in adjacent disciplines, Wolfe and Weems had never had a real conversation before meeting on a steamy July day in a downtown Manhattan studio. Here, the two discuss their childhoods, art as activism and what they feel is still left to accomplish.

Persons: George C, Wolfe, “, ”, Tony Kushner’s, —, ’, he’s, Henrietta, Ma, “ Rustin, Barack, Michelle Obama’s, Bayard Rustin, Martin Luther King Jr, Rustin, Carrie Mae Weems, Julie Mehretu, Lyle Ashton Harris, Weems Organizations: Broadway, Public Theater, York Shakespeare, Netflix, Manhattan’s Guggenheim Museum, Tate Locations: Kentucky, America, York, Washington, New York City, Portland, Brooklyn, Syracuse, N.Y, London, Pergamon, Berlin —, Manhattan

☆ My miserable, euphoric, muddy escape from Burning Man
▼ + stars: | 2023-09-07 | by ( Rob Price | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +14 min

Social media was having a field day turning Burning Man into the epicenter of schadenfreude and misinformation, the few people who managed to connect to the internet reported. AdvertisementAdvertisementThe reality of Burning Man was not quite so dire. 2023 was my first year at Burning Man. I'd wanted to go to Burning Man for years. Even before the floods, there was an uncomfortable tension to Burning Man.

Persons: Joy, I'd, JULIE JAMMOT, Betty, preemptively, There's, they'd, Twitter, Zeynep Tufekci, Tufekci, I've, Ansel, we'd, Rob Price Organizations: FEMA, National Guard, Social, Getty, New York Times, Rock City, YouTube Locations: Nevada, San Francisco, Silicon, playa, AFP, Somme, Northern Nevada, Rock, American, Ansel Adams, Trail

☆ Woody Allen Finds a Decidedly Mixed Reception at the Venice Film Festival
▼ + stars: | 2023-09-05 | by ( Kyle Buchanan | More About Kyle Buchanan | ) www.nytimes.com time to read: +1 min

It has been six years since Woody Allen had a film released in the United States, but the Venice Film Festival was still eager to roll out the red carpet for the 87-year-old director’s latest effort. However, not everyone there welcomed the filmmaker with open arms. On Monday, his new film, “Coup de Chance,” debuted in Venice and earned the several-minute standing ovation that’s customary at most festival premieres. “Coup de Chance” is Allen’s 50th film and his first French-language effort. Starring Lou de Laâge and Melvil Poupaud, it’s a Paris-set dramatic thriller about a married woman who reconnects with an old flame, which drives her possessive husband to thoughts of murder.

Persons: Woody Allen, Chance, ”, ” Allen, Dylan Farrow, Luc Besson, Polanski, Lou de Laâge, Melvil Locations: United States, Venice, U.S, it’s, Paris

☆ Iraqi security forces deploy in Kirkuk after four protesters killed in ethnic clashes
▼ + stars: | 2023-09-03 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

A view of the city of Kirkuk shows a flame from an oilfield in the distance, October 25, 2010. Four protesters were shot dead on Saturday in clashes between ethnic groups in Kirkuk that broke out after days of tensions. But security forces had deployed additional troops on the streets to "prevent violence and protect civilians", he said. Military helicopters flew over the city on Sunday, according to four Kirkuk residents who spoke to Reuters by phone. Arab residents and minority groups, who say they suffered under Kurdish rule, have protested the KDP's return to the city.

Persons: Saad Shalash, Amir Shwani, Shwani, Ahmed Rasheed, Ros Russell, Hugh Lawson Organizations: REUTERS, Security, SULAIMANIYA, Police, Kurdistan Democratic Party, KDP, Military, Reuters, Sunday, Iraq's Shi'ite, Thomson Locations: Kirkuk, Iraq

☆ Conjuring a 17th-Century Witch Hunt, With Echoes of Our Own Day
▼ + stars: | 2023-09-03 | by ( Elizabeth Graver | ) www.nytimes.com time to read: +2 min

“There was magic all around,” Miller writes. “The politics of alien conspiracy soon dominated political discourse and bid fair to wipe out any other issue. The novel was inspired by witch hunts that took place in East Anglia, England, in the 1640s, where Meyer, who was born in Canada, now lives. From the outset, we see Martha torn between a belief in omens and more mainstream Christianity. “Two bad omens; but what was she to make of them?” Meyer writes.

Persons: Margaret Meyer, ’, Arthur Miller, ” Miller, Margaret Meyer’s, —, Meyer, Martha Hallybread, Martha, Kit, ” Meyer, “, ” Locations: Salem, East Anglia, England, Canada, Cleftwater

☆ Tesla shows off restyled Model 3 sedan at Beijing trade fair
▼ + stars: | 2023-09-02 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

[1/3] Tesla's new Model 3 sedan is seen displayed at the China International Fair for Trade in Services (CIFTIS) in Beijing, China September 2, 2023. REUTERS/Florence Lo Acquire Licensing RightsBEIJING, Sept 2 (Reuters) - Tesla (TSLA.O) showed off its restyled, China-made Model 3 sedan for the first time to the public at a trade fair in Beijing, after launching it a day before in several countries. The U.S. automaker displayed a flame red version of the car - marking the first change to its mass-market car line-up since it launched its global best-seller, the Model Y, in 2020 - at the China International Fair for Trade in Services (CIFTIS). At the fair, Tesla sales staff answered questions from interested buyers. Tesla has also said it will show the new model at the Munich auto show, which opens on Tuesday.

Persons: Florence Lo, Guo, Tesla, Hu, Xiaoyu Yin, Jing Xu, Brenda Goh, Ros Russell Organizations: Fair for Trade, Services, REUTERS, Rights, U.S, Thomson Locations: Beijing, China, Rights BEIJING, United States, Shanghai, Asia, Europe, Munich

Here are the meanings of the least-found words that were used in (mostly) recent Times articles. — Ireland’s Medieval Beacon (April 16, 1995)2. natant — swimming or floating (and a frequent guest on this list):I love the word natant. — Mexico’s Last Countercultural Coast (Feb. 3, 2020)6. tali — plural of talus, an ankle bone:T.I.L. (Today I Learned) that tali is another word for “anklebones.” — Long Story Short (Jan. 3, 2022)7. atilt — askew:The facade is atilt, the S.U.V. Wrestler Taps In Against Concussion Deniers (Oct. 26, 2022)The list of the week’s easiest words:

Persons: abbacy, Norman Leinster, —, peplum, hegemon, tali —, tali, ” —, atilt — askew, Stacey Abrams, ’, ”, Alessio Mortelliti, tallit — Organizations: Sun, —, University of Maine, National Science Foundation, Dolphins Locations: Glendalough, abbacy, China, Beijing, lantana, California, tatters, Ukraine

☆ Kim Jong Un feasted at a lavish banquet with gaudy lighting and a showstopping scale model of a nuclear missile
▼ + stars: | 2023-08-31 | by ( Mia Jankowicz | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +4 min

North Korean media released a video showing Kim Jong Un at a lavish banquet on Sunday. Four different moments of Kim Jong-Un and his daughter at a banquet table on August, 27, 2023. Kim Yo Jong was identified by NK News as the woman in a jacket standing center of picture, facing Kim Jong Un, below. A row of sailors look joyful as they serenade Kim Jong Un at a banquet in Pyongyang on August 27, 2023. A general view of the banquet in Pyongyang on August 27, 2023, attended by Kim Jong Un.

Persons: Kim Jong, Kim, Ri Sol Ju, Kim Ju, Kim Jong Un, Ri, —, Kim Ju Ae, Kim's, Kim Yo Jong Organizations: Navy, Service, NK News, North Korea's, Air Koryo, DPRK NK News, Guardian Locations: Wall, Silicon, North, Pyongyang, DPRK, North Korea, Koryo, Serrano

☆ Burger King must face a lawsuit claiming it makes its Whoppers look much larger and meatier on its menus, a judge rules
▼ + stars: | 2023-08-30 | by ( Grace Dean | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +4 min

Burger King has to face a lawsuit claiming its burgers look larger and meatier on its menus, a judge ruled. The lawsuit claims the chain changed its images of Whoppers to make its meat content look twice as large. "Burger King advertises its burgers as large burgers compared to competitors and containing oversized meat patties and ingredients that overflow over the bun," the lawsuit claims. Advertisement Advertisement Watch:It alleges that Burger King "materially overstates the size of nearly every menu item in its current advertisements." When asked for comment on the judge's ruling, a Burger King spokesperson told Insider: "The plaintiffs' claims are false.

Persons: Burger, Burger King, Whoppers, Roy Altman, Altman, James C, Kelly, Taco Bell Organizations: Service, Burger, Taco Locations: Burger, Wall, Silicon, New York

☆ Forest fires hit Russian Black Sea resort town
▼ + stars: | 2023-08-30 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +1 min

A fire-fighting helicopter drops water during an operation to put out forest fires near the Black Sea resort town of Gelendzhik, Russia, in this still image from video released August 30, 2023. Russian Emergencies Ministry/Handout via REUTERS Acquire Licensing RightsAug 30 (Reuters) - Hundreds of firefighters are trying to put out blazes near the Russian Black Sea town of Gelendzhik, one of the country's most popular resorts, the local mayor said on Wednesday. In a post on Telegram, mayor Alexei Bogodistov said that 441 people, more than 80 vehicles and fire-fighting planes and helicopters had been deployed to combat the forest fires which had engulfed 118 hectares of land. Footage circulating online showed the wooded hills above the town wreathed in flame. Forest fires are rare on Russia's humid Black Sea coast, but much of Europe has sweltered in a series of heatwaves this summer, causing blazes across the continent.

Persons: Alexei Bogodistov, Felix Light, Mark Trevelyan Organizations: Russian Emergencies Ministry, REUTERS Acquire, Thomson Locations: Gelendzhik, Russia, Russian, Europe

Learn moreIf you're looking for help on where to buy Metallica tickets for their ongoing M72 World Tour, we have you covered. Metallica's M72 World Tour kicked off on April 27 in Amsterdam. Metallica 2023/2024 tour scheduleThere are still seven more concert dates across five cities in the U.S. for the second leg of Metallica's tour. Since Metallica's M72 World Tour primarily consists of two shows at each location, you can also get deals for two-day passes cheaper than buying separate tickets for those dates. Metallica's M72 World Tour features various opening acts across multiple dates.

Persons: James Hetfield, Lars Ulrich, Kirk Hammett, Robert Trujillo, Foxborough, Greta Van Organizations: Metallica, IL, Ticketmaster, Mammoth, Nine, Architects Locations: Amsterdam, Europe, North America, East Rutherford , New Jersey, StubHub, U.S, Detroit, Germany, Glendale, AZ, Indio, CA, Louis, St, MI, Detroit ,, Munich, Helsinki, Finland, Copenhagen, Denmark, Warsaw, Poland, Madrid, Spain, Foxborough, Chicago, Chicago ,, Minneapolis, Minneapolis ,, Edmonton, Canada, Seattle, WA, Seattle , WA, Mexico City, Mexico, Louis , Missouri, Michigan, Seattle , Washington, Detroit , MI, MN

Aug 28 (Reuters) - A look at the day ahead in Asian markets from Jamie McGeever, financial markets columnist. The Asian economic calendar is light, with only Japanese unemployment and the latest industrial production, trade and inflation figures from Vietnam on tap. Trading volumes should return to more normal levels with UK markets open again. Fellow real estate developer China Resources Land publishes half-year results on Tuesday, while Evergrande shares trade for a second day after Monday's long-awaited reopening. They do not reflect the views of Reuters News, which, under the Trust Principles, is committed to integrity, independence, and freedom from bias.

Persons: Jamie McGeever, Gina Raimondo, Terry Gou, Josie Kao Organizations: Stock, financials Bank of China, Garden, Land, U.S . Commerce, Washington, Apple, Monday, . Commerce, Thomson, Reuters Locations: Beijing, Vietnam, China, Ukraine, Japan

☆ Fact Check-Video of helicopter igniting treetops doesn’t show French government arson
▼ + stars: | 2023-08-28 | by ( Reuters Fact Check | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

French officials said the area was vulnerable to fires due to “intense heat, dryness and tumultuous winds of up to 180 kilometers/hour,” Reuters reported. On Aug. 20, the Pyrenees-Orientales Fire Department wrote on X that the fire had been extinguished (here). !”The Arduini Helicopters Facebook page credits the video to an individual named Paul Buxton-Carr (here). Reuters Fact Check has previously addressed similar videos showing firefighters employing controlled or prescribed burning to curtail the spread of wildfires (here). The video shows a 2018 prescribed burn in Canada, not the intentional ignition of wildfires in France in 2023.

Persons: ”, Paul Buxton, Carr, Read Organizations: Facebook, ” Reuters, Fire, Arduini Helicopters, Reuters Locations: Canada, France, Pyrenees, Canada’s Alberta, British Columbia, Narcosli

☆ Opinion | Favorite Songs and Prose, Reimagined
▼ + stars: | 2023-08-27 | by ( ) www.nytimes.com time to read: +1 min

The internet is the great battlefield of that war, with some very fine people on both sides. We have come to dedicate a large portion of our field of attention to websites and apps as the final resting place for our opinions that they may live forever. It is not altogether fitting or proper that we should do this. And, among the nonsense, we can no longer enjoy the love we make — in case we accidentally procreate — with abortion newly struck down. The brave women, living in dread, who struggle in fear, have old men to blame for it, and deserve nothing less than to have us now act.

Persons: William Shakespeare, Joel Watson Organizations: Joel Watson San, Gettysburg Locations: Joel Watson San Diego, Queens

☆ SpaceX rocket explosion left craters a foot deep, started a fire and incinerated blue land crabs, report says
▼ + stars: | 2023-08-26 | by ( Ryan Hogg | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +3 min

The environmental damage caused by a SpaceX rocket explosion in April shocked officials. Bloomberg reported that seven bobwhite quail eggs and a group of blue land crabs were incinerated. Concrete chunks left massive craters around the launch site and ignited a fire covering 3.5 acres. That fire incinerated seven bobwhite quail eggs and a "collection of blue land crabs," while also leaving several craters a foot deep across tidal flats, per Bloomberg. Wildlife officials also questioned why SpaceX did not use the same flame-suppression technology that's regarded as the best available, Bloomberg reported.

Persons: deflector Organizations: SpaceX, Bloomberg, Service, FAA, Fish and Wildlife Service, CNBC, Environmental Protection Agency, Wildlife Locations: Wall, Silicon, Gulf, Mexico

☆ As Trump arrested, Biden talks to Zelenskiy, appeals for campaign donations
▼ + stars: | 2023-08-25 | by ( Steve Holland | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

Biden was silent all day on Friday while on vacation at a home overlooking Lake Tahoe, but at almost the exact time Trump's plane landed in Atlanta, the White House announced the phone call with Volodymyr Zelenskiy. Biden, however, sent out an appeal on X for donations to his re-election campaign at about the same time as Trump was on his way to be arrested at the Fulton County Jail. "Apropos of nothing, I think today's a great day to give to my campaign," Biden wrote. When Trump was indicted in a separate case in Washington on Aug. 1, Biden was at his vacation home in Rehoboth Beach, Delaware, dining out and watching a popular movie. In the call with Zelenskiy, the pair discussed the start of training for Ukraine pilots to fly U.S.-produced F-16 fighter jets, as well as expedited approval for other nations to transfer their F-16 jets to Ukraine, the White House said.

Persons: Joe Biden, Leah, Donald Trump, Biden, Volodymyr Zelenskiy, Trump, Steve Holland, Daniel Wallis Organizations: Infrastructure Law, White, REUTERS, White House, Republican, Ukraine, Thomson Locations: Washington , U.S, TAHOE, Calif, Atlanta , U.S, Lake Tahoe, Atlanta, Fulton, Washington, Rehoboth Beach , Delaware, U.S, Ukraine

☆ Fact Check-In wake of Maui fires, here’s why some trees survive damage
▼ + stars: | 2023-08-22 | by ( Reuters Fact Check | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +6 min

Some posts on social media in the wake of the fires on the Hawaiian island of Maui, however, suggested that the fact some trees had remained standing showed proof that the fires were somehow engineered or steered to intentionally burn homes and vehicles, leaving trees unscathed. Reuters photographs and satellite imagery of the Lahaina Banyan Court area produced by Maxar Technologies shows buildings, vehicles and trees damaged following the fires (shorturl.at/bpsTX), (here). Other trees were more heavily damaged, but remained standing, Reuters pictures show (here), (here). Regardless, the fact that some trees could remain standing or were less damaged than cars or buildings during a fire is not abnormal. Trees sometimes survive severe damage during fires due to factors including their water content and the ways a fire spreads.

Persons: Albert Simeoni, ”, Erica Fischer, Fischer, Christopher Baird, ” Baird, Katie Kamelamela, James Urban, Niamh Nic Daeid, Nic Daeid, Read Organizations: Reuters, Facebook, Maxar Technologies, Fire Protection Engineering Department, Worcester Polytechnic Institute, Department of Wood Science, Engineering, Oregon State University, “, JB, University of Hawaii, West Texas, M University, Conservatory, Akaka Foundation, Tropical Forests, HOW, Fire Protection, Leverhulme Research, Forensic Science, University of Dundee Locations: Maui, Instagram, Lahaina Banyan, Oregon, Colorado, Manoa, Hawaii

☆ How to find water when you're lost in the desert
▼ + stars: | 2023-08-21 | by ( Jenny Mcgrath | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +3 min

Containers can help collect moisture that forms overnight. That's why it's important to know, ahead of time, where the most likely water sources in a desert may be hiding. Prickly pear Opuntia basilaris in bloom in spring in the desert in Joshua Tree National Park California. Education Images/UIG via Getty ImagesThe University of Nevada, Reno, suggests wearing leather or rubber gloves and using tongs to harvest a prickly pear cactus. In reality, you're probably not in a situation where you're going to go through all that work, so if you find a prickly pear just be extra careful while harvesting and peeling the skin.

Organizations: Service, Phoenix, Getty, The, of Nevada, Independent Locations: Wall, Silicon, Joshua Tree, Park California, Reno

☆ Edtech startup Kinjo incentivizes kids to play educational mini-games in Roblox. Check out the pitch deck it used to raise $6.5 million in seed funding.
▼ + stars: | 2023-08-21 | by ( Madeline Renbarger | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +5 min

With Kinjo, kids can earn virtual currency called Robux by playing higher-ranked learning games. To earn these Robux, kids can spend real-world money, or they can play simple mini games to "grind" for Robux rewards. Kids who use Kinjo are three times more likely to spend time on games that are more productive than kids without Kinjo, Malcolm said. Many edtech gaming platforms are already on the market, such as the social-emotional learning game Social Cipher or the STEM learning game Royelles. Check out the 16-slide pitch deck that Kinjo used to raise $6.5 million in seed funding:

Persons: Charles Thornburgh couldn't, Thornburgh, Jim Breyer's Breyer, Kinjo, Laura Malcolm, Kinjo's, Malcolm said, Krishna Srinivasan Organizations: Austin, LiveOak Venture Partners, Silverton Partners, Jim Breyer's Breyer Capital, Roble, Robux, Roblox Locations: Roblox, Silverton, Austin , Texas, Fortnite

☆ Elon Musk is gearing up to launch his Starship mega-rocket in August. Here are 2 changes SpaceX made to stop it exploding.
▼ + stars: | 2023-08-21 | by ( Marianne Guenot | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +6 min

SpaceX is adding changes to Starship's launchpad and rocket ahead of its next launch. SpaceX is now gearing up for a second launch, which CEO Musk has predicted could happen by end of August. Here are two crucial changes the firm has made to its Starship launch system, and why it hopes it'll keep the rocket from failing. Because of this change to the launch, SpaceX had to add a "vented interstage and heat shield" to protect the booster. The CEO is now vying for a second launch window by the end of August, he said in June.

Persons: Elon, Musk, it'll, SpaceX SpaceX's, didn't, Ashlee Vance, Vance Organizations: SpaceX, Service, Privacy, SpaceX's, SpaceX SpaceX, Federal Aviation Administration, Bloomberg, CNBC, The Texas Commission, Environmental, FAA Locations: Wall, Silicon, of Mexico, Boca Chica , Texas

☆ ‘It Was Pretty Miserable’: Planning a Wedding Amid Climate Change
▼ + stars: | 2023-08-19 | by ( Britta Lokting | ) www.nytimes.com time to read: 1 min

When Coy Boggler and Annie Wall started planning their intimate backyard wedding in Phoenix earlier this year, they didn’t know that by July, a record-breaking heat wave would settle over the city for 31 straight days. Mr. Boggler, 47, and Ms. Wall, 41, had rented a tent to keep their guests cool and decided to test it out with three air-conditioning units running, but the temperature inside the tent wouldn’t dip below 93 degrees. “It was pretty miserable,” said Mr. Boggler, a firefighter and paramedic in the Phoenix metropolitan area. The couple were at a loss for what to do when they ran into Chuck Montgomery, a retired deputy fire chief of Glendale, Ariz., and an acquaintance. Mr. Montgomery invited them to move the ceremony to the Hall of Flame Museum of Firefighting in Phoenix, where Mr. Montgomery is the executive director.

Persons: Coy Boggler, Annie Wall, Boggler, Wall, ”, Chuck Montgomery, Montgomery Organizations: of Flame Museum Locations: Phoenix, Glendale, Ariz

☆ Video of a Ka-52 attack helicopter being shot down in Ukraine hints Russia isn't learning what it should have by now, former US general says
▼ + stars: | 2023-08-19 | by ( Jake Epstein | Chris Panella | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +7 min

Ukrainian forces destroyed three Russian Ka-52 attack helicopters this week alone. One video circulating around social media shows the moment a helicopter gets shot down. Russian forces have benefitted from its Ka-52s for much of the ongoing Ukrainian counteroffensive, using them to inflict damage on enemy ground forces lacking adequate protection. Ukrainian forces have found success this week in downing the formidable Ka-52, which is Russia calls the "Alligator" and NATO calls the "Hokum-B." A Ukrainian soldier looks at fragments of the Russian Ka-52 helicopter destroyed by the Ukrainian army.

Persons: couldn't, —, Ben Hodges, It's, Hodges, Maxym, Russia's, Andriy Yermak, Russia shouldn't Organizations: Service, US Army, NATO, Air Defense Systems, Army, Stingers, RBS, Getty, BBC Russian Service Locations: Wall, Silicon, Russian, Ukraine, Russia, Donetsk, Army Europe, Soviet, Ukrainian, Moscow, Asia

☆ Rupert Murdoch's new girlfriend always had a touch of glamour even as a research scientist in the 2000s, former colleague says
▼ + stars: | 2023-08-18 | by ( Marianne Guenot | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +4 min

A former colleague told Insider he was aware she had a glamorous lifestyle. Rupert Murdoch's new flame, 66-year-old former scientist Elena Zhukova, always had a touch of glamor about her, but didn't flaunt it when she worked in the lab, a former colleague told Insider. Lee Slice, who shared an office with Zhukova in UCLA in the 2000s, told Insider he "wasn't really surprised" to see the retired molecular biologist on Murdoch's arm. "That was sort of a circle she interacted with, as well as the scientific community," Slice told Insider. Zhukova took her work as a scientist seriouslySlice said that at work, Zhukova was a fairly private person and that her lifestyle was not really visible in the office.

Persons: Elena Zhukova, Ruper, Rupert Murdoch's, Lee Slice, wasn't, Zhukova, Rupert Murdoch, Ann Lesley Smith, Westwood, Alexander Zhukova, Slice, It's, Dasha, Roman Abramovich, Stavros Niarchos II, Stavros Niarchos Organizations: Morning, Zhukova, UCLA, Fox Corp, Guardian, National Institutes of Health, Playboy, Yorker, Baylor College of Medicine, University of California, Financial Times, Tatler, Chelsea FC, Dasha Locations: Bethesda, Westwood, Beverly Hills, Los Angeles, Moscow, Soviet Union, Houston, British, Russian

☆ Opinion | Maui and the Age of the Urban Firestorm
▼ + stars: | 2023-08-16 | by ( David Wallace-Wells | ) www.nytimes.com time to read: +3 min

It wasn’t even really a wildfire. In general, we’ve long believed the built environment offered formidable firebreaks, and worried over what might be lost when fires passed near homes as a form of tragic collateral damage. As of Tuesday, the official death toll in Maui was 99, but almost 1 percent of all residents remained unaccounted for, and many locals were suggesting the death toll could increase significantly in the days ahead. A climate lawsuit launched by the island against Big Oil in 2020 specifically cited additional wildfire risk. But still, when the fire broke out, almost no one seemed adequately prepared.

Persons: Daniel Swain, Tubbs, Marshall, Chuck, Swain Organizations: Costco, New York, Big Oil Locations: Lahaina, Hawaii, Santa Rosa, Calif, Paradise, Boulder County, Colo, New, Maui

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